The Complete Mahabharata Volume 1 To 12 by Ramesh Menon

Table of Contents
The Complete Mahabharata Volume 1

The Complete Mahabharata
Adi Parva
The Complete Mahabharata
Adi Parva
RAMESH MENON
First published in 2009 by
Rupa Publications India Pvt. Ltd.
7/16, Ansari Road, Daryaganj
New Delhi 110002
Sales centres:
Allahabad Bengaluru Chennai
Hyderabad Jaipur Kathmandu
Kolkata Mumbai
Copyright © Ramesh Menon 2009
Cover design: Moonis Ijlal
This digital edition published in 2012
e-ISBN: 978-81-291-2173-8
Ramesh Menon asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this
work.
All rights reserved.

This e-book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade
or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated, without the
publisher’s prior consent, in any form or cover other than that in which it is
published. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or
stored in a retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether
electronic, mechanical, print reproduction, recording or otherwise, without
the prior permission of the publisher. Any unauthorized distribution of this
e-book may be considered a direct infringement of copyright and those
responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
For Sri RK Mehra,
valued friend, great Publisher
CONTENTS
A Brief Introduction
Acknowledgements
Canto 1: Parva Samgraha

Canto 2: Parva Samgraha Continued
Canto 3: Paushya Parva
Canto 4: Pauloma Parva
Canto 5: Pauloma Parva Continued
Canto 13: Astika Parva
Canto 14: Astik`a Parva Continued
Canto 15: Astika Parva Continued
Canto 19: S tika Parva Continued
Canto 20: S tika Parva Continued
Canto 22: Astiki Parva Continued
Canto 41: Astika Para Continued
Canto 52: Astika Parua continued
Canto 58: Astika Parva continued
Canto 59: Adivamsavatarana Parva
Canto 60: Adivamsavatarana Parva Continued
Canto 61: Adivamsavatarana Parva continued
Canto 65: S ambhava Parva
Canto 66 S ambhava Parva Continued
Canto 67: S ambhava Parva Continued
Canto 81: S ambhava Parva continued
Canto 143: Jatugriha Parva
Canto 144: Jatugriha Parva Continued
Canto 154: H idimbavadha Parva
Canto 155: H idimbavadha Parva Continued
Canto 159: Bakavadha Parva
Canto 160: Bakavadha Parva Continued
Canto 161: Bakavadha Parva continued
Canto 167: Chaitraratha Parva
Canto 168: Chaitraratha Parva Continued
Canto 181: Chaitraratha Parva continued
Canto 186: S wayamvara Parva
Canto 187: S wayamvara Parva Continued
Canto 195: Vaivahika Parva
Canto 196: Vaivahika Parva Continued
Canto 202: Viduragamana Parva
Canto 203: Viduragamana Parva Continued
Canto 209: Viduragamana Parva continued
Canto 210: Rajya-labha Parva
Canto 211: Rajya-labha Parva Continued
Canto 212: Rajya-lahba Parva Continued
Canto 215: Arjuna-vanavasa Parva
Canto 216: Arjuna-vanavasa Parva Continued
Canto 221: S ubhadra-harana Parva
Canto 222: S ubhadra-harana Parva Continued
Canto 223: H aranaharana Parva
Canto 224: Khandava-daha Parva
Canto 225: Khandava-daha Parva Continued
A BRIEF INTRODUCTION
The last complete version of the Mahabharata to be written in India in

English prose was the translation by Kisari Mohan Ganguli in the late 19th
century. He wrote it between 1883 and 1896. To the best of my knowledge,
it still remains the only full English prose rendering of the Epic by any
Indian.
More than a hundred years have passed since Ganguli achieved his
monumental task. Despite its closeness to the original Sanskrit and its
undeniable power, in more than a hundred years the language and style of
the Ganguli translation have inevitably become archaic.
It seemed a shame that this most magnificent of epics, a national
treasure, an indisputable classic of world literature, believed by many to be
the greatest of all books ever written, is not available in complete form to
the Indian (or any) reader in modern, literary and easily accessible English:
as retold by Indian writers.
So we, a group of Indian writers and editors, warmly and patiently
supported by our publisher Rupa & Co, undertook a line-by-line retelling of
the complete Mahabharata, for the contemporary and future reader. Our aim
has not been to write a scholarly translation of the Great Epic, but an
eminently readable one, without vitiating either the spirit or the poetry of
the original, and without reducing its length.
This is not a translation from the Sanskrit but based almost entirely on
the Ganguli text, and he himself did use more than one Sanskrit version for
his work. However, as will be obvious, the style of this new rendering is
very much our own, and our hope is to bring as much of the majesty and
enchantment of this awesome epic to you as is possible in English.
Ramesh Menon
Series Editor
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Sanjana Roy Choudhury, Kadambari Mishra, Deepthi Talwar and Jayashree

Kumar edited and proofread this first volume of the Mahabharata. I am
most grateful to them for their fine, painstaking work.
CANTO 1
PARVA SAMGRAHA
UM! I bow down to Narayana and Nara, the most exalted Purusha,
and to the Devi Saraswati, and utter the word Jaya. Ugrasrava is the
son of Romaharshana; he is a Suta and a master of the Puranas. One
day, bowing reverently, he came to the great Rishis of flinchless austerity
who sat at their ease after attending the twelve years’ yagna of Saunaka
Kulapati, in the Naimisha vana. The Munis were eager to listen to the
marvellous legends of Ugrasrava, who had come to their asrama in the
forest. The holy ones welcomed him with respect. He greeted those Sages
with folded hands and inquired after the evolution of their tapasya.
When the Rishis all sat again, Romaharshana’s son also humbly sat upon
the seat they offered him. Seeing that he was comfortable, and refreshed,
one of the Rishis said, ‘From where are you coming, lotus-eyed Sauti, and
where have you been spending your time? Tell me, who asks you this, in
detail.’
The eloquent Sauti replied appositely and at length in that large conclave
of illustrious tapasvins; the language he used was chaste and high, suited to
their way of life.
Sauti said, ‘I heard the diverse, sacred and marvellous tales, which
Krishna Dwaipayana composed in his Mahabharata, and which
Vaisampayana narrated at the sarpa yagna of the noble Rajarishi
Janamejaya, the son of Parikshit, foremost among Kshatriyas.
Later, I ranged the Earth, visiting many tirthas and other shrines. I
journeyed to Samantapanchaka, revered by the Dvijas, where the sons of
Kuru and those of Pandu fought their Great War, with all the Kshatriyas of
the land fighting for one side or the other.
From there, being eager to meet you, I have come into your presence.
Worshipful Sages, you are all like Brahman to me. Most blessed ones, you
shine in this yagnashala with the splendour of the Sun. You have finished
your dhyana and have fed the holy fire. Now you sit here, at your ease, with
no cares.
Tell me, greatest of Dvijas, what would you hear from me? Shall I
recount the sacred tales of the Puranas, which tell of dharma and artha, or
shall I tell you about the deeds of enlightened Rishis and of the kings of
men?’
The Rishis replied, ‘The Purana that was first propounded by the great
Dwaipayana. When both the Devas and the Brahmarishis had heard it, they
said it was the foremost of all Itihasas, histories. It varies in both diction
and divisions, has intricate and subtle meanings, logically combined and
gleaned from the Vedas, and it is a most holy work. It is composed in
elegant language and includes the subjects of every other book. Other
Shastras elucidate this Purana, and it reflects the inmost meaning of the four
Vedas. We want to listen to that Itihasa, which is also called the Bharata, the
magnificent Vyasa’s holy masterwork, which dispels the fear of evil. We
would hear it exactly as the Rishi Vaisampayana told it, joyously, under the
direction of Dwaipayana himself, at the sarpa yagna, the snake-sacrifice of
Raja Janamejaya.’
Sauti then said, ‘I bow to the Primordial Being, Isana, to whom the
people all make offerings, whom the multitude adores. He is the true and
immortal One – Brahman, manifest, unmanifest and eternal. He both exists
and appears not to. He is the Universe and also distinct from the Universe,
the creator of all things, high and low, the ancient, exalted, inexhaustible
One. He is Vishnu, benign and benignity personified, worthy of all worship,
pure, perfect. He is Hari, sovereign of the faculties, the mover of all things,
mobile and motionless.
I will now narrate the sacred thoughts of the illumined Muni Vyasa, of
marvellous accomplishments, whom all here revere. Some pauranikas have
already taught this Itihasa, some now teach it, and others will hereafter
disseminate it across the Earth. It is a vast treasure of knowledge, and its
fame is established through the three Lokas. The Dvijas, the twice-born,
possess it both in detail and in full. The erudite delight in it for being
adorned with elegance, with conversations human and divine and with
myriad poetic metres.
When this world was without light, plunged in absolute darkness, a
Mighty Egg appeared, the First Cause of creation, the single, infinite,
inexhaustible seed of all created beings. This is the Mahavidya, formed at
the beginning of the Yuga, when, we hear, Brahman the true light, the
eternal, inconceivable Being, was present equally everywhere, the unseen
and subtle Cause, whose nature is both of being and nothingness.
From this Egg, Pitamaha Brahma emerged, the first Prajapati, along with
Vishnu Suraguru and Siva Sthanu. Then the twenty-one Prajapatis appeared
– Manu, Vasishta and Parameshthi, ten Prachetas, Daksha, and the seven
sons of Daksha.
Then appeared the incomprehensible Purusha, whom all the Rishis
know, and also the Viswedevas, the Adityas, the Vasus, the Aswin twins,
the Yakshas, the Sadhyas, the Pisachas, the Guhyakas, and the Pitrs.
After these, the wise and most holy Brahmarishis were created, and the
numerous Rajarishis distinguished by every noble quality. So too, the
waters, the heavens, the earth, the air, the sky, the cardinal points of the
heavens, the years, the seasons, the months, the fortnights—called pakshas
—with day and night, in proper succession. Thus, all things that are known
to man were made.
And when the Yugas end, whatever is seen in the Universe, animate and
inanimate, will again be dissolved. When the next Yugas begin, all things
will be renewed and like the many fruits of the Earth, succeed one another
in the order of their seasons. So the Wheel revolves ceaselessly in the
world, without beginning and without end, destroying all things.
The generation of Devas, in brief, was thirty-three thousand, thirty-three
hundred and thirty-three. The sons of Div were Brihadbhanu, Chakshus,
Atma, Vibhavasu, Savita, Richika, Arka, Bhanu, Asavaha and Ravi. Of
these Vivaswans of old, Mahya was the youngest, whose son was
Devavrata. Devavrata’s son Suvrata had three sons—Dasajyoti, Satajyoti
and Sahasrajyoti; each of them sired numerous offspring. The illustrious
Dasajyoti had ten thousand progeny, Satajyoti ten times that number, and
Sahasrajyoti ten times as many as Satajyoti.
From these descended the clans of the Kurus, the Yadus, and of Bharata;
the lineage of Yayati and of Ikshvaku, and also all the Rajarishis.
Numerous, too, were their generations, and abundant were the creatures and
their places of abode. The triune mystery—the Vedas, Yoga and Vijnana
Dharma, Artha and Kama; the many books upon the subject of Dharma,
Artha and Kama; rules for the conduct of humankind; also, histories and
discourses upon various Srutis all these the Rishi Vyasa saw. They are here
in their proper order, and mentioned as examples of the Shastras.
The Rishi Vyasa promulgated this vast treasure of knowledge in both a
comprehensive and an abridged form. The learned of this world always
want to know both versions. Some read the Bharata from the invocatory
mantra; others begin with the story of Astika, others with Uparichara; while
some Brahmanas study the entire epic.
Men of learning exhibit their different knowledges of the text when they
comment upon the composition. Some are skilful at expounding its
meaning, while others remember its contents in complete detail.
Having, with penance and meditation, tapasya and dhyana, analysed the
eternal Veda, the son of Satyavati later composed this sacred history. When
that knowing Brahmarishi, of fierce vows, the noble Vyasa, son of Parasara,
finished this greatest of all epics, he considered how he could transmit it to
his disciples and leave it behind for posterity. And Brahma, who owns the
six attributes, who is the Guru of the world, knew the anxiety of the Rishi
Dwaipayana. Brahma appeared in the place where Vyasa was: to grant the
Sage what he desired and thus benefit the people of the Earth.
Vyasa sat lost in thought, surrounded by all the tribes of Munis. Seeing
Brahma, he rose in astonishment, and standing with joined palms, the Rishi
bowed low and ordered a darbhasana fetched for the Pitamaha. Vyasa
circumambulated in pradakshina Him who is called Hiranyagarbha, seated
upon that especial and lofty grass throne, and came and stood near Him.
Brahma Parameshthi commanded him to sit near the asana, and Vyasa did
so, his heart full of love, and smiling in joy.
The glorious Vyasa said to Brahma Parameshthi, “Divine Brahma, I have
composed a kavya, a poem, which is highly regarded. In it, I have explained
the mystery of the Veda and the other scriptures; the rituals of the
Upanishads with their angas; the Puranas and Itihasas that I have compiled
and named after the three divisions of time, the nature of ageing and decay,
of fear, disease, being and non-being; a description of different varnas and
the various stages of life: laws for the four varnas, the true import of the
Puranas; an account of sannyasa and the duties of a brahmacharin; the
dimensions of the Sun and Moon, the planets, galaxies, and stars, along
with the duration of the four ages; the Rik, Sama and Yajur Vedas; also, the
Adhyatma; the sciences of Nyaya, the diagnosis and the treatment of
disease; charity and Pasupatadharma; births heavenly and human, for
different ends; a description of the tirthas and other holy places, of rivers,
mountains, forests, the ocean, of the unearthly cities and the Kalpas; the art
of war; the different nations and languages, the nature and customs of the
people; and the All-pervading Spirit – all these I have told of in my poem.
But now I cannot find anyone to be my scribe for this work, not on this
Earth.”
Brahma said, “In this gathering of Munis renowned for their sanctity, I
honour you for your deep knowledge of divine mysteries. I know you have
revealed the Divine Word, from its first utterance, in the language of truth.
You have called your present work a kavya, a poem, and so it shall be a
poem. No other poet’s work shall ever equal this kavya of yours, even as
the other three asramas of life are forever lesser than the grihastasrama. O
Muni, let us consider Ganesha to become your amanuensis, to write this
epic poem down.”’
Sauti said, ‘Having spoken thus to Vyasa, Brahma left for his own realm,
Brahmaloka. Vyasa now thought prayerfully of Ganesha; and Ganesha,
remover of obstacles, always ready to fulfil the desires of his devotees,
came immediately to the place where Vyasa sat.
When he had been worshipped, welcomed and was seated, Vyasa said to
him, “O Guru of the Ganas! I beg you, be the scribe for the Bharata, which I
have conceived in my imagination, and which I shall narrate to you.”
Ganesha answered, “I will be your scribe if my nib does not stop writing
for even a moment.”
Vyasa said to that Deity, “Wherever there is anything that you do not
properly understand, you must stop writing.”
Ganesha signified his assent by saying AUM! and was ready to begin.
Vyasa began his narration; and to divert Ganesha, and to gain time, he wove
the warp and weft of his legend exceedingly close, with many a diversion.
By this ruse, he dictated his work and never allowed Ganesha’s nib,
which was a tusk he took from his own face, to be still for a moment, for he
was always ahead of his scribe.’
‘I am,’ continued Sauti, ‘acquainted with eight thousand and eight
hundred verses, and so is Suka, and perhaps Sanjaya. From the
mysteriousness of their meaning, O Munis, no one is able, to this day, to
penetrate those close-knit and difficult slokas. Even the omniscient Ganesha
took a moment to consider; Vyasa, however, continued to compose more
verses, abundantly.
As an instrument for applying kohl does, this awesome work has opened
the eyes of the inquisitive world, blinded by the darkness of ignorance. As
the Sun dispels the darkness, so does the Bharata by its treatises on dharma,
artha, kama, and final moksha dispel the ignorance of men. As the full
Moon unfurls the buds of the water lily with his soft light, so this Purana
reveals the light of the Sruti, and makes the human intellect bloom. The
torch of this Itihasa destroys the darkness of ignorance, and then the entire
mansion of Prakriti becomes illumined.
This work is a tree. The chapter of contents is its seed; the divisions
called Pauloma and Astika are its root; the portion called Sambhava is its
trunk; the books called Sabha and Aranya are roosting perches; the Parva
called Arani, the knots on the bole; the Virata and Udyoga Parvas, the pith;
the book named Bhishma, the main branch; the book called Drona, the
leaves; the Karna Parva, the fair flowers; the book named Saya, their sweet
fragrance; the books entitled Stri and Asthika, the refreshing shade; the
book called Shanti, the mighty fruit; the book called Aswamedha, the
immortal sap; the Asramavasika, the place where the tree grows; and the
book called Mausala is an epitome of the Vedas and held in great reverence
by virtuous Brahmanas. The tree of the Bharata, as inexhaustible to
mankind as the clouds, shall be a source of livelihood to all poets of
distinction.’
Sauti continued, ‘I will now tell you of the immortal flower and fruit of
this tree, whose scent is pure and flavour delicious, and which not the
Devas can destroy.
Once, when implored by Bhishma, the wise son of Ganga, and by his
own mother Satyavati, the spiritual and virtuous Krishna Dwaipayana
fathered three sons, who were like three fires, upon the two wives of
Vichitravirya; and having sired Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura, he
returned to his asrama to continue his tapasya.
Not until after these three were born, grown and, even, departed on their
final journey, did the great Vyasa make the Bharata known in this world of
men. When Janamejaya and thousands of Brahmanas begged him, he
commanded his disciple Vaisampayana, who sat next to him; and
Vaisampayana, sitting with the sadasyas, the guests, recited the Bharata,
during the intervals in the rituals of the snake sacrifice, for the others
repeatedly urged him to do so.
Vyasa has described exhaustively the greatness of the house of Kuru, the
virtuousness of Gandhari, the wisdom of Vidura, and the constancy of
Kunti. The noble Rishi has dwelt upon the divinity of Krishna, the dharma
of the sons of Pandu, and the evil ways of the sons and confederates of
Dhritarashtra.
Originally, Vyasa composed the Bharata in twenty-four thousand verses,
without the digressions and upakathas; the learned recognise only these as
the Bharata. Later, he composed an outline in one hundred and fifty verses,
comprising the introduction and the chapter of contents. This he first taught
to his son Suka; and after, he gave it to some of his other sishyas, who
possessed the same gifts as his son.
After this, he composed another six hundred thousand verses. Of these,
thirty lakhs are known in the world of the Devas; fifteen hundred thousand
in the world of the Pitrs; fourteen lakhs among the Gandharvas, and one
hundred thousand in the world of men. Narada recited these to the Devas;
Devala to the Pitrs; and Suka to the Gandharvas, Yakshas and Rakshasas. In
this world, they were recited by Vaisampayana, one of Vyasa’s disciples, a
man of dharma and foremost among the knowers of the Veda.
Know that I, Sauti Ugrasrava, have also repeated one hundred thousand
verses.
Yudhishtira is a vast tree, formed of adhyatma and dharma; Arjuna is its
trunk; Bhimasena, its branches; the two sons of Madri are its fruit and
flowers; and its roots are Krishna, Brahma, and the Brahmanas.
After he had subdued many kingdoms by his wisdom and prowess,
Pandu went to stay with some Munis in a forest. He came to hunt, but
brought misfortune upon himself when he killed a stag in the act of mating
with its hind. This became a warning that guided the conduct of the princes
of his house, his sons, throughout their lives.
To fulfil the laws of grihasta, Kunti and Madri invoked the Devas –
Dharma, Vayu, Indra; and the divinities the twin Aswins, and these gods
sired sons upon them. Their sons grew up in the care of their two mothers,
in the society of hermits, in the midst of tapovanas and holy asramas of
Rishis. Then the Rishis brought the sons of Pandu to Hastinapura, into the
presence of Dhritarashtra and his sons; they came wearing the habits of
brahmacharis, following their masters as students, with their hair tied in
topknots on their heads.
“These sishyas of ours,” said the Rishis, “are as your sons, your brothers,
and your friends; they are Pandavas.” Saying this, the Munis vanished.
When the Kauravas heard they were the sons of Pandu, the noble ones
among them shouted for great joy. Others, however, said they were not the
sons of Pandu; others said they were; while a few asked how they could be
his sons, when he had been dead for so long.
Yet voices on all sides cried, “They are welcome! Through divine
Providence we see the family of Pandu again! Let their welcome be
proclaimed!”
When the people fell silent, a great applause of invisible spirits rang
everywhere, so every direction of the sky echoed. Showers of divinely
fragrant flowers fell upon the Earth, and the deep sound of conches and
batteries of kettledrums was heard when the young princes arrived. The joy
of all the citizens reverberated from Bhumi, the Earth, and reached back up
into Swarga, the Heavens.
The Pandavas had already imbibed the Vedas and the other Shastras, and
they began living in Hastinapura, respected by all and fearing none.
Men of influence in the city were pleased by the purity of Yudhishtira,
the strength of Bhima, the valour of Arjuna, the submissiveness of Kunti to
her elders, and the humility of the twins, Nakula and Sahadeva; and the
people rejoiced in their noble traits.
Later, Arjuna won the virgin Krishnaa 1 at her swayamvara, in a great
gathering of kings, by performing an incredibly difficult feat of archery.
Then on, he was revered in this world as the greatest bowman; and upon
fields of battle, too, like the Sun, his enemies could hardly face him: so
brilliant was he, so superior. And having vanquished all the neighbouring
Kshatriyas and every considerable tribe, he enabled the Raja Yudhishtira,
his eldest brother, to perform the greatest martial sacrifice, the Rajasuya
yagna.
With the knowing and shrewd counsel of Krishna and by the valour of
Bhimasena and Arjuna, Yudhishtira slew Jarasandha, the hitherto invincible
king of Magadha, and the proud Chaidya Sishupala. Then, he had indeed
gained the right to perform the grand and superabundant Rajasuya yagna,
which bestows transcendent punya, spiritual merit.
Duryodhana came to this sacrifice. He saw the vast wealth of the
Pandavas, in evidence everywhere, the bounty of the offerings, the precious
stones, gold and ornaments. He saw their wealth in the form of cows,
elephants and horses; the rare silks, brocades, garments and mantles; the
precious shawls and furs and carpets, made of the skin of the Ranku deer.
Envy and grief welled up inside him.
And when he saw the great and exquisite sabha of Mayaa Danava, the
Asura architect, as wonderful as any unearthly court, he burned with rage
and jealousy. When he was deceived by some cunning architectural
illusions that Mayaa had created in his sabha, Bhimasena mocked him
heartily in the presence of Krishnaa Draupadi; he laughed at his cousin as
he might at a servant.
News came to Dhritarashtra, that, though his son Duryodhana was
surrounded by every luxury and indulging in every pleasure, and lived
amidst untold riches, he was pale and wasting away, as if from some secret
sickness. In a while, out of his excessive fondness for his eldest son,
Dhritarashtra gave his consent to their playing a game of dice against the
sons of Pandu.
When Vasudeva Krishna heard about this, he was furious. Yet, he did
nothing to prevent the game of dice, and the terrible consequences that
accrued from it for the Pandavas. Despite Vidura, Bhishma, Drona, and
Kripa, the son of Saradwan, Krishna stoked the fire that caused the
awesome war that ensued, and consumed the very race of Kshatriyas.
When Dhritarashtra heard the dreadful news that the Pandavas had won
the war, he remembered the resolves of Duryodhana, Karna and Shakuni.
He pondered in silence for a while, then, spoke to Sanjaya, his sarathy and
counsellor.
“Listen carefully, Sanjaya, to everything I am about to say, and let it be
beneath you to treat me contemptuously. You know the Shastras well; you
are intelligent and wise. I was never in favour of fighting the war, and I took
no delight in the destruction of my race. I made no distinction between my
own children and the children of Pandu. My sons were wilful and despised
me because of my age and infirmity. Being blind and powerless, and
because I loved my sons as every father does, I suffered it all.
I was foolish, and my thoughtless Duryodhana’s folly grew day by day.
In Indraprastha, he saw the wealth and incomparable power of the mighty
sons of Pandu. They mocked him for his clumsiness in the Mayaa sabha. He
could not bear it, and yet neither could he face the Pandavas in battle.
Though he was a Kshatriya, he dared not attempt to find fortune by fighting
an honourable war. Instead, he sought the help of the king of Gandhara and
contrived a game of dice. It was not a fair game, for the dice Shakuni used
were loaded.
Hear, Sanjaya, all that happened thereafter and came to my knowledge.
And when you have heard what I say, remember everything as it transpired,
and you will know that I had prophetic foresight of what would happen
finally.
When I heard that Arjuna bent the bow, pierced the difficult target,
brought it down, and took the young woman Krishnaa triumphantly, under
the eyes of the assembled Kshatriyas, already, O Sanjaya, I knew we could
never hope to prevail.
Then I heard Arjuna had married Subhadra of the race of Madhu, in
gandharva vivaha, by the rite of abduction, in the city of Dwaraka. I heard
that her brothers, Krishna and Balarama, the two heroes of the race of
Vrishni, went to Indraprastha, without any resentment and as friends of the
Pandavas, and then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope that we could prevail.
I heard that Arjuna, with uncanny archery, held up the storm sent down
by his father Indra, king of the Devas. I heard that Arjuna had pleased Agni
by giving him the forest of Khandhava to consume, and then, O Sanjaya, I
lost hope of success.
When I heard that the five Pandavas with their mother Kunti had
escaped from the house of lac, and that Vidura had helped them effect their
escape, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of success.
When I heard that, after having pierced the mark in the arena, Arjuna
had won Draupadi, and that the brave Panchalas had joined the Pandavas,
then, O Sanjaya, I knew we would never have victory.
When I heard that Jarasandha, crown jewel of the royal line of Magadha,
and sunlike among all Kshatriyas, had been slain by Bhima with his bare
hands, then, O Sanjaya, I knew we had no hope of prevailing.
When I heard that the sons of Pandu had vanquished the kings of all the
kingdoms throughout the land and performed the imperial Rajasuya yagna,
then, O Sanjaya, I knew our cause was lost. When I heard that Draupadi,
her voice choking with tears, full of agony, and in her period, wearing a
single cloth, had been dragged into our court, and though she had
protectors, had been treated as if she had none, then, O Sanjaya, I had no
hope of success. When I heard that my evil wretch Dushasana was trying to
strip her of that single garment, but could only pull reams of many-hued
cloth from her body into a heap, but not arrive at its end, then, O Sanjaya, I
had no hope of success. When I heard that, beaten by Shakuni at the game
of dice and deprived of his kingdom, Yudhishtira still had his invincible
brothers with him, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of ever prevailing. When
I heard that the righteous Pandavas wept in shame and torment, when they
followed their elder brother into the wilderness and occupied themselves
variously to lessen his discomfort, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of
success. When I heard that Snatakas and other noble Brahmanas, who live
by alms, had followed Yudhishtira into the wilderness, then, O Sanjaya, I
had no hope of succeeding. When I heard that Arjuna had pleased the God
of gods, Tryambaka, the three-eyed, who came disguised as a hunter, and
that he received the Pasupatastra from Siva, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope
of success. When I heard that the honest and renowned Arjuna had gone to
Devaloka, and had obtained Devastras there from Indra himself then, O
Sanjaya, I knew we could never win. When I heard that Arjuna had
vanquished the Kalakeyas and the Paulomas, arrogant with the boon they
had which made them invulnerable even to the Devas, then, O Sanjaya, I
had no hope of victory. When I heard that Arjuna Parantapa, scourge of his
enemies, had been to the realm of Indra to kill those Asuras, and had
returned victorious, then, O Sanjaya, I knew we were doomed. When I
heard that Bhima and the other sons of Pritha, accompanied by Vaisravana,
had arrived in the country that is inaccessible to man, then, O Sanjaya, I had
no hope of success. When I heard that my sons, misled by Karna’s advice,
while on their Ghoshayatra, had been taken prisoners by the Gandharvas
and then freed by Arjuna, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of succeeding.
When I heard that Dharma, the God of Justice, came as a Yaksha and asked
Yudhishtira some questions about dharma, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope
of success. When I heard that my sons had failed to discover the Pandavas
in disguise, while they lived with Draupadi in the kingdom of Virata, then,
O Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. When I heard that the great Kshatriyas
of my kingdom had all been vanquished by Arjuna, by himself, in a single
chariot, in the country of Virata, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of success.
When I heard that Vasudeva of the race of Madhu, who covered this Earth
with one stride, was committed to the welfare of the Pandavas, then, O
Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. When I heard that the king of the
Matsyas had offered his virtuous daughter Uttaraa to Arjuna and that
Arjuna had accepted her for his son Abhimanyu, then, O Sanjaya, I had no
hope of success. When I heard that Yudhishtira, beaten at dice, his wealth
and kingdom snatched from him, exiled and his old connections severed,
had still assembled an army of seven Akshauhinis, then, O Sanjaya, I had
no hope of victory. When I heard Narada declare that Krishna and Arjuna
were Nara and Narayana and that he, Narada, had seen them together in
Brahmaloka, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of being victorious. When I
heard that Krishna was anxious to make peace, for the good of humankind,
and came to the Kurus, but went away without having been able to
accomplish his mission, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. When I
heard that Karna and Duryodhana resolved on imprisoning Krishna, but he
revealed his Viswarupa, his body the Universe, then, O Sanjaya, I had no
hope of success. When I heard that as he was leaving Hastinapura, Pritha
stood, sorrowing, near his chariot and Krishna consoled her, then, O
Sanjaya, I had no hope that we could have victory. When I heard that
Vasudeva and Bhishma, son of Shantanu, counselled the Pandavas and that
Drona, son of Bharadwaja, blessed them, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of
succeeding. When Karna said to Bhishma, ‘I will not fight while you are
fighting’, and left the field, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of winning the
war. When I heard that Krishna, Arjuna, and the bow Gandiva of untold
prowess these three of fearsome tejas, energy had come together, then, O
Sanjaya, I had no hope of victory. When I heard that Arjuna was seized by
compunction in his chariot and ready to abandon the war, but Krishna
showed him all the worlds within his body, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope
that we could prevail. When I heard that Bhishma, the desolator of our
enemies, who killed ten thousand warriors every day in battle, had not slain
any of the Pandavas, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope. When I heard that
Bhishma, the righteous son of Ganga, himself told the sons of Pandu how
he could be slain in battle, and that the Pandavas slew him joyfully, then, O
Sanjaya, I had no hope of succeeding. When I heard that Arjuna placed
Sikhandin before himself in his chariot, and shot the invincible Bhishma of
boundless courage with a torrent of arrows, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope
of success. When I heard that the aged Kshatriya Bhishma, having all but
razed the race of Shomaka, was felled and lay upon a bed of arrows, then, O
Sanjaya, I had no hope of being victorious. When I heard that upon
Bhishma’s being thirsty and asking for water, Arjuna pierced the ground
with the Parjannyastra and quenched his thirst, then, O Sanjaya, I had no
hope of success. When Vayu, with Indra and Surya, united as allies for the
success of the sons of Kunti, and beasts of prey terrified our legions by their
inauspicious presence, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. When the
exceptional warrior Drona, though he showed a myriad marvellous varieties
of the art of war, did not slay any of the Pandavas, then, O Sanjaya, I lost
hope that we might win. When I heard that the Maharatha Samsaptakas of
our army who meant to bring Arjuna down were all killed by Arjuna, then,
O Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. When I heard that our impenetrable
vyuha, guarded by the mighty Drona, had been cloven, singly, and entered
by Subhadra’s valiant son, O Sanjaya, I lost hope of victory. When I heard
that our Maharathas, unable to vanquish Arjuna, had surrounded and
murdered the boy Abhimanyu, and crowed over this slaughter with beaming
faces, then, O Sanjaya, I lost hope of success. When I heard that the foolish
Kauravas shouted for joy after killing Abhimanyu and that the enraged
Arjuna swore to kill Jayadratha, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of
succeeding. When I heard that Arjuna fulfilled his vow in the face of all his
enemies, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope. When I heard that when Arjuna’s
horses were overcome with tiredness, Krishna unyoked them, made them
drink and harnessed them again before he brought them back into battle,
Sanjaya, I lost every hope. When I heard that while his horses were
exhausted and went to drink, Arjuna remained in his chariot and held all his
attackers at bay, Sanjaya, I knew our cause was lost. When I heard that
Satyaki of the race of Vrishni struck panic into the invincible elephant
legions of the army of Drona and rode easily to the side of Krishna and
Arjuna, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of victory. When I heard that after
having Bhimasena helpless and in the eye of his arrow, Karna allowed him
to escape with his life, only taunting him and dragging him a short way with
the end of his bow, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. When I heard
that Drona, Kritavarma, Kripa, Karna, Aswatthama, and the heroic Salya,
king of Madra could not prevent the slaying of Saindhava Jayadratha, then,
O Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. When I heard that Krishna’s cunning
made Karna use the celestial Sakti, given him by Indra, against the
Rakshasa Ghatotkacha of the dreadful visage, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope
of success. When I heard that in the duel between Karna and Ghatotkacha,
that Sakti, which could surely have slain Arjuna, had been cast at
Ghatotkacha, Sanjaya, I lost hope again. When I heard that Dhristadyumna
broke every law of honourable battle, and slew Drona who sat alone,
unresisting and determined to die in his chariot, then, O Sanjaya, I lost
every hope. When I heard that Madri’s son Nakula engaged Aswatthama in
single combat before both armies, proved equal to Drona’s son and drove
his chariot in circles around Aswatthama, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of
victory. When, upon the death of Drona, his son invoked the Narayanastra
but failed to consume the Pandavas, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope. When I
heard that Bhimasena drank the blood of his brother Dushasana on the
battlefield without anybody being able to stop him, then, O Sanjaya, I had
no hope of victory. When I heard that the boundlessly valiant, invincible
Karna was slain by Arjuna in that duel between brothers, mysterious even
to the gods, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. When I heard that
Yudhisthira Dharmaraja defeated the tameless Aswatthama, Dushasana, and
the fierce Kritavarma, too, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of victory. When
I heard that Yudhishtira killed the brave king of Madra, who always dared
Krishna to do battle with him, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of success.
When I heard that the evil Shakuni, who owned occult powers, who was the
very root of the gambling, and indeed, all the bitter feud, was slain by
Pandu’s son Sahadeva, then, O Sanjaya, I lost hope of success. When I
heard that the exhausted Duryodhana fled to a lake and sought sanctuary in
its waters, lying there alone, his strength gone and without a chariot, then, O
Sanjaya, I had no hope of succeeding. When I heard that the Pandavas
arrived at that lake with Krishna, and standing on its shore, called out
contemptuously, tauntingly to my son, who could never tolerate an insult,
then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of prevailing. When I heard that while, after
showing in circles a dazzling array of innovative styles of gada yuddha, he
was unfairly struck down, at Krishna’s behest, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope
of victory. When I heard that Aswatthama and his confederates slaughtered
the Panchalas and the sons of Draupadi in their sleep, a horrible and
dastardly deed, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of victory. When I heard
that, pursued by Bhima, Aswatthama discharged the first of weapons,
Aishika, which direly wounded the embryo in the womb of Uttaraa, then, O
Sanjaya, I had no hope of winning. When I heard that Arjuna repulsed
Aswatthama’s astra, the Brahmashira, with another weapon over which he
pronounced the word Sasti, and that Aswatthama had then to give up the
jewel-like growth on his head, then, O Sanjaya, I lost all hope. When I
heard that upon the embryo in the womb of Virata’s daughter being
wounded by Aswatthama with a mahastra, Dwaipayana and Krishna
pronounced curses on Drona’s son, then, O Sanjaya, I lost every hope.
Alas! I must pity Gandhari, childless now, all her grandchildren slain,
her parents, brothers and kindred gone. Oh, hard indeed has been the
achievement of the Pandavas: they have recovered a kingdom and left no
rival to challenge them.
Alas! I have heard that the war has left only ten alive: three from our
side, and from the Pandavas’, seven; that dreadful war has claimed eighteen
Akshauhinis of Kshatriyas, all slain! All around me is darkness, and a
swoon comes over me. Consciousness leaves me, Sanjaya, and my mind is
far from me.”’
Suta said, ‘Thus bemoaning his fate, Dhritarashtra was overcome by
anguish and swooned for a while; when he revived, he addressed Sanjaya
again.
“After what has happened, Sanjaya, I want to put an end to my life at
once; I find not the slightest advantage in preserving it any longer.”’
Suta said, ‘Sanjaya, wise son of Gavalgana, now interrupted the
distraught lord of Earth, who lamented thus and sighed like a serpent,
repeatedly fainting. Words of deep import spoke Sanjaya.
“You have heard, O Rajan, of the mighty men of immense valour,
spoken of by Vyasa and the Rishi Narada: Kshatriyas born of royal families,
splendid with every quality, versed in astras, glorious like amsas of Indra;
men who conquered the world with dharma and performed sacrifices with
offerings to Brahmanas, who having obtained renown in this world, at last
succumbed to time. Such men were Saibya, the valiant Maharatha; Srinjaya,
great amongst conquerors; Suhotra; Rantideva and the magnificent
Kakshivanta; Balhika, Damana, Saryati, Ajita, and Nala; Viswamitra,
destroyer of foes; Ambarisha, of matchless strength; Marutta, Manu,
Ikshvaku, Gaya, and Bharata; Rama the son of Dasaratha; Sasabindu and
Bhagiratha; Kritavirya, the fortunate, and Janamejaya; Yayati of untold
punya who performed mahayagnas, in which the Devas themselves assisted
him, and by whose vedis and stambas this entire Bhumi, with her peopled
and uninhabited realms, is marked. The Devarishi Narada spoke of these
twenty-four kings once to Saibya, when that king grieved over the loss of
his children.
Besides these, other rajas had gone before, still more powerful,
Maharathas of noble mind, resplendent with every worthy quality: Puru,
Kuru, Yadu, Sura and Viswasrava of great glory; Anuha, Yuvanaswa,
Kakutstha, Vikrami, and Raghu; Vijaya, Vitihorta, Anga, Bhava, Sweta, and
Vripadguru; Usinara, Sataratha, Kanka, Duliduha, and Druma;
Dambhodbhava, Para, Vena, Sagara, Sankriti, and Nimi; Ajeya, Parasu,
Pundra, Sambhu, and holy Devavridha; Devahuya, Supratika, and
Brihadratha; Mahatsaha, Vinitatma, Shukratu, and Nala, the king of the
Nishadas; Satyavrata, Santabhaya, Sumitra, and Subala; Janujangha,
Anaranya, Arka, Priyabhritya, Chuchi-vrata, Balabandhu, Nirmardda,
Ketusringa, and Brhidbala; Dhrishtaketu, Brihatketu, Driptaketu, and
Niramaya; Abikshit, Chapala, Dhurta, Kritabandhu, and Dridheshudhi;
Mahapurana-sambhavya, Pratyanga, Paraha and Sruti. These, O Rajan, and
other kings, we hear enumerated in hundreds and thousands, and still others
in millions, princes of power and wisdom, who renounced abundant
kingdom and pleasures and met death just as your sons have done. Their
dharma, valour and generosity, their magnanimity, faith, truth, purity,
simplicity and mercy have been recorded for the world by holy pauranikas
of bygone ages, men of great gyana. Though endowed with every noble
virtue, they yielded up their lives. Your sons were malevolent, inflamed by
passion, greedy and evil. You are versed in the Shastras, O Bharata2, and
are intelligent and wise; those whose hearts are guided by the Shastras
never succumb to misfortune. You, O Kshatriya, know both the kindness
and severity of fate; this anxiety for your children does not become you. It
does not befit you to grieve over the inevitable: for who can avert the
dictates of inelucatable fate? No one can escape the path marked out for
him by Providence. Existence and non-existence, pleasure and pain, all
have Time as their root. Time creates all things and Time destroys all
creatures. It is Time that burns living beings and Time that extinguishes the
fire. All conditions, good and evil, in the three worlds, are caused by Time.
Time cuts short all things and creates them anew. Time is awake when all
other things sleep; Time cannot be overcome. Time passes over all things
without being slowed by any. Knowing, as you do, that all things past and
future and all that is in the present moment are children of Time, it does not
befit you to cast aside your reason.”’
Sauti said, ‘Thus, Sanjaya comforted the king Dhritarashtra,
overwhelmed by grief for his sons, and restored some calm to his mind.
And using these arguments of Sanjaya for his subject, Dwaipayana
composed a holy Upanishad that has been given to the world by learned and
holy Pauranikas in the Puranas they composed.
The study of the Mahabharata is an act of piety. He that reads a mere
foot of it, with faith, has his sins washed away entirely. Here, Devas,
Devarishis, and immaculate Brahmarishis of punya have been spoken of;
likewise, Yakshas and great Uragas, the Nagas. Here also the eternal
Vasudeva, possessed of the six attributes, is described. He is the truth, and
just, the pure and holy, the eternal Brahman, the Paramatman, the constant
light, whose divine deeds the Sages recount; from whom the manifest and
unmanifest Universe, with its principles of generation and evolution, and
birth, death and rebirth issue. That which is called Adhyatma, the Sovereign
Spirit of nature, that partakes of the attributes of the Panchamahabhuta, the
five elements, is described here. Adhyatma has also been called Purusha,
being above such names as ‘unmanifest’ and the rest; it is also that which
the greatest Yatis, who are exempt from common destiny and endowed with
the power of dhyana and tapas, behold abiding in their hearts, rather like a
reflected image in a mirror.
When the man of faith, devoted to piety, and constant in virtue, reads
this canto, he is set free from sin. The believer who constantly hears this
canto of the Bharata, the Introduction, being recited, from the beginning,
never falls into difficulties. The man that repeats any part of the
introduction during the two sandhyas of dawn and dusk is freed from the
sins he commits during the day or the night. This canto, the very body of
the Bharata, is truth and nectar. As butter is to curd, the Brahmana among
bipeds, the Aranyaka among the Vedas, and Amrita among medicaments, as
the sea is among water bodies, and the cow among quadrupeds, so is the
Bharata among Itihasas, great legends.
He that causes it, even a single metre of it, to be recited to Brahmanas
during a sraddha, his offerings of food and drink to the manes of his Pitrs
become inexhaustible.
With the help of Itihasas and the Puranas, the Veda might be expounded;
but the Veda fears the man of small intellect lest he should try to expound
the scripture. The learned man who recites this Bharata Veda of Vyasa finds
great gain; why, he is saved from the sin of killing a child in the womb,
apart from other heinous sins. He that reads this holy chapter of the Moon
as good as reads the entire Bharata. The man who listens daily, with
reverence, to this sacred work acquires long life and renown, and finds
Swarga for himself.
In elder days, the Devas placed the four Vedas on one side of a balance
and the Bharata on the other, and weighed them against each other. Since
the Bharata was found to be weightier than the four Vedas with their
mysteries, then on it was called the Mahabharata, the great Bharata. It has
been judged to be superior to the Vedas both in substance and gravity. He
who fathoms its meaning is released from all his sins.
Tapa is innocent, study is harmless; the codes for living that the Vedas
prescribe for all the tribes are harmless; the acquisition of wealth by
exertion is not injurious; but when these are abused in their practice, they
become sources of evil.’
——————
1Krishnaa is Panchali, the Pandavas’ wife, while Krishna is the Avatara.
Both are dark.
2Bharata is used for the great king of that name, and Bharata for his
descendants. Of course, the land of Bharata, Bharatavarsha, is named after
King Bharata, the Great.
CANTO 2
PARVA SAMGRAHA CONTINUED
he Rishis said, ‘O son of Suta, we want to hear in detail from you

about the place that you called Samanta-panchaka.’
Suta said, ‘Listen, O Brahmanas, to these sacred descriptions. Best of
men, you deserve to hear about the place known as Samanta-panchaka. In
the hiatus between the Treta and Dwapara Yugas, the mighty Rama, son of
Jamadagni, greatest among those that ever bore arms, was infuriated by the
sins of the noble race of Kshatriyas and savaged them repeatedly. And when
that meteorlike Brahmana annihilated the entire race of Kshatriyas, single-
handedly, he formed at Samanta-panchaka five lakes of blood. We hear that
he lost his reason from anger and offered oblations of blood to the manes of
his ancestors, standing in the sanguine waters of those lakes.
His Pitrs, of whom Richika was first, arrived there and said to him,
“Rama, O blessed Rama, O scion of Bhrigu, we are appeased and gratified
by the worship that you have offered your ancestors. We are pleased by
your valour, O mighty one! Our blessings are upon you. Illustrious one, ask
for any boon that you want.”
Rama said, “If, O Sires, you are favourably disposed towards me, the
boon I ask is that I be absolved from the sins born of my having slaughtered
the Kshatriyas in fury, and that these lakes that I have made become famed
in the world as holy tirthas.”
The Pitrs said, “So be it, but now be pacified.”
And Rama was pacified. From that time, the region around those lakes
of blood has been Samanta-panchaka, a holy tirtha. The wise have said that
every country must have a name significant of some special circumstance
that might have made it renowned. The Great War between the armies of
the Kauravas and the Pandavas was fought at Samanta-panchaka, on the
cusp between the Dwapara and the Kali Yugas. In that holy place, even and
without ruggedness of any kind, eighteen Akshauhinis of warriors gathered,
eager for battle. And, O Brahmanas, having come there, they were all slain:
hence the name Samanta-panchaka for that sacred and most delightful
place, which is renowned and celebrated through the three Lokas.’
The Rishis said, ‘We want to know, O son of Suta, what the term
Akshauhini means. Tell us in detail how many horses, footsoldiers, chariots
and elephants comprise an Akshauhini, for you certainly know this.’
Sauti said, ‘One chariot, one elephant, five footsoldiers, and three horses
form one Patti; three pattis make one Sena-mukha; three sena-mukhas are
called a Gulma; three gulmas, a Gana; three ganas, a Vahini; three vahinis
together are called a Pritana; three pritanas form a Chamu; three chamus,
one Anikini; and ten anikinis form, as it is called by the experts, an
Akshauhini. O Brahmanottama, best among Brahmanas, mathematicians
calculate that the number of chariots in an Akshauhini is twenty-one
thousand eight hundred and seventy. The number of elephants is the same.
Pure ones, the number of footsoldiers is one hundred and nine thousand,
three hundred and fifty; the number of horses is sixty-five thousand, six
hundred and ten. These, O Brahmanas, are the numbers of an Akshauhini,
as decided by those that know numbers. Best of Brahmanas, the eighteen
Akshauhinis of the Kaurava and the Pandava armies were made up
according to these numbers. Time, Kaala, whose acts are wonderful,
gathered them in that place and, making the Kauravas the cause for the war,
slew them all.
Bhishma, master of astras, fought for ten days. Drona led the Kaurava
Vahinis for five days. Karna, the desolator of his foes, was the Kaurava
Senapati for two days; and Salya for half a day. Then, the gada yuddha
between Duryodhana and Bhima lasted for half a day. When that day ended,
Aswatthama and Kripa massacred the remnants of Yudhishtira’s army,
while the Panchalas and Draupadi’s sons slept with no fear of danger.
O Saunaka, this best of narrations called the Bharata, which I have
begun to relate at your yagna, was once told at the sacrifice of Janamejaya
by a most intelligent disciple of Vyasa. It is divided into many cantos. In the
beginning are the Paushya, Pauloma and Astika Parvas, which describe in
detail the valour and fame of kings. This is a work whose descriptions,
diction and meanings are varied and extraordinary. It contains accounts of
numerous customs and rituals. It is accepted by the Sages as the state called
Vairagya by men who wish for mukti. As the Atman among things to be
known, as life among things that are dear, so is this Itihasa, which provides
the means of coming to the knowledge of Brahman, the first among all the
Shastras. There is not a story that exists in this world that does not depend
on this legend, even as the body depends upon the food that it consumes. As
masters of noble lineage are always served by servants that desire
advancement, so is the Bharata cherished by all poets. Words that form the
numberless branches of knowledge that pertain to the world and the Veda
show just vowels and consonants; this excellent legend displays only the
highest wisdom.
Listen, O Rishis, to the outlines of the several Parvas of this Itihasa
called the Bharata, replete with deep wisdom, of chapters and meters that
are varied and wondrous, of subtle meanings and logical interconnections,
and embellished with the essence of the Vedas.
The first Parva is called Anukramanika; the second, Sangraha; then
Paushya; then Pauloma; then Astika; then Adivansavatarana. Then comes
the Sambhava of enthralling events. Then comes the Jatugri-hadaha (the
burning of the house of lac) and then the Hidimba-vadha (the killing of
Hidimba) Parvas. Next comes Baka-vadha (the slaying of Baka) and then
Chitraratha. The next Parva is called Swayamvara (where Panchali chooses
a husband), in which Arjuna won Draupadi’s hand. Then comes Vaivahika
(marriage), followed by Viduragamana (the advent of Vidura), Rajyalabha
(the acquisition of a kingdom), Arjuna-vanavasa (the exile of Arjuna) and
Subhadra-harana (the abduction of Subhadra). After these we find Harana-
harika, Khandava-daha (the burning of the Khandava forest) and Mayaa-
darshana (the meeting with Mayaa, the Asura architect). Then we come to
Sabha, Mantra, Jarasandha, Digvijaya (the conquest of the four quarters).
After Digvijaya come Rajasuyaka, Arghyaviharana (the theft of the Arghya)
and Sisupala-vadha (the killing of Sisupala). After these, Dyuta (gambling),
Anudyuta (the second game of dice), Aranyaka (in the forest), and Krimira-
vadha (the killing of Krimira). The Arjuna-vigamana (the journeys of
Arjuna), Kairati, in which the battle between Arjuna and Mahadeva in the
guise of a Kirata hunter is described. After this Indraloka-vigamana (the
journey to the realm of Indra); then follows that treasure trove of dharma
and virtue, the Nalopakhyana (the story of Nala, full of pathos). After this,
there follows Tirtha-yatra or the pilgrimage of Yudhishtira, the death of
Jatasura, and the battle with the Yakshas. Then the battle with the
Nivatakavachas, Ajagara, and Markandeya-samasya (the meeting with
Markandeya). Then the meeting of Draupadi and Satyabhama, Ghoshayatra,
Mriga-swapna (the dream of the deer). Then comes the story of
Brihadaranyaka and then Aindradrumna; then Draupadi-harana (the
abduction of Draupadi), Jayadratha-vimoksana (the release of Jayadratha).
Then the story of Savitri, which illustrates the great punya and power of
marital chastity. After this, we shall come to the story of Rama. The next
Parva is called Kundala-harana (the theft of the earrings), and after that
Aranya and then Vairata. Then the arrival of the Pandavas in the Matsya
kingdom, and how they kept their ajnatavasa, of living undiscovered for one
year. We come next to the killing of the Kichakas, then the attempt by the
Kauravas to steal to take the cattle of Virata. The next Parva is named after
the marriage of Abhimanyu to Uttaraa, the daughter of Virata. The next is a
wonderful Parva called Udyoga, of deliberations, followed by Sanjaya-yana
(the journey of Sanjaya). Then comes Prajagara (the insomnia of
Dhritarashtra from anxiety). Then Sanatsujata, which contains the mysteries
of spiritual philosophy. Then Yanasaddhi, and then the arrival of Krishna.
Then the story of Matali and then of Galava. Then follow the stories of
Savitri, Vamadeva, and Vainya; after which we find the story of
Jamadagnya and Shodasarajika. Next, Krishna arrives in the Kuru court,
and then Vidulaputrasasana. Then the mustering of the armies and the story
of Sheta. Then comes the quarrel of the noble Karna with Bhishma, after
which both armies march on Kurukshetra. The next has been named for the
enumeration of the Rathis and Atirathas. Then the messenger Uluka comes
to the Pandavas, bringing Duryodhana’s message that kindles the wrath of
the sons of Pandu. Then we come to the story of Amba, followed by the
enthralling description of the installation of Bhishma as the Kaurava
Senapati. The next Parva deals with the creation of Jambudwipa; then of
Bhumi; then the description of the formation of all the dwipas, the island
continents. Then, the Bhagavad-Gita; followed by the fall of Bhishma.
Drona is made Senapati; after which Arjuna razes the Samsaptakas. The
death of Abhimanyu, followed by the vow of Arjuna to kill Jayadratha
before the Sun sets. The death of Jayadratha is followed by the killing of
Ghatotkacha. Then, you must know, comes the story of the extraordinary
death of Drona, and after that the loosing of the Narayana astra. Then, as
you know, is the command of Karna, and that of Salya. We come to
Duryodhana’s immersion in the lake, and the gada yuddha between Bhima
and Duryodhana. This is followed by Saraswata, then the descriptions of
holy shrines and tirthas, and then genealogies. Then comes Sauptika that
tells of events that bring disgrace upon the honour of the Kurus, followed
by the Aisika of harrowing events in the night. Next comes Jalapradana,
oblations of water offered to the manes of the dead, and then the
lamentation of the women, in Stree Parva. The next Parva must be called
Sraddha since it describes the funeral rites performed for the slain
Kauravas. Next the Rakshasa Charvaka, who disguised himself as a
Brahmana to deceive Yudhishtira, is slain. Then the wise and gentle
Yudhishtira is crowned in Hastinapura. The next Parva is Grihapravibhaga,
followed by Santi, Rajadharmanusasana, Apaddharma, and Mokshadharma.
The Parvas that follow are Sukaprasna-abhigamana, Brahmaprasnanusana,
the origin of Durvasa, and the disputations with Mayaa. The next is the
Anusasanika Parva, which is followed by the ascension of Bhishma. Then
the account of the Rajasuya yagna, listening to which all one’s sins are
washed away. The next Parva is the Anugita. Those that follow are called
Asrainvasa, Puttradarshana (meeting the spirits of the dead), and the arrival
of Narada. The next Parva is Mausala, full of dreadful and savage
happenings. Then comes Mahaprasthanika Parva and the ascension into
Swarga. Then comes the Purana called Khilvansa, which contains
Vishnuparva, Vishnu’s games and exploits as a child, the killing of Kamsa,
and finally, the truly amazing Bhavishyaparva, with its uncanny prophecies
about the future.
The Maharishi Vyasa composed a hundred Parvas (the above are only
some of them). Dividing them into eighteen books, large Parvas, Ugrasrava,
the son of Suta Romaharshana narrated them in the Naimisha vana.’
Said Suta, ‘The Adi Parva contains Paushya, Pauloma, Astika,
Adivansa-vatara, Sambhava, Jatugrihadahana, Hidimbavadha, Bakavadha,
Chitraratha, Draupadi Swayamvara, Vaivahika, Viduragamana, Rajyalabha,
Arjuna vanavasa, Subhadraharana, Harana harika, Khandava dahana, and
Mayaa darshana.
The Paushya Parva deals with the greatness of Utanka, and the Pauloma
Parva, of the sons of Bhrigu. The Astika describes the birth of Garuda and
of the Nagas, the churning of the Ocean, the birth of the celestial steed
Uchchaishrava, and finally, the dynasty of Bharata: all as described during
the Sarpa yagna of King Janamejaya.
The Sambhava Parva describes the birth of numerous kings and heroes,
and that of the Rishi Krishna Dwaipayana: the amsavataras of the devas, the
generation of Danavas and Yakshas of great power, and Nagas, Gandharvas,
Avians, and indeed of all creatures; and finally, the life and adventures of
King Bharata—progenitor of the royal line named for him—the son born to
Shakuntala in the asrama of the Rishi Kanva. This Parva also describes the
greatness of Ganga, the births of the Vasus into the house of Shantanu and
their ascension into heaven. This Parva also tells of the birth of Bhishma,
who had in himself amsas of the divine energies of the other Vasus, his
renunciation of the throne and his vow of brahmacharya, his guardianship
of Chitrangada, and after the death of Chitrangada, his stewardship of the
younger brother, Vichitravirya, and his crowning of Vichitravirya. This
Parva tells of the birth of Dharma among men because of the curse of
Animandavya; of the births of Dhritarashtra and Pandu through the seed of
Vyasa, and the birth of the Pandavas.
Jatugriha Parva decribes Duryodhana’s plot to send the sons of Pandu to
Varanavata, and the evil intentions of the sons of Dhritarashtra towards the
Pandavas. We shall hear the advice that Vidura, their well-wisher, gave
Yudhishtira as the Pandavas left for Varanavrata, in the mlechchha bhasha.
The Parva goes on to describe the excavation of a tunnel, the immolation of
Purochana and the woman of the fowler caste, with her five sons, in the
house of lac.
Hidimba-vadha Parva continues with the Pandavas meeting Hidimbi in
the dreadful jungle, and how Bhima of untold strength kills her brother
Hidimba. The birth of Ghatotkacha follows; the meeting of the Pandavas
with Vyasa, who sends them to the town called Ekachakra to live disguised
as Brahmanas themselves in the house of a Brahmana.
Baka-vadha Parva tells of the slaying of the Asura Baka, and of the
amazement of the people at the sight of his corpse. The tale of the
extraordinary births of Krishnaa and Dhrishtadyumna follows; upon hearing
about the swayamvara from a wandering Brahmana, the Pandavas leave for
Panchala, also at Vyasa’s behest, and equally because they are powerfully
stirred to win Draupadi on learning the tidings of the swayamvara.
Chaitraratha Parva tells of how, on the way, Arjuna defeats a Gandharva
called Angaraparna on the banks of the Ganga; he befriends his adversary,
and the Pandavas hear the history of Tapati, Vasishtha and Aurva from
Angaraparna.
Swayamvara Parva describes the journey of the Pandavas towards
Panchala, how Arjuna pierces the matsya yantra, while all the rajas fail, and
wins Draupadi; in the battle that follows, Salya, Karna and all the other
crowned kings are routed by Bhima and Arjuna; Balarama and Krishna see
this remarkable performance and realise that these are the Pandavas; the
Yadava brothers come to the house of the potter, where the Pandavas are
living.
Vaivahika Parva tells how Drupada is horrified to hear that Draupadi
will marry five husbands; consequently, Vyasa tells the wonderful story of
the five Indras; the extraordinary wedding of Draupadi.
Viduragamana Parva tells how Dhritarashtra’s sons send Vidura to the
Pandavas as their messenger; Vidura arrives and is overwhelmed at seeing
Krishna; the Pandavas in Khandavaprastha, from where they rule over half
of the Kuru kingdom.
Rajyalabha Parva tells of how Narada comes to Indraprastha and, at his
advice, the Pandavas decide that each of them will spend a year, by turns
and exclusively, as Draupadi’s husband. Here Narada tells the tragic tale of
Sunda and Upasunda.
Arjuna-vanavasa Parva then tells of Arjuna’s exile when he intrudes on
the privacy of Yudhishtira and Draupadi, when he is forced to enter his
brother’s apartment to fetch his bow to rescue the cattle of a Brahmana
from some thieves. Arjuna meets Ulupi, the Naga Princess, on the way;
Arjuna’s tirtha yatra; the birth of Babhruvahana; Arjuna delivers five
Apsaras from the curse of a Rishi that turned them into ferocious
crocodiles.
Subhadra-harana Parva describes Arjuna’s meeting with Krishna at holy
Prabhasa; encouraged by Krishna, he abducts Subhadra in a wondrous
chariot that flies over sea and land, and through the air, at the very thought
of the one that rides in it.
Harana-harita Parva tells of how Arjuna leaves for Indraprastha with his
wife and her dowry; Subhadra conceives Abhimanyu, the prodigy;
Draupadi Yagnaseni gives birth to her children.
Khandava-daha Parva tells how Krishna and Arjuna come to the banks
of the Yamuna and acquire the Sudarshana Chakra and the famed bow
Gandiva; Arjuna burns the Khandava vana; he rescues Mayaa; Aswasena
the Naga escapses the inferno; the Rishi Mandapala fathers a son in the
womb of the bird Saringi. Vyasa divided this Parva into two hundred and
twenty-seven cantos, containing eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-
four slokas.
The second great Parva is the dense Sabha Parva. This Parva tells of the
creation of the splendid Mayaa sabha in Indraprastha; Narada describes the
Lokapalas and the realms of heaven, which he knows well; the Pandavas
prepare for the Rajasuya yagna; the killing of Jarasandha; Krishna delivers
the Kshatriyas incarcerated in the mountain-pass; the digvijaya; the
Kshatriyas come to the Rajasuya yagna bringing tribute; the death of
Sisupala during the sacrifice, over the dispute about the purodasa;
Bhimasena ridicules Duryodhana in the sabha; Duryodhana’s grief and envy
at seeing the grandeur of Indraprastha and the lavishness of the Rajasuya
yagna; the preparations for the game of dice; the wily Shakuni beats
Yudhishtira at dice; Dhritarashtra releases the grief-stricken Draupadi from
the bondage of servitude that Yudhishtira incurs during the gambling; she is
like a skiff in a tempest. Duryodhana contrives to engage Yudhishtira in a
second game of dice; Yudhishtira loses again and is exiled, with his
brothers. These events constitute what Maharishi Vyasa has named the
Sabha Parva. This Parva is divided into seventy-eight cantos, O noblest of
Brahmanas, of two thousand, five hundred and seven slokas.
The third Parva is called Aranyaka, of the forest. This Parva tells of the
Pandavas leaving for the forest; some Brahmanas follow them; at
Dhaumya’s telling him to, Yudhishtira worships Surya Deva, God of Day,
so he can feed the Brahmanas; the gift of the Sun: the magical platter;
Dhritarashtra expels Vidura for speaking on the Pandavas’ behalf, and for
his brother’s own good; Vidura goes to the Pandavas and returns to
Dhritarashtra when the remorseful king calls him back; incited by Karna,
the evil Duryodhana plots to kill the forest-dwelling Pandavas; Vyasa
appears and frightens Duryodhana, prevents him from prosecuting his plan;
the history of Surabhi; the arrival of Maitreya; Maitreya’s discourse to
Dhritarashtra on dharma and karma; Maitreya curses the haughty
Duryodhana; Bhima kills Kirmira in the forest; the Panchalas and the
Vrishni princes learn of the false game of dice, rolled by the deceitful
Shakuni, and arrive in the jungle to meet Yudhishtira; Arjuna allays the
wrath of Krishna; Draupadi laments before Krishna; Krishna consoles her;
the Rishi also describes the fall of Sauba here; Krishna takes Subhadra and
her son to Dwaraka; Dhrishtadyumna brings the sons of Draupadi to
Panchala; the sons of Pandu enter the charmed Dwaitavana; the exchange of
words between Bhima, Yudhishtira, and Draupadi; Vyasa comes to the
Pandavas and endows Yudhishtira with the occult power of Pratismriti; the
Pandavas repair to Kamyakavana; mighty Arjuna goes in quest of astras; he
duels with Siva who comes in the guise of a kirata; Arjuna meets the
Lokapalas and receives divine weapons from them; he journeys to
Devaloka to receive astras from Indra; the anxiety of Dhritarashtra when he
hears this; Yudhishtira laments to the Maharishi Brihadaswa, who tells the
sacred and sad story of the noble Nala and Damayanti, who is the very
embodiment of patience. Yudhishtira learns the arcane secrets of dice-play
from Brihadaswa; Rishi Lomasa arrives from Devaloka, bringing word of
and from Arjuna to his noble brothers; the Pandavas journey to the various
sacred tirthas across Bharatavarsha, at the word of Indra that Lomasa
brings, during which pilgrimage they gain great punya; Narada’s pilgrimage
to Putasta is described. The magnificence of Gaya; the story of Agastya,
where the Rishi devoured the Asura Vatapi, and his union with Lopamudra
from the desire for children. The story of Rishyasringa who was a
brahmachari from his very boyhood; the legend of Jamadagni’s son Rama
of untold glory and prowess, which tells of the slaying of Kartavirya and
the Haihayas; the Pandavas and the Vrishnis meet at sacred Prabhasa; the
story of Sukanya, where Bhrigu’s son Chyavana Maharishi makes the
Aswini twins drink Soma rasa, during the sacrifice of king Saryati, while
the other Devas had so far kept them away from it; the grateful Aswini
twins bless Chyavana with permanent youth. The Parva then tells the story
of King Mandhata; the tale of Prince Jantu, who was King Somaka’s only
son, who his father offered in a sacrifice and received a hundred sons in
return; the excellent story of the hawk and the pigeon; Indra, Agni and
Dharma test King Sibi; the story of Ashtavakra, where a dispute arises
during Janaka’s sacrifice, between that Rishi and the great logician,
Varuna’s son Vandi; Ashtavakra has the better of Vandi, and releases his
father from the ocean deep. There follows the story of Yavakrita, then of the
great Raivya; the Pandavas leave for Gandhamadana and the asrama called
Narayana; for Draupadi, Bhimasena goes after the saugandhika; he meets
Vayu’s son the mighty Hanuman in a grove of banana trees; Bhima bathes
in the pool on the river and devastates the flowers growing there to gather
the exotic saugandhikas; he battles the powerful Rakshasas and the
Yakshas, and Hanuman with them; Bhima kills Jatasura; the Pandavas meet
the Rajarishi Vrishaparva; they depart for the hermitage of Arshtishena and
live there for a time; Draupadi incites Bhima to revenge. Now Vyasa
narrates how Bhima climbs Kailasa and his tremendous battle with the
Yakshas headed by Hanuman; the Pandavas meet with Vaisravana Kubera.
Arjuna returns after he has obtained many diverse devastras to use for
Yudhishtira; he describes his encounters with the Nivatakavachas of
Hiranyaparva, with the Paulomas and the Kalakeyas: how he slew them all;
Arjuna is about to reveal the divine and awesome weapons for Yudhishtira,
when Narada appears to prevent him from bringing disaster down upon
them; the Pandavas come down from Gandhamadana; a python big as a
mountain seizes Bhima in the jungle; Yudhishtira answers the great snake’s
questions to secure his brother’s release; the Pandavas return to the
Kamyaka vana. Krishna returns to meet the sons of Pandu; Markandeya
arrives there, and regales them with many legends; the story of Prithu, son
of Vena; the stories of Saraswati and the Rishi Tarkhya. The legend of
Matsya; other ancient tales Markandeya tells: those of Indradyumna and
Dhundhumara; then the story of the chaste wife; the story of Angira.
Draupadi and Satyabhama meet and speak together; the Pandavas return to
the Dwaita vana. Duryodhana’s ghoshayatra to gloat over the Pandavas’
plight; he is captured by the Gandharva and rescued by Arjuna: a terrible
humiliation. Yudhishtira’s dream of the deer. The Pandavas return to the
Kamyaka vana; the long story of Brihidraunika; the story of Durvasa; then
Jayadratha abducts Draupadi from the asrama; Bhima, swift as the wind,
chases Jayadratha, catches him and shames him dreadfully by shaving half
his hair and moustache. Now follows the long story of Rama, during which
that immaculate prince kills Ravana. The story of Savitri appears here; then
Indra takes Karna’s golden kundala from him, and compensates Karna with
an inexorable shakti, which, however, can be used only against one enemy,
whom it will certainly kill; then comes the story called Aranya, where
Dharma Deva advises his son Yudhishtira; the Pandavas receive a boon and
journey towards the west. All these comprise the third Parva, called
Aranyaka, of two hundred and sixty-nine cantos, and eleven thousand, six
hundred and sixty-four slokas.
The next great Parva is the Virata. The Pandavas arrive in the kingdom
of Virata and see a great sami tree in a burial ground on the outskirts of the
city. They hide their weapons in this tree, then enter the city in disguise. In
Virata, Bhima kills the vile Kichaka, who, mad with lust, tries to molest
Draupadi. Duryodhana sends forth his spies in every direction to scour the
land for the Pandavas, but they fail to discover the mighty sons of Pandu.
The Trigartas make off with Virata’s herd and a fierce battle is fought;
Virata is taken by the enemy and rescued by Bhimasena; Bhima retrieves
the herd, as well. The next day, the Kurus make off again with Virata’s kine;
Arjuna vanquishes the Kuru host single-handed and releases the cattle;
Virata offers his daughter Uttaraa to Arjuna, who accepts her to become the
bride of his son and Subhadra’s: Abhimanyu, destroyer of his foes. These
are the contents of the fourth Parva. The Maharishi Vyasa composed the
Virata Parva in sixty-seven cantos, with two thousand and fifty slokas.
Listen now to the outline of the fifth Parva, which is known as Udyoga.
While the Pandavas stayed at Upaplavya in the Matsya kingdom and
prepared for war, Duryodhana and Arjuna both went at the same time to
Dwaraka, and said, “Fight on our side in the war”. The Mahatman Krishna
replied, “Choose between me—and I will carry no weapon nor strike a
single blow during the war—and one whole Akshauhini of my troops.
Which of these shall I give to which of you?” The foolish Duryodhana
asked for the troops, while Arjuna eagerly accepted just Krishna, as a
counsellor who would not fight. We will see how, when the king of Madra
rode to join the Pandavas, Duryodhana cunningly entertained him on his
way, with lavish hospitality and gifts, never revealing himself until he asked
for a boon: which was that Salya would fight for him.
Having given his word, Salya cannot refuse. But he goes to the Pandavas
and comforts them by recounting the tale of how Indra triumphed over
Vritrasura. The Pandavas send a purohita to the Kauravas. Mighty
Dhritarashtra listens to the message of the priest and to the story of Indra’s
victory and sends Sanjaya to the Pandavas suing for peace. We shall see the
terrible insomnia and anxiety that ravages Dhritarashtra, when he hears
about the army that the sons of Pandu have collected and about their allies,
Krishna and the others. Now Vidura expounds dharma to his brother.
Sanatsujata appears and discourses on the atman and dharma for the benefit
of the terrified and grieving sovereign. The next morning, Sanjaya speaks,
in the court of the king, about Arjuna and Krishna being Nara Narayana.
Moved by compassion, Krishna, the illustrious one, comes himself to
Hastinapura, to sue for peace. Duryodhana dismisses the embassy of
Krishna. The story of Dambodbhava is related, as well as that of the noble
Matuli’s search for a husband for his daughter; then the story of the
Maharishi Galava; the story of the training and discipline of the son of
Vidula. Then, before the assembled kings, Krishna learns that Duryodhana
and Karna are plotting to take him hostage and reveals his cosmic powers of
Yoga. While leaving Hastinapura, Krishna takes Karna apart in his chariot
and, telling him who he, Karna, truly is, asks him to join the Pandavas, who
are his brothers. Karna refuses the offer, out of pride and loyalty to
Duryodhana. Krishna, scourge of the evil, returns to Upaplavya, and tells
the Pandavas everything that happened in Hastinapura. Then the Pandavas,
having heard all, and having deliberated and discussed the matter deeply,
begin to prepare in earnest for war. From Hastinapura, for battle,
footsoldiers, horses, charioteers and elephants set forth. The legions of both
sides are described. On the day before the commencement of battle,
Duryodhana sends Uluka as his messenger to the Pandavas. The
charioteers, rathikas, of different classes are described. The story of Amba
is told. All this comprises the fifth Parva, Udyoga, of the Bharata, full of
events relating to both peace and war. O Munis, the great Vyasa composed
one hundred and eighty-six cantos in this Parva, with six thousand, six
hundred and ninety-eight slokas.
Then comes the Bhishma Parva, which abounds with marvellous events.
Here Sanjaya describes the formation of Jambudwipa, followed by an
account of the dejection of Arjuna before the battle, his crisis at the
prospect of killing his own flesh and blood. Krishna expounds the Sanatana
Dharma to him and the path to mukti, and reasons with him to discard his
doubts and to fight. The first ten ferocious days of battle. Krishna sees
Bhishma slaughtering the Pandava army, while Arjuna hardly fought him,
and jumps down from their chariot, whip in hand, and runs at Bhishma to
kill him himself. Krishna scathes Arjuna, bearer of the Gandiva, most
valiant and gifted of all Kshatriyas, with a tirade. Greatest among archers,
Arjuna sets Shikandin before him and shoots Bhishma with his most potent
arrows, felling him. Bhishma falls onto a bed of arrows, upon which he lies.
This is the sixth Parva of the Bharata, of one hundred and seventeen cantos
and five thousand, eight hundred and eighty-four slokas, recited by
Maharishi Vyasa, master of the Vedas.
Next we recite the excellent Drona Parva, thick with incident. First, the
great Acharya Drona is made Senapati of the Kaurava army; delighted, he
vows, that master of arms, to take Yudhishtira his captive during the battle,
to please Duryodhana; the Samsaptakas draw Arjuna away from the field;
Arjuna kills Bhagadatta, who bestrode the field upon the elephant Supritika
like a second Indra; the slaying of the teenaged Abhimanyu by Jayadratha
and the Maharathas, while the heroic youth fought alone; Arjuna razes
seven Akshauhinis of the enemy and fulfils his vow to kill Jayadratha;
Bhima Mahabaho and that best of Maharathas, Satyaki Yuyudhana,
penetrate deep into the Kaurava army, impregnable even by the Devas; the
two come at Yudhishtira’s command, in search of Arjuna; the massacre of
the remaining Samsaptakas. The Drona Parva tells of the death of
Alambusha, of Srutayus, of Jalasandha, of Shomadatta, of Virata, of the
Maharatha Drupada, of Ghatotkacha and countless others; in this Parva,
stirred beyond reason by the death of his father, Aswatthama looses the
dreadful Narayanastra. The glory of Rudra is told and the burning of the
Tripura described. Vyasa arrives and sings the glory of Krishna and Arjuna.
This is the seventh Parva of the Bharata, in which all the mighty Kshatriyas
mentioned are slain. This Parva contains one hundred and seventy cantos,
and eight thousand, nine hundred and nine slokas composed after much
dhyana by Rishi Vyasa, son of Parasara, owner of true gyana.
Then comes the truly exhilarating Karna Parva, in which Salya, wise
king of Madra, is persuaded to become Karna’s sarathy. The history of the
fan of the Anita Triputa is told. Karna and Salya favour each other with
harsh words as they set out into battle; Salya makes the insulting
comparison of the swan and the crow; the lofty Aswatthama kills the
Pandya king; Dandasena dies; Darda dies; Yudhishtira’s duel with Karna
before both armies, in which Karna shames the Pandava; Yudhishtira and
Arjuna quarrel, and Krishna pacifies an angry Arjuna. In this Parva, Bhima
keeps his vow by tearing open Dushasana’s chest and drinking the blood
from his heart. Arjuna kills the great Karna in single combat. Those that
know the Bharata call this eighth Parva the Karna Parva. It contains sixty-
nine cantos and four thousand, nine hundred and sixty-four slokas.
Next, the wondrous Salya Parva; after all the Maharathas are dead, the
king of Madra becomes Senapati of the Kaurava army. One after another,
the duels of the remaining rathikas are described. Yudhishtira Dharmaputra
kills the great Salya. Sahadeva kills Shakuni. When a mere smattering of
troops remained alive after the great slaughtering, Duryodhana went to the
lake and submerging himself, as he knew how, lay underwater for a while.
Bhima learns from the fowlers where Duryodhana is; the knowing
Yudhishtira taunts the sensitive Duryodhana until he emerges from the lake.
Duryodhana and Bhima fight the gada yuddha, a mace battle, during which
Balarama arrives at Samanata-panchaka; a description of the sacred
Saraswati; the mace fight continues; Bhima hurls his gada with tremendous
force to break Duryodhana’s thighs. All this is contained in the ninth Parva,
which Vyasa, who spread the renown of the Kauravas, composed in fifty-
nine cantos and three thousand, two hundred and twenty slokas.
Next I will relate the Parva called Sauptika, in which horrible incidents
occur. When the Pandavas leave Duryodhana to die slowly, painfully, of his
mortal injury, the Maharathas Kritavarma, Kripa and Aswatthama come to
Samanta-panchaka in the evening and see King Duryodhana lying on the
ground, his thighs broken, and covered with blood. Then Maharatha
Aswatthama swears in terrible fury that he will never remove his armour
until he has killed all the Panchalas and Dhrishtadyumna, and the Pandavas
and all their allies. The three warriors leave Duryodhana and enter the great
forest just as the Sun sets. They sit, shocked, under a large pipal tree in the
night, when they see one great owl killing a number of crows asleep in the
branches, one after the other. Taking this as an omen, Aswatthama, his heart
full of rage to think of his father Drona’s death, decides to murder the
Panchalas in their sleep. Arriving at the gates of the enemy camp, he sees
there a Rakshasa of frightful countenance, the demon’s head in the very sky,
guarding the entrance. The Rakshasa is proof against all the astras of
Drona’s son, who then quickly worships three-eyed Rudra. And then, with
Kritavarma and Kripa, he kills all the sons of Draupadi, all the Panchalas
with Dhrishtadyumna and the rest of their kinsmen, all of whom slept
unsuspectingly in the night, since the war was over. On that night, all of
them perish except the five Pandavas and the Maharatha Satyaki. These
escape because Krishna advises them to sleep away from the camp that
night and to be on their guard. Dhrishtadyumna’s sarathy brings word of the
night’s savage massacre to the Pandavas. Demented by the death of her
sons, her father and her brothers, Draupadi sits before her husbands,
resolved to fast unto death. Dreadful Bhima, stirred by what Draupadi says,
hefts his mace and rides after the son of his Acharya, to take revenge on
Aswatthama for Draupadi’s sake. From fear of Bhima and moved by fate
and anger, Aswatthama looses a final astra, crying, “This will be the end of
all the Pandavas”. But Krishna cries, “That shall not be!” and makes
Aswatthama’s words ineffectual. Arjuna counters Aswatthama’s astra with
an identical missile of his own. Seeing Aswatthama’s vile intention,
Dwaipayana and Krishna curse him and he curses them back. The Pandavas
take the jewel that grew in Maharatha Aswatthama’s head, and are
delighted. Boasting of their triumph they come back to the battlefield and
give it to Draupadi to assuage her grief. This is the tenth Parva, called
Sauptika, which Maharishi Vyasa, peerless Pauranika of revelations,
composed in eighteen cantos and eight hundred and seventy slokas. In fact,
in this Parva he has combined two Parvas: Sauptika and Aishika.
After these comes the heartrending Parva, Stri, in which stricken and
enraged by the killing of his precious Duryodhana, blind Dhritarashtra
crushes an iron statue of Bhima, adroitly given to him by Krishna. Vidura
consoles the king with a discourse on dharma and moksha. Sad
Dhritarashtra and the women of his house make their way to the tragic field
of Kurukshetra. The wives of the dead Kshatriyas lament. Gandhari and
Dhritarashtra swoon from grief and wrath. The Kshatriya women see their
sons, brothers and fathers lying dead on the field, never to return to them.
Krishna calms the wrath of Gandhari, raging when she sees the corpses of
her sons and grandsons. Yudhishtira of dharma, best among men, has the
bodies of the dead kings and princes cremated. While tarpana is being
offered for the Kshatriya princes, Kunti confesses her long kept secret that
Karna was her son. Maharishi Vyasa describes these events in the eleventh
Parva, full of pathos, which moves any feeling heart and even brings tears
to one’s eyes. It has twenty-seven cantos and seven hundred and seventy-
five slokas.
Twelfth is the Santi Parva, which deepens understanding and wisdom. It
tells of the dejection of Yudhishtira at having killed his elders, cousins,
nephews, uncles and relatives by marriage, at having seen his sons slain.
Lying on his bed of arrows, Bhishma expounds Kshatriya dharma and the
dharma of kings; he tells of how to deal with crises, in detail, discussing
occasion and cause. Understanding these discourses can lead one to true
gyana. The mysteries of moksha are delved into and expatiated upon. This
twelfth Parva is the favourite Parva of wise men. It has three hundred and
thirty-nine cantos, and fourteen thousand, seven hundred and thirty-two
slokas.
Next comes the fine and exalted Anusasana Parva. It describes how
Yudhishtira, king of the Kurus, finds peace of mind and reconciliation upon
hearing Bhishma, the son of Ganga’s exposition on dharma. This Parva
deals in detail with the codes of dharma and artha; it deals with dana,
charity, and its merits; it defines the qualities required to give charity and
the laws pertaining to the giving and receiving of gifts. This Parva also
describes the rituals of individual dharma, the codes of conduct and the
unequalled punya of truth. This Parva dwells on the great merit of
Brahmanas and sacred cows, and unravels the mysteries of dharma with
relation to time and place. All this is enshrined in the excellent Parva
Anusasana, of numerous tales and events. It goes on to narrate Bhishma’s
ascension into Swarga. This thirteenth Parva, which lays down in detail the
dharma for men, has one hundred and forty-six cantos, and eight thousand
slokas.
The fourteenth Parva is Aswamedhika. We will tell the fine tale of
Samvarta and Marutta; then describe the unearthing of the golden treasure
trove; the birth of Parikshit follows, and how Krishna revives the stillborn
infant after Aswatthama’s astra had killed him in his mother’s womb.
Arjuna, the son of Pandu, follows the sacrificial horse across Bharatavarsha
and gives battle to the Kshatriyas who dared seize the animal. We shall
describe the duel between Arjuna and his own son Babhruvaha by
Chitrangada, daughter of the king of Manipura. There follows the story of
the mongoose during the Aswamedha yagna. This Aswamedhika Parva
contains one hundred and three cantos, and three thousand, three hundred
and twenty slokas composed by the most knowing Vyasa.
The fifteenth Parva is called Asramvasika. Here, Dhritarashtra abdicates
his kingdom, and sets out for the forest with Gandhari and Vidura. The
virtuous Kunti, who always loved and served her elders, also leaves the
court of her sons, to follow the old couple. This Parva describes the
supernatural meeting of Dhritarashtra with the spirits of his slain children,
grandchildren and other princes, returned from the other world by the
power and grace of Vyasa. Then the king abandons his grief and, with
Gandhari, finds the highest punya of his good deeds. In this Parva, Vidura,
who always lived in virtue, attains moksha in the forest. The learned son of
Gavalgana, Sanjaya, also restrains his passions perfectly, and that foremost
of ministers attains the blessed condition. Yudhishtira of dharma meets
Narada, who tells him about the destruction of the Vrishnis. This wonderful
Parva Asramvasika has forty-two cantos, and one thousand five hundred
and six slokas composed by Vyasa who knows the highest truth.
After this, as you know, comes the Maushala Parva, full of pain. The
lion-hearted Vrishnis, who wore the scars from countless fields on their
bodies, are cursed by a Brahmana. Drunk out of their wits, urged by fate,
they slew one another on the shores of the salt sea with the eraka reeds,
which turned in their hands into deadly thunderbolts. After provoking the
extermination of their race, Balarama and Krishna, their own hour having
come, succumb to all-consuming kaala. Arjuna, best of men, comes to
Dwaravati and finds Dwaraka empty of Vrishnis. Grieftsricken, he performs
the last rites for his uncle Vasudeva, noblest of the Yadus. Arjuna comes to
the place where the Vrishnis had drunk and sees them lying in the postures
of death. Arjuna cremates the bodies of Krishna the lustrous and of
Balarama, as well as the other Vrishni chieftains. Taking the women and
children, the old and the decrepit—all that remained of the Yadu race
Arjuna journeys towards Indraprastha and meets disaster on the way in the
form of murderous and rapacious highway bandits. He can no longer use
the mighty Gandiva nor summon any astra to defend his wards. The
downcast Arjuna goes to the Rishi Vyasa, and following his advice, comes
home to Yudhishtira and seeks his leave to adopt sannyasa. This is the
sixteenth, Maushala, Parva, which contains eight cantos and three hundred
and twenty slokas, composed by the Muni Vyasa, who knows the supreme
truth.
Mahaprasthanika is next, the seventeenth Parva. Here, those greatest of
men, the Pandavas, relinquish their kingdom and, taking Draupadi with
them, set out on their final journey, Mahaprasthana. They arrive on the
shore of the sea of red water, and meet Agni Deva. Agni tells Arjuna to
worship him and to return the unearthly bow Gandiva to the Fire God,
which Arjuna does. In this Parva, the Pandavas embark on their last journey
up the great mountain. One by one, his brothers and his wife fall to their
deaths, leaving Yudhishtira to climb on alone, never once looking back for
them. This seventeenth Parva Mahaprasthanika has three cantos and three
hundred and twenty slokas, composed by Vyasa, knower of the truth.
The eighteenth Parva is the exceptional Swarga, in which celestial events
are described, happenings in Devaloka. Seeing the heavenly vimana come
to fetch him bodily to Swarga, Yudhishtira is full of pity for the brown dog
that accompanied him through his journey from the gates of Hastinapura.
He refuses to ascend in the vimana without his companion. Dharma Deva
sets aside his canine form and reveals himself to his son of perfect virtue.
Yudhishtira comes into Swarga and experiences a taste of hell. A celestial
servitor takes him through an illusory naraka, where Yudhishtira, soul of
righteousness, hears the heart-rending lamentations of his brothers and
Draupadi, who appear to be dwelling in that realm, being tormented by
Yama. Dharma and Indra show Yudhishtira the zone of sinners. Then
Yudhishtira abandons his body by bathing in the Ganga as she flows
through Swarga, and attains the heaven that his dharma deserves, where he
lives in joy, honoured by Indra and the other Devas. This is the eighteenth
Parva as told by the illumined Vyasa; it contains two hundred and nine
slokas.
Such in brief are the contents of the eighteen Parvas. The appendix
(Khila) contains the Harivamsa and the Vavishya. The Harivamsa contains
twelve thousand holy slokas.’
These are the contents of the canto called Parva-samgraha.
Sauti continues, ‘Eighteen Akshauhinis of warriors came together for
battle. The dreadful war lasts for eighteen days. He that knows the four
Vedas with all the Angas and Upanishads but does not know this Itihasa
cannot be regarded as having wisdom. Vyasa of fathomless intellect has
called the Mahabharata a treatise on Artha, Dharma and Kama. Those who
have listened to his awesome legend can never bear to listen to others, even
as they who have heard the sweet song of the male kokila cannot stand the
raucous cawing of the crow. As the Universe is formed from the
Panchamahabhutas, the inspiration of every poet is derived from this
wonderful Bharata. O Brahmanas, as the four kinds of creatures depend on
space to exist, the Puranas depend upon this Itihasa. As the senses depend
on the modes of the mind for their functioning, so does all karma and
dharma depend upon this treatise. There is not a story in the world but it
depends on this legend, even as the body does upon the food it consumes.
All poets cherish the Bharata, even as servants that desire advancement
serve masters of noble descent. Just as the blessed grihastasrama, of the
householder, can never be excelled by the other three asramas, no poet or
poets can surpass this poem.
O Munis, shake off all inertia. Fix your hearts on punya, for virtue is the
only friend that accompanies a man out of this world. The most intelligent
man can never really possess wealth or wife, not by cherishing them to
distraction; they are fleeting. The Bharata uttered from the lips of
Dwaipayana is unequalled; it is, verily, dharma, and it is sacred. It destroys
sins and generates goodness. He that listens to it being recited does not need
to bathe in the holy waters of Pushkara. Whatever sensual sins a Brahmana
might commit during the day, he is freed of them by reading the Bharata in
the evening. Whatever sins he may commit in the night, of deed, word or
thought, he is freed from those by reading the Bharata at dawn, during the
first sandhya. He that gives a hundred cows, their horns covered in gold, to
a Brahmana versed in the Vedas and all the Shastras, and he that daily
listens to the sacred stories of the Bharata, acquire equal punya, spiritual
gain. As ships help men who own them, easily cross the Ocean, so does this
canto Parva-samgraha help those who study this extensive legend of great
beauty and profound meaning.’
CANTO 3
PAUSHYA PARVA
uta said, ‘Once, Janamejaya, the son of Parikshit, and his brothers
conducted a great and extended yagna on Kurukshetra. His three
brothers were Srutasena, Ugrasena and Bhimasena. And as they sat at
the sacrifice, a whelp of Sarama, the celestial she-dog, arrived there. Beaten
by Janamejaya’s brothers, he ran to his mother, crying in pain. And Sarama
asked, “Why are you crying like this? Who beat you?”
He replied, “The brothers of Janamejaya.”
His mother said, “You have done something wrong that you were
beaten.”
He answered, “I have done no wrong. I did not lick the sacrificial ghee,
nor did I even look at it.” Hearing this, his mother Sarama grew distraught
and went to the place where Janamejaya and his brothers were at their
extensive sacrifice.
Angrily she cried to Janamejaya, “My son has done no wrong; he has
neither looked at your sacrificial ghee, let alone lick it. Why, then, was he
beaten?”
They did not reply, at which she said, “You have beaten my son who
committed no fault, and evil will come upon you when you least expect it.”
Janamejaya was terribly alarmed and depressed to hear this imprecation.
After he completed his yagna and returned to Hastinapura, he began to
search high and low for a purohita who could absolve his brothers and
himself of their sin and turn away the curse.
One day, Janamejaya, while hunting in a forest that was part of his
kingdom, saw the asrama of the renowned Rishi Srutasrava. Srutasrava’s
son, Somasrava, was a most accomplished priest and sat in deep dhyana
there. Wanting to make this Sage his purohita, Janamejaya, son of Parikshit,
saluted the Rishi Srutasrava and spoke to him, “O owner of the six great
qualities, let your son be my purohita.”
The Rishi answered, “Janamejaya, my son of deep tapasya, a master of
the Vedas, and blessed with the full potency of my sannyasa, was born of a
Nagina, who drank my semen. He can free you from every sin except one
committed against Mahadeva. Yet, he has one trait that he will never
abandon: he must give a Brahmana whatever he asks for. If you can
countenance that, certainly take him with you.”
Janamejaya replied, “Let me then take him.”
Accepting Somasrava as his purohita, he returned to his capital, where
he said to his brothers, “This is the man that I have chosen for my Guru;
you must do whatever he says, unquestioningly.” And his brothers did as
they were told. The king marched to Takshashila and conquered that
country.
Around this time, there was a Rishi called Ayoda-Dhaumya, and he had
three disciples, Upamanyu, Aruni and Veda. The Rishi told one of these
sishyas, Aruni of Panchala, to go and stop a leak in the watercourse in a
field. At his Guru’s command, Aruni of Panchala went to the place and saw
that he could not stop the breach in the watercourse in any common fashion.
He was distressed because he could not do his Guru’s bidding.
He thought for a while and said, “Well, there is one way by which I can
stem the leak.”
He climbed down into the breach and lay there, and the water was
contained by his body. After a while, the Guru Ayoda-Dhaumya asked his
other disciples where Aruni of Panchala was. They replied, “Master, you
sent him to stop the leak in the watercourse in the field.”
Dhaumya remembered and said, “Let us all go to the place where he is.”
Arriving there, he shouted, “Ho, Aruni of Panchala! Where are you?
Come here, my child.”
Hearing his Guru’s voice, Aruni quickly emerged from the watercourse,
and stood before his master. Aruni said, “I lay in the breach where the water
leaked, since there was no other way to do as you said. But now I heard
your voice and came to you, allowing the water to escape again. I salute
you, Guru, command me.”
The Guru said, “Because you rose from the ditch at my command, I
bless you to be called Uddalaka. Because you have obeyed me, you shall
find great fortune. The Vedas shall shine in you and all the Dharmashastras
also.”
And blessed by his Guru, Aruni went to the country that he loved.
Upamanyu was another of Ayoda-Dhaumya’s sishyas. Dhaumya said to
him, “Go, Upamanyu my child, and tend the herd.” And Upamanyu took
the cattle to pasture. Having watched and grazed them all day, he returned
to his master’s house in the evening, and saluted him respectfully.
His Guru saw him healthy and untired, and asked, “Upamanyu, my
child, what did you feed on that you look so healthy and plump?”
He answered, “Lord, I ate by begging alms.”
His Guru said, “You should not eat the alms you get without first
offering them to me.”
The next day, Upamanyu brought the alms he begged to his master. His
Guru took all the food and Upamanyu went to graze the herd. He watched
the cattle all day and returned in the evening to his master’s asrama. He
stood before his preceptor and saluted him with reverence. His Guru saw
that he was still in fine fettle, and said, “Upamanyu, my child, I took all that
you begged as alms from you, then how do you still look so healthy, even
fat?”
Upamanyu said, “Guru, I gave you all the alms I begged the first time,
then went begging a second time for food.”
His master then said, “This is not how you should honour my command
to you. By begging alms twice, you are depriving someone else that lives by
alms for their subsistence. You have proved yourself to be greedy.”
Upamanyu bowed to acknowledge what his master said, and went away.
The next morning, too, he took the herd out to pasture and was with them
all day. In the evening, he returned to his Guru’s home and stood, hands
folded reverently, before his master. His preceptor observed that he was still
fat, and said, “Upamanyu my child, I take all the alms you beg and you do
not go begging a second time, and you are still in robust health, and fat.
How is this?”
Upamanyu replied, “Master, I drink the milk of the cows now.”
His Guru said, “You may not drink the milk without my permission.”
Again, Upamanyu agreed to do what his Guru asked, and the next day
took the herd to pasture. When he returned to his master’s dwelling in the
evening, he stood before him and saluted him as usual. His master saw that
he was still fat, and said, “Upamanyu my son, you do not eat the alms you
beg anymore, nor do you go begging a second time, nor do you drink milk
from the cows. How do you remain healthy and fat?”
Upamanyu replied, “Master, I sip the froth that drips from the mouths of
the calves as they drink from their mothers’ teats.”
The master said, “The loving calves must drip a good deal of froth for
you to drink. But you are depriving the young ones of their nourishment. I
forbid you to drink the froth.” And Upamanyu, bowing his assent, went
away.
The next day, he took the cows to graze. Obeying his Guru, he did not
feed on alms, nor drink any milk or froth. Savaged by hunger in the forest,
he ate the leaves of an arka3, which are pungent, saline and poisonous. He
became blind. He crawled sightless on the forest floor and fell into a
disused well. When he did not return to his Guru’s asrama by evening,
when the Sun sank over the western mountains, his master asked his other
sishyas where Upamanyu was. They said that he had gone out with the
cattle.
The Guru said, “I have prevented him from eating anything, and he must
be annoyed. Let us then go looking for him.” The Guru went with his
sishyas into the forest and began to shout, “Ho Upamanyu! Where are
you?”
Upamanyu heard his master’s voice and answered loudly, “Here I am at
the bottom of this well.” His Guru asked how he got there. Upamanyu
replied, “I ate the leaves of an arka plant and they made me blind. I could
not see anything and I fell into the well.”
His Guru then said, “Give praise to the Aswin twins, who are the
physicians to the Devas, and they will restore your sight.” At his master’s
word, Upamanyu began to hymn the Aswini twins, in slokas from the Rig
Veda.
“You have existed since before creation! O first-born beings, it is you
that are displayed in this marvellous Universe of five elements. I wish to
attain to you by the faculty of hearing and of dhyana, for truly you are
infinite. You are the very course of Prakriti and of the intelligent Purusha
that pervades that unfolding. You are birds of exquisite plumage perched on
the body that is like a tree. You are without the three attributes that are base
in every soul. You are incomparable. Your spirit is in every created thing;
you pervade the Universe.
You are golden eagles! You are the divine essence into which all things
dissolve! You are free from faults and know no decay. Your beaks are
beauty embodied, and never strike unjustly. You are victorious in every
battle. You are immortal, and prevail over time. Having created the Sun,
you weave the wondrous cloth of the years with the white thread of day and
the black thread of night. And with the cloth woven, you have established
two ways of karma, one for the Devas and the other for the Pitrs. You set
the bird of Life, seized by Time, which has the strength of the Infinite
Atman, free and deliver her to endless joy. They that are plunged in
ignorance, deluded by the senses, think of you, who transcend matter and its
attributes, as having form. Three hundred and sixty cows that are three
hundred and sixty days produce one calf between them: the year. That calf
creates and destroys all things. Seekers of truth, treading myriad paths,
draw the milk that is true knowledge from the calf. O Aswins, you are the
creators of that calf!
The year is just the hub of a wheel to which seven hundred and twenty
spokes are attached: days and nights. The circumference of this wheel of
twelve months is endless. The wheel is full of delusions and knows no
decay. It affects all creatures, of this and the other worlds. Aswins, you set
this wheel of time in motion!
The wheel of Time, in the year, has a nave of six seasons. The spokes
attached to that nave are twelve, the signs of the Zodiac. This wheel of
Time manifests the fruit of all karma. The Devas who rule Kaala abide in
the wheel. O Aswins, I am bound by the misery of the wheel; liberate me
from the wheel of Time. Aswins, you are this Universe of the
Panchabhutas. You are the objects that are enjoyed in this and in the next
world. Set me free from the five elements! Though you are the Supreme
Brahman, yet you move over the Earth with bodies and forms, enjoying the
pleasures that the senses afford.
In the beginning, you created the ten cardinal points of the Universe!
Then you set the Sun and the sky on high. The Rishis perform their yagnas
by the movement of the same Surya, and the Devas and men, as well,
according to their svadharma, perform sacrifices and enjoy the fruit of those
rites. You mixed the three colours, and produced all that is seen. From these
creations the Universe issued, in which the Devas and men perform their
svadharma, and, indeed, all creatures receive life!
Aswins, I worship you! I also adore the Akasa, which you made. You are
the bestowers of the fruit of karma, the laws of which bind even the Devas.
Yet you yourselves are free from the results of whatever you do!
You are the father and mother of us all! As male and female, you
consume food, which then develops into life-creating seed and blood. The
newborn drinks at its mother’s breast. You take the shape of the infant. O
Aswins, return my sight to me that I may protect my life!”
The twin Aswins appeared and said, “We are pleased. Here is a sweet
cake for you. Eat it.”
Upamanyu said, “Your words, O Aswins, have never proved untrue. But
I cannot eat your cake without first offering it to my Guru.”
The Aswins now told him, “Once, your Guru invoked us just as you
have. We gave him a cake just like this one, and he ate it without offering it
to his master. Do as your master did.”
Upamanyu said to them, “Aswini Devas, I beg your forgiveness, but I
cannot eat your cake without first offering it to my master.”
The Aswins now said, “O, we are pleased by your Guru bhakti. Your
master has iron teeth for eating the cake without offering it to his Guru. You
shall have teeth of gold. Your eyes will see again and great fortune will
attend upon you.”
With this blessing from the Aswins, Upamanyu recovered his sight. He
came before his master and, saluting him reverently, told him all that had
happened. His Guru was pleased with him and said, “You shall have great
fortune, as the Aswins have said. The Vedas shall illumine you, and all the
Dharmashastras.”
This was the trial of Upamanyu.
Then Ayoda-Dhaumya called his third sishya, Veda, and said to him,
“Veda, my son, stay awhile in my house and serve your Guru. You will gain
from it.”
Veda readily agreed, and remained in his master’s house, serving him
and his family. Like an ox bearing its master’s burdens, he suffered heat and
cold, hunger and thirst, always without a murmur of complaint. Before
long, his Guru was satisfied and blessed Veda to have good fortune and
universal knowledge. This was the trial of Veda.
Taking his Guru’s permission, when he had finished his tutelage, Veda
left his master’s house and entered grihastasrama, became a householder. In
his own house, he had three sishyas. But he never treated them harshly, or
had them obey him unquestioningly or perform rough tasks for him, but
was the kindest master because of his own difficult experiences in his
Guru’s house.
The two Kshatriyas Janamejaya and Paushya came to this Veda’s home
and asked him to be their Upadhyaya, their spiritual guide and mentor. One
day, when he had to go out on some work, Veda told one of his disciples,
Utanka, to take charge of his household.
“Utanka,” said Veda, “you must do whatever needs to be done in my
home without neglect, even as I would.” And he set out on his journey.
Utanka began living in his Guru’s house and was heedful of his master’s
command in every particular. One day, the women of the household came to
Utanka and said, “Utanka, your mistress is in her fertile time. Your master
is away, and it falls to you to take his place.”
Utanka said to the women, “I cannot do this at you women’s bidding.
My Guru did not tell me to commit a sin.”
After a while, his Guru came home, and when he heard what had
happened, Veda was pleased.
He said, “Utanka, my child, what boon do you want from me? You have
served me faithfully and my affection for you has grown. You may leave
now, and let your every wish come true.”
Utanka said, “Let me do something for you, Guru. For I have heard told
of the master who teaches without receiving dakshina and the sishya who
receives instruction without giving dakshina, that enmity springs up
between them, and one of them dies. You have taught me and I must give
you some gurudakshina.”
His master replied, “Utanka, my son, wait a while.”
Some days passed, then Utanka again asked his master, “Command me,
Guru, what dakshina shall I bring for you?”
His Guru said, “Dear Utanka, so often you have asked me what dakshina
I want from you for what I taught you. Go inside then, and ask my wife
what you should bring as dakshina. Bring whatever she says.”
Utanka went to his master’s wife and said, “Mistress, my Guru has given
me leave to go home, and I want to give you something as dakshina for the
instruction I have received, something that will please you, so that I do not
leave with a debt to my Guru. I beg you tell me what dakshina I should
give.”
His Guru’s wife replied, “Go to King Paushya and beg him for the
earrings that his queen wears, and bring them here. The fourth day from
today is a sacred day and I want to wear those earrings when I serve the
Brahmanas who will dine with us. Do this for me, Utanka! If you succeed,
you will find good fortune; if you fail, what fortune can you expect?”
Utanka went away to fetch the earrings, if he could. As he went along,
he saw a bull of extraordinary size and a man of huge stature mounted upon
it. That man said to Utanka, “Eat the dung of this bull.” Utanka refused.
The man said again, “Utanka, eat it. Your master ate it before you.” Now
Utanka agreed and ate the dung and drank the urine of the bull. Then he
rose respectfully, washed his hands and mouth, and went to meet King
Paushya.
Arriving at the palace, Utanka saw Paushya upon his throne. Utanka
approached the king and greeted him by pronouncing formal blessings over
him. He said, “I have come to you as a supplicant.”
King Paushya returned Utanka’s greeting and asked, “Brahmana, what
can I do for you?”
Utanka said, “I have come to beg a pair of earrings for my Guru’s wife,
to be my dakshina to my master. I ask you to give me the earrings that your
queen wears.”
King Paushya replied, “Go, Utanka, into the antahpura, and ask the
queen for the earrings.”
Utanka went into the harem, but he could not find the queen. He came
back to the king and said, “It is not right that you treat me deceitfully. Your
queen is not in the antahpura, I could not find her there.”
The king thought a moment, then said, “Recollect, Brahmana, whether
you have defiled yourself with something that you ate or drank on your way
here. My queen is a chaste wife and cannot be seen by anyone who is
sullied from partaking of leftovers. She will not appear before someone that
is impure.
Utanka now thought for a moment, then said, “Yes, it must be. Being in
a hurry, I must have performed my ablutions while standing.”
King Paushya said, “You cannot purify yourself properly while standing,
not even while you are on a journey.”
Utanka agreed. He sat down facing the east and washed his face, hands
and feet thoroughly. Then, without making a sound, he thrice sipped clean
water, free of froth and dirt, and not warm, in achamana: just enough to
reach his stomach, and he wiped his face twice. He touched the apertures of
his organs with pure water.
Having done all this, he went to the women’s quarters again. Now he
saw the queen. As soon as the queen saw him, she greeted him respectfully
and said, “Welcome Brahmana, tell me what I can do for you.”
Utanka said, “Give me your earrings, I wish to give them to my Guru’s
wife as my daskhina to him.”
The queen was pleased with Utanka’s deportment and his intentions. She
felt that he was deserving of this charity, and immediately took off her
earrings and gave them to him.
The queen said, “Takshaka, the serpent king, has always coveted these
earrings. So be very carfeul how you go with them.”
Utanka said to the queen, “Lady, do not worry, Takshaka cannot catch
me.”
He took solemn and grateful leave of the queen, and went back into the
presence of Paushya. Utanka said, “Paushya, I am gratified.”
Paushya said to Utanka, “Someone truly deserving of daana comes along
once in a rare while. You are a worthy guest, a qualified sadasya, and I want
to conduct a sraddha. Stay a while with me.”
Utanka replied, “I will stay, but I beg you to have the food for the
sraddha fetched quickly.”
The king assented readily and began to entertain Utanka as the atithi for
his sraddha. Utanka saw that the food set before him had hair in it and felt
that it was cold, and deemed it unclean. He said to Paushya, “You have
given me unclean food and you will go blind for it.”
Paushya retorted, “And because you say that clean food is unclean, you
will have no children!”
Utanka rejoined, “It does not become you to curse me back, after
offering me unclean food. Look for yourself.”
Paushya looked closely at the food and found that it was indeed unclean,
being cold and mixed with hair, because it had been prepared by a woman
with long braids.
The king sought to pacify Utanka, “Brahmana, the food set before you is
indeed cold, and does contain hair. It was prepared without proper care and
I beg you, forgive me. Let me not become blind.”
Utanka replied, “What I say must come to pass. However, though you go
blind you can recover your sight soon, provided your curse does not affect
me.”
Paushya said to him, “I cannot revoke my curse, for my wrath is not
appeased. But you cannot know this because a Brahmana’s heart is as soft
as freshly churned butter, even if his words carry a sharp razor. But this is
not so with the Kshatriya, whose words are soft as freshly churned butter,
but his heart is like a razor, and hard. Because I am a Kshatriya and
unforgiving, I cannot withdraw my curse. Go your way now.”
Utanka said, “I showed you that the food was unclean, and just now you
were pacifying me. Besides, you first said that because I said the food was
unclean when it was in fact clean I would not have children. But the food is
unclean, so your curse cannot affect me. Of this I am certain.”
And Utanka left with the earrings.
On the road, Utanka saw a naked beggar coming towards him, most
strangely: for sometimes he was visible and at others he vanished. Utanka
put the earrings on the ground and went to bathe in a wayside tank. The
beggar flashed up, seized up the earrings and ran away. Utanka completed
his ablutions, purified himself, bowed worshipfully to the gods and his
Gurus and went after the thief as fast as he could. With some effort he
overtook him and laid hold of the fellow.
At once, the naked one was no longer a beggar but Takshaka, who dived
down into a hole in a ground. Once in, Takshaka sped down into his realm,
Nagaloka, the under-world of serpents.
Utanka remembered what the queen had told him and tried to pursue the
Naga. With a stick, he tried to excavate the hole into which Takshaka had
vanished but could not make any headway. Indra saw his distress and sent
his Vajra to help him. The thunderbolt entered the stick and plunged along
the hole, tunnelling its way like lightning. Utanka went in and down after
the Vajra. He saw Nagaloka, amazing and magnificent, seemingly infinite in
extent, with hundreds of palaces and elegant mansions, with turrets, domes
and high arched gates, full of the most enchanting parks and gardens for
sport and for love.
Awestruck, Utanka sang the praises of the serpents with these slokas:
“O Nagas, subjects of King Airavata, splendid in battle, pouring forth
astras in battle like clouds full of lightning driven by the winds! Many-
formed, radiant and handsome, with ear-studs of many colours, O children
of Airavata, you shine like the Sun in the sky! On the northern banks of the
Ganga are many habitations of Nagas. I regularly worship the great serpents
there. Who but Airavata would want to move about under the burning Sun?
When Airavata’s brother Dhritarashtra goes forth, twenty-eight thousand
and eight serpents follow him in train. You who move near him and you that
remain at some remove: I worship all of you that have Airavata for your
elder brother.
I worship you also, O Takshaka, who once lived in Kurukshetra and the
Khandava vana: to have the queen’s earrings from you! Takshaka and
Aswasena, O constant companions that dwell in Kurukshetra on the banks
of the Ikshumati! I worship Takshaka’s younger brother, the lustrous
Srutasena, who lived in the tirtha Mahadyumna in order to become lord of
the Nagas.”
Though he paid homage to all the great Nagas, the Brahmana Rishi
Utanka did not get the earrings. He fell thoughtful. He looked around and
saw two young women at a loom weaving a piece of cloth with a fine
shuttle, using black and white threads. He saw a wheel with twelve spokes,
turned by six boys. And he also saw a man astride a blazing magnificent
steed. And he addressed these mantras to them, resonantly:
“This wheel that has twenty-four cantos, for the changes of the Moon,
also has three hundred spokes! Six boys, the seasons, keep it always
turning! These women are Prakriti, ceaselessly weaving their cosmic cloth
with threads of black and white, creating countless worlds and the beings
that live on them. And you who send down the thunder, who protect the
Universe, who slew Vrita and Namuchi, O Illustrious one wearing a black
robe, riding Uchchaisravas churned up from the bottom of the sea, the horse
that is an amsa of Agni Deva Lord of Fire, I bow to you, Paramatman, Lord
of the three worlds, O Purandara!”
Then the man on the horse said to Utanka, “I am pleased with your
worship. What boon shall I give you?”
Utanka replied, “Let me have power over the Nagas.”
The man said, “Breathe upon this horse.”
Utanka blew his breath onto that horse. From every aperture of the
horse’s body, dreadful flames and smoke issued to consume Nagaloka.
Shocked, singed and terrified, Takshaka flew out from his palace with the
earrings, and gave them to Utanka.
“I beg you,” said the Naga king, “take back the earrings.” And Utanka
did.
But having recovered his earrings, Utanka realised, “This is the holy day
of which my Guru’s wife spoke. I am so far from their home; how will I
give her the dakshina in time?”
The man in black said to him, “Ride this horse, Utanka, and he will
bring you to your master’s home in a moment.”
Utanka mounted the horse and immediately arrived at his Guru’s house.
It was morning. His master’s wife had bathed and sat combing her hair,
thinking of how she would curse Utanka if he did not return in time with the
earrings. Utanka entered his Guru’s home, greeted his master’s wife and
respectfully gave her the earrings.
“Utanka,” said she, delighted, “you have arrived at the right time in the
right place! Welcome my child, you have done what you set out to do, and I
will not curse you. Good fortune is written for you. Let all your wishes
come true and success attend your every endeavour!”
Utanka went to his Guru. His master said, “Welcome! Where were you
all these days?”
Utanka replied, “Master, Takshaka kept me from returning sooner. I had
to go to Nagaloka, where I saw two women at a loom, weaving a fabulous
cloth with black and white threads. What was it? I also saw a wheel with
twelve spokes turned endlessly by six boys. What did that mean? Who was
the man that I saw, mounted upon the horse of awesome size?
And while I was on the road, I saw a man mounted on a gigantic bull. He
said affectionately to me, ‘Utanka, eat of the dung of this bull, which your
Guru also ate.’ So I ate the bull’s dung. But who was the man? I beg you,
enlighten me about all these.”
His Guru said to him, “The two young women you saw are Dhata and
Vidhata; the black and white threads are nights and days; the wheel of
twelve spokes was the year and the boys that turned it, the six seasons. The
man was Parjannya, Lord of rain, and the horse was Agni, the Fire God.
The bull on the road was Airavata, Lord of elephants; the man riding the
bull was Indra; and the dung of the bull, which you ate, was Amrita, which
saved you from certain death in Nagaloka. Indra is my friend and showed
you favour. That is how you have come back safely with the earrings. Good
child, I give you leave to go now. You will find fortune.”
With his Guru’s leave and blessing, Utanka went grimly toward
Hastinapura. Anger stirred his heart and he wanted to avenge himself on
Takshaka. The excellent Brahmana soon reached Hastinapura. Utanka came
into the presence of Raja Janamejaya, who had returned victorious from
Takshashila some days ago. Utanka saw the triumphant king surrounded by
his ministers. He blessed them all, formally.
Utanka spoke to the king at an apposite moment, in fine language and a
mellifluous voice. “Rajarishabha, best of kings! How is it that you waste
your time childishly, when another critical matter demands your
attention?”’
Sauti said, ‘Janamejaya saluted the noble Brahmana and replied, “I am
discharging the dharma of my royal line by spending time with my subjects.
Tell me, what is the urgent matter which has brought you here?”
The great Brahmana Utanka, distinguished by his fine deeds, replied to
that munificent king, “O Raja! the matter is urgent because it concerns you.
So make haste to attend to it. King of kings, Takshaka took your father’s
life, and you must take revenge against the vile snake. The time has come, I
believe, for the vengeance ordained by fate. So avenge the death of your
great father whom the vicious Naga stung, without cause, and burned him
into the Panchabhutas like lightning striking a tree. Takshaka, most evil of
Nagas, is so drunk with power that he dared bite your godlike sire, scion of
your race of Rajarishis.
Cunning beyind measure, he persuaded Kashyapa, prince among
physicians, to turn back when that Rishi was on his way to save your father.
It will be fitting for you to burn Takshaka in the fire of a sarpa yagna, a
sacrifice of serpents!
Rajan! Command the sarpa yagna to begin instantly, it is the only way to
avenge your father. And with this sacrifice, you will do me also a great
favour. For, most virtuous Kshatriya, the malignant Takshaka once
obstructed me when I was on a crucial errand for my Guru.”’
Sauti continued, ‘Hearing this, the king’s fury against Takshaka was
kindled. What Utanka said inflamed the Kshatriya like ghee poured into an
agnikunda. Grief welled up inside Janamejaya, and he asked his ministers
for an account of his father’s journey to Swarga. When he heard the
circumstances of his father’s death from Utanka he was stricken with pain
and sorrow.’
Here ends the canto named Paushya, of the Adi Parva of the blessed
Mahabharata.
————————
3Asclepias gigantea
CANTO 4
PAULOMA PARVA
uta Ugrasrava, son of Romaharshana and a master of the Puranas, stood

before the Rishis of Naimisha vana, during the twelve-year sacrifice of
Saunaka Kulapati. He had studied the Puranas with meticulous devotion
and knew them thoroughly. Hands folded, he said respectfully to the Sages,
‘I have told you the story of Utanka in detail, and his tale was one of the
reasons for King Janamejaya’s sarpa yagna, his snake sacrifice. What, holy
ones, do you wish to hear now? What shall I narrate?’
The Rishis replied, ‘Son of Romaharshana, we will ask you whatever we
most want to hear, and you must recount the stories, one by one. Our master
Saunaka is at worship in the sacred agnigriha. He knows the divine legends
of the Devas and Asuras. He knows well the Itihasas of men, the Nagas and
Gandharvas. Further, Sauti, the learned Saunaka is the chief priest at this
yagna. He is able, keeps his vratas faultlessly, he is wise, a master of the
Shastras and the Aranyaka, speaks only the truth, is a lover of peace,
mortifies his flesh, and performs tapasya by the laws laid down for
austerity. All of us revere him. It is only proper that we wait for him. And
when he sits upon this darbhasana, you shall answer whatever that best of
Dvijas wants to know from you.’
Sauti said, ‘So be it. When that mahatman sits with us and asks me to, I
will tell you sacred tales that deal with a variety of subjects.’
After a while, having finished all his karma, having worshipped the
Devas with prayers and the Pitrs with tarpana, the great Brahmana Saunaka
returned to the yagnashala, where the other Rishis of stern vows sat relaxed,
with Sauti before them. And when Saunaka sat among the Ritviks and
Sadhyas, he spoke to them.
CANTO 5
PAULOMA PARVA CONTINUED
aunaka said, ‘Child, son of Romaharshana, your father studied all the
Puranas and the Bharata, with Krishna Dwaipayana. Have you imbibed
them, as well? Those ancient chronicles contain fascinating stories and
the history of the first generations of Rishis, all of which we heard from the
lips of your father. First of all, I want to hear the history of the race of
Bhrigu. Recount that lineage, and we will listen carefully to you.’
Sauti said, ‘I have learnt everything that the noble Brahmanas of old,
Vaisampayana among them, once studied and recounted. I have gleaned all
the knowledge that my father possessed. O scion of the race of Bhrigu,
listen then to everything that relates to that lofty race, honoured by Indra
and all the Devas, by the tribes of Rishis and Maruts. Mahamuni, first of all,
I will relate the history of this clan as told in the Puranas.
The blessed Maharishi Bhrigu, we are told, was created by
Swayambhuva Brahma from the agni during the sacrifice of Varuna. And
Bhrigu had a son named Chyavana, whom he loved dearly. Chyavana had a
virtuous son called Pramati. Pramati had a son named Ruru by Ghritachi the
Apsara, and to Ruru, by his wife Pramadvara, was born a son named
Sunaka. He, O Saunaka, was your great, exceptionally virtuous ancestor. He
was devoted to sannyasa, had wide renown, was proficient in dharma, and
pre-eminent among those that knew the Vedas. He was honest and self-
controlled.’
Saunaka said, ‘O son of Suta, why was the illumined son of Bhrigu
called Chyavana? Tell me all.’
Sauti answered, ‘Bhrigu had a wife named Pauloma, whom he loved.
She became pregnant by him. One day, while the chaste Pauloma was in
that condition, Bhrigu, foremost among those that are true to their dharma,
left her at home and went out to perform his ablutions.
At this time, a Rakshasa whose name was Puloma came to Bhrigu’s
asrama. Entering, the Rakshasa saw Bhrigu’s irreproachable wife and was
filled with lust, quite losing his reason on seeing her. The beautiful Pauloma
entertained the Rakshasa with roots and fruit of the forest. The Rakshasa,
aflame, was so delighted, good Rishi, he decided to carry her away, who
was so pure and faithful.
“I shall have what I want,” said the Rakshasa, and seizing the beautiful
woman, carried her away. And it was true that her father had once betrothed
her of the lovely smile to the same Rakshasa, though later he gave her to be
Bhrigu’s wife with Vedic ritual. O Saunaka of the race of Bhrigu, this hurt
rankled deep in the Rakshasa’s mind and he found the moment now to
abduct her.
The Rakshasa saw the agnishala in which the sacred fire always burned
bright, and he asked the Fire God, the blazing elemental, “Tell me, O Agni,
whose wife this woman is. You are the mouth of the Devas, you must
answer me. Was this woman with skin soft as petals not first offered to me
by her father? And did I not accept her? But then her father married her to
the deceitful Bhrigu. Tell me truly if this beautiful woman is indeed the wife
of Bhrigu, because I have found her alone today and mean to take her from
this asrama by force, if she is the same woman. My heart burns to think that
Bhrigu has this slender-waisted woman who was my betrothed.”’
Sauti continued, ‘Again and again, the Rakshasa asked flaming Agni if
the woman was Bhrigu’s wife. And the god was afraid to answer.
“O Agni,” said the Rakshasa, “you dwell within every creature, as the
witness of their paapa and punya. Worshipful Agni, answer me truly. Has
Bhrigu not stolen the woman that I chose to be my wife? Tell me truthfully,
having been given first to me, is she not rightfully mine? When I have your
answer, I will carry her away from this asrama, even before your eyes of
fire. So answer me with the truth.”’
Sauti continued, “The Seven-flamed Deva listened to the Rakshasa and
was dismayed, being afraid to tell a lie and equally afraid of being cursed
by Bhrigu. At length, the god replied, hesitantly and slowly:
“You did indeed first choose Pauloma, O Rakshasa, but you did not
marry her with sacred rites and mantras. Her father gave this renowned
beauty to Bhrigu because he wanted Bhrigu’s blessing. She was not
formally given to you, Rakshasa; rather, Rishi Bhrigu made her his wife
with Vedic ceremony and me for witness. This is she. Yes, I know her. I
dare not tell a lie. O best of Rakshasas, lies never find honour in this
world.”’
CANTO 6
auti said, ‘O Brahmana, the Rakshasa heard what Agni said, in a flash
assumed the form of a boar and carried Pauloma away as fast as the
wind, even as quickly as thought. It was then that Bhrigu’s son, lying in
his mother’s womb, was outraged by the violence and fell out of her body.
For this he was called Chyavana. The Rakshasa saw the infant drop from
his mother’s womb, shining like the Sun, and he instantly released Pauloma,
fell down and became a mound of ashes. And the beautiful Pauloma, grief-
stricken, O Brahmana of the race of Bhrigu, took up her child, Chyavana,
the son of Bhrigu, and walked away. And Brahma, the Grandsire, Pitamaha
of all, saw her, the blameless wife of his son, weeping pitiably. And Brahma
comforted her, seeing how she loved her baby. The tears that streamed
down Pauloma’s face became a great river. And that river followed the
Maharishi Bhrigu’s wife. And the Pitamaha of the worlds saw that river
flowing after Pauloma and he called it Vadhusara. And it flowed beside the
asrama of Chyavana, her son. This was how Chyavana of great tapasya, the
son of Bhrigu, was born.
Bhrigu saw his child Chyavana and its beautiful mother. And the Rishi
flew into a rage and demanded, “Who told the Rakshasa about you that he
came to carry you away? O you with the sweet smile, the Rakshasa could
not know that you were my wife. Tell me who told him, that I can curse the
one who did.”
Pauloma replied, “Owner of the six gunas! Agni Deva identified me for
the Rakshasa, who carried me away, while I wailed like a kurari.4 Your
splendid son saved me, for when the Rakshasa saw him being born he
released me, fell down and turned into ashes.”
Bhrigu heard this and was furious. In rage, he cursed Agni, saying, “You
shall eat all things, clean and unclean!”’
————————
4 Female osprey
CANTO 7
auti said, ‘Enraged by the curse of Bhrigu, Agni Deva roared at the
Rishi, “Brahmana, what is this rashness that you have shown me? What
was my fault, who did everything, both to keep dharma and to speak the
truth, impartially? The Rakshasa questioned me and I answered truthfully.
A witness who lies about something that he knows ruins his ancestors and
his descendants for seven generations, above and below. He who suppresses
the truth that he knows is equally guilty. I could also curse you, except that I
hold Brahmanas in high regard. You do know all about me, Bhrigu, yet I
will tell you about my attributes again. So listen.
Multiplying myself with tapasya, I assume myriad forms: at the daily
hotra everywhere, at sacrifices that last for years, where any holy rites are
performed: births, upanayanams, weddings, deaths, and at other yagnas.
The Devas and Pitrs are worshipped and appeased by the ghee that is
poured into my flames as offering, as prescribed in the Veda. The Devas are
the sacral waters; the Pitrs are also the waters. The Devas and the Pitrs have
equal rights to the Yagnas, Darshas and Purnamasas. The Devas are the
Pitrs, and the Pitrs the Devas. They are identical beings, worshipped
together and separately, too, during the different phases of the Moon. The
Devas and the Pitrs consume what is poured into me. I am known as the
mouth of the Devas and the Pitrs. On Amavasya, the new Moon, the Pitrs,
and during Paurnima, the full Moon, the Devas are fed through my mouth,
partaking of the ghee poured into me. Bhrigu, being as I am, the mouth of
the Devas and Pitrs, how shall I then eat all things, clean and unclean?”
Then Agni thought deeply for a while and withdrew from every place in
which he burned: from the daily homa of Brahmanas, from all long
sacrifices, from all holy rites, and every other ceremony. Deprived of their
AUMS and Vashats, their Swadhas and Swahas, all the living were plunged
in grief at losing their sacrificial fire.
The panic-stricken Rishis went to the gods and said to them,
“Immaculate ones! The three worlds are in turmoil that Agni has abandoned
them and they cannot perform their sacrifices anymore. We beg you, say
what must be done, without delay.”
The Rishis and the Devas went together to Brahma. They told him about
Bhrigu’s curse on Agni, and how the Fire God had withdrawn from every
sacrifice and ritual.
They said, “Master of Fortune, Bhrigu has cursed Agni to eat all things
clean and unclean. But Agni is the mouth of the Devas and he first partakes
of every sacred offering. He drinks the sacrificial ghee. How can he
consume all things, clean and unclean?”
The Creator of the Universe heard them and he summoned Agni. Gently,
Brahma said to Agni, who was also the creator of all, and immortal, “You
create and destroy the worlds. You preserve them. You support every
sacrifice and ritual throughout the three worlds. You must not flout your
dharma so the sacred rites are interrupted. You who consume the sacrificial
ghee, who are the Lord of all things, why are you being so foolish? You
alone are always pure in the Universe, and you are its only eternal
foundation. I say to you, not all of you shall partake of all things, clean and
unclean. Only the flames of your baser parts shall devour all things alike.
Your body which, dwelling in the bellies of carnivores, devours flesh, shall
also eat all things, clean and unclean. And as everything touched by the
Sun’s rays becomes pure, so shall everything that is burnt in your flames be
purified. O Agni, you are the supreme energy born from your own power.
Then, O Deva, by your own tejas let the Rishi’s curse come to pass.
Continue to receive the havis offered into your mouth: the offering that is
yours and that which is for the other Devas.”
Agni replied to the Pitamaha, “So be it,” and he left to follow Brahma’s
dictate. The Devas and the Rishis also went to their homes, quite delighted.
The Rishis performed their rituals and sacrifices as before. And the gods in
heaven and all creatures of the world rejoiced. And Agni also rejoiced
because he was free from having to sin.
Thus, O Saunaka, owner of the six qualities, the Maharishi Bhrigu
cursed Agni once in time out of mind. This is the ancient legend about
Pauloma, the death of the Rakshasa, and the birth of Chyavana.’
CANTO 8
auti said, ‘O Brahmana, Bhrigu’s son Chyavana Muni fathered a son by

his wife Sukanya, and that was the illustrious Pramati of dazzling
vitality. Pramati sired in Ghritachi a son called Ruru. Ruru begot on his
wife Pramadvara a son called Sunaka. I will tell you in detail, O Rishi, the
entire story of Ruru of boundless elan. Listen to it now, in full.
Once there was a great Rishi called Sthulakesa of great tapasya shakti,
deep gyana and compassion toward all creatures. Brahmana Muni, this was
the time when Viswavasu, king of the Gandharvas, is said to have enjoyed
sexual relations with the celestial Apsara Menaka. Bhargava, when her time
came, Menaka delivered her child near the asrama of Sthulakesa.
Abandoning the newborn baby on the banks of the river, O Brahmana,
Menaka, who had neither pity nor shame, went away.
The Rishi Sthulakesa, of great dhyana, found the infant lying forsaken in
a lonely place on the riverside. He saw that it was a girl, bright as the child
of an immortal, ablaze with beauty! Maharishi Sthulakesa, foremost of
Munis, was filled with compassion. He took the child and raised her. The
exquisite child grew up in his holy asrama, and the noble and blessed Rishi
performed all the sacred ceremonies for her, beginning with the one at birth,
as laid down in the divine Shastras.
She excelled all those of her sex in goodness, beauty and every noble
quality, so the maharishi called her Pramadvara. The pious Ruru once saw
Pramadvara in Sthulakesa’s hermitage and his heart was pierced by Kama
Deva’s arrow; he was stricken with love for her. Through his friends, Ruru
told his father Pramati, son of Bhrigu, about his love. Pramati went to
Sthulakesa of renown and asked for Pramadvara’s hand in marriage for his
son. Her foster-father gave the maiden Pramadvara in betrothal to Ruru, and
fixed the wedding for the day when the Varga-Daivata nakshatra, Purva-
phalguni, was rising.
A few days before the one appointed for the wedding, Pramadvara was
at play with her sakhis and, her time come, stepped on a snake, which bit
the lovely girl. She fell to the ground unconscious; colour drained from her
face and all the vital signs of life fled her person, one by one, as she writhed
in pain. Her hair limp and wild, she who had been so beautiful and
attractive in life was the very opposite in death’s throes; her companions
could hardly bear to look at her.
In a while, calm came over her face and the reed-waisted girl, quelled by
venom, lay as if asleep. Now she was even more beautiful in death than she
had been alive. Sthulakesa and the other Rishis of the forest came and saw
her lying there bright as a golden lotus. Many noted Brahmanas came to
that place and they sat around the dead girl in pity and sorrow.
Swastyatreya, Mahajana, Kaushika, Sankhamekhala, Uddalaka, Katha and
Sweta of great fame; Bharadwaja, Kaunakutsya, Arshtishena, Gautama,
Pramati, his son Ruru and other forest-dwellers came there as the news
spread and, seeing Pramadvara lying dead, her life quenched by the snake’s
poison, they sat there and wept. But Ruru could not stand the sight and
stumbled away in agony.’
CANTO 9
auti said, ‘While the illustrious Brahmanas sat around Pramadvara’s

corpse, Ruru ran deep into the jungle and he sobbed aloud; he wailed
out his grief.
Thinking of his love, he cried, “Ah, she that was so beautiful and
delicate lies unmoving on bare ground. What could be more dreadful for us
who knew her? If I have been charitable, if I have performed any tapasya, if
I have ever revered and served my elders, let all my punya be spent in
bringing my love back to life. If since my birth I have restrained my
passions, kept my vratas, let sweet Pramadvara rise alive from where she
lies!”
While Ruru lamented the loss of his bride to have been, a messenger
from heaven came to him in the forest. Said the divine one, “O Ruru, you
rail in vain against time. Blessed one, she whose days in this world have run
out can never return. The mortal days of this daughter of a Gandharva and
an Apsara are exhausted. So, child, snatch your heart back from sorrow.”
Then he paused, before adding softly, “But, there are exceptions and the
gods have already provided one condition by which life might be restored
to her. If you can fulfil that condition, you might have your Pramadvara
back.”
Ruru asked, “Messenger from Swarga, what is the condition of the
Devas? Tell me, tell me in detail, that I might fulfil it. Ah, good Duta, save
me from this grief!”
The divine messenger said to Ruru, “Ruru of Bhrigu’s clan, give up half
your own life to her and Pramadvara shall live again.”
Never hesitating, Ruru cried, “I gladly offer half my life if my bride
returns to me, lovely as she used to be!”
Then the Gandharva king and the divine messenger, both of them
splendid and great, went to Dharmaraja, the Lord Death, and said to him,
“If it please you, Lord, let Pramadvara’s life be restored with a portion of
Ruru’s life.”
Dharmaraja replied, “Devaduta, messenger of the gods, if it is your wish,
let Pramadvara, Ruru’s betrothed, live again with a portion of Ruru’s life.”
Even as Dharmaraja said this, Pramadvara of exquisite complexion rose
from death as if from sleep: with a portion of Ruru’s life. Of course, his
offering would shorten Ruru’s own life.
On the auspicious day, their fathers joyfully married Ruru and
Pramadvara with the proper rituals. The couple was devoted to each other.
Ruru had a rare wife, lovely and bright as the filaments of a lotus, and he
swore to wreak vengeance on all serpents for the snake that had bitten
Pramadvara. Whenever he saw a snake, he would become furious and kill it
with some weapon.
One day, O Brahmana, Ruru went into a great forest, and he saw an aged
serpent of the species called Dundubha lying on the ground. Ruru raised his
staff in wrath, even like the Yama danda, to kill it, when the Dundubha
spoke to Ruru, “I have done you no harm, O Brahmana! Why do you want
to kill me in such anger?”’
CANTO 10
auti continued, ‘When Ruru heard what the snake said, he answered, “A
snake bit my wife, dear to me as life. And I swore then that I would kill
every serpent I saw. That is why I will now kill you with my staff.”
The Dundubha said, “O Brahmana, the snakes that bite man are a
different species from us. Why should you kill Dundubhas, who are
serpents but in name? We are prey to the same misfortunes as other snakes
but do not share their venom. We have the same sorrows but not the same
strengths or joys. It is a mistake for you to kill the Dundubhas.”
Rishi Ruru listened to the snake and saw how it trembled with fear,
unlike a serpent, though it was indeed a snake, but more like a human; and
he did not kill it. Ruru, owner of the six great attributes, asked the snake,
“Tell me, O Dundubha, who are you really that lie here as a snake?”
The Dundubha replied, “Ruru, I was once a Rishi and my name was
Sahasrapat. The curse of a Brahmana transformed me into a snake.”
Ruru asked, “O best of snakes, why did a Brahmana curse you? How
long will you be a snake?”
CANTO 11
auti continued, ‘The Dundubha said, “Long ago, I had a friend called
Khagama. He had considerable spirtual power by his tapasya and was
short-tempered and rash of speech. One day, while he performed the
Agni-hotra, I made a snake of grass and playfully tried to scare him with it.
He fainted from fright. But when he regained consciousness, that honest
Rishi, who always kept his vows, cursed me in anger, ‘Since you made a
snake of grass to frighten me, become a snake yourself, and as powerless as
a grass snake, for you shall have no venom!’
O Muni, I knew how powerful he was by his penance. I bowed low
before him, with folded hands and a pounding heart, and said, ‘My friend, it
was only a jest to make you laugh. I beg you, pardon me and take back your
curse.’
Seeing me desperate, the Sage was moved to pity. Still breathing hard he
said, ‘I cannot revoke my curse and you must become a snake. But Muni,
when Pramati’s pure-hearted son Ruru appears before you, the curse will
end.’
You, my friend, are that same Ruru. When I have my true form back, I
will tell you something that will benefit you.” The Dundubha was
transformed before Ruru’s eyes and he was again an illustrious Brahmana,
radiant as the day.
He said to the powerful and peerless Ruru, “Best among created beings,
sparing a life is the highest virtue, and a Brahmana should never kill any
creature. A Brahmana should always be gentle and non-violent. This is the
most sacred injunction of the Vedas. A Brahmana should be versed in the
Vedas and Vedangas, and should inspire all men with faith in God. He
should be kind to all creatures, truthful and forgiving. His prime dharma
should be to study and remember the Veda. The dharma of the Kshatriya is
not for you. To be stern, to wield a sceptre and to rule his subjects is the
dharma of the Kshatriya.
Listen, O Ruru, to how the race of serpents perished at Janamejaya’s
sarpa yagna of old, and how a great Brahmana, Astika, master of the Vedas
and potent with spiritual powers, delivered the Nagas.”’
CANTO 12
auti continued, ‘Ruru asked, “Best of Dvijas, why did King Janamejaya
want to slaughter the race of serpents? Why did Astika save them, and
how? Tell me in detail.”
The Rishi replied, “Other Brahmanas will tell you the wonderful story of
Astika.” Saying this, he vanished.
Ruru ran here and there in the jungle looking for the disappeared Rishi.
But he did not find him, though he ran far and hard; he fell exhausted on the
ground. He thought of what the Rishi had said and was bewildered. The
world spun round and he fainted. Regaining consciousness, he went home
and asked his father to tell him the story of Astika. And his father told him
that tale.’
CANTO 13
ASTIKA PARVA
aunaka asked, ‘Why did that tiger among kings, the magnificent
Janamejaya, decide to sacrifice the race of snakes in the fire of a sarpa
yagna? Suta, tell us every detail. Tell us why Astika, best among the
twice-born, best among Rishis, rescued the Nagas from the blazing flames.
Whose son was the king that undertook the terrible snake sacrifice? Whose
son, also, was Astika?’
Sauti said, ‘Most eloquent Saunaka, the story of Astika is a long one. I
will tell it in full, if you will listen.’
Saunaka said, ‘I am eager to hear every detail of the enchanted tale of
the Rishi Astika, best among Brahmanas.’
Sauti said, ‘This tale was first told by Krishna Dwaipayana, and
Brahmanas call it a Purana. Vyasa’s sishya, my Sage father Romaharshana
once narrated the story when asked by the Munis of the Naimisa vana. I was
there on that occasion and, great Saunaka, since you now ask me I will
repeat the tale of Astika exactly as I heard it. Listen to the entire sin-
destroying story.
Astika’s father was as powerful as Prajapati. He was a brahmacharin,
always in tapasya. He ate very little, was a great sannyasi, and his lust was
under complete control. His name was Jaratkaru. Foremost among the
Yayavaras, virtuous, keeping stern vratas, blessed with great taposhakti,
Jaratkaru once went on a yatra through the world. Diverse places he visited,
bathed in many sacred tirthas, and rested where night fell. Possessing
enormous vigour, he practised such austerities as few men can, who are not
souls of deep self-restraint. The Rishi lived imbibing only air, and he never
slept at all. Ranging across the Earth like fire, one day he saw his ancestors,
hanging in a great pit with their heads pointing down and their feet up.
Jaratkaru addressed them, “Who are you that hang upside down by a
rope of virana fibres being gnawed all round and all the time by the rat that
lives in this pit?”
The ancestors said, “We are Rishis of stern vows; we are the Yayavaras.
We sink down into the Earth because we have no descendants. We have a
son named Jaratkaru. Alas, the wretched child lives a sannyasi’s life. He
does not even think of becoming a grihasta, of taking a wife and having
children! We fear that our clan will become extinct and that is why we are
hanging in this hole. We have every wealth but live like indigents, in this
misery.
Noble stranger, who are you that grieve for us like a friend? Tell us who
you are, best of men, that stands here and tell us why you grieve for us
miserable ones.”
Jaratkaru said, “You are my sires and grandsires, for I am Jaratkaru.Tell
me how I can serve you.”
The fathers answered, “Do everything in your power, child, to beget a
son to continue our line. Then, noble boy, you will gain punya for yourself
and for us. Not by good deeds or by long tapasya does a man acquire the
punya that he does by becoming a father. Therefore, son, we command you:
marry a wife and beget children. In this lies our highest welfare.”
Jaratkaru said, “I shall not marry for my own sake, nor earn wealth for
my enjoyment, but I will do both for your felicity. My condition, by the
Shastras, is that I find a bride who bears my own name, and that her friends
and family give her willingly to be my bride. But then, who will give his
daughter to a poor man like me? I will cetainly accept any woman given to
me as alms. O my fathers, I will do everything in my power to marry! I give
you my word, and will not break it. Once I marry, I will have children so
you might be saved and attain to the realms of eternal bliss.”’
CANTO 14
ASTIKA PARVA CONTINUED
auti said, ‘Jaratkaru of great vratas ranged over the Earth in search of a
bride, but found none. One day, he went into a jungle and,
remembereing his ancestors, prayed thrice in a weak voice for a wife.
Vasuki rose up before him and offered his sister to the Rishi. The Brahmana
hesitated: did she have the same name as himself? Noble Jaratkaru thought,
“I will not marry any woman that does not bear my own name.”
The wise Rishi, of severe penance and great wisdom, asked mighty
Vasuki, “Tell me, O Naga, the name of your sister.”
Vasuki replied, “Jaratkaru, my younger sister is called Jaratkaru. I offer
her to you; take the slender-waisted one to be your wife. I have kept her for
you, O best among Brahmanas, so take her.”
And he brought the lovely Jaratkaru, his sister, to the Rishi, who married
her with proper rites.’
CANTO 15
auti said, ‘O foremost among the knowers of Brahman, the mother of

the Nagas had cursed them once: “Agni, whose sarathy is Vayu the
Wind, shall burn all of you at Janamejaya’s sarpa yagna!” It was in
order to nullify that curse that Vasuki, king of snakes, married his sister to
the Rishi Jaratkaru. When Jaratkaru had married the Nagina Jaratkaru with
Shastraic rituals, a great soul was born to them, a son they named Astika.
Astika was an illumined Rishi, who knew the Vedas and all their Angas. He
regarded all beings with an equal eye, and allayed the anxieties of both his
mother and his father.
When, some time after Astika’s birth, a king from the Pandava line
undertook a great sarpa yagna, it was Astika who delivered the Nagas, his
brothers, maternal uncles and other serpents, too, from dying in the flames
of Janamejaya’s snake sacrifice.
Thus Jaratkaru delivered his father’s ancestors by begetting children. By
his tapasya, O Brahmana, and by keeping many vratas and studying the
Veda, he freed himself from all debt. Performing diverse yagnas, at which
different kinds of offerings were made, he worshipped the Devas. By
practising brahmacharya, he pleased the Rishis, and by fathering children,
he gratified his Pitrs.
Jaratkaru repaid the debt he owed his sires, who then rose into Swarga
from the pit where they had hung. Acquiring profound spiritual merit,
punya, after a long life of many years, Jaratkaru left his body and found
heaven for himself, leaving Astika behind.
This is the story of Astika. O Tiger of the race of Bhrigu, what would
you hear from me next?’
CANTO 16
aunaka said, ‘Sauti, tell us in more detail about the life of the learned
and sage Astika. We are agog to hear more, for, O most pleasant one,
you speak sweetly, with immaculate intonation, and your narration
pleases us. Why, you speak as well as your father, who was always ready to
please us. Tell us the whole story of Astika, even as your father told it to
you.’
Sauti said, ‘O Chiranjivis, blessed with long lives, I will indeed tell you
the story of Astika as I heard it from my father. Brahmana, in the Krita
Yuga, the golden age, Prajapati had two daughters. Sinless Muni, the sisters
were wonderfully beautiful. Kadru and Vinata became the wives of
Kashyapa. Kashyapa found great pleasure in his two wives and he, who
resembled Prajapati himself, granted them each a boon.
When they heard this they rejoiced. Kadru wished for a thousand Nagas
to be born as her sons, all of them equally splendid. Vinata wished for two
sons stronger, greater, more powerful, having more vitality and splendour
than Kadru’s thousand.
Kashyapa said, “So be it!” granting Kadru her boon of a thousand sons,
and Vinata hers for two. Vinata was delighted with her two superior sons, as
was her sister with her thousand. “Carry the embryos carefully,” said
Kashyapa, and then he went away into the forest, leaving his two wives
pleased.
Noblest of Dvijas, after a long pregnancy, Kadru brought forth a
thousand eggs, and Vinata two. Their maidservants placed the eggs
separately in warm vessels. Five hundred years passed; then one day
Kadru’s thousand eggs cracked open, resonantly as thunder, and her
thousand splendorous sons were born. But Vinata’s sons did not appear.
Vinata was jealous, and she broke open one of her eggs before time.
Inside, she found a child whose upper limbs were fully formed, but not the
lower part of his body, which was still undeveloped, stunted. The child in
the egg cursed his mother, “Since you broke my egg prematurely, you will
be a slave. If you wait five hundred years and not try to crack open the other
egg, the lustrous child within it will deliver you from slavery. If you truly
want a strong child, you must lavish tender care on the egg for all these five
hundred years.”
Having cursed his mother, the child rose into the sky. Brahmana, he was
Aruna, the charioteer of Surya, whom we see every morning at dawn. When
five hundred years passed, the other egg burst open, and from it emerged
magnificent Garuda, the serpent-eater. Bhriguvyaghra, as soon as he saw
light of day, Vinata’s son left his mother. The Lord of all birds felt hungry
and took wing in quest of the food that the Creator of all things had
ordained for him.’
CANTO 17
auti said, ‘Muni, about this time the two sisters saw the marvellous
jewel among horses, the calm and magnificent Uchchaisravas, whom
the Devas worship. He arose when the Kshirasagara was churned for
the Amrita, and he was divinely graceful, ever-young, Creation’s
masterpiece, irresistibly vigorous and bearing every auspicious sign and
mark upon his person.’
Saunaka asked, ‘Why did the Devas churn the Ocean for the nectar?
How and when did the mighty and resplendent Uchchaisravas come forth
from its waves?’
Sauti said, ‘There is a mountain called Meru, which appears like a great
stack of blazing light, for its peaks reflect the golden rays of the Sun that
fall upon them. Devas and Gandharvas come regularly to the Golden
Mountain, past compare, immeasurable and unapproachable by men, to
expiate their many sins. Terrible beasts of prey range over it, and numerous
magically life-giving herbs illumine its sides. Meru is the first of mountains
and stands towering, and kissing Devaloka, as it were.
Ordinary folk cannot even dream of climbing Meru. Mystic trees of
wishes and enchanted streams abound upon Meru, and its slopes and
valleys ring with the songs of choirs of fabulous birds. Once the Devas met
upon its jewelled peak in conclave. They had performed severe penance to
obtain the Amrita, the nectar of immortality, and it seemed that the time had
come for them to seek it.
Seeing the celestial gathering’s anxiety, Narayana said to Brahma, “You
must churn the Ocean with the Devas and the Asuras, and you will find
divine medicament and jewels you cannot imagine, and many other
wonders. O Devas, churn the Kshirasagara and you will discover the
Amrita.”’
CANTO 18
auti said, ‘There is a mountain called Mandara whose peaks seem like
clouds. It is the best of mountains, and cloaked by herbs growing
thickly all over it. Countless birds sing their sweet songs upon it, and
dangerous predators range its slopes. The Devas, Apsaras and Kinnaras
come to sport and make love upon Mandara. It rises eleven thousand
yojanas into the sky, and its roots plunge down as many yojanas into the
earth. The Devas wanted to uproot it to use for their churning rod, but they
could not. They came to Vishnu and Brahma, who sat together, and said,
“Lords, tell us how we can dislodge Mandara to serve our purpose.”
Son of Bhrigu, Vishnu and Brahma agreed. Lotus-eyed Vishnu gave the
difficult task to the mighty Ananta, Prince of snakes. O Brahmana, Ananta
tore up the mountain, with its forests and all the denizens of those forests.
The Devas came to the shore of the Ocean with Ananta and said to the
Sea of Milk, “Ocean, we have come to churn your waters to have the
Amrita.”
The Ocean replied, “Tathaastu! So be it, since I will have my share. I can
bear the prodigious churning with the mountain.”
The Devas went to the king of tortoises and said to him, “O Kuurmaraja,
you must support the mountain on your back!”
The Tortoise-king agreed, and Indra set the mountain on his shell.
The Devas and the Asuras made a churning rod of Mandara, Vasuki their
rope, and began churning deep for the nectar. The Asuras held Vasuki’s
hood and the Devas held his tail. Ananta, who was with the gods, would at
times suddenly lift the Naga’s hood and lower it as abruptly. Flames and
black smoke spewed from Vasuki’s jaws. These turned into clouds, charged
with lightning, and poured down rain that refreshed the tired Devas.
Flowers also rained from every side over the gods, flying from the trees of
whirling Mandara, covering them in cool fragrances.
Then, O Brahmana, from the ocean deeps came a tremendous roar like
the thunder of the clouds of the Pralaya, the Apocalypse. Countless fish and
other creatures of the Sea were crushed by Mandara and perished in the salt
water. Numberless denizens of Patala, the under-world, and of the world of
Varuna, died.
Great trees, with birds in their branches, upon spinning Mandara were
torn up by their roots and flung into the water. Rubbing roughly against one
another, many of these caught fire; fires broke out all round the churning
and upon the mountain itself, licking through its forests. The mountain
looked like a mass of black clouds veined with lightning. O Brahmana, the
fire spread to the mountain, and immolated lions, elephants and the other
creatures that lived on Mandara.
Then Indra put out the fire with some lashing rain.
After the churning had been underway for some time, O Brahmana, the
extrusions of some herbs and treees, which were nectarine, mingled with
sea-water, as did the liquid gold from the belly of the mountain.
And the Devas drank this water and felt immortal. Slowly, the milky
water of the churned Kshirasagara turned into ghee, because of those rare
extrusions. But the Amrita itself still did not appear.
The gods came before Brahma, Granter of boons, upon his Lotus throne,
and said, “Sire, we are spent and have no strength left to continue churning.
The Amrita has not yet surfaced and we must resort to Narayana to help us
now.”
Hearing them, Brahma said to Narayana, “Lord, bless the Devas with
strength to churn on.”
Narayana said, “Devas, I will infuse you with my own strength. Go, put
the mountain back in place and churn the sea again.”
Their strength renewed, the gods began churning again. In a while, the
softly luminous Moon emerged, thousand-rayed, from the Ocean. Then the
Devi Lakshmi, incomparable, clad in white, rose out of the waves, followed
by the dazzling white Uchchaisravas, and the celestial ruby Kaustubha that
Narayana wears upon his breast.
Lakshmi, Soma and the Horse swift as the mind all came before the
Devas. Now, the divine and original physician Dhanvantari rose from the
waters, bearing a pale chalice with the Amrita.
The Asuras saw him and roared, “It is ours!”
Airavata, of mammoth body and with four gleaming white tusks, came
forth. Indra who wields the Vajra, the thunderbolt, took him. The churning
continued and, last of all, the dreaded poison Kalakuta appeared, smoking,
staining the waves black. In a trice, it engulfed the Earth, blazing up like a
fire. The toxic fumes of the Kalakuta stupefied the three worlds, Swarga,
Bhumi and Patala. Brahma begged Siva to save the worlds, and Siva
quaffed the poison to preserve creation. Maheswara held the Kalakuta in his
throat, which was burnt blue, and from that time Siva is also called
Nilakanta, blue-throated.
Seeing all these wonders, the Asuras despaired, and prepared to fight the
Devas for Lakshmi and the Amrita. Narayana summoned his Maya, his
feminine power of illusion. He assumed the form of Mohini, a dark and
irresistible seductress, and flirted with the Danavas, arousing them past
reason. Enchanted by her, the Demons gave the chalice of Amrita, which
they had snatched from Dhanvantri, into her hands.’
CANTO 19
auti said, ‘The Daityas and Danavas, the Asura sons of Diti and Danu,
clad in superb armour and bearing unworldly weapons, were ready to
attack the Devas for the ambrosia. But Mohini, the Enchantress,
deceived the Demons and gave the Devas all the Amrita, which they
greedily drank, in their terror of the Asuras, and they became immortal.
While the gods were drinking the nectar of immortality, a Danava called
Rahu assumed the guise of a Deva and, sitting among them, he also drank
the Amrita. But Surya and Soma discovered him and Vishnu lopped off
Rahu’s head with the Sudarshana Chakra when the Amrita had only reached
his throat. And the grisly head of the Demon Rahu, big as a mountain, rose
into the sky and began to cry out dreadfully.
The Danava’s headless body fell on the Earth, making her tremble, all
her mountains, forests and islands. From that time, Rahu has hated Surya
and Soma, and to this day he swallows them during the eclipses of the Sun
and the Moon.
Then Narayana was no more the Mohini of untold temptation, but
Himself again, and cast inexorable astras at the Danavas, weapons that
made them tremble, weapons that killed thousands of them in a wink.
Thus, on the shore of the salt-water Sea, the dreadful battle between the
Devas and Asuras, the Devasura yuddha broke out. Sharp javelins and
spears, and thousands of every kind of weapon filled the air on every side,
darkening the sky. Dismembered by the Sudarshana Chakra, mangled by
swords, crushed by maces, pierced through by arrows, burned by astras,
Asuras beyond count lay dead upon the Earth in pools of blood from their
wounds and blood they had vomitted. A rain of heads glinting golden
crowns and ornaments, hewn from their necks with razor sharp blades, fell
onto the ground. Drenched in gore, great Asuras lay dead everywhere like
ruddy peaks of mountains, so huge were they.
And when the Sun rose in glory, thousands of warriors hacked at one
another with diverse weapons. Screams rang out on all sides, and roars.
Warriors that fought from a distance struck each other with arrows and iron
javelins; those that fought hand to hand slew one another with blows of
their fists.
The air was thick with shrieks of pain. Everywhere deep voices roared,
“Cut him down!”, “Run him through!”, “Off with his head!”, “At them!”,
“Burn him!”, “Kill!”, and “Forward!”
As the battle raged, Nara and Narayana entered the fray again. Narayana
saw the celestial bow in Nara’s hand and remembered his own weapon, the
Sudarshana Chakra, scourge of the Danavas. No sooner did he think of it,
that the Disc, bane of his enemies, bright as Agni, truly dreadful in battle,
flared down from the sky. Receiving it, Narayana of limitless energy, his
arms like the trunks of elephants, cast that blinding weapon, which could
consume enemy cities in a flash, at the Asuras. Burning like the Fire that
devours the world when the Yuga ends, the Chakra, wheeling everywhere,
slew millions of Demons all around.
At times it burnt them into ash mounds, at others desiccated them,
flashing through phalanxes and whole legions in a wink; and sometimes, it
went among them like an army of pisachas and drank their blood!
On the other side, white as clouds from which the rain has fallen, having
untold strength and fearless hearts, the Danavas flew up into the sky, and
from a great height, hurled down a thousand mountain peaks over the
Devas, harrying them constantly. Those huge mountains, like banks of
thunderheads, flat-topped and mantled with trees, collided as they fell from
the sky, with so many claps of thunder.
And when a million warriors roared without pause and those wooded
mountains clashed together, the Earth and all her forests trembled.
Then Nara the divine appeared at the terrific battle between the Asuras
and Siva’s Ganas. With golden-headed arrows, he smashed the falling
mountains to dust, and covered the firmanent in a haze. Repulsed by the
Deva legions, and seeing the blazing Sudarshana consuming their forces on
every side and in the fields of heaven, many doughty Asuras plunged down
into the Patalas in the bowels of the Earth, while others dove down deep
into the salt-water Sea.
The victorious Devas worshipped Mount Mandara and set him back in
his place, so he was rooted again. Having the Amrita for themselves, the
Devas shouted for joy, making Swarga echo with their shouts, and returned
on high to their own realms. Great were their celebrations when they
returned to Devaloka, and Indra and the other gods gave the chalice of
Amrita to Narayana for safekeeping.’
CANTO 20
auti said, ‘This is the tale of how the Amrita was churned up from the
Ocean, and that was when Uchchaisravas, the original and peerless
steed, also arose. It was this horse about which Kadru asked Vinata,
“Tell me, good sister, briefly, what colour is Uchchaisravas?”
Vinata answered, “The prince of all horses is perfectly white. What do
you think, my sister? You say what colour he is, and let us make a wager
upon it.”
Kadru replied, “O my sister of the sweet smile, I think the horse has a
black tail. Beautiful one, let us make a bet and let she that loses become the
other’s slave!”
Having made their wager, the sisters went to their homes, resolving to
ascertain who was right about the colouring of Uchchaisravas the next day,
by examining him closely.
Kadru was bent upon winning the wager, and she commanded her
thousand sons to become a thousand black hairs and immediately cover the
divine steed’s tail. She would not become a slave!
But when her sons, the Nagas, refused to do as she asked, she cursed
them, “During the sarpa yagna of the wise Pandava king Janamejaya, Agni
will devour you!”
Brahma Pitamaha heard this savage curse of Kadru and knew that fate
had subtly influenced the entire episode, for he saw that the race of serpents
multiplied with alarming swiftness and threatened the rest of his creatures.
Brahma and the other Devas gave their sanction to the curse of Kadru. The
snakes were virulently poisonous, had great speed and strength and were
vicious in the extreme; and it might be said that their own mother’s curse
was for the good of the rest of creation.
Fate punishes those that seek the death of other beings with death: with
such observations, the Devas did not oppose Kadru’s curse, and went away
to their realms.
Brahma called Kashyapa and said gently to him, “Pure one, vanquisher
of all your enemies, their mother Kadru has cursed your sons the Nagas,
huge and their venom virulent and always intent on biting other creatures.
Do not grieve over the curse, my son, for the burning of the race of serpents
in the sarpa yagna was written long ago.”
The Creator of the Universe consoled Kashyapa and also taught him the
secret vidya of rendering snakebites harmless.’
CANTO 21
auti said, ‘When the night ended and dawn broke, O you who are rich in
tapasya, Kadru and Vinata went impatiently to inspect Uchchaisravas.
On their way, they saw the Ocean, into which all waters flow, vast and
deep, rolling with waves, roaring mutedly, teeming with whale-eating
timmingalas, monstrous crocodiles and thousands of other species, gigantic
tortoises and other monsters of the deep.
The Ocean was a veritable mine of all kinds of gems: the home of
Varuna Deva, the wonderful abode of the Nagas, the Lord of all rivers,
where the submarine fire of the Apocalypse slumbered, the refuge of the
Asuras, the terror of all creatures, the majestic reservoir of water: the
immutable Ocean.
Holy is the Sea, benign to the Devas, the source of the Amrita,
boundless, inconceivable, and altogether wonderful. Dark is the Ocean,
subtly sounding with the speech of marine creatures, its waves roaring
endlessly, and spinning with fathomless whirlpools.
All creatures fear the Ocean. Stirred by the winds blowing from its
shores, rising up agitatedly, it appears to dance with wave hands raised
everywhere. Swelling and ebbing with the waxing and waning of the moon,
father of Vasudeva’s mighty conch shell Panchajanya, treasure trove of
jewels, the Ocean was once cloven and tossed about violently when
Vasudeva of incalculable strength plunged into the depths of the Sea as
Varaha, the Great Boar, to retrieve the Earth, Bhumi Devi, lying submerged
on the bed of the Ocean, which is lower than the Patalas, the realms of
nether.
The Rishi Atri of vast tapasya and stern vratas could not fathom the
deeps of the Ocean, not when he had toiled for a hundred years. Whenever
a Yuga ends, the Ocean becomes the Ekarnava, the bed of Vishnu
Padmanabha, while that God of measureless power lies plunged in Yoga
Nidra, his plumbless sleep, his profound cosmic meditation.
Sagara is the refuge of Mainaka, who fears Indra’s Vajra, and the
sanctuary of the Asuras whenever they are vanquished in war. The Ocean
offers water as ghee into the fire blazing out from the mouth of Badava, the
Fire of the End, who has the form of a Sea Mare. Fathomless he is, and
limitless, immense, immeasurable, the Lord of rivers.
Kadru and Vinata saw thousands of mighty rivers plunging with haughty
currents into the Ocean – even like rivals in love, each one wanting to be
the first to unite with the beloved, each wanting to stop the others.
They saw that the Ocean was always full, ever dancing with waves.
They saw it was as deep as time and as wide as the sky, that awesome
receptacle of water!’
CANTO 22
ASTIKI PARVA CONTINUED
auti said, ‘The Nagas consulted among themselves and decided to do as

their mother wanted, for if they did not she might well withdraw her
love and burn them up. If, on the other hand, they pleased her, she
might release them from her curse. They said, “We will make the horse’s
tail black,” and they became the hairs on the tail of Uchchaisravas.
Brahmanottama, best among Brahmanas, the sisters Kadru and Vinata,
the daughters of Daksha, flew along in some delight to see the far shore of
the Ocean. On their way they saw the calm, redolent and wonderful Ocean
being suddenly agitated by the wind, and roaring. They flew quickly over
it.’
CANTO 23
auti said, ‘Having crossed the Ocean swiftly, Kadru and Vinata alighted
near Uchchaisravas. They saw that first of steeds, fleetest of all, was
white as the rays of the Moon; however, its tail was black. Kadru made
Vinata, who had lost their wager, her slave, and Vinata grieved very much
and was dejected past telling.
Meanwhile, when his time came, resplendent Garuda cracked open the
egg in which he had lain so long and burst forth from it, dazzling the
Universe. Ah, magnificent he was, beyond compare. He could assume any
form at will, fly anywhere with a thought, and summon limitless strength
and energy.
He was like a mass of fire; he was terribly brilliant. His lustre was that of
the fire at the end of the Yuga; his eyes were like streaks of lightning. As
soon as he was born, he grew immeasurably and flashed up into the sky.
Fierce he was, and his keening cries shook the firmament; he seemed as
dreadful as a second Badava.
When the Devas saw him, they were terrified and flew to Agni
Vibhavasu. Bowing low to that deity of many forms upon his throne, the
Devas said, “Agni, why have you spread your body out? The mass of
flames you have extruded spreads everywhere to consume us!”
Agni replied, “Enemies of the Asuras, it is not as you imagine. This is
not I but great Garuda, as strong and as splendid as I am. He has been born
to be the joy of Vinata and the mount of Vishnu. Why, the very sight of his
refulgence has made you afraid! He is the son of Kashyapa, bane of Nagas,
guardian of the Devas, and an enemy of the Daityas and Rakshasas. Come,
let me show you.”
The Devas said, “you are a Rishi, a knower of every mantra. You receive
the largest portion of the havis from every sacrifice, always glorious.”
Agni and the Devas cautiously approached Garuda. They worshipped
him, the Lord of birds, why, the sovereign spirit of everything animate and
inanimate in the Universe.
“You are the destroyer of all things, the creator of all! You verily are
Hiranyagarbha; you are Daksha and the other Prajapatis, the progenitors of
creation; you are Indra; you are Hayagriva; you are the astra that Vishnu
became in Siva’s hands when Rudra burned the Tripura; you are the Lord of
the Universe; you are the mouth of Vishnu; you are the four-faced Padmaja;
you are the Brahmana, wise; you are Agni, Vayu and the gods of everything
in the Universe.
You are gyana; you are maya, which binds us all; you are the pervasive
Brahman; you are the Lord of the Devas; you are the great Truth; you are
fearless; you are immutable; you are Nirguna Brahman; you are the energy
of the Sun; you are the intellect; you are our great guardian; you are the sea
of holiness; you are purity; there is no darkness in you; you own the sashta
lakshana, the six lofty qualities; you are invincible in battle.
All things came from you, O you of the magnificent deeds; you are
everything that has been and all that has not yet been. You are pure
knowledge; as Surya does the world with his rays, you illumine this
Universe, animate and unmoving. You dim the splendour of the Sun, each
moment, and you are the destroyer of all things. You are all that is mortal
and all that does not perish as well. You are as splendent as Agni, and you
burn up everything even as Surya burns the fallen creatures in anger when
the age ends.
O terrible one, you are proof against the fire that devours the Universe at
the Dissolution, the Mahapralaya. Mighty Garuda, who range the
firmament, we seek refuge in you. Lord of birds, awesome is your vitality,
your irradiance that of fire, your brilliance that of lightning, which no
darkness can approach. You are as lofty as the clouds; you are cause and
effect, of matchless prowess and the granter of boons.
Lord, the Universe is heated by your splendour of molten gold. Give
refuge to the noble Devas, who are terrified by you and dash about hither
and thither through the sky in their vimanas from that fear. Greatest of
birds, Lord of all, you are the merciful Rishi Kashyapa’s son; be not wroth
but take pity upon the Universe. You reign supreme; O, quieten your anger
and watch over us.
Your voice is like thunder and, at your cries, the ten cardinal points, the
firmament, Swarga, Bhumi and our minds quail, O Avian. We beg you
diminish your body that resembles Agni. Dim your lustre, which is like
Yama’s when he is angry; for at the sight of your brilliance, our hearts lose
their calm and pound out of all control.
Lord of birds, be propitious to us that solicit your mercy. O lambent one,
bless us with fortune and joy.”
When the Devas and Rishis worshipped him, that bird of fair feathers
dimmed both his energy and his fearsome brilliance.’
CANTO 24
auti said, ‘In truth, when it heard about its size and looked at itself, the
Bird made itself smaller.
Garuda said gently, “Since you fear this dreadful form of mine, I will
diminish myself. Let no creature be afraid.”
Then Garuda, sky ranger, who could travel anywhere at will, who could
call upon any degree of energy, set his brother Aruna upon his back and
flashed away from his father’s asrama to his mother upon the far shore of
the Ocean. He set the shining Aruna down in the east, just at a time when
Surya had decided to consume the worlds with his blazing rays.’
Saunaka asked, ‘When did Surya want to burn the three worlds? What
did the Devas do to provoke his wrath?’
Sauti said, ‘Anagha, sinless, Surya and Soma pointed Rahu out to the
Devas, while he sat among them and drank the Amrita, when the Ocean was
churned. Since then he hated them. When Rahu tried to devour Surya Deva,
the Sun God became furious. He thought, “What I did benefited all the
gods, but I alone must suffer for saving them, and no one comes to help me
when the Demon is about to swallow me before their very eyes; instead,
they watch calmly, as spectators. I will destroy the worlds for this
callousness!”
He journeyed to the western mountain. From there, he began to burn
fiercely, to spew forth dreadful heat to consume the worlds.
The great Rishis went to the Devas and said, “A terrible heat has arisen
in the middle of the night, striking terror in every heart and threatening to
destroy the three worlds!”
The Devas and the Rishis went to Brahma and said, “Pitamaha, what is
this terrible heat at midnight that makes the worlds panic? Surya has not yet
risen but it already seems as if the Apocalypse is here. Lord, what will
happen when he rises?”
The Grandsire replied, “Truly, Surya is preparing to rise today and burn
the worlds. As soon as he rises, everything will become ashes. But I have a
solution. We all know Kashyapa’s intelligent son Aruna. He has a vast body
and great splendour. Let him sit before Surya as his charioteer, and he will
absorb the dreadful heat of the Sun. By this the worlds, the Rishis and the
dwellers in Swarga shall find their remedy.”
At Brahma’s command, Aruna sat before Surya, and the Sun rose with
his heat dimmed by Aruna’s huge form. This is the story of Surya’s wrath
and how Garuda’s brother Aruna became his sarathy. Listen next to the
answer to your other question.’
CANTO 25
auti said, ‘As I told you, the many-splendoured Garuda flew across the
ocean to his mother’s side, where Vinata lived in misery, as her sister’s
slave. Once Kadru called Vinata and said to her in the presence of her
son, “Gentle Vinata, in the midst of the Ocean is an enchanting island where
the Nagas dwell. Take me there!”
Vinata, mother of the Bird of splendid feathers, carried her sister, the
mother of the serpents, upon her shoulders to that island. Commanded by
his mother, Garuda carried the Nagas on his back. Vinata’s sky-ranging son
flew high, near the Sun, whose heat scorched the snakes and they fainted.
Kadru saw her sons unconscious and began to pray to Indra.
“I bow to you, Lord of all the Devas. I bow to you, slayer of Vritra. I
bow to you, slayer of Namuchi. O thousand-eyed, O Consort of Sachi. I beg
you to protect my sons from searing Surya with your rain! Best of the
Devas, you are our great Guardian. Purandara, you pour down torrents. You
are Vayu, the clouds, fire, and the lightning in them. You are the propeller
of clouds, and you have been called the Great Cloud, which will darken the
galaxies at the end of the Yuga. You are deafening thunder and the roaring
thunderheads. You are the Creator of the worlds and their Destroyer. You
are unvanquished. You are the light of all creatures, Aditya, Vibhavasu, and
the Panchamahabhutas. You are the king of the Devas. You are Vishnu.
With your thousand eyes, you are the final recourse. You are, O Deva,
Amrita and the most precious Soma.
You are the moment, the day, the bala, the kshana. You are the bright
fortnight of the waxing Moon, and the dark fortnight, too. You are kaala,
kashta, and truti. You are the year, the seasons, the months, the nights, and
the days.
You are the Earth with her mountains and forests. You are the sky,
resplendent with the Sun. You are the vast Ocean, heaving with waves,
teeming with whales, timmingalas that eat whales, and makaras, and
countless fish. You have great fame, always worshipped by wise men and
Maharishis, with their minds focused in dhyana.
For the weal of all creatures, you drink Soma rasa at yagnas and the
clarified butter offered with holy mantras. Brahmanas worship you with
sacrifices to fulfil their desires. O incomparably strong one, the Vedas and
Vedangas sing your praises, which is why wise Brahmanas who want to
perform sacrifices study the Vedas carefully.”’
CANTO 26
auti said, ‘Upon having his praises sung by Kadru in worship, Indra,
king of Devas, who rides Uchchaisravas, finest of steeds, covered the
sky with bank upon bank of rainclouds, and commanded them, “Let fall
your sacred and life-giving rain!”
Crackling with lightning, roaring at one another in the firmament, the
clouds loosed their rain in torrents. In that deluge, the sky looked as if the
end of the Yuga had come. It seemed as if the sky danced madly with the
waves risen into it, the roar of the clouds, the gashes of lightning, the
violent winds that blew. Pitch darkness fell, which no ray of Sun or Moon
pierced. Only the deluge raged on.
The Nagas revived and were overjoyed by Indra’s downpour. The Earth
was covered by water, and the cool, clear liquid flowed down into the
Patalas. Bhumi Devi was covered by waves and waves of water,
everywhere.
The snakes and their mother arrived safely on the island called
Ramaniyaka.’
CANTO 27
auti said, ‘Yes, drenched by Indra’s deluge, the Nagas felt cool and
happy. Borne by the Eagle of white feathers, they arrived swiftly upon
the island. The Creator had appointed that island to be the home of the
makaras.
First they saw the eerie Lavana Samudra, the Ocean of Salt. Then they
beheld an exotic forest, washed by the waves of that Sea. They heard the
heavenly music of Gandharvas and Apsaras. Wondrous trees grew thickly,
bearing rare flowers and fruit. They saw magnificent mansions upon the
island, with tanks brimming with lotuses. They saw shimmering, azure
lakes, and scented fine breezes laden with the fragrance of incense. They
saw that the trees here were those that grow only upon the Malaya
Mountain, and they reached into heaven, so tall were they. Other trees, as
lovely, had their vivid flowers blown everywhere by the breeze.
That enchanted forest was dear to the Gandharvas, and they came to it
always for it delighted them. The bees all around seemed drunk and
maddened by the sweet honey they drank from the flowers. And the sight of
all this was exceedingly delightful. In every way, that forest was charmed
and full of rare delight and sacredness, and the sons of Kadru rejoiced to see
it and to listen to the sweet songs of its birds.
The Nagas commanded Garuda of great energy, “Fly us to another island
as beautiful as this one and where the water sparkles pure. Sky ranger, you
must have seen many exquisite places while flying through the air!”
Garuda thought for a moment then asked his mother Vinata, “Why must
I do the bidding of the snakes?”
Vinata said to her son, who possessed every virtue, and enormous
vitality and power, “Best of birds, I have fallen on bad times and become
my sister’s slave. The snakes deceived me so that I lost my wager with my
sister, which left me as her slave.”
Hearing this, the dejected Garuda said to the serpents, “Tell me Nagas,
what can we do to become free from our bondage to you?”
The snakes replied, “Bring us the Amrita and then, O Bird, you will be
free.”’
CANTO 28
auti said, ‘When the snakes said this to him, Garuda said to his mother,
“I will go and fetch the Amrita. But I want to eat something on my way.
Tell me where I can feed.”
Vinata replied, “On a remote island in the midst of the Ocean, the
Nishadas have their beautiful home. Eat the thousands of Nishadas that live
there, and then bring the Amrita. Remember never to harm a Brahmana, for
of all creatures, a Brahmana must never be killed. An angry Brahmana is
like Agni or Surya, like poison or a sword. A Brahmana is the master of all
creatures, and is worshipped by the virtuous. Not even in anger must you
kill a Brahmana; enmity with a Brahmana is a sin. My sinless child, neither
Agni nor Surya is as devastating as an austere Brahmana when provoked to
wrath. A good Brahmana can be known by various signs. He is the firstborn
of all creatures, the foremost among the four varnas, the sire and master of
all.”
Garuda asked, “Mother, what is a Brahmana’s form, how does he behave
and what is his strength? Does he blaze like fire, or is he of tranquil
disposition? Mother, tell me the auspicious signs by which I can recognise a
Brahmana.”
Vinata replied, “My child, if you swallow a good Brahmana, he will
savage your throat like a fish-hook or burn it like a live coal. O, never must
you kill a Brahmana, not even in anger.”
Out of her love for him, Vinata repeated herself to Garuda, “Your
stomach will not receive or digest a good Brahmana.”
Though she knew the incomparable strength of her son, she still blessed
him with all her heart, for, having been deceived by the snakes, she was still
grief-stricken. She said, “May Vayu protect your wings, and Surya and
Soma your back; may Agni watch over your head, and the Vasus your
whole body.
I will also sit here, performing constant rituals for your wellbeing and
success. Go, my son, and fulfil your mission.”
Garuda spread his wings and flew up into the sky. Soon he fell upon the
Nishadas on their island home, with terrible ferocity, like a ravenous Yama.
He raised a squall of dust with his wingbeats, covering the sky; he drained a
great part of the Sea, and lashed the forests of the mountains of that island
with the waters. Then he spread his gigantic beak wide and blocked every
highway of the Nishadas’ city. Not knowing where they ran, the panic-
stricken Nishadas, blinded by the pall of dust, rushed into that yawning
maw, even as birds in a forest swarm into the open sky when their trees
shake in a gale.
The hungry Lord of birds, serpent-eater, sky rover, of limitless strength
and thought-like speed, clamped his beak shut, swallowing thousands of the
Nishada fisherfolk in a blink.’
CANTO 29
auti continued, ‘Now it happened that a Brahmana and his wife also
went down the throat of Garuda, and began to burn him like live coals.
Garuda said to him, “O best of Brahmanas, I will open my beak and
you must come out quickly, for I must never kill a Brahmana even if he
sins.”
The Brahmana said, “This Nishada woman is my wife. Let her come out
with me.”
Garuda said, “Bring the woman with you, but come out at once! Hurry,
before the blazing juices of my belly digest you.”
The Brahmana and his Nishada wife emerged in a trice and went their
way, singing Garuda’s praises. Now Garuda spread his wings again and
flew up once more into the sky, quick as a thought.
He saw his father, and greeted him reverentially. The Maharishi
Kashyapa asked him, “Are you well, my child? Do you have enough to eat
daily? Is there enough food for you in the world of men?”
Garuda replied, “My mother is well, as is my brother, and so am I. But
father, I do not always get enough to eat, and am at poor peace for that.
Now the Nagas have sent me to fetch the Amrita. I mean to find it and bring
it back even today, so my mother’s slavery will end. My mother said to me,
‘Eat the Nishadas.’ I ate thousands of them but my hunger is not appeased.
Holy one, tell me what else I can eat to find the strength to wrest the
Amrita away by force from the Devas. Tell me what I can consume, by
which I can both satisfy my hunger and quench my thirst.”
Kashyapa Muni replied, “This lake before you is sacred. It has renown
even in Swarga. In it is an elephant, his head turned down, ceaselessly
battling a great tortoise who is his elder brother. I will tell you about their
enmity from another life. Listen to why they are here.
Once, long ago, there was a great Rishi called Vibhavasu. He was a Sage
with a quick and fiery temper. He had a younger brother called Supritika.
Supritika did not want to hold his inheritance jointly with his brother and
always spoke of partitioning it.
Vibhavasu told Supritika, “Only fools who are blinded by the love of
wealth ever think of partitioning their patrimony; for once the patrimony is
divided the wealth will delude them and they will fight over it. After the
division, invariably false friends will poison the selfish ones’ minds against
one another, confirming their enmity. Further divided, they will surely fall,
and complete ruin will swiftly overtake them.
The wise never endorse the partitioning of a patrimony between
brothers, because once that happens the brothers live in constant fear of one
another and cease to honour the most sacred Shastras. But Supritika, you
will not listen to my counsel but always want to cleave our inheritance. I
say to you, you shall become an elephant!’
Supritika cursed Vibhavasu back hotly, ‘You will become a tortoise and
live in water!’
And so, out of the love for wealth and property, these two have become
an elephant and a tortoise. Both are proud of their great bodies and strength,
and fight each other with unremitting hatred, without pause. Look, here
comes the handsome and enormous elephant Supritika, as always in anger.”
The giant tortoise heard him trumpeting and surfaced, agitating the lake
violently. Seeing him, the elephant curled his trunk and rushed into the
water. The mighty pachyderm beat the water roughly with his trunk, his
head and tail; he stamped it angrily with his massive feet, so waves rose and
the numberless fish in the lake were swept along upon them, panic-stricken.
And the mountainous tortoise lifted his huge head high and, accepting the
elephant’s challenge, swam eagerly forward for the encounter.
The elephant was six yojanas tall and twice that measure around. The
tortoise was three yojanas high and ten around. Wildly, full of wrath, the
two began to butt and strike each other, their roars filling the air.
Said Kashyapa Muni to his son Garuda, “Eat both these, bent upon
killing each other. Eat that savage elephant who looks like a mountain and
the ferocious tortoise like a bank of clouds, and then go forth to fetch the
Amrita.”
Kashyapa blessed Garuda, “I bless you for your battle against the Devas.
May all things auspicious shower their blessings upon you – vessels brimful
of holy water, Brahmanas, sacred cows, and everything else that can bless
you. My mighty son, when you fight the Devas let the Riks, the Yajus, the
Samas and all the profound mysteries of the Upanishads be your strength!”
Garuda went to the side of the lake, and looked at the expanse of lucid
water upon which waterbirds floated. Remembering what his father said,
Garuda, swift as the mind, seized the elephant in one claw, the tortoise with
the other, and soared into the sky.
He came to a sacred place called Alamba, and saw many divine and
lustrous trees there, kalpavrikshas. Those trees trembled in the gusts of
wind that his wings raised. The trees of golden branches feared they would
be broken. Seeing the kalpavrikshas shaking with fright, Garuda flew to
some other trees, indescribably beautiful. They were gigantic, and their
branches were made of many shimmering jewels and their fruits were of
gold and silver. Water from the sea washed their trunks.
Among these, and even loftier than the others, stood a great patriarchal
Nyagrodha. Seeing Garuda flaring towards it, swift as the mind, that Pipal
said, “Sit upon this branch of mine, a hundred yojanas long, and eat the
elephant and the tortoise.”
Garuda, best of birds, big as a mountain, alighted on that prodigious
bough, and at once the great leafy branch, home to thousands of lesser
birds, broke with a sound like a clap of thunder.’
CANTO 30
auti said, ‘As soon as Garuda’s feet rested upon it, that branch snapped
like a twig. Garuda cast his gaze around him in wonder and saw
Balakhilya Rishis hanging, head down, from the branch, in deep
dhyana. Fearing that they would die if the branch fell on the ground far
below, in a wink, still clutching the elephant and the tortoise in his claws,
Garuda also seized the falling branch of a hundred yojanas in his beak. He
rose into the sky with his new burden and the old one. The Rishis were
wonderstruck at what the Avian had done, which no Deva could have
achieved.
They said, “Let this greatest of birds be called Garuda, for the
impossible burden that he bears.”
At his ease, Garuda flew through the sky and whenever he passed above
a mountain it shook in the gusts from his wingbeats. Many lands and
wonders he saw beneath him as he flew along at his great leisure. Then he
spied a place where he could land softly, saving the tiny thumb-sized
Balakhilyas: it was Mount Gandhamadana, dwarapalaka to the heavens.
He saw his father Kashyapa sitting in tapasya upon the fragrant
mountain. Kashyapa also saw his radiant and vital son, big as a peak, quick
as light, deadly as a Brahmana’s curse, inconceivable, ineffable, fearsome,
blazing like Agni, invincible so not the Devas, Danavas and the greatest
Rakshasas could vanquish him; that sky ranger who could crush mountains,
drain away whole seas, and, indeed, destroy the three worlds, looking as
fierce as Yama.
Seeing Garuda approach and knowing what his son wanted to achieve,
the illumined Kashyapa warned him, “Be very careful, my son, for you
might have to suffer if you are rash or impatient. If you annoy the
Balakhilyas, who live by imbibing the rays of the Sun, they might smite you
with their tapasysa shakti.”
Then, for his son’s sake, Kashyapa addressed the Balakhilyas of great
fortune, whose sins had been consumed in the fire of their asceticism.
Kashyapa said, “You whose wealth is tapasya, Garuda is on a mission
for the welfare of every living creature. Great is the task upon which he
goes forth. Bless him, great ones.”
When they heard what Kashyapa said, the little Munis relinquished the
branch and went away to the sacred mountain Himavat to continue their
tapasya. After the Rishis had gone, Vinata’s son spoke to his father, and his
voice was unclear for the massive bough in his beak.
Garuda asked, “Illustrious father, where shall I let down the arm of the
tree? Show me a place where there are no men.”
Kashyapa now told Garuda about a mountain, always covered with
snow, full of sheer valleys and deep caves, where no ordinary creatures
could go even in imagination. Kashyapa gave his son directions to find that
mountain. Carrying the branch, the elephant and the tortoise, Garuda
flashed away towards that inaccessible hidden mountain. The branch of the
tree that he carried in his beak could not be circumscribed by a rope made
from the stretched hides of a hundred cows.
For lakhs of yojanas flew Garuda, in a mere moment. And following
Kashyapa’s directions, he arrived over the isolated mountain and dropped
the tremendous branch from his beak. It fell with a great sound, and that
prince of mountains shook when the storm that Garuda’s spanless wings
raised struck it. Its trees poured down their flowers in a helpless rain. Its
jewelled peaks were themselves loosened and came crumbling down all its
sides.
The bough felled countless trees with dark leaves and golden flowers,
which seemed like clouds with lightning in them. The fallen trees, dyed in
mountain metals, shone as if the Sun bathed them in his light.
Garuda now perched on the summit of that mountain, and ate both the
elephant and the tortoise. Finishing his great meal, he spread his wings and
rose into the sky, quick as a thought.
In Devaloka, frightening omens appeared and the Devas trembled.
Indra’s Vajra blazed as if in terror. Flaming meteors fell out of the sky,
smoking, as plain by daylight as they might be in the night. The weapons of
the Vasus, the Rudras, the Adityas, the Sadhyas, the Maruts and other
Devas began to spend themselves in contention against one another. Why,
nothing like this had happened even during the war against the Asuras, the
Devasura yuddha.
Rough winds blew, peals of thunder threatened to crack open the sky,
and meteors continued to stream down in thousands. Without a cloud in its
vacancy, the sky roared and roared. Blood flowed copiously from the body
of the king of the Devas. The divine garlands the other Devas wore faded
and they felt weak in all their limbs.
Then clouds scudded into the sky and poured down a heavy rain of
blood. The dust raised by the winds dimmed the lustre of the crowns the
Devas wore. Indra, of a thousand yagnas, and the other gods trembled with
fright and said to their Guru Brihaspati, “Master, what are these dreadful
omens? I see no enemy on the horizon, then why do the very elements
assail us?”
Brihaspati replied, “O Indra of a thousand eyes, you have been careless
and have sinned. And a being born by the tapas of the Balakhilyas, the
mighty son of Kashyapa and Vinata, one who is a sky ranger and can
assume any form he chooses, is coming to take the Amrita from you. The
bird is the strongest of the strong and can do what seems impossible. He
will indeed take the Amrita from you.”
Indra said to the guardians of the Amrita, “Brihaspati says that a bird of
measureless strength and energy is on his way to steal the Amrita. I am
warning you, so he does not take it by force.”
The Devas were amazed, but they prepared to defend the Amrita. All of
them stood around the Nectar, and Indra who wields the Vajra of thunder
stood with them. The Devas wore priceless golden breastplates, jewelled,
and impenetrable armours of hide. They carried sharp blades and
numberless other strange and powerful weapons, which gave off sparks of
fire, and smoke. They carried chakras and spiked gadas, trisulas,
khatvangas, all great and awesome: weapons suited to each great god,
mystic astras: supernatural missiles.
Wearing unearthly ornaments, splendid with the brilliant armour and
weapons, the Devas waited, now calmly determined, those peerless ones, to
protect the Amrita. They who could devastate the cities of the Asuras stood
there in forms as awesome and bright as fire. The battlefield to be sparkled
with thousands of spiked and jewelled maces, even as the sky was lit by the
rays of the Sun.’
CANTO 31
aunaka asked, ‘Sauti, son of Suta, what was Indra’s sin, his
carelessness? How was Garuda born by the tapas of the Balakhilyas?
How did Kashyapa Muni, a Brahmana, have the king of birds for his
son? How was Garuda invincible and the strongest of creatures? How could
he go anywhere at will? How did he have such boundless vitality? If the
Purana has answers to these questions, I would hear them.’
Sauti said, ‘Indeed, the Purana deals with what you ask. Listen, O Dvija,
to the answers to your questions.
Once upon a time, Kashyapa Prajapati undertook a yagna to have
children, a putrakama yagna, and the Devas, the Rishis and Gandharvas all
came to help him. Kashyapa gave Indra charge of fetching the sacrificial
fuel for the fire, and with him the Balakhilyas and all the other Devas. Indra
of untold strength easily hefted a mountainous portion of firewood and was
bringing it to the yagnashala. On his way, he saw a number of tiny, less than
thumb-sized Rishis, who together carried along a single strand of a palasa
leaf. Those Rishis were obviously starving, for they were skin and bones.
Suddenly, they staggered into a pool of water collected in the indentation on
the path made by the hoofprint of a cow. They flailed about and struggled in
that minuscule pool.
Purandara, Indra proud of his strength, looked at them bemused; then,
laughing uproariously, calling out to the little Munis in mockery, he left
them there: why, he stepped right over their heads. Those Rishis blazed
with sorrow and wrath. They prepared to perform a great yagna to have
their revenge, and hearing about it Indra became terrified.
Listen, O Saunaka, to what those excellent and austere Balakhilyas did.
They poured ghee into a fire of sacrifice, chanting mantras loudly:
“Let there be another Indra among the gods, who can fly anywhere at
will, summon limitless strength and energy, and strike fear into the Deva
king. By the fruit of our tapasya, let such a one arise, swift as the mind, and
fierce!”
And the king of the Devas, he of a hundred yagnas, heard about the
Balakhilyas’ sacrifice, and flew to Kashyapa of the austere vrata for
protection. When Prajapati Kashyapa heard what Indra said, he went to the
Balakhilyas and asked them if their sacrifice had been successful.
And those honest Rishis replied, “Let it be as you say!”
Kashyapa pacified them, “At the word of Brahma, Indra has been made
Lord of the three worlds. You Munis want to create another Indra, but it
does not become you, noble Sages, to render Brahma’s word false. Yet, let
not your sacrifice become futile: let there come into being another Indra,
but a king of birds, a Pakshiraja of untold strength, vitality and speed. Indra
begs you to take pity on him.”
The Balakhilyas first offered Kashyapa Prajapati worship, then said to
him, “Prajapati, our yagna is for an Indra! It is also a putrakama yagna for
you to have a son. We leave its completion to you; do what you see as being
proper and wise.”
Meanwhile, Daksha’s chaste, fortunate, virtuous daughter Vinata wanted
to have children and, having completed her worship and bathed, she came
to her husband Kashyapa, in her fertile time.
Kashyapa said to her, “Devi, the yagna I undertook has borne fruit, and
you shall have what you want. Two heroic sons you will bear, who shall
become lords of the worlds. Because of the tapasya of the Balakhilyas and
by my own penance, your sons shall have great fortune and be worshipped
throughout Swarga, Bhumi and Patala.”
Kashyapa and Vinata came together and then he said to her, “Bear these
auspicious seeds with great care. Your two sons will be the lords of all
winged creatures. These valiant rangers of the sky will be revered in every
realm, and have the gift of assuming any form they choose.
The gratified Prajapati then said to Indra, “You will have two brothers of
boundless tejas and strength, who will never harm you but be friendly
towards you. Do not grieve anymore, you will continue to be Lord of the
worlds. But never again slight those that worship the Brahman, nor dare
insult the Munis, who are wrathful and whose curses are more potent than
your thunderbolt.”
Hearing this Indra’s fears were stilled, and he returned to Devaloka.
Her purpose fulfilled, Vinata was also joyful, and, in time, she gave birth
to two sons, Aruna and Garuda. And Aruna, of the flawed limbs, became
the charioteer of the Sun. And Garuda was given sovereignty over the race
of birds. O you of the line of Bhrigu, Bhargava, now hear about the great
achievement of Garuda.’
CANTO 32
auti said, “Great Brahmanas, the Devas prepared for battle, and soon
enough Garuda appeared before those ones of light. When the gods saw
how great he was, how bright and strong, they shook with fright; why,
they began to strike one another with their weapons.
Among those guarding the Soma was a certain Brahmana, the divine
architect, measureless in might, bright as a bolt of lightning and terrifically
vital. The encounter between Garuda and him lasted a mere moment,
before, devastated by talons, beak and wings, the Deva lay dead on the
field.
Garuda raised such a squall of dust with his massive wings that the three
Lokas were darkened by it, and the Devas swooned in that stormy darkness
of dust. The immortal guardians of the Amrita were blinded and no longer
saw Garuda. Then, freely, at his will, he raked them with beak and claw; he
swatted them like flies with his wings; he mangled them as he chose in
Swarga.
Indra, God of a thousand eyes, commanded Vayu the Wind, “Scatter the
dust quickly, Maruta, or we are lost!”
Vayu blew away the pall of dust and, when they saw again, the Devas
attacked Garuda. He began to roar like the stormclouds of the Pralaya,
terrifying every creature alive. He spread his wings, and the king of birds
rose into the sky, and the Devas armed with every conceivable weapon,
including chakras bright as suns, saw him above them. Never pausing,
Garuda attacked them from above, and indeed from every side, with a storm
of many weapons, with talon, beak and wing.
Raked by his claws, savaged by his beak, the Devas bled in rills.
Overwhelmed by the lord of birds, the Sadhyas and the Gandharvas fled
eastward, the Vasus with the Rudras to the south, the Adityas to the west,
and the Aswins towards the north. Having great tejas, they retreated while
fighting, always gazing back at their redoubtable enemy.
Garuda battled the Yakshas, Aswakranda of great valour, Rainuka, the
bold Krathanaka, Tapana, Uluka, Swasanaka, Nimesha, Praruja and Pulina.
And the son of Vinata smashed them with wings, talons and beak, like
punitive Siva himself, who wields the Pinaka in wrath when the Yuga ends.
Those dreadful and fearless ones soon looked like great black clouds
raining blood from all their limbs.
Having slain the Yakshas or put them to flight, Garuda came to the
chalice of Amrita. He saw that it was surrounded by fire on all sides. And
the hissing flames of that fire covered the very sky and, fanned by gusts of
wind, they seemed to want to devour the Sun himself.
Shining Garuda sprouted ninety times ninety beaks, drained the waters
of many rivers with them, flew back to the fire that guarded the Amrita, and
doused it with those waters.
Now he became diminutive, very small indeed, so he could enter into the
niche where the chalice of Amrita was kept.’
CANTO 33
auti said, ‘Having assumed a golden body, bright as a Sundrop, the bird
king flashed into the chamber of the Amrita like a cataract into a sea.
He saw that a wheel, its edges sharp as razors, spun at great speed,
endlessly around the Amrita. The Devas had created it to cut any hopeful
thieves into slivers. Garuda made himself smaller still and easily flew
through the deadly wheel. Now he saw two huge blazing serpents, forked
tongues like streaks of lightning, jaws spewing fire, eyes aflame, restless
and hissing like twin storms, their venom deadly. Their lidless unwinking
eyes burned with quenchless ferocity. Either of them would have instantly
made ashes of any intruder they spied.
The bird of fair plumage threw dust into their eyes and, when they could
not see, he set upon them, beak and talons flashing, from every side. In
moments, Vinata’s son ripped those Nagas into shreds.
Immediately, he took the chalice of Amrita from its niche, smashing the
uncanny humming contrivance that surrounded it with a blow of his beak,
and rose away with the nectar, at speed of thought. He emerged with the
Amrita, but did not drink it, and tireless as ever, he flew homewards,
dimming the light of the Sun in the sky.
On his way, Vinata’s son met Vishnu in the firmament. Narayana was
gratified that Garuda had not drunk the Amrita. That God who knows no
decay said to the sky crosser, “I want to grant you a boon.”
Garuda replied, “Let me then stay above you.” He said again, “Let me be
immortal and free from every sickness without drinking Amrita.”
Vishnu said to the son of Vinata, “So be it.”
Garuda received the two boons, and said to Vishnu, “I also grant you a
boon, so ask me for something, O owner of the six gunas.”
Vishnu asked mighty Garuda to become his vahana, his mount. He made
the Pakshiraja sit upon the flagstaff of his vimana, saying, “Even so you
shall stay above me.”
And King Bird replied to Narayana, “So be it,” and flashed away, racing
the wind.
As Garuda coursed along with the Amrita, Indra cast his Vajra at him.
But Garuda only laughed when the thunderbolt fell on him. He said to
Indra, sweetly, “I worship the Rishi Dadichi from whose bones the Vajra is
made. I worship the Vajra and you, too, O Lord of the thousand yagnas. I
feel no twinge of pain from your thunderbolt, but now I cast off one feather
of mine, and you shall not find its end.”
The Pakshiraja gave up one of his feathers and every creature saw that
shining feather and felt incredibly glad, for it was so beautiful and radiant.
They said, “Let this bird be called Suparna, he of the fair feathers.”
Thousand-eyed Indra Purandara watched this magical happening and felt
the bird was truly some very great Being, and spoke to him. Indra said to
Garuda, “Pakshishreshta, O best of birds, I want to know the extent of your
awesome strength, and I want to have eternal friendship with you.”
CANTO 34
auti continued, ‘Garuda said, “Purandara, let there be friendship

between us, just as you wish. You know my strength is hard to resist.
Indra of a thousand yagnas, the virtuous never extol their own prowess,
nor do they praise themselves.
But since we are now friends and you ask me, I will tell you about my
strength, though I repeat that never do the good speak of their own merits.
O Sakra, I can bear the Earth, with all her mountains, forests, oceans and
you yourself standing upon her, on a single feather of mine. I am blessed
with such strength that I can bear the three worlds, and all they contain,
mobile and unmoving, and never feel tired.”
O Saunaka, when Garuda said this, Indra, king of the Devas, who wears
the crown of the three worlds and always works for their weal, said, “Truly
it must be as you say, for anything is possible with you. Accept my deep
and heartfelt friendship now, and if you have no need for the Amrita, return
it to me: for those to whom you are taking it will always be our enemies.”
Garuda answered, “There is a reason why I am taking the Amrita. I shall
not give it to anyone to drink, O thousand-eyed; as soon as I set it down you
can make away with it again, O Lord of Swarga!”
Indra said, “Greatest Avian, I am satisfied and I thank you. Ask me, O
Pakshiraja, for any boon you want.”
Garuda remembered how the sons of Kadru turned the tail of
Uchchaisravas black, making his mother Vinata a slave.
He said, “I will always do your bidding, O Indra. Let snakes become my
food!”
The slayer of the Danavas said to him, “So be it!” and flew to Hari,
Devadeva, God of gods, Mahatman, and Lord of Yogins. Vishnu sanctioned
everything Garuda had said.
The lustrous King of Swarga said to Garuda, “I will bring away the
Amrita as soon as you set it down,” and with that bid farewell to Suparna.
Garuda flew like an arrow to his mother, and cried in joy to the serpents,
his half-brothers, “I have brought the Amrita; let me set it down on some
kusa grass.
O Nagas, you must bathe and perform your worship, then come back
here and sit down to drink it. And from today, as you promised, let my
mother no longer be a slave, but free, for I have done what you asked, I
have brought the Amrita.”
The snakes said, “So be it,” and went to perform their ablutions.
Meanwhile, Indra took the chalice of Amrita and flew back to Swarga.
The Nagas bathed, performed their nitya karma, their daily devotions, and
other sacred rites, and hurried back, in great excitement to drink the Amrita.
They found the bed of kusa grass, on which the chalice had been placed,
empty. In frenzy, they fell to licking the sharp grass and their tongues,
bisected by the kusa blades, have been forked ever since.
Having been touched by the Amrita, the kusa grass was sanctified and
has been sacred ever after. This is how Garuda fetched the Amrita from
Devaloka, and how the serpents had their tongues divided.
Then Suparna sported in delight in the surrounding forest, in the
company of his mother. Mighty and worshipped by all beings that traverse
the sky, he further pleased his mother by feeding on the snakes.
The man who listens to this story, or recites it to a gathering of pious
Brahmanas, surely finds heaven for himself, for great is the punya to be
gained by recounting the legend of Garuda.’
CANTO 35
aunaka said, ‘Son of Suta, you have told us why Kadru cursed her sons
the serpents, and also why Aruna cursed his mother Vinata. You have
told us how Kashyapa, their husband, blessed Kadru and Vinata with
boons. You have told us the names of Vinata’s sons, but you have not told
us the names of the sons of Kadru. We are keen to hear the names of the
greatest among Kadru’s sons.’
Sauti said, ‘Great Munis, to name all the serpents would be a lengthy
task, and I will tell you the names only of the main among them. Listen, O
you whose wealth is tapasya.
First born was Sesha, after him Vasuki. Then came Airavata, Takshaka,
Karkotaka, Dhananjaya, Kalakeya, Mani, Purana, Pinjaraka, Elapatra,
Vamana, Nila, Anila, Kalmasha, Savala, Aryaka, Ugra, Kalasapotaka,
Suramukha, Dadhimukha, Vimalapindaka, Apia, Karotaka, Samkha,
Valisikha, Nisthanaka, Hemaguha, Nahusha, Pingala, Vahyakarna,
Hastipada, Mudgarapindaka, Kamvala, Aswatara, Kaliyaka, Vritta,
Samvartaka, Padma, Mahapadma, Sankhamukha, Kushmandaka,
Kshemaka, Pindaraka, Karavira, Pushpadanshtraka, Bilwaka,
Bilwapandara, Mushikada, Sankhasiras, Purnabhadra, Haridraka, Aparajita,
Jyotika, Srivaha, Kauravya, Dhritarashtra, Sankhapinda, Virajas, Subahu,
Salipinda, Prabhakara, Hastipinda, Pitharaka, Sumuksha, Kaunapashana,
Kuthara, Kunjara, Kumuda, Kumudaksha, Tittri, Halika, Kardana,
Bahumulaka, Karkara, Akarkara, Kundodara, and Mahodara.
These, O best of Dvijas, are the main Nagas. The sons of these and their
sons are beyond counting: they are thousands of millions.’
CANTO 36
aunaka said, ‘Child, you have named many of the most powerful Nagas.
What did they do when they heard about the curse?’
Sauti said, ‘Sesha, first among them, of great renown, left his mother
and performed rigorous tapasya. Observing stern vratas, he sat in penance
upon Gandhamadana, at Badari, at Gokarna, the forest of Pushkara, and the
foothills of Himavat. He dwelt in those sacred places, some holy for their
waters and others for their earth.
Never swerving from his vows, single-mindedly, his passions under
perfect control, he did tapasya. Brahma, Pitamaha of all, saw that ascetic
with matted jata, wearing rags, and his body and skin shrivelled and
parched by his severe austerities.
Brahma said to the fortunate hermit of rare fortitude, “What are you
doing, O Sesha? Think also of the well-being of the creatures of the worlds.
Sinless one, you are afflicting every creature with your searing penance.
Sesha, tell me what desire impels this tapasya.”
Sesha replied, “All my full brothers are evil-minded, and I do not want
to live among them. Grant me this boon, Lord. They are like enemies,
always envious of one another, and that is why I am sitting alone in tapasya.
I do not want to even see them. They are cruel to Vinata and her son.
Is Vinata’s son, who ranges the sky, not another brother of ours? But
they envy him. He is also much stronger than us through our father
Kashyapa’s boon to him. Because of my brothers’ envy and their
viciousness I am sitting here in tapasya, and I mean to cast off this body so
that I never need to be with my evil brothers, even at another stage of our
lives.”
Brahma said, “Sesha, I know what your brothers are and they are in
mortal danger from your mother’s curse: this I have ordained. Don’t grieve
for them, but ask me for a boon. I am pleased with you and I will give you
anything. You are set on the path of virtue; may your heart journey far down
this high way and become ever more established in goodness and tapasya.”
Sesha said, “Divine Pitamaha, Lord of all, this is the boon I want: that
my heart always delights in goodness and in sacred tapas.”
Brahma said, “Sesha, I am gratified with your self-denial and love for
peace. But I have a task for you, O Naga: bear this world, unsteady with her
mountains and forests, her seas, cities and asramas, so that she becomes
stable.”
Sesha said, “Lord of all creatures, bestower of boons, Lord of the Earth,
Lord of the Universe, I will do as you say. Set Bhumi upon my head.”
Brahman said, “Nagottama, best of snakes, burrow beneath the Earth;
she will give you a tunnel to pass through. O Sesha, by bearing the Earth
upon your head and holding her steady, you shall certainly do something
that I will greatly value.”
Then the elder brother of Vasuki, king of the snakes, entered a hole in
the ground and passed through to the other side of the Earth. He supported
the Goddess Bhumi Devi upon his head, with her girdle of seas.
Brahma said, “Sesha, best of snakes, you are Dharma Deva himself,
because you support the Earth, with all that she bears, by yourself, even as I
might, or Indra.”
The Naga Sesha, the Lord Ananta, of untold might, lives under the
Earth, supporting her at the word of Brahma. The illustrious Grandsire,
foremost of immortals, then gave Vinata’s son Suparna to Ananta, to help
him.’
CANTO 37
auti continued, ‘Vasuki, best among Nagas, heard his mother’s curse
and wondered how to escape it. He consulted with his brothers,
Airavata and the rest.
Vasuki said, “Sinless ones, you know about the curse of our mother, and
we must try to escape it. There is a remedy for every other curse, but none
for one pronounced by one’s mother.
When I think that this curse was spoken in the presence of the Almighty,
Infinite and True One, my heart trembles. Ah, surely we are as good as
dead. Otherwise, why did the Lord not prevent our mother from cursing us?
We must waste no time, but think how we can escape the curse. You are
all wise and intelligent. Together, we can surely find a remedy: why, even
as the Devas found Agni of old, when the Fire God hid himself in a cave,
we must find a way to stop Janamejaya from undertaking his sarpa yagna, a
way to save our lives!”
The assembled Punnagas, all wise sons of Kadru, then gave their counsel
for avoiding death at the snake sacrifice.
One group of serpents said, “We will disguise ourselves as lofty
Brahmanas and go and tell Janamejaya, ‘This yagna of yours is sinful and
you should not undertake it.’”
Other Nagas said, “We should turn ourselves into his closest counsellors.
He will certainly ask for our advice, and we shall tell him to avoid the sarpa
yagna at all costs, listing the many evils it will bring down upon the world.”
Another vicious Naga advised, “Let one of us bite the sacrificial priest
who is to conduct the sarpa yagna. Indeed, let us kill every Brahmana alive
that knows how to conduct a sarpa yagna and might become the Ritvik at
the king’s sacrifice!”
One more virtuous and kindly said, “This is evil counsel, and nothing is
as dangerous as killing a Brahmana. When one’s life is threatened, one must
depend on the ways of virtue to save oneself, for evil ways finally destroy
the very world.”
Another Naga suggested, “We will turn into clouds full of lightning, and
pouring down rain onto the yagna fire, extinguish it!”
Other snakes, the best of their kind, said, “Let us go in stealth by night
and steal the vessel with the Soma rasa. That will interrupt the sacrifice.”
“Let us unleash millions of our kind around the yagna, to bite men
everywhere and spread terror and panic.”
“Let us defile the sanctified offerings of food with excrement and urine.”
“Let us become the king’s Ritviks, and ask for our dakshina when the
yagna begins. He will be in our power and give us whatever we ask for. We
can ask that the yagna be stopped.”
“When the king swims in the river, let us bind him and carry him away
to Patala. That way the yagna will never be performed.”
Other Nagas, who thought themselves sage, said, “Let us go and bite
Janamejaya. When he dies, the threat will have been torn up by its root. O
you that hear with your eyes, this is our counsel, and let us decide on the
best course and act immediately.”
Now silence fell, and they waited for Vasuki to decide. After some
moments’ thought, Vasuki said, “I do not like the counsel of any of you; I
do not think any of it will benefit us. I think that only the grace of Kashyapa
can save us. Nagas, my heart does not believe that there is another way that
will truly bring welfare upon my race and me. I am anxious, for I am the
one who must decide what to do, and I must take responsibility for the
decision, the praise or blame for it.”’
CANTO 38
auti said, ‘When the other snakes and Vasuki had spoken, Elapatra said,
“We cannot prevent the sarpa yagna. Also, it is not from King
Janamejaya of the Pandavas that this terror issues, so that we can avoid
calamity by attacking him. O Vasuki, one cursed by fate has recourse only
to fate; nothing else can save him. Fate is the root of our fear and anger.
Listen to me. When she uttered her curse, I lay trembling in our mother’s
lap. O Best among Nagas, O splendid Lord Vasuki, coiled there I heard
what the shocked Devas said to Brahma Pitamaha.
The Devas said, ‘Pitamaha, Devadeva, who but the vicious Kadru could
give birth to such precious children and then curse them, even in your holy
presence? And you, O Brahma, endorsed her curse, saying, “So be it.” Tell
us why you did not prevent her, instead.’
Brahma replied, ‘The Nagas have multiplied. They are cruel, terrible and
venomous. I did not stop Kadru because I wish the welfare of my other
creatures. The serpents that are poisonous and those that otherwise sin,
biting men and beasts for no reason other than the pleasure they take from
inflicting pain and death, shall indeed be killed. But the serpents that are
virtuous and harmless shall not be affected.
Listen to how, when the time comes, the good snakes might escape
death. In the race of the Yayavaras a great Rishi called Jaratkaru shall be
born, wise and his passions controlled. Jaratkaru shall have a son called
Astika. He will stop the sarpa yagna, and all the good snakes will escape
death.’
The Devas said, ‘O knower of truth, on whom will the Mahamuni of
great asceticism and virility father his illumined son?’
Brahma replied, ‘That best of Brahmanas shall beget a son of great tejas
on a wife bearing the same name as him. Vasuki, king of the Nagas, has a
sister called Jaratkaru. Astika shall be born to her, and he will save the race
of snakes.’
Elapatra continued, “The Devas said to Brahma, ‘So be it then,’ and the
Pitamaha returned to Brahmaloka, loftiest world.
O Vasuki, I see your sister Jaratkaru here. I say to you, to save us all give
her to the Rishi Jaratkaru as alms, to be his wife. For I heard that this shall
be the means to our release from the curse, and the Sage is abroad seeking a
wife who bears his own name.”’
CANTO 39
auti said, ‘Dvijottama, best of the twice-born, the serpents were

delighted when they heard what Elapatra said.
“Well done!” they cried, and “Well said!”
From that time, Vasuki raised his sister Jaratkaru with the greatest care
and joy. Not long after, the Devas and Asuras churned the Kshirasagara
together, Varuna’s domain. Vasuki, the mighty, became their churning-cord.
As soon as the churning was over, the serpent king came before Brahma
Pitamaha, with the Devas. The Devas said, “Lord, Vasuki suffers terribly
for fear of his mother’s curse. He wishes for the deliverance of his race, and
we beg you to remove his grief. This king of the Nagas has always been our
friend and helpmate. Devadeva, be kind to him, assuage the fever in his
heart.”
Brahma replied, “Devas, let Vasuki do as Elapatra told him. The time
has come, and only those that are evil shall die, not the good. Jaratkaru has
been born, and the Brahmana sits in stern tapasya. At an auspicious time,
Vasuki should give his sister to the Muni. Devas, Elapatra spoke the truth
and nothing less.”
Vasuki, king of the Nagas, ordered his people, who were gathered there
in great numbers, “Keep a close watch on the Rishi Jaratkaru. As soon as he
asks for a wife, come and tell me. The salvation of our people depends on
it.”
CANTO 40
aunaka said, ‘Son of Suta, tell me why the brilliant Muni whom you call
Jaratkaru, was so named in the world. Tell us the etymology of that
name.’
Sauti said, ‘Jara means to waste, and Karu implies vastness. This Rishi’s
body was once enormous, and he gradually wore it away with relentless
penance. O Brahmanas, Vasuki’s sister was called Jaratkaru for the same
reason.’
Saunaka, the virtuous, said with a smile, ‘Yes, this is true, I have heard
what you say before. But tell me how Astika was born.’
Sauti replied from what he knew from the Shastras. ‘After Vasuki
commanded his Nagas to inform him the moment Rishi Jaratkaru asked for
a bride, many days passed but the Sage continued his tapasya. His seed
retained within his body in brahmacharya, he wandered the Earth without
fear and showed no sign that he wanted to take a wife.
Later, O Brahmana, a king named Parikshit was born into the race of the
Kurus. Like his great-grandsire Pandu, he was mighty-armed, the greatest
bowman of his time, and he was fond of the hunt.
He ranged the jungles at will, hunting deer, boar, wolf, wild buffalo and
many other beasts as well. One day, he shot a deer with an arrow and that
creature ran from him, which no deer had ever done before. He chased it
deep into the forest, even as Rudra once pursued the deer Yagna through the
skies, bow in hand.
This deer plunged deeper and deeper into the forest and the king after it.
Exhausted and thirsty, Parikshit broke into a clearing and saw an emaciated
Rishi who sat drinking the froth from the milk that some calves sucked
from their mother’s teats. Running up to the Muni, and raising his bow, the
tired and hungry king demanded, “Brahmana, I am Parikshit, son of
Abhimanyu, and king of the Kurus. I shot a deer with my arrow and it
escaped me. Have you seen the animal?”
But that Muni had sworn a mowna vrata, a vow of silence, and did not
reply. The king saw a dead snake lying nearby. In anger, he picked up the
carcass with the end of his bow and draped it across the silent Muni’s
shoulders. The Sage made no protest, and still spoke no word, good or bad.
Parikshit’s anger left him; he was full of remorse.
He turned back to his capital, while the Muni sat on in dhyana. The Sage
knew that Parikshit was a tiger among kings, and a sovereign of dharma.
Though he had been insulted, the Muni forgave the king and did not curse
him. Parikshit of the race of Bharata did not know that the one he had
insulted was a Rishi, otherwise he would never have behaved as he did.
That Rishi had a son called Sringin, a youth gifted with great tejas, of
solemn vows and profound penance, but easily angered and difficult to
appease. He invariably sought to work for the good of all creatures and
often sat rapt before his Guru, in dhyana and worship.
At his Guru’s word, he was on his way home when, O Brahmanottama, a
friend of his, another Sage’s son called Krisa told him what had happened
to his father while he was away: how Parikshit had draped the dead snake
round his neck.
Sringin blazed up in anger, smoking like poison.
Krisa said laughing, “Be not proud ever again, Sringin; though you are a
Muni and have great tejas, your father wears a dead snake round his neck!
Dare not speak haughtily to us true Rishis’ sons, ever again. You have lost
your manhood today when you see your father with a dead snake round him
and can do nothing about it. Ah, but your father has done nothing to deserve
such humiliation, and that saddens me most of all, even as if I myself have
been punished for some crime I did not commit.”’
CANTO 41
auti said, ‘Mighty Sringin’s eyes burned in wrath. He asked Krisa in a

soft, dangerous voice, “How does my father wear a dead snake today?”
Krisa replied, “King Parikshit draped the snake round your father’s
neck.”
Sringin asked, “What wrong did my father do that evil king? Krisa,
answer me this, and I will show you the power of my tapasya shakti.”
Krisa said, “The son of Abhimanyu was out hunting and wounded a stag
with his arrow. The creature escaped him and he chased it through the forest
and came upon your father sitting in dhyana. The excited and tired king
demanded to know if your father had seen the wounded deer.
Your father had taken a mowna vrata, and did not reply. Hungry, thirsty
and tired, Parikshit repeatedly asked your father the same question and he
got no reply. In anger, the king picked up the snake’s carcass with the tip of
his bow and draped it round your meditating sire’s shoulders. Sringin, your
father has yet to stir from his dhyana, and Parikshit has returned to his
capital Hastinapura, city of elephants.”
Sringin’s eyes turned red and, in the grip of fury, the Rishi’s son touched
some holy water and cursed Parikshit. “In seven nights’ time, the serpent
Takshaka will take the sinner Parikshit, who dares defile a Brahmana with a
snake’s carcass, to the land of Yama!”
When he had cursed the king, Sringin went home and saw his father
sitting in dhyana, the dead snake still around him. Sringin’s anger and grief
flared up again. He sobbed and said, “I have cursed the wretched Kuru king
for what he dared do to you, and in seven days Takshaka’s bite will take
him to the land of the dead.”
But his father said, “My son, I am not pleased with you. Rishis should
never give in to anger. We live in that great king’s country; he protects us
with his dharma. We should forgive him any transgression. If you break
dharma, my child, I say to you, dharma will break you. If the king did not
protect us, we could never pursue our spiritual lives in peace and safety, and
find the great punya that we do; he deserves a portion of our punya.
Parikshit protects his subjects even as his great-grandsire did, and he
should be forgiven anything he does. The Rajarishi was tired and hungry,
and he did not know about my vow of silence. My son, a country without a
king is plagued with all kinds of evil and disasters.
The king punishes criminals, and the fear of punishment creates peace.
In peace, the people pursue their svadharma, their natural duty, undisturbed,
just as we do our spiritual lives and perform our sacred rites. The king
establishes dharma; he brings Swarga to Bhumi. He protects yagnas from
being desecrated or disturbed, and this pleases the Devas. They send down
timely rains, which grow grains and herbs, which nourish and preserve
men.
Manu says that a sovereign Kshatriya ruler of the destinies of men is
equal to ten Brahmanas who know the Veda. Parikshit did what he did
because of exhaustion, hunger and ignorance of my vow. O, why have you
cursed that great one in rash childishness? My son, in no way does the king
deserve a curse from us.”’
CANTO 42
auti said, ‘Sringin said to his father, “Whether I have been rash or
childish, my father, whether you like it or not, whether what I have
done is dharma or adharma, my curse shall not be proved vain. For I
have never lied in my life, not even in jest.”
His father Samika said, “My son, I know that you have great power and
you are truthful. I know your curse will be fulfilled. Yet, even a grown son
must always seek his father’s advice so the good son might find great fame.
You are just a boy, how much more you need wise counsel.
You are always at tapasya, but the wrath of even the illumined, who own
the six lofty qualities, only grows. You do certainly keep your vows and
observe dharma. But you are young, still rash and prone to anger, and I
know that I must counsel you.
You live eating the fruit and roots of the forest, and it is your nature to
do so. You must not murder the punya that accrues from your asceticism,
but kill this dreadful anger instead. You acquire your merit with great pain
and effort; anger robs you of so much virtue.
Those who lose their punya cannot find calm, and only calm bestows
success on the long labours of Rishis. You must conquer your passions,
especially your anger; you must become forgiving. With forgiveness a man
gains worlds that even Brahma cannot have.
I live the way of peace, and I must do whatever good I can. I must send
word to the king and tell him that my son, a callow youth of undeveloped
intellect, has cursed him in anger, at seeing what Parikshit did to me.”
That Maharishi sent his disciple Gaurmukha of gentle manners and deep
tapasya to Hastinapura, telling him that he must first enquire formally and
politely after the king’s health and well-being, and only then deliver his
dreadful message.
Soon, Gaurmukha came to the city and the palace of the monarch of the
Kuruvamsa. He first sent word of his arrival to Parikshit through a palace
guard at the gate.
When he entered the king’s sabha, Parikshit duly honoured the Dvija.
When he had refreshed himself after his journey that Brahmana delivered
his terrible message, exactly as his Guru Samika had instructed him to, in
the presence of all the king’s ministers.
Gaurmukha said, ‘Rajadhiraja, king of kings, in your kingdom there
lives a Rishi called Samika, virtuous of soul, his passions controlled,
peaceful, and given to stern penance. O tiger among men, while the Rishi
kept a mowna vrata, you draped a dead snake around his neck with the tip
of your bow.
Samika himself forgave what you did, but not his son. Rajadhiraja, his
son cursed you, without his father’s knowledge, that within seven nights the
Naga Takshaka will kill you. Samika repeatedly asked his son to save your
life, but, alas, there is no one who can undo the boy Sringin’s curse.
Sringin still remains enraged, O King, which is why Samika has sent me
to you, for your welfare.”
The Kuru Rajarishi heard the savage message, and remembered his own
angry sin. He became dejected and remorseful, especially when he heard
that the Maharishi Samika had sworn a vow of silence. Parikshit felt doubly
contrite when he realised how kindly and forgiving Samika was that he had
sent Gaurmukha to warn him about the curse.
The king, who looked like a Deva, did not grieve as much for his
impending death, as he did for what he had done to the Rishi Samika.
He sent Gaurmukha back, saying, “Let Samika Muni bless me.”
When the messenger left, anxiety struck Parikshit like an arrow. He
consulted his ministers and decided to immediately erect a mansion in the
air, supported upon a single smooth column. Night and day, it would be
closely guarded. All around it and within, too, there would be the finest
physicians with the most potent herbs, and Brahmanas that were experts in
the mantras of healing.
Protected on every side, the king, surrounded by his ministers,
discharged his dharma from that mansion. No one could approach him;
why, they say the very air could not come near Parikshit.
When the seventh day arrived, Rishi Kashyapa was on his way to
Parikshit, to cure him after Takshaka inevitably struck: for the knowing
Brahmana had heard all about the curse.
The Prajapati thought, “I will cure the king after he has been bitten, and I
shall gain punya by what I do and wealth also.”
But Takshaka, who had assumed the guise of an aged Brahmana,
accosted Kashyapa on his way. The prince among snakes said to that bull
among Munis, “Where are you going in such haste? What urgent business
makes you hurry so?”
Kashyapa replied, “Today Takshaka will consume Parikshit of the House
of Kuru, bane of his foes, with his venom. I am in haste because I am going
to cure the great Pandava king after the snake, virulent as Agni, bites him.”
Said Takshaka, “O Brahmana, I am the same Takshaka who will burn
that Lord of the earth. Turn back Kashyapa, because you cannot cure one
that I bite.”
Kashyapa retorted, “I know the most powerful mantras for snakebite,
and I will go to the king and cure him.”’
CANTO 43
auti said, ‘Takshaka said, “If what you say is true, let me see you revive
this pipal tree after I bite it. Brahmanashreshta, I will show you the
power of my venom. You show me the potency of your mantras.”
Kashyapa replied, “Bite the pipal then, O King of serpents, and I will
bring it back to life.”
Takshaka bit the tree, and his venom reduced the pipal to ashes.
Takshaka said to Kashyapa, “First among Brahmanas, let me see you bring
the lord of the forest back to life!”
Kashyapa gathered the ashes in his hands and said, “By the power of my
mantras, I will revive the nyagrodha before your eyes.”
Chanting arcane incantations over the ashes, Kashyapa first sprouted a
green shoot from the ashes; two leaves grew from the sprout. He set these
down, and continued to chant. In no time, a full grown trunk appeared,
branches, leaves and all, and the pipal, lord of the forest, stood there exactly
as before.
Takshaka breathed, “A miracle! O Mahamuni whose wealth is your
tapasya, what other wealth do you desire that you go to cure the king?
Difficult as it might prove, I will give you whatever you are after.
Besides, remember that, because the king has been cursed by a Rishi to
die of my bite, his lifespan has been shortened. O Kashyapa, your fame and
honour pervade the three worlds. If you fail to restore Parikshit to life after I
sting him, your fame will vanish like the splendour of the Sun during an
eclipse.”
Kashyapa said, “I am going for gold. If you give me the gold I seek, O
Naga, I will not go to Parikshit for it.”
Takshaka said, “Dvijottama, I will give you more gold than you expect
from the king. So do not go to Hastinapura.”
Kashyapa, best of Brahmanas, sat down for a moment and was plunged
in dhyana. He meditated upon Parikshit and saw in his mystic heart that the
lifetime of the Pandava monarch was indeed exhausted. He asked Takshaka
for a great deal of gold and the serpent gave it to him. Taking the gold,
Kashyapa turned back.
Now Takshaka flashed on towards Hastinapura. On his way, he heard
how Parikshit was living in a mansion in the air, protected by potent
mantras and yantras that rendered snake venom ineffective, and by rare
herbs and other specifics for curing snakebite.
The snake thought, “I must use some deception to approach the king.
What shall I do?”
Takshaka sent some of his snakes disguised as Rishis to Parikshit. They
brought gifts of fruit, kusa grass, and holy water. Takshaka said to these,
“Go to the king, calmly, just as if you only want to give him the flowers,
fruit and holy water. Show no anxiety or impatience.”
Those snakes did as they were told; they brought those offerings to
Parikshit, and he accepted the fruit, the grass and the water. Then he said to
them, “Now leave me.”
When the snakes disguised as Rishis had left, Parikshit said to some
ministers and friends that were with him, “Come, eat these excellent fruit
that the Rishis brought.”
Indeed, Fate impelled the king and his companions to eat those fruit.
Fate made the king select for himself the fruit in which Takshaka had
hidden himself. As the king bit into the fruit, O Saunaka, an ugly worm
appeared from it, its eyes glittering black with coppery slits.
The king saw the worm and laughed. Great Parikshit said, “The sun is
setting on this seventh day, and I need not fear poison anymore. Takshaka
has not come. Let this worm become the serpent king and bite me so the
words of the Rishis are not proved false!”
His time had come and his ministers laughed with him. Smiling,
Parikshit put the tiny worm on his neck. In a flash the worm turned into
gigantic Takshaka, eyes blazing, and wrapped his gargantuan coils around
the king’s neck. With a roar, Takshaka bit that Kshatriya.’
CANTO 44
auti said, ‘The king’s ministers saw Parikshit in Takshaka’s coils and
turned white with terror, and cried out. When Takshaka roared, they fled
as a man. And as they ran, screaming, sobbing, they saw awesome and
wondrous Takshaka flying through the sky above them, like the scarlet
streak in a blue lotus, like the vermillion-filled parting that divides the hair
on a woman’s head.
The mansion in the air blazed up with Takshaka’s poison, and the king
fell dead, burnt to ashes as if he had been struck by lightning. When
Takshaka’s poison had consumed the king, his main minister and his royal
priest, a most holy Brahmana, performed the last rites for him, though there
was nothing left of the noble Parikshit for them to cremate.
The citizens all gathered and crowned the dead sovereign’s minor son
the new king. Janamejaya they called that scion of the race of Kuru. Though
he was still a boy, Janamejaya was mature and wise in his mind. With the
guidance of his counsellors and the royal priest, Parikshit’s eldest son ruled
the kingdom even like his great-grandfather Yudhishtira.
The ministers saw how he kept his enemies at bay, and went to
Suvarnavarman, king of Kasi, and asked him for his daughter Vapushtama
to be Janamejaya’s bride. Having made some enquiries about the young
Kuru monarch, Kasiraja gave Vapushtama to be Janamejaya’s queen, with
every proper ritual and ceremony. Janamejaya was delighted in his wife and
he never gave his heart to any other woman, ever.
Youthful and energetic, he ranged the world cheerfully with his lovely
queen, journeying on rivers and lakes, and in forests and through fields of
flowers, steeped in pleasure and joy. He enjoyed his life even as his
ancestor Pururavas of old had, when the Apsara Urvashi became his.
Vapushtama was the most beautiful of women and she pleased him in every
way, as he did her.’
CANTO 45
eanwhile, the Rishi Jaratkaru ranged the Earth, making his home
for the night wherever he found himself when the Sun set. He
roamed at will, observing the most difficult vratas, which only
evolved Sages can keep, and bathing at many holy tirthas. The Muni lived
on just air for his food, and had no sensual desires of any kind. Daily, he
grew more emaciated.
One day, he saw the spirits of his ancestors, hanging heads down in a
hole, by a cord of virana roots, of which only one strand remained
unbroken. And that thread was gradually being eaten away by a large rat
also living in that pit. And the Pitrs in the hole were starving, macilent,
pathetic, and eager for salvation.
Jaratkaru approached the pitiable ones humbly, and asked, “Who are you
hanging by this cord of virana roots? Just one strand remains and the rat
living in the hole gnaws away at it, and soon it will give way and you will
plunge down into this bottomless pit, headfirst.
Ah, my heart is moved to pity seeing you like this. Tell me how I can
help you; I am prepared to sacrifice a quarter, nay a third, why a full half of
my tapasya for you. No, take all my penance if you will, if that can save
you from your plight.”
His Pitrs said, “Brahmacharin, you want to save us but you cannot do
that by your tapasya. Child, eloquent of speech, we have our own
considerable tapasya, but we have no children, and that is why we are
hanging here and shall soon plunge headfirst into hell.
Brahma himself has said that having a son is great punya. We are
bewildered as our time runs out swiftly. Child, we don’t know you though,
no doubt, your fame is spread across the Earth. You are fortunate and
venerable, who take such pity on us and grieve over our plight so sincerely.
Brahmana, listen to who we are: we are Rishis of the Yayavara clan, of
flinchless vratas. Muni, we have fallen into this pit from a lofty realm
because we have no offspring. All our tapasya has not yet been consumed;
we still have a single thread, by which we hang.
Our one strand, our last hope, is called Jaratkaru. That unfortunate has
mastered the Vedas and their Angas and he is a lone ascetic. He keeps lofty
vows, engages in the most difficult penance, controls his desires perfectly,
and has no desire for the fruit of his rigours.
He just as well might not exist, as far as we are concerned: it is because
of him that you find us in this condition. He has no wife, no son, no kin!
And so we hang in this hole, barely sentient, men who have no one to look
after them.
If you ever meet him, be kind enough to tell him, ‘Your Pitrs hang head
down in a hole in great sorrow. Jaratkaru, take a wife and beget children.
Brahmana, you are the single thread by which your ancestors hang.’
Brahmana, the once many-stranded rope of virana roots by which we
hang is the rope of our clan. The strands that have been eaten away are we
whom time has devoured. The single root that remains is Jaratkaru, who has
chosen brahmacharya. The rat you see is inexorable time. The rat gradually
gnaws away at the wretched Jaratkaru, who thinks only of himself.
Brahmana, his asceticism will not save us. Look how we have been
uprooted from higher worlds and fallen down into this pit: barely conscious
beings any more, gnawed incessantly by kaala, devolving like the worst
sinners. And when the last strand gives way and we plunge into hell,
Jaratkaru will go with us. Dear friend, no tapasya, yagna or any sacred
pursuit can compare with a son.
Child, you have seen us; we beg you, tell Jaratkaru about us in detail.
Brahmana, since you are kindly disposed towards us, persuade him to marry
and father children. Ah, we feel how lovingly you grieve for us, and we
wonder who you are: a friend of Jaratkaru’s or, perhaps, even one of our
own? Tell us, O fine one, who are you that remain here so patiently?”’
CANTO 46
auti said, ‘Hearing all this, Jaratkaru was plunged in gloom. His voice
choking, tears in his eyes, he said to his Pitrs, “You are my sires and
grandsires! I am the sinner Jaratkaru; so chastise me, wretch that I am,
and command me what to do.”
The Pitrs replied, “O son, son, truly it is our great fortune that you have
arrived here on your wanderings. Brahmana, why have you not married?”
Jaratkaru said, “My fathers, I have always wanted to keep my vital seed
inside my body and thus take my body into the next world. So I decided
that I would never marry, but always remain celibate.
But now I have seen you hanging here like bats, I have turned my heart
away from brahmacharya. I will do as you ask. I will marry if I can find a
girl who has the same name that I do. She must give herself to me without
my asking, as alms, and I should never have to maintain her. Sires, if I find
such a woman I will marry, not otherwise. And the child that I beget on her
shall be your salvation, O my fathers, and you shall live in grace forever,
without fear.”
Having given his word to his manes, Jaratkaru set out once more,
wandering the face of the Earth again. O Saunaka, he was old and could
find no wife, and he thought of his Pitrs hanging in their hole and he
grieved terribly. However, he continued seeking a bride.
Once, in a deep jungle, he was quite unmanned by sorrow and began to
sob loudly. The Brahmana cried out loud, “I want a wife!” three times. “All
of you that can hear, mobile and unmoving, and all that are here invisibly,
hear me! My stricken manes have commanded me to marry and father a
son. I range the world at my Pitrs’ word, in poverty and in dire sorrow, to
find a wife who will be given to me as alms.
If any among you has a daughter who bears the same name as I do, and
one that I will not have to support, let him give her to me. O let him give
her to me so I can save my fathers who hang precariously in the hole in the
ground!”
The snakes that had been following Jaratkaru, waiting for just this
moment, sped back to Vasuki and told him what had happened. The Naga
king took his sister Jaratkaru with him, decked in her finest ornaments, and
went to the jungle where the Rishi was.
Brahmana, there Vasuki offered his sister Jaratkaru as alms to the noble
Sage. He did not accept her immediately: he was not certain that she had his
name and also the matter of upkeep had not been settled. He was silent for a
few moments, then, he asked, “What is the girl’s name? You must know
that I shall not maintain her.”’
CANTO 47
auti said, ‘Vasuki said to the Rishi Jaratkaru, “Best of Brahmanas, she
has the same name as you do. She is my sister and has done tapasya. I
will look after her, so take her for your wife. I swear that I will protect
her with all my resources. Greatest of Maharishis, I have nurtured her
carefully just for you.”
The Rishi replied, “Do we agree that I shall not maintain her and also
that she will always obey me? If she displeases me once, I will leave her.”
Vasuki gave the Muni his solemn word on both counts. Jaratkaru now
entered Vasuki’s home and took the hand of the serpent king’s sister, offered
to him with all proper Shastraic ritual. Then, Jaratkaru Muni took his bride
and went into the lavish apartment and bedchamber that Vasuki showed
him.
And in the private chamber was a great bed covered with priceless sheets
of silk. The Rishi said to his wife Jaratkaru, “You must never say or do
anything that is against my wishes or liking. If you ever displease me in the
least thing, I will leave you and go away. Remember this well.”
The Nagina princess, Vasuki’s sister, quickly agreed, in anxiety and
some sadness, “So be it”. Wanting to be useful to her clan, for she knew
why she had been married to the Rishi, that chaste princess served her
husband with the wakefulness of a dog, the timidity of a deer, and the
uncanny sensitivity to his mood, which a crow has.
And one day soon, after her period was over, Vasuki’s sister purified
herself with a ritual bath, went to her husband the Muni, and she conceived.
The embryo was like a flame in her womb, of terrific tejas, and shone like
fire. It grew inside her like the waxing moon.
One afternoon, during her pregnancy, Jaratkaru of great renown, tiredly
put his head in his wife’s lap and fell asleep. While he slept, the Sun entered
his mansion in the Western Mountain and began to set.
Brahmana, Vasuki’s sister became worried, she was afraid that her
husband might lose his punya. She thought, “What should I do? Shall I
wake my husband or not? He is exacting and meticulous in his rituals, and
must say his twilight sandhya prayers before the Sun sets. But if I wake
him, I risk his wrath. Which is worse: that he is angry with me or that he
loses his punya?”
Deciding that losing his punya was worse than risking his fury, Vasuki’s
sister said in the softest voice to her great husband lying like a flame with
his head in her lap, “Most fortunate, illustrious one, you must wake up. The
Sun is setting and you must bathe, say the name of Vishnu, and perform
your sandhya vandana. Twilight is upon us, my lord, awake.”
Jaratkaru opened his eyes, his lips quivered in anger, and he said to his
wife, “You have insulted me, O lovely Nagina, and I will no longer live
with you but go back to where I came from. O woman of the soft thighs, the
Sun cannot set while I am asleep in your lap. No one should continue to live
where he has been insulted, least of all a Brahmana like me.”
Jaratkaru, his wife, trembled with fear. She said to him, “Oh, Brahmana,
I did not wake you from any wish to insult you. I only woke you so that you
would not lose your punya by not observing your sandhya vandana.”
Rishi Jaratkaru was furious and he wanted to abandon his wife. Said he,
“Beautiful one, I have never spoken a lie, and leave you I shall. I have been
happy with you but I did tell your brother that the day you displeased me I
would go. When I have left, tell Vasuki that I have gone, and do not grieve
for me.”
Jaratkaru of faultless features was grief-stricken and terrified. Somehow,
she mustered the courage to speak to her husband. Her heart trembled and
she had gone pale.
Folding her hands to him, tears streaming down her lovely face, she said,
“It is not right that you leave me when I have done no wrong. You walk the
way of virtue and so do I, with my heart set upon saving my race. Best of
Brahmanas, the purpose for which I was given to you has not yet been
fulfilled. What will Vasuki say to me?
Brahmana, the son that my kinsmen want from me to save them from
our mother’s curse is not yet born. I beg you do not leave me until you give
me children. I am sinless, why are you being cruel to me?”
The Muni Jaratkaru said to his wife, “You have conceived and the being
in your womb is a Maharishi, brilliant as Agni himself, a master of the Veda
and the Vedangas.”
With that, Jaratakaru Rishi went away, his heart set on resuming his
tapasya.’
CANTO 48
auti said, ‘O you that have such great punya, when her husband left,
Jaratkaru the Nagina went straight to her brother Vasuki and told him
what had happened. Vasuki turned paler than his sister on hearing her
news.
He said in despair, “You know why you were given to be the Rishi’s
wife. Only if a son is born to you by your husband can our race be saved
from Janamejaya’s sarpa yagna. Brahma himself said so, with the Devas
present.
Sister, it is not proper for me to ask, but have you been with the Sage?
Has he made you pregnant? I dare not follow the Rishi, for he might curse
me if I do. But tell me everything that transpired between you two. Ah,
remove the arrow of terror that has lain buried in my heart for so long.”
Jaratkaru consoled her brother, saying, “My husband said to me that I
have conceived, and then he went away. I have never known him to tell a
lie, even jokingly. He would surely not have lied about such a grave matter.
He said that I should not grieve, because I will have a son who blazes like
Surya Deva.
He said this much to me before he went away. So be comforted, my
brother, and let the deep sorrow in your heart vanish.”
Vasuki, king of snakes, cried in joy, “Tathaastu, so be it!” And he gave
his sister the finest gifts and wealth, and praised her to the skies. Brahmana,
the splendid foetus inside her grew like the Moon waxing during the bright
fortnight.
When her time came, the Nagina Jaratkaru gave birth to a child who was
dazzling as a Deva child, and by his birth he assuaged the fears of his
ancestors and his mother’s people. The child grew up there in the house of
Vasuki, king of snakes.
He studied the Vedas and their Angas from Chyavana Muni, Bhrigu’s
son. And even when he was a mere boy, he kept the most stringent vratas.
He was gifted with great intelligence, with virtue, knowledge and freedom
from mundane indulgences. He was a saintly child.
They called him Astika, which meant “There is”, for that was what his
father had said before leaving, when his mother asked him if there was a
child conceived in her. He was a solemn and grave child, endowed with
exceptional intellect. The Nagas raised him with the greatest care, and they
said that he resembled golden Mahadeva, who wields the trisula. As he
grew, day by day, he was the delight of his entire clan.’
CANTO 49
aunaka said, ‘Tell me again in detail everything that King Janamejaya

asked his ministers about his father’s death.’
Sauti said, ‘O Brahmana, listen to what Janamejaya asked them and
also to what they said in reply about the death of Parikshit.
Janamejaya asked them, “You know what happened to my father. Tell
me how that king of great renown met his end. Once I hear the truth from
you I shall decide what is to be done, if it benefits the world. Otherwise, I
will do nothing and let the matter pass.”
One of the ministers replied, “Hear, O Rajan, about the life of your
illustrious father, and also how he left this world.
He was the most virtuous and noble Kshatriya, who always protected his
people. Listen to how he conducted himself, why, like an embodiment of
dharma, watching over the four varnas, each discharging their svadharma,
and watching over Bhumi Devi. He was blessed with untold prowess and
immense fortune.
No one disliked Parikshit and he disliked no one. Like Brahma himself,
he was equal-minded towards all the living. Rajan, your father protected
Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Sudra, impartially. Widows and orphans,
the deformed and the poor, he supported.
He was as handsome as another Soma Deva. The matchless Saradwat
was his Guru at arms. Janamejaya, your father was always dear to the Lord
Govinda. He was born to Uttaraa when the Kuru race was almost extinct
and, because he was tested with death while in his mother’s womb,
Abhimanyu’s mighty son was named Parikshit.
He knew the Shastras that describe the dharma of kings, in detail, and
virtue was part of his nature. His passions were under his control; he had a
profound and powerful intellect and a prodigious memory, the matchless
Parikshit.
He knew the nuances of dharma and politics as well, and he ruled over
his people for sixty glorious years. Then he died tragically and was
mourned by all his subjects. After him, you, great Janamejaya, were
crowned when you were a mere child, and you have ruled the Kuru
kingdom for a thousand years. Like your father, you are virtuous and
protect every creature that lives in your land.”
Janamejaya said, “Never has a king been born in the House of Kuru who
did not seek the good of his people, or one that his people did not love.
Consider especially my grandsires, the Pandavas of awesome deeds.
But tell me again, how did my father, with all his virtues, meet his
death? Describe everything to me as it happened. I want to hear it all.”
Commanded by their sovereign, his councillors told him all that had
happened.
“Rajan, your father, guardian of the very Earth, foremost among those
that live by the Shastras, became addicted to hunting, just like his ancestor
Pandu Mahabaho, greatest among archers. He would leave the governance
of the kingdom to us, from the most trivial to weighty matters, and be off
hunting in the forest.
One day, he shot a deer with an arrow and when it did not die, he
followed it deep into the jungle, armed with his sword and his bow and
quiver. However, he could not find the stag. Being sixty years old, he was
soon tired and hungry.
Suddenly, he saw in the heart of the forest a radiant Rishi. The Sage had
sworn a mowna vrata, a vow of silence. The king asked him repeatedly if he
had seen the deer, but the Muni made no reply. Suddenly, the king lost his
temper at the Sage who sat like a block of wood. Parikshit did not, in fact,
know that this was a Rishi observing a vow of silence. O Bharatarishabha,
your father scooped up a dead snake that lay on the ground with the tip of
his bow and draped it round the neck of the Rishi at his dhyana. The Sage
still did not say a word, and no hint of anger touched his pure and tranquil
heart. He sat on in silence, now with the dead snake around him.”’
CANTO 50
auti continued, ‘The ministers said, “Maharaja Parikshit returned to

Hastinapura. The Muni had a son, who was born of a cow; his name
was Sringin. He was famed for his great spiritual powers and brilliance,
and also his quick temper.
He would go every day to the house of his Guru to worship and serve
him. Released for the day by his master, Sringin was on his way home,
when a friend of his told him what your father Parikshit had done to his
father. Sringin heard that his sinless father now sat in meditation, as still as
a statue, with a dead snake around his neck. Rajan, the Rishi whom your
father mocked was a great Sannyasin, his passions restrained, always
absorbed in tapasya and also performing many wonderful deeds. He was an
illumined one, all his senses under perfect control.
All that he did and said was invariably full of grace and sweetness. No
greed or desire came near him; he was a contented one. No envy or
pettiness touched him, or rage, never. He was old now and frequently kept a
vow of silence. Most of all, he was a sea of kindness in whom any creature
in distress could seek sanctuary.
This was the Sage that your father insulted, and he did not react at all to
what Parikshit did. However, when his son Sringin heard what had
happened, he cursed your father in fury. Sringin was a mere youth, but he
had potent spiritual powers. Touching holy water with his fingers, blazing
in anger, he said, ‘Wretched king, behold the power of my tapasya shakti! I
curse you that, within seven days, Takshaka will burn you with his poison,
that you dared drape a dead snake around my father.’
Then Sringin went to where his father sat with the snake still around
him. He told his father that he had cursed Parikshit. At once, his father sent
a disciple of his, Gaurmukha, a good-natured, virtuous and well-mannered
young man, to your father’s court, to warn him.
Arriving in Hastinapura, Gaurmukha rested a while, and then delivered
his master’s message to the king: ‘O Rajan, my callow son has cursed you
that, in seven days, Takshaka will burn you with his poison. Be warned,
Parikshit, take every care.’
Janamejaya, when your father heard the terrible message, he quickly
made arrangements to take all precautions against Takshaka.
When the seventh day arrived, Kashyapa Muni was on his way to your
father, when Takshaka, disguising himself as a Brahmana, accosted him on
the road.
The Naga king said to Kashyapa, ‘Where are you going in such a hurry?
On what business are you going?’
Kashyapa replied, ‘Brahmana, I am going to meet King Parikshit, best of
the Kurus, for today Takshaka will burn him with his poison, and I shall
restore him to life with my power.’
Takshaka said, ‘Why do you want to revive the king, Brahmana? I am
Takshaka, and I say to you, you will fail to restore Parikshit to life after I
have bitten him. You do not know how virulent my poison is. Let me show
you.’
Takshaka buried his fangs in a great nyagrodha tree, a looming king of
the jungle. At once, the tree was burnt to ashes. But Kashyapa, O King,
revived it with his mantras.
Takshaka was wonderstruck and said to the Sage, ‘Tell me what you
want from Parikshit for saving his life.’
Kashyapa, said, ‘I am going to him for gold.’
Takshaka said softly, ‘Sinless, I will give your more gold than you
expect from Parikshit. Take it and go home.’
Kashyapa Prajapati accepted a fair treasure from Takshaka, gold and
jewels to his heart’s content, and turned back home.
Takshaka disguised himself again, and going into the presence of your
good father, who was living in a mansion in the air supported on a single
column, blasted him with his poison, burning him to ashes.
When your father’s last rites had been performed, O tiger among men,
you were made the king. This is the story of how your father died, and we
have told it to you as it happened, savage though it was. You have heard
about how Maharaja Parikshit draped the snake around the Rishi Samika’s
neck, how Sringin cursed him, and how horribly he died. Now you must
decide what you want to do.”
King Janamejaya, Parantapa, bane of his enemies, said to his ministers,
“How did you know about the meeting between Takshaka and Kashyapa,
about the pipal tree being burnt to ashes and then revived by the Muni?
It is certain that Kashyapa could have saved my father’s life with his
mantras. But fearing the world’s ridicule if he failed to kill noble Parikshit,
the vile snake bribed the Rishi to return home.
I have already thought of how I mean to punish Takshaka. However, the
meeting between Takshaka and the Sage occurred in the heart of the jungle,
on a lonely path. How do you know in such detail everything that was said
and done on that occasion?”
The ministers said, “Rajan, a Brahmana’s servant had climbed that pipal
tree to break some dry branches for his master’s sacrificial fire. He told us
about the meeting between the Sage and the Serpent king, and neither saw
him.
When Takshaka burned the tree, Rajadhiraja, this man was also reduced
to ashes. When Kashyapa gave life to the tree, the fellow lived again, and
came to tell us what had happened in the forest’s heart. Now you must
decide what you will do to avenge your great father.”
Janamejaya heard what his ministers said, and began to cry and to wring
his hands in anguish on hearing how his father had died. The lotus-eyed
king sighed and gasped; he sobbed and even screamed aloud. His eyes
blazed, and he touched holy water with his fingers to sanctify what he was
about to say.
Composing himself somewhat, Janamejaya said to his ministers, “I
thank you for telling me how my father perished. I have decided to take
revenge on the malignant Takshaka. It is true that Sringin first cursed my
father, but for what reason except the evil and pride in his heart did
Takshaka turn Kashyapa back? If he had allowed the Sage to come to
Hastinapura, my father’s life would have been saved.
Takshaka did not know what my wrath would be when I discovered what
he did. He gave gold to the Brahmana and turned Kashyapa back. In what
way had my father offended Takshaka that he did this? Why, the Rishi
Samika forgave my father easily. I will have terrible revenge on Takshaka,
for my own satisfaction, for Samika’s and for the satisfaction of all of you
that loved Parikshit.”’
CANTO 51
auti continued, ‘The ministers approved as a man, thunderously.

Janamejaya, Lord of the Earth, that tiger of the race of Bharata, called
his chief priest and his Ritviks. In chaste language, he said to them, “I
must avenge myself on Takshaka for killing my father. Do you know how I
can cast the low snake and all his clan into a fire? I want to burn the serpent
just as he did my father.”
The chief priest answered, “Rajan, there is a yagna by which you can
accomplish your desire, a great sacrifice created by the Devas. It is called
the sarpa yagna and has been described in the Puranas. Scholars that know
the Puranas have told us that only you, mighty king, can perform the sarpa
yagna.”
O Saunaka, Janamejaya felt exhilarated as if Takshaka had already been
burnt and flung into the blazing maw of Agni, which consumes the havis of
every sacrifice.
The king said to those Brahmana masters of mantras, “Let us prepare for
the sarpa yagna! Tell me what you need for the snake sacrifice.”
The king’s learned Ritviks measured out land for the yagnashala, as
prescribed in the Shastras. The platform was adorned with auspicious and
priceless articles required for the yagna, and with Brahmanas.
Jewels in abundance, and paddy decked the yagnashala. The Ritviks sat
upon it in comfort. When the dais was built, in strict accordance with
Shastraic injunction, the Brahmanas installed Janamejaya as the Sacrificer,
so that he could fulfil his purpose.
Just before the sacrifice got underway, something happened that did not
portend well for the completion of the sarpa yagna. As the yagnashala was
being built, a professional Suta builder of great intelligence, an expert in the
craft of laying foundations, and a master of the Puranas, declared, “The soil
upon which this dais is erected and the time the measurements for it were
taken both indicate that the yagna will not be completed, and a Brahmana
shall cause its obstruction.”
When the king heard this, he ordered his dwarapalakas not to let anyone
enter the yagnashala without his permission.’
CANTO 52
ASTIKA PARUA CONTINUED
auti said, ‘The snake sacrifice began at the proper time, and the priests,
wearing black robes and their eyes red from the smoke that issued from
the agnikunda, poured ghee into the fire, chanting the prescribed
mantras.
They said the names of the Nagas aloud, as they poured clarified butter
into the mouth of Agni, and chanted the dire incantations. Wherever they
were, the hearts of the serpents quailed in fright. Drawn helplessly into the
blazing fire, the snakes came from wherever they were, and piteously
crying out to one another, fell into the flames.
In millions, their bodies swollen, panting and hissing, they came and,
twining around one another in their final moments, plunged headlong into
the agni kunda. White, black, blue, old and young fell alike into the blaze,
crying out in various voices. There were those measuring a krosa, others a
yojana long, those of the length of a gokarna; and all of them fell in a
torrent into that greatest of fires.
Millions upon millions of Nagas died, with no control over their own
bodies, pulled inexorably into the flames by the fell mantras of the priests.
Amongst those that perished were some Nagas like horses, others like the
trunks of elephants, and yet others as big as elephants and with the strength
of pachyderms in musth. Varicoloured, their venom smoking and virulent,
always vicious, looking like great maces with spikes, those Nagas cursed by
their mother Kadru streamed into the leaping jaws of the flames and died.’
CANTO 53
aunaka asked, ‘Which Maharishis were the Ritviks during the sarpa
yagna of Janamejaya of the line of the Pandavas? Who were the
Sadasyas at the sacrifice so fearsome and tragic for the serpents? O son
of Suta Romaharshana, tell us in detail so that we might discover which
Rishis knew the rituals for that yagna.’
Sauti replied, ‘I will recite the names of the Sages who became
Janamejaya’s Ritviks and Sadasyas. The Brahmana Chandabhargava was
the Hotri. Great was his renown, and he was born into the lineage of
Chyvana and was among the foremost masters of the Veda.
The learned old Brahmana, Kautsa, was the Udgatri, and chanted the
Vedic hymns. Jaimini was the Brahmana, and Sarngarva and Pingala the
Adhvaryus. Vyasa with his son and disciples was present, and Uddalaka,
Pramataka, Swetaketu, Pingala, Asita, Devala, Narada, Parvata, Atreya,
Kundajathara, Kalaghata, Vatsya, old Srutasravas always absorbed in japa
and the study of the Vedas.
Kohala, Devasharman, Maudgalya, Samasaurava, and many other
Brahmanas, all Vedic masters, became the Sadasyas, the guests of honour at
that sacrifice of Parikshit’s son.
When the Ritviks began to pour ghee into the fire, the most dreadful
Nagas, who struck terror into every creature, began to pour into the flames.
The fat and marrow of the snakes consumed by the fire flowed in streams.
The air was filled with a fearful stench as the snakes burned. The screams
of the snakes in the flames and those of the serpents about to fall into the
flames were a single incessant cry.
Meanwhile, Takshaka, prince of snakes, heard that Janamejaya had
begun his sacrifice and he flew to Indra’s palace. Shaking in terror,
confessing his sin, he sought sanctuary from Purandara.
Indra said to him, ‘Takshaka, while you are here you have nothing to
fear from the sarpa yagna. I worshipped Brahma for your sake, so have no
fear.’
Sauti continued, ‘Taking heart from this, Takshaka began living in
Indra’s realm, joyfully. But Vasuki, king of the Nagas, saw how his people
died without let, how his family was being reduced moment by moment,
and he was full of sorrow, his heart breaking.
Calling his sister Jaratkaru, he said to her, “My body burns and I cannot
see the cardinal points of the sky anymore. My mind is a whirl, my sight
fails me, my heart is breaking and I am about to faint. I feel certain that
Janamejaya’s fire, kindled to consume our race, draws me irresistibly, and I
too will fall into it today. I feel certain that I will also find Yama’s realm for
myself. The time has come, sister, for the purpose to be fulfilled for which
you were married to the Rishi Jaratkaru. Best among Naginas, Astika must
put an end to the sarpa yagna. Brahma himself told me this, long ago. Tell
your son, my child, who is a master of the Vedas and so esteemed even by
his elders, that he must save me and those that depend on me.”’
CANTO 54
auti said, ‘The Nagina Jaratkaru called Astika and said, “The time has
come for you to fulfil your destiny, the reason why my brother gave me
in marriage to your father. My son, do what you have to.”
Astika asked, “Why did my uncle give you in marriage to my father?
Tell me everything so that I might do what I feel needs to be done.”
Jaratkaru, who remained calm though she was anxious for the lives of
her people, said, “My son, Kadru is the mother of all the Nagas. Do you
know that she cursed her sons in anger? She cursed them saying, ‘You have
refused to become black hairs on the tail of Uchchaisravas, so that Vinata
becomes my slave. I curse you that Agni, whose sarathy is Vayu, shall
consume you all during Janamejaya’s sarpa yagna! And dying, you shall
find hell for yourselves, where unredeemed souls dwell.’
And Brahma himself ratified her curse, saying, ‘So be it.’
Vasuki heard that curse and also Brahma approving it. My brother
sought the protection of the Devas, by becoming their churning rope when
they churned the Ocean for the Amrita. When they had the Amrita, the
Devas took Vasuki to Brahma Pitamaha. They beseeched the Lotus-born
One to nullify the curse of Kadru.
The Devas said, ‘Lord, Vasuki, king of the snakes, is dejected for his
people. How can his mother’s curse be turned away?’
Brahma replied, ‘Rishi Jaratkaru will marry a wife who bears his own
name. The Brahmana born from her will save the Nagas.’
And so, Vasuki gave me to your noble father well before the sarpa yagna
began. My child, radiant as a god, you were born from that union. That time
of your destiny has come, and you must save my brother and me from
Janamejaya’s fire. Tell me what you think, Astika my son.”
Astika said simply to his mother, “Yes, I will.”
He turned to the pale and terrified Vasuki and, as if breathing new life
into him, said, “Great Vasuki, best of snakes, I will save you from the curse.
Abandon your anxiety, there is nothing to fear anymore. Never have I
spoken a falsehood, even in jest, so I certainly do not lie now. Let me go to
Janamejaya’s sacrifice and pacify him with sweet words and blessings, too,
and make him stop the sarpa yagna. O Nagaraja, trust me, for I will do as I
have said.”
Vasuki breathed, “Astika, my head spins and my heart is breaking. I
cannot see the cardinal points anymore. Ah, my mother’s curse is upon
me.”
Astika said, “Nagottama, best of snakes, do not worry, for I will dispel
your fear of Janamejaya’s fire. I will extinguish the flames of revenge that
burn like the fire at the end of the Yuga.”
Astika now sped away to the king’s sacrifice, taking, as it were, his
uncle’s terror with him; the Nagas felt relieved. Arriving, Astika saw the
wonderful yagnashala and the many Sadasyas seated upon the dais, holy
men as bright as Surya and Agni.
Janamejaya’s dwarapalakas refused to let Astika enter. Astika won them
over with sweet words and blessings. Entering the yagnashala, that great
Brahmana began to fulsomely praise the king of vast power and
accomplishments, as well as the Ritviks, the Sadasyas, and the sacred fire.’
CANTO 55
stika said, “Soma, Varuna and Prajapati performed yagnas in time out
of mind at Prayaga. O Bharatarishabha, son of Parikshit, your
sacrifice is in no way inferior to theirs. Ah, may it bless those dear to
me!
Indra performed a hundred yagnas, but this one yagna of yours is equal
to ten thousand of Sakra’s sacrifices, O Bharatarishabha, son of Parikshit.
Ah, may it bless those dear to us!
Your yagna is like the yagna of Yama, of Harimedha, or Rantideva, O
Bharatarishabha, son of Parikshit. Let those dear to us be blessed!
Like the sacrifice of Mayaa Danava, of King Sasabindu, or of King
Vaisravana (at which he was himself the chief priest), is this sacrifice of
yours, O Bharatarishabha, son of Parikshit. Let those dear to us be blessed!
Your yagna equals the sacrifices of Nriga, of Ajamida, of Dasaratha’s
son Rama, O Bharatarishabha, O son of Parikshit. Let those dear to us be
blessed!
Like the yagna of King Yudhishtira, the son of a Deva, of Ajamida’s
race, renowned even in Swarga, is this sacrifice of yours, O
Bharatarishabha, O son of Parikshit. Let those dear to us be blessed by it!
Like the yagna of Krishna Dwaipayana, the son of Satyavati, in which he
himself was the chief priest, is this sacrifice of yours, O foremost of
Bharata’s race, O son of Parikshit. Let those dear to us be blessed by it!
These Ritviks and Sadasyas who attend your yagna are as magnificent as
Indra who slew Vritrasura, as splendid as Surya. There remains nothing that
they do not know, and the gifts offered them produce inexhaustible punya.
I am convinced that no Ritvik in the three worlds can equal your Ritvik
Dwaipayana. Why, all his sishyas become matchless Ritviks and range the
Earth performing their dharma. I see how Agni Deva—gold his seed and
black smoke marking his path, Agni who is called Vibhavasu and
Chitrabhanu—blazes with flames that sway to the right and bears your
libations of ghee to the other Devas.
O Janamejaya, no king on Earth protects his people as you do. O, I am
pleased with your abstinence and your restraint. I feel that you are either
Varuna or Yama the Lord of dharma. Why, you watch over the creatures of
the Earth even like Indra, with his Vajra in hand. In this world, you have no
equal for greatness and for sacrifice. I say that you are like Khatvanga,
Nabhaga and Dilipa.
You are as strong as Yayati and Mandhatri, as splendorous as Surya;
your vows as stern as Bhishma’s, your hidden tejas like Valmiki’s, who sat
covered by an anthill. Like Vasishtha you have mastered your anger. Your
sovereignty is as Indra’s. Your grandeur and lustre are like Narayana’s. You
dispense justice like Yama. Like Krishna, every virtue adorns you.
You are as fortunate as the Vasus; you are the home of yagnas. You are
as mighty as Dambodbhava. You are as much a master of the Shastras and
arms as Jamadagni’s son Parasurama. Your tejas matches that of Aurva and
Trita. Your gaze inspires terror even as Bhagiratha’s did.”
With such fulsome adoration, Astika addressed Janamejaya, the
Sadasyas, the Ritviks and the sacrificial fire. Janamejaya saw omens all
around.’
CANTO 56
uta said, ‘Janamejaya said, “This is a boy, but he speaks like a wise old
man. He is not a boy but wise, an old soul. I think I want to grant him a
boon. Brahmanas, I ask your leave to do that.”
The Sadasyas said, “A Brahmana, even if he is a boy, deserves the
respect of kings. A learned Brahmana more so. This boy deserves to have
every desire of his satisfied, but not before Takshaka comes into your fire.”
But the king was eager to grant the young Brahmana a boon. “Ask for a
boon,” he said.
The Hotri did not approve, “Takshaka has not yet come to our sarpa
yagna.”
Janamejaya said, “Let us strive to complete the yagna quickly. Takshaka
must come and die, for he is my enemy.”
The Ritviks said, “Rajan, the signs of the Shastras and the fire both say
that Takshaka dwells in Indra’s realm, in fear for his life.”
The illustrious Suta Lohitaksha, master of the Puranas, had already told
the king this.
When Janamejaya asked again why Takshaka had not appeared, the Suta
replied, “Sire, the Brahmanas speak truly. I know the Puranas and I say to
you that Indra has granted Takshaka a boon. Indra said to the Naga,
‘Remain hidden with me and Agni will not burn you.’”
Hearing this, Janamejaya the Sacrificer was dejected. He urged the Hotri
to bend his will to his task. The Hotri chanted mantras, and poured more
ghee into the fire, and Indra came there on high.
The Deva came in his vimana, covered by thick clouds, with all the gods
around him, and following him, Gandharvas and bevies of Apsaras.
Takshaka, terrified, hid in Indra’s robe.
In rage, Janamejaya cried again to his mantra-chanting Brahmanas, “If
Takshaka hides with Indra, then cast him into the fire with Indra himself!”
The Hotri poured more libations into the fire, calling Takshaka’s name.
As the ghee fell into the flames, the terrified Takshaka was revealed in the
sky with Indra. Purandara saw the yagna and grew afraid. He abandoned
Takshaka in a trice and flew back to his world. Slowly, ineluctably, the
potent maledictions drew the trembling Takshaka toward the flames.”
The Ritviks said, “Maharaja, your yagna is complete. You may now
grant the excellent Brahmana a boon.”
Janamejaya said to Astika, “O Brahmana, so handsome and boyish, I
want to grant you a worthy boon. Ask me for whatever you want, and I
swear you shall have it even if it is something well nigh impossible to
give.”
The Ritviks said triumphantly, “Rajan, look how Takshaka draws close.
Listen to his screams and roars as he nears the flames. Indra has forsaken
him and, weakened by the mantras, he falls out of heaven. Look where he
falls swooning, and hissing like a storm!”
Just before Takshaka fell into the sarpa yagna fire, Astika asked
Janamejaya for his boon.
“O great King, if you want to grant me a boon, let this sacrifice of yours
cease at once, and not another snake fall into the flames!”
O Brahmana, Parikshit’s son was dismayed and pleaded with Astika,
“Illustrious one, I will give you gold, silver, cows, and whatever else you
want, but don’t let my yagna stop.”
Astika replied, “I do not want gold, silver, cows or anything else, O
King, but only that this sacrifice ends and that my mother’s kinsmen are
spared.”
Again and again, Janamejaya begged Astika, “Brahmana ask me for
another boon, and my blessings be upon you!”
But, O Saunaka of Bhrigu’s race, he would not ask for another boon.
Finally, the Sadasyas, all knowers of the Veda, said to Janamejaya in one
voice, “Give the Brahmana the boon he wants!”’
CANTO 57
aunaka said, ‘Sauti, tell me the names of all the Nagas that fell into
Janamejaya’s fire.”
Sauti replied, “Billions of snakes fell into the fire, most excellent
Brahmana, beyond count. But listen to the names of the main Nagas, as
many as I can remember.
First listen to the names of the kindred of Vasuki, who were coloured
red, blue and white, all of them ferocious and their venom deadly.
Helplessly afflicted by their mother’s curse, they poured into the flames and
sizzled to death, just like libations of ghee.
Kotisa, Manasa, Purna, Chala, Pala, Halmaka, Pichchala, Kaunapa,
Chakra, Kalavega, Prakalana, Hiranyabahu, Charana, Kakshaka,
Kaladantaka – all these sons of Vasuki fell into the fire.
Brahmana, besides them, numberless other serpents, highborn, terrible
and powerful, burned to ashes in the fire. Listen to those that died which
belonged to Takshaka’s clan: Puchchandaka, Mandalaka, Pindasektri,
Ravenaka; Uchochikha, Charava, Bhangas, Vilwatejas, Virohana; Sili,
Salakara, Muka, Sukumara, Pravepana, Mudgara, Sisuroman, Suroman and
Mahahami.
Of Airavata’s kin, Paravata, Parijata, Pandara, Harina, Krisa, Vihanga,
Sarabha, Meda, Pramoda and Sauhatapana perished. Brahmanashreshta,
from the clan of Kauravya those that were burned to ashes were Eraka,
Kundala, Veni, Veniskandha, Kumaraka, Vahuka, Sringavera, Dhurtaka,
Pratara and Astaka.
Of the kinsfolk of Dhritarashtra, who are as swift as Vayu and their
poison virulent, Sankukarna, Pitharaka, Kuthara, Sukhana, Shechaka,
Purnangada, Purnamukha, Prahasa, Shakuni, Dari, Amahatha, Kumathaka,
Sushena, Vyaya, Bhairava, Mundavedanga, Pisanga, Udraparaka, Rishabha,
Vegavat, Pindaraka; Raktanga, Sarvasaranga, Samhriddha, Patha, Vasaka,
Varahaka, Viranaka, Suchitra, Chitravegika, Parasara, Tarunaka,
Maniskandha and Aruni were consumed.
Brahmana, these were the most prominent snakes that perished, known
for their mighty deeds and accomplishments. I cannot begin to name all the
snakes that died, for they were truly beyond count: the sons of the great
Nagas that I have named died, and their sons. So many those flames
devoured!
Some had three heads, some had seven, others ten, and their poison was
like the fire at the end of the Yuga and they were all dreadful to behold.
There were others, immense, swift as lightning, lofty as mountain peaks,
long as a yama, a yojana, even two yojanas, who could assume any form at
will, and who were as strong as they wanted to be, their venom like Agni –
all cursed by a mother, all of them became ashes in the flames of that great
yagna.’
CANTO 58
auti said, ‘Listen to something else rather wonderful that Astika did.
When Janamejaya was about to grant Astika’s boon, Takshaka,
abandoned by Indra and hurtling towards the Earth, suddenly stopped
falling and remained suspended in the air. Janamejaya was puzzled by this
since the Ritviks still chanted mantras and poured butter into the agni that
blazed in his name.’
Saunaka asked, ‘Suta, were the mantras impotent that Takshaka stopped
falling?’
Sauti replied, ‘While Takshaka plunged firewards, by now unconscious
with weakness and fear, Astika said thrice, “Stay! Stay! Stay!” And at this,
Takshaka remained suspended in midair.
Then, urged repeatedly by his Sadasyas, Janamejaya said, “Let the yagna
end and no more snakes perish. This is my boon to Astika.”
Shouts of joy and praise rang through the air. Thus the sarpa yagna of
the son of Parikshit, king of the Pandava race, stopped. Janamejaya, scion
of the race of Bharata, was pleased with his sacrifice, and gave away untold
wealth to the Ritviks and Sadasyas who had attended his great sacrifice.
He also gave gold beyond count to the Suta Lohitaksha, the expert at
building foundations, who had said before the yagna began that it would be
interrupted by a Brahmana. The munificent king also gave Lohitaksha fine
garments and food, and was gratified.
Finally, that king concluded his yagna with the prescribed rituals.
Showing Astika all reverence, Janamejaya sent him home in joy that his
mission had been accomplished.
Janamejaya said to Astika, “You must come again and be a Sadasya at
my Aswamedha yagna, my imperial horse sacrifice.”
Astika replied that he would, and returned home, the king and he both
satisfied. Arriving home in delight, he touched the feet of his mother and
his uncle, and he told them all that had happened.
All the Nagas there heaved a great sigh of relief and were delighted with
Astika that he had removed their fear. They said to him, “Gifted child, wise
Astika, ask us for any boon.”
Astika promptly said, “Let anyone who reads this holy story of what I
did, either at dawn or dusk, with concentration and a cheerful heart, never
have to fear anything from you.”
The snakes said happily, “Let it be exactly as you want, nephew!
Anyone that recalls the names of Astika, Artiman and Sunitha, by day or by
night, shall have no fear of snakes. He who says, ‘I remember Jaratkaru’s
son Astika, who saved the race of Nagas from perishing at the sarpa yagna,
so do not harm me and go away, O Naga!’ shall be safe from every one of
our kind.
The snake that still bites such a man shall have his hood spilt in a
hundred pieces like the fruit of the Sinsa tree.”
That great Brahmana was satisfied and pleased. Now the Mahatman set
his heart upon leaving the world, and when his time came, he rose into
Swarga, leaving his son and grandsons behind.
This is the tale of Astika, exactly as it happened. It is certainly true that
relating this story dispels the fear of snakes. O Brahmanas, O Maharishi of
Bhrigu’s line, I have told you the legend of the holy Astika just as your
ancestor Pramati told it to his son Ruru. Listening to this tale fetches great
punya, O Saunaka, and I hope that having told it from the beginning, I have
satisfied your curiosity.’
CANTO 59
ADIVAMSAVATARANA PARVA
aunaka said, ‘Child, Suta, I am very pleased with you that you have told
me this story beginning with the sons of Bhrigu. Now I ask you again,
to narrate for us, O Ugrasravas, the Bharata that Vyasa composed. I
want to hear all the myriad and exciting stories told among those illumined
Sadasyas who came to Janamejaya’s sarpa yagna, during the intervals
between the rituals they performed at the prolonged sacrifice – the tales and
the lessons to be learnt from them: tell me both, O Sauti, in full.’
Sauti said, ‘Those Brahmanas spoke of many matters derived from the
Veda, when they had the time, but Vyasa recited the magnificent Itihasa
called the Bharata.’
Saunaka said, ‘I want to hear that sacred history called the Mahabharata,
which has spread the fame of the Pandavas across the world, the Itihasa
which Krishna Dwaipayana recited when Janamejaya asked him, after the
sarpa yagna was over.
That legend was conceived in the oceanic mind of Maharishi Vyasa, his
soul purified by yoga. You have whetted my thirst with whatever you have
said so far, but not appeased it, O Suta.’
Sauti said, ‘I will narrate Vyasa’s great Itihasa, the Mahabharata, for you,
from beginning to end. Nothing will give me more pleasure, O Saunaka.’
CANTO 60
ADIVAMSAVATARANA PARVA CONTINUED
auti said, ‘When the Rishi Krishna Dwaipayana heard that Janamejaya
had been installed as the Sacrificer for the sarpa yagna, he came to that
yagna. Vyasa, grandfather of the Pandavas, had been born on an island
in the Yamuna, to the virgin Kali by Shakti’s son Parasara Muni. As soon as
he was born, miraculously, he was a full-grown Sage, who already knew the
Vedas and the Vedangas and all the Itihasas.
Naturally he possessed vast inborn knowledge and illumination that no
other could hope to have through tapasya, studying the Veda, keeping
vratas, fasting, having sons or by performing yagnas. Greatest among those
that knew the Veda, Vyasa divided the single Veda into four. The Brahmana
had knowledge of the Parabrahman, knew the deep past by intuition, was a
truly holy one, and treasured the truth. His ways sacred and his fame great,
he sired Pandu, Dhritarashtra and Vidura, so that the line of Shantanu might
not be extinguished.
With his disciples, all knowers of the Vedas and their Angas, this
Mahatman walked into the yagnashala of Rajarishi Janamejaya. He saw
Janamejaya sitting there like Indra himself, surrounded by his Sadasyas, by
numberless kings who had all performed sacred ablutions, and by masterly
Ritviks who were like Brahma himself.
When Bharatottama Rajarishi Janamejaya saw Vyasa Muni, he rose
quickly and came with his guests and his kinsmen to welcome the Sage in
great joy. With his Sadasyas’ warm approval, the king offered the Rishi a
lofty golden seat, just as Indra had to Brihaspati.
When Vyasa, who is worshipped by the Devas and can grant great
boons, sat on the golden seat, the king of kings worshipped him with rites
set down in the scriptures. The king offered his grandsire Krishna
Dwaipayana water to wash his feet and rinse his mouth, arghya and gifts of
sacred cows. Vyasa accepted the formal offerings, asked for the cows to be
protected, and was pleased with the Pandava.
After these adorations, Janamejaya bowed to his great grandsire, then sat
down with him in joy and asked after his well-being. The illumined Muni
looked at the king with love, asked in turn after his welfare, and offered
homage to the Sadasyas who had all already adored him.
When all this was done, folding his hand reverentially, Janamejaya asked
that great Brahmana, “Lord you saw with your own eyes the lives of the
Kurus and the Pandavas. I want to hear their story from you. What caused
the enmity between them, which resulted in such extraordinary events?
Also, what led to the Great War between my grandsires, which killed
countless men? Why was their good sense dimmed by fate? Best among
Brahmanas, I beg you, tell me in full all that happened.”
Krishna Dwaipayana turned to his disciple Vaisampayana seated at his
side, and told him, “You tell the king all about the enmity that sprang up
between the Kurus and the Pandavas, exactly as I told it to you.”
At his guru’s dictate, the blessed Vaisampayana narrated the entire story
to Janamejaya, his Sadasyas and the other Kshatriyas and Brahmanas
gathered there. He told them all about that enmity and the Great War that
devastated the Kurus and the Pandavas.’
CANTO 61
aisampayana said, “I first prostrate in sashtanga namaskara, eight

limbs touching the ground, before my guru, with absolute devotion
in my heart. I also worship this sacred assembly of learned
Brahmanas. I will now narrate all that I heard from the Mahamuni Vyasa,
greatest among geniuses in the three worlds. O King, surely, since the
Bharata has come to you, you deserve to hear the awesome epic. My heart
might otherwise tremble to undertake this immense narration, but having
my guru’s command I feel no trace of fear.
Listen, O Janamejaya, to why discord broke out between the Kurus and
the Pandavas; hear about the envious lust for kingdom that led to the game
of dice and how the Kurus sent the Pandavas into exile in the forest. I will
tell you everything that happened, O best among kings.
When their father Pandu dies, those young Kshatriyas, the Pandavas,
come home to Hastinapura. In quick time, they become masters of archery.
The Kurus see that the sons of Pandu are exceptionally gifted with strength,
vitality, intelligence and fortune, and that the people love them; and the
Kurus are stricken with envy.
The devious and perfidious Duryodhana, with Karna and Duryodhana’s
uncle Shakuni, son of Subala, begins to persecute the sons of Pandu, and to
plot to have them exiled. Swayed by Shakuni’s evil counsel, Duryodhana
schemes to kill the Pandavas, so that he can have undivided sovereignty.
Dhritarashtra’s demonic son feeds poison to Bhima, mixed in some sweets,
but Bhima of the stomach of the wolf digests the poison, and only falls
asleep from it on the banks of the Ganga.
Duryodhana binds Bhima hand and foot and, casting him into the river,
walks away. But Kunti’s enormously strong son awakes, easily breaks the
thongs that bind him and Bheemasena Mahabaho surfaces, all his
sluggishness gone.
While he falls, sleeping, into the water, black watersnakes bite him all
over his great body, their venom deadly. But that nemesis of his enemies
still does not die.
All the while that their cousins plot to murder them, their noble uncle
Vidura helps the sons of Pandu in every way that he can, frequently saving
their lives. As Indra watches over the world from Swarga does Vidura
watch over the Pandavas and keeps evil away from them.
By many means, covert and open, Duryodhana attempts to do away with
his cousins. Time and again he fails, for the fates protect the Pandavas,
keeping them safe for the great destiny they have been born to fulfil – the
very annihilation of the race of kings.
Duryodhana sits in dark conclave with his coterie—Karna, Dushasana
and some others—and, with Dhritarashtra’s knowledge, has a house of lac
built in Varanavrata, in Kasi. Out of inordinate love for his son, as well as
blind ambition to keep the throne, Dhritarashtra colludes with Duryodhana
to send the innocent Pandavas to Varanavrata. As the sons of Pandu are
leaving Hastinapura with their mother Kunti, Vidura discreetly warns them
of mortal danger and tells them how to escape it.
Kunti and her sons arrive in Varanavrata and begin living in the lacquer
palace; Duryodhana’s agent Purochana, who has built the edifice, takes
them there. For a year they live in the deadly mansion, on their guard all the
while, watching Purochana’s every move.
Meanwhile, Vidura sends them an expert tunneller, who secretly
excavates an underground passage leading out of the house of lac. One
night, the Pandavas set fire to the palace, immolating Duryodhana’s spy
within, and escape through the secret tunnel.
In great anxiety at the murderous plot hatched against them, the sons of
Pandu flee with their mother. In the forest, near a natural fountain, they see
a Rakshasa, but do not slay him for fear of giving themselves away to their
enemies, whom they want to think them dead, burnt alive in the lacquer
palace at Varanavrata. Instead, they flee into the deep jungle, from fear of
Duryodhana and his brothers.
In that vana, Bhima takes Hidimbi for his wife, for some time, after
killing her brother, the Rakshasa Hidimba. He sires Ghatotkacha on her.
The Pandavas, knowers of the Vedas, observing their vratas, find their way
to the town called Ekachakra. Disguising themselves as Brahmanas, those
bulls among men live in the house of a Brahmana, begging alms for a
living.
Here the tigerish Bhima Mahabaho slays the ferocious Rakshasa Baka,
the man-eater, and delivers the people of Ekachakra from their constant
terror. Here, too, they hear about Krishnaa, the princess of Panchala, for
whom her father is to hold a swayamvara, at which she would choose a
husband for herself.
The Pandavas go to Panchala and win the hand of Draupadi to be the
wife of all five of them. After living in Panchala for a year, their presence is
discovered and they return to Hastinapura with their bride.
King Dhritarashtra and Shantanu’s son Bhishma say to them, ‘We have
learned sadly of the rancour between yourselves and your cousins. We have
decided to bestow ancient Khandavaprastha on you as your patrimony, half
the kingdom, so there is no further cause for dispute. Go without envy in
your hearts, for great is Khandavaprastha, its highways broad and its
expanse wide.’
Without argument, the sons of Pandu leave for Khandavaprastha, with
some friends and followers, taking many precious jewels, ornaments and
gold with them. For many years, the Pandavas live in peace in
Khandavaprastha which they now call Indraprastha.
They subdue many kingdoms and Kshatriyas by force of arms, and live
in constant dharma, and truth. Always serene and humble, unmoved by
wealth, crushing many forces of evil in their kingdom, the Pandavas rise to
great power.
Now mighty Bhima conquers the kingdoms of the East, the heroic
Arjuna, the North; Nakula, the West; Sahadeva, doom to his enemies, the
South. When this is done, they hold sway over all of Bharatavarsha. Why,
with the five Pandavas, the Earth seems as if six Suns shine upon her!
Then, Yudhishtira Dharmaputra is forced to send his brother Arjuna,
greatest and ambidextrous bowman, dearer to him than life, into the forest
for twelve years. That Purushavyaghra, tiger among men, resolute, gifted
with every virtue, lives in the wilderness for eleven years and as many
months.
During his exile, Arjuna visits Krishna in Dwaravati. In Dwaraka, Ocean
City, he takes Krishna’s younger sister, the lotus-eyed Subhadra, her voice
sweet like honey, to be his wife. She marries him joyfully, even as Sachi
married Indra; she unites, in gladness, with Arjuna, the son of Pandu, as Sri
did with Vasudeva.
Later, O best of kings, Kunti’s son Arjuna and Krishna please Agni, who
bears the havis from every yagna to the Devas, by burning the Khandava
vana with its potent herbs, and that cures Agni of indigestion. Arjuna, with
Kesava to help him, finds the task of burning the forest easy, for nothing is
difficult for Vishnu of infinite resources.
Agni gives Kunti’s son the divine longbow, the Gandiva, and an
inexhaustible quiver, and a war-chariot that flies Garuda on its banner. It is
then that Arjuna saves the great Asura Mayaa from being consumed by the
fire.
The grateful Mayaa builds an unearthly sabha for the sons of Pandu,
adorned and encrusted with every kind of priceless jewel and gemstone.
When the evil Duryodhana sees the Mayaa Sabha he wants to own that
palace.
Duryodhana arranges to play a game of dice with Yudhishtira, at which
Subala’s son Shakuni uses loaded dice, rolling them with his cunning
fingers. Beating the eldest Pandava at the false game of dice, Duryodhana
sends the Pandavas into exile for twelve years and a thirteenth year to be
spent in disguise, so no one discovers them: on pain of going back into
exile.
In the fourteenth year, O King, the Pandavas return to claim their
kingdom, but Duryodhana refuses to return it. War is declared, and the
Pandavas regain their ravaged kingdom, but only after the very race of
Kshatriyas perishes on the field of Kurukshetra, and finally Duryodhana
also dies.
This is the story of the Pandavas, who never allowed adharma, evil, to
rule them, and of their enmity with their cousins the Kauravas, and of the
Great War with which the sons of Pandu recover their kingdom,” said
Vaisampayana,’ says Sauti to Saunaka and his rishis.
CANTO 62
anamejaya said, “Most excellent Brahmana, you have now briefly told
me the Itihasa known as the Mahabharata, which is about the great
deeds of the Kurus. O Muni rich in tapasya, now narrate the entire epic
in full, for I am desperately eager to listen to its every detail.
Hearing an abbreviation of this awesome legend does not satisfy me. I
feel certain that there must have been great cause for the virtuous and
mighty Pandavas to kill their own kin, something for which they are still
praised.
Why did those tigerlike men, themselves innocent and capable of
destroying their cousins, quietly suffer the persecution and ignominy dealt
out to them?
Why, O Brahmana, did the mighty-armed Bhima, strong as ten thousand
elephants, restrain his anger, though he was so wronged? Why did
Drupada’s daughter, the chaste Krishnaa, not consume the Kauravas with
fire from her eyes? Why did Pritha’s sons Bhima and Arjuna, and Madri’s
princes Nakula and Sahadeva, obey Yudhishtira, who had such a weakness
for gambling?
Why did Yudhishtira Dharmaputra, the very embodiment of rectitude,
quietly endure the extravagance of injuries heaped upon himself and his
family? Why did Dhananjaya, whose sarathy was Krishna himself, Arjuna
who later sent teeming hosts of dauntless Kshatriyas to the next world,
suffer in silence?
O mighty Tapasvin, tell me everything that happened, exactly as it did,
and describe whatever those Maharathas did.”
Vaisampayana said, “O Rajan, appoint a time for the narration of the
entire Mahabharata, for the legend wrought by Krishna Dwaipayana is long
indeed; this is just the beginning. I will certainly recite the entire epic of the
illumined Vyasa of fathomless intellect, who is worshipped in all the
worlds.
The Bharata contains a hundred thousand sacred slokas, composed by
Satyavati’s son of untold genius. He that recites it, and they that listen to it,
attain Brahmaloka and become like Devas. The Mahabharata is equal to the
Vedas; it is sacred and beautiful; it is the most wonderful of all legends; it is
a Purana, which the rishis worship.
It dwells in depth on artha and kama, profit and pleasure. This sacred
epic makes the heart yearn for mukti. Men that narrate this Veda of Krishna
Dwaipayana to men of liberality, honesty and faith earn great wealth. The
most grievous sins, even killing an embryo in the womb, are burnt to ashes
by this Itihasa. However vicious and sinful a man might be, if he hears this
legend, he escapes from his sins as the Sun does from Rahu when the
eclipse ends.
This Itihasa is called Jaya; those that wish for victory should listen to it
or read it. A king who hears the Mahabharata with a heart full of faith
vanquishes all his enemies and conquers the world. This history is a
Mahayagna on its own, and yields the most auspicious and blessed fruit.
A young king should always listen to it in the company of his queen, for
the couple shall then beget heroic and noble children, heirs to the throne.
This Bharata is the exalted and holy science of Dharma, Artha and Moksha,
as well: Vyasa of immeasurable intelligence says so.
This Itihasa is recited today and shall be told and read in the dim future.
They that hear it or read it have children and servants who are always
obedient to them. Every sin, of body, word or mind, immediately leaves
them that listen to this legend. Those who hear, without mockery or
criticism, the story of the birth of the Bharata princes will never have to fear
any sickness, let alone fear dying or the world to come.
Krishna Dwaipayana composed this epic to spread the fame of the
Pandavas and of the other Kshatriyas, noble, learned, of great repute; he
wished also to bring welfare to the world through his profound and
monumental work.
Reading the wonderful Bharata bestows fame and blesses a man with
long life, for it is a divine and sacred legend. He that retells this epic to holy
Brahmanas gains inexhaustible punya; he who recites the advent of the
renowned Kuru generations is instantly purified, acquires a large family and
honour in the world.
The Brahmana who regularly studies the sacred Mahabharata during the
four months of the monsoon is redeemed from all his sins. He who has read
the Bharata can be regarded as knowing the Vedas.
This epic contains accounts of the Devas, Rajarishis, Brahmarishis, the
immaculate Krishna, of Mahadeva Siva, God of gods, and the Devi Parvati,
of the birth of Karttikeya born from the union of Siva and Parvati and raised
by six mothers. The Mahabharata tells of the greatness of Brahmanas and of
the sacredness of cows.
The Bharata is a compendium of all the Srutis and every virtuous person
should listen to it. The learned man who recites it to Brahmanas during the
sacred months is washed of all his sins; he ceases to care about the
pleasures even of Swarga, and attains union with Brahman, the Ultimate
Reality.
He who tells even a single foot of this Kavya, this epic Poem, to
Brahmanas performing a sraddha, makes the ritual immortal, since then the
Pitrs become deeply gratified with all the offerings made to them.
Listening to the Mahabharata destroys every sin, conscious and
unconscious, which we commit daily with our senses or in our hearts.
The legend of the lofty births of the Bharata princes is called the
Mahabharata; he who knows the etymology of that name is saved from all
his sins. Indeed, this Itihasa of the race of Bharata is so extraordinary that it
purifies anyone, who hears it, of every sin.
The Maharishi Krishna Dwaipayana took three years to compose his
epic. Rising early, performing his sacred ablutions and daily worship, he
would sit down to compose this Mahabharata. Therefore, Brahmanas must
listen to it with the formal reverence of keeping a vow.
He who narrates Vyasa’s sacred epic and those that hear it are all saved
from being affected by the fruit of their karma, good and bad. He who truly
wants to gain lasting punya should listen to the entire Bharata, for this
single Kavya is equal to all the others, and hearing it purifies the heart.
The joy and satisfaction that a soul experiences upon attaining Swarga is
hardly equal to those to be had from hearing this holy legend. The virtuous
man who narrates the Mahabharata with faith in his heart gains the punya
derived from an Aswamedha or a Rajasuya yagna.
The Bharata is a treasure trove of precious jewels to rival the endless
Ocean and golden Meru. Surely, surely, this legend is sacred; it is exquisite
and magnificent; it is equal to the Vedas; it must be heard; it is pleasing to
the ear and the heart; it washes away every sin and confers great virtue.
O King, he who gives a copy of the Mahabharata as a gift, gives the very
Earth as a present with her girdle of seas. O son of Parikshit, this is the
beautiful Poem, which bestows virtue and victory, which I am going to
recite for you in full. Listen.
Yes, the Rishi Krishna Dwaipayana woke early every day for three years
and composed this epic full of wonders: the Mahabharata. O
Bharatrishabha, bull among the Bharata kings, whatever has been said
about dharma, artha, kama and moksha might surely be found elsewhere;
but nothing that is not contained in the Mahabharata is to be found
anywhere.”’
CANTO 63
aisampayana said, “There is once a Paurava king of dharma called

Uparichara. He is also called Vasu and is addicted to hunting.
Commanded by Indra, he conquers the beautiful kingdom of Chedi.
Later, he renounces the use of weapons and, living in an asrama, practises
the most rigorous penance. Indra and the Devas, fearing that Uparichara’s
tapa would make him king of Devaloka, manifest themselves before Vasu,
and with honeyed words and flattery make him abandon his penance.
The Devas say, ‘Lord of the Earth, you must protect this world lest
dharma fades from her face while you sit here in tapasya. If you protect
dharma in the world, dharma in return will protect the Universe.’
Indra says, ‘Rajan, be the vigilant guardian of dharma on Earth. You are
virtuous and, after this life, you will discover many marvellous and sacred
realms. Though I belong to Swarga and you to Bhumi, you are my friend
and precious to me.
Lord of men, you live in a land of many delights, sacred, abounding in
game, fertile and rich, safe and well guarded even like Devaloka, its climate
kindly, and furnished with every object of enjoyment and pleasure.
King of Chedi, mines of gold and silver embellish your lands, as do a
plenitude of precious stones of every kind. Your cities and towns live in
dharma; your people are honest and contented; they do not lie even in jest.
Sons never ask for their patrimony to be divided, and are always mindful
of their parents’ welfare. Lean or weak cattle are never yoked or made to
haul or bear burdens. They are first fed, kindly and generously.
In Chedi the four varnas always adhere to the performance of their
svadharma, their natural and inherent duties.
Vasu, I mean to allow you to range the three worlds at will, for I will
give you a crystal vimana such as only the Devas have. Among mortal men,
only you shall own such a vimana and fly in it like a god.
I will also give you a garland of unfading lotuses, which will make you
invincible in battle, for, while you wear it no weapon shall injure you. And,
O King, this holy and peerless garland, known in the world as Indra’s mala,
shall be your emblem.’
Indra, slayer of Vritra, also gives Uparichara Vasu a bamboo staff with
which to protect the good and men of peace. When a year passes,
Uparichara plants this bamboo stick in the ground to worship the one that
has given it to him.
From then on, Rajan, every king of the Earth begins to plant a pole in the
ground to worship Indra. Having erected the stamba, they adorn it with
cloth made of gold thread, garlands and precious ornaments, and daub it
with rare perfumes. This is how the Deva Indra comes to be worshipped
with garlands and precious ornaments.
Indra comes as a swan to accept the worship of Uparichara Vasu.
Delighted with the adoration, Indra says, ‘All kings, and any men who
worship me in the way the king of Chedi has done, and observe this festival
of mine, shall bring glory and victory to their countries and kingdoms.
Their cities shall grow and be prosperous, and their streets and homes flow
with joy.’
Thus Indra blesses King Vasu; and it is true that all men who observe the
festival of Indra with gifts of land, gold and precious stones, find success,
honour and fame throughout the world. Vasu, Lord of the Chedis, is always
magnanimous and performs countless great yagnas; and Indra honours him
and blesses him generously so that he rules the world from Chedi, with
dharma as his sceptre. And to worship Indra, he unvaryingly observes the
festival that he himself has begun.
Vasu has five sons of great strength and energy. He makes them rulers of
various provinces of his boundless kingdom. His son Brihadratha becomes
the ruler in Magadha; he is also known as Maharatha. His other sons are
Pratyagraha, Rusamba—also called Manivahana—Mavella, and the
invincible Yadu.
These, O King, are the five sons of the Rajarishi of dazzling tejas. The
five sons of Vasu founded kingdoms named after themselves and separate
dynasties that endure through long ages.
When Vasu sits in his crystal ship of the air, Indra’s gift to him, and flies
through the sky, Gandharvas and Apsaras fly to greet him. It is because he
ranges the higher realms that he is named Uparichara.
The river Suktimati flows beside Uparichara, Vasu’s capital. An
animated and lust-maddened mountain called Kolahala once attacks the
gentle river, and forcibly embraces her. Vasu sees the attempted molestation
and kicks the mountain. The river escapes from Kolahala’s sinister embrace
through the hole in the mountain made by Uparichara’s kick.
But Kolahala begets twin children, a boy and a girl, on the river he has
forced. In gratitude, for having freed her from Kolahala, Suktimati gives the
children to Vasu. That Rajarishi makes the boy the Senapati of his army,
and the girl Girika he marries himself.
One day, after her period is over, Girika bathes and comes alluringly to
her husband wanting a child from him. However, that same day Vasu’s Pitrs
have appeared to him and told him to kill a deer for their sraddha.
Not wanting to disobey his ancestors’ spirits, the king goes into the
jungle to hunt a deer, but his mind is full of thoughts of the luscious Girika,
as lovely as Sri herself. It is spring, and the forest is as enchanting as the
garden of the king of the Gandharvas.
Asokas, Champakas, Chutas and Atimuktas abound, as do Punnagas,
Karnikaras, Bakulas, Divya Patalas, Patalas, Narikelas, Chandanas and
Arjunas, all sacred trees, ancestral plants splendorous with scented flowers
and shining fruit.
The sweet, haunting songs of the kokila hold the forest in thrall; the
ecstatic drone of honeybees is their sruti.
The king is stricken by desire and he sees his Girika before his mind’s
eye, but not before him in the flesh. Maddened, he ranges that charmed
forest and spots a lovely Asoka tree, its foliage rich and its branches
covered in a riot of flowers. The king sits down at the foot of the tree, and
excited beyond measure by the heady fragrances of spring all around him,
by the caressing breeze that whispers through the forest aisles, his mind full
of images of his wife, Uparichara Vasu spills his seed into the palm of his
hand.
He sees a falcon in a branch quite near him. Vasu, knower of the nuances
of artha and dharma, says to the bird, ‘Friend, take this seed to my wife
Girika, for her season has come.’
The falcon takes the precious semen in its beak and flashes away
towards the king’s capital, quick as a thought. A fishing hawk, perched in a
tree beside the Yamuna, sees the falcon winging along with the royal seed
in its beak and thinks the falcon is carrying a shred of meat.
The hawk flies at the falcon. Locking wings, they fight in the air and
Uparichara Vasu’s seed falls from the falcon’s beak down into the waters of
the Yamuna below.
An Apsara called Adrika lives in the river; she has been turned into a
fish by a Rishi’s curse. She sees Vasu’s shimmering seed strike the water,
and swimming to it in a flash, she swallows the king’s semen. Ten months
after she swallows the seed, she is taken by some fishermen. In their very
boat, the great fish gives birth to resplendent human children: a boy and a
girl.
At once, the curse ends, just as the Brahmana who cursed her said it
would, and the fish is a celestial nymph again. She rises into the sky along
the path that Rishis, Siddhas and Charanas tread, and vanishes.
The wonderstruck fishermen bring the children to King Uparichara and
tell him what has happened. They cry, ‘My Lord, we found these two
human children inside the body of a fish!’
Uparichara takes the male child and raises him. Later, he would become
the King Matsya of great dharma.
The king gives the girl child, who smells of fishes, to the fishermen,
saying, ‘Let her be your daughter.’
The chief of those fishermen adopts the girl and calls her Satyavati. The
Apsara’s daughter, and the king’s, grows into an exceptionally beautiful
girl, with a lovely smile and a friendly nature, though she still smells of
fishes. She plies a ferry across the Yamuna for her foster-father.
One day, the Maharishi Parasara, abroad on his pilgrimage, sees the girl,
and is struck by love’s thunderbolt, at least by irresistible desire. Riding in
her ferry, Parasara Muni says to the girl with the smooth skin and exquisite
thighs, ‘Lovely girl, give yourself to me!’
Satyavati replies, ‘Holy one, look at the Rishis standing on either bank
of the river. How can I give myself to you with them watching?’
Parasara raises his hand in an occult mudra, and they are plunged in
thick fog. It covers the river and both banks in darkness and fills Satyavati
with awe.
She blushes now, and says shyly, ‘Muni, I am a virgin living with my
father. Sinless one, if I give myself to you, my virginity will be lost. Rishi,
how will I face my father? Indeed, how will I live with that shame? I beg
you, Holy One, think of this and then do as you decide.’
Parasara Maharishi replies, ‘You will have your virginity back after you
grant my desire. Also, you shall have any other boon you want from me,
bashful and beautiful girl, and my words have never proved false.’
Satyavati says, ‘Let my body smell sweet and not of fish anymore.’
‘So be it,’ says mighty Parasara.
She is so pleased with her boon that Satyavati straightaway comes into
season. She allows the Rishi to embrace her. She now becomes so
wonderfully fragrant, that men calls her Gandhavati, and they can smell the
heavenly scent of her body from a yojana away. She is also called
Yojanagandha, while they had called her Matsyagandhi before.
Having slaked his desire, Parasara goes away.
Satyavati rows to an island in the Yamuna and gives birth immediately,
magically, to Parasara’s child. He is splendid, and a full-grown Rishi as
soon as he is born, and seeks his mother’s permission to go and perform
tapasya.
As he leaves, he says to her, ‘If you ever have need of me only think of
me and I shall come to you.’
So it is that Vyasa is born to Satyavati and Parasara Muni. Because he is
born on a dwipa, an island, he is called Dwaipayana, island-born, and
Krishna because he is dark complexioned.
The island-born Sage knows that dharma loses one leg in every yuga,
beginning with four and finally standing on just one in the Kali Yuga. He
knows that the lifespan, the strength and intellect of men also wane with the
passing yugas. Having worshipped Brahma and the great Brahmarishis so
he could divide the Veda to suit the coming age, Dwaipayana makes four
Vedas out of one. For this he is called Vyasa, the arranger, or compiler, and
Veda Vyasa, compiler of the Veda.
The Maharishi teaches Sumanta, Jaimini, Paila, his own son Suka and
Vaisampayana the four Vedas, and the Mahabharata is like the fifth. Of
course, the Mahabharata is his own composition.
Some years after this, Bhishma, of stunning vigour, fame and untold
splendour is born to Ganga and his father is King Shantanu of the Kurus.
He is an amsavatara of the Vasus of heaven.
There is a renowned Rishi calls Animandavya. He is a master of every
interpretation of the Vedas, an illustrious one of great tejas and high repute.
Once, he is falsely accused of theft, and the old and innocent Muni is
impaled upon a spike.
He summons Dharma and says to the Deva of justice, ‘When I was a boy
I pierced a little insect with a blade of grass. O Dharma, I remember that
one sin I committed but cannot recall any other. But since then I have done
penance, thousandfold. Has my sin not been removed by all that tapasya?
Also, killing a Brahmana is the most heinous of all sins, and you, O
Dharma, have sinned. You shall be born on Earth as a Sudra for this sin.’
From that curse Dharma is born as a Sudra –the wise Vidura, pure in
body and perfectly virtuous.
The Sutaputra Karna is no Suta but born of Kunti while she is a maiden
in her father’s house, and Surya Deva is his father. He comes out of his
mother’s body wearing a natural coat of armour like his skin and golden
earrings like sundrops: kavacha and kundala.
Vishnu, worshipped by all the worlds, is born to Devaki and Vasudeva to
bless the three Lokas. He is Un-born and immortal, of untold splendour, the
Creator of the Universe and the Lord.
He is the invisible cause of all things, undecaying, the pervasive Atman,
the still universal centre around which everything revolves, the primal
essence in which the three gunas of Nature, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, are
born, the Viswatman, the unchanging One, the substance from which the
Universe is made, the Creator of the Universe of the Panchamabhutas, the
Sovereign, the Antaryamin who abides unseen in everything, who owns the
six lofty qualities, who is Pranava, Aum of the Vedas, infinite, moved only
by his own will, lustrous, the embodiment of Sannyasa, who floats upon the
waters of eternity before the creation, who is the germ of this cosmic plant,
the great combiner, Un-created, invisible essence of everything,
transcendent, Nirguna who cannot be known by the senses, the Universe,
who has no beginning, birth or decay, infinitely wealthy, the Ancestor of
every creature He incarnates into the race of the Andhaka Vrishnis to
promote dharma in the world.
Satyaki and Kritavarman, masters of astras, warriors of fierce tejas,
learned in the Shastras, servants of Narayana in all things: these two are
born to Satyaka and Hridika.
From the seed of Maharishi Bharadwaja (of profound tapasya), which he
ejaculates into an earthen pot, a drana, Drona is born. The seed of Rishi
Gautama, spilt into a clump of reeds, grows into twins the mighty and sage
Kripa, and his sister Kripi, who will marry Drona and become the mother of
Aswatthama.
Dhrishtadyumna, blazing like Agni, born to become the nemesis of
Drona, comes forth from a yagna fire, as does his sister Krishnaa: Draupadi
whose dark and unrivalled beauty will cause the war upon the crack of two
Yugas.
Prahlada’s sishya Nagnajit, and Subala are born into the world. Subala’s
son is Shakuni, who is cursed by the Devas and becomes the enemy of
dharma in the world, and a slaughterer of men. Subala also has a daughter
called Gandhari, who becomes the mother of Duryodhana and his brothers.
Shakuni and his nephew are experts at amassing wealth, and inexhaustibly
avaricious.
Vyasa begets upon the widows of Vichitravirya the Kuru princes
Dhritarashtra, who would become king, and the valiant and mighty Pandu.
Dwaipayana also fathers, upon a Sudra woman, the sagacious and
intelligent Vidura, sinless and a master of both artha and dharma.
Pandu’s two wives, Kunti and Madri, give him five sons, like Devas.
The eldest, Yudhishtira, is the natural child of Dharma: Yama who is the
God of Justice. Bhima, his stomach a wolf’s, is the son of Vayu the Wind.
Arjuna, Dhananjaya the fortunate, greatest of archers, is Kunti’s third son
and Indra himself, king of the Devas, is his father.
Nakula and Sahadeva, the handsome twins always obedient to their
elders, are born to Madri, and their fathers are the Aswins.
The wise Dhritarashtra sires a hundred sons, Duryodhana and his
brothers, by Gandhari, and also Yuyutsu, who is born of a Vaisya woman.
Among those hundred and one, eleven are Maharathas: Duryodhana,
Dushasana, Duhsaha, Durmarshana, Vikarna, Chitrasena, Vivimsati, Jaya,
Satyavrata, Purumitra and Yuyutsu.
Krishna’s sister Subhadra gives birth to Abhimanyu; Arjuna is the
prince’s father, making Pandu his grandfather. The five Pandavas each has a
son by their wife Panchali. Radiant and handsome are these princes and
masters of the Vedas and the Shastras.
Yudhishtira’s son is Prativindhya; Bhima’s, Sutasoma; Arjuna’s,
Srutakirti; Nakula’s, Shatanika; and Sahadeva’s son is the powerful
Srutasena. In the forest, Bhima also begets Ghatotkacha, the Rakshasa
prince, on Hidimbi.
Drupada also has another daughter, Shikhandin, who later turns into a
male child. Sthuna the Yaksha effects the transformation in the jungle to
help Shikhandin accomplish her life’s obsession.
Why, hundreds of thousands of Kshatriyas fight the Great War of the
Kurus. Ten thousand years would be too few for me to name all their
names. But the main protagonists, with whom this Itihasa deals, I have told
you about.”’
CANTO 64
anamejaya said, “Brahmana, tell me in detail about those you have

named and those that you have not. Tell me what happened to those
thousands of crowned kings, and why they are born into the world, those
Maharathas.”
Vaisampayana said, “It has been said, O King, that what you ask is
mysterious even to the gods! However, I bow to Narayana, and shall do my
best to answer your question.
Jamadagni’s son Parasurama massacres the Kshatriyas in twenty-one
savage encounters, so the Earth is rid entirely of the race of kings, and then
he makes his way to Mahendra, most excellent mountain, and sits there in
tapasya to expiate his sins of violence.
When Parasurama has exterminated the Kshatriya men, thousands of
women of the royal race resort to Brahmana men, austere Rishis, in order to
have sons. It must be said that intercourse takes place between them only
when the princesses and queens are ovulating, never otherwise or from
mere lust.
The Kshatriya women conceive and give birth to countless children,
sons and daughters, of great vitality and lustre, and it seems that Kshatriya
kind will flourish once more. This is the new generation of the Kshtariya
race, sired by Brahmanas of mighty tapasya.
Indeed, the new Kshatriyas thrive, and live in dharma, accumulating
great punya. The four varnas, with the Brahmanas at their head, are re-
established. During this time, lust vanishes and men go to their wives only
when the women are in season, and never out of carnal desire.
Why, O Bharatarishabha, at this time the same is true of every species on
Earth, even birds of the air. Thus, O Protector of the world, lakhs and crores
of creatures are born, all virtuous, living in a burgeoning swath of dharma,
and free from sickness and sorrow.
O King with the elephant’s gait, once more the Kshatriyas rule Bhumi,
with her mountains, jungles and cities. They rule with dharma as their
sceptre and joy is upon the world and the four varnas, of whom the
Brahmanas are pre-eminent.
Free from every vice generated by lust and anger, the Kshatriya kings
rule justly, punishing those that deserve chastisement. Thousand-eyed Indra,
of a hundred Mahayagnas, sees how righteously the Kshatriyas rule, and he
sends down timely rains, which bless all creatures.
Rajan, those are days when no one dies prematurely, but only in the
fullness of time, and when no man knows a woman carnally before he has
come of age Bharatrishabha, the Earth is filled from sea to sea, coast to
coast, with long-lived men of dharma.
The Kshatriyas perform great sacrifices and give away vast wealth as
charity. All Brahmanas study the Vedas and the Vedangas religiously,
Bharatarishabha, and the Upanishads, as well. In those days, no Brahmana
ever teaches for gold, or ever reads the Veda aloud in the presence of a
Sudra.
The Vaisyas dutifully till the Earth with their bullocks, and they never
yoke their beasts themselves, but their servants, the Sudras, do. The herd is
cared for lovingly, and every cow and bull and calf fed well. Men never
milk cows before their calves are weaned.
No merchant ever tampers with his scales of measure in those days.
Purushavyaghra, O tiger among men, all men cleave to dharma, and
whatever they do, they do with dharma in mind. All the varnas live by their
svadharma alone, and dharma is maintained and does not decay or diminish,
but indeed only grows.
Bharatarishabha, human women and cows give birth when their time is
full, not before or after. Trees bear flowers and fruit in their proper season.
Rajan, the Krita Yuga having begun, Bhumi teems with myriad species, all
in harmony.
Then, O Bull of the race of Bharata, the Asuras begin to take birth in the
royal Houses. The sons of Aditi, the Devas, repeatedly crush the sons of
Diti, the Daityas, and those of Danu, the Danavas, in battle. Their unearthly
kingdoms lost, Swarga gone, the Demons begin to incarnate on Earth.
The powerful Asuras, wanting sovereignty over Bhumi, begin to be born
not only among Kshatriyas and other humans, but among all the species: as
cows and bulls, horses, donkeys and asses, camels, buffaloes, among the
Rakshasas and the other magical races, among elephants and deer. Through
the passage of the Yugas, owing to these demonic births, Bhumi Devi’s
burden of evil increases to the extent that she feels she cannot support the
weight anymore and will plunge down into the Narakas, into hell.
Some of the sons of Diti and of Danu, cast out of heaven, are born on
Earth as kings of terrible hubris. With terrific energy, the forces of evil
swarm over the Earth in various forms and shapes. They teem in the world,
from sea to sea.
With their undeniable strength, they begin to persecute Brahmana and
Kshatriya, Vaisya and Sudra, and indeed every virtuous creature of the
Earth. Striking terror into every heart, they go about committing rapine,
pillage and murder. They range the world in great bands, of hundreds of
thousands, veritable armies of the night. Mocking truth and virtue,
intoxicated by their strength and arrogance, they even desecrate and
slaughter holy Rishis in their asramas in the hearts of sacred forests.
Oppressed and ravaged by these unrestrained, powerful, wealthy and
daily swelling legions of evil, Bhumi Devi thinks in despair of Brahma.
Only the combined strength of awesome ones like Sesha Naga, the Kuurma
Avatara and the great Diggajas is able to continue to support the weight of
the Earth with her mountains and oceans.
O King, now terrified by the burden of the Asuras upon her, the dreadful
load of their wantonness and savagery unleashed, Bhumi frantically seeks
Brahma’s help to save her from plunging down into the void.
She sees Brahma, the Creator, Pitamaha of all creatures, undecaying
Grandsire, surrounded by the Devas, Brahmarishis of great fortune, being
worshipped by Gandharvas and Apsaras, who are the eternal servitors of the
gods.
Wanting protection, the Earth begins to tell Brahma her woes, in the
presence of those Regents of the worlds. Rajan, the omniscient,
Svayambhuva, Self-created, and supreme Lord already knows her petition.
Bharatarishabha, being the Creator and Sovereign of the Universe, shall He
not always know whatever is in the hearts of his creatures, including the
Devas and the Asuras?
Rajan, the Lord of the Earth, the Creator of all creatures, who is calls Isa,
Sambhu, Prajapati, speaks to Bhumi Devi. Brahma says, ‘Bhumi Devi,
womb of wealth, I will appoint all the celestials to accomplish what you
wish. Now go back.’
When she has gone, Brahma says to the Devas, ‘Go, be born in amsa on
Earth and seek war with the Asuras who hold sway over her and torment
her.’
The Creator calls all the Gandharva tribes and all the Apsaras and says
to them, ‘Go be born into the world in amsa in whatever forms you like.’
Indra and his Devas decide they will do as Brahma commands. They
first go to Narayana in Vaikuntha, He that bears the Chakra and the Gada,
whose skin is the hue of a thundercloud, who wears pitambara robes, of
blinding splendour, Padmanabha from whose navel the Lotus grows in
which Brahma is born, whose lotus eyes gaze down at his great chest,
looking within, ever in dhyana, who is the bane and the slayer of the
Asuras, who is the Lord of Prajapati himself, Devadeva the mighty who
bears the Srivatsa whorled upon his breast, who animates the faculties of all
beings and whom all the Devas worship.
Indra says to that most exalted Purusha, ‘Lord, be incarnate!’
Hari replies, ‘Tathaastu! Be it so.’”
CANTO 65
SAMBHAVA PARVA
aisampayana said, “Indra and Narayana speak together about how He

would be born on Earth, and how the Devas, too, would incarnate in
amsa. When every Deva knows his role, Indra returns from Vaikunta.
One by one, over time, the Devas are born on Earth in amsa to kill the
Asuras already born there and to remove the burden of Bhumi, Swarga and
Patala. They incarnate as they please as Kshatriya kings, as Brahmarishis
and Rajarishis, and they kill the Asuras born as Rakshasas and Gandharvas,
as Nagas, and as other dreadful creatures. The Danavas cannot resist the
avenging Devas, so mighty are the gods.”
Janamejaya said, “I want to hear from the beginning about the births of
the Devas, the Danavas, the Gandharvas, the Apsaras, the men who are
more than men, the Yakshas and the Rakshasas.”
Vaisampayana said, “I bow down to the Svayambhuva, and will tell you
what you wish to know.
Brahma has six sons born immaculately of his spirit: Marichi, Atri,
Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha and Kratu. Marichi’s son is Kashyapa, and from
Kashyapa all the creatures are born.
One of the original Prajapatis, Daksha has thirteen daughters of great
beauty and fortune. Tiger among men, O Scion of the race of Bharata, these
thirteen are called Aditi, Diti, Danu, Kala, Danayu, Simhika, Krodha,
Pradha, Viswa, Vinata, Kapila, Muni and Kadru.
The sons and grandsons of these, all of burning tejas, are beyond count.
Aditi gives birth to the twelve Adityas, Lords of the Universe. They are
Dhatri, Mitra, Aryaman, Sakra, Varuna, Ansa, Vaga, Vivaswat, Usha,
Savitri, Tvashtri and Vishnu. The youngest is the greatest of them all.
Diti has one son called Hiranyakashyipu, and he has five sons, renowned
throughout the worlds. The eldest is Prahlada, the next Sahradha, then
Anuhrada, Sibi and Vashkala.
O Bharata, Prahlada has three sons Virochana, Kumbha, and Nikumbha.
Virochana’s son is Bali, the Great. And the son of Bali is the great Asura
Bana. The blessed Bana is a bhakta of Rudra, and is also known as
Mahakala.
O Janamejaya, Danu has forty sons. The eldest of them is Viprachitti of
great fame, then Sambara, Namuchi and Pauloman; Asiloman, Kesin and
Durjaya; Ayahsiras, Aswasiras, and the powerful Aswasanku;
Gaganamardhan, Vegavat and Ketumat; Swarbhanu, Aswa, Aswapati,
Vrishaparvan and Ajaka; Aswagriva, Sukshama, Tuhunda of vast strength,
Ekapada, Ekachakra, Virupaksha, Mahodara, Nichandra, Nikumbha,
Kupata, Kapata; Sarabha, Sulabha, Surya, and then Chandramas these are
the best known in the race of Danu.
The Devas Surya and Chandramas, the Sun and the Moon, are different
beings, not the sons of Danu of the same names. These other ten, also of
untold strength and vigour, are also, O Rajan, the sons of Danu: Ekaksha,
Amritapa of fathomless valour, Pralamba and Naraka, Vatapi, Satrutapana,
the great Asura Satha; Gavishtha, Vanayu and the Danava Dirghajiva.
Bharata, the sons and the grandsons of these are countless. Simhika
gives birth to Rahu, the tormentor of the Sun and the Moon, and to three
others: Suchandra, Chandrahantri and Chandra Pramardana.
The numberless progeny of Krura, also called Krodha, are as devious
and as vicious as she is. Hers is a clan full of wrath, and merciless to its
enemies.
Danayu has four sons who are bulls among the Asuras. They are
Vikshara, Bala, Vira and Vritrasura the Great. The sons of Kala are all like
Yama himself, boundlessly vigorous smiters of their foes. Kala’s sons are
calls Vinasana, Krodha, Krodhahantri and Krodhashatru.
Kala has many other sons, as well. Shukra, the son of a Rishi, is the
chief priest and Acharya of the Asuras. Shukra has four sons, also priests of
the Asuras. Tashtadhara and Atri are two, and there are two others, fierce
tejasvins. They are like the Sun himself, and ambitious enough to want to
conquer Brahmaloka.
These are the sons of the Devas and the Asuras as told in the Purana.
The progeny of these are past counting, O King.
Vinata’s sons are Tarkhya and Arishtanemi, Garuda and Aruna, and
Aruni and Varuni.
Kadru’s sons are Ananta Sesha, Vasuki, Takshaka, Kumara, and Kulika.
Bhimasena, Ugrasena, Suparna, Varuna, Gopati, Dhritarashtra,
Suryavarchas, Satyavachas, Arkaparna, Prayuta, Bhima and Chitraratha -
the famed, learned one, master of his passions - Kalisiras, Parjannya Kali
and Narada these Devas and Gandharvas are the sons of Daksha Prajapati’s
daughter Muni.
Anavadya Manu, Vamsa, Asura, Marganapria, Anupa, Subhaga, Vasi are
the daughters of Pradha, and her sons are Siddha, Purna, Barhin, Purnayus
of wide renown, Brahmacharin, Ratiguna, Suparna, Viswavasu, Bhanu and
Suchandra. All these are Gandharvas of heaven.
Pradha also bears her husband Kashyapa the delectable Apsaras
Alambusha, Misrakesi, Vidyutparna, Tilottama, Arunaa, Rakshita, Rambha,
Manorama, Kesini, Subahu, Surata, Suraja and Supriya. Her most famous
sons are Atibahu, Haha and Huhu, and Tumburu.
The Amrita, Brahmanas, sacred cows, the Gandharvas and Apsaras, are
born to Kapila Deva, as the Purana says.
This account of the birth of the Gandharvas and Apsaras, of the Nagas,
Suparnas, Rudras, and the Maruts, of cows, Brahmanas of great fortune and
holy deeds, is sacred and extends the life of he that reads it, and delights the
ear and the mind.
He who reads or narrates the birth of the exalted beings in the presence
of the Devas and Brahmarishis has many excellent children, finds fortune,
fame, and attains to the best of worlds in the hereafter.”
CANTO 66
SAMBHAVA PARVA CONTINUED
aisampayana said, “We have seen how the six Maharishis are the
mind-born sons of Brahma. He has another son called Sthanu.
Sthanu, of huge tejas, has eleven sons Mrigavayadha, Sarpa, Nirriti
of great fame, Ajaikapat, Ahivradhna, Pinaki - bane of his enemies,
Dahana, Iswara, the splendorous Kapali, Sthanu, and the illumined Bharga.
These are the eleven Rudras.
Marichi, Angiras, Atri, Pulastya, Pulaha and Kratu are the brilliant sons
of Brahma. The world knows that Angiras has three sons—Brihaspati,
Utathya and Samvarta, all profound tapasvins.
Rajan, the sons of Atri are many, all of them Maharishis, masters of the
Veda, Sannyasis, Atmaramas, their souls at perfect peace.
Rajavyaghra, tiger among kings, the sons of the wise Pulastya are
Rakshasas, Vanaras, Kinnara fauns and Yakshas.
O King, the sons of Pulaha are the Salabhas (winged insects), lions,
Kimpurushas (manticores), tigers, bears and wolves.
The sons of Kratu, sacred as yagnas, are the devout Balakhilyas, mighty
tapasvins, who are the companions of Surya.
Protector of the Earth, the illustrious Rishi Daksha, peerless Sannyasi,
his soul absorbed in infinite peace, springs from the big toe of Brahma’s
right foot. And from the big toe on his left foot, Daksha’s chaste and noble
wife emerges. The Muni begets fifty daughters upon her, all of them
flawless of face and limb, their eyes like lotus petals.
Having no sons, he makes Putrikas of his daughters, which meant that
their sons would be his sons as well as the sons of his daughters’ husbands.
Daksha marries, with sacred rites, ten of his daughters to Dharma, twenty-
seven of them to Soma the Moon, and thirteen he gives to Kashyapa.
The ten wives of Dharma are Kirti, Lakshmi, Dhriti, Medha, Pushti,
Sraddha, Kriya, Buddhi, Lajja and Mali.
Soma Deva’s twenty-seven wives are they that show the time they are
the Nakshatras, the asterisms of the Moon. They are Yoginis because they
help maintain the worlds.
Brahma has another son called Manu. Manu has a son called Prajapati,
who has eight sons, known as the Vasus. They are Dhara, Dhruva, Soma,
Aha, Anila, Anala, Pratyusha and Prabhasa.
Of these, Dhara and the enlightened Dhruva are born from Dhumra;
Chandramas (Soma) and Swasana (Anila) are born to the intelligent Swasa;
Aha is the son of Rata; Hutasana (Anala) is Sandilya’s son; Pratyusha and
Prabhasa are the sons of Prabhata.
Dhara has two sons, Dravina and Hutahavyavaha. Dhruva’s son is Kaala
(Time) who devours the worlds. Soma’s son is the splendent Varchas.
Varchas begets Sisira and Ramana on his wife Manohara.
Aha’s sons are Jyotih, Sama, Santa, and also Muni. Agni’s son is the
many-splendoured Kumara, born in a forest of sara reeds; he is Saradvata.
He is also calls Karttikeya since the six Krittikas raised him.
Agni’s other sons are Sakha, Visakha and Naigameya. Anila’s wife is
Sivaa, and their sons are Manojava and Avijnataagati.
The son of Pratyusha is the Rishi Devala. Devala has two sons, famed
for their forbearance, forgiveness and their great intellects.
Brihaspati’s sister, who always speaks the truth, performs tapasya and
ranges over the Earth, becomes the wife of Prabhasa, the eighth Vasu. And
she bears him the illustrious Viswakarman, from whom all the arts began: a
thousand of them. He is the architect of the Devas, fashioner of the first and
matchless ornaments among the stars; he is indeed the original artist.
Viswakarman creates the celestial vimanas of the gods; and humankind
lives on because of the countless precious inventions of Viswakarman, the
universal artist. Men worship him for this reason, and he is an eternal one
and changeless.
Dharma, who bestows joy, takes a human face and emerges from
Brahma’s right breast. Ahasta (Dharma Deva) has three sons who can
enchant everyone; they are Sama, Kama and Harsha: Peace, Desire and Joy.
They support the worlds with their activity.
Kama’s wife is Rati, Sama’s is Prapti, and the wife of Harsha is Nanda.
Yes, indeed, upon these the worlds depend.
Kashyapa is the son of Marichi, and the Devas and Asuras are the sons
of Kashyapa. Hence, Kashyapa is the Father of the worlds.
Tvashtri, who assumes the form of Badava, a mare, becomes the wife of
Savitri. She gives birth in the sky to twins of great fortune and fame: the
Aswini Kumaras.
Rajan, Aditi has twelve sons, Indra being the eldest. The youngest is
Vishnu in whom the worlds are founded.
There are thirty-three Devas eight Vasus, eleven Rudras, twelve Adityas,
Prajapati, and Vashatkara.
Let me tell you about the sons of these, by their Pakshas, Kulas and
Ganas. The Rudras, the Sadhyas, the Maruts, the Vasus, the Bhargavas and
the Viswedevas are each reckoned as being one Paksha. Garuda the son of
Vinata, the mighty Aruna, and the illustrious Brihaspati are counted among
the Adityas. The Aswin twins, all perennial plants and the lesser animals
are counted among the Guhyakas.
These are the Ganas of the Devas, O King! Listening to this recitation
washes away his every sin from a man.
Lustrous Bhrigu comes forth, tearing open Brahma’s breast. Shukra,
learned and wise, is Bhrigu’s son. Shukra becomes a Graha, a Planet, and,
traversing the sky, commanded by Brahma, sends down and withholds the
rain, looses and holds back calamities, and nurtures the lives of every
creature in the three worlds.
Shukra of unfathomed intellect and sagacity, of stern vratas, always a
Brahmacharin, cleaves himself in two with his tapasya shakti, and becomes
a spiritual Guru to both the sons of Diti and of Aditi.
When Brahma has thus gainfully employed great Shukra, Bhrigu begets
another son Chyvana who blazes like the Sun, and is virtuous and famed.
He emerges from his mother’s womb in anger and rescues her from the
clutches of the Rakshasas.
Chyvana marries Manu’s daughter Arushi, and sires Aurva of matchless
fame on her. Aurva tears open his mother’s thigh to be born. Aurva begets
Richika, who, even as a child, possesses awesome spiritual power and
brilliance, and every virtue as well.
Richika’s son is Jamadagni, who has four sons, the youngest being
Parasurama, who is his older brothers’ superior in every way, and a master
of his passions. A master also of astras and of every weapon, he slaughters
the race of Kshatriyas.
Aurva has a hundred sons, Jamadagni being the eldest. These hundred
father thousands of children, across the Earth.
Brahma has two other sons, Dhatri and Vidhatri, who stay with Manu.
Their sister is the auspicious Lakshmi, who dwells amidst lotuses.
Lakshmi’s spiritual sons are the horses that go through the sky.
Shukra’s daughter Divi becomes Varuna’s first wife. She bears him a son
called Bala and a daughter Sura, the goddess of wine, much to the delight of
the Devas.
Adharma, Sin, is born when creatures felt hungry and began to eat one
another. Adharma is a destroyer of every being. Adharma’s wife is Nirriti,
and the Rakshasas that are their children are calls Nairritas. She has three
other savage sons, always sinful and cruel: Bhaya who is fear, Mahabhaya
who is terror, and Mrityu who is Death, forever killing. Because he is such a
ceaseless killer, Mrityu has no wife or child.
Tamra gives birth to five daughters, known throughout the worlds Kaki
the crow; Shyeni the eagle; Phasi the hen; Dhritarashtri the goose, and Suki
the parrot. Kaki generated crows, Shyeni eagles, falcons, hawks and
vultures, Dhritarashtri ducks, geese, swans and the fabled chakravakas, and
the sweet and auspicious Suki brings forth parrots and parakeets, and their
ilk.
Krodha gives birth to nine daughters, eight of them wrathful by nature
Mrigi, Mrigamanda, Hari, Bhadramana, Matangi, Sarduli, Sweta, Surabhi,
and the ninth, the virtuous and good-natured Surasa.
King of men, Mrigi’s children are deer; Mrigamanda’s are bears and also
srimaras, of the sweet feet. Bhadramana begets the celestial elephant
Airavata. Hari’s children are monkeys, and also horses and all bovine
creatures: golangulas, the cow-tailed ones.
Sarduli begets lions and tigers in vast numbers, leopards and other
powerful predators. Rajan, Matangi’s progeny are the elephants of the
Earth. Sweta bears one elephant of extraordinary size and speed, named
Sweta after her.
Surabhi gives birth to two daughters, the sweet-natured Rohini and the
famous Gandharvi. O Bharata, she has two other daughters, Vimala and
Anala.
Rohini is the mother of all kine, and Gandharvi of all equine beasts.
Anala gives birth to the seven kinds of trees that yield soft fruit the date, the
palm, the hintala, the tali, the little date, the nut and the coconut. She has
another daughter called Suki, the mother of parrots.
Surasa bears a son calls Kanka, a species of long-feathered birds.
Shyeni, the wife of Aruna, gives birth to two sons of great tejas and
strength: Sampati and the mighty Jatayu. Surasa also bears the Nagas and
Kadru, the Punnaga snakes. Vinata has two sons, Garuda and Aruna, whose
fame is limitless.
Great King, of the mighty intellect, this is the genealogy of all the main
species. Listening to this, a man is purified of his sins, finds great
knowledge, and finally attains to the most exalted condition in the life to
come.”
CANTO 67
anamejaya said, “Holy One, I want to hear in detail about the advent as
men of the Devas, the Asuras, the Gandharvas, Rakshasas, lions and
tigers, the other animals, the Nagas, the Pakshis, and indeed all creatures.
I want to hear everything that they did when they had human forms.”
Vaisampayana said, “Lord of men, I will first tell you about the
incarnations of the Devas and Danavas that were born as men. The great
Danava Viprachitti is born as that bull among men, Jarasandha of Magadha.
Diti’s son, the Daitya Hiranyakashyipu, is born as Sishupala of Chedi.
Samhlada, the younger brother of Prahlada, comes down as Salya, that tiger
amongst the Balhikas. The spirited Anuhlada, the youngest, becomes
Dhrishtaketu.
Rajan, the Daitya Sibi, incarnates as King Druma, while the great Asura
Vashkala becomes the mighty Bhagadatta. The five ferocious great Asuras –
Ayahsira, Aswasira, Aysanku, Gaganamurdhan and Vegavat are all born in
the House of Kekaya and all become powerful kings.
The other indomitable Demon Ketumat incarnates in the world as the
terrible King Amitaujas. The Asura Swarbhanu becomes the fierce King
Ugrasena.
The Asura Aswa is born as the King Asoka, invincible in battle and
choleric. Aswa’s younger brother, the Daitya Aswapati, is born into the
world as the Kshatriya King Hardikya.
The formidable and fortunate Asura Vrishaparvan becomes King
Dirghaprajna. His younger brother Ajaka is born as Shalva, dark sorceror.
The powerful Aswagriva comes to the world as King Rochana.
Rajan, the Asura Sukshma, of subtle intelligence and great
achievements, becomes the famous Brihadratha.
The noted Demon Tuhunda becomes the King Senabindu. Ishupa
becomes Nagnajita; Ekachakra becomes Pritivindhya; Virupaksha, master
of a thousand arts of war, is born as Chitravarman.
The valiant Danava Kara, who shatters the pride of his enemies, is born
as Suvahu; Suhtra, of great energy, destroyer of his enemies, becomes the
King Munjakesa of glowing fortune. Invincible, intelligent Nikumbha is
born to become King Devadhipa.
The Asura known amongst Diti’s sons as Sarabha becomes on Earth the
Rajarishi Paurava, while Kupatha is born on Earth as the famed monarch
Suparshva. The Asura Kratha incarnated as the royal Sage Parvateya,
splendid as a golden mountain.
The Asura called Salabha becomes the King Prahlada in the country of
the Balhikas. Chandra, the Daitya who is as handsome as the Lord of stars
who also has his name, the foremost among the sons of Diti known by the
name of Chandra, becomes Chandravarman in this world, the Kambhoja
king.
Arka, Danavarishabha, becomes the Rajarishsi Rishika. That best of
Asuras, Mritapa incarnates as Paschimanupaka; Garishtha becomes King
Drumasena. Mayura becomes King Viswa; his younger brother Suparna
becomes Kalakriti.
Chandrahantri becomes the Rajarishi Sunaka; Chandravinasana comes
as the king called Janaki. That bull among the Danavas, Dhirghajihva,
becomes Kasiraja; Simhika’s son Rahu, tormentor of Surya and Soma, is
born as Kratha.
Danayu’s eldest son, Vikshara, becomes Vasumitra on Earth. Her second
son Bala becomes the Pandya king; her third Vira, also called Balina,
becomes Paundramatsyaka. Rajan, Danayu’s fourth son, the great
Vritrasura, incarnates as the Rajarishi Manimat. Vritra’s younger brother
Krodhahantri becomes known in this world as the King Danda.
Krodhavardhana becomes Dandadhara.
The eight sons of the Kaleyas are all born as kings, strong as tigers. The
eldest becomes King Jayatsena in Magadha; the second, mighty as Indra,
becomes Aparajita; the third is born a matchless king of the Nishadas,
strong and devious; the fourth is to become the royal sage Srenimat. The
fifth becomes King Mahanjas, destroyer of his enemies; the sixth, of huge
intelligence, becomes Abhiru, another famed Rajarishi; the seventh has
boundless fame and is the King Samudrasena, knower of the Shastras. The
eighth of the Kaleyas becomes Brihat, a king of dharma, always working
for the welfare of all beings.
The mighty Danava Kukshi, incarnated as Parvatiya, is named for his
lustre, which is that of a golden mountain. The Asura Krathana becomes
King Suryaksha in the world; the handsome Demon Surya becomes a king
of the Balhikas called Darada.
Rajan, I told you about the tribe of Asuras called the Krodhavasas. Many
fearless Kshatriya kings of the Earth are Demons of that tribe – Madraka,
Karnaveshta, Siddhartha, Kitaka, Suvira, Subahu, Mahavira, Balhika,
Kratha, Vichitra, Suratha, the handsome Nila, Chiravasa, Bhumipala,
Dantavakra, Durjaya, Rukmi the tigerish Kshatriya, your namesake
Janamejaya, Ashada, Vayuvega, Bhuritejas, Ekalavya the brilliant Nishada,
Sumitra, Vatadhana, Gomukha, the Kshatriyas of the clan of Karushakas,
Khemadhurti, Srutayus, Udvaha, Brihatsena, Kshema, Ugratirtha, the
Kalinga king, Matimat, the King Iswara. Yes, all these are Krodhavasa
Asuras, incarnated as human kings.
A most powerful Demon called Kalanemi is born as the son of Ugrasena
of Mathura, and he becomes Kamsa, the Great and the Terrible.
The Asura Devaka, lustrous as Indra, is born into the world as a king of
the Gandharvas.
Rajan, you must know that Bharadvaja’s son Drona is not born from any
woman, but is an amsavatara of Brihaspati. He is a peerless archer, with
power over every astra, of great tejas and greater achievements. He is also a
master of the Vedas, the pride of his kind.
O King, Drona’s son is the heroic Aswatthama, his eyes like lotus-petals,
a terror to his enemies, of tremendous energy, is an amsavatara of equal
embodiments of Siva, Yama, Kama and Krodha.
Because of Vasishta’s curse and also Indra’s dictate, the eight Vasus are
born into the world as the sons of Ganga and Shantanu. The youngest Vasu,
Prabhasa, is Bhishma, of the grand vow. He is the light of the House of
Kuru, a knower of the Vedas, of lofty intellect, the most eloquent speaker,
who melts the legions of his enemies in battle. Why, Jamadagni’s son
Parasurama Bhargava could not vanquish Bhishma when he fought a duel
with him.
The Brahmana Sage Kripa, a man among men, is an amsavatara of the
Rudras.
Shakuni, O King, who crushed his foes, is none other than Dwapara, the
third Yuga incarnate!
Satyaki, pride of the Vrishnis, whose aim never falters, is an amsavatara,
an incarnation of the Maruts, who are Vayu’s companions. The Rajarishi,
the Panchala King Drupada, greatest among bowmen, is also an incarnation
of the Maruts, as indeed is the Vrishni Kritavarman, that bull among bulls
among Kshatriyas; so, too, is King Virata.
Arishta’s son Hamsa is also born into the clan of the Kurus and becomes
a king of the Gandharvas.
Dhritarashtra, born of the seed of Krishna Dwaipayana, and blessed with
long and mighty arms and unrivalled strength, he of prophetic vision, is
blind because of his mother’s indelicacy and the consequent anger of the
Rishi Vyasa.
Pandu is Dhritarashtra’s younger brother, of prowess that defies
description, devout and truthful; why, purity incarnate. Their brother
Vidura, I have told you, O King, is an avatara of the son of Maharishi Atri:
Dharma, Lord of Righteousness and Justice.
As for Duryodhana, incalculably evil king, who ruins the honour of the
Kuruvamsa, he is an amsavatara of the Kali Yuga, the Demon Kali. He is
the cause of the Great War that devastated the Earth; he lit the fire that
finally consumed everything.
The Rakshasas, who are once born as the sons of Pulastya Muni, now
take birth as Duryodhana’s hundred evil brothers, Dushasana being the first
of them. Bharatrishabha, Durmukha, Duhsha and others of these hundred,
who always supported Duryodhana’s most treacherous and murderous
schemes, are all sons of the same Pulastya Muni.
Of course, Dhritarashtra has another son, not by Gandhari but by a
Vaishya woman in his palace, and we have seen that this is the virtuous
Yuyutsu, who always sided with his cousins the Pandavas of dharma.”
Janamejaya said, “Illustrious Suta, tell me the names of Dhritarashtra’s
sons in order of birth, beginning with the eldest.”
Vaisampayana said, “O King, Duryodhana is the first, then Yuyutsu,
Dushasana, Duhsaha, Duhshala, Durmukha, Vivimsati, Vikarna, Jalasandha,
Sulochna, Vinda, Anuvinda, Durdharsha, Subahu, Dushpradharshana,
Durmarshana, Dushkarna, Karna, Chitra, Vipachitra, Chitraksha,
Charuchitra, Angada, Durmada, Dushpradharsha, Vivitsu, Vikata, Sama,
Drananabha, Padmanabha, Nanda, Upanandaka, Sanapati, Sushena,
Kundodara, Mahodara, Chitrabahu, Chitravarman, Suvarman,
Durvirochana, Ayobahu, Mahabahu, Chitrachapa, Sukundala, Bhimavega,
Bhimabala, Balaki, Bhimavikrama, Ugrayudha, Bhimachara, Kanakayu,
Dridhayudha, Dridhavarman, Dridhakshatra, Somakirti, Anadara,
Jarasandha, Dridhasandha, Satyasandha, Sahasrabahu, Ugrasravas,
Ugrasena, Kshemamurti, Aparajita, Panditaka, Visalaksha, Duradhara,
Dridhahasta, Suhasta, Vatavega, Suvarchasa, Adityaketu, Bahvasin,
Nagadatta, Anuyaina, Nishangi, Kuvachi, Dandi, Dandadhara, Dhanugraha,
Ugra, Bhimaratha, Vira, Virabahu, Alolupa, Abhaya, Raudrakarman,
Dridharatha, Anadhrishya, Kundaveda, Viravi, Dhirghalochana,
Dirghabahu, Mahabahu, Vyudhoru, Kanakangana, Kundaja and Chitraka5.
Dhritarshtra also has a daughter by Gandhari called Duhsala, who is not
of the hundred, and neither is Yuyutsu, the Vaishya woman’s son. I have
recited the names of the hundred in order of their births.
All these are mighty Kshatriyas, great warriors. All of them knew the
Vedas, and, Rajan, all the other Shastras besides. They are invincible, in
attack and defence, and truly learned besides.
When they are of age, they marry suitably beautiful and accomplished
princesses; and the Kaurava king gives his daughter Duhsala to be the wife
of Jayadratha, king of the Sindhus. This is done on the advice of
Dhritarashtra’s brother-in-law, Shakuni.
O King, Yudhishtira is an amsa of Dharma; Bhimasena of Vayu; Arjuna
of Indra; Nakula and Sahadeva, handsomest of men, their looks unrivalled
on Earth, of the Aswin twins.
Soma Deva’s son, Varchas the strong, becomes Arjuna’s son of stunning
genius, the dashing Abhimanyu. When Varchas is to be born, Soma says to
the other Devas, ‘I cannot live without my son. So let him incarnate on
Bhumi, but live a short human life before returning to me after killing
countless Daityas.
Nara, whose companion is Narayana, will be born as Indra’s son Arjuna
the Pandava. Let my Varchas be born as Arjuna’s son and become a
Maharatha. Let him be away on Earth for sixteen years, and when he is
sixteen the Great War shall be fought, and, Devas, all your amsavataras
shall raze the Asuras and the very race of Kshatriyas.
Yet, one day during the war, a great encounter will occur inside a
cunning Chakravyuha. Krishna and Arjuna, Nara Narayana, will not have
part in that battle, but my son shall pierce the impenetrable spinning wheel
of warriors and take devastation to the enemy.
On his own, my son will send a quarter of the entire enemy army to
Yama’s realm, in the space of half a day. None will be able to stand before
him, but finally, near dusk, a ring of Maharathas will combine to slay my
mighty child with treachery, and Varchas shall return to me.
Abhimanyu will beget the single heir to the Kuru throne, and prevent the
royal line of Bharata from becoming extinct.’
The Devas assent, ‘So be it.’ Why, they applaud him all together and
offer him worship, that Lord of the stars. This, Rajan, of course, is the story
behind the birth of your father’s father.
The fireborn Maharatha Dhrishtadyumna is an amsa of Agni. Prince
Shikhandin, who was once a princess, is the amsavatara of a Rakshasa.
Bharatarishabha, the celestial Rishis are born as the five sons of
Draupadi – Prativindhya, Sutasoma, Srutakirti, Satanika, Nakula and
Srutasena, endowed with terrific energy.
Vasudeva’s father is Sura, a great Yadava chieftain. He has a daughter
called Pritha, whose beauty is unmatched in this world. Sura has vowed,
with Agni as his witness, that he would give his firstborn child to his cousin
Kuntiboja, who is childless.
He gives Pritha to Kuntibhoja, who adopts her as his daughter. She
becomes a charming and attentive young hostess in the palace of her
adoptive father, especially to visiting Rishis and Brahmanas. Once, she
waits graciously upon the Rishi Durvasa, a master of the profoundest
mysteries of the spirit, but his temper also a legend.
Pritha, now called Kunti by her doting foster-father, looks after the
irascible Sage’s every wish and whim with such affection and care, that, as
he is leaving, he says to her, ‘I am pleased with you, my child. I am going
to teach you a secret mantra with which you can summon any Deva you
wish. By their grace, one day you shall bear divine children.’
He teaches her the recondite incantation, and then leaves.
Some days pass; then seized by curiosity, the young Kunti, still a maiden
living in her father’s home, chants Durvasa’s mantra one morning and
summons Surya Deva, the Sun God. You might imagine her surprise when
the blazing Deva actually appears before her and begets a child on her, a
son who becomes without equal among the archers of the world.
Kunti gives birth in magical secrecy, with Surya’s blessing, and from
fear of the censure of the world and her relatives, she floats her Sun-child,
irradiant and handsome as the Sun himself, and born wearing golden
armour and earrings, his body of perfect proportions, away on the river that
flows at the bottom of her father’s palace garden.
The husband of Radha sees the wooden box of that shining infant
floating downstream, and takes him home to his childless wife to be their
son. They name him Vasusena, and when he grows up he becomes a master
of weapons, of all the Shastras and sciences, learns the Veda, and, the truth
being his strength, there is nothing he would not give away as alms to a
Brahmana who comes begging to him, so generous is he.
Then, Indra, who is the origin of all things, comes to that mighty son of
Surya and asks him for his natural kavacha and kundala as alms. Indra
wants to disadvantage Vasusena against Arjuna, who of course is Indra’s
own son.
Promptly, that unequalled warrior strips off his armour, removes his
magical earrings, both of which are his father Surya’s protection to him, and
gives them to Indra. Astonished by his truthfulness (for he has sworn not to
refuse anyone that comes to him at high noon for whatever they ask of him
as alms), and moved by his fearless generosity, Surya gives Vasusena his
own Shakti, saying, ‘Invincible hero, anyone at whom you cast this Shakti
will die, be he not a Deva, an Asura, a Manava, a Gandharva, Naga,
Rakshasa or any other celestial or earthly being.’
Surya’s son is first called Vasusena, but later, because he has cut his coat
of golden mail from his body to give it as alms to Indra, Surya’s prince,
Kunti’s eldest son, is called Karna.
However, that natural Kshatriya grows up in the home of a Suta; Radha
and her husband are the only parents he ever knows. Later, O King, Karna,
noblest of men, greatest of archers, slayer of his enemies, the finest amsa of
the God of Day, becomes the closest companion and advisor of Duryodhana
the Kaurava.
Then there is born into the world Vaasudeva Krishna, indomitable and
unrivalled in every way, an Avatara of Narayana, Devadeva the Eternal
One. His brother Baladeva is an amsa of Sesha Naga.
Rajan, mighty Pradyumna is Sanatkumara incarnate. Many other
dwellers in Swarga incarnate themselves in the race of the Vrishnis,
swelling its glory.
And, O King, the portions of the tribe of Apsaras which I have
mentioned already, also becomes incarnate on Earth according to Indra’s
commands. And sixteen thousand portions of those goddesses become, in
this world of men, the wives of Vasudeva. And a portion of Sri herself
becomes incarnate on Earth, for the gratification of Narayana, in the line of
Bhishmaka. She is the chaste Rukmini.
And the faultless Draupadi, slender-waisted like the wasp, is born of a
portion of Sachi (the queen of the Devas), in the line of Drupada. She is
neither short nor tall; she is of the fragrance of the blue lotus, of eyes large
as lotus-petals, of thighs fair and round, of dense masses of black curly hair.
And endowed with every auspicious feature and her complexion like that of
the emerald, she enchants and steals the hearts of the five Pandavas,
greatest among men of the world.
The two goddesses Siddhi and Dhriti are born as Kunti and Madri to
become the mothers of those five. The Devi Mali incarnates as Gandhari,
daughter of Subala, who becomes blind Dhritarashtra’s wife.
This, Rajan, is the narration of the incarnation of the Devas, the Asuras,
Gandharvas, Apsaras and Rakshasas as invincible kings and lovely queens
of the Earth.
I have told you about the exalted ones born as Yadavas and Vrishnis, the
others born as powerful kings in other royal houses, and those who take
birth as Brahmanas, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas.
This account of the incarnation as amsavataras of the God and Demons
can bestow wealth, fame, children, longevity and success, if one listens to it
with faith. He that hears it learns the true nature of the creation,
preservation and destruction of the world, and thus finding wisdom, he is
never conquered even by the gravest sorrow.”
——————
5 These do not add up to a hundred, and there seem to be two Mahabahus.
CANTO 68
anamejaya said, “Brahmana, you have indeed told me about the

incarnations in amsa of the Devas, the Danavas, the Rakshasas, the
Gandharvas and Apsaras. But I want to hear the genealogy of the
Kuruvamsa again, from its inception. I beg you, Vaisampayana, relate this
to me before all these auspicious and illumined Rishis.”
Vaisampayana said, “O noblest of Bharata’s race, Dushyanta of blazing
tejas is the founder of the Paurava line. He is the Guardian of the Earth
bounded by four seas, and has complete sway over the Four Quarters of this
world. Moreover, he is sovereign of myriad islands in the midst of the
ocean. Bane of his enemies, he even holds sway over the distant countries
of the Mlechchas.
While Dushyanta rules, the varnas remain pure and there are no children
born of mixed caste. No one tills the soil, because the Earth herself yields
every manner of produce, spontaneously, as she does precious metals and
gemstones: magically.
There are no sinners and all men are good, and live in dharma and
virtue; whatever they do their motives are pure and selfless. There is no fear
from thieves, famine, or disease – for none of these exist. The four varnas
delight in their svadharma, for its own sake, not performing any karma from
desire for gain.
His people feel perfectly secure during the golden reign of Dushyanta,
and Indra sends down the rains in proper season and the Earth flourishes.
Rich is the yield of the field and the bough. The world abounds in wealth of
every kind and every species of animal, bird and plant, great and small.
Brahmanas perform their sacred dharma punctiliously; they are truthful
to a fault. The young king is marvellously strong, his body hard as Indra’s
Vajra, and he can lift Mount Mandara, with all its forests, and hold it up,
easily.
He is a master of the four forms of gada-yuddha, mace fighting – hurling
it from afar, striking with it at close quarters, whirling it around to strike
many adversaries, and staving off a combatant with it. He is an expert at
every form of warfare, a master of every weapon; he rides an elephant and a
horse with equal skill.
Dushyanta is as strong as Vishnu, brilliant as Surya, deep and grave as
Varuna, and as patient as Bhumi Devi. His contented people love their king
and he rules with dharma as his sceptre.”
CANTO 69
anamejaya said, “Tell me now about the birth and the life of Mahatma
Bharata and about the birth of Shakuntala. Holy one, tell me how
Dushyanta, that lion among kings, married Shakuntala. O most erudite
among men, great Vaisampayana, tell me all.”
Vaisampayana said, “Once, Dushyanta Mahabaho sets out for the forest
with a large complement of soldiers. Hundreds of horses and elephants go
with the king. Footsoldiers, chariots, cavalry and elephant mounted warriors
travel with Dushyanta – Kshatriyas bearing swords and spears, maces and
heavy cudgels.
Yes, surrounded by hundreds of great warriors, that king sets out and the
Earth and Sky echo with the tigerish roars of those warriors, and with
booming conches, batteries of drumrolls, the clatter of chariot wheels, the
trumpeting of elephants, the whinnying of horses, the din of weapons being
clashed together and against breastplate and armour – it is deafening, the
noise that force makes as it goes forth.
Beautiful and noble women line their sprawling terraces to watch the
grand march of mighty King Dushyanta. The women see how magnificent
he is, like Indra himself.
They say, ‘This tiger among men is a match for the Vasus in battle; no
enemy can stand before him.’
The women shower flowers down on their king in joy. Followed by the
greatest Brahmanas, chanting out their blessings ceaselessly, the king
proceeds towards the jungle in some delight. He goes to hunt deer. Not only
Brahmanas and Kshatriyas, but Vaishyas and Sudras follow Dushyanta who
rides a haughty elephant even as the king of the Devas does. The people
follow him until he forbids them to go with him any further.
Then Dushyanta climbs down from his royal elephant and into his
chariot, yoked to steeds swift as thoughts, and the sound of his chariot
wheels fill Earth and Sky. Soon, he sees a great forest before him and,
entering it, sees that it is like the heavenly garden Nandana.
Bilwa, Arka, Khadira, Kapittha and Dhava trees he sees and that the
ground is strewn with crags that have come loose and fallen from
surrounding hills. He sees no water anywhere, no humans, and the jungle
stretches away on every side for yojanas. There are deer in plenty in that
forest, as well as lions and other fierce predators.
Dushyanta and his men begin to hunt in that forest, slaughtering
countless beasts. That tiger among kings kills many a tiger, within range,
with unerring arrows; he wounds many others that he sees at great
distances; then he leaps on other striped terrors that are too near to be slain
by arrows and kills them with his sword.
There are beasts he kills by casting spears at them that pierce their
hearts, and others he fells with mace and club. Fearlessly, he ranges through
that jungle, strewing carcasses everywhere. The forest is in turmoil.
Lions flee that jungle in prides; elephant herds, their tuskers slain, crash
away in panic in every direction, trunks raised high, screams filling the air,
spraying urine and dung in terror, some vomiting blood. Some wounded
beasts trample many of the king’s men who are not quick enough to escape
their wild charges.
Exhausted, the mastodons soon fall down, for there is no water
anywhere to drink. The king’s hungry warriors eat many of those that have
died, some raw and some roasted over spits.
That jungle, which teemed with animals a short while ago, is quickly
filled with dead beasts and hardly any that live, because those that do live
flee for their lives, so savage is the hunt of Dushyanta and his men.”
CANTO 70
aisampayana continued, “Having slaughtered thousands of innocent

beasts in that forest, until there is no game left in it to hunt,
Dushyanta goes towards another forest, to hunt on.
By now, his force has scattered and he has just two of his men with him
– his priest and his minister. Tired, hungry and thirsty, the king stumbles
upon a desert at the edge of the second forest. Crossing this plain of sand,
where no green thing grows, Dushyanta and his men enter the second
forest, like a garden in heaven, full of Rishis and their asramas.
Dark, deep and enchanting this forest is, with cool and fragrant breezes
whispering through stands of trees laden with flowers in every colour.
Velvet grasses cover the ground, as far as they can see, and the sweetest
songs of birds fill the air most of all, the inspired melodies of the male
kokila and also the twanging of cicadas.
Ancient and magnificent are the trees of this forest, their lofty branches
entwining high above the jungle floor to form a verdant awning. Flowering
vines cling to many of these and bees hum over them, drinking their nectar.
No tree here but that which bears some luscious fruit; none without the
bees swarming over its flowers; and none that has any thorns. Yes, truly the
whole forest rings with the symphonies of feathered choirs. And the
flowers? A carnival, a riot of them, from every season, in every colour,
some from dreams. After the march through the arid sands, the green shade
is like balm to the king and his men.
The breeze seems to welcome Dushyanta, gently dislodging a small rain
of flowers to fall over his head as if in benison. So lofty are those patriarchs
of the jungle, clad in rainbow flower garments of every hue, honey-throated
songsters perched on their branches, that their crowns surely must thrust
themselves into Swarga above.
Their branches, though, are bent with the weight of the flowers they
bear. Gazing at all this, hearing the drone of the bees like the sruti to the
song of the birds, great Dushyanta is enchanted.
Bands of Siddhas, Charanas, tribes of Gandharvas, Apsaras, Vanaras and
Kinnaras come to this charmed forest, to sport, to make love and become
inebriated with its enchantment.
The soft breezes scented with flowers blow everywhere, with no method,
as if they play with the trees. The king sees that this forest grows in a great
loop of a river and, looking at a singularly lofty stand of trees, like some
great and incredible column, he is reminded of a gaudy stamba erected at
Indra’s festival.
Wandering in that forest, Dushyanta comes closer to that auspicious
grove of trees in which there is an asrama of some Rishis, serene and
brimming, as it were, with the joy of the Spirit. A sacred fire burns
solemnly in the agnikunda at its heart. The king sees that many Yogis,
Balakhilyas and other Munis sit around the fire and offer worship there.
There are many kutilas that comprise the hermitage, each with a holy fire
alight within it. The flowers fallen from the trees form a thick bright carpet
over the ground.
Perhaps even more lovely than the rest of that forest is this asrama
nestling in the grove of lofty trees, their boles so wide and great. The limpid
river Malini flows beside that asrama, waterbirds of every kind swimming,
playing, on her transparent current.
The Rishis bathe in her, and she suffuses their hearts with bliss. On her
banks Dushyanta sees herds of deer that seem fearless and even tame; he
sees chakravakas on her wavelets crested with the purest white foam; he
sees the abodes of Kinnara fauns on the far bank of the sacred Malini.
Monkeys and bears he sees in large numbers, elephants, tigers and snakes.
Of course, there are numerous asramas that dot the course of the river,
where Rishis live in dhyana, imbibing the Scriptures. The fine asrama on
the banks of that river, which Dushyanta sees first, belongs to the Maharishi
Kashyapa, and many of his disciples live therein, Rishis of profound
tapasya.
Dushyanta sees the river, many islands on her stream, her banks
gorgeous, and the asrama that seems truly like the hermitage of Nara
Narayana upon the banks of the Ganga; and he decides he would enter that
asrama. In some transport at everything he sees and feels, Dushyanta,
whose chariot is inexorable to his enemies, walks into that sanctuary as
lovely as a bit of Devaloka fallen into this world.
The forest, which is even like the garden of Chitraratha, the Gandharva
king, echoes with the cries of peacocks. Dushyanta wants to meet the
Maharishi Kanva of the line of Kashyapa, a Sage whose lustre is such that it
is difficult to even look at him.
Earlier, when they rejoined him at the hem of the second forest,
Dushyanta had said to his flagbearers, the horsemen and the elephant riders,
‘I will go alone to see the mighty Rishi of Kashyapa’s race, the one without
darkness. Wait here for me.’
Going into the blessed jungle with just his priest and his minister,
Dushyanta immediately forgets his hunger and thirst; indeed they leave
him. Great joy surges through him. He puts aside all his royal insignia, his
armour and weapons, and goes forward without ornaments to see that Sage
who is an immortal sea of the Spirit.
The forest is like a piece of Brahmaloka. Above the birdsongs and the
nectar-drunk bees, Dushyanta hears the chanting of Riks by sonorous and
beautifully modulated Brahmana voices. Elsewhere, he sees Yagnas, and
hears the Vedangas and the Yajur mantras being chanted. Other asramas
resonate with the harmonies of the hymns of the Saman being sung by
Rishis of deep tapasya. Still other zones of that jungle are adorned with
Munis who are masters, obviously, of the Atharva Veda.
The king walks on, in awe, and hears the Samhitas being recited,
exquisitely. Other Brahmanas, healers, are chanting other arcane mantras.
Truly, this is equal to being in Brahmaloka, thinks Dushyanta.
He sees Brahmanas that are experts at creating yagnashalas; others that
are masters of the rules of krama for sacrifices; others are master logicians
and adept at all the sciences of the mind, all these fully knowing the Veda;
masters of language and grammarians; those that know the most secret
rituals; those that tread the path of Moksha Dharma; dialecticians and
metaphysicians with minds like rapiers that quickly cut away any dross and
arrive at the truth of a philosophical proposition.
The king sees Brahmanas who know prosody, Nirukta; astrologers; men
that know the nature of matter and its underlying illusion; those learned in
the fruit to be obtained from various yagnas; those that can converse with
birds and monkeys; those that know vast treatises on every subject,
backwards – in short, men who know all there is to be known.
Dushyanta hears their melodious and strong voices at japa, chanting the
sacred names of God; he sees them performing homa, making burnt
offerings in the holy fire.
He is received respectfully wherever he goes, and he wonders at the
delectable carpets those Brahmanas offer him to sit upon. Seeing and
hearing all that he did in that forest, he truly feels that he has entered
Brahmaloka. Yet, he wanders on because he has not found the asrama of the
Muni Kanva.
Finally, that tiger among kings arrives, with his minister and his priest, at
the hermitage of Kashyapa, where the loftiest Sages of incomparable
asceticism and vows live.”
CANTO 71
aisampayana said, “Now, the king leaves his two companions at the
entrance to that asrama and goes in alone. He does not see the Rishi
Kanva or any other Sage, and calls out loudly, ‘Is anyone here?’
His deep voice echoes like thunder in that silent place. Then, a young
woman, a girl as beautiful, surely, as the Devi Sri herself, appears. She is
wearing the simple, rough clothes of a hermit’s daughter. She is fair and her
eyes are black, and she receives the king with honour and welcomes him.
She brings him a darbhasana to sit upon, gives him padya, water to wash
his feet, and offers him arghya. Respectfully, she inquires after his health
and his peace of mind.
With utmost reverence she says, ‘O Rajan, tell me what I can do for you.
I await your command.’
The king says to that flawless beauty, her voice and speech so sweet, ‘I
have come to worship the most exalted Rishi Kanva. Lovely one, tell me
where he is.’
Shakuntala replies, ‘He has gone into the forest to gather fruit. He will
return shortly. I beg you, wait for him here.’
The king gazes at her, helplessly, and sees that she is beautiful past
reason; her face and form are perfect. He sees how sweet her smile is, and
how she is radiant with her tapasya, and her humility. Besides, she is in the
bloom of lush youth.
Captivated, Dushyanta says, ‘And who are you? Whose daughter are
you? Why do you also live in the forest when you are so beautiful, and
obviously so chaste? Ah, you have stolen my heart and I want to know all
about you, everything.’
She smiles and says sweetly, ‘Rajan, I am the daughter of Maharishi
Kanva.’
Dushyanta says, ‘That Sage, whom the Universe worships, is a
Brahmachari. Dharma Deva might break a vow, but not the Rishi Kanva.
How can you be his daughter, beautiful one?’
Shakuntala replies, ‘I will tell you, Rajan, how I became the Muni’s
daughter. Once, another Rishi came here and asked the same question. I will
tell you what my father said to him.
My father Kanva said to that Rishi, “Once, long ago, Viswamitra
performed such an awesome tapasya that Indra became anxious that the
Rishi blazing with tejas would usurp his throne in Amaravati, and cast Indra
down from Swarga.
Indra called the Apsara Menaka and said to her, ‘You are the most
beautiful of your kind, Menaka, and I want you to do me a small service.
The Rishi Viswamitra blazes like the Sun with the power of his tapasya. I
fear his penance will cast me down from my throne.
Sweet Menaka of the slender waist, I want you to seduce the Sage from
his dhyana, and interrupt his penance. Go and tempt him; use all your
weapons: your youth, your beauty, your charms, your smile, your sidelong
glances, your soft voice.’
Menaka replied, ‘Lord, you know how powerful Viswamitra is and he is
quick to anger, too. Why, he has made even you anxious. Then shall I not
fear him? He caused the death of Vasistha’s children. You know that
Viswamitra is born a Kshatriya and only later became a Brahmana through
tapasya.
Why, when he wanted a holy river near him, in which to perform his
ablutions, he created the deep and swift Kausiki. You know how the
Rajarishi Trishanku, whom a father’s curse turned into a Vetala, fed
Viswamitra’s wife during a famine, while Viswamitra was away at his
penance.
When Viswamitra returned after the famine was over, he changed the
name of the Kausiki near his asrama to Para, and then became Trishanku’s
priest to help him rise bodily into Swarga.
Why, you refused to drink the Soma rasa from that yagna, O Indra, and
when you commanded the rising Trishanku to fall back to the Earth,
Viswamitra in fury created a second Universe (with all the stars beginning
with Sravana), for Trishanku to rule.
I am terrified of such a one, my Lord. If you want me to do what you
ask, you must tell me how I can escape being consumed by his wrath. He
can burn the three worlds with his tejas, or make the Earth quake with a
stamp of his foot. He can pluck up Meru by his roots and cast him as far as
he pleases. He can fly around the Earth, all her ten cardinal points, in a
moment.
How can even an Apsara like me hope to move such a one, alight with
his tapasya like a fire, his virtue perfect, his passions controlled? His mouth
is like Agni; the pupils of his eyes are like Surya and Soma; his tongue is
like Yama.
O Devendra, how will I dare touch him? Yama, Soma, the great Rishis,
the Sadhyas, the Visis and Balakhilyas are terrified of Viswamitra! How can
I dare even look at him?
But because you command it, I will go to the dreadful Rishi, to
accomplish your purpose. But O Indra, devise a plan by which you can
protect me from his anger if it is roused. Vayu should go with me, as well,
and fill the asrama with the scents of spring, snatch my garment from my
body so that I stand naked before the Rishi, and let Manmatha, Kama, roiler
of minds, be there as well to turn the Sage’s heart to me.’
When Indra gave her all that she asked for, and said that he would be at
hand himself near Viswamitra’s asrama, invisibly, to rescue her if the Sage
became angry, Menaka went to Kaushika’s hermitage to seduce Viswamitra
from his penance.’”
CANTO 72
hakuntala continues, ‘My father Kanva said, “Indra commanded

Vayu, who goes wherever he pleases, across the Earth, to be with
Menaka when she approached Viswamitra, as also Kama Deva.
Timidly, her heart pounding, the exquisite Menaka went into the Rishi’s
asrama and saw Viswamitra sitting there in dhyana, bright as a fire himself,
he that had burnt his sins to ashes in the other fire of his tapasya; and he still
sat on, in intense dhayna.
She folded her hands and greeted the Sage, then began to dance before
him, and to sing softly. In a moment, Vayu whisked the single white
garment from her body, leaving her bare. With a cry, as if in terrible
bashfulness and annoyance, she ran after the flying cloth, white as the
moon.
Viswamitra, his tejas like cosmic fire, gazed upon her naked body and
saw how perfect she was, and youthful, no blemish upon her ravishing
nakedness. He saw how graceful she was, and shot by Kama Deva with one
of his subtle flowery shafts of love, that bull among Sages was pierced
through by lust.
Hoarsely he called to her, and she went to him willingly and he took her
ardently to himself. They were together for many years, and so happy were
they that those years passed like a single day.
Viswamitra begot a child on Menaka. As her time drew near, Menaka
went to a secluded place on the banks of the Malini, gushing through a
verdant valley of Himavat. There she gave birth to a daughter, and, Apsara
that she was, she abandoned her child beside the river and went away.
A flock of vultures saw that baby lying there helpless in a forest that
teemed with lions, tigers and leopards, and the great birds flew down and
sat around the infant in a protective ring, and no predator approached her,
no Rakshasa or carnivore took her life.
Later that day, I went to the river for my ablutions and saw the strange
sight of the vultures guarding Menaka’s daughter in the heart of the
wilderness. I brought her home and made her my daughter.
You know that they who create the body, who protect life and who
provide food are all fathers, according to the Shastras. Because birds,
Shakuntas, protected her in the jungle, I named her Shakuntala. Brahmana,
this was how Shakuntala became my daughter and the sinless child also
looks up to me as being her father.”
This, O King, is what my father said to the Rishi who asked him the
question that you have asked me. I have never known my natural father and
I do indeed think of Kanva Muni as being my only father. This is my story,
O Dushyanta!’”
CANTO 73
aisampayana continued, “King Dushyanta says, ‘This is wonderful! I

love you Shakuntala, and want you to be my wife. Whatever your
heart desires you shall have: golden necklaces and earrings, priceless
robes of silk, great moon pearls from distant lands, golden coins, the finest
carpets, and whatever else you want. Why, let all that I have, and my
kingdom, be yours from today.
Only come to me now, marry me in Gandharva vivaha, beautiful one. It
is considered to be the first form of marriage and the best. Be mine now,
this very moment!’
Shakuntala says, ‘O King, my father has gone to gather fruit in the
forest. Wait but briefly and he will give me to you to be your wife.’
Beside himself, Dushyanta replies, ‘Flawless, perfect one, exquisite one,
I want you to be my life’s companion. From now I live only for you and my
heart is yours.
One belongs first and last to oneself; each of us depends finally on
himself or herself. And so it is lawful for you to give yourself to me. The
eight kinds of marriages are Brahma, Daiva, Arsha, Prajapatya, Asura,
Gandharva, Rakshasa and Paisacha.
Brahma’s son Manu, the Lawgiver, has said that all these are proper
depending on who one is. The first four are proper for Brahmanas, and the
first six for Kshatriyas. For kings even Rakshasa vivaha is allowed. Asura
vivaha is allowed only to Vaishyas and Sudras.
Of the first five, three are sattvik, while two are not. The Paisacha and
Asura vivahas are violent and unsafe. These are the laws of dharma, and
they must be followed.
To Kshatriyas, Gandharva and Rakshasa vivaha are allowed. You must
not be afraid; for us either of these, or even a mixture of both, is perfectly
lawful. Fair one, I am full of desire for you, and if you feel the same for me,
let us marry now by Gandharva vivaha, and consummate our love!’
Shakuntala listens to the impatient king, then says, ‘If it is indeed true
that we are allowed to marry by Gandharva vivaha, if I can truly give
myself to you in dharma, listen O Purushottama, to my conditions, and you
must swear solemnly to give me what I ask.
The son that you beget in me must become the Yuvaraja and king after
you. Grant this one condition, Dushyanta, and let us marry and be one
flesh.’
The king does not think a moment before crying, ‘So be it! I will even
take you, my beauty with the sweetest smile, to my capital. I swear this to
you, lovely one, for you deserve no less.’
With that he takes her to be his wife in Gandharva vivaha, and possesses
her immediately. Then he leaves her, after repeatedly reassuring Shakuntala,
‘Beloved, I will send my finest legion, of the four varnas, to fetch you to
my city.’
Having sworn this, Dushyanta leaves that asrama and that forest like a
bit of heaven on earth. As he rides home, he begins to think of Kanva. He
wonders, ‘What will the Rishi say when he discovers what happened?’ With
this thought, he arrives in his capital.
As soon as Dushyanta leaves the asrama, Kanva returns. Ashamed and
feeling guilty, Shakuntala does not go out to meet him as she usually does.
But that great Sage is a mystic and already sees everything that has
transpired with his inner eye.
Not annoyed, but pleased, he says, ‘My child, there is no sin in what you
did today, secretly, without waiting for me to return. You have been with a
man, but you have not broken dharma by giving yourself to him. Why, the
Shastras say that Gandharva vivaha between a man and a woman who
desire each other is the highest form of marriage for Kshatriyas.
Dushyanta is a noble and virtuous king, and you have taken him for your
husband with all your heart. Your son by him shall be mighty and
illustrious. He will be invincible in battle and have sway over Earth and
Sea.’
Shakuntala now goes to her tired father and washes his feet. She takes
the load of fruit he has brought, and sets it down. She says softly, ‘I beg
you, bless Dushyanta and his ministers, too.’
Kanva replies, ‘Sweet child, for your sake I will bless him. Also, ask me
for any boon you want.’
Shakuntala thinks of Dushyanta whom she loves, and says, ‘May every
Paurava king be virtuous and may they never lose their kingdom or their
throne.’”
CANTO 74
aisampayana continued, “Dushyanta leaves the asrama, promising

Shakuntala that he will send for her. But the months pass, her time
comes and she delivers a magnificent child, a boy of shining tejas.
When the child is three years, he blazes like agni. He is handsome,
generous, and quickly, very accomplished as well.
Kanva performs all his rites of passage and teaches the child of great
intelligence everything that he needs to know, so day by day he grows more
splendid. His teeth are pearls, his locks shine, and even as a young boy he is
so strong that he can kill lions. He has every auspicious line and mark in his
palms, his brow is broad and lofty, his beauty and strength swell like the
Moon waxing during the bright fortnight.
He grows like the son of a Deva. When he is just six, he seizes lions and
tigers, bears, bison and even elephants and ties them to the great trees
around the asrama. Some of these beasts he rides, and others he chases for
sport.
The Rishis in Kanva’s asrama name him Sarvadamana because he
subdues any beast, however strong. Boundless are his strength and vigour.
When Kanva sees all this, he tells Shakuntala that the time has come for
Sarvadamana to be crowned the Yuvaraja of his father’s kingdom.
Kanva says to his disciples, ‘Take Shakuntala and her son to her
husband’s city. Women should not live so long in their parents’ homes, for
it tarnishes their reputation, even their virtue. Take her to Dushyanta,
without delay.’
The disciples set out with Shakuntala and her son for Hastinapura, city
of elephants. Thus, the lovely forest woman and her son, handsome and
radiant like a god, his eyes like lotus petals, leave the forest where both
have grown, and where Dushyanata first met and knew Shakuntala.
Arriving in Hastinapura, she enters the king’s palace and presents their
son, who looks like the rising sun, to his father. Maharishi Kanva’s sishyas
bring Shakuntala to the king and immediately return to their hermitage.
Shakuntala greets the king, formally, love shining in her eyes. She says
to Dushyanta, ‘My Lord, this is your son, now make him the Yuvaraja. You,
Rajan, sired this child like a Deva in me, and it is time you fulfilled the oath
you swore that he would become your heir. Remember, O Dushyanta,
everything that you said to me in my father Kanva’s asrama.’
The king remembers her well, but he says harshly, ‘I do not remember
anything. Who are you, evil woman, dressed as a Sannyasini? I do not
recall having any relations with you, not of dharma, artha or kama. You
may go or stay here, as you please. I have nothing to do with you.’
Stunned, stricken, Shakuntala stands as if she has turned to stone, or a
wooden post. Then rage grips her and her eyes turn the colour of copper and
her lips quiver. The looks she gives the king seem as if they would burn him
to ashes. But she restrains herself and, with a great effort, quenches her
rising fury.
Composing herself, though her heart seethes with rage and sorrow,
equally, she looks straight at Dushyanta and says to him in a quiet and
dangerous voice, ‘Dushyanta, you remember very well everything that
happened between us. How do you now say, like some lowborn man, O
King, that you do not know me? Your heart is my witness, whether I speak
truly or not.
Do not demean yourself, for the liar is one who robs his own soul. He is
capable of every sin. You think that you are the only one who knows what
you did with me. Don’t you know that the Ancient, Omniscient Narayana
dwells in every heart and every moment?
He knows your every sin, and yet you dare to sin in his presence. Every
sinner thinks that his sins pass unnoticed; but the Devas see everything as
does He who lives in every heart. The Sun, the Moon, the Air, the Fire, the
Earth, the Sky, Water, the heart itself, Yama, the day, the night, both
sandhyas, and Dharma – all these witness everything that any man ever
does.
Surya’s son Yama ignores the sins of a man with whom Narayana, the
omniscient witness, is pleased; but Yama torments the man with whom
Narayana is not pleased. The Gods never bless those that degrade
themselves with falsehood; why, his own soul will not bless such a man.
I am a devoted wife. It is true that I come here myself; but do not insult
me because of that, O King. I am your wife and I deserve respect from you.
Dare you dishonour me because I come here myself? Dare you treat me like
some prostitute in the presence of all your court?
I want for nothing in the forest, and neither do I lead a sorry life. Do you
hear me Dushyanta? If you refuse to do what I ask, my curse will burst your
head open, in a hundred pieces. A husband enters his wife’s womb as seed,
and emerges again as his son. This is why the Sages who know the Vedas
call a wife Jaya: she of whom one is born.
And a son born to those that know the mantras of the Veda becomes the
saviour of departed ancestors. A son rescues his manes from the hell called
Put, and so Brahma has named a son as Putra. Begetting a son, one
conquers the three worlds; with a son’s son a man finds eternity. Through a
great grandson, his grandsires obtain everlasting joy.
A true wife is skilled in household matters: she who bears a son is a
dharmapatni, a good wife, as is she who is devoted to her husband. The
good wife is chaste and knows no man other than her husband. His wife is
half of a man; she is his dearest friend; she is the very root of dharma, artha
and kama; she is the seed of moksha.
Married men perform their dharma, living contentedly in grihastasrama.
They are cheerful that have wives; they find fortune. Sweet-spoken wives
are like friends in whose company a man is joyful; in the performance of
dharma, they are like fathers; when a man is ill or sad, they are like
mothers.
Even when he travels through deep and dangerous forests, a good wife is
a man’s companion and solace. Everyone trusts a man who has a good wife.
O Rajan, a wife is a man’s most treasured possession. Why, even when a
man leaves this world for Yama’s realm, his wife, if she is devoted, goes
with him. A wife who departs before her husband waits for him; but if the
husband goes first, the chaste wife follows close.
Rajan, this is why marriage exists; a man enjoys his wife’s
companionship not only in this world but in the next. Then, the Rishis all
say that a man himself is born as his son: so he whose wife bears him a son
must look upon her as his mother. Why, when a man sees the face of his
son, like looking into a magical mirror, he feels as joyful as a virtuous man
who attains Swarga.
Men suffering in the world, from all its trials of body and mind, feel as
refreshed by their wives’ company as one does having a cool bath on a hot
and sweaty day. Not in anger should a man ever displease his wife, for,
everything his joy, fortune and virtue depend upon her.
A wife is the sacred field in which the husband sows his seed and is born
again. Not Rishis can procreate without having wives. Which happiness can
match what a father feels when he sees his son running into his arms and
hugging him, be the child covered in dust and dirt?
Ah, then why are you so callous to your child who has come to you and
looks with such longing at you, to take him onto your lap? Even ants
nurture their eggs with tender care; then why do you, a great king of
dharma, refuse to acknowledge your son?
Not the touch of the softest sandalwood paste, of the most feminine
woman, of the purest, coolest water on a hot day, can equal the feeling of
clasping one’s child in one’s arms. A Brahmana is the first among all
creatures that walk on two legs; the cow, the best of those that walk on four;
a king, the foremost among one’s guardians; and one’s own son is the best
of all beings and objects to touch and to hold.
Embrace your beautiful son, O Dushyanta, and you will find no
sensation on Earth can equal that joy. O Parantapa, I bore this child in my
womb for a full three years before I brought him forth to become the
dispeller of all your sorrows. O Paurava king, when I gave birth to him, an
asariri from the sky said: “He shall perform a hundred Aswamedha
Yagnas!”
Why, men that travel to distant lands, take other men’s children onto
their laps, sniff their heads and feel great joy.
Dushyanta, you know the Vedic mantras that Brahmanas chant when a
son is born: “You are born, O son, of my body. You have sprung from my
heart. You are my own self come as my son. Live to be a hundred years. My
life depends on you, and the continuation of my family. O son, live in great
joy for a hundred years!”
Yes, this lustrous child has sprung from your body; look at him and see
yourself as you would your image in a still lake. He has been kindled by
you: even as a sacrificial fire is from a domestic one. You are but one;
through him you have made yourself two.
Rajan, you came hunting in the wilderness. I was a virgin living in my
father’s asrama and you importuned me. The six most beautiful Apsaras are
Urvasi, Purvachitti, Sahajanya, Menaka, Viswachi and Ghritachi. Among
them, Brahma’s daughter Menaka is the first. She came down to the Earth
and Viswamitra begot me on her.
She gave birth to me in a valley of Himavat, and then, feeling no
maternal love, she abandoned me as if I was someone else’s child. Ah, I
wonder what sin I committed in some other life that first my parents
abandoned me, and now you, my husband, do the same. For myself, I am
content to return to my father Kanva’s asrama, but you must not renounce
this child, your son.’
Dushyanta listens to all this, but then says savagely, ‘Shakuntala, women
are given to lying, and I do not remember having begotten any child on you.
Who will believe what you say? The promiscuous Menaka, who knows no
affection even for her own child, is your mother, as you yourself say. She
abandoned you upon Himavan’s slopes just as one discards the flowers
offered to the Devas during worship, when the worship is over.
Your father, the lustful Viswamitra, was a Kshatriya but chose to become
a Brahmana; he, too, is cruel and heartless that he abandoned you. But it is
true that Menaka is the first among the Apsaras, and your father foremost of
Rishis. You are their daughter, yet you talk like a whore, obscenely.
You do not deserve to be believed. Aren’t you ashamed of yourself,
casting aspersions, especially against me? Leave at once, you harlot dressed
as a Sannyasini. Where is the Maharishi Viswamitra and where is the
Apsara Menaka? Why are you, deceiving, vile woman, dressed as an
ascetic? As for your son, he is grown up, while you insist on calling him a
child.
You say he is a boy, but look how strong and powerful he is. If he is just
six, as you claim, how is he so big, like a Sala tree? For sure, you are a
lowborn, lying whore. You are begotten lustfully by Menaka, and not in
love.
I don’t know you or anything that you say. Go away, go wherever you
like!’
Shakuntala replies, ‘O King, you see the faults of others, be they not as
small as a mustard seed, but not your own which are bigger than a bilwa
fruit! Menaka is an Apsara, indeed she is reckoned to be the most beautiful
of the Apsaras, their queen. Dushyanta, I am of much nobler and higher
birth than you. You walk upon the Earth, O Rajan, but I rove the Sky at
will. The comparison between you and me is as between a mustard seed and
a mountain. Such is my power, mortal king!
I can fly to the worlds of Indra, Kubera, Yama and Varuna. What I came
here to tell you, King of dharma, is from the purest motives and not from
any greed. Listen to me and forgive me for these comparisons between
yourself and me.
But an ugly man thinks of himself as being better looking than other
men and mocks them – until he looks at his own face in a mirror for the first
time. Then he sees the truth, and the real difference of nature between
himself and other men. The truly handsome man does not mock anyone.
The evil man is always a reviler. Just as swine look for filth even in a
garden of flowers, the mocker always hears only vileness in anything that
another tells him, whatever it is. However, a wise man listens to the speech
of others, good and evil mixed, but like the goose, which knows how to
drink only the milk from a mixture of milk and water, he takes only the
good.
The honest man always hesitates to speak ill of others, but the evil ever
delight to do so. The good always delight in showing regard to their elders,
but the evil always find pleasure in disparaging the good. The good are
happy in never seeking faults; the evil are happy only in finding them. The
wicked always speak ill of the good and the honest; yet, even if hurt by
them, the good do not wound the evil.
What can be more absurd than those that are themselves evil accusing
the good of being so? When even atheists grow angry at those that abandon
truth and virtue, and become like virulent serpents, what shall I say about
myself, who have grown in faith?
He who begets a son who is his very image, and yet does not accept or
love him, never attains to the worlds that he desires, for the Gods destroy
his fortune and take his possessions from him. The Pitrs have said that a son
continues the race and bloodline, and so a son is the greatest yagna and
dharma. No man should abandon his son.
Manu tells of five kinds of sons: a son begotten upon one’s own wife,
one gained as a gift from another, one bought for a consideration, a child
who becomes a son from love, and sons begotten upon women other than
one’s wife. All these are sons.
Sons support the dharma and the achievements of their fathers, enhance
their joy, and save the spirits of dead ancestors from hell. So, O tiger among
Kshatriyas, it does not become you to abandon a son like yours. Accept and
cherish your child, O Dushyanta, like your own self. Lion among kings, you
degrade yourself by being deceitful.
The creation and dedication of a tank brings more punya that digging a
hundred wells. Performing a yagna confers more merit than creating a
sacred tank. A son is far more auspicious than a sacrifice, and the truth
more sacred than a hundred sons.
Once, the punya from a hundred Aswamedhas was weighed against the
truth, and the truth was found to be immeasurably heavier. Dushyanta, the
truth is equal to the study of all the Vedas and bathing at all the sacred
tirthas together. There is no other virtue to equal the truth, and nothing
superior to the truth. The truth is God himself, O Kshatriya; truth is the
highest vrata.
So do not break your word to me, and be one with the truth. If you set no
value by what I say I will go away with no protest; indeed, I must avoid the
company of a man like you. But, Dushyanta, when you die, this son of mine
shall surely rule all this Earth surrounded by the four seas and be crowned
by the king of mountains.’
With this, Shakuntala turns on her heel and walks out of the king’s
presence. No sooner has she left, than a great asariri, a disembodied voice,
speaks echoingly from the air to Dushyanta who sits amidst his priests, his
Gurus and ministers.
The voice says, ‘A mother is only the sheath of flesh; the son born from
her is the father himself. O Dushyanta, cherish your son and do not demean
Shakuntala. Best of men, a son is a form of the father’s seed and he rescues
the spirits of the ancestors from the realm of Yama.
You are this child’s father, and Shakuntala spoke the truth. The husband
cleaves his body and is born from the wife as a son. Dushyanta, accept and
love your son by Shakuntala. To try to live by forsaking one’s living son is
a terrible misfortune. Paurava, cherish your lofty son born to Shakuntala.
And because you will accept and nurture this child at our word, he shall be
called Bharata, the precious and cherished one.’
In that voice the very gods speak thunderously to Dushyanta before all
his court and people. Suddenly, Dushyanta’s face lights up with great joy.
That king cries, ‘Did you all hear what the asariri says? The command of
the Devas! I always knew that this child was mine. Yet, if I had accepted
him merely at what Shakuntala said, my people would have been
suspicious, and always harboured a doubt that the prince was not mine.’
O Bharatottama, once the heavenly voice has established that the child
Bharata is indeed his son, Dushyanta is full of joy. He rises and clasps the
powerful boy in his arms, and performs every ritual that a father should for
his son. He never stops hugging him and sniffing his head in adoration.
The Brahmanas shower their blessings over the child and the bards of
the court, the Sutas, sing his praises. Dushyanta feels the unearthly delight
that any father does when he touches his child.
Dushyanta calls Shakuntala back and now welcomes her with fond and
great love. Pacifying her for the ordeal he has subjected her to, he says,
‘Devi, O Goddess, you and I were married in seclusion, with no witness. I
was afraid that my people would think that it is no proper vivaha but a
chance encounter of lust, and hence our son illegitimate.
They would have resented him being crowned the Yuvaraja. Oh my love,
I forgive everything you said to me in anger because I love you more than
my life and have since I first saw you!’
The Rajarishi Dushyanta now welcomes his queen with offerings of
perfumes, food and drink. Thus, the Paurava names his son Bharata, and
crowns the magnificent child his heir. In time, the brilliant and famed
wheels of the chariot of Bharata the Great would fill every corner of the
Earth with their sound, even like the vimanas of the Devas.
The son of Dushyanta subjugates every other King of the Earth, and he
rules with dharma and unequalled is his fame. Becoming a king of kings,
the invincible Bharata becomes known as Sarvabhauma, Lord of all the
world, and Chakravarti.
Countless sacrifices he performs, even like Indra, lord of the Devas.
Maharishi Kanva is the chief priest at those Mahayagnas, at which Bharata
gives bounteous gifts to Brahmanas. The Cow Sacrifice and the Horse
Sacrifice Bharata performs, and gives Kanva a thousand coins of gold as the
Ritvik’s dakshina.
This is the mighty Bharata, of numberless great achievements, after
whom the lordly race of kings into which you are born is named. And in
that royal house, godlike kings of great lustre are born, kings like Brahma
himself. Their number is past counting. But, Scion of the race of Rajarishi
Bharata, I will name the main ones for you, kings blessed with fortune to
rival that of the Devas, men of dharma, devoted to the truth.”
CANTO 75
aisampayana said, “Listen to this sacred genealogy of those

Rajarishis, which enhances dharma, artha and kama.
Daksha Prajapati, Manu, the son of Surya, Bharata, Ruru, Puru
and Ajamidha. Sinless King, I will also recite the genealogies of the
Yadavas, the Kurus and kings of the line of Bharata. These are sacred
indeed, and their narration is an act of worship, which confers wealth, fame
and a long life. Rajan, the men I have named are radiant as Maharishis, and
as powerful.
Prachetas has ten sons, all of them ascetics and righteous. In the most
ancient times, they consume with fire from their mouths, forests of
poisonous plants and fell trees that covered the Earth.
Prachetas’ eleventh son is Daksha, and from him all the creatures
originated, and so he is called Prajapati.
The Muni Daksha takes Virini to be his wife and begets a thousand sons
upon her, all great tapasvins. Narada teaches Daksha’s thousand sons the
Samkhya marga as a way to moksha, and they never become creators or
progenitors themselves, but wander the galaxies to find the ends of the
Universe, for Narada Muni subverts their minds.
O Janamejaya, Daksha Prajapati then begets fifty daughters, for his
intention is to further creation, have it multiply and flourish. He says that
their sons would belong to him as well as to their husbands. He gives ten of
his daughters to Dharma, thirteen to Kashyapa and twenty-seven to Soma,
and these Nakshatras chart the course of the Moon.
Marichi’s son Kashyapa begets the Adityas, among whom Indra is the
eldest and the Lord, on Daksha’s eldest daughter; he also fathers Surya,
who is also called Vivaswat, in her.
Vivaswat, who is also called Martanda, begets Yama. He then sires
another son, of brilliant and fathomless intellect, called Manu. Manu
possesses profound wisdom and is devoted to dharma. He becomes the
father of the human race, and they are called Manavas or Manushyas after
him. Be they Brahmanas, Kshatriyas or any other humans, they are called
Manavas for they are all descended from Manu.
Later, O King, the Brahmanas and Kshatriyas mix their races. Manu’s
Brahmana sons devote themselves to studying the Veda.
Manu sires ten other children: Vena, Dhrishnu, Narishyan, Nabhaga,
Ikshvaku, Karusha, Saryati, a daughter named Ila, Prishadhru and
Nabhagarishta. All these live as Kshatriyas.
Manu has fifty other sons on Earth, but they die fighting one another.
The learned Pururavas is Ila’s son, and it is told that Ila is both his father
and his mother. Pururavas the Great holds sway over thirteen Dwipas,
continents, and though he is a man, his companions are all celestials.
Drunk with power, his reason lost, Pururavas crosses the Brahmanas and
robs them of their wealth, without fearing their anger. Sanatkumara comes
down from Brahmaloka to advise him against this rashness, but Pururavas
ignores his counsel. The Maharishi grows angry and with a curse destroys
that greedy king in a moment.
Pururavas first brings from the realm of the Gandharvas the three kinds
of sacred fires for worship. He also brings the Apsara Urvashi to be his
wife, and the son of Ila fathers six sons on Urvashi – Ayus, Dhimat,
Amavasu, Dhridhayus, Vanayus and Satayus.
Ayus begets four sons, Nahusha, Vriddhasarman, Rajingaya and Anenas,
on the daughter of Swarbhanu. Of all the sons of Ayus, Nahusha is the most
intelligent and powerful, and rules his vast kingdom with dharma.
Nahusha has the support of the Pitrs, Devas, Rishis, Brahmanas,
Gandharvas, Nagas, Rakshasas, Kshatriyas and Vaisyas, for he is friendly
towards all of them. He puts down crime and bands of brigands ruthlessly,
and peace pervades his kingdom.
But in his arrogance, he once commands the greatest Rishis to carry him
upon their backs in his palanquin, like beasts of burden, and they curse
Nahusha. Before that he fascinates the Devas themselves with his charm
and beauty, his asceticism, his strength and his brilliance. He rules like
another Indra.
Nahusha begets six sons, all well-spoken, called Yati, Yayati, Sanyati,
Ayati and Dhruva. Yati takes Sannyasa and becomes a Muni, like Brahma
himself. Yayati becomes a sovereign of great power and dharma. He rules
all of the Earth, performs innumerable sacrifices, worships his Manes and
the Devas unfailingly, and is never vanquished in battle.
Yayati’s sons are all great archers, and splendid with every virtue. He
sires them in his two queens Devayani and Sarmishta. Devayani’s sons are
the twins Yadu and Turvasu, and Sarmishta’s are Drahyu, Anu and Puru.
When he has ruled wisely and justly for many many years, suddenly one
day, through a curse, the infirmity of old age strikes Yayati like some dread
disease: gone is his splendour, his handsomeness, his virility.
He calls his sons Yadu, Puru, Turvasu, Drahyu and Anu, and says to
them, ‘My sons, I want my youth back to enjoy the company of young
women. You must help me.’
His eldest son by Devayani says, ‘What do you want us to do?’
Yayati replies, ‘Take my age and give me your youth, my son. Ah, Rishi
Usanas cursed me and I have aged overnight. I have not satisfied my desires
and they torment me. Oh, give me your youth to take my pleasures with it!’
At first, none of those sons would do what he asks. Then his youngest
son Puru says, ‘I will take your infirmity upon myself and let you have my
youth. I will rule your kingdom as you command, while you satisfy your
every desire.’
The Rajarishi Yayati uses his tapasya shakti to take Puru’s youth and
give the young man his own old age. Yayati is young again and Puru is an
old man, and Puru rules the kingdom in his father’s name.
A thousand years pass, and Yayati, Rajavyaghra, remains as strong and
virile as a tiger. He enjoys his wives to his heart’s content, and in the
gardens of the Gandharva king Chitraratha, he enjoys the Apsara Viswachi.
But even after a thousand years and more, the king finds that his desires
rage on, undimmed.
Yayati remembers something he has read in the Purana: ‘Desire can
never be quenched by indulgence. It is like pouring ghee into a fire to
extinguish it; the flames only burn more fiercely.
Not he that owns all the wealth in the world, all its gold, diamonds,
beasts and women will find himself satisfied, but will only crave for more.
Only the man who does not sin in thought, deed or word attains to the
purity of Brahmana, and finds joy and peace in his own soul.
When a man fears nothing, and is feared by nothing and no one, when he
wishes for nothing but is content, when he harms no living thing, he attains
eternal peace, Brahmanirvana.’
After his long years of every indulgence, Yayati is wise enough to realise
that desire can never be satisfied with indulgence. Yayati stills his mind
with dhyana. He takes his old age back from his son and returns Puru’s
youth to him. He crowns Puru king, and says to him, ‘You are my true heir,
my only real son. From now let our royal line be known by your name. Let
my vamsa be called the Pauravas.’
Then Yayati leaves for the mountain of Bhrigu to devote himself to
Sannyasa. After years of tapasya, and acquiring great spiritual punya, his
wives and he fast until their spirits leave their bodies, and they attain
Swarga.”
CANTO 76
anamejaya said, “Profound Muni, rich with ascetic wealth, tell me how
my ancestor Yayati, born in the tenth generation from Prajapati, manages
to make the daughter of Shukra his wife. Tell me of this in detail. Also,
tell me about all the kings that founded the different dynasties.”
Vaisampayana said, “King Yayati is as splendid as Indra himself. I will
tell you, O Janamejaya, how both Shukra and Vrishaparvan give him their
daughters to be his wives; I will tell you especially about Devayani.
Of old, the Devas and the Asuras fight for the sovereignty of the three
worlds and everything in them. The Devas make Angiras’ son Brihaspati
their priest to perform their yagnas for them, and the Asuras make Shukra,
also called Usanas, theirs. Between the two Brahmanas there is always
rivalry, each deriding the other and extolling himself.
Shukra knows the Mritasanjivini vidya, the arcane art of bringing the
dead back to life, and during any Devasura yuddha—a war between the
gods and the demons—he would revive the Asuras that are slain, and the
Danavas and Daityas would come roaring back to fight.
The Asuras also kill many of the Deva warriors, but Brihaspati does not
know the Sanjivini and cannot bring them back to life. The Devas despair;
they are in terror of Usanas’ vidya.
They go to Brihaspati’s eldest son Kacha, and say to him, ‘We bow to
you, and ask you to do us a service that we consider a great one. We beg
you learn the Mritasanjivini from Shukra Bhargava, O that mighty
Brahmana. You will find him in the court of Vrishaparvan; he always
protects the Asuras, but not us.
You are younger than he is, and you can worship him reverently. You
can also pay tribute to Devayani, who is Shukra’s favourite daughter.
Surely, only you, Kacha, can please both of them, and by flattering
Devayani with every sweetness, fawning on her, you can acquire the
Sanjivini from her father.’
Brihaspati’s son says, ‘So be it,’ and goes to Vrishaparvan, the Asura
king’s, capital. Seeing Shukra in the Danava’s lavish court, Kacha folds his
hands and says humbly, ‘I am the grandson of Rishi Angiras and the son of
Brihaspati. I am called Kacha; take me for your sishya. If you become my
Guru, I will be a brahmacharin for a thousand years, and your disciple.
Command me, O Brahmana!’
Shukra, who is called Kavya or Usanas as well, says, ‘You are welcome
Kacha. I will take you to be my disciple and treat you with regard, for I will
be showing Brihaspati regard if I do.’
Kacha says, ‘I thank you, my lord,’ and at once swears a vow of
Brahmacharya, celibacy, for a thousand years. With that he becomes
Shukra’s sishya and begins to serve and please both his master, as well as
Shukra’s daughter Devayani.
Kacha is young, as is Devayani, and he would sing and dance for her,
and play on several instruments. O Bharatottama, devoting himself, he
brings her flowers and fruit, and does her bidding with alacrity, whatever
she wants done. She, too, sweet-natured maiden, would sing for him and
look after his every need, when they are alone together, even as he kept his
vow unflinchingly.
When five hundred years pass, the Danavas learn Kacha’s true intention.
They are furious, and seeing him alone in the forest one day with Shukra’s
cows, they kill him, cut his body into pieces and feed him to wolves and
jackals. They have no compunction about killing a Brahmana. They detest
Brihaspati, and of course they want to keep Kacha from acquiring the secret
of the Mritasanjivini, the art of reviving the dead.
Come twilight and the cows return to their fold without Kacha. Devayani
says to her father Shukra, ‘Your evening fire has been lit and the Sun has
set, father. The cows have come home, but Kacha is not with them. He is
either lost or dead, and I cannot live without him!’
Shukra says, ‘I will bring him back.’
With the Sanjivini vidya, Shukra calls Kacha to return. The shreds of the
disciple’s body tear open the bodies of the jackals and wolves that have
eaten him, and unite into a living Kacha, who, full of joy, appears before his
Guru.
Devayani demands of him, ‘Why are you so late?’
Kacha says to Bhargava’s daughter, ‘I was dead. I was coming home
with fuel for the fire, with kusa grass and wood. I sat under a nyagrodha
tree, and the cows also cropped grass in the shade. Some Asuras saw me
and asked, “Who are you?” I replied, “I am Brihaspati’s son.” As soon as I
said this, the Danavas killed me, cut my body into pieces and fed it to
wolves and jackals. Then they went away, singing for joy. Sweet Devayani,
then your father called out to me and I have returned to you from the dead.’
Another day, Kacha goes into the forest to gather flowers for Devayani.
The Danavas see him, kill him again and, pounding him into a paste,
dissolve him in the sea.
When he does not come home, Devayani again goes in tears to her
father. Once more, Shukra calls Kacha with his Sanjivini and the disciple
appears whole and alive before his Guru, and recounts what had had
happened.
The third time the Asuras kill Kacha, they burn his body to ashes, and
then mix those ashes in wine and give the wine to Shukra himself to drink.
Come night, and when Kacha does not return, Devayani says to her
father, ‘Father, Kacha went to pick flowers for me, but he has not come
home. He is either lost or dead, and I will not live without him.’
Shukra says, ‘Child, Brihaspati’s son has been killed again. Each time I
bring him back from Yama’s realm, and again he is killed. I am afraid I can
do nothing for Kacha.
Devayani, don’t cry. You should not grieve over a mortal. Why, because
of my power, the Brahmanas, the Devas with Indra, the Vasus and Aswins,
the Asuras, and indeed all the Universe worship you, during the three
sandhyas. Forget Kacha now, because he is killed as often as I revive him.’
Devayani replies, ‘How can I forget him, and not grieve for him, whose
grandfather is the ancient Angiras, whose father is Brihaspati, both great
Rishis, and who is himself an ocean of tapasya. Kacha is a Brahmacharin
and a Sannyasi, always caring, and skilled in everything that he does. I
mean to fast to death and follow Kacha where he has gone. Oh father, I love
the handsome Brahmana!’
Maharishi Shukra sees his daughter grief-stricken, and grows angry. He
says, ‘The Asuras dare kill my sishya who lives in my house! Killing a
Brahmana is the worst of all sins and would consume Indra himself. The
Rudrabhakta Asuras make me a party to their crime when I revive Kacha
and they kill him again. They want me to lose my character as a Brahmana.’
Compelled by Devayani, Shukra is about to call Kacha back again from
the dead. But Kacha fears what might happen to his Guru, and says from his
master’s belly, ‘O Master, I am Kacha who worships you. Treat me like
your own son, be kind to me Lord.’
Shukra says, ‘How did you enter my stomach? I will leave the Asuras
this moment and join the Devas!’
Kacha says, ‘By your grace, I remember everything that happened. My
punya is intact, and my tapasya shakti. With these, I am able to endure the
pain that savages me. O Guru, the Asuras killed me, burnt me to ashes, then
mixed the ashes in your wine. That is how I am in your belly. But as long as
you are alive, the craft of the Asuras will never prevail over the science of
the Brahmana.’
Shukra says to Devayani, ‘My child, how can I help you now? Kacha is
inside me. The only way he can live again is if I die. He cannot emerge
unless he rends my belly and kills me.’
Devayani sobs, ‘Both your lives are equally precious to me, and both
your deaths would savage me equally! If either of you dies, so will I.’
Then Shukra says, ‘O son of Brihaspati, you can count yourself
successful in all your endeavours, because Devayani loves you well. If you
are not Indra disguised as Kacha, learn the Mritasanjivini from me today.
No one can come out alive from my stomach. But a Brahmana must not be
killed.
So learn the Sanjivini from me, then be born even as my son, rending my
belly. But be sure that when you are alive again, you act with grace.’
Kacha learns the secret art of reviving the dead from Shukra; then he
tears open his master’s belly and emerges as luminous as the Moon on the
fifteenth day of the bright fortnight. He sees his Guru’s remains lying before
him like a heap of tapasya, and using the Sanjivini, Kacha restores Shukra
to life.
Worshipping him with love, Kacha says to his Guru, ‘I was ignorant
until you poured Gyanamrita, the nectar of knowledge, into my ears. You
are my father and my mother, Lord. He who is ingrate enough to take
knowledge from his Guru, who is the most precious of all precious things in
the world, who must be worshipped, and then causes his master injury, shall
be hated in the world and damned to find hell for himself.’
Shukra looks at the handsome Kacha, and thinks of how he had drunk
him mixed with wine. He thinks furiously of how the Asuras had deceived
him when he was drunk.
Rising in anger, Mahatman Shukra cries, ‘From this day, any Brahmana
who drinks wine shall lose all his punya and be considered as having
committed Brahmahatya. He shall be despised in this world and all the
others.
I, Shukra Bhargava, declare this, and let the Brahmanas, honest men, the
Devas, men that revere their superiors, and the three worlds hear this edict
of mine, which shall regulate the conduct and preserve the dignity of
Brahmanas everywhere.’
Then he summons the Asuras, whom fate has robbed of their reason. He
says to them, ‘Foolish Danavas, Kacha has what he wants. He has learnt the
Sanjivini Vidya and is now as powerful as Brahma himself. He will live
with me.’
With that Shukra fell silent. In some disarray, the confounded demons
return to their homes. Kacha has now spent a full thousand years with his
Guru and prepares to return to Devaloka, with his master’s leave.”
CANTO 77
aisampayana said, “When the thousand years of his vow end, Kacha,
with his Guru’s permission, is about to depart for Devaloka, when
Devayani says to him, ‘O Kacha, grandson of Angiras Muni,
resplendent are your birth and conduct, your learning, humility and your
asceticism. Even as my father worships and honours the Muni Angiras, I
adore and revere your father Brihaspati.
Remember this and listen to what I have to say. Recall how I disported
myself with you during the years of your vow of Brahmacharya. Now the
time of your vrata is over. Now I ask you to turn your love towards me. I
ask you to marry me with mantras from the Veda.’
Kacha replies, ‘I respect and worship you just as I do your father! Why,
beautiful and faultless Devayani, I adore you even more than him. My Guru
Shukra Bhargava loves you more than his own life. As his daughter, you
merit my worship. I beg you do not ask me to marry you!’
Devayani replies, ‘You, also, are the son of a great father and deserving
of my reverence and worship. O Kacha, best among Brahmanas, have you
forgotten the love I showed for you when the Asuras killed you time and
again? Recall that affection, and my devotion, and do not now abandon me
for no fault of mine. I truly love you.’
Kacha says, ‘Punyavrata, do not ask me to commit such a sin! Lovely
one, be kind to me instead. I hold you in higher esteem than I do my master.
Virtuous one, your face like the moon, your eyes long as lotus petals, you
are Shukra Kavya’s child; do not forget that I, too, was born from his body.
You are my sister, and we have passed our days happily together.
We understand each other perfectly and I now beg you to allow me to
return to my home in the sky. Bless me that I have a safe journey. Whenever
you think of me, or speak of me, you must remember me as one who did
not break dharma. I ask you to always serve my Guru readily and single-
mindedly.’
Devayani replies in anger, ‘If you refuse to make me your wife, even
after I have begged you, O Kacha, may all your tapasya and gyana be
fruitless!’
Kacha says, ‘I have refused you only because you are my Guru’s
daughter, and not because you have any flaw or fault. Also, my Guru has
not said anything to me about marrying you. If it pleases you, curse me.
I have told you what I must do, being a Rishi. I do not deserve your
curse, Devayani, but you have cursed me. You have cursed me from passion
and not from any sense of dharma. What you want shall never happen, and I
say to you that no Rishi’s son will ever marry you. You have said that my
learning will prove fruitless. So be it. But I say that it shall prove fruitful to
whomever I teach the Vidya.’
With that, Kacha flies back to Devaloka, where Indra and the other
Devas come out to worship him, with padya and arghya.
Indra says, ‘You have achieved what seemed impossible and you shall
have immortal fame for this. O Kacha, you will have a share in the havis
from every sacrifice.’”
CANTO 78
aisampayana said, “Indeed, the celestials are overjoyed that Kacha

has acquired the Sanjivini Vidya. Immediately, he teaches them the
secret science of bringing the dead back to life, and the Devas are
certain that they can vanquish the Asuras in battle.
Gathering around Indra of a hundred Mahayagnas, they cry to him, ‘The
time is here to show our might. Kill your enemies, O Purandara!’
Indra Maghavat roars, ‘So be it!’ and goes forth with his celestial army.
On his way he sees some lovely women bathing in a lake in the charmed
gardens of the Gandharva Chitraratha. Becoming invisible, he quickly
mixes up the women’s clothes, which they have arranged neatly on the bank
of the lake.
When the women finish bathing, it happens that Vrishaparvan’s daughter
Sarmishta mistakenly wears Devayani’s clothes. Devayani is furious. She
cries at Sarmishta, ‘Asuraputri, daughter of an Asura, you are my sishya,
my inferior. How dare you wear my clothes? You are presumptuous and no
good will ever befall you.’
Stung, Sarmishta flashes back, ‘Your father is like a hired chanter of
praises, a vabdhi in my father’s court! He fawns over my father, while
Vrishaparvan sits at his ease or even lies stretched out upon his couch. You
are just the daughter of a singer of the praises of my father, and one who
lives on alms besides.
My father, on the other hand, is the king whose praises your father sings.
He is a giver of alms, not a receiver. You are a beggar’s daughter and a
beggar yourself. Swear at me, if you like, swear to be my enemy; cry in
anger, I do not care. You live by the alms of my father, and I can harm you
if I choose, but not you me. You want to pick a fight with me, but I do not
consider you my equal, beggar!’
Devayani is beside herself. She runs at Sarmishta and tries to tear her
clothes from her body. The Asura princess pushes her into a well and goes
home, fuming, believing that she has killed her friend and quite pleased
with what she has done.
Nahusha’s son Yayati is out hunting nearby. His horses are tired and
thirsty, and so is he. He sees the well and rides up to it. Peering over its
edge, he sees it is shallow and dry, but he also sees a young woman inside
who is bright and beautiful as a flame, her skin shining like a goddess’.
Gently, he says to her, ‘Who are you? Your fingernails gleam like
burnished copper, and the jewels in your earrings are not of this world. Why
are you crying? How did you fall into this well covered with grass and
reeds? Say, slender-waisted beauty, whose daughter are you?’
Devayani replies, ‘I am the daughter of Shukra, who gives life again to
the Asuras that the Devas kill in battle. My father does not know what has
happened to me. O King, you are wellborn, wellbred and noble. Great are
your prowess and your fame. Here is my right hand, its nails as you say like
burnished copper. Take my hand and pull me out of the well.’
King Yayati hears that she is a Brahmana’s daughter and he draws her
out of the well by her right hand. He gazes for a long moment at her long
and fine legs, her soft thighs that are exposed; then bowing and smiling at
her, he goes back to his capital.
When Yayati has gone, Devayani sees her sakhi Ghurnika who has come
in search of her. Sobbing, Devayani tells her what has happened, how
Sarmishta pushed her into the well and left her for dead.
‘Tell my father everything, Ghurnika, and tell him that I will never enter
Vrishaparvan’s city again.’
Trembling with rage, Ghurnika stamps back into the Asura’s palace and
finds Shukra there. Her mind clouded by anger, Ghurnika says to Kavya,
‘Great Brahmana, Vrishaparvan’s daughter insulted Devayani in the woods
and even tried to kill her!’
Shukra, who dotes on Devayani, hurries to the woods, and when he sees
his daughter he clasps her in his arms. His voice choking, the wise Shukra
Bhargava says, ‘My child, whatever fortune or misfortune befalls any of us
is because of our own karma. You must have sinned at some time, and this
has been the retribution and expiation for you.’
Her eyes still full of fire, Devayani replies, ‘Retribution or not, listen to
me, father. Listen to what Vrishparvan’s daughter Sarmishta dared say to
me. Her eyes red as plums, she says viciously that you, O my father, are
only her father Vrishaparvan’s hireling, a chanter of his praises, a mere
vabdhi.
She said, “You are just the daughter of a singer of the praises of my
father, and one who lives on alms besides. My father, on the other hand, is
the one whose praises your father sings. He is a giver of alms, not a
receiver. You are a beggar’s daughter and a beggar yourself.”
Not once but many times she said this to me, that arrogant princess, her
eyes burning. Father, if what she says is true and I am indeed the daughter
of a hired chanter of praises, of one who lives on alms, then I must offer
worship to Sarmishta and hope to receive her grace.’
Shukra says, ‘Devayani, you are no daughter of a hired adorer, and
neither do I take alms or receive gifts. You are the daughter of one who
worships none but is worshipped by everyone. Vrishaparvan knows this, as
do Indra and Yayati also. The ineffable Parabrahman, the Ultimate and
sovereign Godhead, is my support and strength. Brahma himself has said
that I am the master of all things in Heaven and Earth. I send down the
rains, Devayani, to nourish all creatures and green plants, to nurture
everything that lives.’
Thus, Shukra tries to console his distraught daughter.”
CANTO 79
aisapayana said, “Shukra continued, ‘Devayani, he who masters

anger and learns to ignore the meanest words of his enemies,
conquers all. The Sages say that the true charioteer never gives slack
to his reins. The true man or woman also never gives in to his or her anger.
He who subdues his own anger conquers everything.
A Mahatman always forgives, sloughing off his fury as a snake does its
skin. He or she who never yields to rage, despite being provoked by evil
words or deeds, certainly finds dharma, artha, kama and moksha.
Between the man who ceaselessly performs penance and sacrifices every
moon for a hundred years and he that never feels anger, the second is the
superior. Children, boys and girls who do not know right from wrong,
surely quarrel. The wise do not imitate them.’
Devayani responds, ‘Father, I also know the difference between anger
and forgiveness and which is superior. But when a disciple is disrespectful,
his Guru should never forgive him if the master truly wants his sishya to
mend. Therefore, I do not desire to live any longer in a country where evil
has such sway. The wise, who live in dharma, will not live among those that
speak ill of noble birth and courteous conduct. Father, one should live
where pure birth and noble conduct are both respected; indeed, the Rishis
have said that this is the best kind of place in which to live. The vicious
words of Vrishaparvan’s daughter burn my heart, like dry fuel that men use
to kindle a fire.
Nothing in the three worlds is more wretched than for a man to adore his
enemies, when they are blessed with fortune and wealth while he himself
has none. Why, the greatest Sages have said that death is preferable for such
a man.’”
CANTO 80
aisampayana said, “Now Shukra Kavya, greatest of Bhargavas,

becomes angry. Having lost his temper, he goes to Vrishaparvan, and
without weighing his words, says irately, ‘O King, like the very
Earth, sins do not bear fruit immediately. But gradually, secretly, they
destroy the sinners.
The fruit of sins are visited either upon oneself, one’s sons or
grandchildren, even; for sin must bear fruit. Like heavy food, it cannot be
digested. You killed the Brahmana Kacha, Angiras’ grandson, a virtuous
man, a knower of dharma, again and again, while he lived in my asrama as
my dutiful and loving disciple.
O Vrishaparvan, for this crime and for your daughter Sarmishta’s
intolerable abuse of my daughter Devayani, I am going to leave you and
your race. Why do you stare at me, O King; do you think I am lying to you,
or that I am a fool? I see that you want to make light of your sins, rather
than correct them and find some forgiveness.’
Vrishaparvan says, ‘O Bhargava, I have never said that you are a liar or
tried to find any fault with you. Indeed, you are the very embodiment of
dharma and satya, virtue and truth.
I beg you be merciful to me! O Bhargava, if you actually leave us, we
shall plunge down into the Patalas and dwell there in the depths of the
Ocean, for there is nothing else we could do.’
Shukra retorts, ‘Asuras, go to the bottom of the Sea or fly and scatter in
every direction: I do not care! I cannot bear to see my daughter grieve. She
is more precious to me than my life; why, my life depends on her.
You must placate her. Even as Brihaspati always seeks the welfare of
Indra, so have I always sought yours with my tapasya shakti.’
Vrishaparvan says, ‘O Bhargava, you are the absolute master of
whatever the Asura lords of this world possess – their elephants, cows,
horses, and even myself!’
Shukra says, ‘If you speak the truth then you will placate Devayani.’
Shukra goes and tells Devayani what Vrishaparvan said. But she answers
him, ‘Bhargava, Father, if you are indeed the Lord of the Asura king and all
his wealth, let Vrishaparvan come here and tell me so himself.’
Vrishaparvan comes to Devayani and says, ‘Lovely Devayani of the
sweet smile, I will give you whatever you ask for, do whatever you want,
however difficult it might be.’
Devayani says at once, ‘I want Sarmishta, with a thousand sakhis, to
attend on me as my handmaiden. She must also come with me to my
husband’s house, wherever my father chooses to give me.’
Vrishaparvan says to a maid that waits on him, ‘Go and fetch Sarmishta
here at once. She will do as Devayani says from now.’
The sakhi goes to Sarmishta and tells her, ‘O Sarmishta, come with me
and save our people. Shukra Bhargava has threatened to leave the Asuras
unless Devayani is pacified. Princess, you have to become Devayani’s
handmaiden from now, and serve her in everything.’
Sarmishta replies, ‘I will come happily. Shukra and Devayani must not
leave the Asuras through any fault of mine. I will become Devayani’s
handmaiden.’
At her father’s command, Sarmishta emerges from her father’s great
palace in palanquin, with a thousand of her sakhis. She folds her hands to
Devayani and says, ‘These thousand girls and I are all your servants. I will
follow you wherever your father gives you away.’
Devayani replies tartly, ‘I am the daughter of one who chants your
father’s praises and lives by the alms that your father gives him. You,
Sarmishta, are the daughter of one whose praises my father sings, who
gives alms to my father. How can you become my servant?’
Sarmishta murmurs, ‘One must always serve one’s family and one’s
race, and I will do as my father asks, happily. I will be your handmaiden
and go with you wherever you are given in marriage.’
When Sarmishta says this, Devayani turns to Shukra and says, ‘Father,
greatest of Brahmanas, I am satisfied. I know now that your power and your
wisdom are not in vain. I will enter the Asura’s city again.’
Happily, Shukra goes back into Vrishaparvan’s city and the Danavas all
worship him, their Guru, devoutly.”
CANTO 81
aisampayana continued, “Some weeks pass, then Devayani goes to

the same woods to take her pleasure there. She goes with Sarmishta
and two thousand sakhis attending on her. Happy together, the young
women roam freely through the charmed garden of Chitraratha, drinking
nectar from flowers, feasting on rare and delicious fruit. Joy goes with
them.
Nahusha’s son Yayati, out hunting deer again, arrives there once more,
tired and thirsty again. That king sees Devayani, Sarmishta and the other
sakhis, all wearing unearthly ornaments, and full of voluptuous languor
because of the flower wine they have drunk freely. Devayani, the most
beautiful among them, her smile dazzling, her skin the softest and fairest,
lies stretched upon some lush grass, while Sarmishta gently massages her
feet.
Yayati sees all this, and says to the two of them, ‘Lovely ladies, tell me
your names and whose daughters you are. It seems to me that these two
thousand handmaidens all attend on the both of you.’
Devayani answers him, ‘Manavottama, best of men, I am the daughter of
Shukra Bhargava, the Asura Guru. This is my sakhi and my handmaiden
Sarmishta. She attends on me wherever I go and she is the daughter of
Vrishaparvan, king of the Asuras.’
Yayati wants to know, ‘How is the lovely princess your handmaiden? I
marvel at this.’
Devayani replies, ‘Fate is responsible for everything that happens. Do
not marvel, because Fate has made Sarmishta my handmaiden. By your
face, and from your attire, you seem to be a king. You speak chastely, and
nobly; your language is of the Veda. Who are you, whose son, and where
have you come from?’
Yayati says, ‘While I was a brahmacharin, I heard and studied all the
Vedas. I am known as Yayati, a king’s son and a king myself.’
Devayani asks, ‘King, why have you come here? To gather lotuses, to
fish, or to hunt?’
Yayati says, ‘Lovely one, I have been out hunting deer and felt thirsty. I
came looking for water. I am exhausted, but say a word and I will leave.’
Devayani answers, ‘Leave? My two thousand sakhis and my
handmaiden Sarmishta are here to serve you. I ask you to become my friend
and my lord. And may fortune be with you.’
Yayati replies, ‘Beautiful Devayani, I do not deserve you. You are the
daughter of a Brahmana, Shukra Bhargava, and you are immeasurably my
superior by birth. Your father cannot give you away even to the greatest
king.’
Devayani replies, ‘Brahmanas have married Kshatriyas before, and
Kshatriyas have married Brahmanas. Your father is a Rajarishi and so are
you. Son of Nahusha, marry me!’
But Yayati says, ‘Most beautiful one, it is true that the four varnas
sprang from the same Body. But their dharma and natures are not the same.
The Brahmana is the purest and the highest of the four.’
Devayani says, ‘No man other than you has ever touched my hand
before. You took my hand once and I ask you to take me for your queen.
For how will any other man ever touch this hand which you, a Rajarishi,
have touched?’
Yayati says, ‘The wise know that a Brahmana is more dangerous than an
angry snake or a blazing fire, and must be avoided.’
Says Devayani, ‘Purusharishabha, why do you say that a Brahmana
should be avoided like an angry snake or a blazing fire?’
The king replies softly, ‘The snake kills one person, even as the sharpest
weapon does. But an angry Brahmana consumes whole cities, why
kingdoms, in a moment. Therefore, bashful one, a Brahmana is more
dangerous than a snake or fire. I cannot marry you unless your father gives
you to me.’
Devayani says, ‘I have chosen you to be my husband and you are saying
that you will take me for your wife if my father gives me to you. Fear
nothing and you will not even have to ask my father for my hand.’
Devayani despatches one of her sakhis to her father, to tell him
everything. As soon as he hears what has happened, Shukra arrives in
Chitraratha’s garden and sees Yayati, who worships him reverently and then
stands with folded hands, awaiting the great Bhargava’s command.
Devayani says, ‘Father, this is the son of Nahusha. He took my hand and
saved me when I was in the well. I beg you give me to him to be his wife,
for I will not marry any other man.’
Shukra exclaims, ‘Splendid Kshatriya, my daughter wants you for her
lord. I give her to you freely. O son of Nahusha, take her for your wife.’
The cautious Yayati says, ‘O Brahmana, I want your blessing that I shall
be spared the sin of begetting a half-breed child upon her.’
Shukra says, ‘I will absolve you of the sin. Do not be afraid to marry my
exquisite child. Keep her well, and may you enjoy transports of joy in her
company.
You must also look after every need of the other young woman,
Vrishaparvan’s daughter. But you must never call her to your bed.’
Yayati circumambulates the Brahmana in pradakshina, and he marries
Devayani with every auspicious ritual prescribed in the Shastras.
Honoured by the great Shukra and his disciples the Asuras, receiving in
some joy the precious Devayani, and her sakhis, Sarmishta and the other
two thousand, Yayati returns to his kingdom, at Shukra’s behest.”
CANTO 82
aisampayana said, “Yayati returns to a joyous welcome from his

people. His capital is even like Indra’s city, and he brings his wife
Devayani into his private royal apartments, in his antahpura.
Devayani then asks her husband to build a fine mansion for Sarmishta and
her thousand sakhis in the asokavana in the palace garden. Yayati has such a
mansion built in quick time, and spares no effort in seeing to Sarmishta’s
every comfort and luxury.
Nahusha’s regal son dallies only with Devayani, even like a Deva, for
many years, in perfect bliss. Then, one day, Devayani conceives and gives
birth to a fine son. A thousand more years pass—for the beings of those
days are far longer-lived than in these dwindled times, they are indeed like
gods in their years and days and nights—and Vrishaparvan’s daughter
Sarmishta attains puberty and sees that she is in season.
She becomes anxious, ‘My season has come, but I have not taken a
husband. Whatever shall I do? My body yearns for a strong man and to
have his child. Devayani has become a mother and my youth seems to be
doomed.
Shall I take Devayani’s husband for my own and bear his child? Yes, that
is what I will do. I will ask to meet him in private and the great king will
not refuse me.’
As fate is mysterious, just as she is thinking these forbidden thoughts,
Yayati strolls through the asokavana, aimlessly. He sees Sarmishta appear
from behind a tree and stops in his tracks. She stands silently before him, a
flush on her fair cheeks. He sees how her womanhood has bloomed.
Smiling bewitchingly, now that she is alone with him and nobody
watching them, she folds her hands and says, ‘O son of Nahusha, I have
heard that no one can see the women who live in the private chambers of
Soma, Indra, Yama, Varuna, and in yours, O King.
You know, Yayati, that I am wellborn and beautiful as well. I have seen
you gaze at me. I am in my season, O Rajan. I beg you let my womanhood
not be wasted; make a mother of me!’
Yayati replies, ‘I know very well how nobly born you are, in the proud
race of the Danavas, and you are beautiful almost past compare; why, I see
no hint of any flaw in your face or your form. It is true that I desire you
powerfully, but you also know what Usanas’ command was when I married
his daughter: that I would care for your every need, but I would never
summon Vrishaparvan’s daughter to my bed.’
Sarmishta says, ‘O King, it is said that it is no sin to lie: in jest, about a
woman a man wants to enjoy, to be married to, when in mortal danger, and
if one’s entire fortune is about to be lost. A man who lies about these five
incurs no sin.
Devayani and I have both come here for your pleasure, and you have
sworn to do everything in your power to please us both. When you said that
only she would come to your bed, you lied, O King!’ says Sarmishta archly.
Yayati replies, ‘A king should always be an example to his people. A
king who lies will certainly sin, and find his destruction. As for me, I dare
not lie, even if the greatest calamity threatens me.’
Says Sarmishta, ‘Rajan, a woman can look upon her dear friend’s
husband as being her own. A friend’s marriage is one’s own. You have
married my friend, and by doing so you have married me. You are my
husband, too! Besides, you did swear to do everything in your power to
keep me happy.’
Yayati says, still doubtfully, ‘I have indeed sworn to give you whatever
you want. Tell me what I should do.’
Sarmishta then says, ‘Save me from sin, Yayati. Father a child in me,
and let me fulfil a woman’s highest dharma, of becoming a mother. I am
Devayani’s slave, and you are her lord and master. You are my lord and
master, too, as much as you are hers. I beg you, make love to me, great
King, and make me a mother.’
So enticing is she that Yayati allows her to persuade him. There beneath
an asoka tree, he grants her wish. When he has made love to her several
times, they part affectionately, Sarmishta returning to her mansion and
Yayati to his palace.
The lovely Sarmishta conceives, and in due course gives birth to a child
as splendid as a Deva child, his eyes as long as lotus petals.”
CANTO 83
aisampayana said, “When Devayani hears that Sarmishta has had a

baby, envy stings her like a serpent, O Bharata. Devayani goes to
Sarmishta and says angrily, ‘You have sinned, lustful woman!’
Sarmishta replies, ‘A Rishi of great dharma and a knower of the Vedas
came here and I asked him to grant me a boon, and father a child on me, for
I was in my time. In dharma, he did as I asked and this child is his.’
Devayani says, ‘If this is true, then you have not sinned. But tell me the
name and gotra of the Brahmana, if you know them.’
Sarmishta says, ‘He is as splendid as Surya Deva. Seeing him was
enough; I felt no need to ask for his name or gotra.’
Calming down, Devayani smiles, ‘Well, if this is true and you have a
child by a noble Brahmana, I have no reason to be angry with you, but to
rejoice.’
They embrace and spend some time together happily, talking and
laughing, then Devayani returns to her palace. Rajan, Yayati also begets two
sons, Yadu and Turvasu, upon Devayani and they are like Indra and Vishnu.
And that Rajarishi fathers three sons on Vrishaparvan’s daughter
Sarmishta: Drahyu, Anu and Puru.
One day, Devayani and Yayati go walking in a secluded part of the
asokavana. Suddenly, they see three children of unearthly beauty playing
there, innocently.
Devayani asks in surprise, ‘Whose children are these, Rajan, who are so
handsome that they seem like a Deva’s sons? Why, they are as resplendent
and beautiful as you are!’
Without waiting for his reply, Devayani goes up to the trusting children
and asks, ‘Who are you? Who is your father?’
The children point at Yayati, and say their mother is Sarmishta. They
then run to their father and lovingly hug his legs. Yayati dares not caress
them back before Devayani, but stands as if turned to stone. Crying that he
ignored them, the boys run to their mother.
But Devayani follows them, and rounds angrily on Sarmishta, ‘You have
betrayed me, you have lied to me, even being my friend and dependent on
me. How did you dare, Sarmishta? This is your Asura nature, to lie!’
Sarmishta says, ‘Sweet friend, I did not lie to you, what I said about a
splendid Rishi is true. I have done nothing to break dharma and I do not
fear you.
When you chose the king to be your husband, so did I in my heart. My
beautiful Devayani, a dear friend’s husband is one’s own, as well. You are
the daughter of a great Brahmana and I love and respect you. But I love and
revere this Rajarishi even more!’
Devayani now turns on Yayati, ‘You have betrayed me and I will not live
here any more!’
Her tears flowing from eyes red with rage, she turns and walks away.
Alarmed and sorry for her, Yayati goes after her. But try as he will to pacify
her and persuade her not to leave, she will not listen. Soon enough she
comes before Shukra, the son of Kavi, with Yayati right behind her.
Devayani folds her hands to her father and takes the dust from his feet.
Yayati does the same, worshipping the Bhargava.
Then Devayani sobs, ‘Father, adharma has vanquished dharma. The
lowly have scaled great heights and the noble have fallen. This King Yayati
has fathered three sons on Vrishaparvan’s daughter Sarmishta, while I, my
father, have just two.
O Bhargava, Yayati is famed for his knowledge of dharma. But I say to
you, O Kavya, he has left the path of righteousness.’
Shukra says angrily, ‘Kshatriya, you have embraced vice though you
know dharma in every nuance. I curse you that infirmity paralyses you!’
Yayati says, ‘Holy One, the Danava king’s daughter asked me to make
her womanhood fruitful, while she was in her season. I only did as she
asked from a sense of dharma, and not from any wantonness or lust. The
man who will not beget a child on a woman in her season, who asks him, is
called an embryo-killer by those that know the Vedas. O Bhargava, when a
man is approached by a woman in her time, full of desire, and he refuses
her, surely he is a sinner. I went to Sarmishta in dharma and not from lust.’
Shukra replies, ‘Son of Nahusha, you should have first asked me and
awaited my command. What you did is a betrayal of dharma, as well as
theft. I curse you to lose your youth and become an old man!’
At once, Yayati becomes old and decrepit.
Yayati says, ‘Bhargava, I am not yet satisfied with my manhood or with
being with Devayani. I beg you, withdraw your curse.’
Shukra answers, ‘I can never lie. Even now, O King, my curse is upon
you. But you can, if you wish, exchange your decrepitude for the youth of
another.’
Yayati says, ‘Brahmana, say that whichever of my sons gives me his
youth and takes my age shall be my heir and have great virtue and fame.’
Shukra replies, ‘So be it. Think of me, O son of Nahusha, when you
exchange your age for your son’s youth, and he shall be your heir, have a
long life, universal fame and many children!’”
CANTO 84
aisampayana said, “His youth gone, trembling with weakness and

age from Shukra’s curse, he calls his eldest, and also the most
accomplished son, Yadu, and says, ‘My child, look what Usanas’
curse has done to me. I am old and infirm, my skin is wrinkled and my hair
all grey.
But I have not yet satisfied the desires of my manhood. Yadu, take this
age from me and give me your youth. When a thousand years have passed, I
will return your youth to you and take back my age.’
Yadu replies, ‘With age one cannot eat and drink as one wants. O King, I
cannot do what you ask. White hair, dejection, weakness, wrinkles,
emaciation, not being able to work and being defeated by one’s companions
– these are not for me, I could not bear them.
Father, you have other sons, more precious to you than I am. You know
all about dharma: ask one of them to take your age and give you his youth.’
Yayati says, ‘You are born from my heart, but you will not give me your
youth. I curse you that your sons shall never be kings!’
He now calls Turvasu, ‘Turvasu, take this age of mine and give me your
youth for a thousand years, for my desires are not fulfilled. After a thousand
years, I will return your youth to you and take back my age and weakness.’
Turvasu replies, ‘I detest old age, father; it takes away every appetite and
pleasure. It robs one of strength and beauty, of intellect and one’s very life.’
Yayati says to him, ‘You are born from my heart, my son, but you will
not give me your youth. Turvasu, your race shall become extinct. Wretched
prince, you will be a king of half-breeds, among whom lowborn men father
children on blue-blooded women. You will rule tribes of meat-eaters, mean-
spirited, who don’t think twice before sleeping with their masters’ wives,
who live like animals and birds, sinners with no trace of nobility in them!’
Yayati now calls Sarmishta’s son Drahyu and says, “Drahyu, my child,
take my age for a thousand years and give me your youth so I can satisfy all
my desires. After a thousand years, I will return your youth to you and take
back my infirmity.’
Drahyu replies, ‘Father, how can an old man enjoy riding on elephants
and in chariots; how can he ride horses or women? I cannot take your age
and give you my youth.’
Yayati says to him, ‘You are born from my heart, but you will not give
me your youth. Your most ardent desires shall never be fulfilled! You will
be a king, and only in name, of a land where there are no roads for men,
horses, chariots and elephants; not even for mules and goats, or for bullocks
or palanquins. You will be a king where the only paths are waterways and
the only transport boats and rafts.’
Yayati calls Anu and says, ‘My son Anu, take my age and give me your
youth for a thousand years. I will return your youth to you after a thousand
years, and take back my age.’
Anu replies, ‘The old eat like dribbling children and are incontinent.
They cannot offer libations into the sacred fire at yagnas. They are unclean
and impure. Father, I cannot take your age from you.’
Yayati says to him, ‘You are born from my heart, but you will not give
me your youth. You find so much wrong with old age that old age will
overtake you anyway. Anu, your children shall die as soon as they become
youths, and neither will you ever perform any yagna before a sacred fire.’
Finally, Yayati calls his youngest son Puru and says to him, ‘You are my
youngest son, Puru, but it seems you shall become my heir. Look at this age
that the curse of Kavya has brought upon me: my hair turned white, my skin
wrinkled. But I have not satisfied the desires of my youth and manhood.
Puru, my child, take my age from me and give me your youth. When a
thousand years pass, I will return your youth to you and take back my old
age.’
Puru replies without hesitating, ‘I will do whatever you say, father. O
King, I will take your old age upon myself and do you take my youth and
enjoy every pleasure of life with it. And I will live as you command.’
Yayati says, ‘Puru, I am well pleased in you. And for that I say to you,
yours shall be a great reign and everyone in your kingdom will be happy
and contented. They shall have their every desire fulfilled.’
The Rajarishi Yayati then thinks of Shukra Bhargava and takes his son
Puru’s youth from him, giving the young prince his decrepitude.”
CANTO 85
aisampayana said, “The great King Yayati begins to enjoy himself, to

indulge his every appetite, with his son’s youth. O Bharata, he lives
in dharma while pursuing his pleasure, and never leaves the path of
virtue and sanctity.
Yayati worships the Devas with yagnas; he adores his Pitrs with
Sraddhas; he pleases the poor with generous daana, charity; he gives
munificently to deserving Brahmanas; he entertains everyone entitled to
hospitality with a king’s food and drink. He protects Vaishyas; he is kind to
Sudras.
He puts down crime and criminals in his kingdom, so that it is a haven of
safety and order. Yayati is like another Indra to all his subjects, high and
low. Powerful like a young lion, he enjoys every happiness and pleasure,
but never transgressing dharma; he sates his every desire. His only sorrow
is that the thousand years of youth he has taken from his son must end one
day.
He is a master of the mysteries of time, its divisions – auspicious and
otherwise. Reading the suitable kaalas and kaasthas, he dallies with the
Apsara Viswachi, sometimes in Indra’s exotic garden Nandana; at others in
Alaka, Kubera’s exquisite city; at times, on the peaks of Mount Meru in the
North.
When a thousand perfect years have passed, that king of dharma calls his
son Puru, who is an aged man, and says to him, ‘My son, bane of your
enemies, I have enjoyed every pleasure with the youth you gave me, each in
its season, indulging my every desire as much I as could.
But I have learnt that desires do not subside with indulgence; they burn
more fiercely like fire fed with ghee. Why, if one man owned the Earth and
everything that is in her—all her paddy and barley, her silver, gold and
gems, her animals and women—he would still not be satisfied.
One should renounce one’s very desire, the very hunger for enjoyment.
Desire is the deadly enemy, the fatal sickness. Only he that has cast away
his desires (hard indeed for sinners and the evil minded to do), which do not
wane with age or infirmity, only such a man can be truly happy.
For a thousand years, my heart was bent upon satisfying my every
desire. The more I indulge my desires the stronger they grow. Now I mean
to cast off desire itself and fix my mind on the Parabrahman. I will go away
into the forest and pass the rest of my life among innocent deer, with no
thought of possessions or enjoyments of the flesh.
Puru my son, as for you I am well pleased in you, my child, very well
pleased. Here, take back your youth. Take my kingdom, as well. You are
my truest son, the one who has served me in every way; why, you sacrificed
your youth for me.’
Nahusha’s son Yayati takes back his old age from Puru and restores his
son’s youth to him. Now Yayati wants to crown Puru king. But the four
varnas, led by the Brahmanas of the kingdom, protest.
They say, ‘Lord, how can you make Puru the king, passing over
Devayani’s son Yadu, who is the great Shukra’s grandson? Yadu is your
firstborn son, after him Turvasu, and of Sarmishta’s sons the first is Drahyu,
then Anu, and Puru is indeed the very youngest. How does the youngest
prince deserve the throne over his elder brothers? This is not dharma as we
see it, and we ask you to observe dharma in this momentous matter.’
Yayati then says to the four varnas, the Brahmanas at their head. ‘Listen,
my people, to why Yadu, my eldest son, should not have the kingdom. I
asked him to do something, but he would not; he disobeyed me. The Rishis
say that a disobedient son is no son at all.
But the son who obeys his parents, always seeking their welfare, being
agreeable to them, is indeed the true son. Yadu did not do what I asked of
him, nor did Turvasu; Drahyu and Anu showed scant regard for my wishes.
Puru alone obeyed me; why he gave his youth to me for a thousand years,
after Shukra cursed me.
Therefore, my youngest son shall be my heir. He took my age upon
himself; why, he is more than a son, he is a true friend. Also, Kavi’s son
Shukra himself has said that the son that obeys me, and only he, shall
become my heir. The Bhargava says that prince would bring the world
under his sway. So, I beg you my friends, let Puru become your king. He is
the most deserving and righteous among my sons, the only one truly fit to
become king.’
The people then say, ‘You speak the truth, O King, and even if he is the
youngest, the son that seeks the welfare of his parents and obeys them,
deserves to prosper. From what you say, Puru deserves the crown; besides,
if Shukra himself has commanded it, we have no further argument.’
His people content, Nahusha’s son Yayati crowns Puru king. Having
made the kingdom over to his youngest, Yayati performs the ritual initiation
to take Sannyasa and retires into the jungle. When he has taken the vows,
he leaves his great city forever, accompanied by some Brahmanas and
Rishis.
The sons of Yadu come to be called the Yadavas; Turvasu’s sons become
the Yavanas. Drahyu’s sons are the Bhojas, while the Mlechchas are the
sons of Anu.
However, the progeny of Puru are the noble Pauravas, into which royal
house, O Rajan, you have been born: to rule with dharma as your sceptre,
and your passions under perfect control.”
CANTO 86
aisampayana said, “Having crowned his precious son Puru as king,

Nahusha’s son Yayati goes away into the vana and becomes a hermit.
He lives in an asrama with some Rishis, keeps many severe vratas,
eating only fruit and roots, subjecting himself to every privation; and finally
Yayati ascends into Swarga.
In Swarga, he spends some years in perfect bliss, but then Indra casts
him down from his heaven. I have heard, Rajan, that though he is cast
down, Yayati does not fall to the Earth but remains suspended in the
firmament. I have heard that, later, he enters Devaloka again with Vasuman,
Ashtaka, Pratardhana and Sibi.”
Janamejaya said, “Tell me why Indra cast Yayati down from Devaloka,
and how he enters Swarga again. O Brahmana, tell me this in the presence
of all these Rishis.
Yayati, lord of the Earth, is truly like the king of the Devas himself. The
progenitor of the mighty race of the Kurus is as splendorous as the Sun. Tell
me everything about his life in Swarga and Bhumi, for he is a lustrous one,
his fame known throughout the world, and his deeds and achievements are
matchless.”
Vaisampayana said, “I will tell you the sacred tale of Yayati’s adventures
on Earth and in Heaven. The legend consumes the sins of those that listen to
it, for it is holy indeed!
Having made Puru the king, Yayati, son of Nahusha, expels his other
sons, Yadu the eldest of them, out among the Mlechchas. He then enters the
forest and lives there as a Vanaprastha, subsisting on fruit and roots.
He gains immaculate control over his mind and his passions, and
performs many sacrifices to gratify the Devas and the Pitrs. He pours
libations of ghee into the agni, according to the rites prescribed for
Vanaprasthas. He entertains guests and strangers with roots and fruit, and
offerings of ghee, and then he himself eats the seeds of wild corn which he
forages for in the forest.
For a thousand years, Yayati lives as a forest-dwelling hermit. He keeps
a mowna vrata, a vow of silence; and now, his mind perfectly controlled, he
eats nothing and lives just on the air he breathes; neither does he sleep at
all: for a whole year.
For another year, he intensifies his austerities, sitting amidst five fires,
four that he kindles around himself and the fifth is the Sun above. Then,
still never eating or sleeping, only breathing (occasionally), he stands on
one leg for six months, still as a stone.
Thus, Yayati rises straight into Devaloka, and his sacred fame has spread
across Bhumi and Swarga.”
CANTO 87
aisampayana said, “While Yayati, kings of kings, lives in Devaloka,

the Devas, the Sadhyas, the Maruts and the Vasus revere him.
His mind perfectly stilled, the king would, from time to time,
journey from Devaloka to Brahmaloka. I have heard that long years he
spent in the realm of the Devas.
One day, while Yayati is with Indra, the Deva king asks the king of the
Earth, ‘Yayati, what did you say to your son Puru when he took your
decrepit age from you and gave you his youth? What did you say when you
gave him your kingdom?’
Yayati replies, ‘I told him that all the lands between the Ganga and the
Yamuna were his. This was the heart of the kingdom; while his brothers
would rule the outlying countries. I also told him that those without anger
are always superior to those under its sway; that those who forgive are
always better than the unforgiving.
Man, I said to my son, is superior to animals. Among men, the learned
are higher than the ignorant. I said that if he was wronged, he should never
wrong in return, for a man’s anger does not burn his enemy but only
himself. Indeed, it takes away his every virtue and bestows it upon the one
that he wounds with his fury.
I said to him that he should never injure anyone with harsh or cruel
words; never vanquish his enemies by vile means; never speak scornfully of
anyone, or utter sinful words that might hurt another.
He that wounds others with sharp words, as if with thorns, I said to my
son, is a man that bears Rakshasas upon his tongue. Prosperity and fortune
fly at his very sight. I said that he should make men of dharma his models,
and always compare what he did with their exalted deeds, while ignoring
whatever the evil say.
He must imitate the deeds of the Sages; for those wounded by savage
words weep day and night because cruel speech strikes at a man’s very
entrails. Wise men, gentle men, never loose these barbs at anyone.
Nothing in the three worlds surpasses kindness, friendship, charity and
sweet speech to all. Always speak soothingly, never scorchingly. I said to
my son that he should always revere those that deserve his reverence; that
he should always give and never beg!’”
CANTO 88
aisampayana said, “Now Indra asks Yayati, ‘O King, after you had
performed your dharma, you became a Vanaprastha and a Sannyasi
in the jungle and performed tapasya. Tell me, Yayati, son of
Nahusha, who is your equal in penance and austerity?’
Yayati replies, ‘Vasava, in tapasya, I see no one who is my equal; not
among men, the Devas, the Gandharvas or the Maharishis.’
Indra says sternly, ‘King! You disrespect your superiors, your peers and
even your inferiors with this hubris. You do not know their true worth in
punya or tapasya. Your own punya has dwindled by this and you must fall
from my world.’
Yayati says, ‘Sakra, if my punya has indeed diminished and I must fall
from Swarga, let me, O King of the Devas, fall among the good and the
honest.’
Indra says, ‘Rajan, you will fall among the wise and the virtuous, and
you will find great fame for yourself. But hereafter, Yayati, never
underestimate or demean your equals or your superiors.’
Yayati falls from Devaloka. As he is falling, the Rajarishi Ashtaka,
protector of dharma, greatest of royal Sages, sees him.
Ashtaka asks, ‘Who are you, O youth whose beauty equals Indra’s, who
blaze like Agni, falling from on high? Are you Surya Deva emerging from
behind a cloudbank? Why, seeing you fall by the path of the Sun, brilliant
as Agni or Surya, all creatures swoon, while wondering who you are.
We see you upon the path of the gods, your tejas like Indra, Surya or
even Vishnu’s, and we ask you: who are you? If you had greeted us, we
would not have been rude enough to greet you first. But now tell us who
you are and why you are falling into our realm.
Ah, be without fear; may all your sorrow and afflictions be over! You are
now with the virtuous and the wise; even Indra, who slew Bala, can do you
no harm here. O you seem to be as mighty as Indra. We, the wise and the
virtuous, always relieve those that are stricken by misfortune and grief.
Everyone here is as wise and honest as you are. So remain here in peace.
Only Agni can give heat; only Bhumi can make a seed germinate; only
Surya can illumine all things; so, too, only the Sadasya, a Guest, can
command the wise and the virtuous.’”
CANTO 89
ayati says, ‘I am Yayati, son of Nahusha and the father of Puru.

My punya is reduced because I showed disrespect for every
creature, and I am cast down from the realm of the Devas, Siddhas
and Rishis. I am older than all of you, which is why I did not greet you first.
I know that a Brahmana always reveres his elders.’
Ashtaka says, ‘You say an elder is worthy of reverence, but the real elder
is he that is one’s superior in gyana and tapasya.’
Yayati replies, ‘Sin devastates the punya from the four kinds of dharma.
Vanity contains the seed that leads one to hell. The good never follow the
evil, but always live in dharma so their punya increases.
I had great punya myself, but I have lost it all now, and I will hardly be
able to recover it, not with the severest tapasya. Seeing my fate, let anyone
who seeks his own welfare abjure vanity.
He who acquires great wealth should perform great sacrifices; he that is
profoundly learned must remain humble; he who has studied the entire Veda
must withdraw his mind from every sensual pleasure and devote himself in
dhyana. Such men shall surely find heaven.
Let him who acquires great wealth not exult; let not the man who has
studied the Veda in full become proud. Men have different natures, and
destiny reigns supreme. Power and effort are both in vain. Wise men know
that Fate rules everything and they neither exult nor lament whatever fate
might bring them, fortune or misfortune.
When men truly realise that sorrow and joy depend not upon their
exertions, nor are these in their power to control, but Fate bestows both,
each in its season, they will learn to rise above exulting and grieving.
The Sage is always contented, not celebrating at fortune nor lamenting
over misfortune. Destiny is supreme; it is unbecoming to exult or grieve
over anything.
O Ashtaka, I never allow myself to yield to fear. I never succumb to
grief. I know that I shall be exactly as the Great Lord of all things has
ordained that I be. Insects and worms, all plants, snakes and other creatures
that crawl, vermin, fish in the water, stones, grass, wood, indeed, all things
moving and immobile shall be united with the Parabrahman once they are
free from the results of their karma.
Joy and sorrow are ephemeral. Hence, O Ashtaka, why should I ever
grieve? We cannot fathom what we must do to avoid misfortune, or why it
comes; but we can decide not to grieve over it!’
Yayati of great dharma is in fact Ashtaka’s maternal grandfather. Now, in
the Sky, Ashtaka asks him, ‘Rajadhiraja, King of kings, tell me all about the
worlds you have been in and enjoyed; tell me how long you were in each
one. You speak of the precepts of dharma like the greatest masters who
know the deeds and the teachings of the greatest Beings, intimately.’
Yayati says, ‘I was a great king on Earth, and the whole world was my
domain. Leaving my kingdom to my son, I sat in tapasya for a thousand
years and gained many lofty realms with my punya. I dwelt in these for
another thousand years and then attained to a still more exalted realm:
Indraloka, of untold beauty, a hundred yojanas on every side, realm of a
thousand portals.
There, too, I lived a full thousand years and then attained to a higher
world yet: Brahmaloka, of perfect grace and bliss, where there is no ageing
or decay. Here, too, I lived for another thousand years, and then ascended to
a loftier world, Vishnuloka, realm of the God of Gods. There I spent
another thousand years, blissfully.
I have dwelt in countless worlds, which the Devas adore, and I was as
powerful and lustrous as a Deva. I could assume any form I chose, and I
spent a million years in the enchanted and incomparable Nandana, dallying
with Apsaras under trees so grand and wondrous that I can hardly describe
them. Their flowers are exquisite and the scents of these truly heavenly.
After countless years, of unalloyed beatitude, one day a grim-faced
messenger cried thrice to me in his voice of thunder, ‘Ruin! Ruin! Ruin!’ O
lion among kings, immediately I fell from Nandana, for my punya was
ruined. I heard the Devas crying in dismay, ‘Alas! Yayati’s punya is ruined
and the king of dharma is falling.’
As I fell, I cried to them, ‘Where, O Devas, are the wise ones amongst
whom I can fall?’
They pointed this sacred yagnashala out to me. I saw smoke rising from
your fires, I smelt the ghee that is being poured ceaselessly into it; guided
by these, I have fallen towards you, and my heart is glad to see you all.’”’
CANTO 90
shtaka says, ‘You lived in the Nandana for a million years and you
could assume any form you chose. Then why, O greatest among
the kings of the Krita Yuga, have you been forced from that world
and come here?’
Yayati answers, ‘Just as, on Bhumi, family and friends forsake men who
lose their wealth, in Swarga, Devendra and his Devas forsake those who
lose dharma and their punya.’
Ashtaka says, ‘How can a man lose his dharma and punya in that realm?
Also, tell me, mighty King, the various karmas that lead to the various lofty
worlds. I know that you have intimate acquaintance with the lives and
teaching of Great Beings.’
Yayati says, ‘Holy One, men that praise themselves find the hell called
Bhauma. Though they are in fact macilent, they grow fat on Earth, and have
sons and grandsons, all of whom become food for vultures, dogs and
jackals. One should never praise oneself. Tell me, O King, what more you
wish to hear.’
Ashtaka says, ‘When age kills the body, vultures, peacocks, insects and
worms devour it. Where does the man go? How does he return to life? And
I have not heard of this hell called Bhauma on Earth.’
Yayati answers, ‘When he quits one body the man enters a mother’s
womb, according to his karma, and remains there formlessly, until his time
comes and he becomes an embryo, and then is born again into the world
and walks upon the surface of the Earth.
This Earth is Bhauma, the hell into which he falls because he does not
regard death or work toward attaining mukti. Some live in Swarga, by their
punya, for sixty thousand years, others for eighty thousand; then, inevitably,
they fall. When they fall, they suffer attacks from various Rakshasas, who
appear as sons, grandsons, and other relatives. Finally, they withdraw their
hearts and in despair seek moksha.’
Ashtaka asks, ‘For what sin do the Rakshasas attack the fallen? Why are
they not destroyed? Why do they enter another womb, and grow organs and
develop senses?’
Yayati replies, ‘Falling from heaven, the being becomes a subtle fluid.
This fluid becomes semen, the seed. The seed enters the mother’s womb in
her season, develops into an embryo and emerges as a child, just like a fruit
from its flower.
Entering trees, plants, water, air, earth and space, the spirit fluid becomes
all the creatures that are to be seen.’
Ashtaka says, ‘Tell me, O Sire, for I do not know, does the being that is
born human enter the womb in human form or some other? How does the
foetus acquire its form, with eyes and ears, and the other senses, and
consciousness as well? Father, you are one that knows the deeds and the
thoughts of Great Beings.’
Yayati says, ‘Its karma is already inherent in the subtle being, the
sukshma rupa, when he is seminal fluid. In the womb, what is latent
develops into physical form, first as embryo, then as the infant born; later,
he becomes conscious of himself as a human: the ears hear sound, the eyes
see the world of forms and colours, the nose is sensible of various scents
and smells, the tongue of taste, the body of touch, and the mind of ideas.
Thus, O Ashtaka, the sthula rupa, the material body, develops from the
sukshma, the subtle or spirit body.’
Ashtaka asks, ‘On death, the body is burnt or otherwise consumed.
Reduced to nothing, how does it take rebirth?’
Yayati says, ‘Lion among kings, on dying the man assumes a subtle
form, remembering all his deeds and life, as in a dream, and quick as a
thought he enters into another body, as seed, then again a mother’s womb.
If he has led a good life, he evolves to a higher form, and if he has
sinned, a lower one. The worst sinners devolve into worms and insects. I
have no more to say on this subject, O pure and noble-souled Ashtaka!
I have told you how beings are born, live, die and are reborn as creatures
four-footed, those with six and more legs. What else do you want to ask?’
Ashtaka says, ‘How, O Pitr, do men attain to the higher realms from
where they do not return to life on Earth? Is it by tapasya or by gyana,
asceticism or knowledge? Tell me, can one gradually evolve into these
blissful realms? I beg you tell me everything there is to know about this.’
Yayati answered him, ‘The Rishis say there are seven gates through
which a man may enter Swarga: asceticism, benevolence, tranquillity, self-
control, modesty, simplicity and kindness to all creatures. The Sages also
say that vanity robs a person of all these seven.
The man who acquires knowledge, then begins to think of himself as a
great scholar, and with his learning disparages or destroys the reputation of
others, never finds the realms of immortal felicity; neither does his learning
lead him to the Brahman.
Study, humility, worshipping before a holy fire, and sacrifices — these
four remove every fear. However, when they are contaminated by vanity,
they create fear instead. The wise man never exults at being honoured, nor
does he chafe at being dishonoured. For only they that are themselves wise
honour the wise; the evil will never revere the virtuous, but will insult and
try to destroy them.
“I have given so much daana, so much charity; I have performed so
many yagnas; I have studied so much; I have kept so many vratas” – this
vanity is the very root of fear. Never indulge these feelings; do not entertain
these thoughts.
But learned men who know that the changeless, ineffable Brahman is
their lone support, the Spirit who always showers his blessings on good
men like yourself, such men find perfect peace, here and hereafter.’”
CANTO 91
shtaka says, ‘Knowers of the Veda differ about how the four
Varnas should lead their lives, the Brahmacharins, the Grihasthas,
the Bhikshus and the Vanaprasthas, so they might acquire punya.’
Yayati replies, ‘A Brahmacharin living in his Guru’s house must learn
from his master only when he is called for a lesson; he must serve his Guru
without being called or asked; he must rise before his Guru does, and sleep
after his master sleeps.
He must be humble, with his passions controlled, patient, vigilant and
devoted to his studies. Only then will he succeed.
The oldest Upanishads say that a Grihastha must acquire wealth
legitimately and honestly, and perform sacrifices. He must always give
some of what he earns in charity. He must be hospitable to anyone who
comes to his home, and should never partake of anything without sharing
some portion of it.
A Bhikshu does not seek a forest to sit in tapasya. He roams the world,
depends on his own strength, is never vicious, gives some charity always,
and never causes pain to any living creature. Only then does he achieve
success.
The true Bhikshu lives by alms, is very learned and accomplished, has
his passions under perfect control, has no worldly desires, concerns or
attachments, does not sleep under a Grihastha’s roof, and has no wife.
Journeying a little every day, he travels over most of the country.
A learned man becomes a Vanaprastha when he has truly mastered his
desire for pleasure and his acquisitiveness; then he embarks upon the path
after the prescribed rituals. He that dies in the forest while living the life of
a Vanaprastha causes the mukti, the liberation and dissolution into the
Brahman of ten generations of his ancestors and his progeny, himself
included.’
Ashtaka asks, ‘How many kinds of Munis are there, who keep the
mowna vrata of silence?’
Yayati answers, ‘He is a Muni who lives in a forest though he is near a
town, as is he who lives in a town that is near a forest.’
Ashtaka asks, ‘What is a Muni?’
Yayati replies, ‘A Muni withdraws from the world and lives in a forest.
He never seeks to possess worldly goods, but is able to obtain anything at
all with his mystical powers. Thus, he lives in a forest with a town or city
near him.
Again, a Muni who has withdrawn his mind from all worldly things
might well live in a town or village, as a Sannyasi. He never shows any
pride of birth, family or learning. He wears threadbare clothes, yet he can
imagine that he wears the richest garments.
He eats just enough to support his life. Such a man, even if he lives in a
town or village, in truth lives in a forest.
He who restrains his senses and passions, and keeps a vow of silence,
refraining from any karma, all action, and allowing no desire to capture his
mind, surely succeeds. Why should we not worship a man who sustains
himself on pure food, never injures any living being, whose heart is always
pure, who is swathed in a halo of asceticism, who is free from the leaden
weight of desire, who does not cause injury even when dharma sanctions it?
Emaciated by penance, his very flesh, marrow and blood thinned, such a
man conquers not just this world but the highest one. When this Muni sits
absorbed in dhyana, indifferent to joy and sorrow, honour and insult, he
leaves this world and communes with the Brahman. Why, when the Muni
eats and drinks, even wine or the flesh of animals, without relish or desire,
but like a baby feeding at his mother’s breast, he is still like the pervasive
Brahman and one with the Universe. The Muni attains salvation.’”
CANTO 92
shtaka asks, ‘O King, of the man of asceticism and the man of

knowledge, both working tirelessly toward moksha, even like the
Sun and the Moon, which one first finds communion with the
Brahman?’
Yayati replies, ‘The Vedas help the learned man quickly realise that the
perceived universe is only illusion, maya. Upon this realisation, he
immediately attains to the Supreme Brahman, the original font, the only
blissful reality.
Those that follow the path of dhyana and Yoga arrive at the same goal,
but they usually take a longer time: for they depend upon experience alone
to rid themselves of samsara.
If a Yogi does not attain mukti in one lifetime (perhaps having been led
astray now and then by the allurements of samsara), whatever evolution he
achieves goes with him into his next life. But the Gyani always sees only
Immortal Unity, and even if he is steeped in the enjoyments of the flesh,
they never affect him or his heart. Nothing impedes his salvation.
He that fails to find knowledge must resort to pious karma, to sacrifices.
However, no man who performs a yagna with an eye on its fruit ever
achieves moksha. His yagnas remain fruitless, and are indeed rajasic, even
cruel by nature.
But a man who performs his dharma seeking no gain, but in a spirit of
immaculate detachment, his karma is Yoga itself: it is communion with
God.’
Ashtaka says, ‘Rajan, you look like a young man; you are handsome and
wear a heavenly garland. You are lustrous and splendid. From where are
you coming and where do you go? Are you someone’s messenger? Are you
going down to the Earth?’
Yayati says, ‘I have fallen from heaven, having lost all my punya. I am
doomed to fall into Bhauma, the hell on Earth. Yes, as soon as I finish
speaking with you, I will fall down into the world. Ah, even now the
Lokapalas command me to hurry. O Ashtaka, I have a boon from Indra that
though I shall fall into the Earth, I will fall among the wise and the virtuous,
men of dharma. Surely, all of you here are men of dharma, both wise and
virtuous.’
Ashtaka says, ‘You know everything. I want to know from you, O
Yayati, are there any worlds that I might enjoy in Swarga or in Akasa? If
there are, then I say to you, you shall not fall.’
Yayati says, ‘O King, there are as many worlds above for you to enjoy as
there are cows and horses on Earth, and all the other beasts of the wild and
the hills together!’
Ashtaka says, ‘Rajan, if indeed there are worlds on high for me to enjoy,
as the fruit of my punya, I give them all to you. Thus, you shall not fall.
Take all those worlds from me quickly, and grieve no more.’
Yayati replies, ‘Best of kings, a Brahmana who knows the Brahman may
accept such a gift but not you or I. Rajan, I have myself given gifts to
Brahmanas, even as one should. But let no man who is not a Brahmana
bring dishonour upon himself by taking alms; let the wife of a learned
Brahmana never take alms. While I am in the world below, I shall, as I have
done before, perform much dharma. When I have never accepted a gift
before, how can I take one from you now?’
Another Rajarishi there says, ‘Resplendent one, I am Pratardana. I ask
you, are there any worlds in Swarga or Akasa for me to enjoy with my
punya? Tell me, for you know everything.’
Yayati says, ‘Rajan, there are worlds beyond count, full of bliss, where
sorrow and pain cannot enter, for you to enjoy; they are as bright as the face
of the Sun. Live in each one for just seven days, and they shall yet never be
exhausted.’
Pratardana says, ‘Then I give all those to you, so that you will not fall.
Let the worlds that I have gained become yours, be they in Akasa or in
Swarga. Take them quickly, and be sad no more!’
Yayati answered, ‘Rajan, no king should ever accept from an equal what
he has earned by Yoga and Tapasya; that is not dharma. No wise Kshatriya
should leave the path of dharma, particularly when fate visits him with
calamity. A king must keep dharma in view always, and walk in dharma. I
would debase myself if I take what you offer. There are others, who seek to
acquire punya, who never accept gifts. How, then, shall I?’
Another of those kings of dharma now spoke to Yayati. ‘I am
Oshadasva’s son Vasumat. Tell me, Yayati, are there any worlds that I can
enjoy, by my accumulated punya, in Swarga or in Akasa? Mahatman, you
know all those sacred realms!’
CANTO 93
ayati says, ‘There are as many realms for you to enjoy as there are
places in the sky, the ten directions of the Universe and on the Earth
that the Sun illumines.’
Vasumat then says, ‘I give them all to you; let all the worlds meant for
me become yours. And you shall not fall anymore. And if it is not proper
for you to take them from me as a gift, O King, then buy them from me:
their price is a straw.’
Yayati replies, ‘I do not remember ever having bought or sold anything
usuriously. No king ever has; then how shall I now?’
Vasumat says, ‘If you consider buying them as being against dharma,
then take them freely from me, as a gift, because I say to you that I will
never go to those worlds myself. So let them be yours.’
Now Sibi says to Yayati, ‘I am Usinara’s son Sibi. O Pitr, are there any
worlds in Swarga or Akasa for me to enjoy by my punya? You know all the
worlds that a man might gain through tapasya.’
Yayati says, ‘You have never failed to help honest and good men who
asked for your help. There are infinite worlds for you to enjoy in heaven, all
bright as lightning.’
Sibi says, ‘If you think it wrong to buy them from me, I give them to you
as my gift. Take them all, O King, for I will never go there, to those realms
where the wise never feel any disquiet.’
Yayati says, ‘O Sibi, powerful as Indra, you have indeed earned an
infinity of heavenly realms for yourself. But I have no wish to enjoy worlds
given to me by others. I fear I cannot accept your gift.’
Now Ashtaka declares, ‘O Pitr, we have all offered you the higher
realms that we have earned by our tapasya and dharma. You refuse to
accept them. But we are going to leave them to you, and ourselves go down
into Bhauma, hell on Earth.’
Yayati replies, ‘You are all wise and honest. Give me what I deserve; I
cannot do what I have never done before.’
Ashtaka says, ‘Whose are these five golden chariots? Do men that fly to
the realms of permanent bliss go in them?’
Yayati says, ‘Indeed, the five glorious chariots that blaze like fire would
bear you to the realms of bliss.’
Ashtaka says, ‘Yayati, take the chariots and fly into Swarga. We can
wait; we will follow later.’
Yayati says, ‘Look! The path to Swarga is revealed before us. We can all
go together, for it seems that we have all conquered heaven.’
All those noble kings climb into the chariots of the Devas and fly up into
Swarga, illumining all the sky with the radiance of their virtue as they go.
Breaking the silence, as they flash along, Ashtaka asks, ‘I always
thought that Indra is especially my friend, and that I would enter his realm
first. But how does Usinara’s son Sibi leave the rest of us behind?’
Yayati says, ‘Usinara’s son relinquished his every possession to attain
Brahmaloka. So he is the first among us. Besides, the liberality, asceticism,
truth, virtue, modesty, forgiveness and friendliness of Sibi, as well as his
burning desire to do good have been such that no one can measure them.’
Again curious, Ashtaka asks his mother’s father, Yayati, who is like
Indra himself, ‘O King, tell me truthfully who you are, from where you
come and whose son you are? Has any other Brahmana or Kshatriya on
Earth done all that you did?’
Yayati replies, ‘Truly, I am Yayati, Nahusha’s son and Puru’s father. I
was Lord of all the Earth. You are all my daughters’ sons, and I am your
grandfather. I conquered the world, then gave rich garments to Brahmanas,
and also a hundred pedigreed horses that are fit to be sacrificed at
Aswamedha yagnas.
Such sacrifices please the Devas and they bless those that perform them.
I gifted the Earth that I had conquered to the Brahmanas, the world with all
her horses, elephants, gold, every kind of treasure, and also a hundred
arbudas of the finest milch cows.
Why, Earth and Sky, Bhumi and Akasa, exist because of my dharma;
Agni still burns in the world of men because of my dharma and my truth. I
have never spoken a single word that is a lie; and for this the wise worship
the truth.
Ashtaka, everything that I have told Pratardana, Vasumat and you is true.
I know beyond doubt that the Devas, the Rishis and all the realms and
homes of the blessed are full of grace and bliss because they are all founded
in Truth.
He that reads or hears this account of our ascent into Swarga, with no
evil in his heart, shall himself find the worlds to which we go.’
Thus did mighty King Yayati of old, saved by his grandsons, re-enter
Swarga from where he fell, while his fame spread throughout the three
worlds.”
CANTO 94
anamejaya said, “O Vaisampayana, worthy of worship, tell me about the

sons of Puru, and the kings that descended from them. Tell me about the
power and deeds of each one. I have heard that every king in the line of
Puru is a man of dharma and great prowess, and that each one has excellent
sons. O you, who are rich in tapasya, tell me the lives of those kings of deep
learning and great achievements.”
Vaisampayana said, “Listen then to the lives of the heroic kings born
into the House of Puru, every one of them as strong as Indra, owning
boundless wealth, and the adoration of all in consequence of their dharma
and their awesome deeds.
By his wife Paushti, Puru has three sons: Pravira, Iswara and Raudraswa,
all of them redoubtable Maharathas. Of these, Pravira begets upon his wife
Suraseni a son called Manasyu.
Manasyu, whose eyes are as wide and long as lotus petals, holds sway
over the world, bounded by the four seas. Manasyu’s wife is Sauviri, and he
fathers three sons in her: Sakta, Sahana and Vagmi. And they are great
Kshatriyas in battle and Maharathas.
Puru’s son Raudraswa begets upon the Apsara Misrakesi ten sons, all
great archers. They grow to be tremendous Kshatriyas, performing
countless yagnas to worship the Devas. Each of them begets sons who
acquire deep learning of every kind and are men of dharma.
The ten sons of Raudraswa are Richeyu, Kaksreyu and Vrikeyu: of great
strength; Sthandileyu, Vaneyu and Jaleyu: of great fame; Tejeyu of great
strength and intellect; Satyeyu strong as Indra; Dharmeyu and Sannateyu
both powerful as Devas.
Of these, Richeyu becomes sovereign ruler of the Earth and is known as
Anadhrishti. He is as strong as Indra among the Devas. Anadhristi’s son
Matinara becomes a renowned king of dharma, who performs the Rajasuya
and the Aswamedha yagnas.
Matinara has four sons of untold prowess: Tansu, Mahan, Atiratha and
Druhyu the glorious. Among these, the mighty Tansu becomes the
perpetuator of Puru’s line. He subdues the Earth and gains great fame,
honour and splendour.
Tansu’s son is the mighty Ilina, who becomes the greatest among all
conquerors, and also brings the whole world under his sway. Ilina begets
five sons upon his wife Rathantara, and Drohmanta is the eldest; they are as
mighty as the five elements, the Panchabhutas.
Ilina’s sons are Dushyanta, Sura, Bhima, Pravasu, and Vasu. And, O
Janamejaya, the eldest of them, Dushyanta, becomes king.
By his wife Shakuntala, Dushyanta has a fine son, Bharata, who
becomes king. The royal race that he founded bears Bharata’s name, and
because of his greatness its fame spread across the Earth.
Bharata marries three wives and begets nine sons by them. None of them
is like his father and Bharata is not pleased. Growing angry, their mothers
kill their sons. Finally, Bharata performs a great putrakama, with
Bharadvaja as his priest, and begets a son called Bhumanyu.
In this prince, Puru’s magnificent descendant Bharata is pleased; he feels
that this boy is his worthy heir and crowns Bhumanyu Yuvaraja. Bhumanyu
marries Pushkarini and sires six sons in her: Suhotra, Suhotri, Suhavih,
Sujeya, Diviratha and Kichika. The eldest, Suhotra, inherits the throne and
he performs many Rajasuyas and Aswamedhas. Suhotra brings the whole
world, with her girdle of seas, her forests teeming with elephants, her lands
with cows and horses, and her treasure troves of gold and jewels, under his
sway.
The Earth, burdened with numberless humans, elephants, horses and
chariots seems as if she might sink down into Patala. During the reign of
Suhotra of dharma, lakhs of yupastambas, stakes of sacrifice, cover the face
of Bhumi. Suhotra begets upon his wife Aikshaki three sons: Ajamidha,
Sumidha, and Purumidha. The eldest, Ajamidha, becomes king and he sires
six sons: Riksha by Dhumini; Dushyanta and Parameshthin by Nili; and
Jahnu, Jala and Rupina are born from Kesini. All the tribes of the Panchalas
are descended from Dushyanta and Parameshthin. And the Kushikas are the
sons of Jahnu of measureless might.
Riksha, the eldest, becomes king and he begets Samvarana, who furthers
the royal line. O King, I have heard that during the reign of Riksha’s son
Samvarana, famine, pestilence, drought and disease sweep across the Earth,
killing millions. For the first time, enemies defeat the Bharata princes. The
Panchalas, with footsoldiers, cavalry, elephant warriors and chariot fighters,
conquer the world. With ten Akshauhinis, the Panchala king vanquishes the
Bharata king.
Samvarana flees with his wife and ministers, sons and relatives, and
hides in the forest on the banks of the river Sindhu, which extends to the
foot of the Himalaya. The Bharatas live there for a full thousand years, in a
fortress they build.
When a thousand years pass, one day the illumined Rishi Vasishta comes
to see the Bharatas in exile, and they come out to worship him with arghya.
Welcoming him reverently, they tell him everything that has happened.
When the Rishi sits in a lofty chair, Samvarana himself says to the sage, ‘Be
our priest, O Holy One! For we wish to regain our kingdom.’
Vasishta replies, ‘Aum’, consenting.
Vasishta makes Samvarana the sovereign of all the Kshatriyas in the
world; with his recondite mantras, he makes the heir of Puru like the horns
of the bison, the tusks of the elephant. Becoming Lord of the Earth once
more, Samvarana performs many Mahayagnas and the gifts he gives the
Brahmanas are magnanimous beyond description.
Samvarana marries Surya Deva’s daughter, Tapati, and begets on her a
son called Kuru. Kuru’s dharma is flawless, he is the soul of rectitude, and
the people make him king. The field called Kurukshetra or Kurujungala,
renowned in the world, is named after this great sovereign: for he sits in that
field in tapasya for long years, and sanctifies it through his penance.
Kuru’s wife, Vahini of the lofty intellect, bears him five sons: Avikshit,
Bhavishyanta, Chaitraratha, Muni and the celebrated Janamejaya. Avikshit
begets the mighty Parikshit, Savalaswa, Adhiraja, Viraja, Salmali of great
strength, Uchaihsravas, Bhangakara, and Jitari is the eighth.
From their dharma and tapasya seven Maharathas, Janamejaya their
leader, are born into this royal House. Parikshit’s sons are masters of
dharma and artha. They are Kakshasena, Ugrasena, Chitrasena of enormous
vitality, Indrasena, Sushena and Bhimasena.
The sons of Janamejaya are all endowed with inordinate strength and
become celebrated the world over. They are Dhritarashtra – the eldest,
Pandu, Balhika, Nishadha of tremendous tejas, the mighty Jambunada,
Kundodara, Padati, and Vasati is eighth. They too are steeped in dharma and
artha, and compassionate to all living creatures.
Dhritarashtra becomes king, he has eight sons: Kundika, Hasti, Vitarka,
Kratha, Havihsravas, Indrabha, and the invincible Bhumanyu. Numberless
grandsons has Dhritarashtra, but only three of them acquire renown:
Prateepa, Dharmanetra and Sunetra.
Of these, Prateepa has no rival on Earth. O Bharatarishabha, Prateepa
has three sons, Devapi, Shantanu, and the Maharatha Balhika. Devapi, the
eldest, becomes a Sannyasi, for he wants his brothers to have the kingdom.
Shantanu and Maharatha Balhika inherit the Earth.
Rajan, besides all these, countless mighty, mighty Kshatriyas are born
into the race of Bharata, each of them blessed with burning energy and like
Devas in their dharma and tapasya.
So, too, many Maharathas, great chariot-warriors, all as irresistible as
Devas, are born into the race of Manu. Their numbers increase the Aila
dynasty beyond calculation.”
CANTO 95
anamejaya said, “Brahmana, you have told me the history of my

ancestors, and about the great kings born into our royal line. However,
you have only told me briefly about this ancestry. I beg you, O
Vaisampayana, recount the lives of these great men in some detail,
beginning with Manu, Lord of creation.
Who would not be enchanted to listen to such a narration, for it surely is
sacred? Why, the fame of these kings has spread across Swarga, Bhumi and
Patala, such is their wisdom, their might, their lofty characters and their
dharma. Your Itihasa is like Amrita; rare delight fills me when you speak of
their liberality, power and strength, their intelligence, their vigour and
fortitude!”
Vaisampayana said, “Listen then, O Rajan, in full to the legends of your
race, just as I heard it from my master Dwaipayana.
Daksha begets Aditi, who begets Vivaswat, who begets Manu, who
begets Ila, and Ila begets Pururavas. Pururavas begets Ayus, who begets
Nahusha, and Nahusha begets Yayati.
Yayati has two wives, Usasanas’ daughter Devayani, and Sarmishta the
daughter of Vrishaparvan. Devayani gives birth to Yadu and Turvasu; and
Vrishaparvan’s daughter Sarmishta gives birth to Druhyu, Anu and Puru.
The descendants of Yadu are the Yadavas and those of Puru are the
Pauravas. Puru has a wife called Kausalya, in whom he begets a son called
Janamejaya, who performs three Aswamedhas and another great sacrifice
calls Viswajit; after which he goes away into the forest and takes Sannyasa.
Janamejaya has Ananta, the daughter of Madhava, and she bears him a
son called Prachinvat. This prince has his name because he conquers all the
eastern countries up to the very land where the Sun rises. Prachinvat
marries Asmaki, a Yadava princess and fathers in her a son called Sanyati.
Sanyati marries Varangi, the daughter of Drishadwata, and she bears him
a son called Ahayanti. Ahayanti marries Bhanumati, the daughter of
Kritavirya, and she gives him a son called Sarvabhauma.
Sarvabhauma marries Sunanda, the daughter of the Kekaya king, by
abducting her. He fathers Jayatsena in her. Jayatsena marries the Vidarbha
king’s daughter and she bears him Avachina. Avachina also marries another
Vidarbha princess, Maryada. Her son is Arihan. Arihan marries Angi and
their son is Mahabhauma. Mahabhauma marries Suyajna, the daughter of
Prasenajit. She bears him Ayutanayi. He bears this unusual name because
he performs a sacrifice for which the fat of an ayuta of male creatures is
specified.
Ayutanayi marries Kama, the daughter of Prithusravas, and their son is
Akrodhana, who marries Karambha, the daughter of the king of Kalinga.
Their son is Devatithi, who marries Maryada, the princess of Videha, and
their son is Arihan.
Arihan marries Sudeva, the princess of Anga, and he sires in her the
prince Riksha. Riksha marries Jwala, the daughter of Takshaka, and their
son is Matinara, who performs a twelve-year yagna on the banks of
Saraswati, a great and potent sacrifice. When it is complete, Saraswati
appears before the king and makes him her husband, and their son is calls
Tansu.
Tansu marries Kalingi and begets a son called Ilina. Ilina marries
Rathantari and they have five sons, of whom Dushyanta is the eldest.
Dushyanta marries Viswamitra’s daughter Shakuntala, and their son is
Bharata the Great.
‘The mother is only the receptacle in which the father begets the son.
The father is himself the son. Therefore, O Dushyanta, accept your son and
do not humiliate Shakuntala. God among men, the father becomes the son
and rescues himself from hell. Shakuntala speaks the truth when she says
that you are this child’s father.’
Thus the asariri, the divine voice, spoke in the court of Dushyanta, and
Dushyanta then accepts his child; and Bharata has his name for that: the
accepted one.
Bharata marries Sunanda, the daughter of Sarvasena, king of Kasi; and
their son is Bhumanyu. Bhumanyu marries Vijaya, the daughter of Dasarha,
and their son is Suhotra, who marries Suvarna, the daughter of Ikshvaku.
Their son is Hasti, who indeed founded this great capital of yours, and it is
after him that it is named Hastinapura.
Hasti marries Yasodhara, the princess of Trigarta, and their son is
Vikunthana, who marries Sudeva, the princess of Dasarha. They have a son
called Ajamidha. Ajamidha has four wives, Raikeyi, Gandhari, Visala and
Riksha. And he begets two thousand and four hundred sons upon them.
Of all these, Samvarana becomes king and perpetuates the dynasty.
Samvarana marries Vivaswat’s daughter Tapati, and their son is Kuru, who
marries the Dasarha princess Subhangi, and their son is Viduratha.
Viduratha marries Supriya, a Madhava princess, and their son is called
Anaswan. Anaswan marries Amrita, another daughter of the Madhavas, and
their son is Parikshit, who marries Suvasa, a Bahuda princess, and their son
is Bhimasena.
Bhimasena marries the Kekaya princess Kumari, and begets upon her
Pratisravas, whose son is Prateepa. Prateepa marries Sunanda, the daughter
of Sibi, and they have three sons:Devapi, Shantanu and Balhika. When he is
just a boy, Devapi goes away into the jungle and takes Sannyasa. Shantanu
becomes king.
Here is a sloka about Shantanu:
‘Old men whom this king touched not only felt indescribable joy, but
had their youth restored to them.’
Indeed, so is he named Shantanu. And Shantanu marries Ganga, who
bears him a son Devavrata, who is later known as Bhishma, of the solemn
vow.
Wishing his father to find happiness (for Ganga has left him), Bhishma
helps Shantanu marry Satyavati, who is also known as Gandhakali for the
fragrance of her body. When she is a young virgin Satyavati bears the Rishi
Parasara a son, upon an island in a stream of the Yamuna: he is my Guru
Dwaipayana.
She bears Shantanu two other sons, Chitrangada and Vichitravirya. But
Gandharvas slay Chitrangada before he grows to manhood. Vichitravirya
becomes king, and he marries the two daughters of the king of Kasi,
Ambika and Ambalika. But Vichitravirya dies before they can bear him any
children.
Satyavati bends her mind to the task of how the race of Dushyanta can
be continued. She remembers her first son, the Rishi Dwaipayana. He
appears before her, and asks, ‘What shall I do for you, mother?’
She says, ‘Your brother Vichitravirya has left this world without
fathering any sons. Beget sons of dharma for him.’
Dwaipayana fathers three children, Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura, to
continue the royal line. By his boon to his son, Dhritarashtra has a hundred
sons by his wife Gandhari. Among those hundred, four achieve renown:
Duryodhana, Dushasana, Vikarna and Chitrasena.
Pandu has two jewels among women for his wives: Kunti (also called
Pritha), and Madri. One day, while hunting in the forest, Pandu sees a stag
covering its mate. Callously, the Kshatriya kills that deer with an arrow
before its desire is slaked.
Pierced by the king’s arrow, the deer suddenly changes into a Rishi (who
has taken, with his wife, the form of deer to enjoy lovemaking),and says to
Pandu, ‘O Pandu, you are a man of dharma and you also know the pleasure
a man has satisfying his desire. My desire is not gratified and you have
killed me. When you next make love to your wife, you will also die before
finding fulfilment!’
With that the Rishi dies, and also his wife and mate as if they shared the
same life. Pandu trembles at the curse and from then would not go to his
wives.
He says to them in that forest, ‘I am cursed through my own fault. But I
have heard that the childless never find Swarga or any heaven at all.’
He begs Kunti to bear him sons. She acquiesces; by Dharma Deva, she
bears him Yudhishtira; by Vayu, she bears him Bhimasena; and by Indra she
gives him Arjuna.
Pandu is delighted with his sons. He says to Kunti, ‘Madri has no sons;
use your mantra to help her bear children as well.’
‘So be it,’ says Kunti and speaks the incantation for her husband’s
second wife, and Madri bears him Nakula and Sahadeva, twin sons by the
Aswins of heaven.
One day, Pandu sees Madri wearing just her ornaments and bathing in
the river, naked. His long repressed desire kindled, he thrusts himself upon
her on the riverbank. Immediately as he does, he dies. Madri burns herself
on her husband’s funeral pyre, to go with him into Swarga, for his desire
remained unsatisfied.
She says to Kunti, ‘Raise these twins of mine like your own sons, with
love.’
After their father’s death, some Rishis of the forest bring Kunti and the
five Pandavas to Hastinapura and present them to Bhishma and Vidura.
Immediately, the Munis vanish before all eyes, while flowers fall out of the
sky when those Sages name the sons of Pandu, saying whose natural child
each one is, and divine drumrolls reverberate across the clear blue heavens.
Bhishma takes the Pandavas in. They describe the death of their father,
and perform the last rites for him in Hastinapura. When the evil, spoilt
Duryodhana sees that his cousins are to be raised in the city, violent
jealousy possesses him. Even like a Rakshasa, he does everything in his
power to do away with them. But Fate will take its course inexorably, and
all Duryodhana’s malignant schemes are frustrated.
Finally, in despair, he has the Pandavas sent to Varanavrata by his doting
father; they go willingly, and at first innocently. There he tries to immolate
them in a cunningly built house of lac, but they are saved yet again by the
warning and the help of their uncle Vidura.
Later, the Pandavas kill Hidimba and then go to Ekachakra. Here Bhima
kills the Rakshasa Baka, and after that they go to Panchala, where they win
Draupadi for their wife, before returning to Hastinapura, and then going to
Khandavaprastha, where they live in peace for a while, and beget children.
Draupadi bears Yudhishtira a son calls Prativindhya; Bhima’s son is
Sutasoma; Arjuna’s is Srutakriti; Nakula’s is Satanika; and Sahadeva’s son
by Draupadi is Srutakarman.
Yudhishtira also marries Devika, the daughter of Gobasana of the
Saibyas, at her swayamvara, and their son is Yaudheya. Bhima also marries
Balandhara, the daughter of the king of Kasi, by offering his strength as
dowry, and has a son by her called Sarvaga.
Arjuna goes to Dwaraka, Dwaravati, and carries away Subhadra,
Krishna’s soft-spoken sister, and brings her home to Indraprastha. Arjuna
and Subhadra have a son called Abhimanyu, a splendidly gifted prince and
a favourite of Krishna’s.
Nakula also marries Karenumati, princess of Chedi, and their son is
Niramitra. Sahadeva marries Vijaya, daughter of Dyutimat, king of Madra,
being chosen by her at her swayamvara, and they have a son called Suhotra.
Of course, the firstborn of all the sons of the Pandavas is Ghatotkacha,
Bhimasena’s son by Hidimbi. These are the eleven Pandavaputras, and
among them Abhimanyu is the one that continues the royal line.
He marries Virata’s daughter Uttaraa and she gives birth to a stillborn
child, a premature baby who has been burnt in his mother’s womb by
Aswatthama’s astra. Krishna tells Kunti to take the lifeless child onto her
lap, and he says, ‘I will revive this child of six months.’
Krishna brings the infant back to life and gives him great strength,
vitality and brilliance. Having restored him to life, Krishna says, ‘Because
this child has faced death before being born, he shall be called Parikshit, the
tested one.’
Parikshit marries Madravati, O King, and you, Janamejaya, are their son.
You married Vapushtama, and have two sons called Satanika and
Sankukarna. Satanika has married the princess of Videha and their son is
Aswamedhadatta.
This, Rajan, is the lineage of the House of Puru and the Pandavas. Let
Brahmanas that keep vratas, devout Kshatriyas who practise svadharma and
protect their subjects, attentive Vaisyas and reverent Sudras, who serve the
three higher varnas, all listen to this sacred Itihasa, for it increases punya.
Those that recite this sacred genealogy or listen to it with reverence find
Swarga for themselves, and go to the realms of the blessed. The Devas,
Rishis and all men honour them.
The enlightened Vyasa composed this holy Itihasa, the Bharata.
Brahmanas that know the Vedas and other men that listen to it with pure
and worshipful hearts gain great spiritual reward and, it is told, conquer the
heavens.
Even if they sin, they find honour, for a sloka describes this Itihasa thus:
‘This Bharatais equal to the Vedas; it is beautiful and it is sacred. It bestows
wealth, fame and a long life. Let all men listen to it with absorption.’”
CANTO 96
aisampayana said, “There is a king called Mahabhisha born into the

race of Ikshvaku. He is Lord of all the Earth, and always speaks the
truth and is mighty indeed. With a thousand Aswamedhas and a
hundred Rajasuyas he adores Indra, and finally attains Swarga.
One day, the Devas have gathered to worship Brahma. Several Rajarishis
are present at the yagna and so is Mahabhisha. Ganga, queen of rivers, also
comes to offer adorations to the Grandsire. Suddenly a gust of wind blows
her clothes, white as moonbeams, away from her body and she stands
exposed.
The Devas bend their heads, turning their eyes away from her. But
Rajarishi Mahabhisha stares brazenly at the queen of rivers.
Brahma curses Mahabhisha, ‘Wretch, you forget yourself at the sight of
her! You will be born on Earth as a man. She shall also come to you as a
woman in the world, and she will cause you anguish, repeatedly. Only when
you lose your patience and turn on her in anger will you be free of this
curse of her tormenting you. Finally, after a full life as a mortal,
Mahabhisha, you will return to Swarga as yourself.’
King Mahabhisha thinks of all the great kings of the world and wishes to
be born as the son of the awesome Prateepa. And, if truth be told, Ganga
also desires Mahabhisha when she sees him stare at her unabashedly with
such desire in his eyes. She, too, wants him, as she leaves that conclave of
the Devas and journeys down towards the Earth.
On her way, she sees the eight Vasus of heaven also travelling, forlorn,
on the same path as herself. The queen of rivers asks them, ‘Why are you so
dejected? O Swargavasis, heaven dwellers, is all well with you?’
The Vasus reply, ‘O Ganga, Rishi Vasishta has cursed us for a sin we
committed against him. He sat at his sandhya vandana and we could not see
him in the fading light. We crossed before him, disturbing his worship, and
he cursed us in anger, “Be born as men!”
We cannot escape the curse. We ask you, O Ganga, become a human
woman and bear us as your children. Queen of all rivers, we cannot enter
the womb of a mortal woman.’
Ganga says, ‘So be it.’ Then she asks them, ‘Which great man on Earth
will you make your father?’
The Vasus replies, ‘Prateepa will have a son called Shantanu whose fame
will mantle the Earth even as the rays of the Sun do. We wish to be born
from his seed.’
Ganga smiles, ‘O Vasus, sinless ones, this is exactly as I wished. I will
become Shantanu’s wife and you shall be our children.’
The Vasus says, ‘O Tripathagaa, who flow through Swarga, Bhumi and
Patala, you of the three courses, cast us, as each one of us is born, into the
water so we do not have to live long in the dreadful mortal world.’
Ganga says, ‘I will do as you ask, but let not my lovemaking with him
be entirely fruitless. One of you must survive and live a full life as our son.’
The Vasus says, ‘We will each give up an eighth part of our life energy
to create a single son for you, one to fulfil your every wish, who will live a
full life as a man. But he himself shall beget no children.’
Making this pact with Ganga, the Vasus immediately go on their way;
they are in a hurry to see an end to the curse of mortality.”
CANTO 97
aisampayana said, “There is a king called Prateepa, who is

compassionate towards every living thing. He spent many years in
tapasya at the source of the Ganga.
One day, Ganga rises from her waters as a ravishing woman and
approaches that king. She goes directly to the Rajarishi at his dhyana and
sits upon his right thigh, which is as strong as the trunk of a Sala tree.
Opening his eyes and seeing the beauty on his lap, the king says,
‘Lovely one, what do you want from me?’
She says, ‘I want you for my husband, O King. Kurusthama, best of the
Kurus, be mine, for to refuse a woman who offers herself to you is
condemned by the Rishis.
Prateepa answers, ‘Fair one, I never go to another man’s wife or women
that are not of my varna from lust. This is my dharma vrata.’
Ganga says, ‘I am neither inauspicious nor ugly. I am worthy of being
enjoyed. I am a celestial woman, and my beauty is unearthly. I want you for
my husband; do not refuse me, Kshatriya.’
Prateepa answers, ‘I have sworn a vow of continence; if I break my
vrata, sin will consume me. Besides, lovely one, you have sat on my right
thigh and put your arms around me. But you must know that the right leg is
the place for daughters, while the left lap is for wives. Peerless woman, I
am forbidden to enjoy you as a lover, but shall indeed accept you: as my
daughter-in-law, as my son’s wife.’
Ganga says, ‘King of dharma, let it be as you say: I will become your
son’s wife. Out of my regard for you, I shall be a queen of the hallowed line
of Bharata, whose kings are the sanctuary of every other king on Earth.
Why, a hundred years would not suffice for me to count the virtues of your
royal house.
The majesty and dharma of the renowned kings of your royal line are
beyond calculation or compare. But, Lord of the Earth, I must tell you that
when I am your son’s wife, he shall not be the judge of what I do, be it
anything at all. Be assured, though, that I will be a faithful wife to him and
please him in every way. Finally, he will find heaven for himself because of
the sons that I bear him, and because of his own dharma.’
Ganga vanishes, and Prateepa now waits for the birth of his son to keep
the word he has given her. Indeed, at this very time, Prateepa, bull among
Kshatriyas, and his wife are performing penance to have a son, for they are
childless.
They are quite old when a son is born to them, and he is Mahabhisha
whom Brahma has cursed. They call him Shantanu, because his father has
already calmed his passions with penance when he is born: Shantanu, the
one born of serenity.
Shantanu, finest among the Kurus, realises early that the realm of
immortal bliss is gained only by one’s deeds; he treads the path of dharma,
devoutly.
When Shantanu grows into a youth, Prateepa calls him one day and says,
‘Shantanu, some years ago, before you were born, a celestial woman came
to me and I gave her my word that you would marry her and beget children
upon her. If you happen to meet her, secretly, and if she asks you to sire
children in her, take her for your wife.
Also, my pure child, you must never judge what she does, whatever it
might be, fair or foul, nor ask who she is, or where she comes from, but
take her for your wife. This is my command to you.’
Prateepa makes Shantanu king, and goes away into the forest to become
a Vanaprastha. Shantanu, blessed with great intelligence and as splendid as
Indra, spends a great deal of his time in the forest: he is an avid hunter,
addicted to the sport, numberless deer and bison he kills.
One day, ranging the banks of the Ganga on his hunt, he comes to a
place frequented by Siddhas and Charanas. He sees a woman there who
seems to be as beautiful as the Devi Sri: faultless of face and form, her teeth
like pearls, wearing unearthly ornaments and garments so fine and resonant
that they might have been woven from the filaments of lotuses.
Shantanu feels uncanny rapture surge through him; his hair stands on
end for delight. He drinks in the sight of her, and, helplessly, drinks on. The
woman sees Shantanu, magnificent and brilliant, and feels a pang of love.
She also gazes helplessly at him, and gazes on as if she could never tear her
eyes away from him.
Shantanu says softly to her, ‘You with the waist like a lotus stalk, you
whose beauty is divine, I do not know if you are a Devastri or a Danavi, a
Gandharvi, an Apsara, a Yakshi, a Nagini or a mortal woman, a Manushi.
But I want you to become my wife.’”
CANTO 98
aisampayana said, “She sees his smile, she hears what he says, so
tenderly; she remembers her word she gave the Vasus; she
remembers Mahabhisha, and she speaks to him, her voice perfect and
her every word making his heart quiver in thrall.
She says, ‘O King, I will be your wife and obey you in all things. But I
have one condition: you must never question what I do, whatever it might
be, good or bad, or ask me who I am. You must never say a harsh word to
me. As long as you treat me kindly and never question me, I will be a
devoted wife to you. But the moment you say a cross word to me or
question me, I will leave you forever.’
Shantanu does not hesitate to agree, ‘So be it.’ He gives his solemn
word.
She is delighted to become his wife and he is ecstatic to be her husband.
Great joy and pleasure they give each other. Shantanu keeps his word to
her: he never asks her who she is, nor questions her ever. And she is a
perfect wife to him, and Shantanu, Lord of the Earth, is more than content
for she gratifies him in every way, by her beauty, her conduct, her
generosity, her loving affection and her ardour, too.
The Devi Ganga, Tripathagaa of the three courses, has assumed an
exquisite human form, and she is entirely happy being the wife of that tiger
among kings, Shantanu, who is as mighty as Indra himself; it is as if she
now enjoys the fruit of all her past punya.
In turn, she delights him, by her unearthly beauty and her love, her
womanly wiles and her lovemaking, with her songs and by dancing for him;
indeed, theirs is an almost unalloyed happiness, while months, seasons and
years fly by and the king hardly notices them pass.
But when Ganga first becomes pregnant and delivers a son as beautiful
as a Deva child, she takes the newborn straight to the river and casts him
into the foaming current. She says to Shantanu, who is aghast, ‘This is for
your own good. Trust me, ask me nothing.’
Shantanu does not question his otherwise perfect wife for fear that she
will leave him. Seven times this happens, and the king never says a word,
though gradually he becomes a broken man, seeing his sons sink in the
Ganga.
But when the eighth child is born, and his wife, with a smile, is about to
cast the baby into the river, Shantanu cannot bear it anymore. He cries to
her, ‘Stop! You will not kill my son. Who are you? Whose daughter are
you? What are you that can kill your own children? Murderess, your sins
are too dreadful to even think of.’
She replies calmly, ‘If it is children you want, you are already the most
blessed of fathers. I will not kill this child. But you have broken your word
that you would never question me or say an unkind word to me and I must
leave you now forever. I am Jahnu’s daughter Ganga. The greatest Rishis
worship me. I lived with you for all these years to fulfil a purpose of the
Devas.
Vasishta cursed the eight Vasus to mortal births. On Earth there is none
but you that deserved to become their father. Also, there is no one but I who
could become their mother. I took this human form to give birth to them.
Shantanu, by becoming the father of the eight Vasus you have gained many
Swargas for yourself, realms of permanent bliss.
The Vasus also made me swear that I would set them free from the
darkness of mortal bondage as soon as they are born. I did not kill them, as
you saw it, but only liberated them from the curse of Apava Rishi, Vasishta.
I must leave you now, O King, my time with you is over. Be blessed and
raise this child. Call him Gangadatta for me. He shall be great beyond all
measure and bring fame and honour to your royal house.’”
CANTO 99
hantanu asks, ‘Who was Apava Muni and what did the Vasus do,
that he cursed them to human birth? What has this eighth child of
yours done for which he must live a full human life? O Jaahnavi,
tell me everything in detail.’
Ganga replies, ‘Bharatashreshta, Vasistha, the Sage who was later known
as Apava, was the son of Varuna. He had his asrama on Meru, king of
mountains, in a green forest. The place was sacred, with birds and animals
of every kind abounding. Flowers of every season bloomed perennially in
the magical place. Bharatottama, Varuna’s son, best among men of dharma,
sat in tapasya in that forest, full of streams flowing with sweet water and
with sweet roots and fruit aplenty.
Daksha Prajapati had a daughter called Surabhi. Bharatarishabha, she
bore her husband Kashyapa Muni a daughter, Nandini, who was born as a
radiant and divine cow of wishes, who could fulfil any desire. Vasishta took
Nandini to help him with his ritual homa. Nandini lived in his asrama and
adored by all the Sages in that sacred forest, ranged through it at will.
One day, O Bharatarishabha, the Vasus, with Prithu at their head, came
to that forest which the Devas and Devarishis love. They ranged through
that vana at their leisure, with their wives, all of them enchanted by the
glorious mountain and the forest of delights.
Then the slender, gorgeous wife of one of the Vasus saw Nandini, the
cow of wishes, through the trees. She saw how lovely Nandini was, her
eyes large, her teats ample and full of milk, her tail fine, her hooves as
beautiful as jewels, bearing every other auspicious sign, and radiant. The
Vasu’s wife pointed Nandini out to her husband Dyu.
O King who are as strong as the elephant Airavata, Dyu saw Nandini
and admired her many excellences. He said to his wife, “O my black-eyed
beauty of the tapering thighs, the cow belongs to the Rishi who lives in this
tapovana. My wasp-waisted one, do you know that a mortal who drinks
Nandini’s milk does not age for ten thousand years?”
Best of kings, the reed-waisted and beautiful Devi said to her irradiant
husband Dyu, “I have a precious human friend in this world, her name is
Jivati. She is so beautiful and young, that daughter of that Deva among
Manavas, the Rajarishi of great dharma and intellect, Usinara.
My lustrous husband, I want to give this cow and her calf to my friend. I
want Jivati to drink Nandini’s milk and be free from age and death. My
illustrious lord, grant me my wish, I beg you. Oh, nothing would please me
more!”
Dyu wanted to please his wife and, with the help of his brothers Prithu
and the others, he spirited away Nandni and her calf. Indeed, when his wife
batted her long eyes at him, Dyu forgot to whom Nandini belonged. He
forgot dharma and that he might fall terribly through this crime.
When Varuna’s son returned to his asrama in the evening with the fruit
he had gathered, he did not see Nandini or her calf. Vasishta searched the
charmed tapovana for her, high and low. When he could not find the cow,
he used his mystic vision and saw exactly what had happened, how the
Vasus had spirited her away.
In rage he cursed the Vasus, crying, “They dared to steal my sweet
Nandini with her lovely tail, and milk like Amrita. Let the arrogant Vasus
be born into the world of men, on Bhumi!”
Bharatrishabha, this was how the Rishi Apava cursed the eight Vasus.
Having pronounced his curse, Vasishta sat down to meditate again. When
the awesome Brahmarishi cursed them those celestials were instantly aware
of it, and flew down to his asrama in distress. They did their utmost to
pacify the Rishi, but Apava, knower of dharma, would not relent.
However, the righteous and kindly one said, “Vasus, Dhava and you
others, I have cursed you. Yet you shall be free from my curse within a year
of being born into the world. But Dyu is he that led you to this sin, and he
must spend a full human life in the world of men.
Though I cursed you in wrath, my curse cannot prove vain. Dyu, you
shall indeed live on Earth but you will beget no children. You shall know
the Vedas and the Shastras and be a man of profound dharma. You will be
an obedient son to your father, but you will never enjoy intimate relations
with a woman and remain celibate all through your mortal life.”
With that, Maharishi Vasishta left the Vasus. They then came together to
me and, O King, they implored me for the boon that as soon as I gave birth
to them I would set them free from Vasishta’s curse by casting them into the
river. Best of kings, I only did what they asked so that they could be free
from this world. Also, this eighth child, who is Dyu, must live a full mortal
life from Vasishta’s curse.’
With that, she takes her child and vanishes; she would bring him back to
his father when he is older. Shantanu’s son is called both Gangeya and
Devavrata, and he excels his father in accomplishment.
After Ganga leaves, Shantanu returns sadly to Hastinapura. Let me tell
you now about the dharma and the fortunes of this great king of the House
of Bharata. For this wondrous Itihasa is known as the Mahabharata.”
CANTO 100
aisampayana said, “Well loved by the Devas and all Rajarishis,

Shantanu is famous in all the worlds for his wisdom, his dharma and
his truthfulness: never would he tell a lie. He is self-controlled,
liberal, forgiving, intelligent, modest, patient and energetic, that bull among
men.
Blessed with all these qualities, a master of dharma and artha, he
protects the race of Bharata and indeed all men and women. His throat is
marked with three lines, like a sankha, a conch; his shoulders are massive
and wide and he is as strong as an angry elephant. It seems that every
auspicious royal sign dwells in the person of Shantanu as if they consider
him to be their choicest abode.
Men who observe the deportment of Shantanu become convinced that
dharma is infinitely superior to artha and kama, that rectitude is loftier than
wealth and enjoyment. Truly, there is never another king like Shantanu.
When the other kings of the Earth see his absolute devotion to dharma they
make him an emperor, a king of kings, and then on, during the reign of
Shantanu the Great, those kings are free from fear and sorrow.
They sleep in peace and awake every morning having dreamt beautiful
and joyful dreams. Because Shantanu is like Indra himself in tejas, vital and
brilliant, every king of the Earth becomes a king of dharma, liberal and
always performing yagnas and deeds of deep goodness. When Shantanu and
other kings like him rule the Earth, the dharma of every varna, of men and
women of every persuasion, grows incalculably. The Kshatriyas serve the
Brahmanas; the Vaisyas wait upon the Kshatriyas; and the Sudras,
worshipping the Brahmanas and the Kshatriyas, wait upon the Vaisyas.
Shantanu lives in Hastinapura, the wonderful capital of the Kurus, and
he holds sway over all the Earth, bounded by the four seas. He is honest and
straightforward, and as much a master of dharma as the king of the Devas.
He combines in his person such liberality, religion and austerity that great
fortune comes to him and, through him, spreads in tides across the world he
rules. He knows no malice or anger; he is as handsome as Soma Deva; he is
as brilliant as Surya Deva; and as strong as Vayu the Wind God. His wrath,
if roused, is like Yama’s, yet he is ordinarily as patient as Bhumi Devi, who
bears all things upon herself.
Rajan, while Shantanu rules the Earth, no deer, boars, birds, or other
animals are killed wantonly. Great kindness towards all living creatures
pervades his kingdom, and he himself is the very soul of mercy, knowing
neither desire nor anger, but extending his protection to all creatures.
He performs yagnas to the Devas, the Rishis and the Pitrs, and never is
any creature killed in sin. Shantanu is king and father to all and,
particularly, to those that are wretched, who have no one else to watch over
them; a guardian of birds and beasts he is, indeed, of every created thing.
And during the rule of the best of the Kurus, of that king of kings,
speech and truth are the same thing, and men’s minds flow always towards
liberality, virtue and love of their fellow beings. Shantanu enjoys domestic
happiness for thirty-six years and then goes away into the forest to become
a Vanaprastha.
Shantanu’s son, the Vasu Dyu, born of Ganga and named Devavrata, is
as handsome as his father and also like him in his dharma and his learning.
He is a prodigy at every branch of knowledge, mundane and spiritual,
skilful beyond description. Prodigious are his strength and vigour, too. He
becomes a Maharatha, effortlessly; indeed, he becomes a great ruler, though
he never actually becomes king.
One day, some years after Ganga leaves him, taking their eighth infant
with her, Shantanu follows a deer he has wounded with his arrow along the
banks of the Ganga, when he suddenly sees the river turned to a mere
trickle, indeed, run almost dry. Shantanu gazes at this in wonder: what
could do this to that mightiest of rivers?
Then he sees a youth as handsome and radiant as Indra, who holds up
the river’s flow with his astra, an unearthly weapon. The king watches in
astonishment. The youth is Shantanu’s son, but having last seen him as a
babe in arms, Shantanu does not know him.
However, the boy knows his father at once but he chooses to vanish
using his maaya shakti, his power of illusion, making himself invisible.
Shantanu now suspects that the boy is his son, and he speaks to the river
that flows again, ‘Let me see that youth!’
Ganga assumes the form of a beautiful woman and appears before the
king, holding the boy, wearing unearthly ornaments and raiment, with her
right hand. Shantanu does not recognise the woman, clad in shimmering
white robes and also wearing unworldly ornaments. She has been his wife
for many years, but this is another form in which she appears.
Ganga says, ‘Tiger among men, this is your eighth son that you begot on
me. He is a master of astras, and of every other weapon. O King, take him
with you now to your city of heroes. I have raised him with great love and
care.
Our brilliant son studied all the Vedas and the Vedangas with Vasishta;
as an archer, he is Indra’s equal. O Bharata, the Devas and the Asuras have
both blessed him. Whatever Shukra Bhargava knows, my son knows as
well, having learnt from him; he also knows all the Shastras that Angiras’
son Brihaspati, whom the Devas and Asuras both adore, knows, having
studied them from the Guru himself.
He has learnt the use of weapons from Jamadagni’s son, the invincible
Parasurama Mahabahu. O bravest of kings, I have brought your heroic son
to you; he is a matchless bowman and knows the dharma of kings in its
every nuance and detail.’
She gives the boy’s hand into Shantanu’s, and vanishes. Shantanu brings
his son, glorious as Surya, back to Hastinapura. That scion of the line of
Puru blesses his great fortune as he rides into his capital, which resembles
Amaravati in heaven, bringing his radiant boy with him. He calls all the
Pauravas together and formally crowns his son Devavrata as the Yuvaraja.
Bharatarishabha, so noble and able is that prince that, quickly, his father
and the other members of the Paurava clan, and also the people, see that he
is certainly the jewel of that illustrious line, and they love him. As for
Shantanu, he dotes on the youth; that powerful king’s joy at living with his
son knows no bounds.
Four years pass, then one day the king ranges through some woods on
the bank of the Yamuna, when suddenly he smells a scent of heaven, and
cannot tell what its source is. Here and there he goes, desperate to find what
it is that smells so sweet.
Finally, he sees a black-eyed young woman, her beauty unworldly: a
fisherman’s daughter.
Shantanu says to her, ‘Who are you, and whose daughter are you? What
are you doing here?’
She answers him, ‘Be blessed, stranger! I am the daughter of the
chieftain of the fishermen on this river. By his command, I ferry travellers
across the river in my boat.’
Shantanu gazes at that beauty, friendly and so fragrant, and for the first
time after Ganga left him, he feels desire stir in him, powerfully. He wants
her for his wife. Shantanu goes to her father and asks for her hand.
The fishermen’s chieftain says, ‘O King, I will gladly give my daughter
to be your wife, but I have a condition. You are a man of dharma and you
must fulfil my condition if you want to marry my daughter. If you give me
your word on it, I will certainly give you my daughter for I could never
hope to find another husband for her who is your equal.’
Shantanu says, ‘Tell me your condition, the word you want from me. If it
is in my power to grant what you want, I certainly will. But unless I know
what it is, how can I give you my solemn word?’
The fisherman says, ‘Rajan, what I want is that the son born to my
daughter shall become king after you, and no other.’
O Bharata, Shantanu desires the fishergirl desperately, but he thinks of
Devavrata and knows he cannot agree to the fisherman’s condition. Burning
within himself to possess the fragrant girl, his mind full of just her, he sadly
turns back to Hastinapura.
Back in his capital, Shantanu is plunged in gloom.
One day, Devavrata goes to his grieving father and says, ‘Why do you
grieve like this? Every good fortune is yours; all the chieftains and kings
obey you. Yet you shut yourself up alone and speak no word to anyone, not
even to me.
You do not go out riding anymore. You are pale and losing weight every
day; despondency envelops you and you have lost the very spark of life.
Father, I beg you, tell me what illness you are suffering from, so that I can
find a cure for you.’
Shantanu says, ‘It is true what you say, my son, that I have become
melancholy. I will also tell you why sorrow is upon me. Gangeya, you are
my only son, the only heir to the throne of Bharata. You are a Kshatriya and
are frequently at arms or sport with weapons.
My child, human life is always uncertain. O Gangaputra, if some danger
befalls you, we shall be heirless. To me, you by yourself are worth a
hundred sons, and I have no wish to marry again. I only pray that fortune
always attends on you, and that our dynasty continues.
The Rishis say that he who has only one son has no son. Sacrifices
performed before a holy fire and the knowledge of the three Vedas bestow
immortal punya; but such punya does not have a sixteenth part of the
spiritual merit that one gains by having a son.
Why, men and beasts are hardly different from each other in this respect.
My wise child, I have no shadow of doubt that a man finds Swarga for
himself when he has a son.
Even the Devas regard the Vedas, which are the root of the Puranas, as
having scriptural authority and the Vedas are full of examples of this. O
Bharata, you are a Kshatriya and bold and daring, and as I said, always at
arms or in battle. I fear that you might be killed one day in battle.
If that happens, my child, what will become of the royal house of
Bharata? What will happen to our dynasty? Some pretender, some usurper
will sit upon our hallowed throne. This is the thought that dejects me and
fills me with sorrow and anxiety.’
Devavrata does not reply immediately, but that perspicacious young man
suspects the truth, the real cause of his father’s misery. He goes to the old
minister who has devoted his life to the king’s personal well-being and asks
him what causes his father’s depression.
Bharatarishabha, the aged minister tells Devavrata about the fisherman’s
condition, for which he would give his daughter Gandhavati to Shantanu.
Immediately, taking many venerable old Kshatriya lords with him,
Devavrata goes to the home of the fisherman and begs him for his
daughter’s hand for Shantanu.
The fisherman receives him respectfully in his court of fishermen. When
Devavrata sits comfortably, the fisherman says, ‘Bharatarishabha, you are
Shantanu’s only son and the greatest warrior on Earth. Your prowess is
great indeed. Let me say this to you: if Shantanu asks for the hand of the
daughter of Indra himself, Indra could not dream of rejecting the proposal.
Satyavati is not my natural daughter. The Rajarishi from whose seed she
was born is your equal in birth and dharma. He has often told me about
your father Shantanu and that only he is worthy of marrying my child.
Why, the Brahmarishi Asita has asked me for her hand more than once,
and I have refused him because I have believed that your father is destined
to be her husband. However, there is one great fear I have in giving her to
your father: that he already has a son and that son is you. If my daughter’s
sons have you for a rival, how will they fare?
Parantapa, scourge of your enemies, even if he was a great Asura or
Gandharva no enemy could hope to prevail against you, mightiest of all
Kshatriyas. Be blessed, great Devavrata. But understand clearly what I am
saying, and that the decision of whether or not my daughter will marry your
father does not rest with me.’
O Bharata, hearing this, Devavrata says in that rustic court of fisher-
chieftains and Kshatriyas, ‘Honest friends, then listen to the vow that I
swear. I agree to your condition, fisherman: your daughter’s son shall be
king of Hastinapura. I renounce my right to the throne forever. No other
man in this world, I tell you, would swear such an oath. But for my father’s
sake, I will not break it!’
The fisherman’s eyes shine. This is good fortune that he could hardly
credit. But that shrewd man now says, ‘Prince of dharma, you have come
here on behalf of your father Shantanu, whose glory is beyond measuring. I
ask you now to also represent my interest—you and you alone—in this
matter of my Satyavati marrying the king.
Most excellent Kshatriya, I have something to add, something else that
you must consider. Parantapa, any father who has a care for his daughter
would say what I am about to. You are certainly a man of dharma,
Mahabaho, Mighty-armed, and I have no doubt that you will honour the
solemn word you have just sworn before all these worthy ones. But what
about your sons after you? How can I trust them?’
O King, Ganga’s son says, ‘O Fisherking, most worthy friends, listen to
what I now swear in the presence of all of you. Kshatriyas, I have already
relinquished the throne of my ancestors. I will now settle the question about
my sons. Fisherman, from this day, I swear to remain a Brahmachari, a
celibate all my life. Even if I die without having a son, I will find the
highest heaven for myself, realms of eternal bliss.’
The hairs on the fisherman’s body stand on end in unbridled delight, he
can hardly believe this great fortune. His eyes shining, he says, ‘I give my
daughter to be your father’s wife!’
The Devas, Apsaras and myriad tribes of Rishis pour down a rain of
flowers from the sky, over Devavrata’s head, and heavenly voices cry in
awe, ‘Bhishma! Bhishma!’ , because his vow is so terrible.
Bhishma, as we shall call him from now, bows to Satyavati, and says,
‘Mother, come, climb into my chariot and let us go home to Hastinapura.’
Bhishma helps the beautiful and fragrant one into his chariot. Coming to
Hastinapura he brings her straight to Shantanu and tells him everything.
The great Kshatriyas who had gone with him say, ‘Truly he is Bhishma!’
When Shantanu hears what his son has done for his sake, he blesses him,
saying, ‘Death will come to you only when you call him; otherwise no
power of Heaven or Earth will end your life.’”
CANTO 101
aisampayana continued, “O King, Shantanu marries Satyavati with

all the prescribed and proper rituals. Then he takes her to himself
with great delight.
Soon, Satyavati bears an intelligent and heroic son and he is called
Chitrangada. He is endowed with terrific vitality and strength and becomes
a great man. Shantanu of untold prowess also begets on Satyavati another
son: Vichitravirya, who becomes a mighty bowman and the king after his
father. But before Vichitravirya grows to manhood, Shantanu the Great
yields to Time.
When Shantanu passes on to Swarga, Bhishma, with the support of
Satyavati, installs Chitrangada on the throne. At an early age, Chitrangada,
with Bhishma for his master, proves himself a matchless warrior, indeed no
man other than his elder brother is his equal at arms.
He vanquishes every king of the Earth, and when his namesake, the
Gandharva king Chitrangada, sees that the prince of the world could easily
subdue men, Asuras and even the Devas, the celestial challenges the Kuru
prince before his power grows beyond controlling.
They meet on the hallowed field of the Kurus, Kurukshetra, and the
battle between them lasts a full three years, on the banks of the golden
Saraswati. Fierce and dreadful is that battle and the sky is thick with banks
of arrows and spears, and lusty mace blows ring out; but finally, with
superior strategy, indeed with subtle deception, the Gandharva kills the
human Chitrangada and flies up into heaven.
When Chitrangada, tiger among men, of strength beyond all measure, is
killed, Bhishma, son of Shantanu, performs his last rites. Then he crowns
the young boy Vichitravirya as king, while he himself rules as regent in his
younger brother’s name. Vichitravirya, for his part, worships his older
brother, and Bhishma loves him like a son, that fine prince of dharma.”
CANTO 102
aisampayana said, “O Scionof the House of Kuru, thus Bhishma

rules the kingdom with the support of Satyavati, when Vichitravirya
is a boy. When his brother grows into a young man, the wise
Bhishma decides to get him married.
He hears that the king of Kasi is to hold a combined swayamvara for his
three daughters, all said to be as beautiful as Apsaras. With Satyavati’s
approval, Bhishma Maharatha, Parantapa, rides to Kasi in a single chariot.
Shantanu’s son sees all the kings come from across the land, from every
direction in the hope of winning one of the princesses’ favour; he sees the
three exquisite Rajakumaris, each of whom would choose her own husband.
As the names of the gathered kings are being recited, Bhishma declares
that he chooses the three princesses to be his brother’s wives. In a flash,
Ganga’s awesome son has the amazed young women in his chariot. He
speaks to the assembled kings in a voice like the rumbling of thunderclouds.
‘The Rishis have said a maiden may be given to an accomplished groom,
by inviting him to the girl’s house and giving her away, decked in fine
jewellery and with valuable dowry besides.
Others might give their daughters away by accepting a pair of cows or
bulls as brideprice. Yet others take gold for giving their daughters in
marriage, while some men carry away their brides by force.
Some men marry young women with their consent; others drug them
into giving their consent; and still others by getting the permission of the
girl’s parents. Some men marry wives for having sat or helped at yagnas.
Of these, the Sages always laud the eighth form of marriage for
Brahmanas. Kshatriyas however, approve of the fifth, swayamvara, where
the girl consents herself and chooses her own groom. Kings marry by this
custom.
But the Rishis say that the wife taken by force, from a conclave of
Kshatriyas invited to a swayamvara, after a battle, after slaying adversaries,
is the most prized. Therefore, O Kshatriyas, look, I am taking these three by
force for my brother. Do your best to stop me, if you dare; come, defeat me
or be vanquished!’
With that the invincible Kuru prince Bhishma thunders away in his
chariot with the three princesses. The challenged kings jump up, slapping
their arms and their thighs in anger. Such a din they make, throwing down
their fine ornaments in haste, and pulling on their armour.
O Janamejaya, jewellery and armour being flung down and pulled on
flashes like meteors in the night sky. Their great brows knit and eyes red
with fury, the Kshatriyas rush towards the fine chariots that their sarathys
bring, yoked to steeds of lofty pedigree.
Weapons raised, and roaring, the magnificent Kshatriyas give hot chase
to the great Kuru lord. Then, O Bharata, ensues the dreadful battle between
all those warriors on one side and Bhishma on the other. Ten thousand
arrows they shoot at him, at once, and he cuts them down with an incredible
volley of shafts as numerous as the down on one’s body.
The kings surround him and rain arrows on him like thunderclouds do
upon the crest of a mountain. Bhishma not only stops that downpour of
barbs, he pierces every king surrounding him with three arrows, in a flash.
They strike him back with five arrows each. But the shafts fall off his
mighty body like straws, Rajan, and he shoots each Kshatriya again with
two arrows.
The encounter swells and arrows stream around Bhishma’s chariot so
that it becomes like the Devasura yuddha of old. Men that do not fight but
only watch, brave men tremble. Bhishma breaks bows with his fusillades,
cuts down flagstaffs, severs coats of armours and sloughs off human heads,
in thousands.
So light, swift and sure is his hand, so awesome his prowess and skill as
he keeps them at bay, that soon the kings around him, their breath taken
away, put down their weapons and begin to applaud him. With a quick bow,
he turns his chariot and flashes away towards Hastinapura, capital of the
Bharatas, taking the princesses with him.
Suddenly, the Maharatha Salva roars out a challenge to Bhishma. He
thunders towards Bhishma like a great tusker rushing at another and goring
it with his tusks for the sake of a cow elephant in heat. Salva wants the
princesses for himself and cries, ‘Stop and fight!’ to Bhishma.
Bhishma, tiger among men, desiccator of enemy armies, blazes up in
anger. He knits his great brow, reins in his chariot and, bow in hand, turns to
face Salva: for this is Kshatriya dharma. The other kings grow still to watch
this duel.
The fight begins, and their roars are like the trumpeting of bull elephants
that fight over a cow elephant in season. Salva shoots a hundred thousand
arrows at Bhishma, quick as thinking. The other kings are wonderstruck by
his archery and shout out their praise.
Infuriated by the yells of the crowd of kings, Bhishma cries to his
sarathy, ‘Ride at Salva! I will kill him as Garuda does a snake.’
Warding off Salva’s cloud of shafts, the peerless Kuru fits the Varunastra
to his bowstring, and harries Salva’s four horses. And, O tiger among kings,
in a flash Bhishma kills Salva’s charioteer, while he keeps his enemy’s fire
at bay. Next moment, Shantanu’s son, fighting for the princesses, kills
Salva’s pedigreed horses with the Aindrastra, Indra’s weapon.
He shoots the bow out of Salva’s hands and has him in the eye of his
arrow, but spares his life. Bhishma turns his chariot round and rides back
towards Hastinapura.
Bharatarishabha, the humiliated Salva returns to his kingdom, and rules
again, justly. The other Kshatriyas who have come to the swayamvara do
the same; they all go home empty-handed, and routed: those that do not die.
Bhishma rides back like the wind, with his three prizes, towards
Hastinapura, from where Vichitravirya, prince of dharma, rules the Earth as
righteously as his father Shantanu had. Rajan, through many forests rides
Bhishma; he fords many rivers, and arrives swiftly.
The son of Ganga who flows into the Ocean, invincible Bhishma comes
home to Hastinapura, having killed countless Kshatriyas; and not a scratch
on him. He brings the daughters of the king of Kasi to the home of the
Kurus, tenderly, as if they are his daughters-in-law, younger sisters, or his
own daughters. Bhishma Mahabaho brings the lovely and accomplished
princesses to Vichitravirya and offers them to his brother.
Bhishma, knower of dharma, immediately begins to make preparations
for a royal wedding. When all is ready and the arrangements have been
made by Satyavati and Bhishma, the eldest princess from Kasi, Amba, says
smiling shyly, ‘Long ago, I gave my heart to Salva, Lord of Saubha, and he
too loved me. My father approved of our love and I would have chosen him
at the swayamvara. Mighty Bhishma, you know dharma better than anyone.
You decide what you must do.’
Bhishma falls thoughtful; he consults the Brahmanas present there, all
knowers of the Veda; then he says to Amba, ‘Princess, you may do as you
please.’
But he marries Ambika and Ambalika to Vichitravirya with every proper
ritual. The handsome and youthful Vichitravirya is a virgin, a brahmacharin
so far. But when he marries the exquisite princesses of Kasi desire seizes
him powerfully.
They are tall, these girls, their soft skin like liquid gold, their tresses
thick and curly, their fingernails raised and red, their hips ample and
rounded, and their breasts full and their cleavage deep. They bear every
auspicious mark upon their ravishing bodies, and those young women of
one of the oldest and noblest royal houses see the handsome Vichitravirya
as being worthy of themselves in every way, and they love him
passionately. For, indeed, he is as strong as a Deva and as handsome as the
Aswin twins, and he could steal the heart of any woman.
Seven rapturous years Vichitravirya spends with his two wives. Then, in
the prime of his youth, he catches a galloping consumption. Those around
him do everything in their power to effect a cure, but the Kuru prince dies,
like the sun setting.
Bhishma is stricken. Satyavati and he perform the last rites for the dead
prince, solemnly, with many learned priests and all the great Kurus present,
all of them shocked.”
CANTO 103
aisampayana said, “Grief-stricken herself, having lost her second

son, Satyavati performs the funeral rites for Vichitravirya, with her
weeping daughters-in-law and the broken-hearted Bhishma, greatest
of Kshatriyas. Then, summoning her great woman’s strength, she consoles
them as best as she can.
When the formal mourning is over, Satyavati thinks of dharma, she
recalls the great ancestry of the Kuru line. She calls Bhishma and says,
‘Now the pinda, the glory and the future of the line of the great Shantanu of
the house of Kuru all depend on you. Just as Swarga and punya are
inseparable, as longevity is inseparable from truth and faith, Bhishma and
dharma are inseparable.
Virtuous son, you know dharma in theory and in every detail of practice;
you know all the Srutis, the Vedas and Vedangas. You are equal to Shukra
and Angiras in steadfastness in dharma, in the knowledge of family
tradition and customs, and you know that crises require unusual solutions.
Therefore, O best of good men, I am relying on you to find a solution to our
crisis. You must listen to me and then do as I say. Manavarishabha, your
brother Vichitravirya, my son who you loved so much, has left us and gone
childless to Swarga, when hardly more than a boy himself.
Your brother’s wives, the young and lovely daughters of Kasiraja, want
to become mothers. Mahabaho, mighty-armed, I command you to father
children in your brother’s widows, so that the line of Kuru might have heirs.
You must protect dharma from being lost. Crown yourself king now and
rule the kingdom of the Bharatas. Take a wife and beget sons. Do not let
your ancestors’ spirits fall into hell.’
Indeed, not only Satyavati but others in the palace, friends and kinsmen,
say the same thing to Bhishma Parantapa.
Bhishma replies, ‘Mother, what you are asking of me is certainly
dharma. But don’t you know my vow that I will never beget children?
Surely, you have not forgotten the brideprice that your father asked and
which I readily gave: my solemn vow.
Satyavati, I will renounce the three worlds, the empire of Swarga,
anything that might exceed these, but I will never break my oath, or
renounce the truth. The Earth may cease to be fragrant, Water might no
longer be wet, Light may not illumine forms anymore, Air might relinquish
its nature of touch, the Sun might cease to be glorious, the Moon might stop
being cool, Agni might not burn anymore, Akasa might not create sruti,
sound, Indra, who slew Vritra, might cease to be strong, Dharma may lose
his impartiality, but I cannot abandon the truth or break my vow.’
Satyavati says to Bhishma, ‘Bhishma whose strength is dharma, I know
that you never swerve from the truth. Why, with your dharma you can
create another Swarga, Bhumi and Patala.
Bhishma, I know that you swore your oath on my account. But now you
must think of our crisis, and the dharma that you owe your ancestors.
Parantapa, scourge of your enemies, you must ensure that the House of
Kuru has an heir, that the line of father and son that has come down the ages
since the dawn of time is not now broken. You must ensure that our well-
wishers and kinsmen do not grieve, that our people do not grieve.’
Desperately, sobbing, she speaks, still pierced through by grief at the
loss of her son, and it seems that she urges him to break his vow and
dharma, too.
Bhishma says, ‘O Queen, do not turn your face from dharma. Do not
destroy us all. No Shastra ever tells a Kshatriya to break his solemn oath.
Yet, I will tell you what Kshatriya dharma prescribes so that Shantanu’s
bloodline does not become extinct.
Listen to what I have to say, then consult with your learned and devout
Brahmanas, and others who know the remedies that are allowed to alleviate
a crisis, and also consider honourable social mores, before deciding what
you will do.’”
CANTO 104
hishma continues, ‘In ancient days, wrathful at the death of his

father, Jamadagni’s son Rama killed the Haihaya king Arjuna with
his Parasu, his battle axe. Rama cut off the Haihaya’s thousand
arms, which no one else could have hoped to do. Not content, he set out in
his chariot to conquer the world. Bow in hand, spewing awesome astras, he
ranged the Earth to raze the very race of Kshatriyas.
Twenty-one times, single-handedly, he annihilated Kshatriya armies
mustered to quell him, that illustrious Bhargava. And when he had indeed
killed the last Kshatriya, Kshatriya women across the world resorted to
Brahmanas, knowers of the Veda, to have children.
The Vedas say that a son so begotten belongs to the man who marries the
woman. The Kshatriya women went to the Brahmanas not from lust but for
the sake of dharma. Indeed, the very Kshatriya race was thus revived.
On this subject there is another olden tale, which I will tell you. In the
most antique times, there was a great Rishi called Utathya. His wife was
Mamata and he loved her dearly. One day, Utathya’s younger brother
Tejasvin Brihaspati, Guru to the Devas, importuned Mamata. But she told
that most eloquent of the great that she was pregnant by her husband,
Brihaspati’s elder brother, and that he should not seek to lie with her.
Mamata said, “Illustrious Brihaspati, the child in me has already imbibed
the Vedas with their six Angas. How can my womb make space for another
child? It does not become you to ask to satisfy your desire in me at this
time.”
But even the wise Brihaspati could not help himself and sought to thrust
himself upon her.
Then the child in her womb spoke to him, “Sire, stop! There is no room
here for two, and I am already here. Wise one, do not make me suffer.”
Brihaspati would not listen and still sought to have intercourse with
Mamata of the most beautiful eyes. He grew enraged to hear what the child
said, and cursed his brother’s Utathya’s son, “You dare speak to me from
there at this moment of a pleasure that all creatures crave? I curse you to
remain in darkness forever!”
Because of Brihaspati’s curse Utathya’s child, whose tejas equalled
Brihaspati’s own, was born blind. He was called Dirghatamas, enveloped in
long darkness. Dirghatamas knew the Vedas, and was a true Sage, and
though he was blind he married a beautiful Brahmana girl, Pradweshi. He
fathered many children upon her, Gautama the eldest. But they were
covetous and sinful.
Dirghatamas, master of the Vedas, studied under Saurabhi’s son, and
began to practise the rituals of that Tantrik order, fearlessly and reverently.
The other Munis who lived in the asrama were outraged, seeing sin where
none was, for Dirghatamas’ heart was pure, as were his intentions.
Those Sages said, “This man has broken every law of dharma. He does
not deserve to live among us anymore. Let us cast the sinner out!”
They said worse about Dirghatamas, and then his wife turned on him as
well.
Dirghatamas said to Pradweshi, “Why do you also turn against me?”
She replied hotly, “A husband is called the Bhartri because he supports
his wife. He is called Pali because he protects her. But you neither support
nor protect me, for despite all your tapasya, you are blind and it is I that
support and protect you and your children. But from now I will not.”
Dirghatamas was annoyed and said to her and her children, “Take me to
the Kshatriyas and I will get you wealth.”
His wife replied, “I do not want any riches that you get, for that will
never make me happy. Brahmana, do what you like; I cannot look after you
anymore.”
Dirghatamas cried in rage, “I declare that from today all women shall
have only one husband for life. Even if he dies, it shall be unlawful for her
to take another man. The woman that breaks this law shall be a fallen
woman. A woman without a husband shall always be inclined to sin. And
even if she is wealthy she will not enjoy her wealth. Calumny and disrepute
will darken her life.”
Pradweshi screamed to her sons, “Throw him into the Ganga!”
The evil Gautama and his brothers, slaves of greed and folly, said, “Why
should we support this old fool?”
They bound the Munito a raft, cast him to the mercy of the river, and
came home with no twinge of conscience. The blind old man floated
through the lands of many kings. One day, a king called Bali, a knower of
dharma, went to the Ganga to perform his ablutions, when the raft bearing
Dirghatamas floated up to him. Bali drew the raft ashore and untied the
Sage.
When he learnt who this Rishi was, the virtuous Bali said to him,
“Maharishi, I am childless and I beg you to father some children of dharma
and wisdom on my queen.”
Dirghatamas of great tejas agreed. Bali built an asrama for the Rishi,
installed him there and asked his queen Sudeshna to go to him. But when
Sudeshna learnt that the Sage was old and blind, she did not go to him
herself but sent her sakhi, a maidservant, in her place.
Dirghatamas begot eleven children on that Sudra woman, Kakshivat the
eldest. All eleven became masters of the Veda and chanters of the Brahman;
all of them possessed great spiritual powers.
One day, King Bali asked Dirghatamas, “Are these my children?”
The Muni replied coldly, “No, they are mine. Your queen Sudeshna saw
that I was old and blind and she insulted me by sending me her Sudra
maidservant rather than coming to me herself. Kakshivat and his brothers
are my sons begotten on the sakhi.”
The king pacified Dirghatamas, begging his forgiveness. He sent his
queen to the Sage. The Rishi only touched her with his fingers and said,
“You will have five sons as glorious as Surya Deva. Call them Anga,
Vanga, Kalinga, Pundra and Suhma. The kingdoms they found shall be
known by their names.”
Thus Bali’s lineage was continued by a Maharishi. So, indeed, many
great warriors and Maharathas have been born to Kshatriya women by
Brahmana fathers.
You know my opinion now, mother; do as you see fit,’ says Bhishma to
Satyavati.”
CANTO 105
hishma continues, ‘Mother, this is how we can continue the royal

line of Bharata. Let us offer substantial wealth to a great Brahmana
Sage and have him father children upon Vichitravirya’s wives.’
Now smiling shyly, blushing, Satyavati says, ‘Bharata, Mahabaho, what
you say is true. I, too, have something to tell you in confidence. You are the
punya of our House and its dharma, too; you will not refuse what I am
going to ask you, when I have told you my secret, which no one else knows.
My father was a man of dharma. For dharma he plied a ferry on the
river, to help wayfarers make the crossing. One day, when I was in my early
youth, the Maharishi Parasara wanted to cross the river and I was rowing
him across.
As we went, suddenly desire seized the Sage and he importuned me,
softly. I was afraid of my father, but feared the Rishi’s curse more, if I
refused him. He blessed me with a rare boon and then I could not refuse
him. Parasara covered the river in thick fog, so that my father could not see
us anymore and he took his pleasure of me in the boat.
Until that day, my body had always smelled pungently of fish, but
Parasara removed the stink and instead gave me the fragrance of heaven
spreading on every side for a yojana. He also blessed me that though I
would immediately give birth to his son upon an island in the stream, I
would have my virginity restored to me.
Bhishma, my son by Parasara Muni has become a great Sage of
profound tapasya. For where he was born, he is called Dwaipayana. He has
divided the Veda in four to suit our times; he is also called Vyasa, the
arranger, or divider. He is dark of complexion and is also known as Krishna.
He is perfectly truthful, free from passion, a mighty Yogin, who has
made ashes of all his sins with tapasya. For, he went away with his father as
soon as he was born.
If I summon him here, and we both ask him to beget children on Ambika
and Ambalika, he will not refuse us. He is a glorious one himself and will
sire wonderful sons.
When he left, that day, and he was full-grown as soon as he was born, he
said to me, “Mother, think of me if you need me and I will come to you.”
If you wish, O Bhishma, I will summon Dwaipayana even now. If you
agree, Mahabaho, he will certainly sow his seed in Vichitravirya’s field.’
When he hears the Maharishi’s name, Bhishma joins his palms together
and says, ‘The intelligent man regards dharma, artha and kama judiciously.
He considers these patiently and carefully, then acts in a manner so that
dharma leads to more dharma, artha to further artha, and kama to future
kama: virtue, profit and pleasure.
Mother, what you have suggested conforms to dharma and must lead to
artha and kama. It is the best course, and you have my complete consent.’
O Kuru, Satyavati now thinks of her son Dwaipayana. The Muni has
engaged himself in interpreting the Vedas, but as soon as he senses his
mother summoning him, he appears before her in a moment. Satyavati
greets her son, embraces him, bathing him in her tears, for the fisherman’s
daughter has not seen him since he was born.
Maharishi Vyasa sees his mother crying and tenderly washes her tears
with cool water. Then, bowing to her, he says, ‘I have come, mother, to do
your bidding. Tell me what you want that I may satisfy your wish.’
The family priest of the Bharatas now worships the Maharishi formally,
and Vyasa accepts his offerings, chanting the apposite mantras. Gratified by
that adoration, he sits in the high chair offered him.
When he sits, Satyavati makes the customary inquiries about his well-
being and his life, then says, ‘Most learned one, sons are born through both
their mother and their father; they belong equally to both parents. The
mother wields as much right and power over her son as his father does.
By law, O Brahmarishi, you are my firstborn, my eldest son; and
Vichitravirya is my youngest. Just as Bhishma is Vichitrvirya’s brother on
his father’s side, you are Vichitravirya’s brother on his mother’s side, and
yours.
I am not certain what you will think or say but I am going to tell you
what I think and want from you. Shantanu’s son Bhishma refuses, because
of dharma and his vow that he once swore, either to become king or to
beget children. So, out of love for your brother Vichitravirya, in order to
continue this royal line come down from Bharata himself, because Bhishma
asks you and because I command you as your mother, out of compassion
for all the living, for the protection of the people and from the generosity of
your heart, sinless one, you must do what I ask.
Your younger brother has left behind two widows of youth, beauty and
grace which compare with those of the Devastris. For the sake of dharma
and moksha, they want to have children. You are the ideal person to make
mothers of them. So, my child, beget sons on Ambika and Ambalika, sons
worthy of this House and worthy to continue the royal lineage of Bharata.’
Vyasa listens to this quietly, then says, ‘Satyavati, you know what
dharma is both in this life and the next. Also, you are devoted to dharma.
So, at your command, with dharma as my motive, as well, I will do what
you ask.
Indeed, what you ask conforms to Sanatana Dharma, and I will beget
sons on my brother’s wives, sons who shall be like Mitra and Varuna. I will
give them a stern vrata to keep for a year, and then they shall be purified.
For no woman who is not pure can come near me, let alone bear my sons.’
Satyavati says, ‘Anagha, sinless, do what is needed for the princesses to
conceive immediately, for danger threatens. In a kingdom that has no king,
the people are destroyed without protection; sacrifices no longer take place;
evil holds sway; the clouds send down no rain and the gods vanish. A
kingdom without a king is quickly destroyed.
No, my daughters-in-law must conceive at once. Bhishma will watch
over the children while they are in their mother’s wombs.’
Vyasa says, ‘If I am to impregnate my brother’s wives unseasonably,
then let them bear my ugliness, and that shall be the sorest penance for
them. Let the Kosala princess bear my smell, my grim and ugly face, my
filthy clothes and my black body, and she will conceive an excellent child.’
Vyasa then says to Satyavati, ‘Let her wear clean clothes, put on her
ornaments and wait for me in her bedchamber,’ and he vanishes before her
eyes.
Satyavati goes to her daughter-in-law Ambika, privately, and says to her,
‘O Kosala princess, listen to me for what I have to say is dharma. From my
ill fortune the race of Bharata has become extinct. Seeing me grieve and
faced with the end of his father’s line, Bhishma has suggested a solution,
which, however, depends on you.
Do this for dharma, my daughter, and resurrect the lost lineage of
Bharata. O child of the fair hips, bring forth a child as resplendent as the
king of the Devas. Let him inherit the kingdom and bear its heavy burden.’
Ambika demurs at first, when she hears what is being asked of her, but
Satyavati insists and finally, with great reluctance and anxiety, the chaste
Ambika is persuaded that what she is being asked to do is no violation of
dharma. To celebrate, Satyavati feeds Brahmanas, Rishisand numerous
other Sadasyas who arrive for the occasion; she feeds them a banquet.”
CANTO 106
hen, Ambika’s next period is over. Satyavati bathes her and takes
her to the bedchamber. Making her sit upon the luxurious bed,
Satyavati says to her daughter-in-law, ‘Kosala princess, your
husband has an elder brother, my firstborn son. He will come to you tonight
and enter your womb as seed. Do not sleep, but wait for him.’
Satyavati leaves and the beautiful princess lies back on the bed. In her
mind, she prays to Bhishma and the other elders of the Kuru House. Then
Dwaipayana enters that room in which a taper burns. Ambika sees him,
dark as a moonless night, with coppery matted jata hanging down to his
shoulders, his beard thick and unkempt, his eyes like fire, and with a shiver
and a moan of terror Ambika shuts her eyes tightly.
But having given his word to his mother, Dwaipayana takes her, while
she lies beneath him trembling and never once opens her eyes. When he has
finished he emerges from that chamber and immediately Satyavati accosts
him.
Excitedly she demands, ‘Will the princess have a great son?’
Vyasa replies, ‘He will be as strong as ten thousand elephants. He will be
a Rajarishi, of great learning, intellect and energy. He will beget a hundred
sons. But because of his mother’s sin against me, that she never opened her
eyes when I was with her, he will be born blind.’
Dismayed, Satyavati says, ‘Muni, how can a blind man become a worthy
king of the Kurus? How will he protect his clan and uphold the ancient
glory of his father’s race? You must give the Kurus another prince, who can
be king.’
Vyasa says, ‘So be it,’ and vanishes. In due time, Ambika gives birth to a
blind son, a mighty boy.
Now Satyavati goes to Ambalika, her younger daughter-in-law, and once
more tells her what she wants from her – to conceive a child by Vyasa.
Securing her consent, Satyavati summons Vyasa again.
Dwaipayana comes again and goes in to Ambalika, who sees him and
turns white as a sheet from fright and remains thus. O Bharata, Vyasa keeps
his word to his mother and sows his seed in Ambalika, too.
But as he is leaving, he says to her, ‘Because you turned pale to see my
face, your son shall be born pale, an albino with no pigment in his skin.
Beautiful princess, your son shall be called Pandu, the pale one.’
With that, he leaves the chamber, that best of Rishis. His mother is
waiting for him in the corridor to ask about this child he has fathered.
Dwaipayana tells her that he would be white and named Pandu.
Satyavati begs him to father one more son, on Ambika again.
‘So be it,’ Vyasa Muni gives her his word.
Nine months pass and Ambalika gives birth to a son who is indeed
without colour in his skin, a pale child, an albino. Yet he is radiantly
handsome and bears every auspicious mark upon his body. Later, he, Pandu,
would become the father of those five matchless bowmen, the Pandavas.
Again, when Ambika has just finished her period and is in her fertile
time, Sayavati goes to her and says that she must receive Vyasa once more.
Ambika, as lovely as a Deva’s daughter, remembers how grim and fierce
Vyasa had been; she remembers the strong smell of his body.
She does not go to Vyasa herself, but sends a maid of hers instead. This
woman is as beautiful herself as an Apsara and she waits for the Rishi,
wearing her mistress’ ornaments.
When Vyasa comes in, the maid rises and greets him reverently. She
welcomes him and waits on him respectfully and when he calls her to him
she does not demur but goes gladly. O King, that stern Rishi is well pleased
with her.
When he rises to leave, he says, ‘Beautiful, humble one, you will no
longer be a slave. Your son will be the most intelligent of men, fortunate,
wise, and of unswerving dharma. I, Vyasa, bless you.’
Rajan, that son of Krishna Dwaipayana begotten on a maidservant is
Vidura. He is the brother of Dhritarashtra, the eldest, and the illustrious
Pandu.
Vidura is free from the bonds of desire and passion; he is a master of the
laws of kingship and governance; why, he is Dharma Deva, God of Truth,
born on Earth through the curse of the Rishi Mandavya. Emerging from his
encounter with Ambika’s maid, Vyasa meets Satyavati again and tells her
how her daughter-in-law has deceived her, and that he has begotten a son in
the Sudra woman whom the princess sent to him.
Then Vyasa vanishes before her eyes, just as he had come. Thus, in
Vichitravirya’s field, his elder brother Dwaipayana sows his seed, and from
him are born sons as splendid as children of Heaven, to continue the race of
Kuru.”
CANTO 107
anamejaya asked, “What did Dharma Deva do that he was cursed? Who
is the Rishi who cursed him to be born a Sudra?”
Vaisampayana said, “There was a Brahmana called Mandavya. He
knew dharma and devoted himself to truth and tapasya. The Maharishi sat
under a tree just outside his asrama, his arms raised skyward and keeping a
vow of silence.
For years he sat thus, when one day a band of thieves, laden with booty,
arrived in his hermitage. Bharatarishabha, some of the king’s soldiers were
hot on the heels of those thieves and in panic they ran into Mandavya’s
asrama and hid there.
Almost immediately, the pursuers arrived and saw the Rishi under his
tree.
They asked him, ‘O Muni, which way did the thieves go? Show us
before they escape.’
Rajan, the Rishi made no response at all. The soldiers entered the asrama
and discovered the robbers with their plunder. Now the king’s men
suspected the Sage as well, and seized him and brought Mandavya before
the king. The king sentenced him to be executed with the thieves.
The king’s men impaled the renowned Muni with the bandits, and gave
the king the gold they had recovered. Though impaled on a stake, and given
neither food nor drink, the Rishi Mandavya did not die.
With his tapasya shakti, his ascetic power, he summoned other Rishis to
him. They came at night as birds, and saw him impaled but deep in dhyana.
The Sages were grief-stricken.
They spoke to Mandavya, telling him who they were. They asked,
‘Brahmana, tell us what sin you committed that you are suffering this
dreadful torture.’”
CANTO 108
aisampayana said, “That tiger among Munis answered those Rishis

rich in tapasya, ‘Who shall I blame for this? Only myself.’
Hearing him speak after being impaled for so long, the king’s
soldiers rushed to tell the king about the miracle. Now the king consulted
his ministers and realised his folly: that he had impaled a true Sage. He ran
to where the stake was planted and began to pacify the Rishi who hung on
it.
The king said, ‘O Mahamuni, I have done you great harm in my
ignorance. I beg you, forgive me. I beg you do not be angry.’
Mandavya was pacified. When the king saw anger ebb from the Sage’s
face, he had the stake taken down and attempted to remove it from the
Rishi’s body. But he could not, so he cut it off where it entered the Sage’s
person; and that greatest of Rishis continued his life with a portion of the
stake inside him. He walked, performed the most rigorous tapasya, and
attained countless lofty realms that others could not dream of.
For the portion of the stake that remained inside his body, he became
known through the three worlds as Ani Mandavya: Mandavya with the
stake within.
One day, that Brahmana who knew the highest dharma went to the home
of Dharma Deva, God of Justice. Seeing Dharma upon his lofty throne, the
Rishi asked reproachfully, ‘Tell me what sin I have committed that I am
punished like this. Tell me now, and behold my tapasya shakti!’
Dharma Deva replied, ‘Once you impaled a little insect on a blade of
grass; this is your payment for that sin. O Rishi, just as daana, charity,
however small, bears great fruit, multiplied many times over, so does paapa,
sin, bring pain in its wake, inexorably.’
Ani Mandavya asked, ‘Tell me when I committed this sin because I
cannot remember.’
Said Dharma, ‘When you were a child.’
The Rishi said, ‘The Shastras do not recognise any sin done by a child
until his twelfth year. The punishment you have inflicted on me is unjust,
out of all proportion.
Dharma Deva, Brahmahatya, killing a Brahmana, is a sin greater than
killing any other living being. You have committed Brahmahatya, O God of
Justice, and for that you shall be born as a Sudra in the world!
Also, from today I declare that no sin committed by a child below
fourteen years shall be any sin or punishable, but only by those above
fourteen.’
Cursed by that illumined Rishi, Dharma Deva is born as Vidura to a
Sudra mother. Vidura is learned indeed, with an uncanny knowledge of
dharma, of politics, and of artha too. He is absolutely without greed and
anger. Having deep foresight and an imperturbable mind, he is always
selflessly devoted to the welfare of the House of Kuru.”
CANTO 109
aisampayana said, “When those three children are born,

Kurujungala, Kurukshetra, knows untold prosperity. The Earth yields
unprecedented harvests, and the bountiful crops are all uncommonly
flavoursome. The clouds bring rains in season, and the trees bring forth
flowers and fruit. Draught cattle are contented and the wild birds and
beasts, too, are full of delight.
Flowers are fragrant and fruit sweet; merchants, artisans, traders and
artists of every kind teem in towns and cities, and thrive. The people are all
brave, learned, honest and happy. There are no robbers then, nor does
anyone sin. It seems as if a Satya Yuga, a golden age, permeates every
corner of the kingdom.
The people are devout, truthful, follow dharma, perform yagnas, are
generous and charitable, and full of love for one another; and they prosper.
They are free from pride, anger and greed; they are pure-hearted and find
delight in natural and innocent things.
Hastinapura, capital of the Kurus, is another Amaravati, as full of beauty
and joy as the sea is with water. Hundreds of great palaces and mansions
line its wide avenues and highways; its lofty gates and archways are dark as
clouds.
Elsewhere in the kingdom, the people swim and frolic in rivers, lakes
and tanks; they roam and sport in charmed forests and airy woods. The
southern Kurus, in virtuous rivalry with their northern kinsmen, keep
company with Siddhas, Charanas and Rishis.
Throughout the blessed kingdom, no Kuru man is miserly and no woman
a widow. The wells and lakes are always full of sweet water; the forests are
rich with wonderful trees; the homes of Brahmanas are full of riches, and
life is a constant and joyful celebration.
O King, Bhishma rules the kingdom with dharma and he covers it with
hundreds of yupastambas, sacrificial posts. Indeed Bhishma’s rule brings
such contentment to the Kuru kingdom that people from other kingdoms
migrate to Kuru lands, swelling the population.
And the people all watch the three splendid young Kuru princes grow
and are full of hope for the future, as well. O Rajan, in the homes of the
Kuru nobility you could always hear the words give and come eat with us.
From their very births, Bhishma raises Dhritarashtra, Pandu and the
exceptionally intelligent Vidura like his own sons. With every prescribed
and successive ritual of their varna being performed timely for them, the
princes devote themselves to vratas and study.
They grow into truly exceptional youths, versed in the Vedas and skilled
at all sports. They become excellent bowmen, horsemen, mace-fighters,
swordsmen, elephant warriors, and deep scholars of dharma. They know
Itihasa, the Puranas and all the arts and sciences. They know the great truths
and wisdom enshrined in the Vedas and the Vedangas; their education is
profound and extensive.
Pandu is soon the best of all archers, while Dhritarashtra is the strongest
man; and no one is Vidura’s equal in his knowledge of and devotion to
dharma, to virtue and morality. Seeing the extinct line of Shantanu restored,
people the world over begin to say that, among mothers of Kshatriyas, the
princesses of Kasi are foremost; of kingdoms Kurujungala is the best; of
men of dharma Vidura is the finest; and of cities Hastinapura has no rival.
Dhritarashtra is blind and Vidura is the son of a Sudra woman, so Pandu
becomes king. One day Bhishma, first among those that know the
Rajaneeti, the code of kings, as well as the laws of dharma, calls Vidura,
wise in matters of the spirit himself.”
CANTO 110
hishma says, ‘Ours is an ancient and glorious royal line, shining

through the ages with the lustre of countless magnificent kings of
dharma. The enlightened Krishna Dwaipayana, Satyavati and I
myself have raised you three princes, so that the royal lineage of Kuru does
not become extinct.
You and I must see to it, my wise Vidura, that our dynasty grows again
and expands like the very sea. I have heard that there are three princesses
worthy of being married into our house. The first is the daughter of
Surasena of the Yadavas; the second is Subala’s daughter, the Gandhara
princess; and the third is the princess of Madra.
My son, all three are of the purest descent, beautiful and accomplished
as well; truly, they are fit to marry into our royal house. Most intelligent
child, I feel that we should make these princesses and no others our
daughters-in-law, to continue our race. But tell me what you think, Vidura.’
Vidura replies, ‘You are our father and our mother, as well. You are our
Guru. Do whatever you think is best for us.’
Soon after this, Bhishma hears from some Brahmanas that Subala’s
lovely daughter Gandhari has worshipped Lord Siva, and Hara has granted
her a boon that she would have a hundred sons. Bhishma, the Kuru
patriarch, immediately sends his messengers to the Gandhara king, asking
for his daughter’s hand for Dhritarashtra.
At first, King Subala is reluctant because Dhritarashtra is blind.
However, when he thinks of the prince’s ancestry, and the majesty and
dharma of the House of Kuru, he agrees to give his devout daughter to
become Dhritarashtra’s wife.
When the chaste and deeply religious Gandhari hears that her husband to
be is blind, she puts on a blindfold to share her husband’s disability, which
she would never remove until the very end of her life.
Subala’s son Shakuni brings his beautiful sister, in the flower of her
youth, to Hastinapura and formally gives her away to Dhritarashtra. Under
Bhishma’s watchful and loving eye, Gandhari is received with great honour,
and the wedding ceremony is conducted with great pomp and celebration.
The valiant Shakuni brings a fine dowry for his sister, and many costly
garments and ornaments, and Bhishma welcomes him with respect. When
the marriage has been solemnised, he returns to his own city.
O Scion of the Bharatas, the beautiful Gandhari pleases all the Kurus
with her demeanour, her affection and her reverent attention to her elders.
She is a perfectly devoted wife, so chaste that she never so much as speaks
another man’s name or refers to an elder by their name.”
CANTO 111
aisampayana continued, “There is a Yadava chieftain called Sura; he

is Vasudeva’s father. He has a daughter called Pritha who is the most
beautiful young woman on Earth. O Bharata, the honest Sura gives
this firstborn child of his to his childless cousin, his father’s sister’s son
Kuntibhoja, whom he loves and to whom he has promised his first child.
In the palace of her foster-father, where she is called Kunti because
Kuntibhoja so dotes on her, Pritha has charge of the household, especially
of looking after visiting Brahmanas and other guests.
Once, the dreaded Durvasa Muni, famed as much for his quick and
fierce temper as his spiritual greatness and profound knowledge of the
recondite aspects of dharma, comes to visit Kuntibhoja. Pritha looks after
him so well and worshipfully that the great Sage, who indeed has clear
foreknowledge of the curse that Pandu would one day incur in the forest,
teaches her a mantra by which she can summon any Deva she chooses to
give her children.
Durvasa says, ‘Any Deva you summon shall come and give you
children.’
After the Rishi leaves, curiosity gets the better of Kunti. One day, she
says the mantra thinking of Arka: Surya Deva, the Sun God. As soon as she
says the secret words, the refulgent deity, witness of the world, appears
before her.
That exquisite princess, no flaw in her features, is awe-stricken. The Sun
God Vivaswat comes near her and says, ‘Black eyes, here I am, now say
what you want from me.’
Trembling, Kunti says, ‘O bane of your enemies, a Rishi taught me this
mantra as a boon. Lord, I was curious and said it only to see if it actually
worked. I beg your forgiveness; my lord, whatever her offence a woman
must always be forgiven.’
Surya replies, ‘I know that Durvasa gave you this boon. But sweet, shy
girl, do not be afraid and come to me. Lovely woman, you cannot summon
a Deva in vain; my coming must bear fruit. You have called me and if it is
for nothing, you shall incur sin for sure.’
Vivaswat says many sweet things to her, but, O Bharata, she would not
go to him out of modesty and fear of her family.
Bharatarishabha, blazing Akra says again, ‘Princess you will not sin if
you come to me, for I desire you.’
Then he would not be resisted anymore, and the irradiant Tapana, who
illumines the Universe, has his way with Kuntibhoja’s delicate daughter.
From their union, immediately, is born a splendorous son, clad in natural
golden armour and earrings, who would become renowned throughout the
world as Karna.
Karna is to be the greatest of all warriors, blessed with fortune and as
handsome as a Deva child. As soon as he is born, the lustrous Tapana
restores her virginity to Pritha and vanishes back into Devaloka.
Now the Vrishni princess despairs that she has borne an illegitimate son
and begins to think feverishly about what she should do. Out of her fear of
her relatives and her father, and the censure of the world, she decides to
keep her folly secret. She floats her divine child of supernatural prowess
down the river in a wooden box.
A famous Suta, whose wife is Radha, sees the shining infant floating
upon the current and brings him home to his wife. The couple looks at his
golden kavacha and kundala in wonderment, and names him Vasusena: he
who is born with wealth.
Blessed with prodigious strength and genius, as he grows, he becomes
expert at wielding weapons of every kind. Owning terrific energy, he would
worship the Sun from dawn to high noon, until his back is hot from the rays
of Arka. During the hours of his worship, there is nothing on Earth that the
valiant and brilliant Vasusena would not grant as a boon to any Brahmana
who asks him for one.
One day, knowing that this magnificent warrior could kill his son
Arjuna, Phalguni, Indra comes to Vasusena during his time of worship.
Indra comes as a Brahmana and asks for Vasusena’s kavacha, the golden
armour with which he has been born: as alms. Vasusena folds his hands
reverently, cuts the armour from his body and gives it to Indra. The king of
the Devas is so moved by the generosity and the truth of Karna that he, in
turn, gives Vasusena an irresistible weapon, a shakti.
Indra says, ‘This shakti of mine will kill any Deva, Asura, Manava,
Gandharva, Naga or Rakshasa, anyone at all that you use it against. But it
will kill just one enemy and then return to me forever.’
Until that day, Surya’s son has been called only Vasusena, but when he
cuts the natural kavacha from his body and gives it to Indra, he becomes
Karna, he who cut the armour from himself.”
CANTO 112
aisampayana said, “Kuntibhoja’s daughter, Pritha of the large eyes, is

not only exquisite, she is a most accomplished and capable young
woman. She is virtuous, youthful, and possesses every desirable
feminine quality. Yet, strangely, no Kshatriya comes to ask for her hand.
Kuntibhoja arranges a swayamvara for his princess, and invites kings
and princes from across the length and breadth of Bharatavarsha to attend it.
As soon as she enters the arena where her hopeful suitors have gathered, her
eyes sees just one of them – Pandu, king of the Bharatas, tiger among kings.
She sees him regal as a lion, his chest wide, eyes like a bull’s, rippling
with tremendous strength, making all the other kings seem plain beside him,
for he is as magnificent as Indra. Kuntibhoja’s lovely daughter, no trace of
any flaw among her features, trembles to look at Pandu. It is as if the sight
of him pierces her through.
Going forward shyly, her head bent, her hands quivering with powerful
emotion, she drapes the garland of flowers in her hand around Pandu’s
neck. When the other kings see Kunti choose Pandu, they return to their
kingdoms as they had come, on elephants, horses, and in chariots. When the
others have gone, Kuntibhoja has the wedding ceremony performed. O
King, the Kuru prince blessed with great fortune and the daughter of
Kuntibhoja are as radiant a couple as Maghavat and Paulomi, Indra and his
queen Sachi.
Best of Kuru kings, when the wedding ceremonies are over, Kuntibhoja
gives his son-in-law great wealth and sends the couple back to Hastinapura.
The Kuru prince Pandu returns triumphantly to his capital, with his vast
army holding aloft and waving bright and colourful flags and banners, with
Brahmanas singing his praises, and Maharishis chanting benedictions.
Entering his palace, Pandu ensconces his queen therein.”
CANTO 113
aisampayana continued, “A while later, Bhishma wants Pandu to

marry a second wife. Taking an army, with elephants, horses,
chariots and footsoldiers, taking court elders, Brahmanas and great
Rishis with him, he goes to the capital of the king of Madra.
When the bull of the Balhikas, the Madra king, hears of Bhishma’s
arrival, he comes out of his city gates to receive him. Welcoming him
reverentially, he brings the great Kuru into his palace, where he offers him a
chaste white carpet to sit upon, padya, water to wash his feet, arghya; and
he pays him every customary and formal homage.
Later, when they sit together at their ease, the king asks Bhishma why he
has come. Bhishma, supporter of the honour of the Kurus, says to that king,
‘Parantapa, I have come seeking the hand of a princess. We have heard that
you have a sister called Madri, blessed with great beauty and every virtue,
as well. I want my brother Pandu to marry her.
O King, you are perfectly worthy of an alliance with us, as are we with
you. Consider this, and accept my proposal.’
The sovereign of Madra replies, ‘To my mind, there is no other royal
family on Earth with whom I can enter into an alliance. But in our family
we have a custom, which all my ancestors observed, for good or bad. I
cannot break the tradition, which is a well-known one and no doubt you are
familiar with it. Bhishma, it is not apposite that you just say to me, Give me
your sister.
You know the custom of which I speak, and that is our family tradition.
For us that is dharma, and we must preserve it. This is the only reason why,
Parantapa, I cannot accede unconditionally to your request.’
Bhishma says, ‘The custom to which you allude is certainly dharma.
Why, Brahma himself has said so. Your ancestors upheld the tradition, and
no fault can be found with it. It is established, O Salya, that the tradition
relating to family honour finds approval with the Sages and all the
virtuous.’
And Bhishma, of blazing tejas, gives Salya gold beyond count, coined
and uncoined, jewels of every hue in thousands, numberless elephants,
horses and chariots, rich cloths and incomparable ornaments, yes, great
pearls and resonant corals from the sea as well.
Salya receives these priceless gifts joyfully, and then gives his sister,
wearing rich silk and jewellery past compare, to that bull of the House of
Kuru. The sage Bhishma, son of the ocean-going Ganga, delightedly takes
Madri back to Hastinapura, the city named for the elephant.
There, on an auspicious day and time, chosen by the Brahmana
astrologers, King Pandu marries the princess Madri. When the wedding
ceremony is concluded, the Kuru king installs his second wife in regal
apartments.
Rajadhiraja, Pandu then enjoys his two lovely wives, why, unto the very
limits of his desire. When thirty days have passed, Pandu goes forth from
Hastinapura to conquer the world.
He prostrates himself before Bhishma and the other elders of the Kuru
clan, bids fond farewell to Dhritarashtra and to every other member of the
family. With their blessings and leave, he sets out on his grand campaign,
taking with him an immense force of elephants, horses and chariots. He
goes well pleased by the blessings chanted over him and the auspicious
rituals performed for his success by the priests and the people.
Taking an awesome army with him, Pandu goes forth against myriad
enemies. That tiger among men, who is to spread the fame of the Kurus
across the world, first subdues the bandit tribes of Asarna. He next turns his
army of countless elephants, horsemen, footsoldiers and charioteers, flying
standards of many brilliant colours, against Dhirga, haughty king of
Magadha, who has given offence to more kings than a few.
Pandu attacks his capital and slays him. The Kuru empties Dhirga’s
treasury, takes all his chariots and other vehicles, and his numberless beasts
of burden.
Pandu next marches to Mithila and subjugates the Videhas. Then,
Manavarishabha, he leads his army against Kasi, Sumbha, and Pundra, and
by his prowess spreads the fame and empire of the Kurus.
Indeed, Pandu Parantapa is like some great conflagration sweeping
across the Earth, its flames his arrows, its lustre the weapons of his legions,
and consuming every king and Kshatriya who dares stand against him.
Those whom he vanquishes, along with their armies, become vassals of the
Kurus.
Finally, every king is subdued and they all look upon Pandu as the Devas
do Indra in Heaven. With folded hands, they pay him homage and bring him
tribute of every rare kind: jewels and gold, pearls and corals from ocean
deeps, silver and superior kine, exceptional steeds, chariots and great war
elephants, donkeys, camels and buffaloes, goats and sheep, beautiful
blankets and hides, and furs.
The king of Hastinapura takes these offerings and returns to his capital,
to the delight of his people. Joyfully, the citizens and the noblemen all now
say, ‘The fame and achievements of the great Shantanu, tiger among kings,
and indeed of Rajarishi Bharata were about to be extinguished. But Pandu
has restored them; indeed, he has swelled the glory of the House of Kuru.
He has crushed those that steal land and wealth from us, and they now pay
him tribute.’
When Pandu returns from his expedition, Bhishma and all the people of
Hastinapura come out of the city to receive him. They have not gone far,
when they see the king’s servitors laden with the extravagant spoils of war
—a train of every kind of conveyance, bearing wealth of every sort,
elephants, horses, bullocks, camels and other beasts of burden—a train so
long that they cannot see its end.
Then Pandu sees Bhishma and comes to prostrate himself at the
patriarch’s feet; he greets every other elder and citizen according to their
status. Bhishma embraces Pandu, who is like a son to him, in great joy, for
has he not ground the enemies of the Kurus underfoot? Bhishma weeps for
joy.
Finally, borne upon a veritable tide of joy, Pandu enters Hastinapura
triumphantly, to a resounding flourish of trumpets, conches and kettle-
drums.”
CANTO 114
aisampayana said, “Then, at Dhritarashtra’s command, Pandu offers

the spoils of his conquests to Bhishma, to Satyavati, and to Ambika
and Ambalika. He gives some of the wealth to Vidura, as well as his
other kinsmen. All these are well pleased with him, and his great prowess.
Especially his mother Ambalika is beside herself for joy, and embraces her
peerless son, with delight equal to that of Sachi when she embraced
Jayanta. Using the wealth that Pandu won, Dhritarashtra6* performs five
Mahayagnas that are like a hundred great Aswamedhas; the offerings made
to the Brahmanas during these sacrifices are counted in hundreds and
thousands, be it gold, jewels or sacred cows.
Soon after, O Bharatarishabha, the triumphant Pandu goes into the forest
with his wives Kunti and Madri. He leaves the luxury of his palace, with its
soft beds, and devotes himself assiduously to the hunt. He begins living in a
charmed jungle of great sala trees, on the southern foothills of the
Himalaya, and ranges that forest in complete abandon.
The handsome Pandu roams those pristine jungles with his two wives
quite like Airavata with two she-elephants, grandly. The forest-dwellers see
the magnificent Bharata prince, with his sword, his bow and arrows, his
gleaming armour, with Kunti and Madri, and they feel certain that he is a
Deva come amongst them.
At Dhritarashtra’s command, his servants keep busy seeing that Pandu is
supplied with everything he needs for his pleasure in the wilderness.
Meanwhile, Bhishma hears that King Devaka has a young and exquisite
daughter by a Sudra wife. Bhishma fetches her from her father’s home and
marries her to the wise Vidura. Vidura begets many children upon her, all as
virtuous and accomplished as himself.”
——————
6 There seems to be some ambiguity about who was, in fact, the king,
Pandu or Dhritarashtra
CANTO 115
aisampayana said, “O Janamejaya, Dhritarashtra fathers a hundred

sons on Gandhari, and another son upon a Vaisya wife. Pandu has
five sons by Kunti and Madri, all of them Maharathas, their natural
fathers being Devas, invoked by Kunti to continue the Kuru lineage.”
Janamejaya said, “Dvijottama, how did Gandhari give birth to a hundred
sons? How many years did this take her? How long were they destined to
live? Tell us how Dhritarashtra begot his son upon a Vaisya woman. How
did Dhritarashtra treat his loving, always obedient, and chaste queen
Gandhari?
Tell us in detail how Pandu had five sons, the Maharathas, even after the
Maharishi, whom he kills, cursed him. Ah, I am still athirst to hear
everything about my sires.”
Vaisampayana said, “One day, Dwaipayana comes to Hastinapura, tired
and hungry. Gandhari lavishes her reverential hospitality upon him, and
well pleased, the Rishi grants her the boon she wants from him: that she
will bear a hundred sons, each one as strong and accomplished as
Dhritarashtra.
Soon after, Gandhari conceives and she carries the great burden in her
womb for two years, but does not deliver. She is in anguish and pain, when
she hears that Kunti has borne a son who is as radiant as the morning Sun.
Demented by the news, especially after her long discomfort, Gandhari
strikes herself in the belly, violently, without Dhritarashtra knowing. At
once, she is delivered of a single mass of flesh, hard as a ball of iron. She is
about to have it cast away, when Dwaipayana arrives there, having intuited
what has happened.
That Maharishi sees the solid ball of flesh and cries to Subala’s daughter,
‘What did you do?’
Gandhari does not lie, but says, ‘I heard that Kunti has borne a son as
splendid as Surya Deva, and struck my womb in grief. O Muni, you said
that I would have a hundred sons but all I have is this lump of flesh.’
Vyasa says, ‘Gandhari, my words shall never prove false; no falsehood
has ever left my lips, even in jest. Have a hundred pots full of ghee fetched
at once. Meanwhile, let the lump of flesh be sprinkled with cool water.’
When the lump of flesh is sprinkled with cool water, Vyasa divides it
into a hundred shreds and one, each about the size of a thumb. The Rishi
has each bit placed in a separate pot of ghee, in a secret chamber, tightly
sealed and carefully guarded. Vyasa says to Gandhari that the seals should
be broken only after a full two years.
With that, the enlightened Dwaipayana goes away to the Himalaya, to
perform tapasya.
When the time comes, first of all, Duryodhana is born from a piece of
flesh slightly larger than the others in the hundred pots of ghee. Thus,
Yudhishtira is the eldest in his generation. News of the haughty
Duryodhana’s birth comes to Bhishma and Vidura. It is on the same day
that, in the forest, Bhima Mahabaho of immeasurable strength is born.
As soon as Duryodhana is born, he begins to cry horribly: he brays like a
donkey. At these unnatural sounds, every donkey, vulture, jackal and crow
for yojanas around, answer his weird cries in evil cacophony. Violent winds
blow everywhere, crookedly, and dreadful fires spume up from the very
Earth all across the land.
Terrified, King Dhritarashtra summons Bhishma, Vidura and other
friends and ministers. He calls all the great Kurus and their countless
Brahmanas and says to them, ‘Pandu’s eldest son Yudhishtira is the heir to
our line, for he is born first. I have no argument with this, but will my son
Duryodhana, born next, succeed Yudhishtira as king? I want to know what
is dharma in this matter.’
No sooner has he spoken, O Bharata, than the wild cacophony of
hideous cries by jackals and other predators and scavengers, every fell
creature of night, resounds all around; ominously they howl.
Hearing and seeing the macabre omens, the Brahmanas and the wise
Vidura say, ‘Rajan, Narapumgava, the omens at his birth all cry aloud that
your eldest son shall be the nemesis of your race. If we are to prosper, no,
even survive, you must kill him now. You will still have ninety-nine sons
after his death.
But if you let him live, calamity will strike the House of Kuru, why, the
very Earth. O Bharata, if you wish for the welfare of your ancient race and
the world, abandon this child, do away with him.
O King, it has been said that an individual should be sacrificed for the
sake of a family; a family for the sake of a village; a village for the sake of
a country; and the very Earth for the sake of the Atman, the Soul.’
But from his love for his firstborn son, Dhritarashtra cannot bring
himself to do what Vidura and the Brahmanas ask of him. In a month’s
time, a hundred sons are born to Dhritarashtra from the hundred pots of
ghee; and the hundred and first is a daughter.
During the second year of Gandhari’s long pregnancy a Vaisya
maidservant of hers would attend on Dhritarashtra. Dhritarashtra sires a son
on her, a boy of great intelligence called Yuyutsu.
Thus the wise Dhritarashtra has a hundred sons, all heroic Maharathas,
and a daughter, all by Gandhari, and Yuyutsu, tejasvin, by a Vaisya
woman.”
CANTO 116
anamejaya said, ‘Sinless, you have told me in some detail about the
Rishi’s boon, which led to the birth of the hundred sons of Dhritarashtra.
But you have not said anything about how his daughter comes to be
born, saying only that beyond the hundred, he has Yuyutsu by a Vaisya
woman and a daughter. Maharishi Vyasa, of measureless energy, said to the
Gandhara king’s daughter that she would have a hundred sons; illumined
one, now you say that she also has another child, a daughter. If the lump of
flesh was divided only into a hundred parts, and if Gandhari did not
conceive again, how was Duhsala born? O Rishi, I am curious, tell me how
this happened.”
Vaisampayana said, ‘O Scion of the Pandavas, your question is well
asked and I will answer it. The illustrious Dwaipayana sprinkles cool water
over the hard lump of flesh and begins to divide it in a hundred pieces; as
he does this, the midwife takes each portion and places it in a pot of ghee.
Even as this is being done, Gandhari feels the desire for a daughter and
thinks, ‘I will surely have a hundred sons from the Rishi’s boon, but how
wonderful if I also had a daughter younger than the hundred. Why, then my
husband would attain to the realms that are conferred by the birth of a
daughter’s sons. Besides, a mother-in-law has a special love for her son-in-
law. Ah, if I have one daughter after my hundred sons, my joy will be
complete.’
She made a fervent wish, ‘If I have ever done tapasya, if I have given
charity, if I have performed homa through Brahmanas, if I have revered and
served my elders, then let me have a daughter as well!’
Meanwhile, Dwaipayana continues dividing the lump of flesh. Finally,
finishing, he says to Gandhari, ‘Here are your hundred sons; I, Vyasa, did
not lie to you. However, there is a hundred and first part, smaller than the
others, which shall bless you with a daughter and her sons. Yes, she will be
a charming and fortunate girl.’
The Sage has a hundred and first pot of ghee fetched and immerses the
last shred of flesh in his hands in it. From it, O Bharata, in time, Duhsala is
born. Now tell me what you want to hear next.”
CANTO 117
anamejaya said, “I beg you, recite the names of Dhritarashtra’s sons in

the order of their birth.”
Vaisampayana said, “Duryodhana, Yuyutsu, Dushasana, Duhsaha,
Duhssala, Jalasandha, Sama, Saha, Vinda, Anuvinda, Durdharsha, Subahu,
Dushpradharshana, Durmarshana, Durmukha, Dushkarna, Karna, Vivimsati,
Vikarna, Sala, Satwa, Sulochana, Chitra, Upachitra, Chitraksha,
Charuchitra, Sarasana, Durmada, Durvigaha, Vivitsu, Vilatanana,
Urnanabha, Sunabha, Nandaka, Upanandaka, Chitravana, Chitravarman,
Suvarman, Durvimochana, Ayobahu, Mahabahu, Chitranga, Chitrakundala,
Bhimavega, Bhimabala, Balaki, Balavardhana, Ugrayudha, Bhima,
Kanakaya, Dridhayudha, Dridhavarman, Dridhakshatra, Somakitri,
Anudara, Dridhasandha, Jarasandha, Satyasandha, Sada, Suvak,
Ugrasravas, Ugrasena, Senani, Dushparajaya, Aparajita, Kundasayin,
Visalaksha, Duradhara, Dridhahasta, Suhasta, Vatavega, Suvarchas,
Adityaketu, Vahvashin, Nagadatta, Agrayayin, Kavachin, Krathana, Kunda,
Kundadhara, Dhanurdhara, Ugra, Bhimaratha, Virabahu, Alolupa, Abhaya,
Raudrakarman, Dridharatha, Anadhrishya, Kundabhedin, Viravi,
Dhirghalochana, Pramatha, Pramathi, Dhirgharoma, Dirghabahu, Vyudhoru,
Kanakadhvaja, Kundasi and Virajas.
And then there is the daughter Duhsala. All hundred are heroes,
Atirathas, and great warriors. All of them know the Vedas, and are masters
of astras and every other kind of weapon.
Rajan, in due course, suitable wives are chosen for them, with the utmost
care. And when his daughter Duhsala comes of age, Dhritarashtra gives her
to be the wife of Jayadratha, the king of Sindhu.”
CANTO 118
anamejaya said, “O Chanter of Brahman, you have told us all about the
exceptional births of Dhritarashtra’s sons, through the boon of
Dwaipayana. You have also told us their names, in the order of their
births. Indeed, Brahmana, all this we have heard, but now tell me about the
sons of Pandu.
When you narrated the incarnations of the Devas, the Asuras and other
unearthly beings into the world, you said that the Pandavas were the most
illustrious, powerful as the Devas, and indeed amsas of the gods
themselves. I want to hear everything about these extraordinary princes,
from the beginning, the moments of their births. O Vaisampayana, tell us
about their glorious achievements.”
Vaisampayana said, “O King, one day Pandu ranges through the forests
on the southern slopes of Himavat, which teem with both deer and
predators, when he sees a great stag, seemingly the leader of his herd, in the
act of mounting his hind. As soon as he sees them the Kshatriya strikes
them with five arrows, plumed with golden feathers.
Rajan, of course it is no stag but the son of a Rishi of profound tapasya,
who assumed the form of a deer to enjoy his wife. Shot through by Pandu in
the very act of coition, he falls onto the ground crying out in a human voice;
bitterly he laments and sobs.
The deer says to Pandu, ‘Kshatriya, even men that are slaves to lust and
anger, and always sinning, do not commit such a savage crime. You, O
Bharata, are the scion of a great house of dharma. How have you allowed
passion and wrath to sway you, and make you lose your reason that you
have done this dreadful thing?’
Pandu replies, ‘Mriga, O Deer, Kshatriyas are ruled by the same impulse
when they slay deer that rules them when they kill their enemies. You must
not blame me for what I did; it is my innate nature. We kill animals of your
species openly or from hiding; and this is the way of kings, of yore.
Of old, when he performed a Mahayagna, the Rishi Agastya hunted
every deer in the forest and offered them to the Devas as part of his
sacrifice. It is he that sanctioned the slaying of your kind; then why do you
blame me now? For his most special sacrifices Agastya always uses the fat
of deer, to perform the homa.’
The deer says, ‘King, men do not loose their arrows at unprepared
enemies, but only after declaring themselves. Such killing is not censured.’
Pandu says, ‘But deer are killed openly or by stealth. Why do you blame
me for what I did?’
The deer says, ‘Shura, I do not blame you for killing a deer, nor even for
the pain you have caused me. But you killed me while I was mating; you
should have waited until I had finished. Which wise man of dharma will kill
a deer while it mates? Coition is an intense pleasure for every species, and
brings goodness to all.
Kshatriya, I was in the very act of satisfying my desire with my mate,
and you have killed me before I finished. O King of the Kurus, you are a
scion in the line of Pururavas, a house known for its dharma; what you have
done is unworthy of you and your race.
Bharata, what you have done is despicable, vile, cruel and sinful in the
extreme, and deserves to be punished with hell. You know the pleasures of
sexual intercourse; you know the dictates of dharma. Why, you are like a
Deva, and this does not become you.
Best of kings, it is your Kshatriya dharma to punish anyone who is cruel
and sinful, anyone who abandons dharma, artha and kama, as they are laid
down in the Shastras. Manavottama, what have you done by killing me,
who gave you no offence? Raja, I am a Muni living on roots and fruit,
though I have assumed this form of a deer. I lived peacefully in this forest,
giving no offence to any living creature, rather, in harmony with all.
Yet you have killed me and I will curse you for it. I curse you Kshatriya,
that for your savagery towards a mating couple, you will die as soon as you
indulge your own desire. I am the Muni Kindama of great tapasya. I was
mating as a deer because I felt bashful to have intercourse in human form in
this forest where other Rishis abound. I often roam deep in this forest in the
company of other deer.
You slew me without knowing that I am a Brahmana, so the sin of
Brahmahatya shall not cling to you. But, O witless man, because you have
killed me while I mated with my wife your fate shall be the same. When
desire next takes you to your wife and you join with her, as I have with
mine, you will leave your body and enter the world of spirits. And your
wife, with whom you are having intercourse, will follow you out of this
world, out of her love and adoration, to the realm of Yama.
You brought me anguish when I was in transport; grief will visit you
when you are in ecstasy.’
With this curse, the deer breathes its last, and Pandu stands stricken,
staring at the corpses.”
CANTO 119
aisampayana said, “Long and bitterly Pandu and his wives grieve
over the deer.
Pandu cries, ‘Ah, even if they are born into pure and noble
families evil men are quickly brought to grief by their own sins, for their
passions delude them into sinning violently. I have heard that, though he
was the son of the noble Shantanu, Vichitravirya died young because he had
become a slave to his lust.
In the soil of the lustful Vichitravirya the enlightened Muni Krishna
Dwaipayana, who has never told a lie, begot me. Though I am the natural
son of such a Mahatman, my heart is evil: look at me, ranging the forest,
daily killing innocent deer. Oh, the gods have forsaken me, and I mean to
seek my redemption, mukti.
The great obstacles on the path to salvation are the desire to father
children, as well as other mundane attachments and concerns. I mean to
swear a vow of brahmacharya and follow in my natural father’s immortal
footsteps. I will perform stern tapasya and bring my lust and every other
passion under control.
I will abandon my wives and the rest of my kin, shave my head, and
wander the Earth alone as a Bhikshu, begging fruit as alms from the trees I
find. I will cover my body with dust, forsake every object of attraction or
distaste, and shelter under trees or in deserted huts that I find. No joy or
sorrow will move me; I will look upon blame and praise equally. I will not
seek blessings or adoration.
I shall be at peace with everything, and accept no gifts. I will never
mock anyone, or frown at anyone, but always be cheerful and devote
myself to the welfare of all creatures. I will do no injury to any of the four
forms of life, mobile or unmoving, but treat them all as if they are my own
children.
Once a day I will visit five or ten families, at most, and beg for alms. If I
receive none I will not eat. I will never beg from the same person twice. I
will not go to more than ten homes, and shall remain as unmoved as a Rishi
whether I get food or not. I will look equally upon someone who hacks
away my arm with an axe and another who smears it with sandalwood
paste. I will not curse the first or bless the second.
I will not be pleased to remain alive or grieve if I am to die; I will look
equally upon life and death. Cleansing my heart of every sin, I will rise
above the sacred rituals that men perform, during auspicious times, in order
to attain happiness. I will relinquish all dharma and artha, as well as rituals
that gratify the senses.
I will become as free as the wind, going where I please with no sin or
attachment to bind me. Fearlessly shall I tread the path of Sannyasa, until
the day of my death arrives. Now that I cannot father children, I shall walk
in dharma, never leaving the golden path to walk the vile alleyways of the
world, all of which lead to sorrow.
Whether the world honours him or not, the man who begs from greed is
certainly like a dog. I cannot have children and I must never ask another to
give me sons.’
Wiping his tears, Pandu fetches a deep sigh and says to Kunti and Madri,
‘Let my mother, my uncle Vidura, King Dhritarashtra, all our friends, the
Devi Satyavati, Pitama Bhishma, our family priests, the Brahmanas who
keep stern vratas and drink Soma rasa, and all the elders in our city be told
that Pandu has taken Vanavasa and will lead the life of a Sannyasi.’
Kunti and Madri say, ‘O Bharatarishabha, there are other paths of
Sannyasa that you can follow, and perform the sternest tapasya, in which
we can join and serve you: paths that also lead to moksha and liberation
from rebirth. We, too, shall control our passions, forsake every luxury, and
be austere in all things. But, O king of great wisdom, if you abandon us, we
will take our own lives this very day.’
Pandu replies, ‘If what you say is dharma, then I will tread the immortal
way of my ancestors with both of you. I will renounce the comforts of
towns and cities, wear valkala, eat only fruit and roots, and wander in the
deepest jungles, performing tapasya.
Bathing morning and evening, I will perform homa. I will wear animal
hide, or rags, jata on my head, and emaciate my body by hardly eating. I
will ignore hunger and thirst and expose myself to extremes of heat and
cold; living in solitude, I will abandon myself to dhyana, a life of
meditation.
I will eat such fruit as I find, raw or ripe; I will make offerings to the
Pitrs and the Devas, of mantras, holy water and the fruit of the jungle. I will
not see any of the creatures of the wild, much less harm them; I will never
again see any of my friends or kinsmen, or any that live in towns or cities.
Until I leave this body, I will keep the most extreme observances of the
Vanaprastha Shastras, always seeking out the most difficult and harsh ones.’
Pandu now gives away the large jewel in his crown to Brahmanas, as
also his golden necklace, his bracelets, his heavy earrings, his opulent
robes, along with all the jewellery of his wives.
Calling his servants, he says, ‘Go back to Hastinapura and tell everyone
there that Pandu has renounced wealth, every desire, pleasure, even his
sexual life, and has become a Sannyasi in the forest.’
He speaks quietly, but when they hear him, his attendants set up a loud
lament, crying, ‘Ah, we are ruined!’
Hot tears streaming down their faces, they leave their prince and, taking
the gold and ornaments he has given them to be distributed as charity,
return to the city of elephants. When Dhritarashtra, best among men, hears
the news that those servitors bring, he weeps for his brother. He is plunged
in gloom, and, now, hardly takes any delight in the pleasures of his palace,
with its soft beds and seats, its exquisite cuisine.
Pandu goes to the mountains called Nagasata, with Kunti and Madri.
Eating fruit and roots, they cross the Chaitraratha, the Kalakuta, and finally
crossing the Himalaya, they arrive on fragrant Gandhamadana. Watched
over by Mahabhutas, Siddhas and Maharishis, Pandu lives at times in the
plains and at others on mountains.
He journeys to Lake Indradyumna, and then crossing the Hansakuta
Mountains, arrives at the range of a hundred peaks, Satasringa, where he
lives in tapasya.”
CANTO 120
aisampayana said, ‘Pandu devotes himself to his austerities. Quickly,

he becomes a favourite with all the great Siddhas and Charanas who
live on that mountain. O Bharata, he serves his spiritual masters,
with his mind perfectly controlled, with complete humility, and gains
enormous ascetic powers. Some of the Rishis would call him their brother,
others their friend, while others love him like a son.
Bharatarishabha, pursuing his tapasya with intense devotion and
singlemindedness, Pandu, though he is born a Kshatriya, soon becomes
even like a Brahmarishi.
On a day of the new moon, amavasya, some awesome Rishis gather to
set out to see Brahma, in his lofty realm. Pandu asks them, ‘Great ones,
where are you going?’
The Rishis reply, ‘There will be a great Satsangha today in the court of
Brahma, of Devas, Pitrs and Maharishis. We want to see the Svayambhuva,
the Self-Created Lord, and are going to the sacred conclave.’
Pandu jumps up in excitement; he wants to go as well. But as he is about
to follow them with his two wives, the Munis who are travelling north of
Satasringa say, ‘As we journeyed north, gradually climbing the King of
Mountains, we have seen many marvellous realms, which are inaccessible
to ordinary men.
We have seen the worlds of Devas, Gandharvas and Apsaras, with
hundreds of palaces, wondrous past describing, echoing softly with
heavenly music; we have seen the enchanted gardens of Kubera, spread
across plains and rising into mountain slopes, with mighty rivers flowing
through, and deep and secret caves.
Many of those heights are covered in perennial snow and ice, places
where no animals live or plants grow. Other realms are uninhabitable,
indeed inaccessible, for the torrential rains that pour down upon them. Why,
other beasts, even birds do not venture into these. Only the air dares go
freely through those glacial realms, as do Siddhas and Rishis with great
powers.
O Pandu, how will your wives, these tender princesses, climb those
pinnacles of the Lord of mountains? They are not used either to the
hardship or the inevitable pain; they will not survive. Therefore, O
Bharatarishabha, you must not come with us.’
Pandu replies, ‘Most fortunate ones, it is told that the sonless can never
enter Swarga. I have no son! I speak to you in great grief for I have not been
able to repay the debt I owe my manes. Ah, I feel certain that when this
body of mine dissolves into its constituent elements, my ancestors, my Pitrs
on high, shall fall into hell.
Men are born into this world with four debts: those due to the Pitrs, the
Devas, the Rishis, and to other men. In dharma these must be paid. The
wise all agree that no blissful realms await those that do not discharge these
debts.
The Devas are paid with yagnas; the Rishis are paid by gyana, dhyana
and tapasya; the Pitrs are paid by begetting children and by offering tarpana
and pinda; and one’s fellow men by leading a blameless life that gives no
injury.
I have done my dharma by the Devas, the Rishis and toward my fellow
men. But ah, my sires, my Pitrs will surely perish because I have not paid
my dues to them; I have not fathered any children. O Munis, I am still in
debt to my ancestors. The best men are born into this world to father
children, so their ancestors are liberated. Wise ones, I ask you now, should
children be begotten in my field, even as I was in my father’s, by the great
Dwaipayana?’
The Rishis say, ‘Virtuous Kshatriya, you shall indeed have sons, sinless
princes, blessed with fortune and brilliant like the Devas. We see this
clearly with our eyes of prophecy. So, Purushavyaghra, O tiger among men,
accomplish destiny’s purpose, for intelligent men act after clear and careful
thought and invariably find great punya. We see the shining fruit that shall
be your sons. Pandu, that is your direction.’
But Pandu remembers the curse of the stag and his enforced celibacy. He
thinks hard and deep about what the Sages said to him before they departed
towards the north. Then he calls the chaste Kunti and says to her privately,
‘In this time of our distress you must try to bear children. Rishis who
expound the Sanatana Dharma say that having a son fetches a man virtue
and fame in the three worlds.
No sacrifices, charity, penance, or the sternest vows can bestow punya
on a man who has no son. O my Kunti of the sweet smile, I fear that I will
never attain Heaven because I have no son. Ah, a vile and wretched sinner I
was, addicted to violence and savagery, so the deer cursed me that I can
never have children.
The Shastras speak of six kinds of sons that are both kin and heirs, and
six more that are not heirs but only kin. Pritha, the first of these is a son that
a man begets upon his wife; the second is a son fathered by another sage
and accomplished man upon one’s wife, out of kindness; the third is a son
begotten by another upon one’s wife for money; the fourth a son begotten
upon a wife after her husband’s death; the fifth a son born to an unwed
mother; the sixth a son born to an unfaithful wife; the seventh is a son given
as a gift; the eight is a son bought for money; the ninth is a son adopted; the
tenth is a son that comes with an already pregnant bride; the eleventh is a
brother’s son; and the twelfth a son begotten upon a woman of a lower
caste.
If a woman cannot conceive by her husband of her own varna, she must
try to conceive with a man of the next varna. If a man cannot father a child,
he may ask his younger brothers to father children for him. Manu himself
has said that when a man cannot beget a son, he can have another good man
father a son on his wife, because having a son is the highest punya.
Kunti, I cannot sire a child in you, and I command you to conceive a
child with a man who is either my equal or my superior. Let me tell you the
story of the daughter of Saradandayana, whose husband asks her to bear
him children by another man.
When her period ended and she came into her fertile time, that Kshatriya
woman bathed in the evening and went out at night to a crossroads. Soon
enough, a Brahmana of tapasya came along and Saradandayana’s daughter
asked him for children. He poured ghee as offering into a sacred fire, in the
ritual called Pumsavana, and then sired three mighty Maharathas in her,
Durjaya being the eldest.
My precious and fortunate Kunti, I want you to follow that Kshatriya
princess’ example. I want you to bear me a son by the seed of a Brahmana
of lofty Sannyasa.’”
CANTO 121
aisampayana said, “Kunti says to her husband, that bull among the
Kurus, ‘O my lord, do not say this to me! Lotus eyed Pandu, I am
your wife and I love you. Bharata Mahabaho, come and beget your
children in me yourself, sons of great tejas! When they are born, I will
follow you out of this world into Swarga. But not even in my imagination
or dreams can I let myself be embraced by another man.
Besides, which man in this world is your equal, let alone your superior?
My husband of dharma, let me tell you a story from the Purana, O Pandu of
the large eyes.
Long ago, in ancient times, there was a Puru king calls Vyushitaswa. He
was devout, truthful and a man of dharma. Once, while the mighty and pure
Vyushitaswa was performing a sacrifice, Indra, the Devas and the
Devarishis came to his yagna. Indra and the Devas were so drunk with the
Soma rasa that the king offered them, the Brahmanas so delighted with the
munificent gifts he gave them, that the Gods and the Sages began to
perform the rituals at that Rajarishi’s yagna.
Vyushitaswa shone as brightly as the Sun when he appears after the
winter of snow; he was twice as splendid as before, more splendid than any
other man. Soon, O best of kings, the magnificent Vyushitaswa, as strong as
ten elephants, performed the Aswamedha yagna, vanquishing every other
ruler of the East, the North, the West and the South, and received tribute
from them all.
Kurushreshta, all the Pauranikas sing a tale about that Manavottama, the
brilliant Vyushitaswa. When he had conquered all the Earth, from Sea to
Sea, that king protected his people, all the varnas, just like a father would
his own children. He performed great yagnas, at which he gave away untold
wealth to Brahmanas.
When he gathered precious jewels past counting, he arranged to perform
still greater sacrifices. He also performed the Agnishtoma,and other arcane
Vedic sacrifices, extracting copious quantities of Soma rasa.
Rajan, Vyushitaswa’s wife was the daughter of Kakshivat, Bhadra,
whose beauty was unrivalled on Earth, and the two of them loved each
other deeply. King Vyushitaswa seldom left his wife for any length of time,
but united with her always, as frequently as he might. However, this
excessive sexual indulgence caused a galloping consumption, which killed
the king in a matter of days. He died like the Sun setting, in glory.
The beautiful Queen Bhadra had no son and she was plunged in grief;
day and night she wept. With tears streaming down her face, Bhadra said,
“Women serve no purpose when their husbands are dead; she is a dead
woman that survives her lord, dragging on a wretched misery that is no life,
but a terrible death. Ah Bharatarishabha, my Lord Vyushitaswa, I have no
wish to live without you. I beg you be merciful and call me to you.
Every moment I live without you is a lifetime in hell. Oh, be kind,
beloved King, call me to you quickly. O tiger among kings, I will follow
you wherever you go, through rough and smooth. You have gone and will
never return; let me come to you as your shadow. O I will be your slave,
and do everything you want, whatever pleases you.
O my lotus eyed husband, without you, day by day, anguish will
overwhelm me; grief will consume my heart. Oh, I am a wretched sinner
and must have been the cause of separating some loving couple in another
life that I have to suffer being apart from you in this one. Rajan, Rajan, the
woman who lives for even a moment after her husband’s death lives only in
Naraka. My Lord, do you not see the torment I am in?
I shall lay myself down on a bed of kusa grass, and neither eat nor drink,
so that I might see you again soon. O tiger among men, show yourself to
me! O my sweet lord, let me hear your voice again, commanding your
wretched, grief-stricken wife!”’
Kunti continues, ‘Pandu, thus the lovely Bhadra wept when her husband
died. She clasped his corpse in her arms and sobbed. Suddenly, an asariri, a
disembodied voice spoke to her, “Rise O Bhadra and leave this chamber of
death. Woman of the sweet smiles, I grant you a boon: I will beget children
in you. Bathe after your period on the eighth or fourteenth night of the
waxing moon and wait for me in your bed, and I will come to you.”
Bhadra did as the voice asked, so that she might have sons. The chaste
Bhadra did as the voice said, and her husband’s corpse begot seven children
upon her, three Salvas and four Madras.
Bharatarishabha, you can do the same as Vyushitaswa, by using your
occult siddhis, your mystical powers.’”
CANTO 122
aisampayana said, “Pandu says to Kunti, ‘Vyushitaswa of yore did

indeed do what you say; why, he was like a Deva. But let me tell you
about a custom of old, of which the Rishis who know every nuance
of dharma approve.
Lovely Kunti of the sweet smile, in ancient times, women were not
confined to their houses, nor did they depend upon their husbands or other
male relatives; they were free, and indeed they took their pleasure where
they pleased and were not faithful to a single man. And this was not
considered sinful, but was perfectly lawful and sanctioned, of old.
As the birds and beasts of the wilds do today, with no jealousy or
possessiveness, the women of antiquity did, and the greatest Sages
approved heartily. Why, even today, the Northern Kuru women live in the
same manner and meet with no reproval. The very idea of a woman being
bound for life to a single husband is a very recent one, and I will tell you
how it came about, who is responsible for it and why.
There was a great Sage, Uddalaka, whose son was the Rishi Swetaketu,
who was also a Sannyasi of great punya. My lotus eyed Kunti, monogamy
for women was first established by Swetaketu and he did it from wrath.
Listen to the reason. One day, in the presence of Uddalaka, another
Brahmana seized Swetaketu’s mother’s hand, and said, ‘Come with me!’
and she went with him. Thinking his mother had been taken by force,
Swetaketu was furious.
Seeing his son’s anger, Uddalaka said gently, ‘Do not be angry, my child.
The women of every varna are entirely free, and their freedom is accepted
since time out of mind. In sexual matters, they behave even like cows, and
it is lawful and just.’
But Swetaketu would not listen to his father and pronounced that, from
that day, women shall be faithful to their husbands and be considered
sinners if they strayed. His law bound only human beings and not the other
creatures of the Earth. From that time, women who were not chaste would
be guilty of the sin of foeticide; and men who violated the chaste wife of
another man would be condemned for the same sin.
However, the woman who does not give her husband children, though he
commands her, is also guilty of the same crime, O my Kunti of the tapering
thighs.
My timid wife, it was Uddalaka’s son Swetaketu who imposed
monogamy on humans, in defiance of the freedom that women enjoyed
since the dawn of time. I have also heard, my wife of the softest thighs, that
when her husband Sadasa commanded her, his chaste wife Madayanti gave
him a son called Asmaka, by the Rishi Vasishta. She did this out of her love
for her husband.
Why, lotus eyes, you know very well how my brothers and I were
begotten by Krishna Dwaipayana to continue the Kuru line. Chaste
Princess, consider these precedents, which do not violate dharma, and do
what I ask.
Of old it has been said that a devoted wife always seeks her husband
during her fertile time, while at others she has her liberty. The Rishis say
that this is the ancient way of dharma. Also, whatever a husband asks his
wife to do, sin or not, the Veda says that she must obey him.
Most of all, beautiful Kunti, I who cannot father children, long to see
sons before me; you must not refuse to do what I ask. Look, sweet Kunti, I
fold my red-fingered hands into a lotus-cup, and place them on my head to
implore you. Beloved Kunti, I beg you, beget children for me by some lofty
Brahmana. For only then, because of you, I will find my way into the
Swarga meant for men that have sons!’
Having heard him out in silence, attentively, now Kunti says, ‘When I
was a young girl, it fell to me to look after the most honoured guests who
visited my father’s palace. Reverently I waited upon Rishis of vast tapasya.
Once, I served the great Brahmana Durvasa, whose mind is perfectly
controlled and who is a master of the deepest secrets of religion.
He was pleased with my devotion and Durvasa Muni taught me a mantra
with which I could summon any Deva I chose.
The Rishi said, ‘Any Deva that you summon with this mantra shall
perforce come to you and give you children.’
O Bharata, the Brahmana said this to me when I was a maiden in my
father’s house, and surely Durvasa Muni could never tell a lie. It seems that
the time has come when the Rishi’s boon might bear fruit. Rajarishi, if you
command it I can summon any Deva and bear his children for you. Tell me,
my lord, which god shall I call? I will do what you say.’
Pandu replies excitedly, ‘Exquisite Kunti, use the mantra even today!
Woman of great fortune, summon Dharma Deva, who is the most virtuous
of all the gods and can never stain us with any sin, the God of Truth. Also,
then, the world shall never point a finger at us that we strayed from dharma.
Besides, the son he gives us shall be a paragon of virtue, certainly the
best of the Kurus. Dharma Deva being his natural father, his heart will
never turn to the least sin. Sweet woman, keep dharma before your mind’s
eye, purify yourself with the proper vratas, and waste no time in
summoning the God of Justice with both your beauty and your mantra!’
Says Kunti, best among women, ‘So be it.’ She bows deeply to touch his
feet, walks around him in pradakshina, and resolves to do what her husband
asks.’”
CANTO 123
aisampayana said, “O Janamejaya, Gandhari has already been

pregnant for a full year with her torpid conception, when on
Satasringa, Kunti invokes the Deva Dharma, to have a son by that
God. She makes various offerings to the God, and begins to chant the
mantra that Durvasa had taught her.
Compelled by her incantation, Dharma Deva flies down to Kunti in a
vimana bright as the Sun. Smiling, he asks, ‘O Kunti, what would you have
from me?’
Smiling, bashful, overwhelmed, she replies, ‘Give me a son.’
The beautiful Kunti and the God of Truth have intercourse between
them, and in time Kunti gives birth to a shining son, who would be devout
and devoted to the welfare of every living creature. This radiant child, who
would acquire fame that would spread across the worlds, is born at the
eighth muhurta, Abhijit, at high noon of a most auspicious day, the fifth of
the bright fortnight, during Kartika, the seventh month, on that very
auspicious day of the seventh month when the asterism Jyeshta is conjoined
with the waxing Moon.
As soon as he is born an asariri pronounces from the sky, ‘This child
shall be the most virtuous of all men. He will have great strength, and
perfect truthfulness, and he will surely rule the Earth. Let this first son of
Pandu be called Yudhishtira, and his fame shall spread through the three
worlds!’
Then Pandu goes to Kunti again, and says, ‘The Rishis have said that a
Kshatriya must possess great physical strength or he is no Kshatriya. Beget
another son, of immense strength, who can be Yudhishtira’s support.’
Kunti invokes Vayu, the Wind God, strongest of the Devas. He comes to
her riding upon a deer, and says, ‘O Kunti, what is in your heart that you
have called me. What would you have of me?’
Smiling bashfully, she says, ‘O best of Devas, give me a son endowed
with great strength, great limbs, a great heart, and one that can humble the
pride of anyone at all.’
The God of winds sires a child of untold strength and great arms upon
her, who would be known as Bhima. As before, O Bharata, when Bhima is
born, a disembodied voice speaks in thunder from the sky, ‘This child shall
be the strongest of all men.’
O Janamejaya, I must tell you about something else very wonderful that
happens after Vrikodara Bhima’s, birth. One day, he falls out of his
mother’s lap onto the slope of the mountain, and the crag he falls upon far
below is smashed to pieces, while his child’s body has no scratch or bruise,
and he does not even cry. The reason he falls is that a tiger suddenly appears
before Kunti, sitting at the edge of a sheer drop, with Bhima asleep in her
lap. She jumps up in alarm and Bhima falls over the edge, onto a large rock
many hands below.
When Pandu sees how Bhima’s body, hard as adamant, crushes the rock
and suffers no harm, he marvels.
Also, it is on the same day that Bhima is born on Satasringa that far
away, in Hastinapura, Duryodhana is also born, Duryodhana, who too,
would one day rule the Earth.
After the birth of Vrikodara, a persistent ambition begins to haunt Pandu:
‘How shall I have a truly exceptional son, superior to every other man, and
who will achieve everlasting fame? Everything in this world depends on
both destiny and effort; but destiny by itself is fruitless without timely
effort.
‘Indra is the King of all the Devas; immeasurable is his strength, his
power, his energy and his glory. I must worship him and persuade him to
give me a son of matchless prowess. The son that he gives me must become
the greatest Kshatriya on Earth, with no rival, and one who can vanquish
every other man and every creature in this world. Yes, I will perform a stern
tapasya, and be perfectly austere in thought, speech and deed.’
Pandu seeks the advice and guidance of the Maharishis of that forest,
and then tells Kunti that she must observe a vrata of austerity for a full year.
Then Pandu, O Bharata, begins to stand upon one leg, from dawn to dusk,
his mind withdrawn in dhyana and worshipping the Lord Indra. Other
rituals also he performs to please the Deva King.
In some months, Indra becomes gratified with Pandu’s adorations and
appears before him.
Indra says, ‘O King, I will give you a son who will be the best of all
men. Invincible in battle, he will be celebrated across the Earth. He will
uphold dharma, be a guardian of Brahmanas, cows and all good men. He
will be a Parantapa, the scourge of the evil, the joy of his friends and kin.
He will become an inexorable slayer of his enemies.’
Overjoyed at what Indra says, Pandu goes to Kunti and cries, ‘Your vrata
has borne fruit! The King of the Devas is pleased and has agreed to give us
the son we want. Our child will be wise past compare, his achievements
superhuman and his fame unequalled.
‘He will be a Mahatman, the bane of his enemies and of the forces of
evil. His splendour will be as the Sun’s, and he will be as handsome as a
God. O Kunti of the swaying, fair hips, Kunti of the sweetest smile, the
Lord of the Devas has become pleased with you! Call him to you with your
mantra, and bear a son who will be the very embodiment of every Kshatriya
virtue.’
Kunti invokes Sakra, Indra the Deva king, who comes to her and sires in
her the one who would be known throughout the world as Arjuna. As soon
as Arjuna is born, an asariri like the rumbling of thunderheads fills the sky
with its echoing tones.
The disembodied voice says to Kunti, and every creature in that forest
hears it clear, ‘O Kunti, this son of yours will be as strong as Kartavirya and
as powerful as Siva. Invincible like Indra himself, he will spread your fame
across the Earth. Even as Vishnu, her youngest son, causes the joy of his
mother Aditi to swell, so will this boy swell yours.
He will subdue the Madras, the Kurus, the Somakas, the Chedis, Kasi
and Karusha, and he will preserve the glory and prosperity of the House of
Kuru. Agni will feast upon the fat of the fell creatures of the Khandava
vana, by the might of your son’s arms, when your prince burns that forest.
This mighty Kshatriya will vanquish all the kings of the Earth,
effeminate before him, enabling himself and his brothers to perform three
Mahayagnas. O Kunti, his prowess shall be no less than that of Jamadagni’s
son Parasurama or Vishnu. By his extraordinary archery, he will find
unparalleled fame.
Why, he will delight the Lord Siva by having a battle with him, and the
Lord Sankara Mahadeva will give him his own Pasupatastra, the greatest of
all weapons. This mighty son of yours will also kill the Nivatakavacha
Daityas, the enemies of the Devas. He will acquire every kind of Devastra
and this Purusharishabha, this bull among men, will restore the very
fortunes of his clan!’
Kunti lies in the room where she has given birth to Arjuna, and listens to
these awesome prophecies. Hearing the divine asariri speak in thunder from
the sky, the Rishis who live on the mountain of a hundred peaks, and all the
Devas and Indra in their vimanas in the firmament are overjoyed.
Celestial drumrolls fill the sky, as do divine cries of joy; all of Satasringa
is covered by a deluge of unearthly flowers flung down by unseen hands.
Many divine beings arrive on the mountain of a thousand peaks to adore the
son of Pritha – the sons of Kadru, the sons of Vinata, the Prajapatis,the
Lokapalas, the Saptarishis,Bharadwaja, Kashyapa, Gautama, Viswamitra,
Jamadagni, Vasistha, and the irradiant Atri who lit up the world when once
the Sun was lost.
Marichi, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Daksha Prajapati, the
Gandharvasand Apsarascome there as well. The many tribes of
Apsaras,wearing unworldly ornaments and garlands, raiment past
describing, arrive in the forest asrama and dance for joy, while they sing the
praises of little Arjuna.
All around, Rishis chant mantras of blessing, while Tumburu and his
Gandharvas sing in their superlative voices. Among the celestial minstrels
are Bhimasena, Ugrasena, Urnayus, Anagha, Gopati, Dhritarashtra,
Suryavarchas, Yugapa, Trinapa, Karshni, Nandi, Chitraratha, Salisirah,
Parjannya, Kali, Narada, Brihatta, Brihaka, Karala Mahatman,
Brahmacharin, Bahuguna, Suvarna the famed, Viswavasu, Bhumanyu,
Suchandra, Saru and the renowned people of Haha and Huhu – all come
and sing in abandon, in divine voices.
Among the Apsaras that dance to the music of the Gandharvas, O Rajan,
are Anchana, Anavadya, Gunamukhya, Gunavara, Adrika, Soma,
Misrakesi, Alambusha, Marichi, Suchika, Vidyutparna, Tilottama, Ambika,
Lakshmana, Kshema Devi, Rambha, Manorama, Asita, Subahu, Supriya,
Subapuh, Pundarika, Sugandha, Surasa, Pramathini, Kamya and Saradwati.
Menaka, Sahajanya, Karnika, Punjikasthala, Ritusthala, Ghritachi,
Viswachi, Purvachiti, Umlocha, Pramlocha and Urvasi, all with large and
lustrous eyes, the nymphs of heaven, also come there and sing in their
voices past all compare: choros nympharum.
Dhatri, Aryaman, Mitra, Varuna, Bhaga, Indra, Vivaswat, Pushan,
Tvastri, Parjanya and Vishnu: the twelve Adityas come to that hermitage to
bless Pandu’s son. And, O King, Mrigavyadha, Sarpa, Niriti, Ajaikapada,
Ahivradhna, Pinakin, Dahana, Iswara, Kapalin, Sthanu, Bhaga: these eleven
Rudras also come to see and bless the glorious child.
The Aswin twins, the eight Vasus, the mighty Maruts, the Viswedevas,
and the Sadhyas come to Satasringa, too; as do Karkotaka, Vasuki,
Kachchhapa, Kunda and the great Takshaka – mighty and fierce Nagas of
immense tapasya. Tarkshya, Arishtanemi, Garuda, Asitadvaja, many other
Nagas arrive upon the blessed mountain, as do Aruna and Aruni of Vinata’s
race.
Only the Maharishis of lofty spiritual evolution see all these divine
beings who either walk upon the mountain or look down from their vimanas
in the sky. Those great Munis see the Gods and the rest of the unworldly
ones and are amazed, and their love for the sons of Pandu grows in tide.
Some time passes, then Pandu wants to have more children. He asks
Kunti to conceive again, but she says, ‘The Sages have not given their
sanction to have a fourth child, not even in a crisis. The woman who sleeps
with four men is a swairini, while she that has five is a whore.
My most learned lord, you know very well what the Shastras say about
this, then why do you allow your greed for children to make you forget
dharma?’”
CANTO 124
aisampayana said, ‘After the birth of Kunti’s sons and the hundred
sons of Dhritarashtra, Madri comes privately to Pandu one day.
She says, ‘Shatrughana, scorcher of your enemies, I never
complain though you pay me scant attention. I do not mind that though I am
higher born than Kunti her position is higher than mine. I do not grieve, O
Kurusthama, that Gandhari has a hundred sons. However, I am terribly sad
that while Kunti and I are both your wives, she has three sons and I have
none for you.
If Kuntibhoja’s daughter can help me also become a mother I would be
beholden to her forever, and she would also be giving you more sons, as
you want. She is my rival for your love, and I cannot ask her this myself.
But if you want to be kind to me, O Purushavyaghra, tell her to grant me
this boon.’
Pandu says eagerly, ‘Madri, I have often thought of exactly what you are
saying. But I never mentioned it lest I offend you. Now that you say you
want the very same thing, I will certainly speak to Kunti and she will not
refuse me.’
Pandu speaks alone to Kunti, ‘O Kunti, give me more sons to increase
my clan and to benefit the world. Sweet wife, let us make sure that my Pitrs
and I, and your manes, too, always have pinda offered them. Be kind to me,
Kunti, and in that be most kindly towards the very Earth. Let your heart be
moved to find immortal fame, and do what you might find difficult to do.
Though he is King of the Devas, Indra still performs yagnas: only to
enhance his fame. O lovely Kunti, Brahmanas who know the Veda and have
acquired lofty punya still approach their Gurus reverently: only for their
fame. All the Rajarishis and Brahmarishis achieved their most strenuous
accomplishments only out of a desire to have fame.
I ask you, chaste Kunti, to help make Madri a mother, too, and save her
like a raft from the sea of grief in which she is drowning, and so acquire
undying fame for yourself!’
Kunti agrees readily, and calls Madri and says to her, ‘Think of any
Deva you like and you shall have a child by him.’
Madri considers a few moments then thinks of the Aswini twins in her
heart, as Kunti softly chants Durvasa’s irresistible mantra. As soon as Madri
is alone the splendid Aswini Kumaras come to her and beget two
incomparably handsome sons on her, also twins, who come to be called
Nakula and Sahadeva.
As soon as they are born, a disembodied voice speaks, ‘These children
will surpass the Aswins themselves in tejas and beauty.’ And truly, the
infants are so lustrous that they light up the mountain.
Rajan, when these five children are born, the Rishis of Satasringa come
to bless them, and lovingly perform their birth rites and name them. Kunti’s
eldest son is named Yudhishtira, her second Bhimasena, her third Arjuna;
Madri’s older child is called Nakula and the second Sahadeva.
Those magnificent sons, born a year apart, look even like five years
embodied. Pandu would look at his sons of divine handsomeness and
boundless energy, of incalculable strength, of great generosity, and be
overwhelmed with joy. Of course, those five become the favourites of all
the Rishis of the mountain of a hundred peaks, and of their wives, all of
whom dote on them.
Some time passes, when Pandu asks Kunti to enable Madri to have
another child. But Kunti says, ‘I chanted the mantra for her once and she
deceived me by having two sons. If I say it for her again, I cannot tell who
she will invoke but she will have more sons than me. She is always envious
and this is the way of women like her.
As for me, I am naïve that I did not think to invoke the Aswins myself so
that I could have had two sons. My lord, I beg you do not ask me to use the
mantra for Madri again.’
Thus, Rajan, Pandu has five sons begotten by Devas: princes of
immense strength, who achieve great fame and increase the glory of the
House of Kuru. Each of them bears every auspicious mark upon their
bodies; each is as handsome as Soma. As they grow, they are majestic as
the lion – in gait, in the broadness of their chests, in the largeness of their
hearts and their eyes, their powerful necks and vast strength; each becomes
a master archer, and they are, all five, truly like Devas themselves.
Watching them grow, seeing their virtues grow with them, the great
Munis who live on that snowcapped and holy mountain are wonder-
stricken. Swiftly they grow, the five sons of Pandu on Satasringa and the
hundred sons of Dhritarashtra in Hastinapura, as swiftly as a bank of lotuses
in a lake.”
CANTO 125
aisampayana said, “Watching his sons grow in the great vana upon
the charmed mountain, Pandu feels the final strength in his body
assert itself again.
One day in spring, which maddens every creature with desire, Pandu is
out walking with Madri in the forest, where every tree is decked in fresh
new blooms. He sees Palasas, Tilakas, Mango trees, Champakas,
Parihadrakas, Karnikaras, Asokas, Kesaras, Atimuktas and Kuruvakas, all
with swarms of inebriated bees humming over their blossoms. Parijatas are
in full heady bloom, and the Koyals sing their hearts out, ah so sweetly,
against their sruti of the humming of the black bees.
Pandu sees other trees, branches bent with the weight of their abundant
flowers and fruit. He sees crystalline pools brimming with delicately
fragrant lotuses. Pandu looks at all this, he feels spring in his blood; he feels
his blood quicken with soft desire. As Pandu ranges through that enchanted
realm, like a god, the still youthful Madri beside him wears a single
diaphanous garment. Pandu looks at her and suddenly the long suppressed
desire of all the years of enforced celibacy flares up and overwhelms Pandu.
She sees the look in his eye and cries out, but he seizes her roughly, her
of the eyes like lotus petals. She does everything she can to resist him, for
she has not forgotten the curse of the deer. O Kurusthama, compelled by
fate, overpowered by lust, Pandu forces himself on Madri, just as if he
wants to end his life. Her strength is as nothing before his, and he thrusts
himself into her, and immediately becomes senseless. Pandu of dharma dies
even as he is joined with Madri.
Madri clasps her dead husband’s body and sets up a loud wailing. Kunti,
her sons and Madri’s twins hear her cries and come running to the place.
When Madri sees them some way off, she cries to Kunti, ‘Leave the
children and come alone!’
Telling the princes to stay where they are, Kunti runs to Madri and sees
what has happened. She sees Madri and Pandu as they are, and her husband
dead. Dementedly, she cries, ‘Madri, what have you done? I watched over
him all these years, my own passion controlled, so that he would be
protected. How did he forget the Rishi’s curse, O how did you? How did
you let him near you thus aroused? He always grieved over the curse, then
how did he forget it? How did you allow him, how could you tempt him in
solitude?
Ah daughter of Bahlika, finally you have prevailed over me and proved
yourself the more fortunate one, for you saw desire on his face and joy as
he united with you!’
Madri sobs, ‘O my sister, I tried to stop him, but he could not control
himself. It was as if he was determined to fulfil the Rishi’s curse.’
Kunti is quiet, then says, ‘I am the older of his wives; the first karma
must belong to me. Madri, you must not try to stop me from doing what
must be done. I must follow our husband to the land of the dead.
Get up Madri, and let me have his corpse; and from now, you raise these
children.’
Madri replies, ‘I still hold him within my body. My desire is unslaked, so
I must be the one to follow him. You are my elder sister; I beg you, let me
have this one boon from you. This Bharatottama was joined with me in
intercourse when his spirit left his body. He died without having his desire
satisfied; must I not follow him, as we are, to Yama’s realm so that he can
satiate himself on me?
Besides, O my adored sister, if I am the one to live and you die I shall
not be able to treat your sons and mine equally, and you know that is true. I
will sin and in all likelihood divide the princes among themselves. But you,
Kunti, will raise my sons as your own, making no difference between them.
Our lord Pandu sought me out and he remains within me. He has gone to
the realm of the spirits; it is right in every way that my body is not
separated at this time from his but that I am burnt with him. Kunti, my
sweet sister, you were always his first wife in this world; let me be the one
to go with him out of it. Do not deny me this, I beg you!
I know that you will be the best of mothers to all the children; I have no
other wish or request to make of you.’
So, indeed, the daughter of the king of the Madras is burnt upon the
funeral pyre of her husband Pandu, that Purusharishabha, that bull among
men, while he still lay in her arms.”
CANTO 126
aisampayana said, “Now the godlike Rishis see Pandu dead, consult
together, and declare, ‘Pandu relinquished power and throne to come
among us to live in tapasya upon this mountain. He has left us and
gone to Swarga, leaving his wife and sons as a sacred trust in our hands. It
is our dharma now to take them to Hastinapura.’
The Maharishis decide to take Kunti and the sons of Pandu to the
kingdom of elephants and deliver them into the custody of Bhishma and
Dhritarashtra. They set out immediately, taking the woman and the children
with them, as well as the unburnt remains of Pandu and Madri, which they
wrap tightly and carefully so no portion of them is visible.
She has always lived a life of comfort, yet now Kunti sees the long and
arduous journey as a short and almost happy one.
Arriving in Kurujangala, Kunti comes to the main gate of the great city
and presents herself there. The Rishis command the dwarapalakas to inform
the king within the city of their arrival. The excited guardsmen run into the
court with their amazing message. When the citizens of Hastinapura hear
about the arrival at their gates of thousands of Munis and Charanas they are
wonderstruck, and soon after dawn begin to throng to those portals in
crowds, with their wives and children.
In chariots and other regal vahanas, in thousands, come the Kshatriyas
with their wives; the Brahmanas arrive with their women; as do the Vaisyas
and Sudras with theirs. It is a calm crowd, for the people of Hastinapura are
all given to dharma; they are a pious people.
Bhishma, son of Shantanu, comes to the city gates, as do Somadatta,
Bahlika, Rajarishi Dhritarashtra whose vision is his wisdom, Vidura the
sage, the venerable Satyavati, the princesses of Kosala, Ambika and
Ambalika, Gandhari, and other noble women of the royal household.
The hundred sons of Dhritarashtra, decked in lavish ornaments, also
emerge from the gates of the ancient city.
The Kauravas and their Kulaguru, the family priest, worship the Rishis
from Satasringi by bowing low to them, and then they sit before the Sages.
The citizens also bow to the hermits, touch the ground with their hands in
reverence, and then they also sit down.
When the great gathering is perfectly still and silent, Bhishma worships
the Rishis, offering them padya, water to wash their feet, and arghya.He
then speaks to them about the kingdom and the kingship.
Then the eldest Rishi, jata piled on his head and animal hide covering his
loins, stands up and speaks for all the Sages. ‘You all know that Pandu,
sovereign of the Kurus, renounced the pleasures of this world and became a
Sannyasi on Satasringa of a hundred peaks. He became a brahmachari, yet
for some inscrutable reason of the Gods, Pandu’s eldest son Yudhishtira was
born upon the mountain and he was begotten by Dharma Deva.
Pandu’s second son, this Bhima, strongest among all men, is the son of
Vayu, the Wind God. This third prince, begotten upon Kunti by Indra, is
Arjuna who will one day be the greatest of all bowmen on Earth.
Now look at these young vyaghras, tigerish twins, whose mother is
Madri and their fathers the Aswins of heaven. They, too, are great archers.
Living in dharma as a Vanaprastha in the forest, Pandu did thus revive the
illustrious lineage of his grandsire, a line threatened with extinction.
You will no doubt be delighted to learn of the birth, the growth and the
Vedic education of these sons of Pandu. After cleaving unwaveringly to
dharma, seventeen days ago, Pandu left this world, leaving these children
behind.
His wife Madri burnt herself with him on his funeral pyre; she too has
gone with her lord to the realm of chaste wives. You must now perform
whatever rites need to be done for the two of them. Here are their remains.
Here also are their children, these Parantapas, and their mother Kunti.
Welcome them now with honour.
When the first funeral rites have been completed let the first annual
sraddha, the sapindakarana, be performed for Pandu of dharma, who always
defended and spread the honour and glory of the Kurus; let him thus find
his formal place among the Pitrs of your royal clan.’
When the eldest Rishi has spoken, all those Rishis and Guhyakas vanish
before the very eyes of the people of Hastinapura. Astonished to see the
Munis and Siddhas dissolve even like wisps of cloud, which come and go in
the sky, the people slowly return to their homes.”
CANTO 127
aisampayana continued, “Now Dhritarashtra says, ‘Vidura, arrange

for great royal funerals for my brother, the Rajasimha Pandu, and his
wife Madri. Spare no expense, for these rituals are for the souls of
our beloved departed. Let everyone that asks be given as much as they ask
for – cattle, clothes, jewels, gold and every kind of wealth.
Let Kunti arrange for the last rites for Madri, in whatever fashion pleases
her. Let Madri’s remains be so closely wrapped that not Surya Deva or
Vayu sees them. Do not mourn for Pandu; he was a great Kshatriya and has
left behind five sons as magnificent as Devas.’
O Bharata, Vidura says, ‘Tathaastu, so be it,’ and consulting with
Bhishma finds a sacred and auspicious place to perform the funeral rites for
Pandu. Without delay the family priests go there, carrying the sacred agni
from the palace, fragrant with the ghee they fed it.
Now friends, kinsmen and followers bathe Pandu’s body, wrap it in
cerement, sprinkle it with fine perfumes and strew flowers over it.7* They
set Pandu upon a hearse, which also they adorn with garlands and rich
hangings. Madri’s body is placed beside Pandu’s and the colourful bier is
lifted onto sturdy shoulders.
The white parasol of state is unfurled over that hearse, yak-tail whisks
waved over it, and hundreds of musicians play as the funeral procession
makes its way through the streets, looking bright and festive: for death,
after all, is a release.
Hundreds of palace servitors give out precious jewels to the people who
line the streets in crowds. Later, more beautiful robes, more sovereign white
parasols, and larger yak-tail chamaras are fetched for the great ceremony.
The priests, wearing white, walk at the head of the procession, ladling
libations of clarified butter into the sacred fire burning in an ornamental
vessel. Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras, in their thousands,
follow the dead Pandu.
They lament loudly, sobbing, ‘O Prince, where did you go, leaving us
behind, wretched forever?’
Bhishma, Vidura and the Pandavas all weep. Finally, they come to a
charmed glade in the forest on the banks of the Ganga. They set down the
bier on which the lion-hearted Pandu and Madri lie. They bring sacred
water in golden vessels, wash the Kshatriya’s body, which has been
smeared with many kinds of fragrant unguents; they smear it again, all over,
with sandalwood paste.
They cover him in white homespun cloth, and now Pandu seems as if he
is alive and asleep upon a luxurious bed.
Guided by the priests, they proceed to perform the last rites
meticulously. When these are over, the Kauravas touch the bodies of Pandu
and Madri alight, and fetch lotuses, sandalwood paste and other fragrant
substances to the blazing pyre.
Seeing the bodies burning, Ambalika wails, ‘My son! My son!’ and
faints. Seeing her fall, the people of Hastinapura and also the rustic people
from the provinces set up a great lament. Why, even the beasts of the field
and the birds of the air are moved to grief hearing the lamentation of Kunti.
Bhishma, son of Shantanu, the sagacious Vidura – they too grieve.
Weeping, Bhishma, Vidura, Dhritarashtra, the Pandavas and the Kuru
women together perform tarpana for the departed Pandu. When this is done,
the people, sorrowing, come up and, with touch, kind words, with embraces
and their love, console the sons of Pandu.
The Pandavas mourn and sleep on bare ground. Seeing this, the
Brahmanas and indeed all the other citizens of the city of elephants do the
same, giving up their beds. Young and old, they mourn the dead Kshatriya
with his sons who weep ceaselessly for twelve days.”
——————
7\* It is not clear how much of the bodies the fire in Satasringa consumed,
since definitely Madri also comes as a corpse to Hastinapura.
CANTO 128
aisampayana said, “At the end of twelve days, Bhishma and Kunti
with their kinsfolk and friends, perform the sraddha for the dead
prince and offer the pinda for his soul. After this, they arrange for
great feasts and give away vast pieces of land and great gemstones as gifts.
The people return to Hastinapura with the sons of Pandu, now cleansed
of the impurity that attends a father’s death. Again, the citizens weep for the
departed Pandu, as if they have lost one of their kin.
When the sraddha has been performed, Vyasa Muni sees how all the
people are plunged in despair, and says quietly one day to Satyavati,
‘Mother, the days of joy have left the world and those of danger and
calamity have begun. The power of sin increases, day by day, for the world
has become old. Because of the swelling force of evil, the Kuru empire will
crumble.
It is best that you retire to the forest and embark upon a life of dhyana
and yoga. From now, human society will be full of deceit and treachery.
Evil will have sway, and all goodness and dharma will cease to be. Do not
stay here anymore, to watch the destruction of your clan.’
He prophesies more, and she sees her son, the Sage, means what he says,
and Satyavati goes into the antahpura and says to her elder daughter-in-law,
‘Ambika, your grandsons shall cause the ruin of the House of Kuru; the
very race of Bharata and all its people will perish because of what they do.
If you agree, I mean to take sannyasa in the jungle with Ambalika, who is
heartbroken at the death of Pandu.’
Unexpectedly, Ambika says that she will also accompany the other
women. In the vana, Satyavati practises rigorous penance and profound
dhyana, and in time leaves her body and finds Swarga for herself, as do her
daughters-in-law, later.’
Now, the sons of Pandu undergo the purificatory and initiatory rites
prescribed in the Veda, and for the first time, begin to live as princes in their
dead father’s house.
Quickly, while the youngsters play together, it is obvious that the
Pandavas are stronger than their cousins, the Kauravas. The ebullient
Bhima by himself is more than a match for Dhritarashtra’s sons – he is
faster and stronger than they are; his aim is truer, more unerring, his
appetite grander. Vayu’s son pulls the Kauravas’ hair and drags them
roughly on the ground; he mischievously makes them fight with one
another, and kicks dust into their faces. The gardens of the palace ring with
his loud laughter as he does all this.
Vrikodara easily beats up the hundred and one sons of his uncle, as if
they are not a hundred and one but just one. When he seizes their hair,
flings them down and hauls them over the rough earth, he cuts open some
knees, some heads, and dislocates some shoulders.
At times, he holds ten Kauravas together under water, until they nearly
drown. When Dhritarashtra’s sons climb a tree to pluck its fruit, Bhima
delivers a tremendous kick to the tree and brings fruit-pluckers and fruit
raining down from the branches.
Yes, the king’s sons are no match at all for the son of the Wind, not in
strength, speed or skill. However, Bhima is innocent and all the mischief he
wreaks is out of a huge sense of playfulness and fun, and never seriously
malicious. His heart is truly a child’s.
But the king’s eldest son, the mighty Duryodhana, hitherto unchallenged
in the palace, sees these marvellous feats of strength and swiftness from
Bhima and begins to hate his cousin to distraction, seeing clearly and
astutely that the young giant is the greatest threat to him in the future. And
being neither innocent nor childlike in his heart, but already evil, the
ambitious and ruthless Duryodhana conceives a sinister plot.
He says to himself, ‘No one else is nearly as strong as Pandu’s second
son Bhima. He is the main threat to me, so I will have to kill him with
cunning. Perhaps I will push him into the Ganga and drown him. Later, I
will imprison Yudhishtira and Arjuna, who are nothing without their
brother’s strength, and rule as the only king of the Kurus, unopposed.’
Having decided on his course, Duryodhana is always on the lookout for
an opportunity to do away with Bhima. O Bharata, the devious Duryodhana
has a palace built in beautiful Pramanakoti on the banks of the Ganga. He
has it furnished with fine tapestries and every other lavish embellishment.
He has the palace provided with every manner of entertainment, the finest
food, and of course it is ostensibly a place for the Kuru princes to visit so
they can swim in the river, a retreat for water sport.
Bright flags wave on this mansion, which is called the House of Water
Sport. Master cooks prepare every kind of delicacy. When the preparations
are complete, his men tell Duryodhana that everything is ready. That evil
prince says to the Pandavas, ‘Let us all go to the banks of the Ganga, and
swim and play in the water.’
Yudhishtira agrees, and the sons of Dhritarashtra set out from
Hastinapura with the sons of Pandu, mounted on massive elephants born in
the jungle and in chariots as big as towns.
Arriving at the House of Water Sport, they dismiss their attendants,
admire the fine gardens and groves of trees, created for their pleasure and
their games, and enter the great mansion as a pride of young lions does a
mountain cave.
With perfect skill, the architects have designed the palace, and masons
plastered and painted the walls and the ceiling. The windows are gracious
and large, and the artificial fountains elegant, splashing softly.
Both inside and out are tanks of clear water, in which banks of lotuses
bloom, in regal profusion. Upon their banks grow numberless other flowers,
whose scents fill the air headily.
The Kauravas and the Pandavas begin to sport there and to enjoy
themselves. As they play, in some delight, they feed each other small
portions of the fine fare laid out for them by the cooks and servants.
Meanwhile, Duryodhana mixes a potent poison into some food, to kill
Bhima. Honey on his tongue and a razor in his heart, he is absolutely
friendly towards his cousin today, and soon manages to feed him a goodly
quantity of the poisoned food. Certain that he has achieved his purpose, he
is glad.
Soon the Pandavas and the Kauravas begin to swim and play in the river.
When they finish, they put on white robes and fine jewellery. A little tired,
they decide to rest in the pleasure-house in the garden.
Bhima, who has exerted himself the most, swum the fastest and longest,
feels most tired of all. He comes out of the river and flops down on its bank.
The poison is taking effect and great exhaustion sweeps over the second
Pandava. The cool evening breeze seems to enhance the effect of the
poison, and Bhima immediately loses consciousness.
Now Duryodhana, who has not gone with the others, quickly binds
Bhima with some strong vines and creepers, and rolls him into the water.
The unconscious Pandava sinks down into Nagaloka, the realm of the
Nagas. Alarmed by the sinking titan, thousands of serpents, their venom
virulent, bite him.
The snake venom acts as an antidote to the vegetable poison in the blood
of Vayu’s son. The serpents bite him all over his body, except for his chest,
which their needle sharp fangs cannot pierce, so tough is its skin.
Bhima awakes, and easily snapping the green thongs that hold him, falls
upon the snakes, trampling hundreds of them. The rest flee to their King
Vasuki, and cry, ‘Nagaraja, a human sank into the river, his arms bound
with cords of vines and creepers. It seems he drank poison before he fell
into the water, because he was unconscious when he fell among us. But
when we bit him he awoke, broke his bonds and fell on us dreadfully. Lord,
you must find out who he is.’
Vasuki goes to where Bhima is; with him is an aged Naga, Aryaka.
Aryaka is Kunti’s great grandfather. Seeing Bhima, Aryaka knows him at
once and embraces him fondly.
When Vasuki realises who this magnificent youth is, he says to Aryaka,
‘We must please him. Let us give him vast gold and jewels.’
Aryaka says, ‘Nagaraja, he does not need wealth as long as you are
pleased with him. Let him drink from the rasakunda, the chalices of
nagamrita, and acquire immense strength. Each chalice contains the might
of a thousand elephants. Let this prince drink as much as he can bear.’
Vasuki agrees, and the Nagas perform auspicious initiatory rituals for the
nectar drinking. Purifying himself with care, Bhimasena faces the east and
begins to drink the amrita of the snakes. In one gulp he drains the first
chalice; in another, the next; and so on, until he drinks eight full chalices of
nagamrita.
Now, at last, he can drink no more and feels drowsy. The Nagas make a
soft bed for him and he lies upon it and falls asleep.”
CANTO 129
aisampayana said, “Meanwhile, the Kauravas and the Pandavas

finish their games and swimming, and set out home for Hastinapura,
without Bhima. Some princes ride horses, others elephants, while
still others go in chariots.
On the way, Bhima’s brothers and some others say, ‘Bhima must have
gone alone before us.’
Duryodhana is the only one who knows the truth, and his heart is
bursting for joy as he enters Hastinapura, but he says nothing, nor does he
show what he feels. Of course, Yudhishtira is so virtuous that he thinks of
everyone else as being as good-hearted as he is; he does not yet know what
vice and evil are.
Kunti’s eldest son goes straight to her, and after bowing to her, asks,
‘Mother, has Bhima come home? I do not see him here. We searched for
him on the banks of the river, in the garden and in the woods there, but he is
nowhere to be found. We decided that he must have returned alone, before
the rest of us.
But mother, I do not see him here. Have you sent him on an errand? Ah,
I am sick with worry. My mighty brother was asleep beside the river and
now he has vanished. I fear for his life.’
Kunti gives a small scream, and says, ‘My son, I have not seen Bhima.
He did not come to me. You must go back to Pramanakoti and look for him
again. Go with your brothers, hurry!’
In great distress, she summons Vidura, and says, ‘Illustrious Kshattri,
Bhima is missing. All his other brothers have returned from the pleasure
house by the river, but not my Bhima. Where has he gone?
O Vidura, Duryodhana hates my child. The Kaurava prince is evil and
rash; he openly covets the throne. Oh, I am terrified that he has killed my
Bhima out of his ambition. Vidura, my heart feels as if it is on fire.’
Vidura replies, ‘Say nothing Kunti, think of your other sons. You must
protect them. If you accuse Duryodhana, he might kill your other boys as
well. The great Dwaipayana has foretold that all your sons shall live long
lives. The Sage’s words shall not be proved false. Bhima will come back
safely to you.’
Vidura returns to his own palace, not wanting to arouse any suspicions,
while Kunti remains in hers, in terrible anxiety, with her sons.
Eight nightmarish days pass for Kunti and her sons in Hastinapura. On
the eighth, Bhima awakes from his deep slumber after drinking the
nagamrita. He feels awesome new strength in his body – strength past
measure.
Seeing him awake, the Nagas set up a cheer, crying, ‘Bhimasena, the
nagamrita you have drunk has given you the strength of ten thousand
elephants! No one will ever be able to vanquish you in battle now.
Kururishabha, now bathe in this sacred water, and go back home. Your
brothers are full of anxiety for you.’
Bhima bathes in those sacral waters, puts on white robes and garlands of
white flowers. He eats the paramanna, of rice and sugar, which the Nagas
give him.Wearing unearthly ornaments, he receives worship and blessings
from the serpents, and saluting them, thanking them, he rises up from
Nagaloka in Patala.
The Nagas brings the lotus-eyed Bhima up from under the river and set
him back in the same garden, on the bank where he had fallen asleep eight
days ago. Then they vanish before his eyes.
Great Bhimasena now runs back to his mother, as quickly as his father
Vayu flies. He bows to her and to his eldest brother Yudhishtira, and sniffs
the heads of his younger brothers. She, in turn, and those other rishabhas,
his brothers, embrace him, the scourge of all his enemies.
With boundless love, they cry repeatedly, ‘Ah, what joy today, what
wondrous joy!’
Now Bhima, the mighty, tells his brothers about the murderous treachery
of Duryodhana, and also everything that happened in the realm of the
Nagas.
Then Yudhishtira says, ‘Do not speak of this to anyone but be silent. But
from today be vigilant and all of you watch over one another closely.’
And vigilant indeed they are from then. Lest they lapse into carelessness,
Vidura is always cautioning the sons of Kunti.
Some time passes, then again Duryodhana mixes some deadly poison in
Bhima’s food. But Yuyutsu, Dhritarashtra’s son by a Vaisya woman, who
loves the Pandavas, warns them. However, Bhima eats the food that
Duryodhana gives him, and digests it, poison and all, with no ill effect at
all.
The poison failing to do its work, Duryodhana, Karna and Shakuni hatch
many other plots to kill the second Pandava. The sons of Pandu know about
every one of these, but having been warned by Vidura, they never let on
that they do, and never show their anger in the least way.
Meanwhile, Dhritarashtra sees the Kuru princes becoming idlers, and
turning to mischief to pass their time, and appoints Kripa as their Guru, and
sends them to him for instruction. Born in a bank of reeds, Kripa is a
knower of the Vedas, and he becomes the Kuru princes’ first master at
arms.”
CANTO 130
anamejaya said, “Brahmana, tell me everything about the birth of Kripa.

How was he born in a bank of reeds, and where did he get his weapons
from?”
Vaisampayana said, “Rajan, Maharishi Gautama had a son called
Saradwat, who was born holding some arrows in his hand. Parantapa,
Saradwat showed an exceptional gift for mastering the use of weapons but
no special genius for any other branch of learning. He acquired all his astras
with the rigours with which other Brahmanas study the Vedas.
Indra became afraid of the astras, the might and the tapasya of Saradwat.
Kurusthama, the king of the Devas summoned an Apsara calls Janapadi and
said to her, ‘Go and distract Saradwat from his tapasya.’
Janapadi went to Saradwat’s enchanting asrama, and proceeded to tempt
the hermit armed with bow and arrows. Saradwat saw the nymph, who wore
a single diaphanous robe over her peerless and unearthly body, and his eyes
widened. His bow and arrows slipped from his hands, and his body shook
with powerful emotion.
Somehow, he summoned the strength to resist her temptation, but the
initial surge of excitement that seized him at the sight of her made him
ejaculate involuntarily. He sprang up, left his bow and arrows and his
deerskin, and fled from Janapadi as if for his life. His seed, though, had
fallen into a clump of reeds, where it was divided in two. From the two
portions of semen, twin children, a boy and girl, were born.
At that time, King Shantanu was out hunting in the same forest, and one
of his soldiers came upon the magically born twins. The man saw the
abandoned bow, quiver and deerskin, and felt the children might belong to a
Brahmana who was a master at arms.
He picked up the bow and arrows, and the twins, and brought them to
Shantanu. Moved to pity, Shantanu said, ‘Let them be as my own children,’
and took them to his palace.
Purushottama Shantanu, son of Prateepa, had the ritual karma performed
for Saradwat’s twins. Because he had adopted them out of pity, and because
he considered them to be God’s gifts of kindness to him, he called them
Kripa and Kripi.
Meanwhile, having left his old asrama, Saradwat continued earnestly
with his study of the science of weapons. With occult vision, he learnt that
his twins were growing in the palace of Shantanu. He went to the king and
told him who he was, and then he taught his son Kripa the four branches of
the science of arms, and also the Vedas and other secret and hermetic
mysteries.
In short time Kripa also became a master of the astra shastra. Later,
Dhritarashtra’s hundred sons, the Pandavas, the Yadava princes, the
Vrishnis, and indeed young Kshatriyas from many other kingdoms all learnt
the arts of weapons and warfare from Kripa Acharya.”
CANTO 131
aisampayana said, “Then, Bhishma thinks it is time that his

grandsons receive a higher education than what Kripa can give them,
and he begins to seek a Guru for his wards, a master of exceptional
tejas and an even greater master of astras than Kripa.
Deciding, Bharatottama, that only he is sufficiently intelligent,
illustrious, a great enough master at arms and truly one that himself
possesses godlike prowess, Ganga’s son, O Purushavyaghra, appoints
Bharadwaja’s son Drona, who knows the Vedas deeply, to be the preceptor
of Kuru princes. Drona, famed throughout the world as being the greatest
master of weapons, is pleased by the warm welcome and the honour
accorded him by Bhishma, and he accepts charge of the Kuru princes.
He teaches them all the skills of weapons and warfare, and in quick time,
the Kauravas and the Pandavas, all endowed with great strength and talent,
become highly proficient in the use of every kind of weapon.”’
‘Janamejaya asked, “Brahmana, how was Drona born? How and where
did he acquire his astras? Why did he come to the Kurus? Whose son was
he, that he possessed such tejas? Also, tell us about Drona’s son
Aswatthama, who was also a great warrior, and how he was born.
All this I want to hear in detail, O Muni. I beg you tell me about it all.”
Vaisampayana said, “At the source of the Ganga, there lived a Maharishi
called Bharadwaja, always at stern and ceaseless tapa. One day, long ago,
he went with many other great Rishis to the river to bathe before
performing the Agnihotra. Arriving on the banks of the river, he saw the
beautiful and youthful Apsara Ghritachi in the water, bathing.
Her lovely face was haughty, and now suffused with the languor of her
bath, as, finishing, she rose from the water. As she stepped softly onto the
bank, the single garment she wore parted, showing her shining nakedness.
Seeing her like that the Rishi Bharadwaja was stricken by such desire that
in a moment he ejaculated.
Hastily the Sage caught his emission in the waterpot he carried, his
drana. Later, a splendid son was born from his seed, and Bharadwaja called
him Drona for the vessel from which he was born.
Drona mastered the Vedas and all their angas. In the past, Bharadwaja,
master of astras, had taught the secret of the fiery Agneyastra to the Rishi
Agnivesha; now Agnivesha, the fireborn Sage, imparted the secret to
Drona, the son of his Guru.
King Prishata of the Panchalas was a great friend of Bharadwaja.
Prishata had a son, whom he named Drupada. Every day that
Kshatriyarishabha, Drupada, came to Bharadwaja’s asrama, to play with
Drona and study with him.
Rajan, when Prishata died, the mighty-armed Drupada became king of
the northern Panchalas. About this time, the illumined Bharadwaja also left
his body and rose into Swarga.
Drona continued living in his father’s asrama and performing tapasya.
He mastered the Vedas and Vedangas, made ashes of his sins with penance,
and then married Saradwata’s daughter Kripi. She was chaste, always
performing tapa and the agnihotra, and she gave birth to a son. As soon as
he was born, he neighed delightfully, even like a small Uchhaisravas.
An invisible being spoke from the sky, ‘Let the child whose cry has
echoed everywhere be named Aswatthama,’ which, of course, means horse-
voiced.
Drona’s joy knew no bounds when little Aswatthama was born; the child
was the very vision of his eye. He continued living in his father’s hermitage
and devoted himself to the study of astra shastra, the science of weapons.
Rajan, around this time, Drona heared that the great Brahmana
Parasurama Jamadagnya, son of Jamadagni, slayer of his foes, greatest of
all warriors, of incalculable learning of every kind, had declared that he
meant to give away all his wealth to deserving Brahmanas.
Drona had heard all about Rama’s unrivalled knowledge of arms and
especially the Devastras, as well as his knowledge of dharma. Drona wished
fervently for both, and set out with his disciples for the Mahendra
Mountain. Arriving there, he saw the Bhargava, the radiant son of Bhrigu,
sitting in dhyana with his mind perfectly controlled.
Drona and his sishyas approached Rama, and Drona told the Avatara his
name and that he was born into the line of Angiras. He laid his head on the
ground at Parasurama’s feet in worship.
Drona said, ‘I am the son of Bharadwaja, but I am not born of any
woman. I am a highborn Brahmana, called Drona, and I have come to you
for the wealth you want to give away.’
The illumined savager of the Kshatriyas replied, ‘You are welcome,
Dvija! Tell me what you want from me.’
Drona replied, ‘I want your immortal wealth, O you of vratas beyond
count!’
‘Tapasvin,’ replied Rama, ‘All my gold and other wealth I have already
given away to various Brahmanas. This Earth also, adorned with towns and
cities as with a garland, down to the very Sea, I have given to Kashyapa. I
now have only this body and my astras. I can give you either of these. Say
which you want, quickly!’
Drona replied, ‘O Bhargava, I beg you, give me all your astras, and the
mantras to cast and recall them.’
Parasurama said, ‘So be it’ and gave all his astras to Drona; he made a
gift to him of the very astra shastra, the science of weapons, with all its
mysteries and laws. Drona received this greatest gift in joy, and prostrating
gratefully at Bhargava’s feet, set out for the city of his childhood friend
Drupada.”
CANTO 132
aisampayana said, “O King, Bharadwaja’s mighty son presents

himself before King Drupada, and says joyfully, ‘I am your friend
Drona!’
But the lord of the Panchalas does not like what he hears. Deluded by
power and wealth, he knits his brows in anger, and his eyes turn red.
Drupada replies, ‘Brahmana, surely you are dimwitted that you suddenly
claim to be my friend! Fool, how can a great king like me and a pauper like
you be friends? Yes, once we were both students in your father’s asrama
and then we were equals and also friends.
Time wears away all things and friendship as well. In this world, no
friendship endures in any heart, for time gnaws at it and anger destroys it.
Forget, Brahmanashreshta, that we were ever friends. That old friendship I
had with you was for a specific purpose: you were my Guru’s son.
Between a rich man and a poor one, between a learned man and an
unlettered one, between a hero and a coward, how can there ever be
friendship? Why do you want to be my friend? There can be friendship or
even enmity between equals in wealth or in strength. A beggar and a king
can neither have friendship nor enmity between them, for they are not
equals but a superior and an inferior.
A pure born man can never have friendship with a lowborn one. A man
who is a Maharatha cannot be the friend of a man who is not a Maharatha;
and a king cannot be the friend of one who is not a king! Tell me, foolish
Drona, why do you invoke our old friendship and dream of renewing it?’
Drona trembles with wrath. He says nothing, but considers for a moment
what he would do to Drupada, to humble the Panchala king. Turning on his
heel, he strides out from Drupada’s court and makes his way towards the
capital of the Kurus, named after the elephant.”
CANTO 133
aisampayana said, “Drona comes to Hastinapura and, without

disclosing his presence in the city, begins living in the house of his
brother-in-law, Kripa. During the intervals between Kripa’s classes
to the Kuru princes, Drona’s son Aswatthama gives Kunti’s sons some
casual hints about the use of arms. But he does not reveal his true skills
even to them, or how mighty he is.
Drona has been living secretly in Kripa’s house for some time, when,
one day, all the Kuru princes come out of the city together. They begin to
roam about, in freedom, and to play with a ball, which soon enough falls
down a well. The young Kshatriyas do their best to retrieve the ball, but in
vain; they cannot fetch it out.
They feel ashamed and begin to look at one another with some anxiety:
Imagine, the great scions of the House of Kuru not being able to get a ball
out of a well! Suddenly, they see a rather dark-skinned, lean Brahmana
quite close to them; he has obviously just performed the Agnihotra and
sanctified himself with it, and finished his nitya, his daily worship.
The princes are drawn to the stranger and surround him. Smiling
slightly, Drona says, ‘Well, Princes, a shame upon your Kshatriya prowess,
and a shame also upon your skill at arms. To think that you are born in the
race of Bharata and cannot retrieve a ball from a well. Promise to feed me
tonight and I will fetch out your ball for you with these blades of grass.
Look, I will throw my ring after your ball and fetch that as well.’
Drona pulls a valuable ring from his finger and throws it into the well.
Yudhishtira says, ‘Brahmana, you ask for a trifle. With Acharya Kripa’s
leave, ask us for something that will last you a lifetime.’
His smile widening, Drona says, ‘With mantras I will make astras of
these long blades of grass. This grass will have powers that other weapons
do not. One blade will pierce your ball, another my ring, and the rest shall
form a chain and fetch both out of the well.’
Without a moment’s hesitation, Drona does exactly as he says. The
princes goggle; they feel their chests will burst with wonder and disbelief.
They whisper, ‘We bow to you, O Brahmana, no one on Earth has your
skills. Tell us who you are, tell us whose son you are. Tell us what we can
do for you.’
Drona replies, ‘Go to Bhishma, describe me to him and tell him what I
did. He will know who I am.’
The princes cry, ‘We will!’ and run to their grandsire, and tell him about
the extraordinary Brahmana’s feat. Bhishma knows at once that this is
Drona they describe. He knows that this is the Guru he has been seeking for
his grandsons, and goes out himself to welcome the Brahmana reverently,
and brings him into the palace.
Bhishma, greatest of warriors, asks Drona, ‘What brings a Mahapurusha
like you to Hastinapura?’
Drona tells him his story. ‘Mighty Bhishma, I once went to the Rishi
Agnivesha to learn the use of weapons and the astra shastra from him. I
lived as a brahmacharin, with jata on my head, and served my Guru humbly
for many years.
At that time, the Panchala prince Drupada Yagnasena also lived in the
same asrama, serving Agnivesha as I did for the same reason that I did. He
and I became friends; he always looked after me and we grew close as
brothers, loving each other dearly. As I said, many years we spent together.
O Kurusthama, we were together from our early boyhood, studying
together, and Drupada always did and said whatever he felt would please
me. Once, O Bhishma, he said to me, “Drona, I am my great father’s
favourite son. When I become king of the Panchalas, my kingdom shall be
yours. My precious friend, this I swear. My kingship, my wealth and my
happiness will all depend on you, O Drona.”
Finally, we finished our tutelage, and he left for home. We parted
warmly; he repeated what he had said to me, and ever since I have kept it in
my heart.
A while later, my father wanted me to marry and since I also wanted to
have a son, I married Kripi of the short hair, of great intelligence, who kept
many stern vratas and always performed the agnihotra and other austere
rituals.
In time, she gave birth to our son Aswatthama, who is as splendid as the
Sun and as powerful. I was as delighted when my son was born as my
father had been when I was born. I doted on him.
One day, Aswatthama saw some rich men’s sons drinking milk, which
we could not afford, and began crying. I felt so stricken that I lost my very
reason, why, I could not have told east from west, or north from south, so
sad did I feel. I could have begged for a cow, but it would have been of
someone who had only a few cows himself and would have perhaps had to
stop performing his sacrifices and lost punya because of that.
Instead, I decided I would beg a cow from someone who had many cows
and would not feel the loss of one. I wandered from country to country,
kingdom to kingdom, but I could not get myself a milch cow.
When I returned home, disappointed, I saw something that truly broke
my heart. Some of my son’s playmates mixed powdered rice in water and
gave it to my little Aswatthama, telling him that it was milk. My poor child
drank it eagerly, and began to dance for joy, crying, ‘I have drunk milk! I
have drunk milk today!’
His friends grinned at his naïveté. Then there were those that whispered,
but within my hearing, ‘Drona claims to be the greatest master of weapons
on earth. But he makes no effort to earn a livelihood and his son drinks rice
powder mixed in water and dances for joy thinking that it is milk.’
I was desperate, but I still decided that even if I had to live as an outcast,
I would not become anyone’s servant for the sake of wealth. Then I heard
that Drupada, my old friend, had become king of the Somaka Panchalas. In
great joy, the words he had once said to me ringing in my mind, fondly
remembering our old friendship, I took my wife and my child and went in
great hope to Drupada’s kingdom.
He made me wait a day before he even allowed me into his court, but I
never doubted him for a moment. Entering his grand sabha, I cried,
‘Purushavyaghra, tiger among men, I am your friend Drona, to whom you
promised your kingdom!’
I approached him confidently, as a friend should. But Drupada laughed
in my face; he mocked me, saying, ‘Brahmana, surely you are dimwitted
that you suddenly claim to be my friend. Fool, how can a great king like me
and a pauper like you be friends? Yes, once we were both students in your
father’s asrama and then we were equals and also friends.
Time wears all things away and friendship as well. In this world, no
friendship endures in any heart, for time gnaws at it and anger destroys it.
Forget, Brahmanottama, that we were ever friends. The old friendship that I
had with you was for a specific purpose.
Between a rich man and a poor one, between a learned man and an
unlettered one, between a hero and a coward, how can there ever be
friendship? Why do you want to be my friend? There can be friendship or
even enmity between equals in wealth or in strength. A beggar and a king
can neither have friendship nor enmity between them, for they are not
equals but a superior and an inferior.
A pure born man can never have friendship with a lowborn one. A man
who is a Maharatha cannot be the friend of a man who is not a Maharatha;
and a king cannot be the friend of one who is not a king. Tell me, foolish
Drona, why do you invoke our old friendship and dream of renewing it?
I do not remember ever having promised you my kingdom, but
Brahmana I will certainly give you shelter for a night, and food.’
With my wife and child, I left his palace and his city immediately,
vowing in my heart to do what I certainly will, and soon. Anger seethes in
me, O Bhishma, ever since Drupada humiliated me. His mockery rings in
my ears. I have come to the Kurus to find gifted and obedient pupils; I have
come to fulfil your wishes. Tell me what I should do now.’
Bhishma says to Bharadwaja’s son, ‘String your bow, Brahmana, and
make the Kuru princes master warriors. You shall have honour and worship
in Hastinapura, and a fine home filled with every luxury, which you must
enjoy to your heart’s content. Drona, from now you are the lord of whatever
wealth the Kurus own, and of their kingdom and sovereignty.
From today, the Kurus belong to you, so whatever the wish that burns
your heart: consider it already accomplished. You, O Brahmana are the fruit
of our greatest punya and fortune. By coming here you confer the greatest
favour upon me.’”
CANTO 134
aisampayana said, “Honoured by Bhishma, that Manavottama Drona,

tejasvin, now begins living openly among the Kurus, who duly
revere him. When he has rested, Bhishma brings his grandsons to the
Brahmana, and also many precious gifts. The mighty Bhishma joyfully
gives Bharadwaja’s son a fine house in which to live, stocked with rice and
furnished with every comfort and all manner of wealth.
Drona, best of archers, now accepts the sons of Pandu and the sons of
Dhritarashtra to be his sishyas. He takes them apart, makes them touch his
feet, and then says to them with some emotion, ‘There is something that I
want you to do for me when I have made you master warriors. Tell me,
princes, that you will do what I want.’
All the other Kuru princes remain silent, but without a moment’s
hesitation Arjuna says, ‘I will do whatever you want.’
Drona clasps Arjuna in an embrace, sniffs the top of the prince’s head
repeatedly in affection, and tears roll down his cheeks. The princes’ tutelage
begins, and he teaches them the use of weapons both mundane and
unearthly. Bharatarishabha, apart from the young Kurus, many other
Kshatriyas princes from other lands come to Drona for instruction,
including the Suta’s son Karna.8*
Karna is envious of Arjuna and frequently taunts the Pandava;
Duryodhana befriends him and together they always mock all the sons of
Pandu. But Arjuna is entirely devoted to the study of the astra shastra, and
becomes like his master’s shadow. He excels all the rest in his natural gifts,
his prowess especially with the longbow, and his dedication and
perseverance.
Drona teaches them all equally, but quickly Arjuna outstrips the others,
and the master is soon convinced that none of the rest could ever hope to
match the skills of this pupil, the son of Indra.
Drona’s lessons continue, and one day he gives all his pupils earthen
pots to fill with water from the river and bring back. To his own son
Aswatthama he gives a pot with a larger mouth than all the rest. He says
that the lesson would begin as soon as the first student arrives in his
presence with a full waterpot. Of course, Aswatthama arrives earlier than
the princes and his father imparts some choice secrets of the astra shastra to
him.
Arjuna chafes at this for some days, then, one morning, he arrives with a
filled waterpot long before even Aswatthama, and in honour now, Drona
teaches this exceptional pupil before the others; he shares his special secrets
with Arjuna, who has used the Varunastra to fill his vessel.
So, Aswatthama loses his advantage and Arjuna serves his Guru so
diligently and lovingly that he becomes Drona’s favourite sishya, yes, as
dear to him, at least, as his own son.
One day, Drona summons the palace cook and says to him, ‘Never serve
Arjuna his meal in the dark, and do not tell him that I said anything to you.’
However, just a few days later, while Arjuna is eating his night meal a
sudden gust of wind blows out the lamp upon his table. Arjuna continues
eating in the dark, by force of habit his hand taking the food to his mouth
without the help of his eyes. That brilliant prince does not fail to notice this.
It means that now he can continue to practise his archery at night!
The same night, Drona hears the lone twang of a bowstring, and coming
out embraces his favourite sishya. The Acharya cries, ‘I swear that you will
be the greatest archer in the world, and no one shall be your equal.’
Now Drona teaches Arjuna the art of fighting from horseback, from the
back of an elephant, from a chariot, and on the ground. He teaches Arjuna
all about the mace, the sword, the lance, the spear and the dart; he teaches
him how to fight many opponents simultaneously.
Drona’s fame as an unrivalled master spreads across the land, and
princes and even kings arrive in Hastinapura from the most far-flung places,
in thousands, to have some instructions from the Acharya. Among those
that come, in hope, O Rajan, is Ekalavya, son of Hiranyadhanush, king of
the Nishadas. Drona senses the boy’s genius at once and refuses to take him
as his pupil, saying that he is a Nishada. The master fears this youth might
surpass all his highborn sishyas.
But, O Parantapa, Ekalavya lays his head at Drona’s feet, makes his way
into the deep jungle, where he fashions a lifelike image in clay of Drona,
and begins to worship the statue as if this is Drona himself, whom the youth
has taken in his heart for his Guru.
Before that clay image Ekalavya ceaselessly practises with his bow and
arrows. Such is his devotion to his master, his extraordinary talent, and the
rigour of his discipline that he quickly becomes an exceptional archer.
Effortlessly he fits arrows to his bowstring, aims and looses them with
unerring accuracy: the three parts of archery. His skill is prodigious,
matchless.
One day, with Drona’s leave, the Kuru and Pandava princes go hunting
in their chariots. A servant follows them, with a hunting dog and carrying
whatever the princes might need in the wilderness.
Arriving in the forest, the young Kshatriyas earnestly begin their hunt.
The dog wanders off on its own and comes upon Ekalavya. It sees the black
Nishada, covered in dirt, wearing a black hide, his hair tangled in wild jata,
and barks at him.
Quick as thinking, Ekalvya turns and shoots seven arrows into the dog’s
mouth, silencing it. Whimpering, the dog runs back to its masters, the
princes. They gape in wonder and disbelief at the beast. They feel humbled,
for certainly none of them could have shot seven arrows into the dog’s
mouth so swiftly and unerringly, when it must have turned to run after
receiving the first one.
The princes comb the forest for the hidden archer. Soon enough, they
find him, shooting arrows from his bow in an incredible, endless stream.
Seeing the grim faced stranger, they ask, ‘Whose son are you?’
He replies, ‘Kshatriyas, I am the son of Hiranyadhanush, king of the
Nishadas. Know that I am the sishya of Drona, and I toil to become a
master of the longbow.’
The Kuru princes learn all there is to know about Ekalavya, ride back to
Hastinapura and go straight to Drona, to whom they describe the
miraculous archery that the young Nishada in the forest displayed.
Arjuna is terribly distressed, trembling with envy. He draws Drona aside
privately and says accusingly, ‘Master, you clasped me in your arms with
love and told me that no other pupil of yours would be my equal, and that I
would be the greatest archer in the world. How, then, is the Nishada king’s
son clearly better than I am?’
Drona thinks for a moment, and quickly decides what he must do.
Taking only Arjuna with him, he goes into the jungle to where Ekalavya
was. He sees the Nishada prince, wearing filthy rags, matted jata on his
head, his body covered in dirt, with a bow in his hands from which the
arrows flare in a ceaseless, effortless tide.
When Ekalavya sees Drona, he runs to him, touches his feet and
prostrates himself before the Brahmana. Worshipping Drona, the Nishada
tells him that he is his sishya and then stands with folded hands, awaiting
his Guru’s command.
Rajan, now Drona says to Ekalavya, ‘If, O Archer, you are truly my
sishya, then you must give me dakshina.’
Beaming to hear this, Ekalavya cries, ‘O my Guru, tell me what you
want as dakshina, for there is nothing that I will not give my master.’
Drona says, ‘Ekalavya, give me the thumb of your right hand.’
Never pausing, the smile of joy still on his face, Ekalavya slices off his
right thumb with a sharp arrow and hands it to Drona. When his wound
heals, and he begins to shoot again without his thumb, he is not the archer
he has been; he has lost his lightlike swiftness and sureness of hand.
Arjuna’s feverish jealousy leaves him.
Two of Drona’s pupils are masters of the mace: Duryodhana and Bhima,
who, of course, are inveterate rivals, as well. Aswatthama excels all the
others at the secrets of the most mysterious astras; Nakula and Sahadeva are
the finest swordsmen; Yudhishtira is the best rathika, chariot warrior.
However, as a complete warrior, Arjuna has no equal by a long way: he is
the most intelligent, resourceful, tireless and persevering prince.
A great master of every weapon, he outstrips the greatest of Maharathas,
and his renown spreads across the world, from sea to sea. Though all the
princes receive the same instruction, none can approach Arjuna at archery,
or, indeed, in the devotion he bears to his Guru.
Amongst all the princes, Arjuna alone becomes an Atiratha, a chariot
warrior who can face sixty thousand enemies at once! Dhritarashtra’s fell
sons see the awesome strength of Bhima and the matchless archery of
Arjuna, and envy roils their very entrails.
Narapumgava, one day, when their tutelage is complete, Drona wants to
test the skills of his disciples, and gathers them together. Before this, he has
a wooden bird, a vulture, made and perched on the highest branch of a lofty
tree, to be a target.
When the princes stand before him, Drona says crisply, ‘Pick up your
bows and aim at the bird in the tree. As soon as I tell you, shoot to cut its
head off. You will each have one shot, turn by turn.’
Drona, best among all Angira’s descendants, says first to Yudhishtira,
‘Yudhishtira, you will have the first chance.’
Yudhishitra picks up his bow and aims at the faraway wooden bird.
Bharatarishabha, now Drona asks Yudhishtira, ‘Prince, do you see the bird
on the treetop?’
Yudhishtira replies to his Guru, ‘I do.’
Drona now asks, ‘What else do you see? Do you see the tree, your
brothers, and me?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘I see the tree, yourself, my brothers and the bird.’
Drona repeats his question, and Yudhishtira’s reply is the same.
Apparently annoyed, Drona says, ‘Stand back, Yudhishtira; you will not
strike the bird.’
Now Drona calls, one by one, the other princes, Duryodhana and his
brothers, Bhima and also the princes from other lands who are his disciples.
He asks each one the same question, and from each he has the same answer
that Yudhishtira gives him: ‘I see the tree, yourself, my fellow sishyas, and
the bird.’
Drona does not give any of them a chance to shoot at the wooden bird
but reproachfully tells them all to stand down.”
——————
8* There is some doubt about Karna appearing here. It seems likely that he
enters the picture only later, during the exhibition of arms.
CANTO 135
aisampayana said, “When all the other princes have failed his test,
Drona, with a smile, calls on Arjuna. He says, ‘It seems you are the
one to bring the bird down. Raise your bow and aim, my son.’
Arjuna raises his bow, bends it and takes aim. He stands very still, then
Drona asks softly, ‘Arjuna, do you see the bird, the tree and me?’
Arjuna replies, ‘I only see the bird, master, not the tree or you.’
Drona seems pleased with Arjuna’s answer. He asks that Pandava
Maharatha, ‘If you see only the vulture, describe it to me.’
Arjuna says, ‘I see only the head of the vulture, not its body.’
The hair on Drona’s body stands on end in delight. He says to Partha,
‘Shoot it.’ Arjuna looses his arrow and neatly severs the wooden vulture’s
head, bringing it down. Drona clasps Arjuna in his arms; he feels certain
that Drupada and his allies are as good as vanquished.
Some days after this, Bharatarishabha, Drona goes to bathe in the holy
Ganga, taking all his pupils with him. As soon as Drona enters the water an
enormous crocodile, which seems to have been sent by Yama himself,
seizes him by the thigh. Now, the Brahmana is quite capable of killing the
beast and saving himself. Instead, pretending to be helpless, he cries as if in
a panic to his sishyas on the shore, ‘Save me! Save me!’
The words hardly leave his mouth, when Arjuna has shot the monstrous
crocodile with five terrific arrows, cutting it in five pieces so it releases
Drona’s leg and dies, while the others still stand dazed on the riverbank.
Once again, seeing how vigilant Arjuna is, how quick his reflexes are,
Drona is pleased no end.
Bharadwaja’s illustrious son says to the irresistible rathika Arjuna,
‘Powerful one, receive this ineluctable astra from me, and the mantras for
discharging and recalling it. It is the Brahmasirsa, the weapon formed like
the heads of Brahma. You must never cast it at any human adversary, for if
invoked against an inferior enemy it can consume the very universe.
Child, they say that this astra has no equal in the three worlds. Keep it
with the utmost care. If ever a superhuman enemy threatens you, you can
use the Brahmasirsa to kill him, and only then.’
Arjuna swears that he will do as Drona says, and then, folding his hands
to his Guru, receives that Mahastra.
Drona says to him, ‘No one on Earth shall become a better archer than
you. No enemy shall ever vanquish you, and your achievements shall be
unparalleled.’”
CANTO 136
aisampayana said, “O Bharata, when Drona sees that his pupils, the
sons of Dhritarashtra and Pandu, are masters at arms, he goes to the
blind king and speaks to him in the presence of Kripa, Somadatta,
Bahlika, the sage Bhishma, Vyasa and Vidura.
Drona says, ‘Greatest of the Kuru kings, your children’s tutelage is
complete. I crave your leave for them to show their skills to the people, at
an exhibition of arms.’
Dhritarashtra says in joy, ‘Brahmana, you have accomplished a great
task. You decide the time, the place and the nature of the exhibition. Ah,
today sorrow overwhelms me that I am blind and I envy those blessed with
sight who can watch my children perform. Vidura, my brother, give Drona
all the help he needs; nothing will make me happier.’
Vidura assures the king that he will, and goes with Drona. Drona selects
a plot of land where no trees or bushes grow, but which has a good number
of wells and small springs. Upon that land, he worships and offers a
sacrifice to the Gods, on a day of an auspicious nakshatra, in the presence
of the people. Bharatarishabha, the king’s artisans build a large and elegant
arena and dais on that land, by the rules for such a construction laid down in
the Shastras. They bring every kind of weapon to the dais.
They build a separate, fine enclosure for the women, while the common
citizens build themselves tiered stands from where to watch the princes’
display, while the richer ones pitch bright and luxurious tents for
themselves around the arena.
Comes the day of the tournament and Dhritarashtra arrives at the royal
enclosure, of almost unearthly beauty, made from gold, adorned with strings
of pearls, and with lapis lazuli. Bhishma and the great Kripa walk before
Dhritarashtra, and his ministers come with him.
Wearing rich finery, accompanied by their sakhis, Gandhari, of great
fortune, Kunti and the other ladies of the royal household climb the steps to
their platforms, even as the Devastris do the Sumeru Mountain, in joy.
People of the four varnas throng the arena, to watch the princes show
their skills. So impatient are they that the teeming crowd assembles there in
what seems like a single moment. Trumpets blare, drums sound on every
side, and the voices of the people echo as a single great voice. The arena is
like a disturbed sea.
Finally, Drona, wearing white, the sacred thread around his body white,
his hair all white, and his beard, as also the garland he wears, and his body
smeared with white sandalwood paste, enters the arena, with Aswatthama at
his side. They appear like the full Moon in a clear sky with Mangala, Mars,
beside him.
Entering, the son of Bharadwaja performs the apposite worship, and
other Brahmans, all knowers of mantras, perform every auspicious and
solemn ritual. Melodious music is played on stringed and wind instruments,
then some servitors enter, bearing armfuls of shining weapons, which they
set down upon the dais.
Now the Bharata princes, mighty Kshatriyas, file in, led by the eldest
prince, Yudhishtira. They wear gauntlets, and carry bows and quivers, and
march in, in order of their age, and begin a breathtaking display of their
skills at arms.
So powerful and swift is that exhibition that some of the people lower or
cover their heads in fright, that arrows might fall upon them from the sky,
while others watch calmly, but wonder-stricken.
Targets are set up, each bearing one prince’s name. Flying around the
arena on horseback every prince finds his own target, unerringly, with a
clutch of arrows. So magnificent are they that the people feel they have
been transported to a city of Gandharvas.
And, O Bharata, suddenly hundreds of thousands of voices are raised,
crying, ‘O well done! Well done!’ The people gape in wonder.
Repeatedly, the princes show their mastery at the longbow, their
stunning skills as charioteers. Then they pick up their swords and small
shields, and begin to circle the arena, like a pride of young lions. The
people stare unwinkingly at their magnificent physiques, their agility, grace
and lightning-swift control over their weapons, with which they hew and
strike at one another, but never once so much as nick their adversaries’ skin.
Next, like two mountains Bhima and Suyodhana enter the arena, maces
in hand, both of them inwardly delighted at the prospect of this duel. They
gird their loins and, drawing deep breaths, roar like two elephants
trumpeting against each other for the favours of a cow-elephant.
Like two enraged elephants, the two awesome Kshatriyas circle each
other, right and then left, and then they strike out like thunder and lightning
at one another, while Vidura describes their duel to the blind Dhritarashtra
and Kunti does the same for Gandhari, whose eyes are bound.”
CANTO 137
aisampayana continued, “When Duryodhana and Bhima, strongest of

all Kshatriyas, fight in the arena, they immediately divide the
spectators between them.
Some of the people cry, ‘Look at the mighty Suyodhana!’
Others shout, ‘Bhima! The invincible Bhima!’
There is great uproar, and seeing the crowd like an agitated sea, Drona
immediately calls his son and says, ‘Stop them! They must not divide the
people like this and provoke the fury of the crowd.’
Aswatthama comes between the combatants, who have their maces in
the air and are like two swollen oceans agitated by the winds of the Pralaya.
Reluctantly they stand apart.
Now Drona walks into the arena himself and holds his hand up so the
musicians stop playing and silence falls. Drona speaks in a voice like
rumbling clouds, ‘Now you will see the skills of Arjuna, dearer to me than
my own son. Partha is the son of Indra and a master of every weapon, like
Vishnu’s younger brother himself!’
The young Arjuna performs the rites of propitiation, and walks into the
arena wearing his finger-guards, carrying his bow and his quiver full of
arrows, clad in golden mail. He appears like an evening cloud that reflects
the sun’s last rays, and is lit by the colours of a rainbow, and also by streaks
of lightning.
The crowd is beside itself to see this prince, and conches resound all
around the stadium, and the musicians take up again in celebration. There is
a great roar in that place, for thousands of voices are raised at once in praise
of Arjuna.
‘Here is Kunti’s son, so full of grace!’
‘This is the third Pandava, the middle one!’
‘He is the son of Indra!’
‘The protector of the Kurus!’
‘The greatest warrior!’
‘The greatest man of dharma!’
‘No one is as dignified, respectful and well behaved as Arjuna!’
When Kunti hears all this, her breasts well with milk, and the tears of joy
that stream from her eyes mingle with the milk.
Dhritarashtra hears the uproar of affection for Arjuna, and in some
delight asks Vidura, ‘Kshatri, what is this din, like an ocean suddenly risen
to tear open the sky?’
Vidura replies, ‘Rajan, Arjuna, the son of Pandu and Pritha, has entered
the arena wearing his kavacha. The crowd is shouting for him!’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘Mahatman, I am blessed, favoured and protected by
the three fires that have sprung from the sacred fuel which is Kunti!’
When the excited people are somewhat calm again, Arjuna begins an
amazing display of his skills at arms. He makes fire with the Agneyastra,
creates water with the Varunastra, winds with the Vayavyastra, and clouds
in the sky with the Parjannyastra.
With the Bhaumastra he creates land, earth, and with the Parvatyastra he
makes mountains; then, with the Antardhana, he makes all these vanish in a
wink. With other weapons, he makes himself great and minuscule; one
moment, he appears at his chariothead; the next, he rides in the chariot; and
the next instant he stands upon the ground.
He strikes targets set up for him with dazzling volleys of different shafts,
some soft, some slender and others thick. An iron boar flies, swift as time,
around the arena, and the peerless bowman shoots five arrows, like a single
shaft into its mouth, all five together from his bowstring. He looses twenty-
one shafts into a hollow cow’s horn hung from a rope swaying wide.
Sinless one, Arjuna shows his magical skills at the longbow, the sword
and the mace, as he walks around the arena.
Bharata, when Arjuna has almost finished his stunning display, when the
crowd has fallen hushed by it, and the music, too, has stopped, suddenly,
from the main gate to the arena comes a sound of someone slapping his
arms against his shoulders and chest, like thunder, announcing himself and
his might.
O King, the people cower at that sound, thinking, ‘Are the mountains
being riven, is the Earth herself cracking open, or are thunderheads roaring
from a clear sky?’
Every eye is turned to the gate. Drona stands very still, with the five
Pandavas around him, looking like the Moon surrounded by the five stars of
the constellation Hasta. Duryodhana jumps up, surrounded by his hundred
brothers and Aswatthama with them. The Kaurava prince and his brothers
with their weapons raised looks like Indra, in the eldest days, surrounded by
his celestial warriors just before the war against the Danavas.”
CANTO 138
aisampayana continued, “Slowly, wide-eyed, the people make way

for that Purandara, and Karna enters the arena majestically, a
walking mountain of presence, with his natural golden armour, his
golden earrings that he is born with, his sword at his waist and his bow in
his hand.
The great-eyed hero, who would become a razer of enemy armies, is
Kunti’s son, born when she is a virgin in her father’s house. He is an amsa
of the livid Sun, and his strength and his energy are those of a lion, a bull or
of a tusker that leads his herd. He is as splendid as Surya, as handsome as
Soma, and he blazes like Agni Deva. He is tall, like a golden palm tree,
bursting with vital youth, and he can kill a lion with his bare hands, that son
of Surya.
Handsome is Karna, and beyond counting his gifts and
accomplishments. He walks haughtily into the arena and bows cursorily to
Drona and Kripa, barely inclining his head. No one in the crowd can take
their eyes off him for a moment and a single impatient thought is in
everyone’s mind: ‘Who is he, this godlike warrior?’
The Suryaputra says to Arjuna, his brother he does not know, in a voice
deep as rumbling thunderheads, ‘I will better your every feat, O Partha,
before this staring crowd, and you will be astonished.’
In a moment, that crowd is on its feet, as if compelled to rise by an
unseen and irresistible force. O Purushavyaghra, suddenly Duryodhana
feels a tide of joy in his blood, while Arjuna feels a rush of shame and
anger.
Taking Drona’s permission, formally, Karna proceeds calmly to perform
every feat that Arjuna has; only he excels the Pandava’s exhibition,
effortlessly. Duryodhana and his brothers run to embrace the golden
warrior.
Duryodhana cries in joy, ‘Welcome, O Mahabaho, great hero! It is my
great fortune that has brought you here today. Live among us as long as you
please, for I am yours to command, as is this kingdom of the Kurus.’
Karna replies, ‘When you say it, I think of it as being already done. But,
Suyodhana, I want only your friendship and your love. Also, my lord, I now
challenge Arjuna to single combat, a duel.’
Duryodhana says, ‘Enjoy the best that life has to offer with me. Be my
friend and my benefactor. O Parantapa, grind the heads of your enemies
beneath your feet.’
Feeling humiliated, Arjuna says to Karna, who stands among the
Kauravas like some shining cliff, ‘Karna, you shall find the fate of the
unwelcome intruder and the uninvited speaker, for I will kill you.’
Karna replies, ‘This arena is not your private preserve, Arjuna, but
meant for everyone to show their skills. The Kshatriya regards deeds not
words. Argument is for the weak. Bharata, talk to me with arrows and I will
strike your head off with arrows, why, in the very presence of your Guru.’
His brothers embrace Arjuna, one by one, and bowing to Drona, Partha
stands forth, ready for the duel. On the other side, Duryodhana and his
brothers embrace Karna, and he also stands forth with his bow and arrows.
Suddenly the sky fills with dark clouds, gashed by lightning, and Indra’s
bow, the rainbow, the Indradhanush, flashes its colours across the stadium
and the arena. A flight of white cranes wings its way across the clouds,
which seem to rumble with laughter at the pale birds.
Seeing Indra looking down upon the arena of the Kurus, out of love for
his son, Surya dispels the clouds above his son, bathing Karna in golden
light. Arjuna is hidden by the darkness of clouds, while Karna shines in the
rays of the Sun.
Dhritarashtra’s sons stand with Karna, while Drona, Kripa and Bhishma
stand behind Arjuna. The crowd is also divided in its loyalty, as are the
women in their enclosure. Realising who the golden warrior is, Kunti faints.
Helped by the women of the palace, Vidura revives her by sprinkling
sandalwood paste mixed with water over her.
Waking, Kunti sees her two sons, wearing armour, facing each other, and
fear grips her. But she is helpless to do anything. Saradwat’s son Kripa sees
the two warriors with their bows in their hands, strung, ready for the duel.
He knows the rules for such an encounter and speaks to Karna.
Kripa says, ‘This Pandava of the House of Kuru is the youngest son of
Kunti, and stands ready to battle with you. Mahabaho, you must also
declare yourself. Tell us your lineage, the names of your father and your
mother, and of the royal line of which you are the jewel. When you have
declared your ancestry, Arjuna will decide if he will fight you or not. For
the sons of kings never engage lowborn men.’
Suddenly Karna’s face falls; he is like a brilliant lotus turned pale and its
petals shredded by lashing rain.
But now Duryodhana speaks. ‘Acharya, the Shastras clearly say that
three kinds of men can claim royalty for themselves: those that are born
royal, great heroes and men that lead armies. If Arjuna will not fight anyone
that is less than a king, I say to you I will crown Karna king of Anga!’
Immediately calling for a golden throne to be fetched, with dry rice
grains, flowers, urns with holy water, gold for daana, Duryodhana has his
Brahmanas formally crown Karna king of Anga, which is part of the Kuru
kingdom but has no ruler. The white sovereign parasol is unfurled over
Karna’s head, and yak-tail chamaras waved around that most graceful and
tremendous warrior.
When the lusty cheering of the section of the crowd loyal to Duryodhana
subsides, Karna, now a king, says to the Kaurava prince, ‘Tiger among
princes, what can I give you in return for this gift of a kingdom? I will give
you anything at all.’
Suyodhana says to him, ‘I want your friendship.’
Karna replies, ‘That is already yours.’
They embrace in joy, and feel untold delight.”
CANTO 139
aisampayana said, ‘Now Adhiratha walks into the arena, sweating,

trembling, and supporting himself with a staff.’
Karna sees his adoptive father, puts down his bow and bows his
head still dripping with the waters of the abhisheka that has made him a
king. The Suta charioteer quickly covers his feet with his cloth and clasps
Karna in his arms, his son who has become a king! His tears of love and joy
fall onto Karna’s head, mingling with the water of the coronation.
Bhima sees Adhiratha and mocks Karna, ‘Suta putra, son of a charioteer,
you do not deserve to die at Arjuna’s hands. Throw away your bow and take
up a horsewhip; it better suits your birth and your station. Lowborn fellow,
surely you deserve to be king of Anga as much as a dog deserves to feed on
the ghee from a yagna fire!’
Karna fetches a resounding sigh and looks up in despair at the Sun God
in the sky, for he cannot respond to Bhima’s taunts. But now, like a
maddened elephant rising from a bank of lotuses, Duryodhana rises in
wrath from amongst his brothers.
He says to the mighty Bhima, ‘Vrikodara, your words demean you. A
Kshatriya is always judged by just his prowess, and a Kshatriya even if he
is a lowborn, deserves a fight if he is powerful. The origin of the greatest
heroes is like the spring of a great river: unknown, hidden.
The Badava that consumes the world in flames rises from the Sea; the
Vajra that burns the Danavas is made from a bone of a mortal man:
Dadhichi. The lineage of the lustrous God Kartikeya, who is an amsa of
every other Deva, the deity Guha, remains a mystery. Some say he is the
son of Agni; some say he is Krittika’s son; others say he is the child of
Rudra, and yet others say he is Ganga’s son.
We have all heard of men born as Kshatriyas becoming Brahmanas.
Viswamitra and other Rajarishis, too, attained the Parabrahman. Our
peerless Acharya Drona is born from a waterpot, and Kripa of the race of
Gautama in a clump of reeds. O Pandavas, consider your own births!
I ask you, can a doe bring forth a tiger like this Karna, as splendid as the
Sun, and bearing every auspicious mark upon his body, and born with
natural kavacha and kundala? I tell you this prince among men deserves to
be not merely king of Anga but of the world! For he is so mighty, and I
have sworn to obey him in all things. If there is anyone here who disagrees
with what I have done for Karna, let him climb into his chariot and bend his
bow with his feet!’
There is a loud and somewhat confused murmur among the crowd at
what Duryodhana says. But now the Sun sets and Duryodhana takes
Karna’s hand and leads him out of the arena, now being lit with countless
lamps. Rajan, the Pandavas, with Drona, Bhishma and Kripa, also return to
the palace. The people also go to their homes, some with Arjuna’s name on
their lips, others with Karna’s and others praising Duryodhana’s deed.
Kunti, who recognises her firstborn son from all the auspicious marks
upon his body, is delighted to see him made king of Anga. As for
Duryodhana, having made a friend of Karna, he banishes the fear of
Arjuna’s stellar archery from his heart. Karna, great warrior, gives his
wholehearted friendship and loyalty, and speaks sweetly and gently to the
Kaurava prince, pleasing him in every way.
Yudhishtira is certain that there is no warrior on Earth like Karna.”
CANTO 140
aisampayana continued, “Now that their education is complete and

the sons of Dhritarashtra and Pandu are proficient at arms, Drona
feels the time has come to ask them for Guru dakshina. He calls them
together one day and says, ‘It is time you gives me my dakshina for what I
have taught you. I want you to vanquish the Panchala king Drupada in
battle, bind him and bring him before me as a captive.’
Without hesitation, the young Kshatriyas reply, ‘We shall!’ They climb
into their chariots and ride out of Hastinapura, taking Drona with them, to
give their Guru the fee he wants. Those Purusharishabhas, bulls among
men, sweep through Panchala lands, disdainfully razing any resistance they
meet, and lay siege to Drupada’s capital.
Duryodhana, Karna, mighty Yuyutsu, Dushasana, Vikarna, Jalasandha,
Sulochana and so many other tremendous Kshatriya princes are now keen
to lead the attack on the city. Riding in fine chariots, the princes follow the
first charge of their cavalry, burst into the Panchala capital and thunder
down the city streets.
Drupada, meanwhile, sees the attacking force; he hears the din it makes
as it breaches his city gates and emerges from his palace with his brothers to
face the intruders. The great Drupada Yagnasena is mighty indeed, but the
Kurus roar all together and cover him with their arrows. But Drupada is a
quenchless Kshatriya, with hardly an equal on Earth at arms; he flies at the
enemy in his flashing white chariot, flitting here and there, and assailing
them with a veritable gale of arrows from his wizardly bow.
Before this battle begins, and while the Kauravas are beating their chests
to be at the city and its king, Arjuna does not string his bow but says quietly
to his master, the great Brahmana, ‘None of these can ever hope to take
captive Drupada in battle. Let him exhaust them and then we will ride.’
Thus, the Pandavas wait a yojana outside the city, while the Kauravas
attack it. Inside Drupada’s capital, in the main city-square outside the
palace, Drupada by now has the measure of the Kuru princes; his arrow
storms steadily beat the marauders back, injuring almost every prince. So
swiftly and adroitly does he manoeuvre his chariot that the Kurus feel that
not one but a hundred terrible Drupadas harry them.
From every side, that dauntless king’s shafts fly at the Kuru force, and
then everywhere conches boom and drums are heard, in thousands and
thousands, sounding the general alarm for the Panchalas to rouse
themselves, for danger threatens. Quickly, a great Panchala force gathers
and faces the enemy; from that teeming host there arises a roar like some
mythic lion’s; the twanging of their bowstrings threatens to tear open the
sky.
This only enrages the dauntless Duryodhana, Vikarna, Subahu,
Dirghalochana, Dushasana and their brothers. They loose fierce volleys of
arrows at the Panchalas, wounding even their king.
But Prishata’s son, O Bharata, the invincible Drupada raises his own
archery to another realm. He whirls across the field like a wheel of fire, and
in the twinkling of an eye strikes Duryodhana, Vikarna and even Karna, as
well as countless other enemy warriors, with his fierce barbs, as if to
quench those shafts’ thirst for blood.
And now the people of the Panchala capital attack the Kurus from every
side, with any kind of weapon on which they can lay their hands. Young
and old rush into the fray, hurling spears and staffs and pestles at the enemy
like clouds pour raindrops upon the Earth. The Kauravas are overwhelmed;
they panic, and flee howling back out of the city and to where Drona waits
with the Pandavas.
The Pandavas hear the wails and screams of their cousins, as they turn
tail, and now the sons of Pandu calmly climb into their chariots. Arjuna
quickly tells Yudhishtira that, as the heir to the throne of Hastinapura, he
must not take part in this skirmish. Drona endorses the view, and
Yudhishtira remains with his Guru.
Bhima, mace in hand, leads the charge of four brothers, while Nakula
and Sahadeva ride beside the chariot wheels of Arjuna following his titanic
brother, whose roars shake the Earth and the Sky. The Panchalas roar back,
but their yells are drowned by the thunder of the chariot wheels of Atiratha
Arjuna.
Like a great makara entering the Sea, Bhima Mahabaho rushes eagerly
into the Panchala ranks, mace in hand, and he is like another Yama. His
roars are like a tempest raging upon an ocean. Bhima first goes among the
Panchala war elephants and smites them with his dreadful gada, like Death
himself.
The mountainous beasts fall all around him, their heads smashed like
melons. Their blood spraying everywhere, running in streams down their
own bodies the mastodons collapse like cliffs struck by thunder and
crumbling.
Meanwhile, the carnage Arjuna brings to the elephants is as savage as
his mace-wielding brother’s: he fells them at will with searing fusillades of
arrows. Nakula and Sahadeva are not far behind in the havoc they fetch.
The Pandavas fell thousands of elephants and horses, shatter chariots
beyond count, and kill as many footsoldiers and rathikas.
Bhima drives the Panchalas before him, on pachyderms, horses or in
chariots, as a herdsman in the forest does his cattle!
Remembering the purpose of their mission, remembering the word he
has given Drona, Arjuna shoots Drupada down from the back of the
elephant that king now rides. Again, he turns his attentions to the rest of the
Panchala army, and once more consumes them all around him, even like the
fire at the end of the Yuga. In thousands upon thousands he razes the
enemy.
Roused, the Panchalas and the Srinjayas loose a gale of every manner of
weapon at Arjuna. Roaring to shake the ground beneath their feet and
chariot wheels, they fight frantically against the Pandava. A pitched, brutal
battle breaks out.
Hearing the enemy roar at him, the eyes of Indra’s son turn red and he
charges at them, covering them with a dense swarm of deadly arrows,
falling on them with renewed ferocity. Those that watch Arjuna, his body
bright, see his hands as a blur; they see no pause in his archery: it is a
single, constant stream, a thing of marvel. The screams of those that Arjuna
slays mingle with the helpless cries of admiration that he draws from his
enemies at his unearthly archery.
Drupada, king of the Panchalas, with his Senapati Satyajit at his side,
rushes at Arjuna, rather as the Asura Sambara did at Indra during their
contention in time out of mind. Arjuna covers him in a cloak of brilliant
arrows. A dismal cry erupts from the Panchala host, like that of a herd of
elephants when a lion springs at the leader of the herd.
Satyajit sees Arjuna bearing down on Drupada to seize him, and the
mighty Panchala Senapati flies at the Pandava. They fight, circling in their
chariots, like Indra and Virochana’s son Mahabali did of yore. Suddenly,
Arjuna shatters Satyajit’s defences and strikes him with ten arrows, drawing
a gasp from the watching army.
But the doughty Satyajit looses a hundred shafts in reply at Arjuna.
Quick as thinking, Maharatha Arjuna tightens his bowstring and raises his
archery. He breaks the bow in Satyajit’s hand and speeds towards Drupada
again. But Satyajit seizes up a stronger bow and, in a flash, strikes Arjuna,
his chariot, his horses and his sarathy with a cluster of arrows.
Arjuna is not forgiving, but retorts with a rash of shafts that find
Satyajit’s horses, charioteer, shred his banner, break his bow, pierce agony
through his left hand that loosed fire, and shoots the warrior who guards his
back. Finding his bows repeatedly cut in twain and his horses slain, Satyajit
gives up the unequal fight and retreats.
Drupada sees his Senapati beaten and looses a flurry of arrows at
Arjuna, who breaks the Panchala king’s bow, also his flagstaff, and strikes
his horses and his sarathy, all with five shafts each. Suddenly, with a roar,
Arjuna throws down his bow and quiver, seizes up a curved sword, and
leaps from his chariot into his adversary’s ratha.
In a wink, he sets the sword to Drupada’s throat and seizes him, as
Garuda does a great sea serpent after stirring the waves with his wings. The
Panchala soldiers flee in every direction.
Roaring still, triumphantly at having shown his prowess in his first
actual battle, Arjuna issues from the Panchala army and the city gates, with
his captive now in his own chariot. Seeing him, Bhima roars like ten lions
and falls even more ferociously upon the hapless Panchala troops, while
Nakula and Sahadeva also begin to raze the city.
Arjuna cries to them, ‘This best of kings is related to the Kurus. Spare
his men, Bhima. We come only to give our Acharya his dakshina, and that
we have now.’
Reluctantly, for he has not had his fill of bloodshed, Bhima stops his
slaughtering. The Pandava princes ride back to Drona with Drupada, whom
they offer to their master for his fee.
Drona sees Drupada his captive, to do with as he pleases; he sees the
Panchala king humbled and helpless, and he remembers how his childhood
friend had humiliated him.
Says Drona, ‘I have laid waste your kingdom and your capital. But do
not fear for your life, though it is now in your enemy’s hands. Tell me
Drupada, do you now want to be my friend again?’ Drona smiles, ‘No, have
no fear for your life, because we Brahmanas are forgiving by nature.
Kshatriyarishabha, I have not forgotten our old friendship and love, from
when we were boys together in our Guru’s asrama.
And so, O King, I ask you once again for your friendship, and in return,
as my gift to you, I will give you back half your kingdom, which is now
mine. You once told me that only one king could befriend another; so, O
Yagnasena, I will keep half your kingdom.
You will be king of all the Panchala lands south of the Ganga, while I
become king of those north of the river. Panchala, if it pleases you, be my
friend again.’
Drupada replies, ‘You are a noble soul and mighty indeed, O Drona, and
I am not surprised by your generosity. I wish for eternal friendship with
you.’
Drona releases the Panchala king, O Bharata, and formally returns half
his kingdom to him, believing innocently that the past is forgotten and they
are both pleased. Thereafter, Drupada begins to live, in some sorrow, in the
city of Kampilya in the province of Makandi on the banks of the Ganga. He
still rules over many towns and cities.
After Drona vanquishes him, Drupada also rules the southern Panchalas
up to the bank of the Charmanwati, and he is utterly convinced that he can
never hope to defeat the Brahmana in battle because Drona is immeasurably
more powerful than he is: in Brahma shakti.
But being a Kshatriya, Drupada is determined to have his revenge. He
ranges the world, wishing for a son who will one day kill Drona.
Meanwhile, Drona lives in Ahicchatra, ruling over the northern
Panchalas. Thus, indeed, is the land of Ahicchatra, full of towns and cities,
won in battle by Arjuna and given to Drona for his Guru dakshina.”
CANTO 141
aisampayana continued, “A year passes, then Dhritarashtra makes

Pandu’s son Yudhishtira the Yuvaraja, the heir apparent. It is the
wish of the people and the eldest Pandava is an embodiment of
dharma: in his rectitude, his firmness, fortitude, patience, kindness,
frankness and perfect honesty.
Very quickly, Kunti’s son overshadows even his father Pandu’s great
deeds. So punctilious and righteous is Yudhishtira, so devoted to the
kingdom and his people.
At about the same time, Bhima Vrikodara receives further lessons from
Balarama at mace fighting, and fighting with a sword and from a chariot.
When he completes his tutelage, Bhima is as mighty as Balarama himself,
and he is as devoted as ever to his brothers.
Arjuna, of course, wins great renown for his archery: his swiftness of
hand, the firmness of his grip, his incredible accuracy. Besides, he is a
master of the kshura, the naracha, the bala and the vipatha; why, he is an
expert at every weapon, be it straight or crooked, heavy or light. Drona
openly endorses the belief that there is no archer, no complete warrior on
Earth to rival Arjuna.
One day, in the presence of all the Kuru princes, Drona says to Arjuna,
‘Agastya Muni has a disciple in the astra shastra, and his name is Agnivesa.
Agnivesa was my Guru, and I was his sishya. I performed tapasya and
served my master diligently, so he gave me the Brahmasirsa, which never
fails, which is like thunder, and which can consume the very Earth.
O Bharata, that astra can now pass from one sishya to another. When he
gave it to me, my Guru said, “O son of Bharadwaja, you must never cast
this astra at any Manava, especially not at one who is not himself a great
warrior.” Kshatriya, you and you alone have received that weapon from me,
and no one else deserves to have it. But you must honour the command of
the Rishi Agnivesha. Also, Arjuna, now swear in the presence of your
brothers and cousins, and other kin, that you will give me whatever
dakshina I demand from you.’
Arjuna says, simply, ‘I swear, Acharya.’
Drona says, ‘Sinless, if you ever meet me in battle, you must fight
without giving me any quarter.’
Arjuna is startled, but he bows his head, swearing to do what his master
asks. He then touches Drona’s feet for his blessing, and taking it, goes away
to the north.
Soon, a cry ranges through the world, a great shout that covers the Earth
and her girdle of seas: that there is no bowman anywhere like Arjuna the
Pandava. It is true; no one can face him in battle, with the mace, the sword,
in a chariot, and especially with a bow. His skills and his prowess are
unearthly.
Sahadeva learns dharma, all the laws of morality and duty, from
Brihaspati, and he continues living under the control of his elder brothers.
Nakula, the favourite of his brothers, becomes a Maharatha, a master of
chariot warfare, and his guru is Drona.
Arjuna and the other Pandavas become so powerful that they kill the
great Sauvira in battle, Sauvira who has performed a yagna that lasted three
years, easily repulsing the constant raids of marauding Gandharvas.
Arjuna subdues the king of the Yavanas, whom even Pandu had failed to
conquer. The brilliant Arjuna makes Vipula, a Sauvira king, of great might,
who had always shown disregard for the Kurus, feel the keen edge of his
power. He humbles King Sumitra of the same race, who is also called
Dattamitra, who had challenged him contemptuously.
Bhima and Arjuna, by themselves, in a single chariot, subdue all the
kings of the East, who have ten thousand chariots. Arjuna by himself
conquers the entire South, and sends back vast wealth to Hastinapura; he is
then called Dhananjaya, winner of wealth.
Thus, the Pandavas extend the Kuru kingdom in every direction, with
their unearthly, irresistible prowess. Seeing their astonishing achievements,
suddenly Dhritarashtra is stricken by envy, which enters his heart like
poison. Dreadful anxiety seizes the king in green talons and he can hardly
sleep.”
CANTO 142
aisampayana continued, “The wretched Dhritarashtra sees his

nephews become more powerful than he likes, and he calls his wily
minister Kanika to him. This man is an expert politician and a trusted
advisor.
Dhritarashtra says, ‘Brahmanashreshta, daily the Pandavas increase their
power over the Earth, and envy stings my heart like a serpent. Shall I live in
peace with them or become their enemy? Kanika advise me well, for I will
do what you say.’
Kanika replies, ‘Listen carefully, sinless king, and, Kurusthama, do not
be angry when you hear what I say.
Kings should always increase their own power, and keep their maces
raised always to crush anyone who threatens them. A king must be most
discreet himself, and ever watchful of the indiscretions of his enemies. If a
king is always prepared to strike, everyone fears him. So, a king must be
ever ready to punish those that transgress his will, or threaten his power.
He must conduct himself so he shows no weakness, ever, while he finds
any chink in his enemy’s armour and then hunts him down and kills him. A
king keeps his own weaknesses hidden, like the tortoise hides its soft body
in its shell, as also his purposes and his means to achieve them.
Once he sets a course for himself, he does not rest until his end is
achieved; he never turns back. My lord, if you do not remove a thorn
completely from your flesh, it festers and creates a sore. So, too, if a king
has an enemy, he must not let him live, but kill him. If his enemy is
powerful, he must watch and wait for his evil hour, his enemy’s time of
misfortune, and then strike him down ruthlessly.
Sire, you must never underestimate an enemy, however contemptible he
might be; you must never mock him openly or show your enmity towards
him. A small spark can consume a great forest, if it can leap from one tree
to the next.
Kings must sometimes pretend to be deaf and blind to faults they most
want to punish, enemies they most want to crush, especially when they are
powerless to effect the killing they wish for in their hearts. When powerless,
they must think that their bows are made of straw, while being always as
vigilant as a herd of deer sleeping in a jungle.
When the enemy is in your power strike and destroy him without mercy,
openly or secretly, by fair means or foul. Why, he might seek your
protection, but your heart must be like a stone, and you must not spare him,
for then later he will surely take revenge on you. Spare no expense to kill
your enemy, and then you will have peace, for the dead can never be a
threat to you.
You must destroy your enemy’s resources: the three, the five and the
seven. You must destroy your enemies, root and branch. Then you must
destroy their friends and allies, who cannot flourish anymore once their
leader dies. If you tear up the root of the tree, the branches and twigs will
wither and die of themselves.
Keep your own purpose secret and hidden, and watch your enemy like
an eagle, always watching for his weakness. A king must always be vigilant
and watch his enemies anxiously.
First win the confidence of your enemy by keeping the fire of sacrifice
lit, by wearing valkala and jata, and sleeping on animal hide. And when he
lets you near him, spring on him like a wolf! It has been well said that to
acquire wealth and kingdom even a guise of holiness can be adopted, as a
hooked staff to draw the branch down to you so you can pluck the ripe fruit
from it.
So, too, should you select the enemy that is ripe for killing. Support your
enemy, carry him upon your shoulders, until the right moment arrives to
fling him down and break him in pieces like an earthen pot hurled down on
a rock. Let your enemy beg piteously for his life; you must not spare him.
An enemy can be destroyed by artful conciliation, by lavishing money
on him. Cause dissension among his friends and allies; poison their minds
subtly against him. Yes, use whatever means you need to, that is in your
power, do anything that you must to kill the enemy who is dangerous to
you.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘Tell me truly how an enemy can be destroyed by
conciliation or gifts, by dissension and finally by the use of force.’
Kanika replies, ‘Listen, O King, to the story of the jackal who lived once
in the forest and was a shrewd master of politics. Yes, he was a wise jackal,
who lived with four friends in the jungle: a tiger, a mouse, a wolf and a
mongoose.
One day the five friends saw a powerful, well-fleshed stag in the forest,
a leader of his herd, but they could not catch or kill him, so strong and so
swift was he. They called a council to discuss how the stag could be hunted.
The jackal said, “Tiger, many times you have tried to stalk and kill the
stag, but you haven’t succeeded because he is young, quick and intelligent.
Let the mouse go and gnaw his hooves while he sleeps, and when this is
done, you, Tiger, will be able to seize him. Then all of us can feast on him.”
They agreed with him, and the mouse ate into the deer’s hooves while it
slept, weakening them, and then the tiger easily killed the stag. When the
tiger had broken his neck and the stag lay motionless on the ground, the
jackal said to his companions, “We are blessed today! Go now and bathe in
the stream before we begin our feast. I will watch over the carcass until you
return.”
The others promptly went off to bathe and the jackal sat with the fat
carcass of the stag, lost in thought about what he should do next. The
mighty tiger returned first after bathing. He saw the jackal plunged in
thought.
The tiger said, “Wise one, why do you seem so sad? Most intelligent
Jackal, let us feast on the stag.”
The jackal said, “Mahabaho, listen to what the mouse said. He said, ‘Fie
upon the strength of the king of beasts! I killed the deer, and because of me
the tiger will eat his fill today.’
After hearing his brag, I have no wish to eat today.”
The tiger said, “If this is what the mouse said, from today I will kill any
creature I find in the jungle by myself and eat alone.” With that, the tiger
left.
Soon, the mouse arrived, and seeing him the jackal said, “Blessings, O
Mouse, but have you heard what the mongoose said? He said, ‘The carcass
of this stag is poisoned by the claws of the tiger and I will not eat it.’ But, if
you allow me, O Jackal, I will kill the mouse and feed on his flesh.”
The mouse heard this and fled down into his hole in the ground. And
after the mouse had gone, O King, the wolf arrived there after his ablutions.
The jackal said to him, “The king of beasts is angry with you, and I fear
evil will overtake you. He is on his way here with his mate, and you must
do as you please.”
The wolf, of course, slunk away and, immediately after, the mongoose
arrived. The jackal said, “I have vanquished the others who want to eat the
stag, and they fled. You, too, must fight me first if you want to eat.”
The mongoose replied, “When you have beaten the tiger, the wolf and
the intelligent mouse, all heroes in their way, you must be truly strong. I do
not want to fight you.”
The mongoose also left. When the others had all gone, the jackal feasted
alone on the stag. My lord, if kings would be as wily as that clever jackal,
they would always prevail over their enemies, and always be happy.
You must defeat the timid by playing on their fears, the brave and the
strong by conciliation, the greedy by gifts, and your equals and your
inferiors by an open show of strength.’
Kanika pauses before continuing, ‘Listen, O King, to something else. If
your son, friend, brother, father, your Guru or anyone at all becomes your
enemy, you must never hesitate to kill him, if you wish your own happiness.
Never disdain to kill an enemy, whoever he might be.
If two enemies are equally strong, and uncertain of success in an open
encounter, the diligent one will prosper. If your Guru himself is vain, lacks
discrimination about what needs to be done and what needs to be left alone,
if he is cruel, even he must be punished.
Even if rage burns your heart, never show your anger but always speak
with a smile. Never reprove anyone angrily. O Bharata, instead speak most
sweetly to the one you mean to strike down, why, even as you kill him!
Once the killing has been done, then grieve loudly for the victim, shed
copious tears in public.
Lull your enemy into false security with conciliation and gifts, sweet
words; the moment his guard is down, strike without scruple or mercy. As
king, you must always strike down the sinner who dons a disguise of virtue,
for being outwardly virtuous only hides his true nature, his sins, as dark
clouds do a mountain.
When you have killed an enemy, be sure you burn his house down, and
his kin. Never let beggars, atheists and thieves live in your kingdom. Kill
your enemy by a surprise attack, an ambush, by corrupting his allies with
gifts and wealth; kill him secretly with poison. You can be as ruthless as
you like, my lord; sharpen your teeth to deliver a fatal bite.
And when you strike, be certain that you do so with finality, so that the
one you strike can never raise his head again. Be ever vigilant; suspect even
those from whom you apparently have nothing to fear, let alone those that
are a known threat to you. For the one who apparently poses no threat can
be the most dangerous enemy, especially if he is powerful and decides to
strike at you, when you least expect it from him.
Never trust those that are disloyal, and do not overly trust even those that
are loyal. For, if a faithful one turns against you, you are certain to be
destroyed. Employ spies, after making sure of their loyalty. Use them
within your kingdom and in other kingdoms, in the courts of other kings.
Your spies abroad must be masters of deception, preferably men that roam
the Earth as Rishis.
Deploy your secret agents in public gardens, places of amusement,
temples and other holy places, drinking halls, in the streets, and close to the
eighteen tirthas of your kingdom: your Prime Minister, the Chief Priest, the
Yuvaraja, the Senapati, the Dwarapalakas of the court, those that work in
your inner apartments, your Jailor, your Surveyor, your Treasurer, the
General Executor of all your ordinances, the Head of your own Police, the
Chief Architect, the Chief Justice, the President of your Council, the Chief
of the Department of Punishment, the Commander of the Fort, the Chief of
the Arsenal, the Commander of the Frontier Guards, and the Keeper of the
Forests.
Deploy your spies in places of sacrifice, near public wells, on mountains
and at river ferries, in forests, and in every place where people congregate.
Speak sweetly and humbly, my lord, but let your heart be sharp as a razor.
Even while you do the most savage and vicious deed, wear a smile on
your lips, while speaking. If you desire lasting prosperity, you must
cultivate the arts of humility, of swearing falsely when required, of
conciliation, of creating hope, why even of worshipping your enemies by
bowing your head at their feet.
A man who knows how to conduct himself politically is like a tree
always adorned with flowers but never bearing fruit. If indeed there are any
fruit they grow only from the loftiest branches, and if any of these do ripen,
make sure that they look raw.
A king who learns how to conduct himself thus will never wane.
Dharma, artha and kama all bear fruit, both good and evil. The wise man
knows how to take the good fruit and avoid the evil.
Men that follow only dharma become unhappy for want of artha and
kama, wealth and pleasure. Men who only pursue wealth become afflicted
for want of dharma and kama. Those who chase only after pleasure suffer
from not having virtue and wealth.
You must pursue all three in a balanced fashion, never neglecting any of
them, so that the lack of none afflicts you. Consult your Brahmanas, O
King, but those that have humility and attention, no envy, and the utmost
sincerity, if you wish to accomplish your most secret purpose.
If you fall, raise yourself up again, by any means – fair or foul, gentle or
violent; when you have resurrected your fortunes, then by all means
practise dharma. One who has not suffered or experienced some calamity
can ever hope to prosper. You can see this from the life of anyone who
survives misfortune.
If a man be grief-stricken, in dire straits, you should comfort him by
narrating the olden legends to him, of others that suffered and then
recovered good fortune: the tales of Nala and of Rama. He whose heart has
been riven by sorrow should be consoled with hope of future prosperity.
Comfort the learned and the wise with gifts and pleasing responsibilities.
But remember that a man who makes peace with an enemy and then allows
his guard to drop, as if the enmity itself is finished, is like one that chooses
to fall asleep on the highest branch of a tree: he will surely fall!
A king should always keep his own counsel. His scrutiny must always
be on his enemies, gazing upon them through the eyes of his spies; and he
must be careful to keep his own feelings hidden from the spies of his
enemies. Even as a fisherman cannot prosper without killing and gutting his
catch, a king cannot hope to prosper without ripping out the innards of his
enemies, without committing some violence.
You must raze the armies of your enemies, destroying them directly, or
setting the scourges of disease, hunger and thirst upon them, mowing them
down like weeds. A needy man never goes to a rich man out of love, but to
gain from him; and when he has what he wants he will turn his back on the
one whose help he sought when he was needy.
So, when you help someone, never give him everything that he wants
but leave something that he still desires, so that he will continue to serve
you.
The king who wishes to prosper must diligently seek out allies, and
conduct his wars with their help, with the utmost care and careful
preparation. He must be unwaveringly prudent, so that neither his friends
nor his enemies know his true motives and purposes, before he actually
acts.
Only when the deed has begun or ended, must they discover your
purpose. Until danger shows itself, you must behave as if you are afraid.
But when it comes, you must face it fearlessly and only then reveal that you
were always well prepared for it. He that trusts an enemy whom he has once
subdued by force is like the she crab that calls her death to her when she
conceives.
You must always think of danger as having already arrived, and
threatening you, otherwise you will not have the calm and perfect
preparedness required for facing it when mortal peril actually does come.
Prudence, O King, grave caution at all times, and the correct choice of time
and place for action: these lead to prosperity.
A king must know that destiny can be moderated by mantras and yagnas;
the king must always have his eye on the proper balance of dharma, artha
and kama. Time and place must always be carefully considered to reap the
greatest benefit from one’s deeds.
Even if an enemy is slight, you must not scorn or ignore him; he might
grow swiftly to become dangerous, like the palm tree plunging its roots
down with great speed and growing, or the spark in the forest that blazes up
to become the devouring conflagration. Just as a small fire fed with faggots
soon becomes great enough to devour the biggest blocks of wood, so does
the power of the enemy that forms alliances and friendships grow apace,
and he becomes a formidable adversary.
Give hope to your enemy of great favour, but keep him hoping and
postpone satisfying his wish; when the time comes to keep your word to
him, defer its fulfilment again, find or create some excuse. Let that excuse
appear to be founded upon some real reason, and that reason again upon
another.
In the matter of destroying their enemies, kings must be like razors, in
every detail and particular: as ruthless as they are sharp and keen. They
must keep their intentions hidden as blades in sheaths of leather, and strike
when opportunity presents itself, razing their enemies with all their friends
and families in a fell sweep – just as a fine razor blade will shave a face
without leaving a single hair.
O you who support the honour of the Kurus, you must behave with the
Pandavas and others, too, in a manner that is politic, so you do not later
regret what you do. You are blessed with every auspicious sign of fortune
and grace. I say to you, O King, guard yourself against the Pandavas!
The sons of Pandu are more powerful than your sons. So Parantapa, let
me tell you plainly what you must do. Hear what I say, and let your sons
listen to me as well, and having done so, move to achieve your purpose.
Rajan, you must make sure that you have nothing to fear from the
Pandavas. Yes, you must act in such a manner, which is perfectly politic, so
that you do not grieve in the future.’
Having said so much, Kanika leaves the presence of Dhritarashtra and
returns to his home, while the king is plunged in melancholy and dark
brooding.”
CANTO 143
JATUGRIHA PARVA
aisampayana said, “Meanwhile, Subala’s son Shakuni, Duryodhana,

Dushasana and Karna are already conspiring in evil to do away with
Kunti and her sons. They seek Dhritarashtra’s leave and hatch a plot
to immolate the Pandavas and their mother, burn them to death.
However, the wise and gifted Vidura, who can read men’s inmost
thoughts and intentions by looking at their faces, sees what is afoot. Sinless
Vidura, illumined by true knowledge, devoted to the sons of Pandu, decides
that Kunti and her sons should fly from their deadly enemies.
Arranging for a boat that can withstand wind and wave, he says to Kunti
and her princes, ‘Dhritarashtra has been born to ruin the honour and the
sons of the race of Kuru. His heart is evil, and he is about to abandon
dharma.
Dear Kunti, I have readied for you and your sons a boat that shall be
stable in wind and against wave; escape in it from the net of death that is
tightening around you.’
Kunti is stricken to hear what Vidura says, and she boards the boat with
her sons and crosses the Ganga. Leaving the boat, as Vidura advised, taking
the wealth their enemies had given them in Varanavrata, the Pandavas enter
the deep emerald jungle on the other side.
Meanwhile, in the house of lac, which the Kauravas built to immolate
the Pandavas, a Nishada woman and her five sons are burnt to death, as is
that vilest of mlechchas, Purochana, who has actually built the house of lac
for Duryodhana.
Believing the Nishada woman and her sons’ corpses to be Kunti and the
Pandavas, the sons of Dhritarashtra and their conspirators are deceived.
Thus, Vidura saves the lives of his nephews and their mother. But the
people of Varanavrata also do not know that the Pandavas have escaped
secretly, and when they see the lacquer palace burn down, they are grief-
stricken.
They send messengers to Dhritarashtra, saying, ‘Evil King, your vile
ambition has been achieved. The Pandavas have been burnt to death. Your
wish has come true, and you and your murderous sons can now enjoy the
kingdom.’
Hearing the message, Dhritarashtra and his sons make a great show of
grief. With the Kshattri Vidura, Bhishma the Kuru patriarch, and the rest of
the family, the blind king performs the last rites for the Pandavas and their
mother, but, unknowingly, with the remains of the Nishada woman and her
sons.”
Janamejaya said, “Brahmanottama, I want to hear in full this story of the
burning of the house of lac and how the Pandavas escaped the fire. Ah, that
was a dire thing that the Kauravas tried to do, at the dark counsel of the evil
Kanika. Tell me every detail of it, O Suta, for I burn with curiosity to hear
that story from you.”
Vaisampayana said, “Parantapa, O King, listen then to the tale of the
burning of the house of lac and the escape of the sons of Pandu.
The malignant Duryodhana sees that Bhima is stronger than everyone
else; he sees Arjuna excel at arms, and he is envious and dejected. Karna
Suryaputra and Subala’s son Shakuni try, in many ways, to kill the sons of
Pandu. But the Pandavas escape every time, and, obeying Vidura’s counsel,
avoid ever making these attempts on their lives public or accusing
Duryodhana of trying to kill them.
The people see how noble the Pandavas are and how accomplished, and
they become the topic of conversation and praise at every street corner and
public gathering. In open courtyards and other places where the citizens
assemble all the talk is about how Yudhishtira should become king.
The people say, ‘Dhritarashtra might have the eye of knowledge, but
being born blind he is never truly a king. How can he rule now? Shantanu’s
son Bhishma will never accept the kingship because of his solemn oath.
Yudhishtira is young, a great warrior, versed in the Veda, honest and kind. It
is time that the eldest Pandava becomes our king, and is crowned with
every proper ritual and ceremony.
He worships Shantanu’s son Bhishma, as well as Dhritarashtra; knowing
dharma, Yudhishtira will care well for both these, as well as the sons of
Dhritarashtra, and keep them in every luxury.’
When Duryodhana hears what the people are saying, he cannot bear it.
Beside himself with jealousy, he comes to Dhritarashtra, alone. Greeting his
father reverently, the evil prince says to the king, ‘Father, I hear fell words
being spoken by the people. They want Yudhishtira to be king, not you
anymore, or even Bhishma. Bhishma will agree because of his oath.
The people wish to do us grave harm. Pandu ruled by his deeds and not
you, because you are blind. If Pandu’s son inherits the kingdom, after him
his son will rule, then his son, and so on, and theirs shall become the royal
line, while we and our children will be inconsequential, minions at best,
with neither power nor honour.
We shall be dependants for our very food, and lowliness and distress be
our lot. Rajan, you must prevent this from happening. You are the king and
your son must rule after you, regardless of what the people say.’”
CANTO 144
JATUGRIHA PARVA CONTINUED
aisampayana continued, “Dhritarashtra, whose eyes are his gyana,

remembers all that Kanika has said to him. Sorrow grips his heart
and his mind falters.
Duryodhana, Karna, Subala’s son Shakuni, and Dushasana have already
plotted secretly before Duryodhana goes to the king.
Duryodhana now says, ‘Father, somehow contrive to send the Pandavas
to Varanavrata and we shall never have anything to fear from them again.’
Dhritarashtra falls thoughtful, then, says, ‘Pandu always walked the way
of dharma and was dutiful to all our kinsmen, and most of all to me. He
cared little for the pleasures of this world, but rather gave everything that
was his to me, including the kingdom.
Yudhishtira is as devoted to dharma as his father was; he is as gifted and
accomplished as Pandu. His fame has spread across the world and the
people all love him. He has powerful allies; how can we ever hope to banish
him from his father’s kingdom?
Pandu nurtured all the counsellors of the sabha, as well as the
commanders of the army, and their sons and grandsons, too. The people
loved him dearly. My son, will all these not kill us now for the sake of
Pandu’s son?’
Duryodhana replies, ‘What you say my father is true. But take thought
for the evil that looms for you and yours. Let us win the people over with
lavish gifts and wealth, and being what they are they will stand with us. My
lord, the treasury and the ministers of state are already under our control.
Send the sons of Pandu away to Varanavrata, gently. And when, O
Bharata, I have taken the reins of power firmly into my hands, let Kunti and
her sons return.’
Dhritarashtra replies, ‘Duryodhana, you speak my very mind, but I dared
not give in to this thought for its sinfulness. Also, Bhishma, Drona, Kshattri
and Gautama Kripa would never countenance the Pandavas being exiled.
My child, the wise ones see the Pandavas and ourselves as being equals in
the House of Kuru.
If we exile the sons of Pandu shall they not say that we deserve to die at
the hands of the Kurus for our sin, why, to die by their very hands? Shall
the whole world not say the same?’
Duryodhana says, ‘Bhishma has no partiality and will take no side in any
dispute between the Pandavas and us. Aswatthama is on my side, and where
the son is so shall the doting father be. Saradwat’s son Kripa will not
oppose Drona and Aswatthama; he will never go against his sister’s
husband and son.
As for Kshattri Vidura, he is indeed our secret enemy, but he depends on
us for his livelihood. Besides, even if he sides with the Pandavas, by
himself he can do us no harm.
So, my lord, banish the Pandavas to Varanavrata without fear. Indeed, I
say to you, do it today and by this put out the grief that burns my heart like
fire, pierces it through like an arrow, robs me of my sleep.’”
CANTO 145
aisampayana said, “Duryodhana and his brothers begin working

assiduously to win over the people with liberal gifts of land and
wealth. Honours and encomiums are bestowed, cannily.
Then, instigated by Dhritarashtra, some of his chosen ministers one day
begin to eulogise the town of Varanavrata in the royal sabha of Hastinapura.
They say that the festival of Pasupati Siva has just begun in Kasi, and that it
is indeed the most wonderful gathering of worshippers on Earth. It enchants
all that are fortunate enough to witness it, for the people come wearing their
finest attire and most precious ornaments.
Listening to the fulsome and cunning praise of Kasi, the Pandavas feel
stirred to visit the sacred city of Siva. When Dhritarashtra senses that his
nephews’ curiosity and interest have been aroused, Ambika’s son, the blind
king, says to them, ‘Ah, these men of mine always speak of Varanavata as
being the most delightful town in the world.
Children, if you feel the desire to attend the festival of Pasupati, with
your friends and followers, by all means go and enjoy yourselves like the
very Devas, to your hearts’ content. Take pearls and other jewels with you
to give to the Brahmanas and the bards and musicians you find in Kasi.
And when you have sported there like the gods, and satisfied yourselves
with every pleasure, return to us in Hastinapura, in your own time, at your
leisure.’
Yudhishtira immediately understands Dhritarashtra’s intention. Yet, he
knows the king is powerful and he himself relatively weak. He says quietly,
‘So be it.’
Turning to Shantanu’s son Bhishma, the sage Vidura, Drona, the Kuru
Bahlika, Somadatta, Kripa, Aswatthama, Bhurisravas, the other ministers,
Brahmanas and Rishis, the priests and the people and the regal Gandhari, he
says slowly and humbly, ‘At my uncle’s command we will go to sacred
Varanavrata with our friends and followers. I beg you, bless us that we go
happily and incur no sin in Kasi.’
The Kaurava chieftains all cheerfully bless them, saying, ‘Pandavas let
the Panchamahabhutas themselves bless you on your way, and not the least
evil befall you.’
The Pandavas perform the rituals so they will inherit their due share in
the kingdom when they return, make their preparations, and set out for
Varanasi.”
CANTO 146
aisampayana said, “Duryodhana, O Bharata, is delighted.

Bharatarishabha, he calls his trusted man Purochana, privately, seizes
his right hand and says to him, ‘Purochana, this world, replete with
wealth, belongs to me; and you share in it equally. So you must protect the
world from our enemies.
There is no one I trust more than you, my lord, and I rely on you to kill
my enemies for me, cunningly. Dhritarashtra has sent the Pandavas to
Varanavrata, to enjoy the festival of Pasupati.
Take a cart drawn by our swiftest mules; fly to Kasi, and there build a
square palace near the arsenal. Furnish it lavishly, watch over it keenly, and,
Purochana, make it with hemp and resin and every flammable material you
can find. Mix earth with ghee, lard, oil and fat, and all the lac on which you
can lay your hands. With this deadly mixture plaster the walls of the palace.
Strew and grease the precincts and the insides of the palace with more
hemp, ghee, lacquer and wood, but so craftily that neither the Pandavas nor
anyone else suspects a thing, for even a moment.
When you have built the mansion, Purochana, go to the Pandavas, offer
them every reverence and invite Kunti and her sons and all their company
to come to stay in the palace of lac.
Let the chairs and thrones, the beds and all the furniture be of the finest
craftsmanship, things of beauty, so the Pandavas shall be well content, and
Dhritarashtra receive no complaint from them. You must manage all this
without anyone in Varanavrata suspecting anything until our aim is
accomplished.
When you are certain that the Pandavas sleep fearlessly, unsuspiciously,
in the lacquer palace, Purochana, apply a torch to the outer door. When the
palace burns and the sons of Pandu are immolated inside, the people will
say that a terrible accident killed them.’
Purochana does not hesitate to say ‘So be it’ to his evil prince, and
leaves immediately for Varanavrata in a swift mule cart laden with all the
incendiary materials he will need for his dastardly mission. Arriving in the
sacred city, he loses no time in doing what Duryodhana has asked of him.”
CANTO 147
aisampayana said, “Meanwhile, the Pandavas are about to climb into

their chariots, yoked to horses as fleet as the wind. They touch
Bhishma’s feet, in sorrow, Dhritarashtra’s, their Acharya Drona’s,
Kripa’s, Vidura’s and those of all the elders of the House of Kuru.
Reverently saluting their elders and embracing their equals fondly, being
hugged in farewell by the little children of the clan, and bidding sad
farewell to the royal ladies of the palace, walking around them in
pradakshina, taking loving leave of the people of Hastinapura, the sons of
Pandu, men of dharma, set out for Varanasi.
Vidura of untold wisdom, along with other bulls among the Kurus and
the citizens, as well, all grieving, follow the Pandavas some way.
In that grief, seeing the Pandavas full of sorrow, some of the citizens and
the people from the countryside, too, begin to say aloud, ‘Dhritarashtra is
evil and turns away from dharma. Not sinless Yudhishtira, not Bhima
mightiest among men, not Kunti’s youngest son Arjuna will ever sin by
revolting against this crime against them. Then how will the sons of Madri
go against their older brothers’ wishes?’
‘Dhritarashtra inherited the kingdom from Pandu, and he could not bear
his brother’s sons. But how does Bhishma sanction this crime and allow the
Pandavas to be exiled to that wretched town? Shantanu’s son Vichitravirya
and Rajarishi Pandu cared for us like their own children. But now that
Purushavyaghra Pandu has left this world, Dhritarashtra cannot bear to see
his sons beside his own vile princes. But we the people cannot tolerate this
adharma and we will leave our homes and this great city and come with
you, Yudhishtira Dharmaputra, wherever you go.’
Yudhishtira grows sad and thoughtful, then speaks to the distraught
people. ‘The king is our father, worthy of worship. He is our Guru and our
superior. It is our dharma to do his bidding, never suspecting his motives.
You are all our friends. I beg you, walk around us in pradakshina, then give
us your blessing and turn back to your homes.
When the time comes for you to go with us or help our cause otherwise,
we shall surely be grateful for your support. This is not that time.’
Gently he spoke, and his resolve they see is firm. The people do as he
asks. They make a pradakshina around the sons of Pandu, bless them and
then return to their homes.
When the people no longer follow the Pandavas, Vidura, knower of
dharma’s every nuance, speaks to Yudhishtira to make him sensible of the
peril he is in. The learned Vidura speaks to Yudhishtira in the dialect of the
mlechchas, which only they two understand.
Vidura says, ‘He who knows that his enemies are plotting against him
must take care to guard himself against danger. He who knows that there
are weapons other than blades of steel, which can kill the body, and who
knows how these can be rendered harmless, shall always be safe from his
enemies.
The wise man protects himself with the knowledge that neither the
consumer of straw nor the drier of dew burns those that live in a hole in the
heart of a jungle. The blind man does not see into the future; he has no
sense of direction. He whose purpose is not firm, never finds prosperity.
Remember this, and be vigilant. He who accepts the perfidious offering
of a deadly weapon, not made of steel, from his enemy, to dwell in, escapes
death by fire by burrowing like a jackal underground: a tunnel with many
exits. Ranging over the world a man acquires knowledge of its ways; by the
stars he finds his direction; and he that controls the five senses remains safe
from his enemies.’
Yudhishtira says to Vidura, ‘I have understood you.’
Now Vidura walks around them in pradakshina, bids farewell to them
and turns back into the city. When the people, Bhishma and Vidura have all
gone back, Kunti goes up to Yudhishtira alone, and asks, ‘Kshattri spoke to
you strangely and softly, and you replied in the same tongue which none of
us understood. If I can know what he says, tell me.’
Yudhishtira replies, ‘The virtuous Vidura said to me that we should be
warned that the mansion built to house us in Varanavrata has been built with
incendiary materials. He said, “The path to escape will be revealed to you,”
and also “Those that can control their five senses shall gain sovereignty
over the whole world.” What I said to the good Vidura is “I have
understood you.”’
The Pandavas set out on the eighth day of the month of Phalguna, when
the Rohini nakshatram is rising. Arriving in Varanavrata, they see the sacred
town and its people.”
CANTO 148
aisampayana continued, “Full of joy, the people of Kasi come out to

greet the sons of Pandu, in crowds. They come on foot and in myriad
vehicles, bringing everything auspicious that the Shastras
recommend with them, to welcome those greatest among men.
They approach Kunti’s sons, bless them, cry Jaya! and crowd lovingly
around their chariots. Purushavyaghra Yudhishtira looks like Indra among
the Devas, with the Vajra in his hands.
Being adored and adoring in return, the Pandavas enter the town of Kasi
that has been decked out for the great festival. The Kshatriyas first go to the
homes of the Brahmanas of Kasi, who live by their svadharma. They go
next to the homes of the officers of the town, then to the homes of the Sutas
and the Vaishyas, and then also to the houses of the Sudras.
Bharatarishabha, with Purochana leading the way, the Pandavas finally
go to the old palace of the city. They see the fine seats, beds and carpets, the
airy rooms full of light; they eat the delectable royal fare that Purochana
serves them and drink the excellent wine. Thus arriving in Varanasi, clad in
royal finery, the Pandavas live in that ancient palace, being served and
adored by Purochana and the people of Kasi.
When ten days pass, Purochana tells them about the ‘Blessed House’
that he has built for them. Wearing royal silks, those tigers among men go
with Duryodhana’s man to the treacherous house of lac. They enter like
Guhyakas entering Lord Siva’s palace on Mount Kailasa.
Yudhishitra looks around the edifice, and drawing Bhima aside tells him
that it has been built with every possible incendiary material. The eldest
Pandava smells the fat mixed liberally with ghee and lac, and says to his
brother, ‘Parantapa, our enemies have used clever artisans to create this
palace. They have built it with hemp, resin, heath, straw and bamboos, all
soaked in ghee.
The villainous Purochana is Duryodhana’s man and he stays close to us
because he wants to immolate me in this murderous palace. But, my
brother, the keen Vidura knew about the danger and warned me of it. He
warned me that Duryodhana has plotted to kill us all.’
Bhima says, ‘We must return to the old palace.’
Yudhishtira replies, ‘No. We must continue living here otherwise
Purochana will know that we suspect him. They might kill us suddenly
then, for surely Purochana has no conscience, and is his murderous master
Duryodhana’s man. Yet, we must be constantly vigilant.
If we die by fire, will our Pitama Bhishma be enraged? No, for what use
will it be then to show his wrath to the Kauravas, and risk their anger in
return? But, perhaps, he will be angry, outraged by such a sin.
It will matter little if we are dead. If we flee this palace of lac,
Duryodhana will certainly have us murdered by other agents, other
assassins, for he wants to be king.
Moreover, being the king’s son he has both influence and power today,
while ours are small by comparison. He has allies and wealth, a full
treasury; we have neither. Will he not easily manage to have us slain, by
any means?
Our way ahead is that of secrecy and stealth. We must escape from here
without their knowing that we have fled; then, we must go disguised, living
as nomadic hunters in the hearts of jungles, in remote places, while our
enemies believe us to be dead.
Only thus shall we effectively escape our enemies and become familiar
with these parts of the world. Even today, we shall, in utmost secrecy, have
an underground tunnel excavated out of our chamber, and this house of
death, and when the time comes escape through that passage.
Thus, no fire shall burn us and our enemies will remain in the dark. So,
my brother, we must continue to live here and plan to make our way out in
such privacy that not Purochana or indeed anyone in Varanavrata suspects
anything of our intentions.’”
CANTO 149
aisampayana continued, “The same day, a miner, a friend of

Vidura’s, comes to the Pandavas and says to them in private, ‘I am a
master tunneller, and your uncle Vidura sent me to you. Tell me what
you want me to do. Vidura, who trusts me, said, “Go to the Pandavas and
help them.”’
‘Tell me what I can do for you.’
‘I have learnt that Purochana means to torch this house of lac on the
fourteenth night of this dark fortnight. He will fire the front door and
immolate the Purushavyaghras, the Pandavas, and their mother Kunti while
they sleep.”
The vile Duryodhana has plotted your murder, my lords. So that you
believe me Vidura said these words to me in the mlechcha bhasha, the very
ones he spoke to you as you left Hastinapura, and also the reply you made
to him in the same tongue.’
The miner repeats Vidura’s conversation with Yudhishtira in the rare
dialect. Hearing those words, Yudhishtira is satisfied. He says to the miner,
‘Welcome friend! I know now that you are indeed a true and trusted friend,
devoted to my loving uncle Vidura, and that he has sent you.
There is little the wise Vidura does not know. Make no difference
between him and us: as you are to him, from now you are to us. We are as
much yours as he is. Friend, protect us as our loving uncle always has and
still does.
I know that Purochana has built this deadly mansion at the command of
Dhritarashtra’s son. Strong with allies and confident with wealth he hunts
us relentlessly. Friend, save us from the fire that Duryodhana has planned,
for if we die here his most cherished purpose will be fulfilled.
Look how cunningly Purochana has built this great house of lac. It is
slick against the arsenal of Varanavrata, with its lofty ramparts and no
escape on any side when the fire breaks out. Thus Vidura guessed at the
murderous intention of Duryodhana; the mortal peril the Kshattri sensed is
at our very door. You must save us, good friend, without Purochana
suspecting a thing.’
The miner replies, ‘So be it,’ and immediately and carefully begins his
excavation, to create a large subterranean tunnel leading out of the palace.
The mouth of the tunnel is in the very heart of the palace, level with the
floor, covered over by planks of wood and a carpet, so Purochana who is
always at the front door never suspects a thing.
The Pandavas sleep at night in their bedchambers with their weapons
beside them, ready for use. During the day, taking Purochana with them,
they go hunting afar, from forest to forest, to have some fair idea of the lie
of the surrounding lands. O King, they live vigilantly in the palace of lac,
with every show of friendship and trust in Purochana, while in fact they are
anxious and intensely sensible of danger.
The citizens of Varanavata never know anything, either, about the
Pandavas’ plans. Indeed, apart from themselves, only Vidura’s trusted
friend, the miner, has any inkling of what is afoot.”
CANTO 150
aisampayana said, “Purochana sees the Pandavas apparently

comfortable and unsuspicious in the house of lac, and he is glad.
Seeing him relaxed, Yudhishtira says to Bhima, Arjuna and the
twins, ‘We have deceived this ruthless fellow and his guard is down. I
believe the time has come to escape. We must torch this deadly palace
ourselves, with Purochana inside it, and flee through the tunnel. No one
must know that we have gone, but believe us dead, too.’
On the day of an almsgiving, Kunti has a feast for Brahmanas, and a
poor-feeding, as well. It is an extravagant feast, to which a large number of
women come, and drink and eat to their hearts’ content and more, and
finally leave, with Kunti’s permission.
Among those that come, as if fetched by fate, are a Nishada woman and
her five sons. Rajan, this woman and her youths drink so much wine that
they fall asleep or unconscious inside the house of lac.
A sharp wind blows through the night, and while Purochana also sleeps
from a surfeit of wine with which Bhima plies him, Bhima sets fire to the
room where Duryodhana’s man lies. He then sets his brand to the front door
and to other parts of the deadly house, which blazes up fiercely, as it has
been built to do.
The Pandavas and their mother go down into the miner’s tunnel. As the
palace burns, the heat and the roar of the towering flames awaken the
people of Varanavrata, who come running out of their homes.
Their hearts breaking to see the inferno, they cry, ‘Ah, Duryodhana’s
evil man built the palace with incendiary materials under our very noses.
And now he has murdered the sinless sons of Pandu, as if they are enemies.
A curse be upon Dhritarashtra, who allowed this. Purochana has already
paid with his life for his sin; one day the king and his demonic son will also
pay.’
And they weep, helplessly, for by now the fire has all but consumed the
great edifice. All night, the people stand around the blazing mansion, and
lament.
Meanwhile, Kunti and her sons emerge from the mouth of the tunnel,
some way from the palace and melt away into the night, unobserved. But
they are full of sleep and fear, and they cannot go as quickly as they want,
since Kunti is with them. The others, too, are faint from exhaustion, all but
one of them.
Then, Rajan, Bhima of untold strength and the fleetness of his airy father
picks up all his brothers and his mother, and carrying them easily, plunges
along through the night. He sets Kunti upon his shoulders, the twins on his
hips, and carries Yudhishtira and Arjuna in either arm. Vrikodara, son of the
Wind, goes along like a strange gale, thrusting down trees that loom in his
path with his brawny chest. His footmarks fall deeply upon the Earth.”
CANTO 151
aisampayana said, “At this same time, Vidura has sent another man
he trusted, a pure soul, into the forest surrounding Varanavrata. This
man sees the Pandavas making their way through the trees with their
mother. He sees them trying to measure the depth of the river in a certain
place, obviously wanting to ford the water to safety on the other side.
Vidura knows well how deep Duryodhana’s hatred runs and how
murderous his agents are. He sends his trusted agent to the Pandavas to help
them, and this man now brings the sons of Pandu to a boat tethered to the
riverbank, an extraordinary craft with engines and sails, made by the finest
shipwrights, one that is proof against wave and wind, a boat that flies across
any current as swiftly as a thought.
The man now says to the Pandavas, ‘O Yudhishtira, listen to what I have
to say, so that you know that I am indeed sent by your uncle Vidura. “The
wise man protects himself with the knowledge that neither the consumer of
straw nor the drier of dew burns those that live in a hole in the heart of a
jungle.”
These are the very words Vidura said to you and by these know that I am
his trusted man and his agent. Vidura, who knows all things, says to you,
“Kuntiputra, you will one day surely prevail over Karna, Duryodhana and
his brothers, and the evil Shakuni in battle.”
My boat is ready to bear you away, far from these places of danger. It is
a marvellous boat and goes softly and smoothly over the river.’
Then, seeing Kunti and her sons apprehensive and forlorn, the tall man
goes on the boat with them himself.
He says again to them, ‘Vidura, who sniffed your heads in love and
embraced you fondly, says that you must be ever vigilant, for the peril to
your lives is very real.’
With that, he takes the Narapumgavas and their gracious mother across
the Ganga. He helps them ashore there and softly cries Jaya! Then he
leaves them, that good man, who is yet so mysterious, and melts back to
wherever he comes from.
The Pandavas send a secret message through him back to Vidura, and
then enter the great jungle that lies ahead of them on the far shore of the
sacred river. They go quickly and stealthily.”
CANTO 152
aisampayana said, “When day breaks, a great crowd of townspeople

converge at the house of lac. When they have put out the last flames,
they see the edifice has indeed been built with hemp and lacquer.
They find the corpse of Purochana.
The people begin to wail loudly, ‘It is certain that Duryodhana had this
treacherous palace built to murder the sons of Pandu. Surely, his father
knew of the plot and acquiesced in it, or he would have prevented this dire
crime.’
‘There is little doubt that even Shantanu’s son Bhishma, Drona, Vidura,
Kripa and the other Kauravas did not follow dharma by sending the
Pandavas here to die.’
‘Let us send word to Dhritarashtra saying, “You have achieved your
heart’s great desire. You have immolated the noble sons of your brother
Pandu in the house of lac.”’
They fetch water and put out the embers that still burn, and begin a
search for the bodies of Kunti and her sons. They find the charred corpses
of the poor Nishada woman and her five sons. Vidura’s miner, the tunneller,
goes with the people and cunningly covers the mouth of the underground
passage, which he has dug, with debris and ashes, so that no one discovers
it.
The people of Varanavrata send a message to Dhritarashtra that the
Pandavas, Kunti and Purochana have perished in the fire in the palace.
Dhritarashtra hears the message and begins to sob loudly.
He says, ‘Today my magnificent brother has died in the persons of his
wife and sons! O, go at once to Varanavrata and perform the funeral rites
for the daughter of Kuntiraja and her great Kshatriya sons. Sanctify the
bones of the dead with the proper rituals, and give alms, and do everything
that is proper and sacred at such a grave occasion.
Let all the relatives and friends of the dead go to Kasi. Let no expense be
spared so that their spirits find peace.’
Surrounded by his kinsmen, Ambika’s son Dhritarashtra offers tarpana
for his nephews.
The Kurus weep, crying out the names of the princes whom they believe
dead.
Some cry, ‘Ah Yudhishitra, Yuvaraja, you have left us!’
Others sob, ‘Oh, magnificent Bhima!’
Yet others cry, ‘Phalguna, you have gone, and the Earth is dim!’
‘Ah, the twin sons of the Aswins, Nakula and Sahadeva, the young ones
handsome as Devas!’
‘Oh Kunti, you have also gone!’
Thus they lament and offer tarpana, oblations of water to allay the thirst
of the dead on their final journey. The people weep as well, only Vidura
seems strangely composed, though he does shed some tears to show that he
grieves. But then, he knows that the Pandavas are not dead.
Meanwhile, Kunti and the Pandavas cross the Ganga swiftly, helped by
the strength of the boatman’s sinews, the river’s rapid current and a timely
wind that favours them. Leaving the boat, they go south, making their way
through the moonless night by the light of the stars that fill the sky.
They enter a deep and dense jungle. They are overcome by exhaustion
and thirst; they can hardly keep their eyes open, for sleep comes strongly
over them.
Yudhishtira turns to Bhima in some despair, ‘My brother, this is terrible;
we are in the deep jungle and cannot tell which way to turn. And fatigue
numbs us. Ah, are we certain that the vile Purochana is dead? How shall we
ever be safe again? Danger is still near us, my brother. Bharata, you are the
only one among us that is not tired, for you are as strong and swift as the
wind. Take us up again, Bhima, and fly through the forest.’
The mighty Bhimasena picks up Kunti and his brothers again, and once
more, speeds through the trees.”
CANTO 153
aisampayana said, “As the tremendous Bhima hurtles along, the

entire forest seems to tremble at his footfalls; the trees that strike or
brush his great chest shake and sway. His thighs churning the air
raise a wind like the ones that blow during the months of Jyeshta and
Ashadha.
Bhima brings trees that stand in his path crashing down and tramples on
them, rending the creepers and vines which clung to their branches,
crushing their flowers and fruit. He goes through that jungle like the king
bull of a great elephant herd, a musth maddened angry tusker of sixty years,
in his prime and in rut, when the ichor bursts forth from his temples and
trickles down his body.
Indeed, so vigorously does Bhima, as swift as Garuda or Vayu, go, that
his brothers swoon at his speed. Often he plunges headlong and easily
across deep and swirling streams and rivers, difficult to cross.
The Pandavas have cast away their royal finery and disguised
themselves as hunters, for fear of the ubiquitous spies of the sons of
Dhritarashtra. Bhima now carries just his delicate mother upon his
shoulders across the undulating banks of rivers.
O Bharatarishabha, towards evening, still carrying his mother, and now
also his brothers, Bhima arrives in a dreadful jungle, where there seem to be
no fruit, roots or even water, and where the cries of the birds and beasts are
eerie and threatening. As twilight grows into night, these cries and roars
grow fiercer and more ominous.
Soon, the darkness is complete, and a howling gale blows out of
nowhere, felling trees, big or small, in its path like straws. Exhausted
beyond all measure and with raging thirst having its way with them, the
princes collapse onto the jungle floor. They sit there panting, parched and
also not having eaten.
Kunti, who cannot bear her searing thirst anymore, cries weakly, ‘I am
the mother of the five Pandavas, and I am with all five of them. Yet, I burn
with thirst.’ Again and again, as if demented, she repeats this.
Bhima cannot bear it. Springing up, picking up his brothers and mother
again, he charges once more through that fearful jungle, out of love for
them, in quest of water. No living soul does he see anywhere, indeed few
beasts, which slink away through the undergrowth and vanish; until
suddenly he arrives in a clearing and sees before him a great and beautiful
pipal tree, with spreading branches.
Gently he sets his family down beneath that tree, Bharatarishabha, and
says softly to them, ‘Rest, while I go to search for water. I hear the sweet
cries of waterbirds not far from here. There must be a lake or at least a large
pool at hand.’
Yudhishtira whispers through arid lips, ‘Go.’
Bhima runs towards the dim squawking of the waterfowl, and soon
enough comes upon a lovely lake into which he plunges, bathing and
slaking his thirst. Quickly, then, he soaks his upper cloth with water and
speeds back to Kunti and his brothers, half a yojana away. Tenderly he
squeezes the precious life-giving water through their lips. They sigh to
drink it and then sleep again.
Bhima sits in vigil over them. He sees Kunti swooned, where she sits,
and wilted, and seized by terrible grief, Bhima begins to sigh like a snake.
His gaze roves over his regal mother and brothers asleep on bare ground in
the midst of this wilderness, and tears trickle down the mighty Vrikodara’s
great face.
‘Ah, miserbale wretch I am that I have to see this sight today of my
mother and my brothers asleep on bare forest ground. What can be more
painful than this? In Hastinapura and even Varanavrata, they slept on the
softest, costliest beds of down.
I am a sinner that today my eyes see Kunti, Vasudeva’s sister, daughter
of the formidable Kuntiraja, she who bears every auspicious mark upon her
regal person, the daughter-in-law of Vichitravirya, wife of the incomparable
Pandu, mother of the five Pandavas, she who is radiant as the filaments of a
lotus, as tender and delicate, her body only fit to sleep on the softest bed.
But today that Kunti lies on rough earth.
She who has borne the sons of Dharma, Indra and Vayu, who has always
slept in palaces, now lies exhausted, in a swoon, on the ground under a tree.
Ah, what more terrible sight shall my eyes ever see than these
Purushavyaghras, my noble brothers, asleep beside our mother? Yudhishtira
Dharmaputra, who deserves to have sovereignty over the three worlds, lies
on the crude ground. Arjuna, his skin the hue of thunderheads, who has no
equal among men, lies like any common man on the ground.
Oh, what can be more painful than this? And the young twins, handsome
as their sires, the Aswins, also lie like ordinary men upon rough earth.
Truly, truly, he that has no envious, evil kinsmen lives in this world like
a lone tree in a village, happily. The tree that stands alone in a village, fruit
and leaves, is worshipped by everyone. Yet, there are those that have noble
and righteous kinsmen and live joyfully in their midst, depending on one
another, giving each other strength and support. These grow day by day in
prosperity and strength, like great trees growing together, in a stand, inside
a jungle.
But as for us, we are banished by the evil Dhritarashtra and his
murderous sons, and narrowly escaped death by fire. Now here we are
under this tree in the heart of a forest. After everything we have suffered,
where do we go next?
Ah, evil cousins, enjoy your success, for it will be short-lived! For now
the gods certainly favour you, but I swear you still live only because
Yudhishtira does not tell me to have done with you. Otherwise,
Duryodhana, I would already have sent you to Yamaloka, with your
brothers, your sons and your friends, with Karna and Shakuni.
But I am helpless because my elder brother is a man of such dharma that
his rage has not yet been roused.’
Full of grief and wrath, Bhima clenches his great fists and sighs.
Vrikodara looks at his sleeping mother and brothers again, and his fury
flames up like a fire fed with ghee.
Then, calming himself with an effort, he says, ‘There is sure to be some
town not far from here. Let them awake and we will slake our thirst
together, and be refreshed. Afterwards, we can consider what to do next.
Until then I must stay awake and watch over them.’
Bhima sits in vigil over his sleeping family.”
CANTO 154
HIDIMBAVADHA PARVA
aisampayana continued, “Not far from the place where the Pandavas
sleep is a Rakshasa called Hidimba who lives in a lofty sala tree.
Feral and ugly, his fangs are as long and sharp as daggers.
Hidimba is hungry; he is filled with the yearning today to feast on some
human flesh. Long are his legs, great and distended his belly, and his wild
hair and beard are red.
His shoulders are as wide tree boles; his ears are pointed like arrows;
altogether, his face is savage and dreadful. Waking from a slumber in his
branch, casting his crimson eyes around, the ravenous Hidimba sees the
sons of Pandu sleeping in that jungle, some way off.
He shakes his horrid head, scratches his tangled hair, with his talons
pointing up, yawns, looks at the Pandavas, looks away, and back again at
them. His skin is as dark as thunderclouds; he is quite enormous, and his
body gives off a dull sheen.
More than any other meat, Hidimba loves human flesh. He dilates his
nostrils and sniffs the delectable scent upon the air: of the sons of Pandu.
He turns to his sister Hidimbi and says languidly, ‘Ah, so long since I
smelt sweet human meat. My mouth is watering. How long it is since I sank
my eight fangs into the finest flesh of all. What can match sinking my fangs
into a human throat, and drinking the blood as it sprays? Fresh, frothy
human blood; and it seems that today I will drink to my heart’s content.
Go and see, my sister, who these humans are. Oh, the scent of them
invades me; it conquers me! Go, Hidimbi, kill all of them and bring them
here. They are asleep in my jungle, in Hidimbavana.
Have no fear but go quickly. Do what I say and we shall feast on them,
tearing the meat from their bones as we please. And my sweet sister, when
we have had our fill, we shall dance together to various songs!’
Bharatarishabha, Hidimbi the Rakshasi flies to where the Pandavas are
under the tall and graceful pipal tree. Arriving near them, she sees four
Pandavas sound asleep under the nyagrodha; she sees Kunti, also sleeping
beside her sons, and then her eyes fall upon the mighty Bhima, awake and
keeping watch over his family.
Hidimbi sees Bhima, rugged and handsome, like a sala tree himself, full
of raw vigour, and she falls immediately and hopelessly in love with him.
The Rakshasi sighs. She tells herself, ‘Oh, look at him, his skin like
molten gold, his arms like tree branches, his shoulders like a lion’s, his
throat marked with three auspicious lines like a conch shell, his eyes like
lotus petals, and altogether splendid.
I want him for my husband. I will not kill him as Hidimba wants. A
woman’s love for her husband is stronger than her fondness for her brother.
If I do kill him, Hidimba and I will enjoy him briefly, momentarily. But if I
marry him instead, I can enjoy him forever.’
The Rakshasi can assume any form she wishes, and now she turns
herself into a stunning human beauty and walks slowly towards Bhima
Mahabaho. She wears unworldly ornaments, a smile on her full lips; her
gait is modest and she comes up to him and says, ‘Who are you,
Narapumgava, and how did you come here?
Who are these warriors of heavenly beauty that sleep beneath the tree?
Who, Sinless, is this woman, her loveliness also unearthly, who sleeps here
in this jungle as trustfully as she might in her own bedchamber?
Do you not know that this jungle belongs to a terrible Rakshasa whose
name is Hidimba? He is my brother and he sent me to kill you for his meal.
But then I saw you, magnificent as a Deva, and I knew that I would have no
one else for my husband.
I love you, Manava; you surely know dharma and, knowing that I have
given my heart to you, do as you see fit. Oh, Kama’s arrows have pierced
my heart and my body. I want you for myself; I beg you, make me yours.
Mahabaho, I will rescue you from my brother; Anagha, only become my
husband. We will fly far from here and live together upon the breasts of
great mountains where no ordinary men ever set foot: for I can fly through
the sky at will. Mighty one, you will enjoy me in those secret realms, I will
give you great joy and pleasure.’
Bhima replies, ‘Rakshasi, perhaps a Muni, who has all his passions
controlled and no attachments whatever, could abandon his sleeping mother
and brothers. But I certainly cannot go with you to satisfy my desire,
leaving my brothers and my mother as food for a Rakshasa.’
Hidimbi says, ‘Then wake them up and I will bear you all away from
danger.’
But Bhima says, ‘Rakshasi, I am not afraid of your vile brother that I
will awaken my family that sleeps so peacefully under the tree. Timid one,
no Rakshasa has ever resisted the strength of these arms. Beautiful-eyes, no
Manava, Gandharva or Yaksha can withstand my might. Sweet one, ah your
form so fine, stay or leave as you please. Or even send your brother here, I
do not care.’”
CANTO 155
HIDIMBAVADHA PARVA CONTINUED
aisampayana said, “Hidimba Rakshasa finds that his sister has not
returned. He clambers down from his tree, and stalks towards where
the Pandavas lie asleep.
His eyes are red, his arms powerful, the wiry hair on his head sticks out,
his slavering mouth hangs open, his body is like a mass of dark clouds, his
fangs are like great needles, and he is a terrifying sight.
Hidimbi sees her brother climb down from his sala tree. She sees the
anger on his face and trembles. She says to Bhima, ‘My evil brother comes
in wrath. I beg you awaken your brothers and mother and we must fly. I am
as strong as any Rakshasa, O Fearless, and I can go wherever I like. Climb
onto my back and I will carry all of you away from here.
Parantapa, wake them up quickly and let us fly!’
Bhima says, ‘O fair hips, fear nothing. As long as I am here no Rakshasa
can harm any of us, slender waist. I will kill your brother in front of you. I
tell you this scourge of the jungle is no match for me, why, not all the
Rakshasas of this world together can stand the strength of these arms.
Look at my arms, sweet one, each is like an elephant’s trunk! Look at
my thighs, like iron maces; look at my chest, how wide it is, and hard like
adamant. My beautiful one, today you shall see my strength like Indra’s.
Fair hips, do not imagine that I am just an ordinary man. I beg you do not
look upon me with contempt or dislike.’
Hidimbi says, ‘Purushavyaghra, who are as handsome as a Deva, I have
no contempt or dislike for you, but only love. But I have seen what
Rakshasas do to Manavas, how much stronger they are than men.’
Bharata, now that he is closer, Hidimba hears their conversation. He sees
his sister has assumed a human form, her hair woven with jasmine garlands,
her face like the full moon, her nose, her eyes and brows exquisite, her
complexion fair and her skin soft, her nails of lovely hue, her ornaments
beautiful, and wearing a flowing diaphanous robe.
The Rakshasa suspects at once that she desires the human, and his eyes
blaze. Glaring at his sister, he growls at her, ‘When I am so hungry what
witless creature dares keep me from eating? Have you lost your mind,
Hidimbi, that you do not fear my anger? Fie on you, disloyal Rakshasi.
You are flushed with lust and do not think twice about hurting me. Why,
you are ready to dishonour our very race and all your ancestors. I will kill
you, wretched woman, and all these that are with you.’
Eyes smouldering, fang grinding against fang, Hidimba runs roaring at
his sister to have done with her. But great Bhima jumps up in his way and
cries, ‘Stop!’
Bhima smiles contemptuously at the Rakshasa. He says to him,
‘Hidimba, why do you want to wake my brothers and mother, who sleep so
peacefully? Evil one, you should not kill a woman, especially one that has
not sinned.
Rakshasa, fight me first. This young woman has not sinned that she
desires me, for it is Kama Deva, the God of Love, who inflames her as he
does all the living. Wretch, your sister came here at your command; she saw
me and lusted after me.
What harm has she done to you by desiring me? It is Kama that offends
you, Rakshasa, and you will not hurt her while I am here; you will not kill a
woman. Come, let us go some way off and fight, for, vilest of Rakshasas,
today I mean to send you to Yamaloka.
Rakshasa, I will crush your head today as if an elephant stamped it.
When I have killed you, herons, jackals and kites will gleefully tear the
flesh from your limbs and feast on your carcass.
For too long you have ruled this jungle with terror, and it shall be rid of
you in a few moments. Hidimba, you are as big as a hill but your sister will
soon see you being dragged about like a fallen elephant by a great lion.
Vilest of Rakshasas, when I have killed you, men shall pass in safety
through this vana again, and without fear.’
Hidimba replies, ‘Manava, grand boasts indeed. But do what you say
you will and then perhaps you might surely boast. Come, let us not waste a
moment. You are strong indeed but today test your strength against me.
I swear that I will not kill your brothers until I have killed you. Till then,
let them sleep in peace. But when I have killed you, O fool and braggart, I
will drink your blood and then kill your family, and finally my sister, as
well, for she has betrayed me.’
Hidimba stretches out his huge arms and rushes at Bhima Parantapa. In a
flash, almost playfully, terrible Bhimasena seizes the Rakshasa’s arms.
Roughly, as easily as a lion might some small creature of the jungle, the
Pandava drags Hidimba some krosas from that place where his brothers and
mother sleep.
Outraged, enraged, startled to feel the strength of the human, the
Rakshasa gives an earthshaking roar. Bhima drags him farther away lest his
roars and curses awaken Kunti and his brothers.
Now they lock together, the Manava and the Rakshasa, and fight like
two grown tuskers mad with rage. They uproot the trees that grow around
them and strike each other with their trunks. Such a noise do they make that
the other Pandavas and Kunti awake, and see Hidimbi sitting before them,
disconsolately.”
CANTO 156
aisampayana continued, “Waking and seeing the extraordinary

beauty of Hidimbi, Kunti and her sons are full of wonder. Kunti
speaks to her sweetly.
‘Who are you that are as beautiful and radiant as a child of the Devas?
Fair one, whose daughter are you, where have you come from? If you are
the Devi of this vana or an Apsara, tell me about yourself and why you are
here.’
Hidimbi replies, ‘This great jungle, of the colour of a blue cloud, is the
domain of a Rakshasa called Hidimba. Most beautiful and gracious lady, I
am his sister and he, O blessed one, sent me to kill you and your sons.
But when I arrived here I saw your mighty son who sat awake. Gracious
lady, Kama, who pervades the nature of all the living, struck me with his
flowery arrows, and I fell in love with your great son and chose him in my
heart for my husband.
I told your son that I would carry all of you away from this place, but he
would not allow me. When I did not return to Hidimba, my brother came
here and your son hauled him away. Now they fight, the Manava and the
Rakshasa, both of them endowed with untold strength, and make the vana
tremble with their dreadful roars and blows.’
Yudhishtira jumps up, as do Arjuna, Nakula and tejasvin Sahadeva, and
they see that Bhima and the Rakshasa do indeed fight some way off, like
two lions. The dust they raise with their flying heavy feet seems like the
smoke from a forest fire. Covered by that dust, their massive bodies are like
two cliffs shrouded in mist.
Arjuna sees Bhima a little beleaguered by Hidimba, for the Vayuputra
has not rested at all. With a smile, Arjuna says to his brother, ‘You are tired,
Bhima. Let Nakula and Sahadeva watch over our mother, and you must rest.
I am here now, I will kill the Rakshasa.’
Bhima retorts, ‘Look upon this fight as a spectator, Arjuna. For he has
come within reach of my hands and he will not escape with his life.’
Arjuna says, ‘Then why, O Bhima, do you let him live so long?
Parantapa, we must be on our way. He will become stronger with dawn, as
his kind always do, during the three sandhyas. He will also use his maya
shakti then. Do not toy with him any longer, but use all your strength now
and kill him, my brother.’
Blazing up, Bhima summons the awesome strength that his father Vayu
employs during the Pralaya. With a roar, he seizes Hidimba and lifts him
easily into the air. He spins the Rakshasa’s great body, blue as
thunderheads, around, a hundred times in a moment.
Bhima says, ‘Rakshasa, you are blessed with intelligence in vain. You
have fed for too long on unsanctified meat. You deserve an unholy death. I
will rid this vana of you today, and make it a jungle without thorns. No
more, Hidimba, will you feast on human flesh.’
Arjuna says again, impatiently, ‘Bhima, if you are finding it difficult to
kill the Rakshasa, let me help you. Kill him quickly or let me do it. You are
tired and must rest.’
Bhima flings Hidimba Rakshasa down savagely onto the ground. He
plants his foot on the Rakshasa’s back and breaks his body in two like some
twig. Hidimba lets out a dying cry that echoes through that vana, deep as
the sound of a wet drum.
His brothers crowd around Bhima, slayer of all his enemies, and
embrace him.
Then Arjuna says, ‘Jyeshta, I believe there is a town not far from this
vana. Let us go and hide there, so Duryodhana’s spies do not find us here.’
His brothers, those Maharathas, those tigers among men, agree, ‘So be
it.’
They set out, with Kunti, and Hidimbi the Rakshasi following them.”
CANTO 157
aisampayana said, “Bhima sees Hidimbi following them and turns on

her with a soft growl.
He says, ‘Rakshasas avenge themselves on their enemies with
impenetrable deception. So, Hidimbi, you must also go after your brother.’
He would have killed her, but Yudhishtira intervenes. ‘Bhima,
Purushavyaghra, however angry you are you must never kill a woman.
Pandava, dharma is more important than protecting one’s life.
You have killed Hidimba who came to kill us. This woman is surely his
sister, but what harm can she do us even if she wants to?’
Hidimbi folds her hands before Kunti and Yudhishtira as well. She says,
‘Gracious lady, you know the pangs that Kama makes a woman feel. He
torments me now with them, with love for your son Bhimasena. I live only
for the moment when your son will soothe the fever that consumes me. The
time has come, sweet lady, and I hope that he will make me glad.
I abandoned my brother and my people only to have Bhimasena for my
husband. Most illustrious lady, if he will not have me I will kill myself. Fair
one, gracious, beautiful one, be merciful to me. Think of me as being either
a fool or your slave, but let your son Bhima, handsome as a Deva, marry me
now and let me take him with me, where I go, where I will.
Noble lady, trust me, I will bring him safely back to you. Also, think of
me at any time and I will come to you immediately and take you wherever
you wish to go. I will protect you from every danger, and carry you over the
most inaccessible and remote places, upon my back, through the sky.
Ah, be merciful and tell your son to make me his wife. The Rishis have
said that in times of peril one should protect one’s life by any means at all,
without considering scruples. Yet, he that keeps to dharma in times of
duress and trial is the best of men, for distress is the greatest threat to men
of dharma.
Dharma protects life; indeed, dharma is called the giver of life. Thus,
nothing one does to keep dharma and save one’s life can be censured. I am
the means to your safety; tell your son to make me his.’
Yudhishtira now says, ‘Hidimbi you speak truly. But slender-waisted
one, you must keep your word. After his morning ablutions, his prayers and
dawn rituals, Bhima shall be yours during the days, until the sun sets. Enjoy
the days with him as you please and wherever you like. But Hidimbi, who
can fly as swiftly as the mind, you must bring him back to us at nightfall of
every day.’
Bhima bows his head to what Yudhishtira says, for he does indeed desire
Hidimbi. He says, ‘Slim-waisted Rakshasi, I promise to remain with you
and to be yours until you have a son.’
Joyfully Hidimbi cries, ‘So be it!’ She then picks Bhima up effortlessly,
rises up into the sky with him and flashes away. She flies with him to lofty
mountains, sacred to the Devas, of unearthly beauty, where nameless and
rare birds sing as they do nowhere else in the world.
Upon their peaks, on their sides where magnificent trees grow, great
sires of their kind, and in their secret valleys, Hidimbi makes love with
Bhima all day long. She assumes the most beautiful form for him, wears
ornaments past compare, and often breaks into fine song herself, singing
more sweetly than the birds.
They take their deep pleasure of each other in the hearts of impenetrable
forests, beside lakes like great jewels upon the Earth, fragrant and laden
with lotus and lily, on exquisite islands that stand in the flow of great rivers,
on soft sands and smooth pebbles, in caves hidden behind towering
waterfalls, upon the sylvan Himalaya, in crystalline pools at the foot of
these cascades, upon which, also, resplendent lotuses shine, on seashores,
great and empty beaches where no man has ever set foot, where gold dust
and nuggets sparkle and pearls shine like small moons, in great towns and
cities, in sprawling gardens, in sacred tapovanas, upon myriad hills, in the
hidden domains of the Guhyakas and Siddhas, on the banks of the
Manasarovara, where flowers and fruit festoon the radiant giant trees
perennially.
Indeed, Hidimbi flies swiftly as the mind, and she makes love with
Bhima in all these places, until she becomes pregnant and in her time
delivers a mighty son. His eyes are fierce, his mouth wide, his ears long and
pointed like arrows; he is altogether ferocious to behold.
His lips are coppery, his teeth sharp fangs, his arms great, his strength
greater, and that child quickly becomes a master archer. His nose is long
and sharp, his chest wide as houses, his calves are tremendous, his swiftness
incredible, and there is nothing human about his face or appearance though
he is indeed the son of a man.
As soon as that child is born, within an hour, he grows into a youth. He
is stronger than any Pisacha, of any tribe, and any Rakshasa, too.
Quickly, taught by his great uncles, he becomes a master of every
weapon. Rakshasa women give birth the very day they conceive; it is an
ancient blessing given them by the Devi Durga, so they do not have to forgo
sexual pleasure for any length of time. Of course, they can assume any form
they choose, terrible or beautiful.
Bhima and Hidimbi’s son has no hair on his head. When he is born, he
bends to touch the feet of his mother and his father. Hidimbi remarks that
his head is as smooth as a Ghata, a waterpot, and his parents name him
Ghatotkacha, the pot-headed.
Ghatotkacha is devoted to his father and his uncles, and he is soon their
favourite. But now Hidimbi knows that her time with Bhima has come to an
end. She takes sad leave of them and goes away, to range the world as she
pleases.
Ghatotkacha, greatest among Rakshasas, takes their blessing, as well,
and, promising to appear before them whenever they need him and summon
him with a thought, also leaves them and journeys north.
It is told that Indra gives an amsa of himself to create Maharatha
Ghatotkacha. His reason for this is to create a worthy adversary for Karna,
sadly one that he could finally kill with the deadly shakti, inexorable
weapon which Indra himself gives that matchless warrior.”
CANTO 158
aisampayana said, “The Pandava Maharathas wander from jungle to

jungle, hunting deer and other animals for their food. Their travels
take them through the kingdoms and lands of the Matsyas, the
Trigartas, the Panchalas and the Kichakas, with their emerald forests
jewelled with lakes like the faces of the purest diamonds.
The brothers all wear their hair in matted jata, and valkala for garments,
or animal hides: those redoubtable Kshatriyas wear the garb of wandering
Sannyasis; and Kunti goes with them, their mother. At times, the
Maharathas carry her upon their backs, and hurry along their way when
they fear that they might be discovered. They go in disguise across the
world’s wild places.
They study the Rik and the other Vedas, as well as the Vedangas, and the
other Shastras that deal with dharma and politics, too. During their
wandering, they meet their grandsire Krishna Dwaipayana, the Maharishi
Vyasa. They prostrate at his feet, then stand before him with folded hands,
the Pandavas and Kunti.
Vyasa says, ‘Bharatarishabhas, I know everything that has happened,
indeed I had foreknowledge of it during my dhyana. I have come to bless
you and to tell you that all that has transpired, your suffering and exile, will
finally turn out for the best, and you will benefit from it. Do not grieve over
any of this; it is all for your final happiness.
It is true that Dhritarashtra’s sons and you are all the same to me. Yet, I
must be partial to those that have suffered during their tender years; so,
certainly, my affection for you is now greater, and because of that love I
want to bless you and do some great good to you.
Not far from this place is a fine little town, where you will be perfectly
safe. Take yourselves there, disguised, and wait for me to come to you
again.’
Satyavati’s son Dwaipayana comforts the sons of Pandu and leads them
to the township of Ekachakra.
The Muni also consoles Kunti, ‘Live long, daughter! For your son
Yudhishtira, devoted as he is to truth, this radiant Purusharishabha who has
conquered the world with his dharma, will soon rule over all the rulers of
the Earth and be a king of kings.
Arjuna and Bhima will subdue the world in their brother’s name, the
Earth with her girdle of seas, and Yudhishtira will rule as emperor. Your
sons and Madri’s Maharathas, as well, will enjoy all power and every
luxury and pleasure.
These Purushvyaghras will perform many great sacrifices, including the
imperial Rajasuya yagna and the Aswamedha yagna, and munificent shall
be the gifts they bestow upon the Brahmanas of the world.
Your sons will one day also rule over the kingdom of their ancestors, the
Kuru kingdom, and they will keep their friends and kinsmen in great
comfort, wealth and joy.’
Vyasa brings them into the home of a Brahmana in Ekachakra. Then the
island-born Rishi says to Yudhishtira, ‘Live here and wait for my return.
Adapt yourself to the place and your situation, and I, Vyasa, say to you that
happiness waits for you around the corner of the days.’
The Pandavas fold their hands humbly to him, and say, ‘So be it.’ The
illumined Dwaipayana then leaves them and returns to his asrama, from
where he has come.”
CANTO 159
BAKAVADHA PARVA
ing Janamejaya asked, “Dvijottama, best of Brahmanas, what did

those mighty Maharathas, those Kuntiputras, do in Ekachakra?”
Vaisampayana said, “They live for a time in the home of a
Brahmana, disguising themselves as Brahmanas, too. During the day they
go begging for alms, and return at dusk with whatever they have received
and give it all to Kunti, who divides the alms in two equal portions. Bhima
eats one portion, while the other is shared by Kunti and her other sons.
They range far, the sons of Pandu, wandering through enchanting
forests, past crystalline lakes and frothing, clear rivers, and they become
great favourites with the people of Ekachakra for the manner in which they
deport themselves. Thus, O Bharatarishabha, some time passes.
One day, while four of her sons are out begging alms, Bhima is in the
room in the home of the Brahmana, their host, with his mother Pritha.
Suddenly, Kunti hears piteous sobs echoing from within the Brahmana’s
house. She hears the man, his wife and children all crying in the most
heartbroken manner.
Kunti cannot bear it and says to Bhima, ‘My son, we are living
peacefully and happily in the house of this Brahmana, who shows us such
kindness and respect. Duryodhana has no idea where we are, but believes us
to be dead.
My child, I am always blessing this Brahmana in my heart and
wondering what great good I should do to him. The true man, my Bhima,
always pays back more than he receives. Some terrible tragedy has
overtaken our host. If we can be of any help at all to him, we must requite
his generous hospitality.’
Bhima says at once, ‘Mother, find out what ails the Brahmana. Whatever
it might be, I will do everything I can to remove his distress, however
difficult that might prove.’
They hear more anguished cries from the Brahmana and his wife. Kunti
rises and runs towards the inner chambers of the house of their host, even
like a cow does to her tethered calf. She pauses at the door and sees the
Brahmana, his wife, their son and daughter all sitting in utmost dejection,
with tears streaming down their faces.
The Brahmana says, ‘Oh, curse this worldly life! It is as hollow as a
reed, pointless, and founded just on sorrow. It begins and ends in grief and
knows no freedom. Life is a disease, a tale of misery.
The Atman is one, but it must pursue dharma, artha and kama. And
because it does so, and all at the same time, discord arises, and then untold
grief. Some say that moksha is our final desire and goal, but I am certain
that it can never be attained.
The acquisition of wealth is hell; the pursuit of it attended by misery;
and when one finally does acquire wealth one is even more miserable for
one has grown attached to one’s hard-earned possessions and lives in
constant anxiety of losing them.
And today mortal danger has entered my life, and I cannot see how to
escape it. Wife of mine, how often I told you let us leave this town and go
somewhere else, where we would be happy. But you would not listen.
You always replied, simple woman, “I was born here and have grown
old here. This is my home, the place of my ancestors.”
But your mother and father left this world a long time ago; all your
relatives are also dead. Then why did you want to go on living in this
wretched place? No, you would not listen to me, and now that terrible time
has come for you to lose one member of your family.
What could be more terrible for me? But no, it is I that will offer myself
to death because I could never sacrifice any of you, while keeping myself
alive. You have been such a good wife to me, a helpmeet in any punya that I
undertook, always self-effacing, and always as loving as a mother.
The Gods gave you to me as a true companion and you are my mainstay,
my greatest support. My parents got us married. Your lineage is as pure as
your nature is sweet. You are the mother of my children, devoted, chaste
and innocent. I married you with every holy rite and I will not abandon you
now, who have been so constant in your vratas. I will not sacrifice your life
to save mine.
Ah, how will I sacrifice my son who has not yet attained puberty? How
will I sacrifice my daughter, my own child given to me by God to become
the mother, one day, of my grandchildren, through whom my ancestors and
I will attain those realms that only a daughter’s sons can bestow upon our
souls?
There are those that say that a father loves his son best, while others
insist that a daughter is a father’s favourite. But for me both my children
have always been equal and equally loved.
It is plain that I cannot sacrifice the life of any of you, yet if I die myself
who will look after you when I am gone? What peace will my spirit have
even in the next world? You will certainly perish, as well, without me.
Oh, there is no cure for the horrible tragedy that has overtaken us, no
escape. I do not know what to do. It seems the only course is for all four of
us to go and die together. Yes, that seems the only way.’”
CANTO 160
BAKAVADHA PARVA CONTINUED
aisampayana continued, “Hearing the Brahmana’s stricken words,

his wife says, ‘O Brahmana, you must not grieve like an ordinary
man. This is no time for lamenting. You are learned and you know
that all who are born must surely die; you must not grieve over the
inevitable.
A man seeks a wife, a son or daughter, all for his self. You are a wise
man; kill your grief. I will go in your place, for it is the highest dharma of a
woman to save her husband’s life by sacrificing her own. I could hope for
no greater fortune. By doing this I will find joy and great fame in this
world, and eternal bliss in the next.
I tell you, my husband, this is a woman’s highest dharma, and by this we
shall both find both punya and sukha. I have fulfilled my womanhood by
bearing you our children; I owe you no further debt. You are able and can
support and nurture our son and daughter; but not I.
You are my life, my wealth, and my lord; without you, how will I feed or
care for these young ones, why, how will I support myself? If I am a widow
and without a lord, how will I keep the three of us alive and still lead a
chaste and honest life?
If arrogant or otherwise unworthy suitors come for your daughter’s hand,
how will I protect her? My lord, even as birds fly hungrily at discarded
meat, so do men seek out a woman who has lost her husband.
Brahmanottama, my virtue might well falter if evil men repeatedly
importune me. Then how will I be able to set this innocent daughter of
yours upon the pure path which all her ancestors have walked?
As for your son, how will I, as a widow, teach him everything that he
should know, so that he becomes as accomplished and virtuous as yourself?
Like Sudras that demand to hear the Veda, base men will come for your
daughter’s hand, and how will I resist them? Even if I refuse, they might
well take her by force, like crows stealing sacrificial ghee, this pure child
blessed with all your qualities.
And when the world sees your son become so unlike his father, and your
daughter married to some low man, it will despise and dishonour me, even
the worst in it, and I will certainly die. And when the both of us are dead,
these children will also perish like fish when they have no water in which to
live.
So, O Brahmana, you must allow me to sacrifice myself. Also, those that
know dharma always say that for a woman who has borne children to die
before her husband is the greatest punya. Ah, I am more than ready to
abandon my son and my daughter, all my kin, and life itself for your sake.
For a woman to serve her husband is her highest dharma, loftier than
yagnas, vratas, sannyasa or any kind of daana. So what I mean to do is the
purest dharma and punya for you and your race.
The Rishis say that a man treasures his wife, children, relatives and all
his possessions to save himself from danger and sorrow. He watches over
his wealth to keep danger away and with this wealth he supports and
protects his wife. And himself he protects through both his wealth and his
wife.
The Sages truly say that a man acquires a wife, a son, wealth and a
house in order to safeguard himself against any misfortune, expected or
unforeseen. The ancients have also declared that all one’s relatives together
are not equal to oneself. So, my lord, you must sacrifice me to save
yourself. I beg you let me sacrifice myself so that you can care for these
young ones of mine.
Besides, those who know dharma always say that a woman must never
be killed. Rakshasas also know the laws of dharma. It is certain that the
Rakshasa will kill a man but not so that he will dare kill a woman. This is
another reason for you to send me to the Rakshasa.
My lord, I have enjoyed great happiness, so much joy and pleasure, and I
have also acquired a good deal of spiritual punya. I have borne you these
two children who are so precious to me. All my womanly wants and needs
have been fulfilled, and I have lived a long life. I am not afraid to die.
I am always eager to serve and please you, that is my nature; keeping all
this in mind, I have arrived at my resolve. When I am gone, you can marry
another wife, and through her find more religious merit. There is no sin in
it. For a man to take a second wife is punya, while for a woman it is a sin to
marry a second husband. Remember all this, my lord, and also that for you
to sacrifice your life is sinful.
And so, do not delay, but set us all free from our burden of grief:
yourself, your family, and these children of ours.’
Bharata, the Brahmana embraces her emotionally, and tears stream down
their faces, while grief and silence fill the room.”
CANTO 161
aisampayana continued, “Listening to her parents, the daughter is

stricken and cries, ‘Why do you lament and cry like this, as if you
have no one to care for you? Hear what I have to say, O my father
and mother, before deciding what you are going to do.
Is it not true that one day you will have to send me away, give me to
someone to be his wife? Since you must sacrifice me one day, let it be
today, and so save three lives for the price of one.
Men wish for children, believing that they will save them in this world
and the next. So, today, ford the river of your misfortunes by making a raft
of me, your child. The Sages call a child a Putra, a saviour, because a child
does indeed save its parents both in this world and the next.
The Pitrs wish for grandchildren from me, to become their special
saviours. But by saving my father’s life today, I will become a saviour to
them myself. My brother, this little one is young and tender. There is no
doubt that he will not survive if you die. If both my father and my brother
perish, there will be no one left to offer the pinda and tarpana for the spirits
of our manes. Nothing could be more terrible.
And if you both leave me, and my mother will certainly not survive your
deaths, I will sink into the deepest despair, and die myself, a heartbroken
death. However, if you, my mother and father, and this little one continue to
live, our family will continue and the ancestral pinda will also continue to
be offered.
A son is a man’s very soul; his wife is his dearest friend; but a daughter
is only a burden. Rid yourself of this burden, father, and let me tread the
high path of dharma. I am a girl; if you die, I will become helpless and
certainly come to grief, one way or another.
That is why I have decided to save our clan and gain the punya of this
fearful sacrifice. Dvijottama, if you leave me and go to the Rakshasa
yourself, I will never recover from the grief of it. Be merciful to me,
Purushottama, for all our sakes, for the sake of dharma, and for our clan.
You must sacrifice my life and live on. You must send me away one day
soon, it is inevitable; let this be that day.
What could be more terrible than if you are to die and we are forced to
live on, begging for our food like dogs, at the mercy of any stranger who
wants to take advantage of us? But if you live on, I will surely find great joy
in Devaloka.
I have heard that if a man sacrifices his daughter, offering her like an
oblation to the Devas and the Pitrs, he and his shall find prosperity.’
Tears roll ceaselessly down her face as she speaks, and her parents are
plunged deeper into despair. The three of them hug one another and sob.
Seeing them, the son of the house, the little innocent, says in the
sweetest lisp, and his eyed wide and shining, ‘Don’t cry, my mother, my
father, my sister.’
He goes up to them smiling and brandishing a blade of grass in his small
hand. Screwing up his face into a delightful snarl, he cries, ‘I will slay the
Rakshasa who eats people!’
At which, despite their predicament and their terror, the other three burst
out laughing. Kunti sees her moment and enters the room. She speaks to
them and truly what she says revives their spirits as amrita does a dying
man.”
CANTO 162
unti says, ‘Tell me the cause of your grief and I will remove it if I
can.’
The Brahmana replies, ‘Sannyasini, I thank you for your noble
intention, but our grief cannot be removed by any human agency.
Not far from our town there lives a Rakshasa calls Baka, and he is the
lord and master of all these lands. He is inordinately strong and rules our
country. He is also the lord of all the Rakshasas and thus he protects our
town from the rest of them, and we fear no enemy at all.
However, in return for his protection we must send him a regular
offering of food: a cartload of rice, drawn by two buffaloes, and the human
that drives the cart. Every family’s turn comes to send the Rakshasa his
offering, and there being so many homes in our country, each one’s turn
comes after many years.
If any household tries to escape their turn when it comes, Baka descends
on them and kills the entire family, men, women and children, and eats
them.
The king of this country lives in a city called Vetrakiya. He is a wanton
and an imbecile, and does nothing to protect us. And continuing to live in
the kingdom of such a weak and impotent monarch, we surely deserve our
fate.
No one can force a Brahmana to dwell permanently in any place, and
they are like birds that migrate from kingdom to kingdom, in complete
freedom. The Rishis have always maintained that one must first find a good
king, then a good wife, and then seek wealth. Acquiring these three one
becomes capable of saving oneself and one’s clan.
But I have been foolish in my pursuit of the three, and today I find
myself plunged in a sea of mortal danger and misery, for today it is my turn
to send Bakasura his offering of food, which will destroy my family.
I do not have the money with which I might buy a man willing to sell his
life and take Baka his cartload of rice. I cannot think of sacrificing my wife
or my children. I see no ray of hope or escape, and am sinking in the sea of
dread.
I have decided that the only course for us is to go all together to the
monster and let him devour us all.’”
CANTO 163
unti says with a smile, ‘Do not grieve anymore, good Brahmana,
for I have a way to save you from the Rakshasa. You have just
one son, and besides he is a young child, and only one daughter,
as well, also a tender girl. I see no reason why either of them, your wife or
even you should sacrifice yourselves to satisfy the Rakshasa.
Brahmana, I have five sons. Let one of them take the cart of rice to
Baka.’
But the Brahmana is aghast at the idea, ‘I can never allow someone else
to sacrifice his life for me! You are Brahmanas and my guests. Why, even a
lowborn man would not accept your offer. It has always been said that one
should sacrifice oneself and one’s children for the sake of a Brahmana, and
certainly not the reverse. I believe this, and if I have to choose between the
death of a Brahmana and my own, I will always choose to die myself.
Brahmahatya is the most heinous sin of all, and there is no expiation for
it. It is better to sacrifice one’s own life, however sadly, than a Brahmana’s.
Noble, blessed lady, I will not be committing suicide if I go to the
Rakshasa, and no sin will cling to me in my next life. But if I countenance a
Brahmana giving his life for mine, I would sin grievously and would never
escape the consequences.
The Rishis have said that abandoning or betraying someone who comes
to your home for protection, as well as participating in the death of one that
seeks death at your hands are both dreadful sins. The Sages say this in the
context of what is permissible in grave danger and distress.
So, dear lady, it is far better for me that I die with my wife and children
today than that I sacrifice a Brahmana’s life so that I can continue living.’
Kunti replies, ‘Brahmana, I also believe firmly that a Brahmana should
never be sacrificed. And as for me, even if I had a hundred sons instead of
the five that I do, none of them would be any less dear to me than the
others. But the Rakshasa will not kill my son because this son of mine is
blessed with strength beyond your imagination. He is also a master of
occult mantras.
He will deliver the offering of food to the Rakshasa, but will escape with
his life. It will not be the first time, either; I have seen, more than once, my
son killing the most powerful Rakshasas, fiends big as hillocks.
But Brahmana, you must not tell anyone this secret, for then those that
want this secret power for themselves will never leave my sons in peace.
The Rishis have said that if my son teaches his secret knowledge to anyone
without his Guru’s leave, he himself will lose his strength.’
Hearing what Pritha says, incredulous joy fills the Brahmana and his
wife, for surely her words are like amrita to them. Kunti takes the
Brahmana to Bhimasena Vayuputra, and tells him about the Rakshasa and
what she wants him to do.
Bhima replies casually, as if this is nothing, ‘So be it.’”
CANTO 164
aisampayana said, “After Bhima gives his word, O Bharata, saying ‘I

will’, the other Pandavas return with the alms they have begged
during the day. Yudhishtira takes one look at Bhima’s delighted
expression and guesses at what has transpired while he is out.
Yudhishtira sits beside his mother and says quietly, ‘What task has
Bhima undertaken? Did you command him or did he take it upon himself?’
Kunti replies calmly, ‘I told Bhima Parantapa to do this great thing for
the sake of the good Brahmana and to liberate this lovely township from
fear.’
Yudhishtira says sharply, ‘What rashness, mother. You do not know what
you have done. This is like telling Bhima to commit suicide. The Sages
never approve of abandoning one’s child.
O my mother, why do you want to sacrifice your own son to save
another’s life? This is not only unnatural for humans but against everything
that the Veda teaches.
We sleep peacefully at nights because of Bhima’s strength. We have
some hope of recovering our kingdom from the envious sons of
Dhritarashtra because we rely on Bhima’s strength. Duryodhana and
Shakuni do not sleep at night because the thought of Bhima’s strength
haunts them.
We escaped from the house of lac because of Bhima’s strength; countless
other perils he has saved us from. Bhima killed Purochana. Because of him
we already think of ourselves as killing Dhritarashtra’s sons and ruling the
Earth again very soon, and over all the wealth that is in her.
Mother, what were you thinking when you decided to sacrifice Bhima to
the Rakshasa today? Have you lost your reason Kunti, or have our recent
trials clouded your mind?’
Kunti says, ‘I have not lost my reason, neither is my mind clouded,
Yudhishtira, and you need have no fear for Bhima. We have been living
safely in this Brahmana’s house, undiscovered by Duryodhana, and our host
has shown us great respect and affection.
We are in his debt, and gratitude is the mark of a noble man; indeed, the
true man returns more than he receives. And it is to repay our debt to the
good Brahmana that I decided to send Bhima to the Rakshasa.
I have now seen Bhima’s strength, when we escaped from the house of
lac, when he killed Hidimba, and I have complete faith in him. My son is as
strong as ten thousand elephants; that is how he carried five of us, each one
weighty as an elephant, from Varanavrata.
No one on Earth is as strong as Bhima, why, I venture that he may well
defeat Indra, who wields the Vajra and is the greatest warrior. Soon after he
was born, he fell from my lap down onto the mountain below. The fall left
no scratch on him, but the rock onto which he fell was shattered. Pandava,
even then I knew my son’s matchless strength.
No, neither rashness nor foolishness made me decide to send Bhima
against the Rakshasa, or any ulterior motive. Deliberately, and after careful
thought, I decided to do this thing.
Yudhishtira, we shall repay our deep debt to our host by this deed as well
as gain great punya by it. A Kshatriya who serves a Brahmana in any
manner acquires many lofty realms of bliss in the hereafter. A Kshatriya
who saves a Brahmana’s very life certainly finds great fame in this world
and the next.
A Kshatriya who helps a Vaisya becomes very popular, and a warrior
must not hesitate to help even a Sudra who comes to him for refuge, for
then he shall be born into the noblest of royal houses in his next life, and be
prosperous and have great honour from other kings.
O Scion of the House of Puru, the illustrious Dwaipayana himself told
me all this once. Remembering what he said, I made my decision.’”
CANTO 165
ow, Yudhishtira is contrite. He says, ‘Mother, what you have

done is wise and excellent. Our Bhima will certainly kill the
Rakshasa and come back alive, not only for his indomitable
strength but for our mother’s unfaltering kindness towards Brahmanas.
But, mother, you must get the Brahmana’s solemn pledge that he will
say nothing of this to anyone else.’”
Vaisampayana continued, “At dawn the next day, Bhimasena sets out for
the Rakshasa’s lair, with the cartload of fine food which the Brahmana’s
wife has prepared. As he goes towards the forest where the Rakshasa lives,
Bhima himself begins to eat, and how he relishes the Brahmana woman’s
cooking!
As he eats, the great Pandava begins to roar out the Rakshasa’s name, to
taunt him. Baka hears him, and flies out in a rage from his cave towards the
impertinent cartman. He is immense, as is his strength; his eyes are red, and
so are his hair and beard; he is altogether terrible as he strides along, his
footmarks deep upon the earth.
His maw stretches from one ear to the other, and his ears are sharp,
pointed like arrowheads. Three deep furrows mark his thick brow. The
Rakshasa arrives where Bhima sits contentedly eating the food; Baka bites
his lip and glowers.
Softly, in a voice full of menace, he says, ‘Who is this fool that dares eat
my food before my very eyes? Who is this fool that wants to see Yamaloka
at once?’
Bhima only smiles in contempt, and continues eating; he does not so
much as turn to look at the Rakshasa. Baka gives the most dreadful roar,
thrusts out his long hirsute arms and rushes at Bhima.
Bhima Parantapa gives him just one brief glance, then goes back to
eating the Rakshasa’s food with undimmed relish. Baka strikes Vrikodara a
tremendous blow from behind, smiting him with two clenched fists. Kunti’s
son does not stir; he still does not look at the Rakshasa, only continues to
eat.
Beside himself, Baka tears up a tree and advances upon Bhima again.
Meanwhile, Vrikodara finishes the last of the great meal. He washes his
hands and now turns with a smile to face the Rakshasa, ready at last to fight
him. Baka casts the tree like a javelin at Bhima, who catches it in his left
hand.
More trees Baka tears up and casts them in a fair blizzard at the
Pandava. Bhima also now pulls up trees and hurls them at the monster.
Soon, the entire forest around the dreadful two is denuded of trees.
Baka roars, ‘I am Baka!’ and he springs at Bhima and seizes him with
his hands. Bhima seizes the Rakshasa, too, and they begin to drag each
other about violently. The ground shakes beneath their great feet, and the
trees they cast at each other snap in pieces and are crushed.
Baka tires quickly, and Bhima flings him down on the ground, holds him
down with his knees and begins to rain awesome blows on the supine
Rakshasa. Then, in a flash, he turns Baka on his face, plants one knee on his
spine and, seizing the Rakshasa’s neck in one hand and his waistcloth in the
other, begins to bend him back in two.
Baka’s screams and roars shake that place. Rajan, he vomits blood as
Bhima inexorably breaks his back.”
CANTO 166
aisampayana said, “Finally, with a resounding crack, Baka’s back

breaks and, with a last scream, the Rakshasa, big as a hill, dies.
Terrified by the sounds of that battle, Baka’s kinsmen run out,
Rajan; they come with their servants to see what the matter is, and find their
lord broken upon the ground and his slayer standing over him.
Seeing them terror-stricken, trembling and grieving, Bhima comforts
them. But he says, ‘Never again kill a Manava, for if you do, you will also
die as Baka has died.’
Those Rakshasas say, ‘So be it,’ giving their solemn word. And indeed,
from that day on, the people of Ekachakra and that entire region find those
Rakshasas gentle towards humankind, those of the fiends that do not fly that
country after they see Baka killed by the mighty Bhima.
Bhima brings Baka’s corpse back to Ekachakra. Unobserved, he leaves
the great carcass at one of the town gates, by dark, and returns to the house
of the Brahmana, where he tells Yudhishtira what has happened.
Next morning, some people of Ekachakra come out and see the hilly
Rakshasa, covered in blood and dead. Seeing how he has been mangled by
whoever killed him, their hair stands on end.
They run back into the town and the news spreads like wildfire. Now the
people come out in thousands, men, women and children, to the gate where
the Rakshasa lies like a fallen cliff. They stand stunned by the sight, and at
the thought of who could have done this thing.
Rajan, those people give fervent thanks to all their gods, and then they
begin to think whose turn it was to take the cart of food the previous day to
Baka. Soon they arrive in the house of the good Brahmana, and demand to
know what has happened.
At first, he will say nothing. But when they press him repeatedly, that
Brahmanarishabha says, ‘Yesterday, a Brahmana, a master of mantras, saw
me crying with my family at the fate that had overtaken us. He asked why
we wept and when I told him, he consoled me, smilingly, and said, “Fear
nothing, for I will take his food to the Rakshasa.”
At first I would not allow him, but he assured me that he would come to
no harm. Surely, he slew Baka and has done us all a great service.’
All the Brahmanas and Kshatriyas of Ekachakra are wonderstruck, and
the Vaisyas and the Sudras also rejoice. Indeed, they decide to mark that
day with a festival to worship the Brahmana stranger who had freed them
from the terror of Baka.”
CANTO 167
CHAITRARATHA PARVA
aisampayana continued, “After the slaying of Baka, and the

ceremony they hold to celebrate the amazing feat by the unknown
Brahmana, the people of Ekachakra go back to their homes and
resume their daily lives.”
Janamejaya asked, “Brahmana, what did the Pandavas, those
Purushavyaghras, do after they kill Baka Rakshasa?”
Vaisampayana said, “Rajan, they continue to live in the house of the
good Brahmana, who constantly studies the Veda. A few days later, yet
another austere Brahmana arrives in the home of the Pandavas’ host.
Always generous to a fault, the Ekachakra Brahmanarishabha welcomes the
visitor and makes him stay in his own home.
Hearing from their host that the newcomer is a gifted raconteur, one
evening Kunti and her sons ask him to tell them about his wanderings and
experiences. The Brahmana begins by telling them about his journeys and
pilgrimages through various lands, their holy shrines and tirthas and rivers.
Of great kings that he has met he speaks, and describes many wonderful
kingdoms and cities.
When he has done this, O Janamejaya, the Brahmana begins to tell them
about the forthcoming swayamvara of the daughter of Drupada Yagnasena
of the Panchalas. He describes the unusual births of Dhrishtadyumna and
Sikhandi, and of the princess Krishnaa Draupadi, who also is born not from
a woman but from a holy fire during a great yagna that Drupada performs.
Their curiosity aroused to hear about the extraordinary events in
Drupada’s life, the Pandava Purusharishabhas ask the Brahmana,
‘Brahmana, how was Dhrishtadyumna born from a yagna fire? How was his
sister Krishnaa born from the heart of the yagnashala? How did
Dhrishtadyumna acquire all the astras from the peerless Acharya Drona?
And, O Brahmana, how did Drupada and Drona become enemies?’
And the itinerant Brahmana tells them about the exceptional birth of
Draupadi.”
CANTO 168
CHAITRARATHA PARVA CONTINUED
he Brahmana says, ‘Where the Ganga flows down into the plains,
there lived a Maharishi called Bharadwaja, a great brahmacharin,
who practised the most severe austerities. Stern were his vratas
and profound his wisdom.
One day, he came to the river to perform his daily ablutions and saw the
Apsara Ghritachi, who had finished bathing and stood on the river’s bank,
gazing across its flow.
Just then a gust of wind blew her single garment from the Apsara and
she stood entirely naked, and ravishing. Seeing her like that, Bharadwaja
was stricken with lust. He was a brahmacharin, continent from puberty, but
now he helplessly ejaculated.
As soon as his semen spurted from him, Bharadwaja caught it in his
drana, his waterpot. From the Sage’s seed in the pot there emerged a
lustrous son, whom the Rishi named Drona, the one born from the pot.
Drona mastered all the Vedas and Vedangas.
Bharadwaja had a friend called Prihasta, who was king of the Panchalas.
At almost the same time that Drona was born, Prihasta also had a son,
whom he called Drupada. The Kshatriyarishabha Draupada would go daily
to Bharadwaja’s asrama, to study and play with Drona.
When Prihasta died, Drupada became king of the Panchalas. At this
same time, Drona heard that the mighty Parasurama had decided to take
final Sannyasa and had decided to give away all his wealth before doing so.
Drona went to Parasurama and said, “Brahmanottama, I am
Bharadwaja’s son Drona who has come to receive your wealth from you.”
Rama replied, “I have already given away all my wealth. All that I now
have are my body and my astras. Brahmana, ask me for either of these and I
will give it to you.”
Drona said, “I beg you, Lord, give me all the astras you have, and teach
me how to loose and to recall them.”
Parasurama Bhargava said, “So be it,” and bestowed all his astras upon
Drona, including the great Brahmastra, loftiest among weapons. Drona
thought of himself as being the most fortunate man alive, and indeed,
having the Brahmastra did render him superior to almost every man.
A master of untold prowess now, Bharadwaja’s son, tiger among men,
went to Drupada and said to him, “I am your friend Drona.”
But Drupada replied scornfully, “A lowborn man can never be the equal
or friend of a king of pure lineage. A man who is not a Maharatha can never
become the friend of a Maharatha. So, too, though once we might have
been friends, Drona, a commoner can never hope to be the friend of a king.
Our friendship is a thing of the past.”
Shaken and humiliated, Drona, blessed with great intelligence, left the
Panchala kingdom and came to the capital of the Kurus, the city named
after the elephant. His heart was set on taking revenge on Drupada.
In Hastinapura, Bhishma welcomed Bharadwaja’s mighty son, appointed
him as Guru to his grandsons, the Kuru scions, and gave the Brahmana
much wealth, as well. Drona called his disciples and said to them, “Sinless
princes, when I have taught you the use of weapons, made master warriors
out of you, you must give me the dakshina that I will ask for, for it is
something I hold very dear.”
Arjuna and others said to their Acharya, “We shall.”
And when they did become proficient at arms, and their aim was true,
Drona asked for his dakshina, “Prihasta’s son Drupada is king in Chatravati.
Take his kingdom from him and give it to me!”
The Pandavas defeated Drupada in battle, took him captive, and brought
him with his ministers to Drona; they offered him to their master as
dakshina. Drona looked at the humbled king and said, “Drupada, I still want
your friendship. But you say that no man who is not a king can be the friend
of a king. So, Yagnasena, I will divide your kingdom, which now is mine, in
two. You shall rule the Panchala lands south of the Bhagirathi, while I will
be king of the northern lands.”
Drupada said to that best among Brahmanas and foremost among
masters of astras, “Noble son of Bharadwaja, let us be friends forever!”
With that they embraced and went to their separate abodes. However,
while Drona naïvely believed that he had struck peace and friendship with
Drupada, that Kshatriya never forgave him, and his every moment was full
of the rancour of his humiliation. He wasted away, thinking of it
ceaselessly,’ says the Brahmana at Ekachakra.”
CANTO 169
aisampayana said, “The Brahmana continues, ‘Drupada began to

roam the jungles in quest of Brahmanas that were masters of yagnas,
who could relieve his terrible distress. He was grief-stricken and he
had no children who were superior enough to avenge what Drona had done.
Over and over Drupada would say, “Fie on my weakling children, none
of them can avenge me. Fie on my kinsmen, weaklings all,” and he would
hiss and sigh like a serpent, from dejection.
O Bharata, that mightiest of kings never stopped thinking about it, but he
saw no way by which he could, with all his Kshatriya might, defeat the
discipline, prowess and the accomplishments of Drona.
One day, as he ranged the banks of the Yamuna and the Ganga, Drupada
came upon a sacred asrama of some Brahmanas, all of them Snatakas, of
stern vratas and tapasya, and of deep dharma and lofty punya. There he saw
two Rishis called Yaja and Upayaja, masters of the spirit, most evolved and
powerful of Sages.
They belonged to the race of Kashyapa and had devoted themselves to
the study of the most ancient and arcane scriptures, arts and sciences.
Drupada knew at once that, if anyone, those Brahamanashreshtas could help
him. Assiduously, singlemindedly, he began to worship and to cultivate
them.
He found the austere Upayaja, the younger of the Rishis, possessed of
great wisdom and power, and he offered him measureless wealth, privately.
He served that Rishi like a common acolyte, always speaking the most
flattering and sweet words to him, prostrating at his feet, and offering him
everything that any man might desire.
One day, after offering his usual worship, Drupada said to Upayaja, “O
Brahmana, if you perform a putrakama yagna for me through which I have
a son who will kill Drona, I will give you ten thousand cows, or whatever
else you want from me.”
But the Sage replied, “I cannot.”
However, Drupada would not give up and continued to serve and
worship the Rishi diligently. When a year passed, one day Upayaja said
sweetly to Drupada, “One day, as he roamed in the heart of the forest, I saw
my elder brother Yaja pick up a fruit which had fallen from a tree. He did
not care to examine the purity of the ground on to which it had fallen. Why,
he has no scruples about accepting impure gifts. He that can be impure in
one instance can well be the same in others.
While we were students in the home of our Guru, studying the Shastras,
my brother had no compunction about eating the unclean leavings from
feasts. He always delighted in food, and has no distaste for any kind of
food. I would surmise from this that my brother Yaja would in general be
fond of mundane acquisitions.
O King, I suggest that you approach my brother; he will perform the
yagna you desire.”
Drupada heard this and surely had no great esteem for Yaja, but went to
him nonetheless. He worshipped Yaja, and said, ‘Master, perform a
putrakama yagna for me and I will give you ten thousand cows. Hatred for
Drona consumes me; only his death can put out the fire that burns my heart.
Greatest among those that know the Veda, Drona has the Brahmastara
and I cannot vanquish him in battle. Bharadwaja’s son is a great genius and
he is Guru now to the Kuru princes. No Kshatriya in the world is his equal.
His formidable bow is twelve feet long and his arrows can kill every
living thing. Bharadwaja’s son, awesome bowman born as a Brahmana,
denudes the power of the Kshatriya the world over. Why, he is like another
Parasurama, born to destroy the very race of kings.
No man on Earth can withstand the ferocity of the astras of Drona. He is
like a fire fed with ghee; he combines the power of the Brahmana with the
prowess of a Kshatriya, and razes his adversaries.
But, O Yaja, your Brahma shakti, by itself, is greater that Drona’s
Brahma shakti and his Kshatriya shakti. As for me, I have only my
Kshatriya shakti and I am no match for Bharadwaja’s son. I have come to
beg for your help, using your Brahma gyana that is far superior to Drona’s.
Great Yaja, perform a yagna for me by which I might have an invincible
son who will kill Drona. I will give you ten thousand cows for this, or any
wealth you wish.”
Yaja said, “So be it,”and he turned his mind to remembering all the
rituals for such a sacrifice. Realising that it was a weighty undertaking, he
sought the help of his brother Upayaja, who had no desire for any worldly
possessions.
When Upayaja agreed to help, Yaja began the yagna that would one day
kill Drona. Upayaja detailed everything that they would need for the fire
sacrifice, by which the king would have a son.
The Sage said, “Rajan, you will have a son such as you want, of
matchless strength, vitality and valour.”
Drupada began to make preparations for the great yagna. When
everything was ready, Yaja poured libations of ghee into the sacred agni,
and called Drupada’s queen, “Come here, O daughter-in-law of great
Prihasta, for, look, a son and a daughter have arrived for you.”
The queen said, “Great Brahmana, my mouth is still full of saffron and
other sweet things. My body is still daubed with perfume; I am not pure or
fit to accept your offering of ghee that will give me children. O Yaja, I beg
you, wait a little for me.”
But Yaja replied, “Queen, it matters little whether you come or no. I
have the oblation ready and Upayaja has sanctified it with his mantras. Let
the object of the yagna be fulfilled!”
With that, Yaja poured the sanctified libation into the fire, and
immediately a resplendent and fierce looking prince arose from the flames,
a youth who looked like a Deva and shone like fire himself. He wore a
crown upon his head, and excellent armour upon his body, carried a bow
and arrows, and let out resounding roars from time to time.
As soon as he was born he climbed into a fulvid chariot, which also
arose from the yagna flames, and dashed about in it for a while; and the
overjoyed Panchalas shouted, “Jaya! Jaya!” They were so full of joy that it
seemed the Earth at that moment could hardly contain them or bear them.
Then, an asariri spoke from the sky, “This prince has been born to kill
Drona. He will remove all the fear of the Panchalas, and spread their fame
across the world. He shall dispel the anxiety of his father, the king.”
As soon as the voice has spoken, from the heart of the yagnashala there
arose a princess of unearthly beauty and great fortune, and she would be
called Panchali. Her skin was dark, her eyes were black and long as lotus
petals, and her hair was deep blue, a glossy cascade of curls. Her nails were
curved, as brilliant as burnished copper, her eyebrows were fair, and her
bosom was deep. She was like the daughter of a Deva born into the world
of men.
Her body was fragrant like a blue lotus, and this exquisite scent of her
spread a full two miles. Her beauty had no equal on Earth. She was like a
Goddess herself, and any Deva, Danava or Yaksha would gladly choose her
for his wife.
When this incomparable princess, her hips wide and delicate, was born,
again a disembodied voice spoke out of the sky. “This dark girl will be the
best of all women and she shall cause the destruction of Kshatriya kind.
This slender-waisted one will fulfil the deep purpose of the Gods, and with
her advent all danger shall overtake the House of Kuru.”
All together, the mighty Panchalas gave a great lion’s roar, and the Earth
trembled at that sound as if she would be cloven. Then, looking at the two
fireborn children, Drupada’s wife wanted them for her own, and she said to
Yaja, “Let these two never know any other mother except me.”
Yaja said, “Tathastu. So be it.”
Then the Brahmanas who were present named the two children, with
whom they were absolutely gratified. “Let Drupada’s son be called
Drishtadyumna for his terrific valour and because, like Dyumna, he has
been born wearing armour and carrying weapons.”
“Because the princess of matchless beauty is dark, let her be called
Krishnaa.”
Thus, from Drupada’s great yagna those splendorous twins were born.
And when Drona heard the news, he brought Drishtadyumna to his own
kingdom in northern Panchala and taught him all the astras: to pay, as it
were, for half the kingdom that he had taken from Drupada.
Bharadwaja’s son was a Mahatman enough to know that fate is
ineluctable, and by what he did he swelled his fame,’ says the Brahmana at
Ekachakra.”
CANTO 170
aisampayana said, “Kunti’s sons listen to what the Brahmana says,

and it seems as if their hearts are pierced by subtle arrows; gone is
their peace of mind.
Honest Kunti sees her sons distracted and says to Yudhishtira, ‘Many
days and nights we have lived here in Ekachakra and our time has passed
pleasantly, living off alms that these good people have given us.
Parantapa, we have ranged through all the fine woods and forests in this
region of the Earth, and they hold no freshness for us anymore. Also, Scion
of the House of Kuru, alms are not as easy to find as before. If you wish, I
think we should now go to Panchala. We have never seen that country and,
Kshatriya, we should find some delight in it.
I have heard, O scourge of your enemies, that alms are not difficult to
find in Panchala, and that King Drupada himself is a great patron of
Brahmanas. I feel that it is never good to live too long in one place. So, my
son, if you also agree let us leave for the Panchala country.’
Yudhishtira agrees immediately, ‘It is our dharma to do whatever you
wish, mother. I am willing to leave at once, but I do not know what my
brothers will say.’”
CANTO 171
aisampayana continued, “Kunti speaks to Bhimasena, Arjuna and the

twins about going to the Panchala kingdom. Immediately, they agree,
‘Tathastu, so be it!’
Rajan, now Kunti and her sons bid farewell to their host, the Brahmana,
and set out for Drupada’s wonderful city.
While the Pandavas live disguised in the home of the Ekachakra
Brahmana, Satyavati’s son Vyasa comes to see them one day. Those
Kshatriyas see him coming and come out to receive him. They worship him
with folded hands, and stand thus silently before him.
The Maharishi is pleased by their welcome and asks them to sit down
around him. When they do so, he speaks to them cheerfully, ‘Slayers of
your enemies, are you living in dharma and the way of the Shastras? Do
you worship the Brahmanas? I do hope that those that deserve your
adoration duly receive it.’
He continues genially, but speaking of matters of great depth and import,
words of dharma, and which dwell upon many a fascinating theme.
Then Dwaipayana says, ‘Once, an illumined Rishi, who lived in his
asrama, had a tender-waisted daughter, a girl of lovely lips, fine eyebrows,
who was accomplished in every way. However, as a result of her karma
from a past life, this maiden was taken by misfortune: she was chaste and
she was beautiful, but she could not find a husband.
In sorrow she began to perform tapasya so that she would find a man to
marry her. So excellent was her penance that she quickly pleased the Lord
Siva, who appeared before her and said, “Ask for the boon you want, for I
am Sankara who will give you whatever your heart wishes for.”
In transport she cried, “Lord, give me a husband. Give me a husband
blessed with every quality and virtue!” Indeed, five times she repeated this.
The Lord Isana said, “Blessed child, you will have five husbands from
among the Bharata princes, and they shall be the best of men.”
She was taken aback, “Lord, I want just one husband through your
grace.”
Siva said to her, “Five times, young woman, you asked me for a
husband; so, in another life, five husbands you shall have.”
Bharatarishabhas, that young woman of unworldly beauty has been born
as the daughter of Drupada, and she, the flawless Krishnaa of the line of
Prihasta, is destined to become the wife of all five of you. Mighty
Kshatriyas, go to the capital of the Panchalas and live there, and when you
have made Panchali your wife you will find untold joy.’
Saying this to the Pandavas, their august and illustrious grandsire bids
them farewell, and the Maharishi returns to his asrama from where he had
come.”
CANTO 172
aisampayana said, “After Dwaipayana leaves, the Pandavas bid their

host the Brahmana a warm farewell, and set out for the Panchala
kingdom, with Kunti walking at their head and joy brimming in their
hearts. Those slayers of all foes go north towards their destination, walking
by night and day, and arrive at a holy temple to the Lord Siva, with the
crescent Moon upon his brow.
Then the Pandava Purushavyaghras arrive on the banks of the Ganga.
Maharatha Arjuna Dhananjaya now walks before them with a brand lit in
his hand to show the way, and to protect them from wild animals.
A haughty Gandharva king is in the river with his wives, at pleasure in
that secluded place. The Gandharva hears the footfalls of the Pandavas as
they near the river. He flares up in anger to see Kunti and her sons
approach.
Bending his terrible bow in a circle, he cries, ‘Apart from its first forty
instants, it is known that the grey twilight which comes before nightfall has
been kept for Yakshas, Gandharvas and Rakshasas to range the Earth; and
all of these can go anywhere they wish. Manavas have been given the rest
of the day for their work, but if mortal men dare approach us during the
third sandhya, roaming the world for gain, both the Rakshasas and we
Gandharvas kill the fools.
No one who knows the Veda will ever approve of any human, be he not
a king leading his army, daring to approach a pool or a river during this
hour. Stay away, mortals; stay far and do not come near me. Can’t you see
that I am bathing in the Bhagirathi?
I am the Gandharva Angaraparna. Mighty I am, proud, and a friend to
Lokapala Kubera. This forest on the banks of the Ganga, where I sport to
please all my senses, belongs to me; it is calls Anagaraparna after me. Not
Devas, Kapalikas, Yakshas, Gandharvas or Rakshasas dare come to this
vana of mine, for I am the brightest jewel on the crown of Kubera. How
dare you paltry Manavas approach me?’
Annoyed by the Gandharva’s arrogant tone, Arjuna replies, ‘Fool, be it
day or night, dawn or dusk, who can prevent anyone from going to the
Ocean, the Himalaya or to the banks of this holy river? Sky ranger, be one’s
belly empty or full, be it day or night, there is no prescribed time when one
might or not come to the Ganga, greatest of rivers.
As for us, we are powerful and do not care that we disturb you. Vain
Gandharva, only those that are weak will have any regard for you. This
Ganga springs from the golden peaks of Himavan, and she flows into the
Ocean in seven sacred streams. They that drink the waters of Ganga,
Yamuna, Saraswati, Vitashtha, Sarayu, Gomati, and Gandaki are washed of
all their sins.
Gandharva, this most holy Ganga when she flows through the heavens is
called Alakananda; in Pitriloka, realm of the manes, she is Vaitarani that no
sinner can cross, Krishna Dwaipayana himself has said so. She is auspicious
and blessed; there is no danger in her, and she can lead those that touch her
waters to Swarga. Why do you want to keep us away from her? It is not
dharma that you do.
We will not obey you, Gandharva, but touch the holy waters of the
Bhagirathi. No one shall prevent us.’
Angaraparna replies with a flurry of lightlike arrows, narachas like
serpents. But, Arjuna easily strikes them aside with a shield in one hand and
with the brand he carries in the other.
Says Dhananjaya again to the raging Gandharva, ‘Gandharva, you
cannot frighten those that know arms,for your weapons dissolve before me
like wavefroth. Yet, I feel that you are a better archer than mortal men, and I
will fight you, using astras and with no maaya or deceit.
Look, this Agneyastra that I cast at you was given to Bharadwaja by
Indra’s Guru Brihaspati. Bharadwaja taught it to Agnivesya, from whom
my Guru had it. Drona gave this astra to me.’
With a roar, and in some fury, Arjuna casts the Agneyastra, weapon of
fire, at Angaraparna. The astra burns the Gandharva’s chariot to ashes and
flings him unconscious on to the ground. In a flash, Arjuna seizes his long
hair, wreathed with fine garlands, and drags him toward his brothers.
The Gandharva’s wife Kumbhinasi runs to Yudhishtira, wailing, ‘Noble
one, I am Kumbhinasi and I am this Gandharva’s wife. I seek your
protection, great one. I beg you spare my husband’s life!’
Seeing her terrified, Yudhishtira says to Arjuna, ‘Parantapa, child, who
will kill a beaten enemy, whose honour is lost that a woman begs for his
life, for he himself cannot defend himself anymore?’
At once, Arjuna says, ‘Keep your life, Gandharva. Leave us and go in
peace, for Yudhishtira, lord of the Kurus, commands me to show you
mercy.’
The Gandharva says, ‘You have vanquished me and consumed my
chariot. I will give up my name Angaraparna, Blazing Chariot, for, O
friend, I have no right left to it when you have humbled me. From now I
shall call myself Burnt Chariot for what you did to my ratha.
I am fortunate to have found you, O mighty Arjuna, for you have spared
my life and there is no greater gift. In return, I would give you, O
Astradhari, a power that only the Gandharvas possess. It is calls the
Chakshushi, the art of creating illusions, and I acquired it through tapasya
of old.
Manu taught Soma the Chakshushi; Soma Deva taught it to Viswavasu,
who gave it to me. Though my Guru gave me this potent gift, it withers now
with me, who have been defeated in battle and have lost my tejas.
I have told you only about some of the powers of the Chakshushi; he
who owns it can see whatever he wishes to, anywhere, in any time, and in
any manner that he chooses. Usually, the occult power can be had only after
standing on one leg in tapasya for six months. But I shall give it to you
freely, without your having to keep any vrata or perform any penance.
Kshatriya, it is for this power that we Gandharvas are superior to
Manavas: for using the Chakshushi, we see all things with spiritual sight
and are equal to the Devas.
Purushottama, I also mean to give each of your great brothers a hundred
horses born in the realm of the Gandharvas. Their colouring is unworldly
and their speed that of the mind. The Devas ride them and the Gandharvas.
They are lean but they never tire or slow.
In the olden days, the original thunderbolt was made for Indra to kill
Vritrasura. But when he cast it at Vritra, it shattered in a thousand pieces.
The Devas still worship those fragments of the thunderbolt. What is called
glory in this world of men is just one fragment. The Brahmana’s hand, with
which he pours libations into the holy fire, the Kshatriya’s chariot, the
Vaisya’s charity, the Sudra’s service to the higher varnas, all these are
fragments of the thunderbolt.
Horses are a part of the chariot of the Kshatriya; for this, they are called
immortal. Also, they are the children of Badava, the fire of the Pralaya
which dwells beneath the Ocean, as a mare of flames. The steeds that are
foaled in the land of the Gandharvas can go anywhere, at any speed their
owners will, and assume any colour their masters choose.
My horses will always obey your every wish.’
Arjuna says, ‘Gandharva, if you want to give me your mystic power and
your horses because I spared your life, I will not accept your gifts.’
The Gandharva replies, ‘To meet a great man is always an honour and
joy, and you have also given me the gift of my life. For this I will give you
the Chakshushi. However, so that the obligation is not one-sided, I will also
take something in return from you, O Arjuna: Bharatarishabha, give me
your unearthly Agneyastra.’
Arjuna says, ‘I will accept your horses in return for my astra, and may
we be friends forever. But friend, tell me why we Manavas must go in fear
of the Gandharvas. We are virtuous, the terrors of our enemies and knowers
of the Veda. Yet, Gandharva, by twilight, you censured and challenged us.’
Says the Gandharva, ‘You have no wives or asrama of life, though you
have completed your tutelage. Pandavas, no Brahmana walks before you as
your priest and mentor, and that is why I challenged you.
The Yakshas, Rakshasas, Gandharvas, Pisachas, Uragas and Danavas are
all wise and well acquainted with the history of the race of Kuru. Kshatriya,
I myself have heard about the great dharma of your illumined ancestors,
from Narada and other Devarishis. Why, while I ranged over the Earth,
girdled by her oceans, I have seen with my own eyes the might and power
of your great race of kings.
Arjuna, I know Bharadwaja’s son, your Guru, who is renowned
throughout the three worlds for his knowledge of the Vedas and for his
mastery over the science of weapons.
Kuruvyaghra, Prithaputra, I also know Dharma, Vayu, Sakra, the Aswins
and Pandu, as well: your sires, divine and human. I know that you five
brothers are learned and noble, greatest among warriors, brave, virtuous and
keepers of your vratas.
Knowing that your hearts and minds are pure and wise, and your
conduct faultless, still I have censured you – because, O Kurus, no man
who is honourable and a warrior will endure being slighted in the presence
of his wife. Kuntiputra, the prowess of the Gandharvas increases during the
hours of darkness, and for this reason also I challenged you, for my wife is
with me and I was inflamed.
Yet you vanquished me, O Pandava, and I will tell you why. Your
brahmacharya, your continence, gives you great power; and with that
strength you have defeated me. Parantapa, let any Kshatriya who is married
fight a Gandharva by night, and he will not escape with his life. Yet, it is
also true that a Kshatriya, be he married or not, who has been blessed by
Brahman and who has given the burden of his kingdom into the hands of a
Brahmana – such a one might indeed humble any ranger of the night.
O Tapatya, son of Tapati, wise Kshatriyas should always have learned
and self-controlled Brahmanas in their employ, so that fortune favours them
and they acquire everything that their hearts wish for.
The Brahmana who knows the Vedas and their six Angas, who is pure
and honest, who is virtuous and restrained, is worthy of being the priest of a
king. The king whose priest is a good Brahmana, who knows the laws of
dharma, who is eloquent, pure and of taintless conduct: that king is always
victorious and finally finds Swarga.
A king must choose an accomplished Brahmana to gain what he does not
possess and to protect what he does. The Kshatriya who wants to prosper
must submit himself to the guidance of his priest, and then he can become
lord of the sea-girt Earth.
Tapatya, not through the noblest birth or by the most valiant or glorious
deeds alone can a Kshatriya ever hope to gain a kingdom. He must have a
Brahmana priest to guide him. For, O Scion of Kuru, the kingdom in which
Brahmanas wield influence lasts forever.’”
CANTO 173
rjuna says, ‘More than once you have called me Tapatya. Why,
good Gandharva? As sons of Kunti, Kaunteyas we surely are, but
who is Tapati that we should be called Tapatyas?’”
Vaisampayana continued, “Then the Gandharva tells Arjuna a tale
known through the three worlds.
‘Pandava, most intelligent of men, listen to the reason in full, for it is a
charming story: the reason why I call you Tapatya. He in the sky who
bathes this world in his light, had a daughter called Tapati, who was his
very equal. Vivaswat’s daughter Tapati was the younger sister of Savitri, the
Sannyasini renowned throughout the Trilokas and famed for her tapasya.
No Asuri, Yakshi, Rakshasi or Gandharvi was as beautiful as Tapati.
Flawless were her features, her black eyes large and lustrous, most
elegantly attired, she was chaste, and immaculate were her deportment and
character.
When the Sun looked at his daughter Tapati, he thought that there was
no one in Swarga, Bhumi or Patala fit to become her husband. She came to
puberty and the Sun God had no peace for he was always thinking about
who in the three worlds could be a suitable husband for his daughter.
At this very time, O Kaunteya, the Kururishabha, mighty King
Samvarana, son of Riksha, worshipped Surya Deva with arghya, vanamalas,
fine perfumes, and vratas and tapasya of every kind. Indeed, Samvarana
worshipped the glorious Sun constantly, with deep and humble bhakti.
Surya saw Samvarana, unequalled for his beauty and his dharma, and
felt he was the only man fit to marry Tapati. Vivaswat decided that he
would give his precious daughter to King Samvarana to be his wife, for just
as Surya himself filled the sky with his lustre, so too did Samvarana
pervade every part of the Earth with the light of his dharma.
Partha, all men, other than Brahmanas, worshipped Samvarana. He was
blessed with great fortune and surpassed Soma the Moon in soothing the
hearts of his friends, and Surya in searing the minds of his enemies.
Kaurava, Tapana Surya did indeed decide to give his peerless daughter
Tapati in marriage to Samvarana of matchless virtue and deeds.
One day, Samvarana went hunting in the jungles on the foothills of the
mountains. As he rode in quest of deer, his pedigreed steed fell and died
under him, from hunger, thirst and exhaustion. Leaving the dead horse,
Arjuna, Samvarana roamed the mountain, and he saw a young woman more
beautiful than any other, and her eyes large.
That Parantapa, Rajavyaghra Samvarana, was by himself, as was she;
they stood transfixed, gazing at each other. She was so beautiful that the
king felt sure that she was the Devi Sri Lakshmi. Then he thought of her as
being the rays of Surya Deva, embodied.
She was a brilliant flame, yet also soft and lovely as a clear digit of
Soma. Black-eyed, she stood upon the mountain like a shining golden
statue; why, the very mountain, with all its plants and vines and trees,
seemed to be made of gold because of the beauty and raiment of Tapati.
Samvarana looked at her and he felt contempt for every other woman he
had seen before; seeing her he thought that the vision of his eyes had at last
been blessed. Nothing he had ever seen, from the day he was born, could
compare with the beauty of this young woman.
His eyes were riveted to her, as was his heart, as if an unseen rope bound
them to her; he stood transfixed, gazing, seeing nothing but her. Samvarana
thought that he that had created such beauty could have done so only after
he churned all the worlds of the Devas, Asuras and Manavas.
His own mind churning within him, that king felt certain that no woman
in any of the three worlds could rival this one for her abundance of beauty.
The highborn Samvarana looked at Tapati and Kama Deva’s arrows
pierced his heart and the king’s peace of mind left him. Burning with
desire’s scorching flame, Samvarana asked that full-grown yet innocent
young woman, “Who are you and to whom do you belong? Why are you
here, sweet smiles, wandering in this lonely vana by yourself?
Ah, you are flawlessly beautiful, in every feature, as are all the
ornaments that you wear, which seem to covet you for their ornament. You
do not seem to me to be a Devastri, an Asuri, a Yakshi, a Rakshasi, Nagini
or a Gandharvi or a Manushi but from a race of your own, for none of the
loveliest women that I have ever seen could remotely rival you for beauty.
Ah, exquisite one, I look at you more beautiful than the Moon, your eyes
like lotus petals, and Kama Deva has his way with me. Ah, he burns me
with desire for you.”
Samvarana’s voice quivered with desire, but the young woman made no
reply to his ardent speech. Instead, like lightning in clouds, she of the great
eyes vanished before the king.
Samvarana staggered through that forest like a mad man, seeking her of
the lotus eyes, desperately. He did not find her and his heartbroken cries
echoed against the mountainside; he sobbed and fell unconscious.’”
CANTO 174
aisampayana said, “The Gandharvacontinues, ‘When that young

woman vanished, Samvarana, razer of enemy armies, fell onto the
ground, stricken by Kama. As he lay in a swoon, she of the wide
round hips stood before him again.
Favouring the king with her sweet smile, she said to the scion of the
House of Kuru in her voice like honey, “Arise, arise Parantapa!
Rajavyaghra, tiger among kings, it does not become a world renowned
personage like you to faint.”
Samvarana opened his eyes and saw her again, she of the full hips and
breasts. Still blazing with desire, he spoke to her of the black eyes in a voice
tremulous with emotion, “Be blessed, O most beautiful among all women. I
burn for you, why my very life leaves me for what I feel for you. Black
eyes, you who are as radiant as the filaments of a lotus, Kama strikes me
with his arrows, mercilessly, every moment, one after the other, for your
sake. He sinks a viper’s fangs into me.
Lovely one, O you of the flaring hips, you of perfect features, you who
are as lovely as the moon, soft as a lotus petal, whose voice is as sweet as a
singing Kinnari’s, my life depends on you. I cannot live without you, O
timid, bashful one.
Ah, Kama strikes me relentlessly. Take pity on me, young woman whose
eyes are like lotus petals. Big eyes, black eyes, it does not become you to
abandon me, to cast me aside. Instead, save me. Grant me your love and
soothe my anguish.
You have taken my heart captive at first glance. My mind wanders
wildly, madly. I look at you and never want to see another woman. O be
merciful, for I am your slave, your ardent servant.
Accept me, peerless one, put out Kama’s terrible fire with the waters of
your love. Be mine, O you beauty, and appease the God of Love who is
here with his sugarcane bow and his flowery arrows, sharp as daggers.
Marry me by Gandharva vivaha, O fair one with swaying hips, for it is said
to be the finest form of marriage.”
Tapati said, “I am not my own mistress, but a maiden commanded by her
father. If you truly want to marry me, ask my father for my hand. O King,
you say that I have stolen your heart, and I say to you that I have also fallen
in love with you at first sight.
But no woman is mistress of herself, and that is why I dare not make
love to you. Ah, which woman in the three lokas would not want you for
her husband, for not only are you most nobly born but you are like a father
and kindly to all your people.
So, Rajan, when opportunity presents itself, ask my father Aditya for my
hand; worship him, perform tapasya and keep vratas so that I become yours.
For if my father gives me to you I shall be your loving and obedient wife
forever.
I am Savitri’s younger sister and my name is Tapati. O
Kshatriyarishabha, I am the daughter of Surya who illumines Earth and
Sky,” said she,’ says the Gandharva.”
CANTO 175
aisampayana said, “The Gandharva continues, ‘Saying this much to

Samvarana, Tapati rose straight up into the sky and disappeared. The
king fell unconscious on the ground once more.
Meanwhile, his ministers and soldiers combed the forest for him, and
finally found him supine in that lonely place, that magnificent king, great
archer, lying like a rainbow fallen on to the Earth. His chief minister was
like a man scalded by fire. He rushed to his sovereign’s side, Samvarana
who had fainted from desire.
This minister was a man as advanced in age as wisdom, in achievements
as in policy, and he gently roused his unconscious lord, and became
reassured that he lived.
Thinking that the mighty Samvarana had been felled by hunger, thirst
and exhaustion, the minister said kindly, “Be blessed, sinless one.
Rajavyaghra, tiger among kings, fear nothing.”
The old man sprinkled cold water, made fragrant by lotus petals over his
monarch’s crownless head. Slowly, Samvarana awoke and ordered all his
men and companions away, keeping only the old minister with him.
When they had all gone, the king rose and purified himself with a bath.
He then sat upon that Lord of all Mountains, with his hands folded and his
face turned heavenward. He sat worshipping Surya Deva. Samvarana,
scourge of his enemies, also thought of his Kulaguru Vasishta,
Brahmanottama. Night and day, Samvarana sat thus in dhyana, unmoving.
On the twelfth day, Brahmarishi Vasishta, priest to the Kuruvamsa,
arrived on the mountain, and with mystic intuition he knew at once that
Tapati was the cause of Samvarana’s condition, the cause for his tapasya.
He comforted the king of unswerving vratas.
Then, before Samvarana’s eyes, the illumined Sage rose up into the sky
to meet Surya Deva; the Rishi was like a luminary himself. With folded
hands, the Brahmana approached the God of a thousand rays, and said, “I
am Vasishta.”
Vivaswat of terrific tejas said, “Maharishi, be welcome! Tell me what
brings you here, for, most blessed and eloquent one, I will give you
whatever you ask of me, however hard I might find it to give.”
Vasishta bowed to the splendid Deva and said, “Vibhavasu, I have come
to ask for the hand of Savitri’s younger sister, your daughter Tapati’s hand,
for Samvarana. Great are the dharma and the achievements of that king, he
is a Mahatman. Sky crosser, he will make a worthy husband to your
daughter.”
Vibhakara Surya, who had already decided to give Tapati to Samvarana,
says to Vasishta, “You are the greatest of Munis, Samvarana is the greatest
of kings and Tapati the best of women. How can I refuse to give my
daughter to him?”
So saying, the Deva Tapana gave his blemishless Tapati into the hands of
the Rishi, to convey her to Samvarana to be his bride. Accepting her
formally, the Brahmarishi brought her back to the Earth, to the place where
the Kururishabha, his accomplishments godly, sat in worship, waiting
anxiously.
The king saw Vasishta bring the unearthly Tapati to him and felt as if his
heart would burst for joy. She came down from the sky like lightning from
clouds, dazzling the ten cardinal points of the firmament. The twelve nights
of King Samvarana’s vrata and tapasya had ended when the Rishi Vasishta
brought Tapati to him.
Samvarana, that Narapumgava, bull among men, took Tapati’s hand
upon that mountain, where Devas and Gandharvas roamed. He sought
Vasishta’s leave to be with his new wife in the wilderness, and he
proclaimed Brahmarishi Vasishta to be regent of all of his kingdom, his
capital and all his forests, mountains and plains.
Vasishta blessed Samvarana and left him. For twelve years, that king
then sported and made love with Tapati in the forests and foothills of the
Himalaya. But Bharatottama, the thousand-eyed Indra sent no rain down on
Samvarana’s kingdom for twelve years.
Men perished in that drought, as did animals, trees and plants. No drop
even of dew moistened the arid Earth and no ear of corn grew during that
time. The people fled the kingdom to all parts. Men abandoned their wives
and children, and lawlessness reigned. Those that survived were reduced to
skin and bones, hardly more than skeletons, and Samvarana’s great capital
resembled the city of Yama, full of ghosts.
Vasishta saw the piteous condition of the people and fetched Samvarana
back to his city, with Tapati, after twelve long years. As soon as the king
returned, the thousand-eyed Deva, destroyer of Asuras, sent down copious
rains. Corn sprouted everywhere, and with the drought and the famine
ending, joy returned to the kingdom.
Samvarana and his queen Tapati performed great yagnas for twelve
years, sacrifices such as Indra and Sachi perform in Devaloka. Partha, such
was the story of Tapati, the daughter of Vivaswat. Samvarana begot a son
upon his beautiful queen. That prince was Kuru, greatest among Rajarishis.
You have been born into the race of Tapati’s son Kuru, O Arjuna, and that is
why I called you Tapatyas. And it was with the help of the Brahmarishi
Vasishta that Samvarana gained his wife and continued his royal line,’ says
the Gandharva to the Pandavas.
Arjuna, mighty bowman, Kurusthama, best among all the Kurus, is
deeply moved and stands with folded hands before the Gandharva.
The Pandava is curious indeed about the Sage Vasishta. He says, ‘O
greatest of Gandharvas, tell me everything about the Maharishi Vasishta,
who was the priest of our ancestors.’
The Gandharva says, ‘Vasishta is Brahma’s son, born immaculately from
his spirit. The Rishi was the husband of the chaste Arundhati. He has
vanquished desire and wrath, kama and krodha, which hardly any man ever
subdues; why, lust and rage washed Vaishta’s feet, for they were his
servants.
Once Viswamitra tempted Vasishta’s anger, but Muni Vasishta did not
raze the race of Kaushikas to which Viswamitra belonged. His sons
perished at Viswamitra’s hands, but Vasishta behaved like a powerless one,
though truly he is far from that. Even as the Ocean does not transgress the
shores of his continents, Vasishta did not bring his dead sons back from
Yama’s realm, though he well could have with power such as his.
Ikshvaku of yore and other awesome kings had Vasishta for their
Kulaguru when they conquered all the Earth. Scion of Kuru, with Vasishta
as their Ritvik, their chief priest, those kings performed many Mahayagnas.
Pandavottma, he enabled those kings to perform their sacrifices even as
Brihaspati does for the Devas.
And that is why I say to you, Pandavas, find a lofty and accomplished
Brahmana to become your priest, a man who knows the Veda, and whose
heart is replete with dharma. For, O Partha, the Kshatriya who wants to
conquer the world and have great kingdom must first have a fine and great
Brahmana to be his spiritual guide. Arjuna, I say again to you, seek out a
learned Brahmana, whose senses are under perfect control, who knows all
about dharma, artha and kama, and set him before you as your priest.’”
CANTO 177
aisampayana continued, “Arjuna asks, ‘Gandharva, both Viswamitra

and Vasishta dwell in unearthly asramas. Tell us, how was there
hostility between these two?’
The Gandharva says, ‘Partha, the legend of Vasishta is thought of as
being a Purana throughout the three realms. Listen and I will narrate it in
full.
Bharatarishabha, in Kanyakubja, there once was a king whose fame
echoed throughout the world. He was Gadhi, the son of Kusika. Gadhi of
dharma had a son called Viswamitra, who became king after his father.
Viswamitra, bane of his enemies, lord of a great army comprising countless
men, beasts and chariots, would range over the Earth with his ministers,
through deep jungles in quest of deer and wild boar, killing them wherever
he saw them.
One day, while thus out hunting, the king was tired and thirsty and he
came upon the asrama of Vasishta. The Brahmarishi saw him and welcomed
him with great respect, offering him padya, water to wash his face and feet,
and arghya, wild fruit and ghee.
The Rishi had a cow of wishes, Nandini, who yielded anything that he
asked of her. He would merely ask and she would give him whatever he
wanted. Fruit and grain she gave, wild, or as are grown by men in orchards
and fields. She gave milk like amrita, and every kind of unworldly delicacy
to gratify the six tastes, by way of food and drink, ambrosial, and she gave
incomparable ornaments, gemstones and raiment also, not of this world.
Arjuna, Maharishi Vasishta made offerings of all these wonderful things
to King Viswamitra and his men; and they were delighted and amazed. The
king gazed in wonder upon the wondrous cow, with six long legs, her flanks
glossy, her eyes bulging and utterly beautiful, her udders and teats full, high
and perfect, her ears straight and erect, her horns beautiful, as also her head
and her neck.
Kshatriya, well pleased and praising the cow Nandini, Gadhi’s son said
to the Rishi, “Brahmana, Mahamuni, I will give you ten thousand fine milch
cows or my kingdom for your Nandini.”
Vasishta replied, “Sinless one, I keep Nandini for the sake of the Devas,
for honoured guests like you, and for the Pitrs, as well as for my yagnas. I
cannot give her to you and take your kingdom.”
Viswamitra said, “I am a Kshatriya, while you are a Brahmana, an
ascetic devoted to meditation and study. You are a man of peace, with your
senses and your mind perfectly controlled. If you do not give me what I
want when I offer you ten thousand cows in exchange for her, why I will
even take your Nandini from you by force, for that is the way of the
Kshatriya, and you can do nothing to stop me, Brahmana.”
Vasishta smiled. “You are indeed a mighty Kshatriya king. Why wait?
Do what you will, but remember that you are not pausing to think of
dharma.”
Partha, Viswamitra had his men seize Nandini, white as the moon or a
swan; they began to drag her away, injuring her smooth flanks, marking her
with stripes of violence. Lowing piteously, Nandini broke free of her
captors and ran to Vasishta and stood before him with her face raised and
tears flowing down her cheeks. She would not leave the Sage’s hermitage.
Vasishta saw her and said sadly, “O Susheela, sweet one. You cry, my
Nandini, and I hear you. But I am a Brahmana, sworn to forgiveness and
peace. How can I prevent Viswamitra from taking you from here forcibly?”
Terrified by the threatening Viswamitra and his fierce soldiers, Nandini
came still closer to the Rishi and said, “O illustrious one, are you not my
master, do you not love me, that you can be so unmoved when Viswamitra’s
cruel men beat me so savagely, marking me with their lashes, and when you
hear me crying?”
Still Vasishta did not lose either his patience or turn away from his
sworn vow of non-violence. He said, “The Kshatriya’s strength lies in his
might, the Brahmana’s in his kshama, his forgiveness and patience. I cannot
renounce my kshama; so Nandini go with the king.”
Nandini sobbed, “Do you then abandon me and cast me out, Illustrious?
For, if you do not, O Brahmana, no one can take me from you, not with any
force on Earth.”
Vasishta said, “Blessed, I do not cast you out or abandon you. If you can,
stay. But look, they have your calf tied with a thick rope and it is already
weak by struggling against the noose around its neck.”
Hearing the word “stay” from Vasishta’s lips, Nandini raised her head
higher, tossed her horns and suddenly she was terrible. Her eyes crimson,
lowing as if she roared, deafeningly, she flew at Viswamitra’s men on every
side, a dreadful storm of wrath.
They ran and they struck her again and again, and her anger grew, until
she blazed with fury and was like the Sun at high noon, her eyes turning
redder by the moment. From her rear she sprayed a shower of burning coals
over Viswamitra’s soldiers.
Next moment, she brought forth an army of Pallavas from her tail, and
from her teats another of ferocious Dravidas and Sakas; and from her womb
there issued a great force of Yavanas. She dropped dung and from that there
sprang up an aksauhini of Savaras, while from her urine a legion of Kanchis
arose and another army of Savaras from her flanks.
Paundras, Kiratas, Yavanas and Sinhalas, and the barbarian tribes of
Khasas, Chivukas, Pulindas, Chinas, Hunas, Keralas, and numberless other
Mlechchas sprang forth from the foam of her mouth. The teeming host of
Mlechchas wore motley garb, carried diverse and strange weapons, and as
soon as they materialised they were deployed in battle formation and
attacked Viswamitra’s legions with savage yells and roars.
That king’s men were outnumbered by six and seven to one. Assaulted
by a storm of weapons, Viswamitra’s men broke rank and fled, even as he
watched in dismay. However, Bharatarishabha, Nandini only chased away
the enemy troops; her Mlechchas did not kill a single man.
Indeed, the wild horde chased the king’s men for a full three yojanas,
and Viswamitra’s men fled shrieking and no one could help them.
Viswamitra saw what happened, hung his head and raged, “O fie on the
power of the Kshatriya, it is as nothing compared to Brahmana bala! The
power of tapasya is the only true strength.”
That king renounced his vast kingdom, all his regal glory, turned his
back on every mundane pleasure, and sat in a searing tapasya. After a long
time and many trials, his dhyana grew so awesome that it began to burn the
three worlds with its heat, scorching every creature in them. Brahma
appeared before the Kshatriya at his penance and declared him to be a
Brahmana, a Brahmarishi and the equal of Vasishta.
Finally, Kusika’s son drank Soma rasa with Indra himself in Swarga,’ the
Gandharva says.”
CANTO 178
aisampayana continued, “The Gandharva continues, ‘Partha, once

there was a king called Kalmashapada, of the race of Ikshvaku, and
he had no equal for strength or power on Earth.
One day, he went hunting in the forest and killed many deer and boar
with his arrows; in open glades in the heart of the jungle, he killed many a
great rhinoceros. Finally, tiring after a long hunt, the king decided that he
would rest for a while.
Some time ago, the great Viswamitra, of tremendous splendour, had
wanted to make this king his disciple. Now, as Kalmashapada went weakly
along a trail through that vana, hungry and thirsty too, he encountered
Vasishta’s lustrous son Saktri, his firstborn of a hundred sons, upon that
path.
The invincible king saw the Muni coming towards him and cried
haughtily, “Get out of my way!”
The Rishi replied gently, in the sweetest tone, “Rajan, by dharma the
right of way is mine. Every Shastra says that a Kshatriya must always make
way for a Brahmana.”
But Kalmashapada cried again, “Out of my way!” Vasishta’s son replied
in the same words, but softly.
The Rishi was in the right and so he would not give in; the king would
not yield out of pride and anger. Suddenly, Kalmashapada lost control and,
growling like a Rakshasa, lashed out at the Sage with his whip.
At the lash, Saktri Muni also lost his temper and lashed out at the king
with a curse. “Basest of kings, dare you strike a Brahmana! You have
behaved like a Rakshasa, so become a Rakshasa from this moment and
wander the Earth in a demon’s form, living on human flesh.”
At this moment, Viswamitra arrived in that place. There was dispute
between Vasishta and him about whose sishya Kalmashapada would be.
Partha, Viswamitra knew with mystic insight that Vasishta’s son had cursed
the king; he knew that Saktri was his father’s equal in spiritual power.
Viswamitra made himself invisible.
As soon as the Sage cursed him, the king began to beg Saktri for mercy.
Kurusthama, Viswamitra feared that the two might make peace between
them, and he sent a Rakshasa to enter Kalmashapada’s body. The Rakshasa
Kinkara possessed the king, at Saktri Muni’s curse and Viswamitra’s
command. Viswamitra melted away from the forest path. Saktri also left.
Upon being possessed, Kalmashapada was no longer himself and
another Brahmana came upon him in that condition. This Brahmana was
tired and hungry and begged the king for some food, cooked with meat.
The Rajarishi Kalmashapada, known for his generosity and kindness,
said, “Brahmana, stay here for a while. I will go and bring you the food that
you want.”
Leaving the Brahmana in the vana, Kalmashapada returned to his palace
and his royal chambers, but only after he had roamed the forest for some
hours. Tired himself, he fell asleep. At midnight, he suddenly awoke and
remembered his promise to the Brahmana. He summoned the palace cook.
Said the king, “A Brahmana is waiting for me in the forest. He is hungry
and wants some meat to eat. Hurry, cook some meat and take it to him.”
The cook went looking for meat but could find none at that hour. He
went back to the king, and said with some trepidation that he had not been
able to find any meat.
Now it was the Rakshasa Kinkara who spoke from the king’s mouth,
“Feed him human flesh.”
Trembling, the cook said, “Tathastu, so be it.”
He went to the king’s execution chamber, cut some flesh from a corpse
there, washed it, cooked it, covered it with fragrant rice and ran to the
waiting Brahmana with that meal.
But the Brahmana, who had occult sight, immediately saw that the food
was unclean. His eyes turning red, he cried, “This worst of kings sends me
unholy food, so let him crave human flesh himself! Let the Rishi Saktri’s
curse come true and let Kalmashapada wander the Earth as a fiend.”
When the curse was repeated, it became twice as powerful. The
Rakshasa within him gained complete control. A while later, Kalmashapada
saw Saktri again, who had first cursed him and screamed, “You first cursed
me to become a cannibal, so let me begin by eating you!”
He pounced on Saktri Muni and devoured him like a tiger does its prey.
Seeing Saktri killed, Viswamitra began to repeatedly instigate Kinkara to
eat Vasishta’s other sons as well. Like an angry lion swallowing small
animals, the Rakshasa quickly killed and ate all of Vasishta’s hundred sons.
Vasishta knew that Viswamitra was responsible for the death of his sons,
but he did nothing; only bore his grief as the Great Mountain does the
Earth. He would rather sacrifice his own life than yield to anger and commit
any violence against the race of Kusikas. That illumined Sage threw himself
down from the summit of Meru but he fell on hard rock thousands of feet
below as if onto a bed of cotton-wool.
Pandava, when he did not die from his leap, Vasishta lit a forest fire, a
blazing conflagration, with his power of yoga and walked into it. But the
flames did not even singe him but were like cool water upon his skin.
Next the grief-stricken Sage looked at the Sea, tied a heavy stone around
his neck, and flung himself into the water. But the waves washed him gently
ashore. Distraught that he could not even do away with himself, Vasishta
returned to his asrama,’ says the Gandharva.”
CANTO 179
aisampayana continued, “The Gandharva goes on, ‘The Rishi saw

his hermitage empty of his sons and again the tide of sorrow surged
in his heart. He walked away from the asrama. Partha, Vasishta
ranged over the Earth, dementedly, and one day, during the monsoon, he
saw a river in spate sweeping away hundreds of trees and plants that grew
on its banks.
O Kurunandana, the Muni bound his own hands and feet firmly with
strong rope and cast himself into that cataract. Parantapa, the river loosened
the knots of the rope and tenderly set him ashore. Rising, Vasishta called
that river Vipasa, the knot-severer.
Restless with the sorrow which tore at his heart, Vasishta could never
remain in one place. With no peace, he wandered along the banks of many
lakes and rivers, through many deep forests and climbed more than one
mountain.
One day, he came to the banks of the river that is called Hymavati, she
who flows from Himavan. He saw huge and ferocious crocodiles and other
sharp-toothed predators in the water, and once more threw himself into the
river, hoping to be devoured. However, the river mistook the tejasvin
Brahmana for a mass of fire, and in terror split herself into a hundred rillets
and plunged away in every direction. Since, she has been called Shatadru,
river of a hundred courses.
Vasishta found himself on dry land again and cried, “Ah, it is impossible
for me to kill myself!” and he turned his face towards his asrama again.
Back through many kingdoms, over mountains and through the forests of
several countries, the Sage returned to his hermitage.
Unknown to the Muni, a daughter-in-law of his, Adrishyanti, had been
following him all the time, hiding herself so that he never saw her. Now, as
he neared his asrama, suddenly he heard from behind his back the Veda
being recited in the most chaste and erudite tones, embellished with the six
graces of elocution.
Turning, Vasishta asked, “Who follows me?”
His daughter-in-law said, “It is Saktri’s wife Adrishyanti. Lord, I am
chaste and ascetic, yet I find myself lost and without support.”
Vasishta asked, “Daughter, who was just reciting the Veda and the Angas
exactly in the voice and tone of my son Saktri?”
Adrishyanti said, “Saktri’s son is in my womb. He has been there for
twelve years, and it is his voice that you heard reciting the Veda.”
Vasishta gave a cry of sheer joy, “A child of my race lives!”
Now, Partha, every thought of killing himself left the Sage, and he
brought his pregnant daughter-in-law into his hermitage.
Then, one day, O Bharata, when Vasishta was out walking in the vana
with Adrishyanti, he saw the King Kalmashapada, whom the Rakshasa
Kinkara had possessed. The Rakshasa roared in rage, and rushed towards
the Muni, to make a meal of him.
Adrishyanti cried in terror, “O illustrious, look, the savage Rakshasa
rushes at us, with his cudgel raised. He comes to devour us, Holy One, and
no one in the world can save us today but you.”
Vasishta said calmly, “There is nothing to fear, my child. This is no
Rakshasa but the great and renowned King Kalmashapada, who now lives
in this forest.”
The king possessed by the Rakshasa ran on towards them, and then
Vasishta stopped him in his tracks by uttering a resonant humakara, a
ringing hummmm. The Muni then sprinkled holy water sanctified with
mantras over the king and exorcised him of the Rakshasa.
After twelve years of being possessed by Saktri’s curse, even like the
Sun being seized by Rahu during an eclipse, Kalmashapada was free. Now
his natural lustre lit up all that wild vana, as the sun’s rays do the clouds of
dusk.
Regaining his mind and his senses, the king folded his hands reverently
to the Rishi, and said, “Munisthama, I am Sudasa’s son and I am your
sishya. Command me, lord, I will do whatever you ask, give you whatever
you want.”
Vasishta replied, “I already have what I want. Go back to your kingdom
now and rule your people. And, Purushottama, never insult a Brahmana
again.”
Kalmashapada said, “Never, my lord, shall I cross any Brahmana but
worship them instead. However, Brahmanashreshta, greatest among all that
know the Veda, let me be free from the debt I owe to the race of Ikshvaku. I
beg you bless me with a worthy and splendid son, a prince of dharma to
become king after me.”
Vasishta answered that great archer and king, “I will.”
Vasishta went with Kalmashapada to his capital, famed throughout the
world, the city of Ayodhya. The people came out in crowds, in joy to
welcome back their king; they were like the celestials of Swarga coming to
receive Indra.
With Vasishta going before him, Kalmashapada entered his capital after
twelve years in the wilderness. The people gazed at him as if he was the
rising Sun, for so radiant was he and so handsome; his splendour filled
Ayodhya even as the glory of the autumn Sun does all the sky.
Kalmashapada looked at his city, its streets swept and washed and bright
with banners and arches, and he, too, was full of joy. O Prince of Kuru’s
race, yes, truly, Ayodhya seemed wonderful as Amaravati does when
Devendra is in his heavenly city.
When the Rajarishi entered his palace, he ordered his queen to go to
Vasishta. The Maharishi swore a solemn vow with her, and then he had
congress with her. Shortly, she conceived and, having accomplished what
he had come for and receiving Kalmashapada’s reverences, the Sage
returned to his asrama.
For a long time, twelve years, the queen carried her child within her.
When she could not bear to wait any longer, she cut her belly open with a
sharp stone and brought forth the Purusharishabha Asmaka, the Rajarishi
who would one day found the city of Paudanya,’ says the Gandharva.”
CANTO 180
aisampayana said, “The Gandharva continues, ‘In Vasishta’s asrama,

O Partha, when her time came, Adrishyanti gave birth to a son who
was verily like another Saktri in every way. Best of the Bharatas,
Maharishi Vasishta performed the sacred ceremonies for his grandson.
Because that child was responsible for Vasishta abandoning his resolve to
take his own life, he was named Parasara, he who gives life to the dead.
From the day he was born Parasara regarded Vasishta as his father and
treated him as such. One day, O son of Kunti, the child called Vasishta,
“Father”, while Adrishyanti was present.
His mother’s eyes filled on hearing his sweet voice say that word.
Adrishyanti said tearfully to her son, “My child, do not call your
grandfather ‘Father’. My son, a Rakshasa ate your father in another forest.
This holy one is your great father’s father.”
Hearing this, Parasara flared up in terrible grief and wrath, and cried that
he would burn up all of creation. Then Vasishta Muni, son of Mitravaruna,
greatest among the knowers of Brahman, forbade his grandson with these
arguments. Listen, O Arjuna, to what Vasishta Muni said to Parasara to
change his mind.
Said the Sage, “Once, there was a renowned king calls Kritavirya, and
that Rajarishabha of the Earth was a sishya of the Bhrigus, who knew the
Veda. After Kritavirya performed the Soma yagna, he gave immense
wealth, grain past calculation and other incomparable gifts to those
Brahmanas.
Later, when Kritavirya left this world and rose into Swarga, there came a
time when his descendents became impecunious. Knowing that the Bhrigus
were wealthy, the princes went to those best among Brahmanas, even as
beggars.
Some Bhrigus buried their vast treasures under the ground; others gave it
away to fellow Brahmanas, for they feared the Kshatriyas, while still others
did give the Kshatriyas whatever they wanted.
Some Kshatriyas dug the earth all around the house of one of the
Bhargavas and uncovered a great and rich hoard. All the Kshatriyarishabhas
saw that buried treasure and they grew furious because of what they thought
of as being deceit and treachery by the Bhrigus.
They seized their bows and slaughtered the Brahmanas in a hail of
arrows, even while the Bhargavas begged for mercy. Why, those wrathful
Kshatriyas wandered the Earth killing even unborn foetuses in the wombs
of Bhrigu women. As they swept across the world, exterminating the very
race of Bhrigu, many Bhrigu women fled to hidden fastnesses of the
Himalaya.
Among these women was one who bore an embryo of terrific tejas in her
thigh. However, another Brahmana woman, from fear, told the Kshatriyas
about her. The Kshatriyas swarmed to the cave where she was, going forth
to kill her unborn child and her as well.
Arriving at the cavemouth, the princes saw the woman ablaze with the
splendour of her child. At that moment, the child came tearing its way out
from her thigh. He was as refulgent as the noonday Sun and his light made
the Kshatriyas blind. Sightless, they wandered, lost over those mountains
for a long time.
At last, the stricken princes decided they must beg the sinless Bhrigu
woman to help them. Like a fire that has burnt out, they came in great
softness and anxiety to her.
They said to her, ‘Be gracious to us, O lady, and let us see again. We will
go back peacefully and never again sin. Most beautiful one, we kings and
princes beg mercy from you and your child,’” said Vasishta Muni to his
grandson,’ the Gandharva says.”
CANTO 181
aisampayana continued, “The Gandharva says, ‘Vasishta went on,

“The Bhrigu woman said to the Kshatriyas, ‘Young ones, I have not
taken your sight from you, and I am not wroth at you either.
However, this Bhrigu child is indeed wrathful at the massacre of his
race. Princes, for a hundred years you killed even the embryos in the
wombs of the Bhrigu women, and for those hundred years this child
remained inside me.
The Vedas and their Angas came to my child even while he lay in my
womb, so that one day fortune would return to the race of Bhrigu. He
wishes you ill, Kshatriyas, and it is his cosmic splendour that has made you
blind. You have murdered his sires and he wishes for your death.
Do not beg me, but this child for your sight. Pay him homage and
appease his fury. Children, it is the only hope for you.’
The Kshatriyas turned to the thigh-born child, ‘Forgive us, we seek your
mercy.’
At once, the marvellous child turned merciful; the Kshatriyas had their
sight back and returned to their homes. Because he was born from his
mother’s thigh, that splendid child is known as Aurva, thigh-born,
throughout the three worlds.
His wrath unappeased, Muni Aurva of the race of Bhrigu decided that he
would destroy the whole world, and every creature in it; he would give this
as havis, a burnt offering to his murdered ancestors.
Aurva sat in terrible tapasya, and soon the heat of his penance began to
scorch the Devas, the Asuras and Manavas, too. Then the Pitrs, his manes,
learnt what the child of their race intended and they came down to him from
their lofty realm.
The Bhrigus said, ‘Child, Aurva, your tapasya has been stern and fierce,
and we have seen your power. But turn kindly towards the three worlds;
restrain your anger. Son, we Bhrigus did not allow ourselves to be killed by
the Kshatriyas because we could not defend ourselves. The truth is that we
grew weary of the interminably long lives given to us, and we wanted to
die. Indeed, we subtly used the Kshatriyas to accomplish our own end.
We buried the treasure beneath one of our houses even so that the
princes would discover it and become infuriated. Dvijottama, when we
wished for Swarga, of what use could gold and jewels be to us? Kubera,
Lord of Treasures, kept a great trove for us in Devaloka. But we found we
could not die.
It is then that we decided to have the Kshatriyas kill us, for we could not
kill ourselves, either, since no suicide ever attains to realms that are blessed.
The Kshatriyas only helped us achieve what we wanted, and we are not
pleased at what you now mean to do. It is a great sin that you intend, to
consume all of creation in the flames of your tapasya.
Precious child, do not kill the Kshatriyas or burn the seven worlds;
instead, quell your anger, which renders your penance sinful,’ say his Pitrs
to Aurva,” Vasishta said to Parasara,’ the Gandharva tells Arjuna.”
CANTO 182
aisampayana said, “The Gandharva continues, ‘Vasishta went on,

“Aurva heard what his manes said and spoke to them.
Aurva Muni said, ‘O my Pitrs, how can the vow I swore, even in
anger, to consume the worlds go in vain? I cannot become one whose anger
is impotent and his oaths hollow. For, if I cease my penance, my fury will
devour me as fire does dry wood.
The man who represses rightful anger, provoked by grave injustice,
becomes incapable of accomplishing the Purusharthas of dharma, artha and
kama. The rage that kings use to conquer and rule the Earth is not a trifling
thing; it keeps the evil in fearful restraint and protects good men of dharma.
Whilst I lay in my mother’s thigh, I heard the screams of the Bhrigu
women whom the Kshatriyas were slaughtering. O Pitrs, when the savage
Kshatriyas began to murder the unborn children of our race, untold wrath
filled my soul.
My mother and our other women, all heavy with child, and my terror-
stricken father could not find anyone in the wide world to protect them. In
panic, my mother lowered me into her thigh and held me there, so that her
pregnancy would be hidden.
If there is justice and punishment for crimes in the world, then sinners
hesitate to sin; if there is no chastiser, the numbers of criminals grow and
their crimes become more terrible. The man who owns the power to punish
and prevent crime but does not do so becomes a criminal and sinner
himself; he shares in the sins of the sinners.
When the kings that could have saved my sires from the fury of the
Kshatriyas did not do so, but remained immersed in their pleasures instead,
I have more than just cause to turn my fury upon them. I have the power to
punish these criminals. I wield absolute power over the worlds; I cannot do
what you ask.
I must have revenge on the sinners, for otherwise they will again commit
heinous murdering. Besides, if I do not burn them with the fire of my wrath,
it will consume me instead.
Ah, my Sires, I know that all of you unswervingly wish for the weal of
the worlds. Tell me what I should do, so that it benefits both creation and
me.’
The Pitrs say, ‘Cast the fire of your rage, which would consume the
worlds, into water, and in water let it dwell, consuming water. That will
benefit you and the worlds as well, for it is said that the worlds are made of
water, why, the very universe has emerged from primal waters.
Brahmana, let the fire of your fury live in the Ocean, so that, sinless
child, your vow is not proven false, so that you are not harmed by the fire,
and neither the three worlds, or the Devas, Asuras and Manavas.’
The child Aurva cast the fire of his anger into the realm of Varuna, the
Ocean. It lives there still, consuming the waters of the deeps, and there it
has assumed the form of a great horse’s head, so that those that know the
Veda call it Badavamukha. It flames forth from its own mouth and
ceaselessly quenches itself with the waters of the fathomless Ocean.
You, precious Parasara, wisest Muni, are like Aurva, a blessed one. You
know the lofty realms of Swarga; it does not become you to destroy the
worlds in anger,” said Vasishta to his grandson,’ says the Gandharva to
Arjuna.”
CANTO 183
aisampayana said, “The Gandharva continues, ‘When his illumined

grandfather Vasishta spoke thus, gravely, to him, Parasara controlled
his anger and refrained from destroying the worlds.
However, that tejaswin Rishi, of terrific energy, the son of Saktri,
performed a great Rakshasa yagna, and to avenge the killing of his father
Saktri, he consumed Rakshasas, young and old, in the fires of his sacrifice.
Now Vasishta did not attempt to restrain his grandson, because he did not
want to force him to break a second vow.
Mahamuni Parasara sat before three blazing fires, himself like a fourth
one. Saktri’s son, bright as Surya emerging from behind clouds, poured
copious libations of ghee into those tall flames and all the sky was lit up.
Vasishta and the other Rishis of the worlds saw Parasara ablaze, truly
like a second Sun, and it seemed no one could stop his yagna. The
compassionate Maharishi Atri came to Parasara’s yagnashala. Parantapa,
with him came the Devarishis Pulastya, Pulaha and Kratu, all to save the
Rakshasas.
Bharatarishabha, when Pulastya Muni saw how many Rakshasas had
already been killed, he said to Parasara aflame, “Child, I hope nothing
hinders your yagna! But what joy do you find in killing even those
Rakshasas that have nothing to do with the death of your father?
This is not the dharma of a holy Brahmana; it does not become you to
take innocent lives. Peace is the highest punya. Parasara, make your peace,
for you are a superior man and I wonder that you commit this dreadful sin.
How can you do this, who are the son of Saktri, who was a man of
unswerving dharma, a man of peace? How do you kill any living creatures
at all? Scion of the race of Vasishta, your father died because he broke
dharma in anger and cursed Kalmashapada.
Saktri was taken to Swarga for his own fault. Parasara, no Rakshasa on
Earth could kill the great Saktri, unless the Muni contrived his own death.
Even Viswamitra was merely a tool in the hands of fate.
Besides, know that both your father Saktri and King Kalmashapada have
indeed found Swarga, and enjoy every felicity there. Your father’s brothers,
Vasishta’s other sons, are in heaven also, and finding untold joy in the
company of the celestials.
Why, even you, Parasara, son of Saktri, son of Vasishta, are only a blind
instrument of fate in this yagna of yours, which destroys countless
Rakshasas. O be blessed, Parasara, and abandon your Rakshasa yagna. You
have done enough killing.”
Now Vasishta added his voice to what Pulastya Muni said, and Parasara
ceased his fell sacrifice. He cast the fires that he had lit into the deepest
vana north of the Himavat. To this day, that fire burns all year even in the
dead of winter, even when rains lash the mountain, devouring trees and the
very stones around it, and also any Rakshasas that come anywhere near its
flames,’ the Gandharva says.”
CANTO 184
aisampayana said to Janamejaya, “Arjuna asks, ‘Gandharva, why did

the King Kalmashapada tell his queen to resort to Vasishta Muni,
master of all the Vedas? And why did Vasishta, who knew all about
dharma, agree to lie with a woman with whom he should not? Dear friend,
did Vasishta not sin by what he did? I am full of dark doubt, and beg you to
remove my fear.’
The Gandharva says, ‘Irresistible Dhananjaya, I will answer your
question about the Sage and the King. Listen.
Bharatottama, I have told you about how Vasishta’s radiant son Saktri
cursed Kalmashapada. With the curse falling on him, that king, who
crushed all his enemies, left his capital with his queen. His eyes were red
and spun in their sockets from anger. Kalmashapada wandered dementedly
through the wild forest, the curse roiling him.
The vana teemed with deer and every other animal, and was thick with
every plant and great tree. With hunger ravaging him, one day
Kalmashapada ranged the jungle in search of food, uttering wild and
terrible cries. Driven by hunger, he arrived in the very heart of the forest
and suddenly came upon a Brahmana and his wife making love there.
Terrified to see the possessed and wild looking king, the couple jumped
up and ran from him, with their desire unsatisfied. Kalmashapada ran after
them, growling, and seized the Brahmana.
The Brahmani wailed, “Great King, the world knows that you are a
sovereign of the Suryavamsa, devoted to your elders and betters, and a king
famed throughout the world for his dharma. It does not become you to
commit this sin, O invincible one, not though the Rishi’s curse has robbed
you of your reason.
I am in my season and was joined with my husband in desire. I am not
satisfied yet; I beg you be merciful, O best of kings, set my husband free.”
But Kalmashapada paid no heed to her pitiful entreaty and, ignoring her
screams, devoured the Brahmana like a tiger does his prey. Her fury
terrible, the tears of the Brahmani turned to drops of fire and burned up
everything around her.
In that rage, in her grief, she cursed Rajarishi Kalmashapada, “Vile
King, for what you have done I curse you that if you ever go to your wife
again you will instantly die. Wretched Raja, also let your wife conceive and
deliver a child by the Rishi Vasishta whose sons you have killed and eaten.
And that child, O worst of kings, shall be the one that continues your race.”
Having pronounced her curse, that chaste Brahmani of the race of
Angiras, every auspicious mark upon her body, walked into the fire kindled
by her tears and became ashes before the king’s eyes. Parantapa, even as
this happened, Vasishta knew about it with mystic intuition.
The years passed. Kalmashapada was freed from his curse, and taken
with desire one night, the king went to his queen Madayanati. However, she
reminded him of the curse of the Brahmani and would not lie with
Kalmashapada. Bitter tears of regret that king shed; bitterly he regretted
what he had done.
Purushottama, this is why King Kalmashapada asked Maharishi Vasishta
to beget a son upon his queen,’ says the Gandharva.”
CANTO 185
aisampayana continued, “Arjuna asks, ‘Gandharva, you know

everything; so you tell us which Vedagyani Brahmana we should
make our priest.’
The Gandharva replies, ‘In this very vana there is a holy shrine calls
Utkochaka. Devala Muni’s younger brother Dhaumya performs tapasya
there. If you want a priest for yourselves, you will find no better Brahmana
than him.’
Delighted with their encounter, Arjuna gives his Agneyastra to the
Gandharva, with the proper rituals. The Pandava says, ‘Gandharvottama, let
the horses that you wish to give us remain with you for a time, until we
have need for them and then we shall take them from you. Be you blessed!’
The Pandavas and the Gandharva salute each other reverently and part
ways upon the enchanted banks of the Bhagirathi. The Pandavas go to
Utkochaka, to Dhaumya’s sacred asrama, and ask him to become their
Kulaguru, their family priest. Best of those that know the Vedas, the
profound Dhaumya receives the sons of Pandu with offerings of wild fruit,
succulent roots, and he does agree to what they ask of him.
When the great Dhaumya agrees to be their priest, the Pandavas and
Kunti feel a stirring elation: they feel that that they have already regained
their kingdom, as well as won the daughter of Drupada for their queen, at
her swayamvara. Truly, the Bharatrishabhas feel that in Dhaumya they have
found a powerful guardian of their future and their fortunes.
Dhaumya, Mahatman, knower of the true meaning of the Veda, knower
of every law of dharma, becomes the Guru of the Pandavas, and he makes
them his Yajamanas, his spiritual disciples. The Brahmana sees those
Kshatriyas endowed with strength, intelligence and fortitude such as the
Devas possess, and he also feels that they have already regained their
rightful kingdom.
When Dhaumya has blessed them, by uttering holy mantras over them,
they think it is time to set out for the Panchala kingdom, to the swayamvara
of the Princess Panchali.”
CANTO 186
SWAYAMVARA PARVA
aisampayana continued, “Those five Purushavyaghra brothers, the

Pancha Pandavas, tigers among men, set out for Drupada’s kingdom,
to gaze upon that wonderful country, and especially its princess
Draupadi.
As they go along, their mother with them, they see some Brahmanas on
the way. Those Brahmacharis see the sons of Pandu, O Rajan, and ask,
‘Where are you going? And from where do you come?’
Yudhishtira replies, ‘Brahmanarishabhas, we five are brothers and this is
our mother. We are coming from Ekachakra.’
The Brahmanas say, ‘Take yourselves to the city of Drupada in the
kingdom of the Panchalas, for there is a great swayamvara to be held there
at which Drupada will give away great wealth. We are also going there and
we can journey together.
Exceptional celebrations will take place there for Yagnasena has a
daughter who is born from the heart of an agnikunda during a yagna. Her
beauty is past compare, her eyes like lotus petals, her features flawless, her
intelligence and beauty legend.
Why, Draupadi of the slender waist emanates a fragrance from her body,
a scent as of a blue lotus, and it spreads around her a full yojana. Her
brother is the mighty Dhrishtadyumna, who has been born to kill Drona.
The prince is also born from the sacrificial flames, wearing natural armour
and carrying a bow and arrows, and blazing himself like a second fire.
Yagnasena’s daughter will choose a husband for herself from amongst all
the Kshatriyas that have been invited to her swayamvara. And we are going
there to witness the celebrations, which we believe will be like a festival in
Devaloka.
Kshatriyas, munificent kings and princes from diverse lands who
perform great sacrifices at which they give untold wealth to Brahmanas,
will attend the swayamvara of Draupadi. They are handsome Kshatriyas,
full of vigour, brilliance and learning, Maharathas and masters of weapons.
Wanting to win Draupadi’s favour, and so her hand, they will distribute
great wealth, countless cows, wonderful food, and many other gifts to be
enjoyed.
Taking all this and witnessing the swayamvara, we will depart Drupada’s
city and go our separate ways.
Many actors and bards, Sutradharas and Pauranikas, champion athletes,
heralds, entertainers and performers of every ilk and hue, from across the
length and breadth of Bharatavarsha, will come to the swayamvara. You
shall see many marvellous sights in the city of Drupada, receive many rich
gifts, and then go your way, as you please, or come with us.
Besides, you are all as handsome as Devas. Seeing you, perhaps the dark
Princess Krishnaa will choose one of you for her husband!’ And pointing to
Arjuna, ‘This brother of yours seems blessed with extraordinary fortune; he
might well earn wealth past imagining in the city of Drupada.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Brahmanas, we will go with you to the princess’
excellent swayamvara.’”
CANTO 187
SWAYAMVARA PARVA CONTINUED
aisampayana said, “O Janamejaya, the Pandavas go with those

Brahmanas towards the kingdom of southern Panchala, over which
Drupada rules. On their way, those Kshatriyas see the luminous and
sinless Dwaipayana. They worship him, and taking his blessing, continue
their journey towards Drupada’s kingdom.
The Maharathas go slowly on their way, often lingering to admire the
fine forests and shimmering lakes that they see. Finally, the devout, taintless
princes enter Panchala lands and come to Drupada’s capital, where they
begin living in the home of a potter.
Still disguised as Brahmanas, they go begging for alms and no man
recognises them for who they are.
Now, Drupada Yagnasena has always wanted to give his daughter
Draupadi to the heroic Arjuna to be his wife. But he never speaks of this to
anyone. O Janamejaya, thinking of Arjuna’s matchless archery, the
Panchala king has an exceptionally inflexible and stiff bow fashioned,
which he thinks that no one other than Arjuna will be able to bend.
He also erects an unusual yantra, a device upon which he suspends an
extraordinarily difficult target to shoot.
Drupada declares, ‘The archer who can shoot the hanging target shall
have Draupadi for his wife.’
Thus does the Panchala king proclaim his daughter’s swayamvara, and
every worthy Kshatriya in Bharatavarsha arrives in his capital. Countless
Rishis also arrive, to witness the swayamvara, for it promises wealth and
excitement.
Among the warriors that come, O King, are Duryodhana and the Kurus,
and Karna with them. The highest born, most learned Brahmanas from
every kingdom and land flock to Drupada’s city. The great Drupada
receives every king and Sage reverently.
Come the day of the swayamvara and the people of the city throng the
tiers and platforms that have been raised around the arena for the
swayamvara. The noise they make is like a sea roaring. That stadium has
been erected upon a level and auspicious plain to the north-east of
Drupada’s capital. Fine mansions, set in their sprawling grounds, surround
the majestic construction.
Lofty walls enclose the arena, as well as a deep moat circling it around,
while fine archways at regular intervals lead into it, and a bright, many-
coloured canopy covers the stands. The king enters the stadium through its
north-eastern gate, to the resounding bass of a thousand conches.
The stadium is fragrant with the scent of black aloe, and with the holy
water mixed with sandalwood paste with which it has been liberally
sprinkled, and also with the extravagance of garlands made with every
flower, hanging everywhere.
The lofty mansions that encircle it are snow-white and seem like the
peaks of Kailasa that kiss the clouds. Their windows are filled by lattices of
gold, their walls encrusted with diamonds, and priceless carpets of silk lie
upon their gleaming floors. They are all adorned with garlands in every
colour and of every fine fragrance, and they are indeed as radiantly white as
the necks of swans.
The scent of aloe and the other redolences that those mansions exude can
be smelt a yojana away. Each one has a hundred doors, each of these wide
enough for a small crowd to enter through them at once. They are furnished
extravagantly, beautifully, and they are like the peaks of Himavan.
The kings and princes, all the distinguished Kshatriyas coming from far-
flung kingdoms, are housed in those seven-storied palaces. Invited by
Drupada, each one has come to vie with the others for the hand of
Draupadi, and they come wearing their finery and sparkling ornaments.
When the people of the Panchala capital and countryside come to the
grand stadium of the swayamvara, they see those leonine Kshatriyas within
the white mansions, all of them strong and vital, as great souls are. Those
magnificent kings all wear the fragrant paste of the black aloe upon their
persons. Liberal and majestic they are, worshippers of Brahman, invincible
guardians of their kingdoms against every invader, and loved throughout the
world for their dharma.
The Pandavas also enter the stadium, sit among the Brahmanas and see
the unrivalled wealth of the Panchala king and the great and generous gifts
that he gives. Lively troupes of actors, musicians and dancers perform daily,
attracting more people, day by day.
Bharatarishabha, on the sixteenth day, when the stadium is packed to
capacity, Draupadi bathes, puts on the most resplendent clothes and
jewellery and she enters the arena carrying a golden chalice with the arghya
in it and also a garland of wildflowers. The Kulaguru of the House of the
Moon, a holy Brahmana who knows all the apposite mantras, lights the
sacrificial fire and pours libations of ghee into the flames.
When Agni Deva has been appeased with ghee, the priest makes all the
Brahmanas present utter auspicious mantras to bless the occasion. He raises
his hand to stop the musical instruments that play all around the stadium
and calls for silence among the people. When that vast crowd falls
completely silent, Dhrishtadyumna takes his sister’s hand, steps into the
middle of the arena, and speaks in a voice deep as bass drums or
thunderheads.
Sweetly, yet, he says, ‘O mighty Kshatriyas, here is the bow, these are
five sharp arrows and above is the target. Find the target through the
aperture in the yantra, the device above which it hangs, and I solemnly
swear, upon my lineage, my honour and my strength, that my sister
Krishnaa shall belong to the archer who succeeds.’
Dhrishtadyumna turns to Draupadi and begins to recite the names,
lineages and achievements of the great Kshatriyas of the Earth who have
come to her swayamvara.”
CANTO 188
aisampayana continued, “Dhrishtadyumna proclaims, ‘Duryodhana,

Durvisaha, Durmukha, Dushpradharshana, Vivimsati, Vikarna, Saha,
Dushasana; Yuyutsu,Vayuvega, Bhimavegarava; Ugrayudha, Balaki,
Kanakayu, Virochana, Sukundala, Chitrasena, Suvarcha, Kanakadhwaja;
Nandaka, Bahusali, Tuhunda and Vikata are all the mighty sons of
Dhritarashtra. My sister, these and many other valiant brothers of theirs
have come to vie for your hand; and with them the indomitable Karna.
Many other great kings and princes, all Kshatriya bulls, have come for
you. Sakuni, Saubala, Vrisaka, and Brihadbala, all sons of Gandhara are
here. Aswatthama and Bhoja, best among masters of astras, are here,
glittering in rare ornaments.
Brihanta, Manimana, Dandadhara, Sahadeva, Jayatsena, Meghasandhi,
Virata with his two sons Sankha and Uttara, Vardhakshemi, Susarma,
Senabindu, Suketu with his two sons Sunama and Suvarcha, Suchitra,
Sukumara, Vrika, Satyadhriti, Suryadhwaja, Rochamana, Nila, Chitrayudha,
Agsuman, Chekitana, the mighty Sreniman, Chandrasena, powerful son of
Samudrasena, Jarasahdha, Vidanda and Danda, father and son, Paundraka,
Vasudeva, Bhagadatta of terrific vigour, Kalinga, Tamralipta, the Pattana
king, Maharatha Salya king of Madra, and his valiant son Rukmangada,
Rukmaratha, Somadatta of the Kurus and his three sons, all Maharathas and
great Kshatriyas, Bhuri, Bhurisrava, Sala, Sudakshina, Kamboja all of the
race of Puru, Brihadvala, Sushena, Sibi, son of Usinara, Patcharanihanta,
the king of Karusha; Baladeva Samkarshana, Vasudeva Krishna, the
matchless son of Rukmini, Samba, Charudeshna, son of Pradyumna, Gada,
Akrura, Satyaki, the Mahatman Uddhava, Kritavarman, son of Hridika,
Prithu, Viprithu, Viduratha, Ranka, Sanku, Givesshana, Asavaha,
Aniruddha, Samika, Sarimejaya, the heroic Vatapi, Jhilli, Pindaraka, the
powerful Usinara, all these Vrishnis, Bhagiratha, Brihatkshatra, Jayadratha
son of Sindhu, Brihadratha, Balhika, Maharatha Srutayu, Uluka, Kaitava,
Chitrangada and Suvangada, the most intelligent Vatsaraja, the king of
Kosala, Sisupala, the awesome Jarasandha, and many more kings celebrated
throughout the world, have come, my blessed sister, for you.
All of them are great archers. They shall all shoot at the target, and he
that brings it down will have you for his wife.’”
CANTO 189
aisampayana said, “The Kshatriyas, young and not so young, their

earrings sparkling, each one feeling that he is mighty indeed, all
brandish their weapons. Intoxicated with the pride of being
handsome, powerful, learned, of noblest birth, wealthy, youthful and
vigorous, they are like Himalayan elephants in musth, in the season of rut
when their temples split open from an excess of ichor.
Seized by Kama, God of Desire, viewing one another with extreme
contention, they all rise up at the same moment and roar, ‘Krishnaa will be
mine!’
The Kshatriyas gathered in that stadium look like the Devas of old did,
when they gathered around Uma, the Mountain King’s daughter. Kama
Deva pierces them all, subtly, with his invisible flowery arrows, and they
are without exception lost in a dream of winning the exquisite Draupadi.
They stride into the arena and now favour even their dearest friends with
glares of competition and animosity.
The Devas come to that stadium in their vimanas, with the Rudras and
the Adityas, the Vasus and the twin Aswins, the Swadhas and all the
Marutas, and Kubera with Yama at their head.
The Daityas, Suparnas, the great Nagas, the Devarishis, the Guhyakas,
the Charanas, Viswavasu, Narada, Parvata and the main Gandharvas with
the Apsaras are all there.
Halayudha Balarama and Janardana Krishna are there, as are the
chieftains of the Vrishni, Andhaka and Yadava tribes, all of whom Krishna
commands. Krishna sees the five Pandavas in disguise, like five elephants
in rut drawn to Draupadi even as wild tuskers in season are to a lake
blooming with lotuses; he sees them disguised as Brahmanas, covered with
ashes, and he sees the great fires that those holy ashes conceal.
Krishna says softly to his brother Rama, ‘Look, there is Yudhishtira;
those are Bhima and Arjuna Jishnu; and there are the twins.’
Balarama sees the sons of Pandu and gives Krishna a look of great
satisfaction. However, every other Kshatriya there, sons and grandsons of
kings, their eyes bulging to see her unearthly beauty, many chewing their
lips from intense desire, gaze only at the Princess Draupadi and see nothing
other than her. The sons of Kunti and Madri’s twins also look at Panchali,
and struck by Kama’s subtle shafts of love, they, too, see nothing else.
The sky is so crowded with Devarishis, Gandharvas, Suparnas, Nagas,
Asuras and Siddhas, so fragrant with the scents of Swarga, with heaven’s
flowers cascading out of it, reverberant with deep conches, drums and the
endless Pranava, the AUM, as well as softer, unworldly music from flute,
lute and tabor, that the vimanas of the Devas find passage through those
throngs difficult.
Now the trial of the swayamvara gets underway. Karna, Duryodhana,
Salwa, Salya, Aswatthama, Kratha, Sunitha, Vakra, the king of Kalinga and
Vanga, Pandya, Paundra, the lord of Videha, the chief of the Yavanas, and
countless other Kshatriya princes—sovereigns of great lands, their eyes like
lotus petals—begin, one by one, to display their prowess in order to win the
hand of the princess who so obviously has no remote rival on Earth for
beauty.
Yet, for all their fine crowns, necklaces, bracelets and all their
ornaments, for their mighty physiques, their tremendous arms, bursting as
they are with manhood, strength and vigour, most of those Kshatriyas
cannot bend or string the great bow of the trial, not even in their dreams.
As they make their attempts, one by one, muscles bulging, veins
standing out upon them, each according to his ability, the great weapon
flings the best of them—who do indeed bend it a little—violently onto the
ground, where they lie senseless for some moments.
Drained, their fine crowns askew, the garlands they wear ragged,
panting, their ardour for the princess quickly cools; for they know that they
can never hope to bend or string that dreadful bow. Mournful they are, those
Kshatriyas, and give vent to their disappointment.
Karna, of the Sutas sees the crestfallen Kshatriyas. That greatest of all
archers rises, strides up to the bow, picks up that awesome weapon
effortlessly, bends it with no more effort, strings it, sets an arrow to the
string and draws the string back so that the bow forms a circle.
The Pandavas look at that son of Surya, who is as bright as Agni, Soma
or Surya Deva himself, and they quail, for they feel certain that the target
has already been brought down.
Suddenly, the princess Draupadi cries, ‘I will not marry a Sutaputra!’
Karna stops still. His lips curl in a sneer, he laughs bitterly and he flings
the great bow down in disgust, in disdain, in anguish.
Now Sishupala, son of Damagosha and king of the Chedis, mighty as
Yama, comes forward to string the bow, but the weapon brings him to his
knees instead.
Jarasandha of Magadha, invincible king, walks up to the bow and stands
before it like some mountain, as if to burn it up with his scrutiny. However,
when he tries to bend it, the bow flings him down as well, on his knees.
With a roar, he rises and stalks out of the stadium like a great wounded lion,
to return to his kingdom.
Now the magnificent Kshatriya Salya, king of Madra, tries to bend and
string the bow, and it brings him also to his knees. Finally, it is plain that
none of the Kshatriyas present are up to the task, and a wave of snickers
ripples through the crowd. Arjuna Jishnu, son of Kunti, feels that he wants
to make his attempt to win the dark Panchali’s hand.”
CANTO 190
aisampayana continued, “When all the Kshatriyas have given up and

sit down, frustrated and fuming, Arjuna of the lofty soul rises from
the enclosure of the Brahmanas. The foremost among the Brahmanas
see him get up, his skin the colour of Indra’s banner, and they shake their
deerskins and set up a loud noise: some of them are happy, while others
shout their displeasure.
Among the most intelligent of them say, ‘Brahmanas, how can a
stripling of ours string the bow that the greatest Kshatriyas on Earth, men
like Salya and the rest, equally powerful, and trained masters moreover in
arms, failed?’
‘If this callow youth fails, he will bring ridicule upon all of us
Brahmanas. The Kshatriyas will pour scorn over us. He is vain and
immature, which is why he even dares think of attempting the impossible
task. He must be prevented from this rashness.’
But others say, ‘No one shall mock at us even if he fails, and the kings
will not be displeased.’
‘Why, the handsome boy has a powerful physique, even like the trunk of
some great tusker. He is as calm as Himavan. His gait is a lion’s. He is
formidably determined, and he appears to be as strong as a bull elephant in
musth. It is quite possible that he will succeed!’
‘He is strong and resolute. Otherwise would he dare rise up and
approach the bow on his own? Also, remember that among all men it is the
Brahmana who can accomplish anything to which he sets his mind. A
Brahmana might not eat at all, or he might subsist on fruit and roots; he
might become macilent and seem weak; but he will always be ablaze with
the power of his own tejas.
Let him appear to be right or wrong, no one should ever underestimate a
Brahmana or consider him incapable of accomplishing anything at all, great
or little, any task, be it fraught with joy or sorrow.’
‘Let us not forget how Jamadagni’s son Rama vanquished all the Earth’s
Kshatriyas in battle, by himself. Agastya drained the very Ocean with his
Brahma shakti. So let us all say in one voice, “May the youth bend the bow
and bring the target down easily!”’
And many of the Brahmanas say, ‘Tathastu, be it so!’
As the Brahmanas continue with their debate, Arjuna comes up to the
bow and stands before it like a mountain. After a long moment, he walks
solemnly around the great weapon, with his head bent in prayer to the Lord
Isana, granter of boons, and then with a fervent thought of Krishna, he picks
up the bow.
In a wink, effortlessly, Indra’s son Jishnu, as strong as Indra’s younger
brother Vishnu, strings the weapon which so many mighty Kshatriyas like
Rukma, Sunitha, Vakra, Duryodhana, Salya, and others could not manage to
do though they poured every ounce of their strength into the effort. Quicker
than the eye can see, he picks up all five arrows, in a blur, and shoots the
target suspended above the yantra, so it falls onto the ground through the
aperture in the uncanny device.
A moment’s stunned silence, and then a huge shout from all the
celestials shakes the sky, and the stadium reverberates with deafening cries
and applause from the crowd. The Devas pour down a shower of unworldly
blooms over Partha Parantapa.
Thousands of Brahmanas wave their upper cloths in the air, and shout
for joy, while the Kshatriyas cry out in disbelief and agony. Flowers
continue to pour out of the sky over the stadium and the arena. The
musicians strike up a celebrant song, while bards and heralds sing and cry
out praises of him who has achieved the staggering feat.
Drupada, slayer of his enemies, looks at Arjuna and is full of joy. If the
need arises, he will deploy his army to help or protect this hero. While the
uproar rises to a crescendo, the Brahmanas rapturous and the Kshatriyas
furious, Yudhishtira Purushottama quickly leaves the stadium with the
twins, to return to the potter’s house.
The Princess Draupadi, Krishnaa, sees the target brought down, she
looks at Arjuna who has found his mark, and joy sweeps through her. With
a white silken robe and a garland of flowers in her hands, she walks up to
the bowman as handsome as Indra himself.
When Arjuna, who could do the impossible, wins dark Panchali’s hand,
every Brahmana in the stadium rises to bow to him, to honour him. Like a
lion, he walks out of the arena, with his newly won wife following him.”
CANTO 191
aisampayana continued, “Drupada rises to say that he will give his

daughter in marriage to the Brahmana archer, when suddenly all the
other Kshatriyas look at one another and are seized by wrath.
They say, ‘Drupada dares treat us lords of the Earth like wisps of straw,
and he will give his daughter, best among all women, to a Brahmana!
Having planted a lovely tree he wants to cut it down when it is about to bear
fruit. He has humiliated us and we must kill him.’
‘He deserves neither respect nor reverence for his age; let us kill both
him and his son, for they have insulted all the Kshatriyas of the Earth. He
called us kings and princes here, fed us sumptuously, and finally he
dishonours us. In this assembly of kings that is like a gathering of Devas,
can the vile Drupada not see a single worthy Kshatriya, one that is fully his
equal, that he gives Draupadi to a Brahmana?’
‘The Vedas clearly say that a swayamvara is only for Kshatriyas and no
Brahmana may be chosen for a husband during a swayamvara. O Kings, if
this princess cannot choose any of us Kshatriyas to be her husband let us
throw her into the fire along with her father and her brother, and return to
our kingdoms.
But as for this Brahmana, either from arrogance or malice, he has indeed
insulted us kings. Yet, being a Brahmana, he must not be killed, for our
kingdoms, lives, wealth, sons, grandsons, and everything that we own exists
because of and for the holy Brahmanas.
Yet, we must not leave him unpunished, so that never does another
swayamvara end in such disgrace. We must teach him a public lesson that
will be remembered for all time, a lesson that will keep the varnas each in
their proper place.’
When they have spoken amongst themselves, the incensed Kshatriyas
seize up their weapons, iron maces with spikes among them, and rush
towards Drupada to kill him at once. Drupada sees the Kshatriya horde run
at him in rage, with bows and arrows, and he seeks refuge in the
Brahmanas.
Suddenly, Bhima and Arjuna stand between the charging Kshatriyas and
Drupada, at whom they run like rut-maddened elephants. Raising their
weapons in gloved hands, the kings turn roaring on the two Pandavas, now
determined to kill them.
In a flash the tremendous Bhima, powerful as thunder, tears up a big tree
from the ground and strips its leaves away. Bhima Mahabaho, son of Pritha,
decimator of his enemies, stands next to his brother Narapumgava Arjuna;
Bhima is like Yama, the Lord Death himself with his mace.
Jishnu wonders at his brother’s awesome strength, and now, mighty as
Indra himself, Arjuna also stands forth fearlessly, bow in hand, ready to
face their host of adversaries.
Seeing them, Krishna Damodara of divine intellect, his deeds past
understanding, murmurs to his brother Balarama, ‘If I am Vaasudeva, O
Samkarshana, that shura there, whose tread is like a lion’s and whose bow is
a full eight feet, is certainly Arjuna! The other hero who has torn up the tree
to be his weapon is Vrikodara Bhima, for none but he can do such a thing.
And that other prince, eight feet tall, his eyes like lotus petals, who just
left the stadium, his gait like a lion’s yet full of humility, too, his skin fair,
his nose prominent, is Dharma Deva’s son Yudhishtira. The twins who also
left, each one like another Kartikeya, I feel sure are the sons of the Aswin
twins.
I did hear that Kunti and her sons escaped the fire that burnt down the
house of lac.’
Balarama Halayudha, fair as rainless clouds, says joyfully to Krishna,
‘My brother, how happy I am to hear that our father’s sister and her sons
escaped death!’”
CANTO 192
aisampayana said, “Now all the Brahmana bulls there, those

Dvijarishabhas, wave their deerskins and shake their coconut-shell
kamandalus, and cry to Arjuna and Bhima, ‘Fear not, we will fight
the Kshatriyas!’
Arjuna smiles at them and says kindly, ‘Stand aside and be spectators,
dear friends, while I turn back these angry kings with arrow storms, just as
snakes are with mantras.’
Arjuna raises the bow with which he has shot the target, and stands
calmly beside Bhima; they are like mountains. Then, next moment, the
brothers attack the Kshatriya host led by Karna, like two elephants charging
as one.
Eager for battle, the kings roar, ‘It is permissible to kill anyone who is
bent on a fight!’ and rush at Bhima and Arjuna disguised as Brahmanas.
Tejasvin Karna faces Arjuna, while the great Salya, king of Madra,
lumbers at Bhima truly like a tusker in musth charging another tusker for
the right to mate with a cow-elephant in heat. Duryodhana and some others
give light, playful fight to the general throng of Brahmanas.
Arjuna sees Surya’s son Karna advance upon him and pierces him with a
lightning swift flurry of arrows, and Radheya Karna faints. Recovering
quickly, Karna now fights Arjuna with greater intent. Fiercely, intensely,
they duel, those greatest of all archers. Such is their speed and skill that
they shroud each other in showers of arrows so both become invisible to the
spectator crowd.
But what they roar at each is clearly audible: ‘See the strength of my
arms!’
‘I have the answer for that!’
They say more, which is subtle, and only other great bowmen can
fathom that exchange, full of the high secrets of archery.
Karna finds Arjuna indomitable and the Suryaputra raises his own
exceptional archery. Arjuna looses shafts like thunder at him, and Karna
roars and parries them. The Kshatriyas all applaud.
Karna cries to his opponent, ‘Dvijottama, you are a matchless and
tireless bowman, and your arrows are tremendous. Are you an Avatara of
the Astrashastra? Or are you Parasurama, Indra himself, or his younger
brother Vishnu Achyuta, come in the guise of Brahmana?
For I know that none but Indra or Pandu’s son Arjuna Kiriti can face me
in battle when I am roused.’
Arjuna, Phalguna, replies, ‘Karna, I am not any Avatara of the
Astrashastra, nor am I Parasurama of divine prowess. I am just a Brahmana
but I am the greatest archer on Earth. Through my Guru’s grace, I have the
Brahmastra and the Paurandarastra, and I am here to vanquish you, O
Shura, in a very short while.’
Karna lowers his bow and stops fighting, for that Maharatha knows that
the Brahmastra is irresistible. Meanwhile, nearby, Salya and Bhima fight
like two elephants in musth, striking each other with fists and knees. They
shove each other mightily, flinging one another down, and hauling the
fallen adversary face down along the ground.
Their blows are like granite blocks crashing together and the stadium
echoes. After a brief struggle, Bhima Kurusthama picks Salya up bodily and
hurls him down roughly, with enormous force, so that the crowd gasps. Yet,
Bhimasena Purusharishabha flings Salya down subtly, too, so that he does
not seriously injure the Madra king.
Seeing Salya supine and Karna lowering his bow in fear, all the other
Kshatriyas become alarmed. Quickly, they throng round Bhima and say in
placatory tones, ‘These Brahmanarishabhas are certainly great warriors! We
must know their gotra and where they live, for who can face Radha’s son
Karna in battle other than Drona, Rama or Pandu’s son Arjuna?
Who can withstand Duryodhana except Devakinandana Krishna and
Saradwan’s son Kripa? Who also can hurl Salya down except the great
Balarama, Shuravirya Duryodhana or the Pandava Bhimasena?
Let us not fight these excellent Brahmanas anymore, for however much
a Brahmana offends he must be protected. At least let us first discover who
they are, if indeed they are Brahmanas, and later consider fighting them
with clear hearts.’
Having watched Bhima throw Salya down, Krishna is convinced that the
two Brahmanas are indeed Kunti’s sons. In his quiet but immediately
arresting voice, he says to the Kshatriyas, ‘The Brahmana has won the
princess’s hand fairly.’
He persuades the kings to abandon battle and to return peacefully, if
amazed and wondering, to their kingdoms.
The other Brahmanas who have come to the event are jubilant. ‘The
Brahmanas have proved victorious and one of us has made the princess of
Panchala his wife!’
They throng round Bhima and Arjuna, who wear deerskin, and now
make their way with some difficulty through the rapturous crowd. Having
been pressed hard by the Kshatriya enemy, blood upon them, the two
shuras, those heroes, emerge from the milling crowd like the full Moon and
the Sun emerging from behind dark clouds; Krishna follows them.
Meanwhile, in the potter’s house, Kunti waits anxiously for her sons to
return, for today they are late indeed. Her imagination conjures all sorts of
fell happenings that might have overtaken her sons. One moment, she
thinks that the sons of Dhritarashtra have recognised her princes and killed
them. Next, she trembles to think that some powerful Rakshasa, with
powers of maya, has slain them.
She even thinks, ‘Ah, could Vyasa himself have been a victim of
darkness of the mind when he told my sons to come to this city?’
Out of her love for her sons, Kunti’s anxieties grow moment by moment.
Then, in the stillness of late afternoon, Arjuna walks into the potter’s house,
like the Sun appearing from behind the clouds on an overcast day;
following him comes a throng of festive Brahmanas.”
CANTO 193
aisampayana said, “Kunti’s splendid sons come to the potter’s house,

bringing Draupadi Yagnaseni with them. Kunti is in the inner
chamber when they call to her, ‘Mother, come and see the alms we
have brought today.’
From within, in great relief at their return, she replies, without seeing the
alms that they mean, ‘Share the alms you have brought and enjoy it
equally.’
Next moment, she sees Draupadi and cries, ‘What have I said?’
She clasps the lovely, ecstatic Panchali, but a shiver of fear runs through
Kunti. Taking Draupadi’s hand in hers, Kunti says to Yudhishtira, ‘Your
younger brothers called Drupada’s daughter the alms they had brought
home, and without seeing her I replied, “Share the alms you have brought
and enjoy it equally.”
Yudhishtira, Kururishabha, how can what I say not become a lie and yet
no sin touch the Princess Panchali?’
Yudhishtira thinks for a moment, then puts his arm consolingly around
his mother, turns to Arjuna and says, ‘Phalguna, you won her at the
swayamvara and it is only just that you should marry her. Parantapa let us
light a holy fire and you must take her hand with all the sacred rituals.’
But Arjuna says, ‘Rajan, do not make me commit this sin, for what you
are saying does not conform to dharma. You are the eldest and you must
marry first; then Bhima, then I, then Nakula and finally the youngest of us,
Sahadeva.
Think well upon what would be the right thing to do, what would be just,
honourable and also beneficial to King Drupada. Bhima and I, the twins and
the Princess Panchali all wait for your decision. We will do what you say.’
Arjuna speaks with the utmost respect and affection. Now all the
Pandavas turn to gaze upon the peerless princess, the dark Krishnaa; and
she, in turn, looks at not just one but at all five of them. The sons of Pandu
then look at one another, and they all sense one another’s fervent desire.
They sit on the floor and are all plunged in a single absorption: of
Draupadi, and her alone. Once they have gazed at her, Kama Deva easily
captures their hearts, paralyses their senses, and fills them with one desire:
easily, because Brahma himself has created this princess to be more
beautiful than any other woman on Earth. Such is her beauty that she can
enchant any man, why, any creature that lives.
Kuntiputra Yudhishtira looks at his younger brothers and clearly sees
what is in their hearts. Now he remembers clearly what Krishna
Dwaipayana, their grandsire Vyasa had said to him.
The bull among men fears that Draupadi will divide brother against
brother unless he chose wisely for them all. Yudhishtira says quietly, ‘The
auspicious princess shall become the wife of us all.’
Such joy breaks out upon the faces of his brothers.
The great Shura of the Vrishnis, Krishna, now arrives at the potter’s
house with Rohini’s Balarama. They see Yudhishtira Ajatashatru sitting
there, his arms graceful, mighty and long; they see his younger brothers
brighter than flames around him.
Krishna goes up to Kunti’s eldest son, touches that Kshatriya’s feet and
says, ‘I am Krishna.’
Rohini’s son Balarama does the same. The Pandavas cry out in delight to
see the divine Yadava brothers, who then proceed to touch the feet of Kunti,
who is their father’s sister.
Kurusthama Yudhishtira formally and lovingly inquires about the health
of Krishna and Baladeva, and then asks in some amazement, ‘O Krishna,
how did you discover us when we are disguised as Brahmanas?’
Krishna says with a smile, ‘Rajan, even if it is covered by ashes, fire can
be known. Who among Manavas other than the Pandavas could do what
Bhima and Arjuna did today? Parantapas, O sons of Pandu, the greatest
good fortune helped you escape the fire at Varanavrata which Duryodhana
and his conspirators lit.
Bless you! May your fortune increase like a fire that is lit inside a hidden
cave and then spread out to cover the Earth. But now, lest we are seen here
and you discovered, we must return to our own lodgings.’
Taking Yudhishtira’s leave, Krishna, whose fortune never wanes, quickly
leaves the potter’s house with Balarama.”
CANTO 194
aisampayana said, “When Bhima and Arjuna leave the arena of the
swayamvara and make their way towards the potter’s house, the
Panchala prince Dhrishtadyumna follows them discreetly. He goes
alone, dismissing his attendants, and hides himself in a dark corner of the
potter’s dwelling.
As dusk falls, Bhima and Arjuna return from their evening round of
begging alms. They bring what they have received to Yudhishtira.
Kunti says kindly to Draupadi, ‘Sweet child, take one portion of the
alms, and having offered it to the gods, give it away to some Brahmanas.
Give another portion to any other atithis, guests that have come to us to be
fed.
Divide what remains in two halves. Give one half to Bhima, for this fair
son of mine, who is as strong as an elephant king, this shuravirya always
eats well. Divide what remains into six portions, my child, four of them for
my other sons and one each for you and for me.’
Happily, Draupadi does as her mother-in-law asks, and those heroes eat
the food that the princess serves them. Dhrishtadyumna watches from
concealment as Madri’s son Sahadeva now spreads a wide bed of kusa grass
on the floor. Each brother spreads his deerskin upon the grass and they all
lie down to sleep, with their heads facing south.
Kunti lies crosswise above the heads of her sons, and the princess
Panchali at their feet. The lovely princess Krishnaa lies at the feet of the
Pandavas even as if she is their lowly foot pillow, but she feels no shame or
sorrow, and neither does a wrong thought of those Kururishabhas cross her
heart.
Those shuras begin to speak softly among themselves, while
Dhrishtadyumna listens avidly from his hiding place; he is intrigued and
excited by what he hears, for those princes, each one capable of being a
Senapati, speak of nothing but vimanas, astras, war elephants, swords and
various kinds of arrows, and of battle-axes, too. He sees how his sister lies
contentedly at the feet of the five.
With dawn the potter opens his front door and the Panchala prince slips
out quietly and runs to his father to report everything he has seen and heard.
Drupada is dejected because he does not know that it is indeed the Pandavas
that have taken his daughter.
As soon as his son comes into his presence, he cries, ‘Where is my
Krishnaa? Who are they that have taken her from us? Has a lowborn Sudra
or a deceitful Vaisya stamped on my head and made off with my precious
child? O my son, has our fragrant garland of flowers been cast into a
cemetery?
Or perhaps some noble Kshatriya or a Dvija has won her? Ah, has some
mean fellow set his left foot upon my crowned head and taken my
Panchali? Ah, my prince, I would not grieve at all but be so full of joy if
Purushottama Arjuna had married my child today! Dhrishtadyumna, are
Kurusthama Vichitravirya’s grandsons alive? Is it indeed Arjuna who bent
the bow and brought the target down?’”
CANTO 195
VAIVAHIKA PARVA
aisampayana said, “Dhrishtadyumna, best among princes of the

House of the Moon, says to his father, ‘The youth with long reddish
eyes, who wore deerskin and is as handsome as a Deva, who strung
that best of bows and shot the target, was quickly thronged by festive
Brahmanas who all paid him homage for what he had done. He looked like
Indra of the Vajra standing among the Devas and Devarishis.
As for Krishnaa, she held onto the youth’s deerskin and followed him as
joyfully as a she-elephant does the lord of a herd. When the incensed
Kshatriyas advanced on them, another hero rose to stand beside the archer.
He tore up a big tree and rushed at the kings and princes, smashing them
down all around him even as Yama does all the living.
Rajan, the Kshatriyas stopped their assault and stood still, while the two
shuras, who are like the Sun and the Moon, took Krishnaa with them and
left the arena. I followed them discreetly to the house of a potter in the
suburbs of our city. Inside the potter’s house there sat a woman who is like
a flame. I am sure that she is their mother, and around her there sat three
other splendid heroes, each one like an Agni.
The two shuras touched the woman’s feet and bid Krishnaa do the same.
They left Panchali with the lady and went out to beg for alms. Returning,
they gave what they had received to Draupadi, who offered one portion of it
to the gods, gave away another as daana to Brahmanas, gave part of what
remained to the noble woman, and divided the rest amongst the five young
men. Finally, she kept a little for herself and ate when the others had all
eaten.
O Father, when they had eaten they lay down to sleep and Krishnaa lay
contentedly at their feet, even like a foot pillow. They lay upon a bed of
kusa grass on which they spread their deerskins.
Before falling asleep the five spoke amongst themselves in voices deep
as thunderheads rumbling, and from what they spoke about they are not
Sudras or Vaisyas, nor even Brahmanas. I have no doubt that they are
Kshatriyas, for they spoke knowingly of things that only bulls among
warriors discuss.
Father, it does seem that our hopes have not been in vain, and that what
we heard about the Pandavas having escaped the fire in the house of lac is
indeed true. From the manner in which the youth strung the great bow and
shot the mark, and from what I heard them say to one another in the potter’s
house, I am certain, O King, that these are the sons of Pritha disguised as
Brahmanas.’
Drupada is overjoyed and he sends his priest to the brothers to discover
if they are indeed the Pandavas. Coming to the potter’s house, the priest
lauds them, and delivers Drupada’s message.
‘Exalted ones, Drupada, most munificent king, has sent me to ask who
you are. He saw the feat of this youth who shot the mark, and his joy was
great. Tell us to which race, clan and family you belong, and trampling the
heads of your enemies, complete the joy of the Panchala king and his kin,
and mine as well.
King Pandu was a dear friend of Drupada, who loved him as he did
himself. Drupada always wanted to give his daughter in marriage to a son
of Pandu. Flawlessly handsome Shuras, Drupada has long wanted Arjuna of
the long and mighty arms to marry Panchali by winning her hand at the
swayamvara.
If that is what has happened, ah, nothing could be more auspicious or
fortunate.’
Delivering his message, the priest falls silent and waits for their reply.
Yudhishtira says to Bhima, ‘Offer the Brahmana padya and arghya; he is
Drupada’s Kulaguru and deserves exceptional reverence and worship.’
Bhima washes the feet of the Brahmana and offers him arghya, while the
priest sits there happily, at ease.
Yudhishtira then says to him, ‘The Panchala king did not give his
daughter away freely, by Kshatriya custom, but by a trial of skill. Drupada
should ask no questions about the race, clan or family of this hero who won
the princess’s hand fairly. Let us say that his every question has already
been answered by the stringing of the bow and the bringing down of the
target.
This brilliant shura won Krishnaa amidst the gathered Kshatriyas and
brought her away. After that, let not the king of the House of Soma
entertain any regrets about what happened, for they will only serve to make
him unhappy and not to answer any questions that he might have.
Let it suffice to say that whatever the king wished for his beautiful
princess, who bears every auspicious mark upon her person, will come to
pass. No one weak or lowborn, none that is not a great master of arms could
have strung that bow or shot that mark. Once done, the feat cannot be
undone either, not by anyone in this world.
It does not become the king to grieve for his daughter today, indeed to
grieve over what is inexorable. Fate will take its course now.’
Even as Yudhishtira speaks, another messenger arrives hotfoot from
Drupada and announces, ‘The banquet is ready!’”
CANTO 196
VAIVAHIKA PARVA CONTINUED
aisampayana continued, “The messenger says, ‘King Drupada has

prepared a grand feast for the bridegroom and his party. Finish your
nitya karma, your daily rituals, and come quickly. The Princess
Krishnaa’s wedding will be solemnised there. Do not delay. Look, Drupada
sends these chariots adorned with golden lotuses and drawn by the noblest
steeds for you. Ride in them to the palace of the king of the Panchalas.’
Soon, those Kuru bulls send Drupada’s Brahmana back. They help Kunti
and Draupadi into one of the gleaming chariots and, climbing into the
others themselves, drive to the palace.
Meanwhile, O Bharata, his priest brings back Yudhishtira’s message to
Drupada and that king prepares a subtle test of sorts to find out to which
varna the five young men belong. He has fruit and sanctified garlands set
out; he fetches shining coats of armour and war-shields, the keenest swords,
fine horses and chariots, the best bows and arrows, and rare lances, battle-
axes and spears worked with gold; he has carpets on view, fine bedsteads
and other expensive furnishings and artefacts; and he also puts on show
cattle, seeds for sowing and some farming implements.
Arriving at Drupada’s palace, Kunti and her sons enter the king’s inner
chambers. Joyfully the women of the palace welcome her, with honour and
worship. Rajan, Drupada, his ministers, his sons, his friends and attendants
all look at the Narapumgavas, the sons of Pandu, each one with the gait of a
lion, wearing deerskin, their eyes like those of great bulls, their shoulders
wide, their arms long and powerful, hanging at their side like great and
sinewy snakes, and the Panchalas are delighted.
They see how those shuras sit without hesitation and indeed with
comfortable familiarity, upon the fine chairs to which they are shown, with
silken footstools, in order of their ages at the king’s high table. When they
sit, liveried servants, male and female, bring fare of kings to them, wine in
crystal decanters and rare delicacies steaming on silver and golden platters.
They eat and drink with relish and discerning appreciation: the wine and
every kind of meat as well, again with easy familiarity.
When they have dined, those young men look with keen interest at the
weapons and the other warrior’s things that Drupada has shrewdly put on
display, ignoring everything else which might have attracted a Brahmana or
a Vaisya. Drupada and Dhrishtadyumna see all this, as do their ministers,
and they are certain that the young men, those sons of Kunti, are Kshatriya
princes. The Panchalas’ joy swells.”
CANTO 197
aisampayana said, “A beaming Drupada now speaks to Yudhishtira,

in the form used to address a Brahmana.
‘Should we know you to be Kshatriyas, Brahmanas, or as Devas
who have disguised yourselves as Brahmanas to range over the Earth, and
have come here to win our Krishnaa’s hand? We are full of uncertainty and
beg you to tell us the truth! How happy you will make us by dispelling our
doubts.
Bane of your enemies, has fate been kind to us? Tell us the truth gladly,
for the truth is better suited to Kshatriyas than sacrifices or the dedication of
sacred tanks. Do not hide the truth from us any longer, O you who are as
handsome as a Deva, O Parantapa. I must make arrangements for my
child’s wedding in accordance with the varna to which you belong.’
Yudhishtira replies, smiling, ‘O King, let every anxiety leave your heart,
and let it fill with joy. For your heart’s fondest desire has come true. My
lord, we are Kshatriyas, we are the sons of Pandu.
I am Yudhishtira, the eldest son of Kunti, and these are Bhimasena and
Arjuna, who took your daughter from the swayamvara from amidst the
gathering of kings. The twins and Kunti are with Krishnaa. Narapumgava,
we are Kshatriyas, so banish the sorrow from your heart. O King, like a
lotus, your daughter has only been moved from one lake to another. Rajan,
you are our revered elder, our superior and our main sanctuary. I have told
you the truth, the whole truth.’
Drupada is rapturous; his eyes shine and for some moments he is
speechless for delight. Controlling himself with some effort, he finally asks
Yudhishtira how they had escaped from Varanavrata. Yudhishitira describes
their escape from the burning house of lac in detail. When Kunti’s son
finishes, Drupada has stern censure for Dhritarashtra, and he has warm
reassurance to offer Yudhishtira. Drupada swears to restore the Pandava to
his ancestral throne.
Drupada says that Kunti, the Pandavas and Krishnaa must live with him,
and he shows his guests the greatest regard. The Panchala king then says to
Yudhishtira, ‘Mahabaho, let Arjuna marry my daughter on this auspicious
day. Let us begin the wedding ceremonies.’
Yudhishtira Dharmaputra replies, ‘Maharaja, I must also marry.’
Drupada says, ‘Then you take my daughter’s hand yourself, or let her
marry any of your brothers that you choose for her.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘O King, we shall all marry your daughter and she
shall become the wife of all five of us, even as our mother says she should
be. I am not married, neither is Bhima. Arjuna won your jewel-like
daughter’s hand. We have always shared every precious jewel that we have
ever got; best of kings, we cannot make an exception for this the most
priceless one.
Krishnaa will become the wife of us all; one after the other, each of us
shall take her hand before the sacred fire.’
Drupada cries, ‘O Scion of Kuru, it has been said that one man may
marry many wives, but never that one woman can marry many husbands!
Kaunteya, you are pure and you know the laws of dharma well. You cannot
commit this sin, which mocks both common practice and the Vedas. O
Kshatriya, why has your mind been darkened by this vile thought?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Rajan, dharma is subtle; we do not understand the
course of fate. Let us follow the path that great men of bygone yugas did.
My tongue has never spoken a lie, and my heart never turns towards a sin.
My mother commands us to share Draupadi equally among ourselves, and
my heart accepts it, as well.
Hence, O King, for me what I propose is consonant with dharma. Let us
do this without any fear; no sin will accrue from it.’
Drupada says, ‘Son of Kunti, let your mother, my son Dhrishtadyumna
and you decide among yourselves what is proper. Tell me what you decide
and tomorrow I will do what you say is dharma.’
O Bharata, even as Yudhishtira, Kunti and Dhrishtadyumna deliberate
among themselves, Dwaipayana on his wanderings arrives in Drupada’s
palace.”
CANTO 198
aisampayana said, “The Pandavas, the illustrious Panchala king and

everyone else present rises and pays homage to the enlightened Rishi
Vyasa. The Mahatman greets them in turn, asks after their welfare
and sits on the floor upon a golden carpet. He, of measureless tejas, asks the
others to sit, as well, and those best of men do so, upon their costly chairs.
In a while, Prihasta’s son gently brings up the matter at hand with the
Sage, regarding the marriage of his daughter Draupadi.
Drupada says, ‘Muni, how can one woman become the wife of five men
without sinning? Is this possible? I beg you tell me the truth about this
strangest thing.’
Vyasa replies, ‘Rajan, this ancient practice was discontinued since it is
against both Vedic injunction and common custom. But I would like to hear
what each of you thinks about it.’
Drupada speaks first, ‘To my mind it is a sin because it is against both
the Veda and custom. Dvijottama, I have never seen, anywhere, one woman
having many husbands. The great men of ages gone by also never did such
a thing. No wise man ever dares to commit a sin. I cannot countenance this
in good conscience. To me it seems immoral and adharma.’
After Drupada has finished, Dhrishtadyumna speaks. ‘Dvijarishabha, if
an elder brother is a man of character how can he go to his younger
brother’s wife? The ways of dharma are always subtle, and we cannot fully
fathom them. In the most obvious things, we cannot say with conviction
what is dharma and what is not. Then, how can we agree to this unusual
proposal with a clear conscience? O Brahmana, how can I say, “Let
Draupadi become the common wife of five brothers?”’
Now Yudhishtira says, ‘My tongue never speaks a lie and my heart never
veers towards a sin. My heart approves of this, and it cannot be sinful. Also,
I have heard in the Purana of Jatila, a woman of great virtue, of the race of
Gautama, who married seven Rishis. Another Sage’s daughter, born of a
tree, married the ten brothers, all named Prachetas, all of them Mahatmas
and illumined by great tapasya.
Best of those that know dharma, to obey one’s elders and betters is
always dharma. Among all elders and betters, there is none to equal one’s
mother. Our mother has told us to share Draupadi whom we brought to her
as alms, equally among ourselves. Most of all, Dvijottama, I consider the
five of us marrying the princess to be the highest dharma.’
Kunti says, ‘I agree with my virtuous Yudhishtira. O Brahmana, I am
terrified if what I say to my sons should prove a lie. Must I not be saved
from the sin of falsehood?’
When they have all finished, Vyasa says, ‘Truly, Susheela, how will you
be saved from the sin of untruth? For truth is Sanatana Dharma. O Panchala
Pathe, Drupada, I will not speak of this ancient practice before all of you,
but to you in private. I will tell you when this form of marriage was
established and why it is ancient and eternal. But this much I will say here:
Yudhishtira speaks the truth and what he says is dharma!’
The great master Krishna Dwaipayana, the illustrious Vyasa, rises, takes
Drupada’s hand and leads him into a private chamber. Kunti, her sons and
Dhrishtadyumna wait for them to return. Alone together in the other room,
Vyasa begins his profound discourse to the great king on the subject of
sacred polyandry, and why it is not sinful.”
CANTO 199
aisampayana continued, “Vyasa says to Drupada, ‘In the elder days,

the Devas once performed a Mahayagna in the Naimisa vana. During
that sacrifice, Vivaswat’s son Yama, Death, was appointed to
perform the animal sacrifices that were made as offerings.
Long that yagna lasted and while it continued Yama slew the sanctified
beasts, but during all that time he did not take the life of a single human.
Death, O King, left humankind alone and their numbers swelled greatly on
Earth; their population was enormous.
Soma, Indra, Varuna, Kubera, the Sadhyas, the Rudras, the Vasus, the
Aswin twins and the other celestial ones went in alarm to Brahma Prajapati,
Creator of the universe.
They said to the Lord of Creation, “The race of Manavas has increased
frighteningly on Earth, and we have come to you for protection.”
The Pitamaha said, “You have nothing to fear from the humans. You are
all immortal, while they are not.”
The Devas said, “The mortals have become immortal; there is no
difference anymore between us and them. We are unhappy; we do not like
them to be equal to us. Make some distinction between the races of Swarga
and Bhumi.”
Brahma said, “Vivaswat’s son is absorbed in the Mahayagna and that is
why mortal men have stopped dying. But when Yama’s part in the great
sacrifice is over, men will die again. Infused with the power of all of you,
he will sweep away millions of Manavas, weakened by time and unduly
long lives.”
Reassured by what the First-born God said, the Devas returned to the
Naimisa vana, where the yagna was underway. Sitting beside the
Bhagirathi, they suddenly saw a great many golden lotuses being borne
upon the river, and were wonderstruck. Indra wanted to discover from
where the golden blooms had come and he traced the river back to her
source, from where the Ganga springs.
He saw there a woman as splendid as fire, bathing in the stream and all
the while she wept. As her tears fell into the water they turned into golden
lotuses. The Vajradhari went up to the woman and asked, “Who are you,
beautiful one? Tell me, why do you cry?”
The woman replied, “O Sakra, you can only know who I am and why I
am crying, if, O Devendra, you come with me. Follow me and you will
know everything.”
Indra followed her as she led the way. Soon, he saw a handsome youth
and a young woman of great beauty sitting upon a throne and playing dice
upon a peak of Himavat.
Indra, king of the Devas, said to the youth, “Intelligent boy, I am the
master of the universe.”
However, the young man was so absorbed in the dice that he did not
respond to Indra, who grew furious and cried again, “I am lord of the
universe!”
The youth was the Lord Mahadeva and only glanced at Indra and smiled
to see him enraged. That momentary look froze Indra where he stood and
he could not move but stood there like some stake.
When the dice game was over, Isana Siva said to the weeping woman,
“Bring Sakra here. I will make sure that pride never enters his heart again.”
As soon as the woman touched Indra he fell upon the ground. The
glorious Lord Isana said to him, “Never be arrogant again, Sakra. You have
great strength and vigour. Roll this stone away from the cavern that it
covers; enter the cave and you will see some others there, all of them as
brilliant as the Sun, all of them your equals.”
Indra rolled away the rock and saw a great cave upon the breast of that
king of mountains. Within the cave were four others exactly like him.
Seized by anxiety, Indra cried, “Shall I also become like these?”
Then the Lord Girisha glared at Indra, and said in anger, “You of a
hundred yagnas, down into the cave with you! You have insulted me from
your pride.”
His limbs turning weak with shock, Indra trembled like the leaf of a
Himalayan fig-tree at Siva’s dreadful curse. His hands folded, shaking from
head to foot, Indra said in a quivering voice to the God who rides the Bull,
the fierce Lord of myriad manifestations, “O Bhava, you are the Lord of the
universe!”
The God of terrific tejas smiled, “Those that are vain like you never find
my grace. Once, the four inside the cave were all like you. Down into the
cave with you and lie there for a while. All your fates shall be the same.
You will be born into the world of men, where you will face untold
hardship, and with much effort and after much travail, you will kill
thousands and thousands of Manavas, and by that punya, you will return to
Indraloka.
Yes, you will experience and accomplish everything that I have said and
much more, besides.”
Their glory lost, the four Indras in the cave said, “May we descend from
on high to the world of men, where salvation is hard to gain. But let the
Devas Dharma, Vayu, Maghavat and the Aswin twins become our fathers,
and beget us upon our terrestrial mothers. We will fight the Manavas on
Bhumi with weapons of men and the gods, and reclaim Indraloka.”
The Vajradhari said to Mahadeva, “I will create a Manava with an amsa
of mine, a man of great tejas, to become the fifth of these to be born on
Earth to raze the humans.”
The first four Indras were Vishwabhuk, Bhutadhaman, Sibi, Santi, and
Tejaswin was the fifth Indra of yore. And Siva Pinakin, from his great
mercy, granted the five Indras their wish. He also declared that the woman
of exceptional beauty, she who had been weeping, who was none other than
the Devi Sri herself, would become the wife in the world of all five of them.
Taking the five Indras with him, Lord Isana went to Narayana of
fathomless tejas, to the infinite, uncreated, eldest, eternal One, Soul of
universes without limit or count. Narayana approved of what they meant to
do.
The five Indras were born into the world of men. Narayana plucked two
hairs from his body, one black and the other white; he sent the two hairs
down the mandalas and into the wombs of two women of the race of Yadu:
Devaki and Rohini. The white hair became Balarama and the black one
Krishna, who was Narayana himself.
The Indras who had been sealed in the cave upon Himavat are none
other than the sons of Pandu, of extraordinary energy. Amongst them
Arjuna, who is Savyasachin the perfectly ambidextrous, is the amsavatara
of Sakra.
Rajan, these Pandavas are indeed those same Indras of old, and your
daughter of matchless beauty, Draupadi, born to become their wife, is the
Devi Sri herself. Otherwise, how could she have been born as she was, so
exceptionally, rising out of the very Earth at your yagna, lustrous as the Sun
or the Moon, and the fragrance of her spreading for a yojana on every side?’
Vyasa Muni pauses, then suddenly says, ‘Rajan, I now give you occult
vision: see for yourself who these sons of Pandu actually are. See them in
their sacred and unearthly forms of old!’
Vyasa of great spiritual power gifts mystic vision to the king and
Drupada sees all five Pandavas in their pristine forms. He sees them with
divine bodies of light, wearing golden crowns and unworldly garlands.
Each one is an Indra, irradiant as Agni or Surya, shimmering with
ornaments of heaven, ever-youthful and handsome past describing, their
chests wide and great and all of them some twenty feet tall at least.
Incomparable celestial raiment they wear, the most wonderfully fragrant
garlands. Drupada sees them as three-eyed Sivas, or Vasus, Rudras or
dazzling Adityas. The Panchala king sees Arjuna as Indra himself, in amsa,
and is enthralled, as well as wonderstruck and bemused by the deep and
subtle mystery of what he sees: that manifestation of the power of heaven.
Drupada then turns to look, with mystic eyes, at his daughter, most
beautiful of all women in the world, and now sees her truly as splendid as
the Fire or the Moon, a Goddess; his heart knows beyond doubt now that
she is indeed born to be the wife of the five Indras, for her beauty, her glory,
and also her renown.
When he sees that vision, Drupada touches Vyasa’s feet, crying,
‘Maharishi, no miracle is beyond you!’
Dwaipayana continues merrily, ‘Once, in an asrama there lived a Rishi
and his daughter, who was chaste, accomplished and beautiful but she has
not found a husband. The young woman worshiped the Lord Siva with a
stern tapasya. Pleased by her devotions, Mahadeva Sankara, the benign,
appeared before her and said, “What boon do you want?”
The young woman said over and over, “Lord, give me a great and
worthy husband!”
The best of Gods replied, “Susheela, you will have five excellent
husbands.”
She said, “Sankara, I want just one husband, Lord, who owns every
virtue.”
The God of gods said, “Kanye, you said five times to me, ‘Lord, give me
a husband.’ You shall have five wonderful husbands: not in this life but in
another one, in the future.”
Drupada, this daughter of yours, of unearthly beauty, is that young
woman, and the flawless Krishnaa born into the race of Prihasta, is destined
to become the wife of five husbands. It is the Devi Sri herself, who
performed intense penance for the sake of the Pandavas, who has been born
as your daughter from the fire of your Mahayagna.
Because of her own karma, the peerless Devi whom all the gods and
other celestials serve, will marry five husbands; indeed, Brahma created
Draupadi just for this. Now I have told you all there is to know, Raja
Drupada, and now you must do as you want.’”
CANTO 200
aisampayana said, “Drupada says, ‘Mahamuni, I knew nothing of all

this when I objected to my daughter marrying all five Pandavas.
Now that I know, how can I go against the will of the Gods? I will do
as you say, for the knot of destiny cannot be undone.
We do not decide anything that happens in this world, and while I had
once thought that my child would marry one husband, she will now marry
five. Draupadi herself said five times to Mahadeva, ‘Lord, give me a
husband!’ Siva himself gave her the boon of marrying five husbands, and
He knows the dharma or adharma of this.
As for me, I cannot sin by doing what Sankara has ordained, be it right
or wrong. I am content: let the five princes marry my daughter happily, with
the appropriate rituals!’
Dwaipayana, the illustrious, comes to Yudhishtira and says, ‘Today is an
auspicious day, O Pandava, for the Moon has entered the Pushyami
nakshatra. Marry the Princess Krishnaa this very day, you first and then
your brothers as well.’
When Vyasa has spoken, Drupada Yagnasena and his son
Dhrishtadyumna quickly make preparations for the wedding. The king
brings out numberless priceless wedding gifts. He then fetches his daughter
Krishnaa, who has bathed and put on royal finery and ornaments past value,
to the kalyana mantapa.
All the king’s well-wishers, friends, kinsmen and relations, his ministers
and countless Brahmanas and the common people of his city, besides, come
to the princess’ unusual wedding. They are seated according to their
respective stations.
Graced by that assembly of great men, its sprawling courtyard strewn
with lotuses and lilies, striking lines of warriors standing mighty around and
within, diamonds and every other precious stone sparkling upon its walls,
King Drupada’s palace looks like the sky with the stars shimmering in it.
Having bathed, putting on earrings, the costliest silken robes, smearing
their magnificent physiques with sandalwood paste, the Kuru princes
perform their daily religious rituals; then, with their priest Dhaumya, bright
as agni, they enter the wedding hall, one after the other, in order of age,
their hearts alight, like great bulls going into a cowpen.
Dhaumya, knower of the Veda, lights the sacred fire and, chanting the
appropriate mantras, pours ghee as libation into the flames. First, he calls
Yudhishtira and marries him to Draupadi. Taking each other’s hands, the
bride and groom walk around the fire.
When that ceremony is complete, Dhaumya takes his leave of
Yudhishtira, jewel among Kshatriyas, and leaves the palace. After this,
those Kuru Maharathas, richly clad and adorned, marry the Panchala
princess, first among all women, one after the other, over the next four days,
with Dhaumya as their priest for each wedding.
Rajan, the Devarishi Dwaipayana told me a most wonderful thing which
happens to Draupadi during those five nights, each spent with a different
husband—that she of the slender waist is a virgin afresh on every one!
When the five weddings are solemnised, Drupada gives those
Maharathas, his sons-in-law, untold gifts and wealth. He gives them one
hundred chariots with golden standards, each drawn by four horses of the
noblest bloodlines, all of them with bridles of gold. He gives them a
hundred elephants, all with the most auspicious marks upon their temples
and faces, caparisoned richly, so they seem like a hundred mountains with
golden peaks.
Drupada gives the Pandavas a hundred women to serve them, all
beautiful and in the prime of their youth, all richly attired, bejewelled and
wearing wildflower garlands. Yes, with Agni as the sacred witness to his
gifts, the king of the House of the Moon gives those princes of unworldly
splendour gold, the rarest, finest, costliest garments, and invaluable
ornaments of antiquity, craftsmanship and brilliance past compare.
Having married Krishnaa, who is like another Sri, as well as incalculable
wealth, the mighty Pandavas live happily, truly like five Indras, in the
capital of the Panchala king.”
CANTO 201
aisampayana said, “When the sons of Pandu have married his

daughter, all anxiety and fear leaves King Drupada; why, he does not
fear the Devas anymore. After the weddings, the noble women of
Drupada’s antahpura come to Kunti, and introducing themselves, telling her
their names; one by one, they worship her by laying their heads at her feet.
Wearing resonant red silk, and the auspicious and ceremonial thread
around her wrists, Krishnaa also pays reverence to her mother-in-law and
stands happily before her, with folded hands.
Overwhelmed by affection, Pritha blesses Draupadi, of matchless beauty,
who bears every auspicious mark upon her person, and has the sweetest
nature and the noblest character.
Kunti says, ‘May you be as precious to your husbands as Sachi is to
Indra, Swaha to Agni, Rohini to Soma, Damayanti to Nala, Bhadra to
Vasiravana, Arundhati to Vasishta, as Sri Lakshmi is to Narayana! Sweet
child, may you become the mother of long-lived, heroic children, and may
you have everything that will make you happy.
May fortune and prosperity always wait upon you. May your husbands
perform Mahayagnas, and may you always be devoted to them. Let your
days pass in welcoming and caring for guests and strangers that come to
your home, holy men and the elderly, children and betters.
May you become Queen of Kurujangala in its capital, beside your
husband King Yudhishitra Dharmaputra. My daughter, may you gift the
whole world, subdued by your husbands of incomparable strength, to
Brahmanas at an Aswamedha yagna.
Accomplished child, may the rarest gemstones on Earth, those of great
virtue, come to belong to you, fortunate one, and may you be joyful for a
full hundred years. Daughter-in-law, as I rejoice today to look at you
wearing the red silk of your wedding, I will rejoice again when I see you
become the mother of a son!’
When the sons of Pandu are married, Krishna sends them lavish gifts of
golden ornaments set with giant pearls and lapis lazuli, black gems. He
sends rare and priceless robes made in many kingdoms, as well as the
softest, finest blankets and skins of great value, and precious carpets and
expensive bedsteads and palanquins.
Hundreds of shining vessels, chalices, goblets, and other ware he sends,
all encrusted with jewels. Krishna gifts them young, accomplished and
beautiful women servants, thousands of them, also from diverse and far-
flung countries: all these richly attired and wearing costly ornaments. He
gives them masterfully trained elephants, all from the land of Madra,
countless fine horses in golden harness, and chariots, too, with fine steeds,
with large teeth, yoked.
Madhava Krishna, of fathomless soul, sends them gold coins, crores and
crores of them, in separate piles. Wanting to please Krishna, Yudhishtira the
just accepts all his gifts joyfully.”
CANTO 202
VIDURAGAMANA PARVA
aisampayana said, “Now their spies in Drupada’s city bring news to

all the Kshatriya kings and princes who had come to her swayamvara
of how Draupadi has married the five Pandavas. They tell their
masters that it was Arjuna, greatest of warriors and archers, who shot the
target, and that he who had dashed Salya to the ground and terrified the
others with the tree he pulled up, who had stood utterly fearless facing them
all, was Bhimasena, razer of enemy armies, whose very touch is enough to
kill his adversaries.
The kings are amazed at how the Pandavas had managed to remain so
long disguised as docile Brahmanas, and wonder how they are still alive for
they have all heard how Kunti and her sons had been burnt to death in the
house of lac. They even think of them as having returned from the dead.
The kings of the Earth remember again Purochana’s vile treachery, and
say, ‘A curse on Bhishma, a curse on Dhritarashtra of the race of Kuru!’
When the swayamvara is over and they hear the news that Draupadi has
married the Pandavas, the kings that still remained in Drupada’s city set out
each to his own kingdom. When Duryodhana hears that Arjuna of the white
steeds has won Panchali’s hand, he falls into dark dejection. His heart
heavy, he sets out with Sakuni, Asvatthama, Karna and Kripa for
Hastinapura.
Flushed with the humiliation of it, he says softly, feelingly, to his
brother, ‘If Arjuna had not disguised himself as a Brahmana he could never
have won Draupadi. No one recognised him. My lord, I fear that Fate rules
supreme; all our efforts have been in vain, my brother, and the wretched
Pandavas are still alive!’
Cursing Purochana for his ineptitude, they arrive in Hastinapura, utterly
defeated and depressed. Now they see that the mighty Pandavas have
escaped with their lives and are also bound by their marriage to the
formidable Drupada. They think of the prowess of Sikhandin and the fire-
born Dhrishtadyumna and their hearts quail.
On the other hand, when Vidura hears that the Pandavas have won
Draupadi and that Dhritarashtra’s son has returned humiliated to
Hastinapura, he is delighted. Vidura Kshattri goes to Dhritarashtra and says,
‘Great fortune has come to the Kurus!’
Dhritarashtra also cries gleefully, ‘Such great fortune, Vidura, such
luck!’
Dhritarashtra orders fine ornaments to be wrought for Draupadi, and
declares that Duryodhana and the princess must be received with
unprecedented pomp and ceremony and festivity in Hastinapura.
When he pauses to draw breath in his fervour, Vidura quietly tells him
that the Pandavas have won Draupadi for their bride; he tells Dhritarashtra
that the sons of Pandu are alive and that they now live with great honour in
the palace of Drupada. He does not fail to mention that all Drupada’s
powerful kinsmen and allies, every one the lord of a great army, and many
other Kshatriya kings who had come to the swayamvara, have now aligned
themselves with Kunti’s princes.
Dhritarashtra says, ‘Those children are as dear to me as they are to
Pandu! No, they are dearer to me. Let me tell you why, Vidura. My heroic
nephews are alive and well. They have garnered many friends and relations
as allies, all these very powerful. Tell me who would not want the great
Drupada and his kinsmen for an ally?’
Vidura says, ‘My lord may your wisdom not change for a hundred
years!’ and returns to his own palace.
Then, Rajan, Duryodhana and Radheya Karna come into the presence of
the blind king.
Duryodhana says, ‘Lord, we can never speak freely in Vidura’s presence.
Now we have found you alone and shall speak our minds. We heard what
you said, O King. What is this that you mean to do? Do you truly look upon
the fortune of our enemies as if it was your own, that you spoke so lovingly
and proudly to Vidura about the sons of Pandu?
Sinless, you do not do what you should be doing – everything in your
power to undermine the Pandavas, to destroy them. O my father, we must
confer and act quickly before the Pandavas devour us all, with our friends,
children and kinsmen!’”
CANTO 203
VIDURAGAMANA PARVA CONTINUED
aisampayana said, “Dhritarashtra replies, ‘I also want to do exactly

as you would have me but should I betray my intention to Vidura by
even a muscle twitching? That is why, my son, I praised the
Pandavas and spoke affectionately of them. I would not betray what is
really in my heart to Vidura, by the smallest sign.
Suyodhana, Vidura has gone, so now tell me what you think we should
do, and Radheya, you also share your thoughts with me.’
Duryodhana says, ‘Father, let us use subtle and cunning Brahmanas to
create division between the sons of Kunti and Madri’s twins. Or let us bribe
Drupada, his sons, and all his ministers with vast wealth so that they
abandon the cause of Kunti’s son Yudhishtira.
Or let our agents persuade the Pandavas to remain in Drupada’s
kingdom, convincing them, individually and separately, how dangerous it
would be for them to return to Hastinapura. Let the best of our spies create
dissension among the brothers, by sowing the seeds of envy among them.
Better, let them incite Draupadi against her husbands; she has five of
them, the task should not be difficult. Or let our secret men whisper such
words that make the Pandavas displeased with Krishnaa; if they show
displeasure, any of them, she will not be happy.
Best of all, let us send our finest assassins to kill just Bhima. He is the
strongest of them; without him, the rest are nothing. Since we were young,
they always depended on his strength to fly in our faces as they chose. If
Bhima dies, they will not have the nerve to try to regain their kingdom.
My lord, Arjuna is certainly invincible in battle – as long as Bhima
stands behind him! Without Bhima, Arjuna is not a fourth part of the archer
that Radheya Karna is. If Bhimasena dies, the Pandavas will fear us and
abandon every hope of recovering the kingdom.
Or if they do come here and prove to be docile, we will grind them
underfoot. Else, we can seduce them with the most luscious women, and
turn Krishnaa against them. Or let us have them brought here, and then kill
them all secretly.
Father, choose whichever of these methods appears to you to be the best.
Time flies, and we must strike quickly, one way or another, before their
bonds with Drupada Rajarishabha grow even stronger, and their relationship
with him takes deep root. Once that happens, we will not succeed.
Father, this is how I think we should deal with the sons of Pandu. You be
the judge of the worth of my thoughts. And now, Karna, tell us what you
think.’”
CANTO 204
aisampayana continued, “Karna says, ‘Duryodhana, I do not concur

with your thoughts. O Perpetuator of the Kuru race, none of these
methods will succeed against the Pandavas. Shuraveerya, haven’t
you tried such methods before and always failed to kill your enemies? That
was when they lived here with you. That was when they were young and
callow; and you still could not harm them.
Now they are far away; they are full-grown men. You cannot hope to
bring Kunti’s sons to grief with any of these subtle, underhand methods.
This is my firm belief. It seems that Fate herself colludes with the
Pandavas; they want to recover the kingdom of their fathers and no power
in the world can hurt or stop them.
You will never succeed in dividing them against one another. How can
five brothers who have married the same woman ever be divided? No agent
or spy of ours can hope to turn Krishnaa against them; do not forget that she
chose them for husbands when they appeared before her as indigents. Will
she abandon them now when she knows who they are, now that they
prosper again? Besides, women always want to have many husbands and
Krishnaa has five. You can never turn her heart against them.
As for Drupada, the Panchala king is honest to a fault, and a man of
dharma. There is no lust for wealth in him, or any greed. Even if you offer
him the whole Kuru kingdom, he will not betray the Pandavas or turn
against them. Drishtadyumna is no less than his father and has always been
attached to Pandu’s sons.
No, you cannot harm the Pandavas by any covert or cunning means in
your power. However, Narapumgava, bull among men, we can attack them
openly and kill them in battle when they are unprepared! We are stronger
than the Panchala king; let us strike now when they do not expect us to. Let
us strike and kill them all without mercy or scruple.
Son of Gandhari, Gandhareya, before they muster their numberless
chariots and allies, and loyal clansmen, strike! Before the mighty Panchala
king and his sons decide to attack us, attack them first! Before the Vrishni,
Krishna, comes to Drupada’s city with the Yadava host to help win back
their kingdom for the Pandavas, my lord Dhritarashtra, strike! For there is
nothing—wealth, every enjoyment, kingdom—that Krishna will not
sacrifice for Pandu’s sons.
The magnificent Bharata conquered all the Earth just by his own
prowess. Indra won sovereignty over the three worlds just by his might. O
King, prowess and valour are the ways of the Kshatriya; Kshtriyarishabha,
might is the first virtue of a hero.
So let us immediately take our great army, with its four kinds of forces,
to the Panchala kingdom, crush Drupada and drag the Pandavas back here,
powerless. The Pandavas cannot be subdued by conciliation, gifts or bribes,
or by cunning division. You must vanquish them in battle, and having done
so, Duryodhana, rule this Earth unopposed.
I see no other means to achieve what we want.’
Dhritarashtra hears Karna out and praises him fulsomely. The king says,
‘Sutaputra, you are not only a great warrior but have much wisdom, as well.
Your view that we must take arms against the enemy suits you well, noble
one. However, you both must consult Bhishma, Drona and Vidura, also,
before deciding what must be done, which will benefit us.’
Dhritarashtra summons all those great ones and takes their counsel.”
CANTO 205
aisampayana said, “When Dhritarashtra asks Bhishma for his advice,

the patriarch says, ‘Dhritarashtra, I can never endorse a war with the
sons of Pandu, for Pandu was as dear to me as you are, and Kunti’s
sons are as precious to me as Gandhari’s. I must protect them exactly as I
do your sons, Dhritarashtra.
I love the Pandavas as well as all the Kurus do; nothing should lead us
into battle against them. Rather, make peace with Kunti’s princes; bring
them home and give them half the kingdom, for this is beyond doubt the
ancestral kingdom of those best among the Kurus, as well.
Duryodhana, if you look at this kingdom as belonging to your father so
do the Pandavas see it as being their father’s. If Pandu’s magnificent sons
do not inherit this kingdom, how can you, or indeed any other scion of the
race of Bharata?
If you think of yourself as having lawfully inherited this kingdom, I
believe that they can also think the same, and before you. Quietly give them
half the kingdom, keeping half for yourself. Narapumgava, this will be best
for everyone. If you do otherwise, evil will befall each one of us, and you
will cover yourself in shame and dishonour.
Duryodhana, a good name and honour are the very root of one’s
strength; do everything you can to maintain them. It is said that he who has
lost his reputation lives in vain. Kaurava, as long as a man has fame and
honour, he does not die. A man lives as long as his honour lasts, and dies
when he loses his reputation.
Son of Gandhari, act in accordance with your noble birth; act as a Kuru
should. Mahabaho, do as your ancestors would have done. We are fortunate
that the Pandavas did not die, that Kunti still lives. We are fortunate that the
wretched Purochana died himself but did not succeed in his vile attempt on
their lives.
From the day that I heard Kunti’s sons had died in a fire, Gandhareya, I
was sick at heart and hardly able to meet or speak to anyone.
Purushavyaghra, when the people heard that Kunti had perished they did
not blame Purochana as much as they did you.
Now that the Pandavas have reappeared, obviously having escaped from
the fire, Duryodhana, you must do away with your ignominy. And I say to
you, O Scion of the Kurus, as long as Pandu’s sons live, not the Vajradhari
Indra himself can prevent them from regaining their rightful share in this
kingdom.
The Pandavas are virtuous and united, and have been deprived of their
birthright by adharma. If you want to make amends and do the right thing,
seeking the welfare of everyone, yourself and your subjects, give them half
of the kingdom.’”
CANTO 206
aisampayana said, “When Bhishma has finished, Drona speaks.

‘Dhritarashtara, Rajan, I have heard that a friend, asked for advice,
should always speak truthfully, justly and in an honourable manner.
My lord, I am entirely in agreement with the great Bhishma – a share of the
kingdom must be given to the Pandavas. This is Sanatana Dharma.
O Bharata, send a well-spoken messenger to Drupada immediately,
taking with him a treasure for the sons of Pandu. Let this man carry
priceless gifts for the bride and her husbands. He must tell Drupada that you
are pleased and proud that your power and glory have increased vastly after
this new alliance, by marriage, with him.
O King, let your messenger tell Drupada how delighted both
Duryodhana and you yourself are at what has transpired. Let him repeat this
often to the Panchala king and to his son Dhrishtadyumna. He must say that
the union is entirely agreeable to you and that you consider it as being
fitting and a perfect and equal match.
Let your messenger repeatedly conciliate Kunti and Madri’s sons. Rajan,
order a bounty of the purest golden ornaments sent to Draupadi. Also,
Bharatarishabha let excellent gifts be taken for all Drupada’s sons. And
when all these have been given and he has spoken sweetly to everyone, let
your messenger propose that the Pandavas return to Hastinapura.
Once Drupada, mollified, gives them leave to return, Dushasana and
Vikarna must go out with a handsome retinue to receive them. Once they
enter Hastinapura, you must yourself welcome those Narapumgavas with
the greatest affection. Then, Dhritarashtra, set them upon the throne of their
fathers for that is what the people of the realm want.
This, O King of the House of Bharata, is how I think you should behave
towards the Pandavas, who are like your own sons.’
When Drona finishes, Karna rises and says hotly, ‘Dhritarashtra, you
have lavished your wealth on both Bhisma and Drona! You have always
thought of them as being your most trusted, closest friends and well-
wishers. What could be more amusing, then, than to find them strongly
urging you to act against your own interest?
It can never be wise to approve of counsel given by those whose true
intentions are evil, if well concealed. In a time of adversity, no friend can
either help or harm a man: each one’s fortune or misfortune depends only
on fate. Let him be wise or a fool, young or old, alone or with many allies –
he will find joy and sorrow, alternately each in their season, regardless.
I once heard of a king of old called Ambuvicha, whose capital was
Rajagriha and he was king of all the Magadha chieftains. He never attended
to affairs of the state: his only exertion was breathing! His minister
Mahakarni effectually ruled the kingdom, and in time became so powerful
that he had scant regard for the king.
Indeed, the wretch took everything for himself – all Ambuvicha’s wealth
and even his queens. However, these did not satisfy Mahakarni but only
inflamed his greed. Now he began to hanker after the throne. But, this he
could not get.
Rajan, what else can we conclude from this other than that it was
Ambuvicha’s destiny to remain king though he spent his time just breathing
the air? Hence, O Dhritrashtra, if Fate has willed that the Kuru kingdom
will remain with you, undivided, and pass on to your son, then that is what
will happen, even if the whole world becomes your enemy.
Equally, if fate has willed otherwise, whatever you do you will not keep
your kingdom! Wise King, remember this when you gauge the sincerity or
lack thereof of your advisors. Think carefully about which of them have
spoken with evil in their hearts and which honestly, wishing your welfare.’
Drona retorts to Karna, ‘As you are full of adharma, it is plain that you
speak with evil intentions. You want to harm the Pandavas and that is why
you dare point your finger at us. But be certain Karna, that I spoke for the
good of all the Kurus. If you consider what I say to be ill intentioned or
evil, let us hear what you would have us do instead.
I say to you that if the counsel that Bhishma and I have given is not
heeded, it will not take long before the very race of Kuru is annihilated.’”
CANTO 207
aisampayana said, “After Drona finishes, Vidura speaks. He says,

‘Dhritarashtra, King, I have no doubt that what your friends say is
for your good. Yet, I fear you do not like to listen to what they tell
you and their wise words fall on deaf ears. What that greatest among all the
Kurus, Shantanu’s son Bhishma says is sagacious, excellent and will benefit
you. But you do not listen to him. What Acharya Drona says is for your
good, but Radha’s son Karna does not seem to think so.
Yet, my lord, after deep thought I myself can think of no one who is a
truer or wiser friend of yours than these two lions among men, old in years,
in wisdom, and in learning, and always looking at you and at the sons of
Pandu with equal eyes.
I have no doubt, O Bharata, that these two great ones are both no less
than Dasaratha’s son Rama or the great Gaya in their honesty and virtue.
Have they ever given you evil counsel before? And you too, O King, have
never done them any injury. Then why should these Purusharishabhas, who
never have truck with falsehood, now advise you falsely, especially since
you have not harmed them ever?
My lord, these great and wise men will never give you evil counsel.
They cannot be tempted by any wealth to offer you false advice, for they
are both knowers of dharma. Everything they have said, O Bharata, is for
your good and in your best interest.
Be certain, my lord, that the Pandavas are as much your sons as
Duryodhana and his brothers. Those that urge you to harm the sons of
Pandu do not have your interest at heart. If you nurture partiality for your
sons in your heart, they that seek to bring it out do you no favour.
O King, these illustrious ones, these two splendid elders, have not said a
false or evil word. Yet, you do not seem to realise it. What these
Narapumgavas say about the Pandavas being invincible is the simple truth.
Purushavyaghra, O tiger among men, do not deceive yourself for a moment
that it is otherwise.
A blessing be upon you, my lord! Can even Maghavat vanquish Pandu’s
brilliant son Arjuna, who looses his arrows with both hands with equal ease
and force? Can the Devas subdue Bhimasena, strong as ten thousand
elephants in battle? Which man who values his life would dare face the
twins, who are Yama’s very sons, in war? And how can the eldest, in whom
patience, mercy, forgiveness, truth and might all find their home, be
overcome?
They that have Rama for their ally, Janardana Krishna for their mentor,
and the dashing Satyaki for their friend have already vanquished all their
enemies in battle. Drupada is their father-in-law; Drupada’s sons,
Dhristadyumna and the others born into Prihasta’s race are their brothers-in-
law: they are invincible, my lord.
Remember all this, Duryodhana, and that their right to the kingdom is
before yours. Dhritarashtra, treat them justly. Already your name is tainted
by Purochana’s crime. Be kind and noble now to Pandu’s sons and wash
that stain from yourself. If you behave righteously and mercifully towards
the sons of Pandu, what you do will bring great punya down upon us all,
powerful blessings that will protect everyone who belongs to the race of
Kuru, why, it will nurture all Kshatriya kind.
Once we fought against Drupada. If we can now make him our ally how
much stronger we shall become. My lord, the Dasarhas are numerous and
formidable; all of them will go where Krishna does. Also, know that where
Krishna is, victory will certainly go. Dhritarashtra, only a man who has
been cursed by the Gods would seek war when he can achieve his purpose
and serve his best interest by conciliation.
The people have heard that the Pandavas are alive, and they rejoice and
are beside themselves to see their princes again. My lord, you must do as
your people want.
Duryodhana, Karna and Subala’s son Sakuni are untutored in dharma;
they are brash and sinful. Do not listen to them, I beg you. Virtuous as you
are, O King, think back to what I said to you many years ago, that because
of the terrible sins that would be committed by your son Duryodhana, the
very House of Kuru and the people of this kingdom shall perish!’”
CANTO 208
aisampayana said, “When they have all finished speaking,

Dhritarashtra says, ‘Shantanu’s son, the great Bhishma, the
illustrious Rishi Drona, and you, my brother Vidura, have indeed
spoken truly and given me the counsel that is in my best interest.
By dharma, as Kunti’s sons, the Maharathas, are the sons of Pandu and
they are my sons, also. And just as my sons should inherit this kingdom, so,
too, must the Pandavas. So, hurry, my brother, go and fetch Pandu’s princes
and their mother home; persuade them affectionately and kindly.
Bharata, also bring Krishnaa, whose beauty is not of this world, here.
Ah, it is such fortune that Pritha’s sons are still alive and greater fortune that
the Maharathas have made Drupada’s peerless daughter their wife. Surely,
we have become stronger than ever before with this alliance, and it also our
good fortune from which the vile Purochana died.
My resplendent Vidura, fortune has slain my grief and ended my
mourning for my brother’s sons.’
At Dhritarashtra’s command, a joyful Vidura goes to Drupada Yagnasena
and the Pandavas. Bharata, he takes a fair treasure of gold and ornaments
and priceless jewels for Draupadi, the princes, and for Drupada, as well.
Arriving in Drupada’s palace, Vidura, master of dharma, master of court
etiquette, greets the king formally, properly and with honour; and Drupada,
too, receives Vidura respectfully and both ask after each other’s health with
every kindness.
Then Vidura sees the Pandavas and with them Krishna of Dwaraka;
embracing them in joy, tears in his eyes, he asks after their welfare. The
Pandavas and Vaasudeva Krishna greet Vidura, of measureless intellect,
with every reverence. As for Vidura, he is overcome, O King, and
repeatedly asks his nephews how they are, and says that their uncle
Dhritarashtra also asks warmly about them.
Now he gives the Pandavas, Kunti and Draupadi, and Drupada and that
king’s sons all the priceless gifts that he has brought from Hastinapura,
from Dhritarashtra and the Kauravas.
This done, the humble, soft-spoken Vidura speaks to the good King
Drupada, in the presence of Kesava Krishna and the sons of Pandu. Vidura,
of profound intelligence, says, ‘Great King, listen to what I have to say,
you, your sons and ministers, as well.
Overjoyed by this new alliance with you, my brother King Dhritarashtra
repeatedly inquires after your welfare, and so do his sons and his ministers.
Rajan, Bhishma the wise, son of Santanu, Drona, also of deep wisdom, the
son of Bharadwaja and your dear friend, and also all the other Kurus ask
after your welfare, in every particular.
The learned Drona says that he embraces you in his mind and hopes that
you are well in every way. Lord of the Panchalas, let me say again that
Dhritarashtra and all the Kurus consider themselves greatly fortunate and
blessed by this alliance with you. Yagnasena, they are more happy than they
would be upon acquiring a whole new kingdom! Now that you know all
this, I beg you, allow the sons of Pandu to return to their home, the
kingdom of their fathers.
Every Kuru is agog to see the princes again. These Narapumgavas have
been away from Hastinapura for so long; I am sure that their mother and
they must be as eager to see Hastinapura again as the people of the city are
to see them. Also, all the royal Kuru ladies and the people are beside
themselves to see the Panchala princess, the exquisite Krishnaa.
O King, I ask your leave for the Pandavas to return to Hastinapura with
their wife. If you give your leave, I will send word back to Dhritarashtra
through my swiftest messengers. Then, O Drupada, the sons of Pandu can
set out with Kunti and Krishnaa.’”
CANTO 209
aisampayana said, “Drupada listens carefully to what Vidura says,

then he replies, ‘Wise Vidura, everything is as you say and I, too, am
greatly pleased by our alliance. I agree with you that it is only just
that these splendid princes return to Hastinapura. However, it is not for me
to force a decision upon them.
If Kunti’s valiant sons Yudhishtira, Bhima and Arjuna, as well as the
Purusharishabhas, the twins, wish to return to the home of their fathers, if
Baladeva and Krishna, both of whom know every nuance of dharma, are of
the same mind, then by all means let Pandu’s sons return to Hastinapura.
For, I do declare that the Purushavyaghras, Rama and Krishna, always have
the best interest of the Pandavas at heart and always do their best for them.’
Now Yudhishtira says, ‘O King, my brothers and I are your dependants
and we will happily do what you tell us.’
Then Krishna says, ‘I feel that the Pandavas should return, but we must
do whatever Drupada decides, for he knows every aspect of dharma.’
Drupada says at once, ‘I agree with what this greatest of all men feels.
Pandu’s great sons are now to me just as they are to Kunti, and I know that
not Kunti’s son Yudhishtira himself can decide what is good for himself and
his brothers as well as this tiger among men, Kesava, can.’
Thus, with Drupada’s leave, O King, the Pandavas set out with Draupadi
and Kunti, with Krishna and Vidura for the city named after the elephant.
On their leisurely way, they stop in many places of great beauty or sanctity,
and take their pleasure as they please.
When Dhritarashtra hears that those shuras are nearing his capital, he
sends the Kauravas out to receive them. O Bharata, Vikarna of the great
bow he sends, as he does Chitrasena, Drona, greatest of warriors, and Kripa
of the line of Gautama. Those five mighty heroes enter Hastinapura
majestically, surrounded by these and others, all of whom enhance their
glory.
Indeed, the entire city is radiant with the celebrant crowds that throng its
streets to see the tigerish sons of Pandu return to them, and how they
rejoice. All along their slow and triumphal progress towards the palace the
Pandavas hear cries of affection from the people, who truly love their great
and precious princes.
Some say, ‘The Purushavyaghra of dharma who looks after us as if we
are his nearest kin, has returned to us!’
Others cry, ‘Ah, it is as if Pandu has come home from the forest today,
bringing our lost fortune back with him! For sure he comes to do us great
good.’
‘What good remains to be done to us when Kunti’s heroic sons have
returned to our city? If we have given daana, poured libations of ghee into
the holy fire, if we have any punya, may the sons of Pandu remain in
Hastinapura for a hundred years!’
Finally, the Pandavas arrive at the palace and prostrate at the feet of
Dhritarashtra and of Bhishma. They touch the feet of everyone else present
who are elders and worthy of worship. They ask, individually, after the
welfare of everyone there. When all this is done, at Dhritarashtra’s
command, they enter the apartments that have been kept for them.
When the sons of Pandu have rested, King Dhritarashtra and Shantanu’s
son Bhishma summon them to the royal sabha, the ancient court of
Hastinapura.
Dhritarashtra says to Yudhishtira, ‘Kaunteya, listen to what I have to say,
your brothers and you. I want you to go to Khandavaprastha, so that never
again does any dispute arise between your cousin and yourselves. If you
live there, no one can or will do you any harm. Take half of the kingdom
and, protected by Arjuna as the Devas are by the Vajra, live in peace in
Khandavaprastha.’
The Pandavas accept what Dhritarashtra says, and paying him homage,
those bulls among men set out from Hastinapura for Khandavaprastha,
which is a desolate wilderness.
Arriving in that desert, those brilliant shuras, with Krishna at their head,
create a new city in the desolation, truly like another Swarga on Bhumi.
Dwaipayana helps the Maharathas choose an auspicious place; he performs
the sacred rituals and measures out the land for their city.
When it has been built, some say by Indra’s command to Viswakarman,
the divine artisan, and at Krishna asking for Indra’s help, that city has a
moat encircling it, which is as wide as a sea. It has outer walls that touch
the sky, walls white as rainless clouds or rays of the moon. Ah, the newly
made city is as wondrous as Bhogavati in Patala, where the great Nagas
dwell.
Palatial mansions it has; many gates lead into it, gates as great and wide
as the outspread wings of Garuda, gates that are as formidable as massed
thunderheads, and as lofty as the Mandara Mountains. So great are the walls
and so well stocked with myriad weapons that no enemy army could even
dream of ever breaching them or making any impression on them with any
astras.
Those walls and gates are armed with thick banks of arrows and other
missiles, narachas like twin-tongued serpents. The turrets along the walls
are bursting with mighty warriors in superb condition and training; soldiers
past counting line the entire length of those city walls.
Deadly sharp hooks, satagnis that can raze a hundred enemies in a blink,
and other machines of war are planted upon those walls. Great iron wheels,
which can be whirled down upon the legions of any invader also deck those
ramparts. Yes, truly, with all these and more is that best of cities protected.
Within the walls, the streets are wide and excellently laid, so there is
never any fear of accidents or collisions along their courses. And as
numerous and so magnificent are the homes and mansions of the city of the
Pandavas that it truly looks like another Amaravati on Earth, and some say
that is why it is named Indraprastha.
In the most choice and auspicious precinct of Indraprastha,
Viswakarman creates a majestic palace for the sons of Pandu. It is filled
with every kind of treasure, and is so opulent that it is like the palace of
Kubera, Lord of Heaven’s Treasures, himself. Ah, it is like a great mass of
cloud shot through with lightning.
O King, when the city has been built, a host of Brahmanas arrives there,
all of them masters of the Vedas, and begin living in Indraprastha. Vaisyas
from across the length and breadth of Bharatavarsha come to Indraprastha,
and thrive in trade and earn great wealth in the city of fortune. Artists, the
finest and of every kind, flock to Indraprastha, and begin living there.
Around the city are many enchanting gardens, with countless fruit-and
flowering-trees – amras, amaratakas, kadambas, asokas, champakas,
punnagas, nagas, kakuchas, panasas, salas, tola palms, tamalas, bakulas,
ketakas with their fragrant blossom-loads. Great, gorgeous amalakas bend
their branches down with the weight of their fruit; lodhras and akolas in
bloom; jambus, pastalas, kunjakas, atimuktas, karaviras, parijatas, and
many others all stand resplendent with flower and shining fruit, alive with
birds and small creatures of every feather and species.
The green vanas ring with the cry of the excited peacock and the kokila
in love. Myriad pleasure-houses, bright like mirrors, dot these woods and
gardens, as do fine bowers of creepers, charming man-made hillocks, and of
course crystalline pools and lakes brimful with water.
There are sparkling tanks perfumed by lotuses and lilies, jewelled with
ducks, swans and chakravakas. The smaller pools are overgrown with
water-plants, rare and exotic, and there are large ones, too, also of great
beauty.
Rajan, the Pandavas live in that blessed, auspicious kingdom, peopled by
pious men of dharma, and their joy waxes day by day.
And so it is that, because of the dharma shown them by Bhishma and
also King Dhritarashtra, the sons of Pandu begin living in Khandavaprastha.
With those five brothers living in it, each one equal to Indra himself, that
best of cities truly resembles Bhogavati in Patala, the fabulous city of the
Nagas.
O King, when he sees the Pandavas settled into Indraprastha, Krishna
the magnificent takes their leave and returns with Rama to Dwaraka.”
CANTO 210
RAJYA-LABHA PARVA
anamejaya said, “O you possessed of ascetic wealth, what did those

Mahatmans, my grandsires the Pandavas do when they had the kingdom
of Indraprastha? How did their wife Draupadi serve and obey them all?
Having one wife, Krishnaa, how is it that no dissension arose among those
great Kshatriyas? O you of the wealth of asceticism, tell me in detail about
how they are amongst themselves, after they marry Krishnaa.”
Vaisampayana said, “Having gained their kingdom at the command of
Dhritarashtra, those parantapas, the Pandavas, pass their days in great joy in
Khandavaprastha, with Krishnaa. With his brothers beside him, Yudhishtira
of tejas, always abiding by dharma, rules that kingdom. The sons of Pandu,
endowed with wisdom, devoted to truth and virtue, and having vanquished
their enemies, live there happily.
Sitting upon invaluable thrones, the Purusharishabhas discharge the
duties of state. One day, as they sit together in their royal sabha, the
Devarishi Narada, on his eternal wandering, comes to them. When he sees
the Sage, Yudhishtira rises and offers him his own throne. When the
Maharishi sits, Yudhishitra offers him arghya with his own hands, and the
king formally tells Narada Muni about the state of his kingdom.
The Sage takes the offerings and is pleased. Showering his blessings on
Yudhishtira, Narada asks him to sit beside him. The king sits and then sends
word to the antahpura to Krishnaa, to inform her of the arrival of the
illumined one.
Bathing, putting on fresh clothes, Draupadi comes reverently into the
sabha where the Rishi is with the Pandavas. The chaste princess of Panchala
worships the Sage’s feet, and then stands before him with folded hands, her
head bowed and her face veiled.
Narada blesses her many times with a variety of blessings, and then tells
her that she may leave. When Krishnaa has gone, the Rishi speaks privately
to just Yudhishtira and his brothers.
Narada says, ‘The princess of Panchala is the wife of all of you. You
must create a law among yourselves, so that disunity never rears its head
amongst you. Once, there lived two Asura brothers called Sunda and
Upasunda, famed through the three worlds, and so mighty that none could
kill them unless they slew each other.
They ruled the same kingdom, lived in the same house, slept on the same
bed, sat on the same throne, and ate out of the same plate. Yet, they killed
each other for the sake of Tilottama. So, Yudhishtira, have a care to
preserve your love for one another by making a rule for yourselves, which
will keep you united forever.’
Yudhishtira asks, ‘Mahamuni, whose sons were the Asuras Sunda and
Upasunda? How did they fall out, and how did they kill each other? Whose
daughter was this Tilottama for whose love the brothers killed each other?
Was she an Apsara or the daughter of some Deva? O you whose wealth is
tapasya, we want, O Brahmana, to hear everything that happened in detail.
Indeed, we are agog to hear this story.’”
CANTO 211
RAJYA-LABHA PARVA CONTINUED
aisampayana said, “To what Yudhishtira asks, Narada replies, ‘Son

of Pritha, listen, you and your brothers, to this olden tale; I will tell
you everything exactly as it happened.
In ancient days, a mighty Daitya called Nikumbha, of untold strength
and vigour, was born into the race of the great Asura Hiranyakashyipu.
Sunda and Upasunda were the sons of Nikumbha, both awesomely
powerful Asuras. Fierce were those brothers and their hearts evil.
They were as close as could be, sharing every resolve, striving together
to achieve their common ends. They shared equally in each other’s joy and
woe. They were always together, and always spoke lovingly and pleasingly
to each other. They were alike in every way, and truly seemed like one
individual divided in two.
Slowly, they grew to manhood, and they had the same purpose – to
conquer the three worlds. After being duly initiated, they went to the
Vindhya Mountain and performed intense tapasya. Long they sat in
penance, until, emaciated by hunger and thirst, their hair tangled in jata
upon their heads and wearing valkala, treebark, they finally attained the
ascetic power they wanted.
They had smeared themselves with dirt from head to foot, lived on just
the air they breathed, stood on their toes, and from time to time cut off and
threw pieces of their flesh into the sacred fire. Their arms were upraised,
and their eyes stared unwinkingly at one spot, and long they stood thus,
keeping their terrible vows unflinchingly.
While they performed tapasya, something marvellous happened – the
Vindhya Mountain, at being heated by their rigours for so long, began to
exude geysers of steam, from every slope and peak. The Devas watched the
Asuras’ great tapasya and were alarmed. They sought to obstruct the
penance of the brothers with all sorts of interruptions.
Repeatedly, the gods tempted the Daityas, with the most enticing
treasures and with the loveliest women. The brothers did not break their
penance. The Devas now used their powers of maya, of creating illusions,
on the brothers. The Asuras’ sisters, mothers, wives, and other kinswomen,
their hair, clothes and ornaments in disarray and askew, seemed to run
towards them in terror, pursued and often struck by a Rakshasa wielding a
long spear.
The women cried out to Sunda and Upasunda, “Save us! Save us!”
To no avail, for the brothers did not stir from their rigid postures of
penance; and the mayic women and the Rakshasa vanished.
At last, the Pitamaha Brahma, the Lord who seeks the weal of all his
creatures, appeared before the great Asuras and told them to ask for
whatever boon they wanted. Now the mighty Sunda and Upasunda rose and
stood with folded hands before the Grandsire of the worlds.
Together, they said to the God, “Pitamaha, if you are pleased with our
tapasya and would grant us a boon, give us knowledge of all the astras and
mahamayas, and power over them all. Give us enormous strength, and the
power to assume any form and shape we wish. Finally, Lord, let us also be
immortal.”
Brahma says, “You will have all that you have asked for, but not
unconditional immortality. Name any one way in which you can be slain, be
it not so unlikely that you do indeed become equal to the Devas. Because
you have performed your tapasya purely from desire for sovereignty I
cannot grant you immortality. You did your great penance to subdue the
three worlds, and for that, mighty Daityas, I cannot make you immortal.”
Sunda and Upasunda said, “Then, Pitamaha, let no creature or creation
of yours, mobile or unmoving, be able to kill us but just we ourselves, one
the other. Let us fear no one but each other!”
Brahma said, “I grant everything that you have asked, and this last boon
as well.”
With that, the Pitamaha made them stop their penance and returned to
Brahmaloka. With Brahma’s boons, the Daitya brothers became invincible,
and they returned to their home. Their friends and kinsfolk saw those
matchlessly intelligent Asuras, resplendent with the boons they now had,
and rejoiced.
Now Sunda and Upasunda sheared away their matted jata and wore
golden crowns on their heads. Clad in priceless garments and wearing the
richest ornaments, they were incomparably handsome. Why, the Moon rose
full, nightly over their city, even when it was not his season to do so.
Abandoned and joyous celebrations erupted, with great feasts, flowing
wine, with singing and dancing, and lavish entertaining in every home. One
could hear loud revelry, with ringing laughter and the happy clapping of
hands echoing throughout the city of the Daityas. Of course, they could take
any form they chose at will, and indulged in every manner of sport and
gaiety, never noticing the passage of time; why, a whole year passed like a
day,’ says Narada Muni in Indraprastha.”
CANTO 212
RAJYA-LAHBA PARVA CONTINUED
aisampayana said, “Narada continues, ‘When that great and

prolonged celebration ended, the brothers Sunda and Upasunda
called a council of their greatest commanders, kinsmen and advisors,
and then ordered their legions to be raised, for they wanted now to conquer
the three worlds and have lordship over them.
With the assent of their friends and relatives, of the great Daitya elders,
and of their ministers of state, the brothers performed the initiatory rituals
of departure and sallied forth at night, when the constellation Magha was
rising. They went with a teeming force of Daityas, wearing mail, armed
with maces, battle-axes, lances and cudgels.
With joy in their hearts, the Daitya shuras set out with the charana bards
chanting auspicious hymns that foretold their future triumphs. Ferocious
and savage in battle, the brothers, who could go anywhere at will, flew
straight up into the sky and arrived in Devaloka. When the Devas, who
knew about all the boons that Brahma had granted them, learnt of their
advent, they fled their realm and sought refuge in Brahmaloka.
The fierce and tameless Asura heroes quickly subdued the world of
Indra, and vanquishing and killing myriad clans of Yakshas and Rakshasas,
and indeed every creature that ranged the sky, they came away from on
high. Next those Maharathas plunged down into the Patalas and quelled the
Nagas of the under-worlds. Then they tamed all the races of the Ocean, and
then all the Mlechcha tribes.
Now they wanted to conquer Bhumi, all the Earth. The inexorable
brothers mustered their fell legions and issued this dire command:
“Brahmanas and Rajarishis, who make offerings of ghee and havis at
Mahayagnas, swell the power and energy of the Devas, and their prosperity
too. Those who perform these sacrifices are the enemies of the Asuras. So
let us all band together and kill them all, wipe them from the face of the
Earth!”
With that savage, ringing command to their legions swarming upon the
eastern shore of the Great Ocean, the Asura brothers struck out in every
direction with their terminal resolve. Anywhere they saw a yagna being
performed, they instantly slew those engaged in the sacrifice and the
Brahmanas who sat over them. The Asura brothers slaughtered them
brutally and flew on again to their next quarry and prey.
Meanwhile, their soldiers doused the sacrificial fires in the asramas of
Maharishis, great men who were masters of their souls. However, the fiery
curses of those Sages did not affect the Asura brothers in the least, for
Brahma’s boon protected them.
When the Brahmanas saw that their curses had about as much effect as
arrows shot at rocks, they scattered and fled in every direction, abandoning
their yagnas and their vratas. Even the greatest Rishis on Earth, perfect
masters of their emotions, men absorbed in samadhi, ran in terror from the
Daitya brothers, as serpents do at the approach of Vinata’s son Garuda.
The Asuras overran and trampled the holy hermitages. The sacrificial
urns were smashed and their sacred contents rudely scattered on the ground.
The universe appeared empty, as if a Mahapralaya had come and swept
away all its creatures.
Rajan, when the Rishis all made themselves scarce or invisible, the two
dreadful Asuras began to assume many different forms, for they were bent
upon slaughtering the Sages. They became rut-maddened bull elephants,
their temples cracked from a surfeit of, and oozing, the wild juice of musth;
the demon pair rooted out the holy ones from caves in which they had
hidden and despatched them to the land of Yama.
At times, Sunda and Upasunda would become lions, then tigers, then
they would vanish – with all these, and other means, too, the violent twain
hunted the Sages and massacred them. Brahmanas and Kshatriyas were
extirpated, and sacrifices and study of the Veda ceased in the world. The
Earth became devoid of yagnas and every holy rite and festival.
The people were terror-stricken, and screamed and wailed; all trade
ceased, no one bought or sold anything anymore. The Earth was without
religious rite and ceremony, and no marriages took place. Farming went to
seed and nobody tended to their cows anymore.
Strewn everywhere with skeletons and bones, Bhumi assumed a dreadful
visage. No sraddhas were performed for the Pitrs; nowhere was the holy
sound of Vashat to be heard: all sacred observances fell into desuetude. The
Earth became a fearsome spectacle, and Surya and Chandra, the
Navagrahas, the Nakshatras, the Mandalas and all those that dwelt in the
heavens watched the atrocities of Sunda and Upasunda; and they grieved
much.
However, having violently subdued the three worlds, the Asura brothers
began living in Kurukshetra, and nowhere had they any rival,’ Narada
says.”
CANTO 213
arada continues, ‘The Devarishis, the Siddhas, the Mahatmans of

sthitaprajna, all watched the universal slaughter perpetrated by
the Daitya brothers, and they mourned deeply. Their passions,
senses and minds perfectly controlled, they went to Brahmaloka, for they
were stirred by mercy for the universe.
Arriving, they saw the Pitamaha upon his throne, surrounded by the
Devas, the Siddhas and Brahmarishis. Mahadeva, God of gods, was there,
as were Agni, Vayu, Soma, Surya, Indra, all the Rishis that live absorbed in
the dhyana of the Parabrahman: the Vaikhanasas, the Balakhilyas, the
Vanaprasthas, Marichipas, Ajas, Avimudhas and other Yogins of immense
tejas.
All those Rishis sat around the Pitamaha, when the Devarishis and the
other visitors came sadly to complain to Brahma about the relentless
savagery of Sunda and Upasunda. In gory detail, they described everything
that the Asuras had done, how they had done it, and in what order. All of
them implored the Creator that He must put an end to the Asuras’ unholy
reign of terror.
Brahma listened to everything that they said, and thought for a mere
moment before deciding what he would do to destroy the Asura brothers.
Summoning Viswakarman to him, the Pitamaha of absolute Brahmattva
said to the divine artisan, “Create a woman who can enchant every heart.”
Bowing down to Brahma, receiving that command reverently, the great
artificer of the universe carefully created an Apsara. First, he gathered
individually every exquisite feature of that celestial nymph. Those shone
like a mass of jewels. When he had put her together with his divine art, she
was the most beautiful woman in the three worlds.
There was no minute part of her, not the smallest portion, which was not
so lovely that it could instantly fascinate anyone that looked upon her. She
was like Sri herself; she stole the hearts of every creature whose gaze fell
on her even for a moment.
Because she had been fashioned with the highest essences of every
gemstone in existence, used in minuscule measure, Brahma named her
Tilottama. As soon as the Pitama breathed life into her, she bowed low to
Brahma, and with folded hands, said, “Lord of all creatures, why have I
been created, what task do you want me to accomplish?”
The Grandsire answered her, “Tilottama, go to the Asuras Sunda and
Upasunda. O Susheela, seduce them with your peerless beauty. Apsara, then
do what you must to make the brothers fall out amongst each other,
whenever they look at you.”
She bowed to the Pitamaha, saying, “Tathaastu! So be it.”
Then she walked in pradakshina around that divine congregation.
Brahma sat facing the east, as did Mahadeva also; the Devas all faced north,
and the Rishis in every direction.
As Tilottama walked around the gathering of the celestial ones, only
Indra and Sthanu Mahadeva remained still. Yet, Mahadeva was also so
intent on watching Tilottama as she circled around the assembly of Gods
and Sages, that when she was at his side, he sprouted a second radiant face
on the southern side of his body, and it was like a full-blown lotus. When
she was behind him, another face appeared on the western side of the Great
God; when she had crossed to his left a fourth face appeared, on his
northern side.
Indra grew a thousand eyes, all large and reddish, all over his body. So it
is that Sthanu came to have four faces and Sakra, the slayer of Bala, a
thousand eyes. As for the rest of the Devas and the Rishis, they all turned
their heads to watch Tilottama’s progress, as she walked around them.
Apart from Brahma, they all gazed avidly at Tilottama’s body, and when
she set out for the city of the Asura brothers, taking the shining wealth of
her beauty, all of them felt certain that their purpose was as good as
achieved.
When Tilottama had left, Brahma, First Cause of the Universe, sent
away the Devas and Rishis,’ Narada says.”
CANTO 214
aisampayana said, “Narada continues, ‘Meanwhile, the Daitya

brothers had quelled the Earth and ruled without any rival. The
tiredness of their exertions left them, and having the triloka under
their sway, they felt they had nothing more to accomplish. They had
brought home as spoils the greatest treasures of the Devas, Gandharvas,
Yakshas, Nagas, Rakshasas and Kshatriyas and they began to live in
sumptuous luxury and untold pleasure.
They had no fear of any enemy, and they lived in perpetual enjoyment,
even as the Devas do. They gave themselves up to every kind of pleasure –
indulging themselves in women, the finest perfumes, garlands, wine, rare
delicacies of the table, and in every other conceivable object of desire.
In mansions, fine woods, great gardens, on hills and in forests, wherever
they liked the brothers spent their time at pleasure, like the immortals. One
day they went to please themselves to a tableland of the Vindhya Mountain.
It was a place of rock, smooth and flat, with flowering trees growing all
around. When they had indulged in everything they cared to, the brothers
sat upon a fine throne, joyful and surrounded by handsome women. Music
played, and the women danced for the brothers and sang countless sweet
songs praising the indomitable pair.
Just then, wearing a single piece of red silk, which hid none of her
charms, Tilottama arrived there, plucking wildflowers on her way. Slowly,
she wended her way to where the brothers sat. The Asuras had drunk
copiously, and with one look at the Apsara of unearthly beauty, were
smitten.
Getting up quickly, they rushed to her: both stirred by lust, each wanted
her for himself. Sunda seized her of the fair face by her right hand, and
Upasunda by her left. Intoxicated with the assurance of their boons, with
their strength, unhinged with all the power and wealth taken from every
quarter, and with all the wine they had drunk, maddened by all these, and
most of all maddened by lust, they knit their brows and spoke angrily to
each other, for the first time.
“She is my wife and your superior,” growled Sunda.
“She is my wife and your sister-in-law,” retorted Upasunda.
Each said to the other, “She is mine, not yours!”
Quickly anger seized them. Mad for her beauty, they forgot their deep
love for each other. Losing their reason from lust, they seized up their
dreadful maces. Each roared, “I was first!” and they struck each other at the
identical moment, each a thunderous blow.
Those savage Asuras fell on the ground, their bodies bathed in blood;
they were like two Suns fallen from the sky.
Seeing this, all the other Asuras there and the women fled trembling and
shrieking, in grief and in terror, and plunged down into the Patalas. Now the
taintless Brahma came to that place, with him the Devas and the
Maharishis. The glorious Pitamaha acclaimed what Tilottama had done and
granted her a boon.
Before she could speak, he said, “Lovely one, you will range the realm
of the Adityas, and so brilliant shall you be that no one will be able to look
at you for long.”
With that, the Grandsire of all the living returned sovereignty of the
worlds to Indra and the others, and went back to Brahmaloka. So it was that
the Asura brothers, always united before, killed each other in anger over
Tilottama. So Bharatottamas, out of my affection for you, I say to you that,
if you wish to do something to please me, have a care to make the most
meticulous arrangement amongst yourselves, so that you five never fall out
over Draupadi.’
The Pandavas take counsel among themselves and then lay down an
inviolable rule with regard to Draupadi, in the presence of the Devarishi of
measureless tejas. The covenant they make is that if any of them intrudes
upon the privacy of another brother when he is alone and intimate with
Draupadi, the intruder would spend twelve years in exile in the forest, as a
brahmacharin.
When the good Pandavas have established that law amongst them, the
great Narada is pleased. Blessing them, he leaves their city and goes his
way. Thus, O Janamejaya, Narada Muni persuades the Pandavas to create a
law among them about how they would conduct themselves with their
common wife.
Indeed, this is the reason that no dispute ever arose among them over the
exquisite Panchali.”
CANTO 215
ARJUNA-VANAVASA PARVA
aisampayana said, “Having established the new code, the Pandavas

continue to live in Indraprastha. By the might of their arms they
bring countless kings under their sway. Krishnaa becomes the loving
and obedient wife of all five sons of Pritha, those lions among men, of
incomparable energy.
She is like the River Saraswati delighting in the great elephants that
bathe in her – they repeatedly take their pleasure in her, and she from them.
The sons of Pandu are men of exceptional dharma, and consequently, all the
race of Kurus are sinless, happy and prosperous.
Then, when some time has elapsed, one day, some robbers lift the cattle
of a Brahmana of that realm. As the thieves make away with his herd, the
Brahmana, beside himself with anger, comes to Khandavaprastha and
begins to berate the Pandavas in stricken tones.
The Brahmana cries, ‘Pandavas, in your very kingdom, my kine are even
now being lifted by vile brigands. Give chase to them. Alas, wretched
crows are going to eat the sacrificial ghee of a peaceful Brahmana. The
Rishis have said that a king who takes a sixth part of the produce of his
kingdom but does not protect his subjects is the greatest sinner in the world.
A Brahmana’s wealth is being stolen by thieves. Dharma itself is being
injured. Ah, take my hand and help me, Pandavas, for I am plunged in
grief!’
Kunti’s son Arjuna hears the Brahmana sobbing bitterly and railing. At
once, he reassures the man, ‘Do not fear.’
However, at that time, Yudhishtira Dharmaputra is alone with Krishnaa
in the chamber in which the Pandavas keep their weapons. So, though the
Brahmana continues to wail and to beg him, Arjuna cannot go with him for
he cannot intrude upon his brother’s privacy.
The Brahmana sobs on, and moved to pity, Arjuna decides that he must
wipe the innocent man’s tears. He thinks, ‘The Brahmana has come to our
gates and weeps without let. If I do not help him, my apathy will bring sin
upon the king. Our adharma will be spoken of throughout the kingdom and
we will all find great sin for ourselves.
Yet, if I enter the room I will certainly insult my brother; also, I will
have to serve a twelve years’ exile in the wilderness. But now, I must not let
that stop me from helping the Brahmana, not if I have to go into the jungle
and die there. Dharma is higher than the body and it lives on after the body
dies.’
Arriving at this resolve, Arjuna Dhananjaya enters the private chamber
and speaks softly to Yudhishtira. He emerges with his bow and quiver, and
says cheerfully to the Brahmana, ‘Let us hurry, Brahmana, so the thieves do
not escape. I will come with you and restore your herd to you.’
Armed with his bow, which the perfectly ambidextrous Arjuna uses with
either hand with equal skill, wearing mail and riding his war-chariot that
flies his standard, Arjuna gives chase to the cattle thieves. His arrows fly at
them in a storm, and they instantly abandon the cattle and flee for their lives
through the forest.
Arjuna brings the herd to the Brahmana, now beside himself with
gratitude, and having won great fame, the Pandava returns to his city. He
pays homage to all the elders there, is applauded by everyone present, and
finally comes before Yudhishtira.
Arjuna says to his elder brother, ‘My lord, allow me to keep the vow that
I swore. I saw you alone with Draupadi and I have broken the law we made
for ourselves. I must go into exile in the jungle, for that is the covenant we
swore.’
Suddenly hearing this, Yudhishtira is stricken and cries agitatedly,
‘Why?’
He falls quiet for a while, then says sadly to Arjuna of the curly hair,
who never swerves even by a hair’s width from his vows, ‘Anagha, sinless,
if you consider me an authority worthy of your respect, then listen to what I
have to say. Shura, I know why you came into my chamber and thereby did
what you think of as being distasteful to me. But you did not displease me
in the least.
A younger brother may always, without fault, go into the room where his
older brother is with his wife. It is only the elder brother who causes
offence by entering a room where the younger brother is alone with his
wife. Mahabaho, so you must not think of going into exile. Do as I say, your
dharma has not suffered in the least. You have not disrespected me at all.’
Arjuna replies, ‘I have heard, even from you, one should not split hairs
in discharging dharma. Truth is my weapon.’
Then, with Yudhishtira’s leave, Arjuna prepares to go into exile in the
forest, for twelve years.”
CANTO 216
ARJUNA-VANAVASA PARVA CONTINUED
aisampayana said, “When Arjuna Mahabaho, who spread the renown

of the race of Kuru throughout the world, sets out, Brahmanas who
know the Vedas and the Vedangas, and are devoted to contemplating
the Parabrahman, follow that great hero. Skilled musicians, many pious
Devabhakta ascetics, masterly Pauranikas, and other narrators of sacred
lore, all Brahmacharins, Vanaprasthas, other Brahmanas who told celestial
Itihasas in mellifluous voices, and many other devotees, too, gifted bards
from different varnas, go with Arjuna, and he journeys like Indra being
followed by the Maruts.
O Bharata, the Bharatarishabha travels through many pristine and
enchanted forests, pausing beside sparkling lakes, gushing rivers, endless
seas, passing through several countries and kingdoms. Finally, he arrives at
the source of the Ganga and feels that he will settle there for some time.
Listen, O Janamejaya, to something wonderful that happens while
Arjuna lives there. In that holy place, Kunti’s son and the Brahmanas who
have gone with him perform countless Agnihotras, sacrifices of the sacred
fire. O Rajan, because those devout, illumined and learned Brahmanas, who
never leave the path of dharma, daily worship beside the holy river, because
of their lighting their sacrificial fires with mantras, after bathing, because of
the oblations of ghee they pour into the fires, the flowers they offer before
the flames, that entire place for yojanas around blooms and becomes
lustrous in every way and full of grace.
One morning, that Pandava bull goes as usual to the Ganga to perform
his ritual ablutions. When he has finished, and has offered tarpana to his
dead Pitrs, he is wading out from the water, when, suddenly, the Naga
princess Ulupi, moved by Kama Deva, drags Arjuna down to the bed of the
river, and indeed below it.
Under the riverbed, Arjuna finds himself borne helplessly into the
wondrous palace of the Naga King Kauravya. There he sees a fire of
sacrifice already lit for him to worship. Arjuna performs his daily rites with
deep bhakti, and seeing how calmly and fearlessly that hero offers his
worship into the Fire God’s manifest flames, in the alien place, Agni is
pleased with Arjuna.
When he has finished worshipping the sacred fire, Kunti’s son sees the
daughter of the Naga king, and says to her with a smile, ‘Lovely one, what
is this rashness you have committed? Bashful one, to whom does this
beautiful realm belong? Who are you, whose daughter?’
Ulupi replies, ‘There is a Naga called Kauravya born into the line of
Airavata. O Kshatriya, I am Kauravya’s daughter and my name is Ulupi.
Purushavyagra, I saw you bathing in the river and Kama Deva pierced me
with desire which snatched away my reason. Anagha, sinless one, I am not
married and Kama torments me with love for you. Scion of the Kurus, give
yourself to me today, gratify my desire.’
Arjuna replies, ‘Susheela, gentle one, fettered by the command of King
Yudhishtira, I have sworn to be a brahmacharin for twelve years and I am
not free to do as I please. But, water ranger, I am still willing to please you
if at all I can. I have never told a lie in my life. Naga Kanya, tell me how I
can do as you want and still not break my dharma or be guilty of lying.’
Ulupi answers him, ‘O Pandava, I know why you are wandering the
Earth and why your elder brother has told you to be a brahmacharin. Yes,
this is the pact you made amongst yourselves, that he who goes into a room
where his brother is alone with Draupadi must live in the forests as a
brahmacharin for twelve years.
But your exile, Kshatriya, is only from Draupadi, and also your
brahmacharya only with regard to her, and that dharma you are already
discharging. By slaking my desire you will not break your dharma in the
least. Besides, large eyes, it is also your dharma to assuage a woman in
distress. By relieving my pang for you, what diminution will your dharma
suffer?
Besides, Arjuna, even if your virtue does suffer some slight damage by
satisfying my desire, you will find great punya for yourself by saving my
life. Oh Partha, know me to be one that worships you, give yourself to me!
My lord, the Rishis all say that a man must satisfy a woman who asks him
to. If you do not come to me, be certain that I will take my life; so,
Mahabaho, earn great punya by saving it.
Purushottama, I seek sanctuary in you. Kaunteya, you always protect
those that are persecuted and masterless. Look, in tears I seek your comfort.
I am full of desire, and I importune you. Do what I want you to; you must
give yourself to me!’
Making dharma his motive, and the Naga princess is surely most
desirable, Arjuna does all that she wants. The mighty Pandava spends that
night in the palace of Kauravya, and with dawn the next day, he returns
with Ulupi to the sacral pool of the Ganga, from where she flows down to
the plains. The chaste Ulupi bids farewell to him there and returns to her
under-world.
Bharata, before she goes she blesses Arjuna with a boon that he would
be invincible in water, saying, ‘You will be able to prevail over all creatures
of the water and all creatures that dwell both in the water and on land.’”
CANTO 217
aisampayana said, “The son of the Vajradhari tells the Brahmanas

what has happened and then sets out for the slopes of Himavat. He
first comes to the place that is called Agastyavata, then continues and
arrives at Vasishta’s peak, from where Kunti’s son goes on to the summit of
Bhrigu.
Having purified himself with many rituals there, he ceremonially gives
away thousands of cows and numberless homes to those Brahmanas and the
others who have accompanied him; then, he goes on to the holy asrama
calls Hiranyabindu. There, also, he performs ritual ablutions, and
journeying, that Pandavottama sees many sacred places of unworldly
beauty and sanctity. Finally, he comes down from the mountains, O
Bharata, still accompanied by the Brahmanas, and that lord of men turns
east, to see the realms that lay in that direction.
The Kurusthama sees many holy tirthas, one after the other. In the
Naimisa vana, he is enchanted to look upon the river Utpalini, flowing with
a denseness of lotuses, the Nanda, the Aparananda, the Kausiki of wide
renown, and the mighty waters of Gaya and Ganga.
He bathes ritually in all those tirthas and gifts more cows to the
Brahmanas. All the sacred fords in the lands of Vanga and Kalinga Arjuna
visits, bathing in them all and giving away great wealth in solemn daana.
Now, O Bharata, at the gates of the kingdom of Kalinga, all the Brahmanas
who had followed Pandu’s son, bid him farewell and turn back.
The valiant Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, takes his leave of them and
goes on towards the Ocean, just a very few servitors and companions going
with him. The mighty warrior crosses the land of the Kalingas, and journeys
on, passing through many kingdoms and countries, holy tirthas, seeing great
and lovely cities and towns with their superb and varied mansions and
palaces and homes.
He sees Mount Mahendra adorned with Rishis, and travels leisurely on,
along the sea-shore, to Manipura. Having gazed upon all the sacred waters
and other shrines and naves of worship in that realm, the Mahabaho son of
Pandu finally comes into the palace of Chitravahana, king of Manipura.
This king has a remarkably beautiful daughter calls Chitrangada, and
wandering through Chitravahana’s palace, Arjuna sees her one day and he
desires her. The Pandava goes to the king and says to him, ‘Give your
daughter to me, Rajan, I am a great Kshatriya’s son.’
The king asks, ‘Whose son are you?’
Arjuna replies, ‘I am Dhananjaya, the son of Pandu and Kunti.’
Taking brief pause, Chitravahana says gently and sweetly to Arjuna, ‘In
our race, of old there was once a king calls Prabhanjana, who had no child.
He performed a tapasya to have a child. Partha, he pleased Mahadeva,
Umapati, God of gods, Paramatman, Pinakin, with the intensity of his
penance.
The refulgent Lord blessed him that every scion of his line would have
just a single child. Because of Siva’s boon, one child is born into every
generation of our royal House. All my ancestors each had a son, but I have
only a daughter to continue our line. However, Bharatarishabha, I always
look upon this daughter of mine as my son, and I have made her a Putrika.
If you marry her, one of the sons that you beget upon her must become
the heir to my throne and the one to perpetuate my race. Bharata, that son is
the dower for which I will give my daughter to you. Pandava, if you agree,
you can take her on this condition.’
Arjuna agrees immediately, saying, ‘Tathaastu, so be it.’
Making Chitravahana’s daughter his wife, Kunti’s son lives in that city
for three years. Finally, Chitrangada gives birth to a fine son and Arjuna
embraces the child lovingly. Then, taking his leave of Chitravahana, the
Pandava sets out again on his wandering.”
CANTO 218
aisampayana said, “Now, that Bharatarishabha journeys down to the

holy southern Sea, her shore bejewelled with the Rishis that dwell
there. Five great and holy rivers lie strewn in that realm, but the
Sages shun all five. They are called the Agastya, Saubhadra, the most
sacrosanct Pauloma, the greatly auspicious Karandhama, which yields the
fruit of an Aswamedha yagna to those that bathe in her waters, and finally
the Bharadwaja, ah, powerful washer of sins.
The Kurusthama sees the five rivers, and also that they are deserted,
avoided by the hermits who live near them. With folded hands he asks those
Rishis, ‘Why O Sages, do the chanters of Brahman shun these holy waters?’
The Munis reply, ‘Five great crocodiles live in the rivers and they
devour any of us that dares bathe in them. That is why, Kurunandana, we do
not go to the rivers.’
Arjuna Mahabaho hears this and says he will go closer to see the rivers.
The ascetics try to prevent him, but he walks directly up to the bank of the
great river Saubhadra, and the Parantapa plunges straight into her current.
Immediately a huge crocodile seizes his leg in its jaws, but Dhananjeya
Kaunteya seizes the crocodile in his mighty arms and drags it ashore.
No sooner has he hauled it onto land than the great lizard vanishes and a
startlingly beautiful young woman, wearing unworldly ornaments and
raiment, stands there in its place. O King, she is brilliant, her skin and her
form shine!
Wonder-stricken, Arjuna asks her, in some joy, ‘Lovely one, who are
you? Why are you the water beast? What is your terrible sin?’
The beauty replies, ‘Mahabaho, I am an Apsara who once frolicked in
these woods. Kshatriya, my name is Varga and I am the beloved of Kubera,
Lord of Treasures. I have four other friends, and all of us are beautiful and
could go wherever we wished.
One day, we five were on our way to Kubera’s home, when we saw a
strikingly handsome and solitary Brahmana, a tapasvin, who sat immersed
in studying the Veda. All the vana in which he sat was radiant with his
splendour; he illumined the forest even like a Sun.
We flew down to where he sat, for both his fervid dhyana and his
wonderful beauty drew us irresistibly. We meant to distract him from his
tapasya. Saurabheyi, Samichi, Vudvuda, Lata and I approached that
Brahmana, O Bharata, all together. We began to smile, sing and to
otherwise tempt him.
Kshatriya, he was not to be tempted; not for a moment did his heart
sway towards us. Purusharishabha the only gaze he cast in our direction was
one of anger.
Glaring at us, he said, “Become crocodiles and swim in these waters for
a hundred years!”’ says the Apsara.”
CANTO 219
aisampayana said, “Varga continues, ‘Bharatottama, we were

shocked by the curse and tried to mollify that Brahmana who would
not swerve from his vows. We said to him, “Arrogant of our beauty
and youth, and stirred by Kama Deva, we have behaved abysmally. O
Brahmana, we beg you, forgive us.
Surely, it is our very death which tempted us to try to tempt you.
However, the Sages always say that women must never be killed. May your
punya swell, Brahmana, do not kill us, it does not become you. O, you
know dharma well, and it is a Brahmana’s dharma to always be a friend to
every creature. Let what the Rishis say about Brahmanas be true of you: the
superior man always protects those that seek refuge in him. We seek your
protection; it becomes you to forgive us.”
O Kshatriya, the high-souled and virtuous Brahmana, as bright as the
Sun or the Moon, grew kindly towards us. He said, “The words hundred
and hundred thousand all mean eternity. However, in this case I did not use
the word hundred to mean time without end.
So, you will indeed become crocodiles and seize and feed on men for a
hundred human years. When those years end, a great man will come and
drag you out from the water, and you will have your true forms back. I have
never told the smallest lie, not even in jest, and everything that I say must
come to pass.
Once the hero delivers you five, the five sacred waters will be known the
world over as the Naari-tirthas, the waters of the women, and the wise and
the good shall know them as being holy and purifying.”
We listened to what the Brahmana said, folded our hands to him and
walked around him in pradakshina. Dejectedly, we left that place, thinking,
“Where will we meet the great man who will remove the curse from us?”
At that moment, O Bharata, we saw the Devarishi Narada of measureless
tejas and our hearts filled with joy. Saluting him reverently, Partha, we
stood before him, with flushed faces. He asked us the cause of our grief and
we told him everything.
The Rishi said, “In the plains that lie alongside the southern Ocean are
five realms of water, enchanting and deeply sacred. Go there, and soon, the
Purushavyaghra Arjuna, Pandava Nishkalankaatma will rescue you from
your sad plight.”
Shura, at the Muni’s words we came here, and, Anagha, sinless, you
have today delivered me from the curse. But my four friends are still bound
by it and live in these rivers. Kshatriya, I beg you, save them as well.’
Rajan, that Pandavottama of untold prowess calmly does as Varga asks.
Rising out of the water, the four other Apsaras have their true and beautiful
forms back. Having freed the Apsaras from the curse and the holy rivers
from the danger of the crocodiles, Arjuna allows the nymphs to go where
they please.
His heart turns once more to Chitrangada and he returns to Manipura.
Arriving in the city, he sees the child he has sired on the princess seated
upon the throne, the prince called Babhruvahana. Having seen Chintrangada
again, O King, Arjuna sets out for the place known as Gokarna.”
CANTO 220
aisampayana said, “Now the mighty Arjuna sees all the holy rivers,
lakes and shrines on the shore of the western Sea. Vibhatsu arrives in
sacred and wondrous Prabhasa, in disguise. Madhusudana Krishna,
however, knows that he has come and goes to meet his friend and cousin,
Kunti’s son.
Meeting, they embrace fondly and ask after each other’s well-being. The
two great friends, who are none other than the Rishis Nara and Narayana of
old, sit down together.
Krishna asks Arjuna, ‘Why, Pandava, do you wander the Earth, from
tirtha to tirtha, shrine to shrine?’
Arjuna tells him all that has happened, and then the incomparable
Vrishni hero says softly, ‘This is as it should be.’
When they have spent some time at Prabhasa, Krishna and Arjuna go to
the Raivataka Mountain, to pass some days there. Before they arrive,
Krishna has the mountain adorned by countless fine artisans. At his
command, a goodly amount of food is laid out there.
Enjoying everything, Arjuna sits with Vasudeva to watch the actors and
dancers perform. Finally, the noble Pandava dismisses them all, with every
courtesy, and stretches himself on a great and marvellous bed prepared for
him. Lying there, he describes his travels to Krishna, telling him all about
the holy rivers, the forests, lakes and mountains that he has seen.
As he speaks, O Janamejaya, lying upon that unworldly bed, sleep steals
over him. At dawn, he awakens to sweet songs, mellifluous vina naadam,
and the praises and blessings of bards. When he has finished his morning
ablutions and worship, the great dark Vrishni comes affectionately to him.
Riding in a golden chariot they set out for Dwaraka, capital of the
Yadavas. O Janamejaya, Dwaraka is brilliantly decked out, adorned to
receive Kunti’s heroic son. Eager to set eyes on Arjuna, the people pour out
into the streets and highways, in thousands upon thousands.
In public squares and thoroughfares, countless women are out together
with the men, in the teeming, milling crowd of Bhojas, Vrishnis and
Andhakas. All the noble scions of those races welcome Arjuna reverently.
He worships those that are his elders, receiving their blessings, and blesses
those younger than him.
The young Yadava men receive him excitedly and warmly, and he
repeatedly embraces those that are his equals in age. Slowly, they make
their way to Krishna’s marvellous palace, full of untold riches, rare
gemstones and other indescribable treasures, replete with every object of
enjoyment. Arjuna spends many days there with Krishna.”
CANTO 221
SUBHADRA-HARANA PARVA
aisampayana said, “Best of Kings, a few days after Arjuna’s arrival,

a great festival begins upon the Raivataka Mountain, a festival of the
Vrishnis, Andhakas and Bhojas, of all the Yadavas. During the
mountain-festival, the Kshatriyas of those tribes give away untold wealth in
charity, to thousands of Brahmanas.
Rajan, all around that massif stand countless magnificent mansions of
wondrous beauty, all embellished with jewels, as are the artificial trees in
livid and fantastical colours. The musicians strike up their lively song, the
singers sing and the gifted dancers weave their lively rhythms. How
glowingly handsome are the Vrishni youths, majestic and vibrantly strong,
wearing fine jewellery, riding in chariots chased with gold.
Yes, the great citizens of Dwaraka turn out in hundreds of thousands, on
foot, in fine chariots, with their wives and entourages. The Lord Balarama
Halayudha is there roving where he pleases, inebriated with a surfeit of
wine, his wife Revathi with him, and followed by numerous musicians and
singers.
The awesome king of the Vrishnis, Ugrasena, is there, with his thousand
wives, also followed by sweet singers.
Rukmini’s son Aniruddha and Shamba are also there, both tameless in
battle, also flushed with drink, wearing the costliest garments and garlands
of supernatural beauty, wandering about like two Devas. Akrura, Sarana,
Gada, Babhru, Nisatha, Charudeshna, Prithu, Viprithu, Satyaka, Satyaki,
Bhangakara, Maharava, Hardikya, Uddhava, and countless others whose
names are lost – all adorn the mountain festival on the Raivataka, each with
his wives and with bands of singers.
When the festival of indescribable grandeur begins, Krishna and Arjuna
range the place, arm in arm. As they roam together, gladly, they see
Vasudeva’s exquisite daughter Bhadra, beautifully attired and bejewelled,
surrounded by her sakhis. Arjuna takes one look at her and Kama Deva
pierces his heart fairly through.
Bharata, the Purushavyaghra Krishna sees Arjuna gaze adoringly at the
princess, and says with a smile, ‘Ah, how can this be? That the heart of a
vanaprastha, a forest-rover, is shaken by Kama? That girl is my half-sister,
Partha, and Balarama Sarana’s sister.
Be you blessed, her name is Bhadra and she is my father’s favourite
daughter. So tell me if your heart is fixed upon her, and I will speak to my
father Vasudeva myself.’
Arjuna replies, ‘She is Vasudeva’s daughter and Vaasudeva’s sister; she
is so beautiful, who could resist her? Krishna, if this sister of yours,
princess of the Vrishnis, becomes my wife, I will truly find fortune in all
things. Tell me, Janardana, how can I make her mine? I will do anything
that a man can possibly do to gain her.’
Krishna says, ‘Purusharishabha, for Kshatriyas the way of swayamvara
is ordained. Yet it is uncertain, chancy, Partha, since we do not know the
girl’s mind. For daring Kshatriyas, the Sages advocate marriage by
abduction. Arjuna, carry my beautiful sister away forcibly, for who knows
whom she might choose at a swayamvara.’
Having decided, Krishna and Arjuna send swift messengers to
Yudhishtira in Indraprastha, telling him what they intend. Yudhishtira gives
his consent immediately.”
CANTO 222
SUBHADRA-HARANA PARVA CONTINUED
aismapayana said, “Arjuna receives news of Yudhishtira’s

concurrence, O Janamejaya. He goes to Krishna’s father, Vasudeva,
and gets his consent as well. The bull of the race of Bharata learns
that Subhadra has gone to the Raivataka and rides there in Krishna’s mighty
golden chariot, upon which rows of little bells ring, in which every kind of
weapon is stored, which is as bright as blazing fire, whose wheels rumble
like thunderheads, to which the magnificent steeds Saibya and Sugriva are
yoked, which ratha strikes terror in the hearts of all enemies.
Wearing kavacha, carrying his sword, his fingers sheathed in gloves of
leather, Arjuna sets out as if on a hunt!
Meanwhile, Subhadra has worshipped Raivataka, prince among hills.
She has worshipped the Gods and made the Brahmanas say blessings over
her; she has walked around Raivataka in pradakshina and is on her way
back to Dwaravati, when all on a sudden, Kunti’s son, shot through by the
flowery shafts of Kama, swoops upon the flawless Yadava girl, hauls her
into his chariot and flashes away towards Indraprastha, that tiger among
men, with the girl of sweet smiles.
When Subhadra’s armed guards see what has happened, and there is
nothing they can do about it, they run shouting and crying out, back to
Dwaraka. Arriving in the city, and rushing into the divine sabha, the
Sudharma, hysterically they describe what has happened to the court’s chief
official, telling of Partha’s inexorable prowess.
That man sounds his golden trumpet echoingly, calling everyone to
arms. From every side, the Vrishnis, Bhojas and Andhakas swarm in
response to the clarion blast – those that had been eating leave their food
and come, they that had been drinking fling aside their goblets and fly to
answer the sound for danger.
Those Purushavyaghras, irresistible Yadava warriors, fill the grand sabha
and take their places upon the thousand golden thrones within the court, its
floor covered by unworldly carpets, and its walls and seats sparkling with
myriad jewels, with corals that blaze like red fire. Indeed, they take their
places upon those thrones, like fires ablaze themselves, just fed with fresh
faggots to burn more brightly.
When they all sit in that sabha that is indeed like a court of the Devas,
the chief official of the sabha relates what Arjuna has done, while those
standing behind him, who bring the news, add details. Almost all of them
red-eyed at that hour with drink, the haughty Vrishni heroes rise as a man in
rage.
Some cry, ‘Yoke our chariots!’
Others say, ‘Fetch our weapons!’
Others roar, ‘Get our bows and our armour!’
Some of them shout commands to their sarathies to harness their rathas,
while some are so impatient that they run out to do it themselves, yoking
their fine horses caparisoned in gold to their chariots. Such a din they make,
while their chariots, mail and standards are being fetched.
Fair and tall as the peak of Kailasa, wearing blue robes, colourful
vanamalas of wildflowers from the forest, great, proud and drunkest of all,
Baladeva, the mighty Balarama says, ‘Fools, what are you doing when
Krishna sits silent? All of us rage and roar in vain until we know his mind.
Let Janardana Mahatman tell us what he thinks we should do, and then do
what he says.’
Immediately, the others all cry, as a man, ‘Excellent! Excellent!’ and
then fall silent and sit down again in their places in the Sudharma.
Decorum restored, Balarama Parantapa says to Krishna, ‘Why, Krishna,
do you sit silently gazing? Achyuta, for your sake we welcomed and
honoured Kunti’s son, but it seems that the wretch hardly deserved our
adorations. What honourable or well-born man would break a plate after
having eaten from it? Even if he did wish to marry her, should he not have
remembered how well we treated him, and not acted so rashly?
The Pandava has shown us and you his contempt today! He has dared
outrage Subhadra: he has courted his own death. He has set his foot upon
the crown of my head. Krishna, shall I bear this tamely? Shall I not resent
it, even as a deadly snake does being trodden upon? Why, by myself I will
rid the Earth of all the Kauravas today! I will not tolerate what Arjuna has
done.’
To the last man, every Bhoja, Vrishni and Andhaka present approves of
what Baladeva says: they roar all together, as reverberantly as a battery of
deep drumrolls or thunderclouds.”
CANTO 223
HARANAHARANA PARVA
aisampayana said, “When all the Vrishni heroes repeatedly echo

Balarama’s angry sentiments, Krishna speaks these words of true
dharma, full of profound meaning.
‘Arjuna has not insulted or dishonoured our clan by what he did, rather
he has honoured us. Partha knows that we Satwatas are never mercenary.
The Pandava also thought the outcome of a swayamvara was uncertain.
Then, who could approve of being given a bride as a gift, just as if she were
some animal? And what man on Earth worth his name would sell his child?
I believe that Arjuna considered all these possibilities, saw their
shortcomings, and only then decided to abduct Subhadra, as is consistent
with the highest Kshatriya dharma.
This is a proper and equal match. Subhadra is a well-renowned girl, and
Partha also has great fame. Is it not possible that Arjuna thought carefully
of all this before abducting her?
Who would not want Arjuna, scion of the race of Bharata and Shantanu,
son of Kuntibhoja’s daughter, besides, for his friend and ally? Other than
the three-eyed Lord Mahadeva, no one in the three worlds, including Indra
and the Rudras, can vanquish Partha in battle.
His chariot has much fame, and yoked to it are my own horses. As a
warrior, Partha has incomparable renown; his lightness of hand is legend.
Who will defeat him?
This is my opinion, and I think that you should go happily after Arjuna
and bring him back to Dwaraka with conciliation. If he defeats us in battle
and returns to his city, we will have lost our honour. But in conciliation
there is no disgrace.’
O King, they listen to Krishna and do as he says. Accosted with respect
by the Vrishnis, Arjuna returns to Dwaraka and is formally married to
Subhadra. Adored by the sons of the House of Vrishni, steeped in every
pleasure, in delight, Arjuna spends a full year in the Ocean city.
Later, he leaves with Subhadra and spends the final year of his exile in
sacred Pushkarakshetra. When he has served twelve years in exile, he
returns home to Khandavaprastha and first of all comes before the king, and
worships his elder brother. He next reveres the Brahmanas of the court.
Only then, does he go to Draupadi.
In the grip of jealousy, Draupadi flashes angrily at him, ‘Why are you
here, Kaunteya? Go to the Satwata princess! A second knot always loosens
the first one.’
And Krishnaa sobs piteously. Dhananjaya pacifies her, repeatedly asking
her to forgive him. He then goes back to where Subhadra waits outside the
city, wearing red silk. Arjuna brings her into the palace dressed not as a
princess but as a simple cowherdess. However, she only looks more regal
and beautiful than ever in that humble attire.
Bhadra of great fame, of the big and slightly red eyes first goes to touch
the feet of Kunti and have her blessing. Overwhelmed by affection, Kunti
lovingly sniffs the head of the young woman of flawless features, and
pronounces infinite blessings upon her.
Then Subhadra, her face like the full moon, goes to Draupadi and says
straightaway, ‘I am your daasi, your maid!’
Krishnaa jumps up and hugs Vaasudeva Krishna’s sister to her in love,
crying, ‘May your husband be without an enemy!’
Delighted, Subhadra cries back, ‘Tathaastu! So be it!’
From that time, O Janamejaya, those great Kshatriyas, the Pandavas, live
in great happiness together, and Kunti, too, is happy.
When Krishna Parantapa, Nishkalankaatma, his eyes also pure as lotus
petals, hears the Pandavottama Arjuna has returned to Indraprastha, he goes
there with Balarama and other great shuras and Kshatriyas of the Vrishni
and Andhaka tribes, and with his own brothers, sons and many magnificent
heroes.
Krishna comes with a great army to protect him; with him, comes the
most liberal and intelligent Akrura, Senapati of the Vrishni legions.
Anadhrishti of mighty prowess, Uddhava of great fame and wisdom,
Mahatman and Brihaspati’s own sishya ride with Saurin Krishna, as do
Satyaki, Salyaka, Kritavarman, Satwata, Pradyumna, Samba, Nisatha,
Sanku, Charudeshna, Jhilli of untold might, Viprithu, Sarana Mahabaho,
Gada, greatest among learned men.
These and many other Vrishnis, Bhojas and Andhakas come to
Indraprastha, bringing wedding gifts for Arjuna and Subhadra, past
counting. When King Yudhishtira hears that Madhava has arrived, he sends
the twins out to receive him. Received by Nakula and Sahadeva, the
glittering Vrishni host, flying bright flags and standards, enters
Khandavaprastha.
The streets have been swept, washed, and decked with garlands and a
profusion of flowers. They are again sprinkled with water mixed with
sandalwood paste, which renders them cool and fragrant. The scent of
burning aloe fills every corner of the city, which bustles with its healthy,
happy people, with fine merchants and tradesmen.
Purushottama Kesava Krishna, Mahabaho, enters Indraprastha, with
Rama and many other great Vrishnis, Bhojas and Andhakas, and is
worshipped by the people, and by thousands of Brahmanas. At last, Krishna
arrives at the king’s palace, which is like the palace of Indra himself.
Yudhishtira first welcomes Balarama, the eldest, with every ceremony.
He then sniffs the top of Krishna’s head and embraces him. Krishna,
gratified, humbly worships Yudhishtira. He pays homage to Bhima, that
great tiger among men. Kunti’s son Yudhishtira now receives the other
Vrishni, Bhoja and Andhaka chieftains with honour and appropriate
ceremony: he reveres his elders and affectionately welcomes the rest as
equals. In their turn, some of them worship him, while others greet him
affectionately.
Now, Krishna of immense fame gives the clan of Arjuna, the
bridegroom, lavish wealth; he gives Subhadra the gifts that her kinsfolk
have sent. Krishna gives the Pandavas a thousand chariots of gold, adorned
with fine rows of bells, each yoked to four pedigreed horses, and driven by
the finest charioteers.
He gives them ten thousand cows from the land of Mathura, all of rich
colouring and yielding copious milk. Happily, Janardana also gives a
thousand mares, with golden harnesses, steeds white as moonbeams. He
gives them a thousand mules, highly trained and obedient, and quick as the
wind: these are white, as well, with black mane.
He of the lotus petal-like eyes gives the Pandavas a thousand young
girls, skilled at drawing baths and pouring wine and at every other form of
personal service, all of them virgins yet to have their first period, each one
beautifully clad and wearing a hundred bits of gold around their necks, their
skins like satin.
Janardana also gives them lakhs of draft horses from the land of the
Bahlikas as part of Subhadra’s opulent dowry. Krishna, best of the
Dasarhas, also gives Subhadra ten palanquins of gold, blazing like fire,
some purified and some still ore.
Balarama Halayudha, ever fond of battle and brave deeds, gives Arjuna
a thousand war elephants – tuskers with ichor flowing in three streams9
from their great bodies for a wedding gift. Each one is as big as a mountain
peak, inexorable in battle, carrying fine thrones upon their richly
caparisoned backs, adorned with golden ornaments, tinkling golden bells.
It is a tide of treasures that the Yadavas give as Subhadra’s dower, and
the fine silks, shawls and carpets are the foam of that great wave, the war
elephants its crocodiles and sharks, and the banners and flags, its floating
reeds! All these flow into the wealth of the Pandava ocean, filling it to the
brim, so that their enemies grieve sorely.
Yudhishtira accepts those gifts humbly and worships all the great
warriors of the Vrishni and the Andhaka races. The shining heroes of the
Kurus, the Vrishnis and the Andhakas spend their days together in
uninterrupted revelry and enjoyment, even as good men do in heaven’s
delights after they die.
The Kurus and the Yadavas amuse themselves variously, at times their
loud shouts of joy echoing against the sky, and the clapping of hands, too.
Many days they spend together, in sport and merriment of every sort, the
guests being honoured and adored by their hosts, until at last the Yadavas
turn home towards Dwaravati upon the Sea.
The great Vrishni and Andhaka warriors set out with Balarama at their
head. They take with them the gemstones that shine with the purest rays,
given them by the Kurusthamas. O Bharata, Krishna Mahatman remains in
Indraprastha with Arjuna. They range the banks of the Yamuna together in
quest of deer; Krishna hunts both deer and boar with Arjuna, piercing them
with arrows.
In a while, Krishna’s favourite sister Subhadra gives birth to a
resplendent son, even as Puloma’s daughter, Sachi, queen of Devaloka,
brought Jayanta forth. The child has long arms, a wide chest, and eyes as
big as a bull’s. They name that little hero, that bane of his enemies to be,
Abhimanyu, because he is both fearless and ferocious.
Arjuna begets the magnificent prince in the Satwata princess, even as
fire from a sami twig by friction. When Abhimanyu is born, Yudhishtira
gifts ten thousand cows and golden coins past counting to holy Brahmanas.
From his infancy, the boy is a favourite of Krishna, Arjuna and his uncles,
even as the Moon is of all Manavas!
When he is born, Krishna performs the rites of childhood for him, and
Abhimanyu grows like the Moon waxing during the bright fortnight.
Quickly, he masters the Vedas and the sastra shastra, the use of weapons
both mundane and celestial, which has four great branches and ten smaller
divisions, from his father Arjuna.
Endowed with great strength, the boy also learns how to counter astras
loosed at him by others; his lightness of hand, and his fleetness of foot in
every direction, forwards and backwards, sideways and all around,
wheeling, are past remarkable. Abhimanyu is his father’s equal in his
knowledge of the Shastras and kriya-karmas.
Arjuna looks at his boy and is filled with joy. As Indra Maghavat would
become joyful whenever he gazes down upon Arjuna, so does Dhananjaya
become delighted when he sees Abhimanyu, who has upon his body every
auspicious sign and mark, and who is invincible in battle, and can kill any
adversary that comes before him.
He is broad-shouldered as a bull, great and wide is his face like a
serpent’s hood, and he is as proud and magnificent as a lion. He wields a
great bow, and his prowess is like that of an elephant in musth. Ah, he is as
handsome as the Moon when he is full; his voice is as deep as booming
drums or rumbling thunderheads; why, he is his uncle, Krishna’s, equal in
courage and energy, in his sheer beauty and the perfection of his features.
Meanwhile, Panchali also has five sons, one by each of her husbands,
and those princes are all exceptional warriors, invincible in battle,
unshakable as hills. She bears Prativindhya by Yudhishtira, Sutasoma by
Vrikodara, Srutakarman by Arjuna, Satanika by Nakula, and Srutasena by
Sahadeva – she brings forth those five shuras even as Aditi did the Adityas.
Prescient and mystic Brahmanas say to Yudhishtira that because his son
would bear the missiles of his enemies as the Vindhya Mountains do
raindrops, he should be called Prativindhya.The son Draupadi bears
Bhimasena is born after Bhima performs a thousand Soma yagnas, and so
he should be named Sutasoma.
Arjuna’s son is born after his return from his exile, during which he
performs so many legendary feats, so that prince is named Srutakarman, for
his father’s fame.Nakula names his son Satanika after an enlightened and
great Rajarishi of yore, born in the line of Kuru.
The son that Draupadi bears by Sahadeva is born under the constellation
Krittika, or Vahni Daivata, and he is named after the Senapati of the army
of the Devas: the Lord Srutasena, who is more commonly known as
Kartikeya.
Draupadi’s five sons are all born a year apart, and they grow to be
famous and devoted to one another. Rajan, Dhaumya performs all their
childhood rites in accordance with the Shastras – the chudakarana, when
their heads are first shaved, and the upanayana – the investiture with the
sacred thread.
They are all princes of dharma, well behaved and of excellent vows;
when they have studied the Vedas, they go on to learn archery and to
acquire the astras, both mundane and celestial, from Arjuna. O Tiger among
kings, the Pandavas see their broad-chested magnificent sons truly equal to
Devaputras all turn into Maharathas, and they are filled with joy.”
—————————
9 From their temples, ears and anus.
CANTO 224
KHANDAVA-DAHA PARVA
aisampayana said, “Living in Indraprastha, after having been sent

there by the command of Dhritarashtra and Bhishma, the Pandavas
begin to bring other kings under their sway. Their subjects live in the
realm of Yudhishtira Dharmaputra as happily as a soul does in a body that
bears every auspicious mark and has great punya.
Bharatarishabha, Yudhishtira lives by dharma, artha and kama, in due
proportion, as if each of them is his friend dear to him as his own self.
Indeed, it appears that these three purusharthas become personified on
Earth, and King Yudhishtira shines among them as the fourth aim of life.
With Yudhishtira for their king, his people find a ruler who devotes
himself to the regular study of the Vedas, one who constantly performs the
Mahayagnas, and one who is the guardian of all the good. Through
Yudhishtira’s influence, all the kings of the Earth find unwavering good
fortune; their hearts turn naturally in dhyana to the Parabrahman, and
dharma swells in a tide everywhere, in every way.
And with his four brothers around him, and helped by and depending on
them, that king shines forth as a great sacrifice does, when the four Vedas
attend upon it. Countless learned Brahmanas, with Dhaumya at their head,
each one like a Brihaspati, wait upon Yudhishtira, just as the Devas and
other celestials do upon Brahma.
The people love Yudhishtira; their eyes and their hearts are full of him
who is like a stainless full moon. They adore him not only because he is
their king but for himself. On his part, he always does what is good for
them, what delights them. Sweetly-spoken, intelligent and wise Yudhishtira
never speaks a harsh word, nor a lie or anything hurtful or inappropriate.
That best of all kings of the line of Bharata, blessed with unflagging
vitality, passes his days in joy looking after his people as well as he looks
after himself. With their dauntless prowess, his brothers bring other
kingdoms under Yudhishtira’s power, and they also spend their days in
blemishless happiness, without an enemy to threaten their peace.
One day, Arjuna says to Krishna, ‘Summer is here, Madhusudana. Let us
go to the banks of the Yamuna and sport there all day and return in the
evening with our companions, Janardana.’
Krishna says, ‘Kaunteya, my very wish! Let us go and sport in the
waters as we please, Partha, taking our friends with us.’
With Yudhishtira’s leave Arjuna and Krishna set out with many friends
for the banks of the river. Arriving at a certain place, sylvan with tall trees,
and with many fine and lofty mansions, furnished with rare food and drink,
with dazzling garlands and scented with fine perfumes, all for the pleasure
of Krishna and Arjuna, a place that looks like a city in Devaloka, the
companions immediately go into the lavish apartments within, shimmering
with precious jewels, and out of the heat of the day.
Once inside, they begin to take their pleasure as they please, O Bharata.
The women, all with full round hips, deep bosoms and large bright eyes,
unsteady on their feet from the wine they have drunk, begin to cavort
exactly as Krishna and Arjuna direct them to.
Some women go into the woods and frolic there, others wade directly
into the river, while the rest make merry inside the mansions. Draupadi and
Subhadra, exhilarated with wine, begin to give away their costly robes and
ornaments to those women, some of whom burst into joyful song while
others dance in abandon; others joke and laugh loudly, all the while
imbibing more drink.
Soon, some of them argue and quarrel among themselves, while others
speak intimately together in soft voices. Those mansions and the woods all
around are full of the enchanting music of flute, lute and quiet drums; ah, it
is a place of delight and fortune embodied.
Things being so, Krishna and Arjuna go off by themselves into the
nearby forest to another place also full of fascination. The great souled
Krishna and Arjuna, conqueror of enemy cities, sit there upon two priceless
thrones; they sit talking about many things, among these, of great heroes of
the past and their legends.
Suddenly, a Brahmana appears before Krishna and Arjuna, sitting there
like the Aswin twins of heaven. The Brahmana is tall as a sala tree; his skin
is like molten gold; his beard is bright yellow and tinged with green; and his
body great and wide in proportion to his height.
He wears jata on his head and rags upon his body, but he is as brilliant as
the morning Sun. His eyes are wide and long as lotus petals and tawny; he
truly blazes with splendour. Seeing this Brahmana coming towards them,
Arjuna and Krishna quickly rise and stand respectfully, waiting for him to
speak.”
CANTO 225
KHANDAVA-DAHA PARVA CONTINUED
aisampayana said, “That Brahmana speaks to Arjuna, and to Krishna

of the Satwatas, saying, ‘You, who are so near the Khanadava vana,
are the greatest Kshatriyas on Earth. I am a voracious Brahmana and
I always eat a lot. O Vrishni, O Partha, I ask you to appease my raging
hunger: give me enough to eat!’
Krishna and the Pandava say, ‘Tell us what food you want and we will
try to give it to you.’
The blazing Brahmana says, ‘I do not crave ordinary food. Know that I
am Agni! Give me food that I can consume. Indra constantly protects this
Khandava forest, and for that reason I cannot devour it. Deep in this vana
there lives the Naga Takshaka, with his brood and his followers, and he is
Indra’s friend.
For his sake, the Vajradhari protects the forest and all the other creatures
that live in it. Ah, I long to devour the Khandava vana, but the might of
Indra prevents me every time I try. Whenever I blaze forth in flames, Indra
pours down torrents of rain that extinguish them. Many attempts have I
made to consume this vana and always I have failed.
I cannot contain my hunger for this forest and I come as a supplicant to
the both of you, who are masters of weapons. If you help me, I know that I
can have the food that I want – this jungle. With your astras, keep Indra’s
rains from falling and prevent any creature that dwells inside the Khandava
vana from escaping, when I begin to feed!’ says Agni in his deep and
crackling voice.”
Janamejaya said, “Why did Agni want to devour the Khandava vana, full
of all kinds of creatures and protected by the king of the Devas? Surely,
there must have been some grave cause for him to want to do this thing. O
Brahmana, tell me about it in detail. Tell me also, O Muni, how the
Khandava vana was consumed of old.”
Vaisampayana said, “Purushottama, I will tell you the tale of the
conflagration that consumed the Khandava vana, as it has been told by the
Rishis in the Purana.There was a king called Swetaki blessed with untold
strength and valour, who was an equal of Indra himself. No one on Earth
was his peer, in yagnas, in daana or gyana.
Swetaki performed the five Mahayagnas and many others, too, at all of
which he gave bountifully to the Brahmanas present. That king’s heart,
Rajan, was always turned towards sacrifices, religious rites, and charity and
gifts of every kind.
King Swetaki of great intellect undertook an endless sacrifice, until the
Ritviks who performed the rituals grew weak with exhaustion, their eyes
sore from years of being exposed to smoke from the agnikunda, and they
left that king, never wanting to participate in his yagnas anymore. However,
the king never ceased asking his priests to return, which they refused to do
because of their sore and painful eyes.
Those Ritviks told him to ask other priests to complete the sacrifice that
they had begun, which he did. After a short interval, the king wanted to
perform yet another sacrifice, now one that would last a hundred years. But
no priest could he find to help him with it.
Taking his family and friends with him, that famed king went and
repeatedly implored the Ritviks, bowing to them again and again, praising
them with the sweetest words, and with more munificent gifts. All of them
refused to undertake to perform the king’s grand yagna.
Now that Rajarishi flew into a rage. He said to those Brahmanas in their
asramas, ‘Brahmanas, if I were a sinner, or if I did not revere you properly
or serve you as I have done, surely I would deserve to be abandoned by all
of you, without scruple. But neither am I depraved, nor do I fail to pay
unfailing homage to you. Brahmanottamas, it does not become you to
abandon me and to prevent me from performing the Mahayagna on which I
have set my heart.
Brahmanas, I seek refuge in you! Bless me, be kindly towards me. If you
do not help me, it would seem to be out of enmity, and without just cause;
and I will then take my service, my homage and my gifts to some other
Brahmanas, and beg them to perform my sacrifice.’
With this, the king fell silent. Parantapa, those priests knew very well
that they could not sit at Swetaki’s yagna. So they pretended to be annoyed
and said acerbically, ‘Best of kings, your sacrifices are incessant and
endless! By performing them for years and years we have become tired and
weak: in view of this, it becomes you to spare us.
Anagha, sinless, you have lost your judgement and impatiently come to
us again and again. Go to Rudra! He will help you with your yagna.’
Now King Swetaki became truly angry. He went away to the mountains
of Kailasa, and sat there in tapasya. Rajan, keeping the sternest vratas,
Swetaki worshipped Mahadeva Siva with fervid dhyana. For a long time, he
ate only fruit and roots, at times at the twelfth hour, at others only at the
sixteenth of the entire day.
For six months, King Swetaki stood in meditation, with his arms raised
skywards and his eyes unblinking, like the trunk of a tree or a stone column
planted in the ground. O Bharata, finally Sankara became pleased with that
tiger among kings, and appeared before him.
The God spoke in a calm, solemn voice to Swetaki, ‘Rajavyaghra,
Parantapa, I am pleased with your tapasya. Be you blessed. Ask me now for
the boon that you want, O King.’
The Rajarishi bowed low before Rudra of measureless tejas, and said,
‘Most Illustrious, O you whom the three worlds worship, if you are truly
pleased with me, Mahadeva, then help me perform my sacrifice yourself, O
Devadeva.’
The God smiled and replied gently, ‘We do not perform sacrifices
ourselves, but since you have done such penance, Rajan, I will indeed help
you with your yagna, but on one condition.
Rajaadhiraja, King of kings, if you pour libations into a sacred fire
without pause for twelve years, with perfect devotion, being celibate all the
while, then you shall have what you have asked for.’
King Swetaki did what Rudra said, and when twelve years had passed he
came back to the Trisulin, to Maheswara. When Sankara, Creator of the
worlds, saw the most excellent King Swetaki, he said at once, gratified,
‘You have satisfied me, Rajottama, with what you have done. However,
Parantapa, it is the Brahmana’s dharma to perform yagnas. So, scourge of
your enemies, I will not help you myself with your yagna.
On Earth, there lives a most pure and high Brahmana who is an amsa of
mine. His name is Durvasa and that mighty tejaswin will help you perform
your sacrifice. So, go and make all preparations.’
Swetaki heard what Rudra said and then returned to his capital, and
began collecting everything he needed for his great sacrifice. When this had
been done, he went again to Rudra and said, ‘Devadeva, by your grace I
have gathered everything needed for the sacrifice: all my preparations are
complete. Let me be installed as the Sacrificer tomorrow.’
Rudra summoned Durvasa, and said, ‘Durvasa, this is Swetaki, best
among kings. Best of Brahmanas, at my command, you must help the king
perform his yagna.’
The Rishi Durvasa said to Rudra, ‘So be it.’
The mahayagna of King Swetaki got underway, with every proper ritual
ordained, each in its proper season. Profuse gifts were bestowed upon all
the Brahmanas present, and when, at last, the yagna was completed, the
other priests who had come there at Durvasa’s behest all went away, with
the Muni’s leave.
All the other Sadasyas, the resplendent guests who had been installed at
the yagna, also departed. Now the noble king entered his own palace,
adored by Brahmanas that were masters of the Vedas, and eulogised by
panegyrics and warmly congratulated by the people.
This is the story of the Rajarishi Swetaki, who, later, upon his time
coming, rose into Swarga, leaving behind incomparable fame on Bhumi,
and also accompanied by the Ritviks and Sadasyas who had helped him
accomplish his great sacrifice.
During Swetaki’s own worship, Agni drank ghee, uninterruptedly, for
twelve years, the clarified butter being poured in a constant stream into his
mouth for that period. Having drunk so much ghee, Agni was so full and
tired that he could not drink ghee from any other hand, at any other yagna.
Agni Deva became pale and wan, lost his colour, and he did not blaze as
before. From that excess of twelve years, he lost his appetite, his vitality
was sapped and he became sick. When he felt ill and weak, he went to the
abode of Brahma, whom everybody worships.
Approaching the great Deity upon his throne, Agni said, ‘Highest, I have
drunk a surfeit of ghee at Swetaki’s yagna, and I suffer from that excess
even now. Lord of the Universe, my splendour and my strength both wane
daily, and I need your grace to regain my original nature.’
Hearing Agni Hutavaha, Brahma Pitamaha said with a smile,
‘Mahatman, you drank a ceaseless stream of ghee for twelve years, and you
have become ill from it. But do not despair, O Agni, you will soon have
your health back and your pristine nature, for I will cure you of your
sickness, the time has come.
The fearful Khandava vana, home of the Asuras, which you once
consumed with flames at the behest of the Devas, is now a home to myriad
creatures. When you have devoured the fat of all those, you will have your
glory back. So make haste, O Agni, consume the forest and all that live in
it! That will be your cure.’
Hearing the Paramatman, Agni flew towards the Khandava vana.
Arriving, he erupted, blazing forth in wrath, with his friend Vayu fanning
his flames gustily. Seeing the forest on fire, those that dwelt within it strove
hard to quell the conflagration.
Hundreds of thousands of elephants, thundering about in fear and rage,
fetched water from rivers, lakes and streams in their trunks and tried to
douse the flames. Thousands of many-hooded snakes, panic-stricken,
spewed water on the fire from their countless mouths. So, too,
Bharatarishabha, every creature that lived in the forest, each in its way,
joined in the effort, and they quickly extinguished the inferno.
Agni flared forth again, and again the denizens of the jungle quenched
his flames; yet again, Hutavaha burned, and yet again they put him out: all
of seven times.”
CANTO 226
aisampayana said, “Frustrated and raging, Agni Havyavahana, his

ailment uncured, went bank to Brahma, and told the Pitamaha what
had happened.
The refulgent God thought for a moment, then said, ‘Anagha, I know
how you can consume the Khandava vana even today and in Indra’s very
sight. The ancient Gods Nara and Narayana have incarnated in the world of
men to fulfil a purpose of the Devas. On Earth they are known as Arjuna
and Krishna Vasudeva.
At this moment, they are in the Khandava vana. Go to them and ask
them to help you consume the forest. If they agree, you will succeed even if
all the other Devas are arrayed against you. The two will surely keep the
creatures of the Khandava from escaping, and even thwart Indra, if he
comes to protect the ancient jungle. I assure you of this.’
Agni came speedily to Krishna and Partha. O King, I have already told
you what he said to them.
Rajavyaghra, when Arjuna Vibhatsu hears that Agni wants to consume
the Khandava vana, against Indra’s will, he says to the blazing Deva, come
as a Brahmana, ‘I have countless great Devastras, enough to battle with
many Vajradharins, but, Lofty One, I have no proper bow from which to
loose my astras, no bow strong and powerful enough to bear the prowess
with which I infuse my archery. Also, so quicksilver is my archery that I
will need an inexhaustible supply of arrows.
My chariot, alas, is not mighty enough to bear the stores of shafts with
which I would like to stock it. I wish for a chariot with the splendour of
Surya, the thunder of whose wheels is like the roaring of stormclouds. I also
wish for unearthly horses white as moonbeams, fleet as the wind.
Then, Krishna has no weapon to match his tejas, no shastra with which
Madhava can kill the Nagas and Pisachas of the vana.Exalted, you must
provide us with these instruments with which we can thwart Indra when he
sends his downpour to put out your flames. Pavaka, we are ready to do
everything that manliness and strength can achieve, but you must give us
what I have asked for,’ Arjuna says to Agni.”
CANTO 227
aisampayana said, “When he hears what Arjuna says, the smoke-

bannered Hutasana wants to see Varuna, who is one of the
Lokapalas, who rules the element of water and dwells in the deeps.
Agni turns his thought to that son of Aditi. Immediately, Varuna appears
before Agni.
The Fire God reverently greets the Lord of Seas, the fourth Lokapala,
and says to him, ‘I want you to give me the bow and quiver and the chariot
that flies the flag of Hanuman, which you got from Soma the Moon. Partha
will accomplish a great task with the Gandiva, and Krishna with the
Sudarshana Chakra. So give both to me today, O Varuna!’
Varuna immediately says, ‘Here, I do give them to you.’
He gives Agni the wondrous jewel of a bow, of incomparable energy, the
bow that no weapon can withstand, which is the powerful enhancer of great
deeds and renown. It is the lord of weapons, and the scourge of all the rest.
It is equal to a hundred thousand other bows and it razes enemy armies.
Brightly varicoloured is the Gandiva and it is the acquirer of kingdoms.
Beautiful it is to behold, bejewelled, with no flaw, weakness or mark upon
it anywhere. The Devas and the Gandharvas worship the Gandiva.
Varuna also gives Arjuna two inexhaustible quivers, and a ratha, stocked
with unearthly weapons, a chariot that flies a banner with a great Vanara
upon it. Yoked to that chariot are horses as silvery as fleecy clouds, foaled
in the realm of the Gandharvas, with golden harnesses, and as swift as the
wind, why, even as the mind.
Every implement of war that ratha bears, and neither Deva nor Asura
can arrest its careen. Dazzling is its sheen and tremendous the sound of its
wheels. It is a delight to the heart of every creature that sets eyes upon it,
for it has been made by Viswakarman, Architect of the Universe, one of the
Lords of creation, after great and intense tapasya.
The chariot is as brilliant as the Sun, so that no one could gaze upon it
for long. This is the very ratha, riding which Soma Deva had crushed the
Danavas. Resplendent, glorious, it looks like an evening cloud reflecting the
light of the setting sun. Golden and exquisite is its flagstaff, and the
celestial Ape who adorns it is as fierce as a lion or a tiger. Flying high, he
seems determined to burn up everything he sees.
Upon other flags on the great chariot are other large creatures, whose
yells make enemy soldiers faint.
Accoutred in mail, armed with a sword, his fingers encased in leather
fingerlets, Arjuna walks around that wonderful chariot in pradakshina; he
bows to the Devas and then climbs up into the ratha like a righteous man
does into the vimana that bears him into Swarga.
Seeing the celestial Gandiva, eldest of bows, created of old by Brahma,
Arjuna feels a thrill of joy. Bowing to Agni, Arjuna the powerful picks up
the awesome weapon and strings it forcibly. Anyone who hears the echoing
sound of the Gandiva being strung trembles.
When he has the chariot and the bow, with the twin inexhaustible
quivers, which well arrows ceaselessly, Kunti’s son is glad and feels equal
to helping Agni. Now Agni Pavaka gives Krishna a chakra, a fiery disc with
a hole at its heart, and it would become Krishna’s favourite weapon. When
he has the chakra, Krishna becomes glad and feels that he, too, can help
Agni.
Pavaka says to Krishna, ‘With this chakra, Madhusudana, you can quell
even enemies that are not human. Wielding this weapon, you will be greater
than Manavas, Devas, Rakshasas, Pisachas, Daityas and Nagas, and you
will surely vanquish all these in battle.Madhava, if you cast this wheel at
any enemy, it will slay him and then fly back into your hands.’
Varuna Deva gives Krishna a mace known as Kaumodaki, which would
shatter any Daitya; and when hurled in battle, it would roar loud as thunder.
Joyful, Arjuna and Achyuta say to Pavaka, ‘Mahatman, we now have the
chariot and weapons with which we can do battle against the Devas and the
Asuras combined. What then of just the Vajradhari, Indra, who wants to
fight for his friend the Naga Takshaka?’
Arjuna added, ‘Pavaka, when Krishna takes the field, chakra in hand,
there is nothing in the three worlds that he cannot consume with it. With the
Gandiva and these quivers, I, too, am prepared to conquer the trilokas. My
lord, now blaze forth as you please, encircle this forest with your flames.
We will help you accomplish your desire.’
When Arjuna and Krishna speak thus to him, Agni stands forth in his
most incendiary form, and is ready to devour the vana. With his seven great
flames he encircles the Khandava and begins to burn it, rather as he does
the worlds in his apocalyptic form at the end of the yugas. Bharatarishabha,
erupting in gigantic flames, which roar like thunderheads, Agni makes
every creature of the jungle quail.
Quickly, O Bharata, the forest ablaze looks even like golden, resplendent
Meru, king of mountains, when the rays of the Sun fall upon his sides and
summits.”
CANTO 228
aisampayana said, “Those two greatest among Maharathas ride to

opposite extremities of the Khandava vana and, positioning
themselves at either end, commence a huge slaughter of all the
creatures that dwell in the forest, on every side. Wherever either sees any
creature trying to escape Agni’s conflagration, they flash towards them and
cut them off.
Why, the two chariots might have been just one, and the two warriors in
them a single person. As the forest burns, hundred of thousands of birds and
beasts, giving vent to frightening cries, dash about in every direction. Some
have a limb charred, others are scalded all over, skins steamed off by the
heat, some run towards the forest’s hem, while others just rush blindly from
place to place in panic.
There are those that clasp their mates and children, their parents and
siblings, serenely and in a surfeit of love, and die thus. Some beasts leap
high into the air or scramble up trees but quickly fall spinning into the
blazing element below. Birds try to escape by flying but the fire catches
them inescapably and they fall onto the ground, feathers and wings burnt,
eyes and feet frizzled, gasping, crying out.
All around, bird and beast die, quickly consumed. The lakes and pools in
that forest soon begin to boil from the torrid heat, and the fish and tortoises
in them perish. The burning bodies of the creatures of the vana look as if
the very flames have assumed countless bestial shapes.
Birds flash up above the flames but these Arjuna brings down with
unerring archery, carving their bodies in pieces in the air, and they fall into
the maw of the fire, some of them screaming. The animals of the forest
struck by his shafts also cry out or roar, while dying. The clamour they raise
resembles that which is heard when the Ocean was churned, in elder days.
The towering flames reach into the sky, and the celestials are alarmed.
The Swargavasis, the illustrious dwellers in heaven, go in a crowd to him of
the hundred great sacrifices, the thousand-eyed, their king, that scorcher of
Asuras.
The heaven-dwellers say to Indra, ‘Lord of the Devas, why is Agni
burning the creatures below? Has the time come for the world to end?’
Indra hears what the Devas say, he also sees what Agni is doing, and he
who slew Vritrasura goes forth to save the Khandava vana. Indra Vasava,
King of the Devas, fills the sky with banks and banks of thunderclouds, of
every sort, and then lashes down awesome torrents of rain upon the burning
forest. Hundreds of thousands of thunderheads pour down rain in streams
thick as flagstaffs of chariots.
The searing heat evaporates those cascades in the air before they reach
the forest’s roof, or the flame-tips. Now Indra Namuchihara grows furious
with Agni. An even greater mass of black cloud scuds into the sky at his
command, and an even more copious and fierce rain flashes down on the
burning forest.
Roaring, hissing, flames and rainshowers battle on high, and filled with
smoke and rent by lightning streaks, that forest is terrible, dreadful to
behold.”
CANTO 229
aisampayana said, “Arjuna, son of Pandu, summons his astras and,

loosing them in a torrent at Indra’s downpour, holds the rain aloft, at
bay. Quick as thinking, unfathomable Arjuna covers all the
Khandava vana ablaze with a mantle, a cupola of arrows, as the Moon does
the sky in fog, and no forest creature can penetrate that dome of arrows to
escape.
It transpires that, while the forest burns, the Naga King Takshaka is not
in the Khandava vana at all, for he has gone to Kurukshetra. However, his
mighty son Aswasena is in that jungle. Aswasena strives to escape Agni’s
conflagration, but Arjuna’s dazzling archery prevents him.
His mother, daughter of a Sea-Naga, is desperate to save her son. She
thinks that she will do this by swallowing him. She swallows his head first,
then, continues swallowing his long body. As she does this, she rises up into
the air and seeks to flee the fire. But Arjuna sees her, and cuts her head off
with a razor-like arrow.
Indra is watching, and he wants to save his friend, the Naga’s, son. Indra
blows a sudden mighty gust of wind on the forest floor, from which Arjuna
faints briefly. Aswasena escapes. Arjuna wakes from his swoon in fury and
begins to truncate every creature that seeks to flee the forest, into two, three
and, some, into several pieces.
Arjuna, Agni and Krishna curse the serpent who has escaped with
trickery: ‘You will never find fame!’
Arjuna thinks of how Indra made him swoon and, growing angry, covers
the sky in a cloud of arrows, seeking battle with the thousand-eyed one. The
King of the Devas sees Arjuna’s fury and casts down fierce weapons of his
own, also covering the firmament.
Raging, roaring winds, which make the Seas tremble, blow great masses
of thunderheads into the akasa, and they are heavy with rain. The
cloudbanks vomit thunder and terrifying gashes of lightning.
Arjuna looses the Vayavyastra, weapon of Wind, at those clouds; it
scatters them and renders the power of Indra impotent. All the rain that the
clouds bear evaporates, and the lightning that plays in them vanishes. In a
moment, dust and darkness clear, and a fine, cool breeze begins to blow,
while the Sun resumes his normal appearance.
Agni, who drinks ghee, becomes delighted, and dripping with the fat of
the numberless creatures he has devoured, erupts in all his flames again. He
assumes different flame forms and his roaring fills the very universe.
Suddenly, Eagles of the race of Garuda, richly feathered, see that Arjuna
and Krishna protect Agni, and they fly down from the outer firmament,
wanting to savage the two heroes with their wings like thunder, and their
claws and beaks like daggers and swords.
Countless Nagas, also, spitting the most virulent venom, flash at Arjuna,
who cuts them in shreds with arrows dipped in the fire of his wrath. The
birds also he slaughters, and Naga and Pakshi fall into the blaze below and
are consumed.
Now there comes a host of Asuras, Gandharvas, Yakshas, Rakshasas and
Nagas, with terrific shouts and roars. Armed with uncanny devices that
spew streams of deadly iron balls and pellets from their throats, catapults
that hurl huge rocks, and fiery missiles, and propelled by their fury, these
rush at Krishna and Arjuna.
They rain a storm of weapons over Arjuna, but he mocks them and
strikes their heads from their necks with a dazzle of arrows. Krishna
Parantapa massacres the Daityas and Danavas with his chakra. Asuras of
mountainous stature and untold might Krishna’s arrows pierce and his disc
strikes deeply, and they are as still as little strays struck down by violent
and mighty waves and stranded on a beach.
Finally, Indra, riding his white elephant, thunders at those shuras and,
raising his Vajra aloft, his inexorable thunderbolt, prepares to cast it at
them. The scourge of the Asuras cries to his Devas, ‘These two are slain!’
Seeing the Vajra raised, all the Gods seize up their weapons. Rajan,
Yama takes up his mace of death, Kubera his spiked cudgel, Varuna his
legendary noose and the beautiful Varunastra. Skanda picks up his elegant
and irresistible javelin and stands as motionless as Meru.
The Aswins stand with shining plant weapons in their hands. Dhatri
stands with a bow and Jaya with a thick club. Tvashtri, the powerful, in
anger draws up a mountain by its roots, while Surya has a brilliant dart, and
Mrityu his axe.
Aryaman stalks the forest with a dreadful spiked bludgeon, Mitra stands
forth with a chakra sharp as razors. O King, Pusha, Bhaga and Savitri dash
enraged at Krishna and Partha, with bows and curved blades in their hands.
The Rudras, the Vasus, the mighty Maruts, the Viswedevas and the
Sadhyas, all splendent with their own lustre, and many other sky-dwellers,
too, all armed with various weapons, run at Krishna and Arjuna, highest
among men, to strike them down.
During the battle that ensues, marvellous omens are seen all around,
even like those that appear during the Pralaya, making many a creature faint
in fright. But Arjuna and Krishna wait calmly, bows in hand, fearless and
invincible; then they beleaguer the Deva host with astras like thunder and
lightning, routing them repeatedly.
The aerial legion flees to Indra, while the Munis who watch the battle
from the sky are full of wonder to see the celestial ones beaten back
effortlessly by Krishna and Arjuna. Indra is also pleased to witness the
prowess of those two.
He flies into the fray, lashing down a thick storm of stones over Arjuna,
whose ambidextrous archery he wants to test. In a flurry of furious shafts,
Arjuna shatters every stone. Perplexed, disbelieving, Indra of the hundred
yagnas hurls down another gale of rocks, thicker than before. But his son
pleases his father again by smashing this hail into dust, as well.
Growing angry, Indra plucks a great peak from Mandara, with its stands
of lofty trees, and flings it down whistling at Arjuna, who dissects it in a
thousand slivers with his lightlike, fire-tongued missiles. The riven
fragments of the mountain peak look like the Sun and the Moon dislodged
from their places and falling to the Earth. Those still great pieces fall with a
mighty reverberation, crushing numberless creatures of the Khandava vana
beneath them.”
CANTO 230
aisampayana said, “Now the creatures of the Khandava vana, the

Danavas, Rakshasas, Nagas, wolves, bears, other wild predators,
elephants with rent temples, rut-juice flowing from them, tigers,
lions with shaggy mane, deer, buffalo in hundreds, bird of every kind, and
myriad other creatures fly in every direction from the falling stones and
rocks.
The forest burns, and Krishna and Arjuna stand impassive and
impassable with weapons in hand. Dreadful sounds fill that blazing jungle,
and the fleeing creatures stand still, trembling. Looking at the towering
flames and Krishna – both waiting to devour them they scream and roar in
numberless different voices. The sky shakes at that frightful sound and with
the raging of Agni as if with deep and portentous thunder.
Dark Krishna, Kesava Mahabaho casts his great and fierce chakra,
burning with its own energy, at the denizens of the forest. It desiccates
them, and they fall in pieces, Danavas and Rakshasas, too, into Agni’s maw.
Mangled by Krishna’s disc, Asuras are painted with blood, smeared in their
fat and look like clouds of dusk.
Bharata, the dark Vrishni flares through the vana as death, despatching
Pisachas, Pakshis, Nagas and every other living thing, in thousands. The
wheeling chakra that he casts at them again and again, returns each time
into his hands, after claiming innumerable wild lives.
While he slays the Pisachas, Nagas and Rakshasas, the face of Krishna,
soul of all that is created, is grim and terrible to look upon. None among the
Devas gathered there can face Krishna or Arjuna in battle. When they
realise that they cannot save the Khandava vana from burning, they
withdraw, and, O King, Indra of a hundred sacrifices sees the immortals
retreat and is filled with rarest joy; he applauds the two heroes of the Earth.
When his gods flee the battle, an asariri, a disembodied voice, deep as
the sky, speaks to Indra, ‘Your friend, the Naga King Takshaka, has not
been killed, for he went to Kurukshetra before the fire began. Know, O
Indra, no one can vanquish Krishna and Arjuna in battle. They are Nara
Narayana, those Gods of old whose fame is still told in Swarga. You know
their strength and their valour. They are invincible; no one in the three
worlds can vanquish these best of all the ancient Sages. They are worthy of
being worshipped by all the Devas and Asuras, by the Yakshas, the Nagas,
Rakshasas and Gandharvas, by Manavas, Kinnaras and Nagas.
So, O Indra, leave this place with your celestials, for Fate has ordained
that the Khandava vana will be consumed today.’
Leaving anger and envy, the Deva king returns to Devaloka; seeing him
go, the other gods and their host follow. Arjuna and Krishna let out a lion’s
roar, which rings through the forest. They celebrate their victory over Indra
and his Devas.
Having scattered the legions of heaven like clouds by the wind, the two
now help Agni unhindered; countless creatures of the Khandava vana they
slay with storms of arrows. Cut off by Arjuna’s dazzling archery, no
creature escapes the burning forest. Let alone attack him, they dare not look
at him, not the strongest and fiercest among them, for fear of his inexorable
barbs.
Flitting here and there in his chariot, at times he pierces a hundred
creatures with a single arrow, then, shoots a single one with a hundred
shafts. Dying as if felled by Yama himself, the birds, beasts and the rest fall
into Agni’s blazing jaws. They flee to riverbanks, to hilly zones of the
forest, to burning ghats, but nowhere do they find sanctuary from the flames
or from the two warriors.
Prides of lions roar in anguish. Elephant, tiger, deer and wolf scream and
howl. The fish in the Ganga and the Sea hear that clamour and are afraid;
Vidyadhara tribes living in the Khandava vana tremble. Mahabaho, it is true
indeed that none of them could bear to even look at dark Krishna or Arjuna,
so terrible are they.
A few times, bands of Rakshasas, Danavas and tribes of Nagas rush at
Krishna, and he promptly despatches them with his chakra. Beheaded and
truncated by the blinding disc, their huge bodies fall into the flames raging
everywhere. Gratified by the streams of melting flesh, fat and boiling blood
they feed on, the flames rise unimaginably high, and they burn smokelessly.
His eyes copper fire, his tongue a massive flame, his jaws agape, the hair
on his head all fire, Agni Hutasana drinks what for him is that nectarine
river of animal fat; he drinks because Arjuna and Krishna help him, and he
is pleased indeed, he is delighted.
Suddenly, Krishna Madhusudana sees an Asura called Mayaa fleeing the
wild palace of Takshaka, in the heart of the forest. Vayu is Agni’s
charioteer, and assuming a Form with jata on his head, roaring like thunder,
the Fire God chases the Asura, wanting to devour him. Krishna sees
Mayaasura and stands with his chakra raised, ready to kill him.
With Agni behind him and Krishna before him, Mayaa calls out,
‘Arjuna, fly here and save me!’
Hearing his terrified cry, Arjuna calls back, ‘Fear not!’
O Bharata, Arjuna’s very voice gives life and heart to the Asura. As soon
as Pritha’s compassionate son speaks, telling Mayaa not to fear, Krishna of
the Dasarhas no longer wants to kill the Asura, who is the brother of
Namuchi. Agni, also, does not burn him anymore.
With Krishna and Arjuna guarding him against Indra, Agni Mahamatim,
the Fire God of immense intellect, rages, burning the Khandava vana for
fifteen days. When that forest burns down, only six that dwelt in it escape
with their lives: Aswasena, Mayaa Danava and four birds calls Sarngakas.”
CANTO 231
anamejaya said, “Brahmana, tell me, when that forest burned, why did
Agni not consume the birds called Sarngakas? You have told us how
Aswasena and Mayaa Danava escaped, but not yet about the Sarngakas. I
am amazed these birds escaped, O Brahmana, tell me about them.”
Vaisampayana said, “Slayer of all your enemies, I will tell you why Agni
did not burn those birds when the Khandava vana burned. O King, there
was a Maharishi calls Mandapala, who knew all the Shastras, who was
devoted to austerity and asceticism, his vows stern and inviolable, among
the best of all good men. He was a brahmacharin, who drew, like Rishis of
yore, his semen virile up into his body, had perfect control of himself and
his senses, and dedicated himself to a life of study and dharma.
Having crossed the Sea of tapasya, O Bharata, he left his body and went
up into Pitrloka, the realm of the Manes. However, there, he did not receive
the fruit of his punya.
He asked the celestials who sat around Yama, King of the Dead, ‘Why
do the realms which I thought I had attained by my penance remain sealed
to me? Have I not done enough punya so that the lofty realms become
mine? Swargavasis, heaven dwellers, tell me what I must do to gain the
fruit of my devotions.’
The celestials replied, ‘O Brahmana, karma causes men to be born in
debt. There is no doubt that men are born to perform yagnas, to study the
sacred Shastras, and to beget children. The debts of karma are paid by
these. You are a learned Yogi of great tapasya, but you have no children.
The higher realms are sealed for you because you are childless. So beget
children, and you will inherit countless realms of untold felicity! The Vedas
tell that only a son rescues his father from the hell called Put.
Brahmanottama, strive to have sons.’
Mandapala listened to this and thought about how he could have the
most number of children in the shortest possible time. The Rishi realised
that among all creatures birds of the air are the most fecund. He took the
form of a Sarngaka and mated with a female bird of that species, whose
name was Jarita. He fathered four sons on her, all knowers of the Veda.
Leaving the mother and her sons in that jungle, the Khandava, while the
children were yet to hatch from their eggs, the Sage went to another mate
calls Lapita, with whom he now ranged through the vana. Jarita grew
anxious and sad, but she did not abandon her sons, the infant Rishis still
inside their eggs.
Later, as the Rishi ranged through the forest with Lapita, he saw Agni
come towards the Khandava vana, to devour it. The Brahmana Mandapala
knew what the Fire God intended, and for the sake of his unfledged children
propitiated the blazing Deva, that Lord of the Universe, of terrific tejas.
The Sage said to Agni, ‘O Agni, you are the mouth of all the worlds.
You are the bearer of the sacrificial ghee. You are the purifier of every
creature, latent and unseen inside each one. The wise speak of you as being
One, and then again as having triune forms and natures. They make their
offering to you, conceiving of you as having eight mouths.
The great Rishis affirm that you created this universe, O Devourer of the
havis, and that without you the universe would cease to exist in a day. By
worshipping you, Brahmanas, with their wives and children, attain to the
eternal realms that they have earned by their karma and punya on Earth.
O Agni, the knowing speak of you as being like thunderclouds in the sky
full of lightning. None can resist your flames, but are consumed.
Splendorous One, you created this Universe. The Vedas are your word.
Every creature, moving and unmoving, depends on you. Water depends on
you, as does the Universe.
All offerings of ghee, every ritual offering of food to the Pitrs, are
founded in you. O Deva, you are the devourer, you are the creator, and you
are as wise as Brihaspati. You are the twin Aswins; you are Surya; you are
Soma; you are Vayu.’
Eulogised by Mandapala, Agni became pleased with that Rishi of
measureless energy.
The Deva said to him, ‘What good can I do for you?’
With folded hands, Mandapala said to the conveyor of the havis, ‘When
you burn the Khandava vana, spare my children!’
Illustrious Agni replied, ‘Tathastu! So be it.’
So it was, O Rajan, that he did not consume the infant Sarngaka birds,
when he burnt down the Khandava vana.”
CANTO 232
aisampayana said, “When Agni blazed, licking up the Khandava, the

little birds were terrified and, not seeing any escape, began to
scream. Their helpless mother Jarita wept.
She cried, ‘Ah, the terrible inferno, which lights up the universe and
devours the forest, flares towards us. My children are newborn and have
neither feet not feathers with which to escape, and they are the only
salvation of our dead ancestors. The tallest trees are consumed like wisps of
straw and, licking up everything in his path with his great tongue of flame,
Agni spreads fear on every side.
Alas, neither my children nor I can escape. I cannot fly with them and
my heart will not allow me to leave them either: which of my sons shall I
leave and which shall I take with me? What is my dharma now? What do
you say, my little ones, what do you think? Oh, I will cover you with my
wings and we will perish together.
When your cruel father left me, he said, “Upon Jaritari, my eldest son,
shall my clan depend. My second Sarisrikka will beget children to further
our race. My third, Stambamitra will be a Sannyasi and my youngest Drona
will become the greatest of all knowers of the Veda.”
But now doom is upon us, my sons. Which of you shall I take with me?
What is my true dharma? I cannot see any way by which we will escape the
dreadful flames!’
And she wailed and lamented.
The infants spoke to their stricken mother, ‘Mother, sacrifice your love
for us and fly to a safe place. For even if we die here, you can still bear
other children. However, if you also die, that will be the end of our race.
Your dharma is towards our clan, so fly! Your clinging love for us can
destroy all of us and our hope, as well. But if you save yourself, our father,
who is always anxious to attain the realms of heaven, can still have what he
wishes for.’
Jarita said, ‘There is a mouse’s burrow in the ground near this tree. Go
down into this hole at once and you will not need to fear the fire. Once you
are inside, I will cover it with earth. I see no other way to save you from
raging Agni. When the fire subsides, I will come back and uncover the hole
again. You must do what I say if you are to save yourselves.’
The infant birds replied, ‘We have no feathers and are just four balls of
flesh. If we go into the hole, the mouse is sure to kill us. We, also, see no
way to escape, so that our father’s having begotten us might not be in vain,
and our mother might also find salvation. If we go down the hole, the
mouse will eat us; if we remain here, the sky-licking fire will consume us.
We prefer to die by fire rather than have the mouse eat us, for the first
death is noble and endorsed by the Sages, while the second is vile.’”
CANTO 233
aisampayana said, “Jarita listened to her sons and said, ‘The little
mouse came out from his hole and a hawk seized him in her talons
and bore him away. You have nothing to fear in the hole.’
The young ones replied, ‘We did not see the hawk take the mouse,
besides there might be other mice to fear in the burrow. As for the fire, it
might not come here at all, for we see the wind blowing away from this
place, bearing the flames with it.
Inside the hole, we will surely die, while here there is some chance of
escaping. Mother, it is better that we stay here. Your dharma is to escape,
since if you live on you can have other children.’
Their mother said, ‘Sons, I saw the great hawk swoop down and carry
the mouse away. While he flew, I flew behind and blessed him for having
taken the mouse from his hole.
I said, “King of hawks, you have taken our enemy the mouse away: may
you live in Swarga with a golden body and without an enemy!”
Later, when he had eaten the mouse, I returned here, taking his leave. So,
my children, enter the hole trustfully, you have nothing to fear. I saw the
hawk bear the mouse away and eat him.’
But the young ones said again, ‘Mother, we are not certain that the hawk
took the mouse. We cannot enter this hole in the ground.’
Their mother said, ‘I know for sure that the hawk ate the mouse. You
have nothing to fear, sons; go down into the hole.’
The young ones said again, ‘Mother, we do not say that you are lying to
send us down into the hole. For no one can be held responsible for what
they do when they are distraught. We have done nothing for you yet, why
are you so keen to save us, at such cost to yourself? What are we to you?
You are still young and beautiful, and you will find your husband again.
Go seek him out. He will beget more fine children on you. We will find
heavens of felicity if we die in the fire. However, if the fire does not
consume us, you can return to claim us.’
The mother bird anxiously left her sons in the Khandava vana and flew
away to safety. Agni rushed along, blazing ferociously, to where
Mandapala’s sons were. The little birds saw the flames approach, and now
the eldest of them, Jaritari, began to speak so that Agni heard him.”
CANTO 234
aisampayana said, “Jaritari said, ‘The wise person is aware of death;

when death comes, he feels no pangs. The deluded soul, who is not
heedful of death, succumbs to terror when death arrives and does not
find salvation.’
The second brother, Sarisrikka, said, ‘You are patient and wise; the time
has come when our lives are in danger. There is no doubt that only one
among many has wisdom and courage.’
The third brother, Stambamitra, said, ‘The eldest brother is the protector;
he will save us from danger. If he can do nothing, what can the younger
ones achieve?’
The fourth and the youngest, Drona, said, ‘Seven-mouthed and seven-
tongued, the voracious Fire God flares towards us, ablaze and licking up
everything in his path.’
Haying spoken thus to one another, Mandapala’s sons now hymned
Agni, with devotion. Listen, O King, to the praises they sang.
Jaritari said, ‘O Agni, you are the soul of air! You are the body of the
Earth’s plants! O Fire, water is your parent, just as you are the parent of
water! Resplendent one, your flames are like rays of the Sun, extending
above, below, behind and on every side!’
Sarisrikka said, ‘Smoke-bannered Deva, we do not see our mother and
we do not know our father. Our feathers have not sprouted yet. You are our
only refuge. O Agni, we are infants, protect us! O Agni, we are distraught,
protect us with your auspicious and gentle form; protect us with your seven
divine flames. We seek sanctuary in you.
O Agni, you are the only one who gives heat. Lord, only you lend heat to
the rays of Surya. We are infant Rishis, O Fire, save us. Havyavaha, bearer
of the sacrificial ghee, we beg you, turn away from this place and take
another path.’
Stambamitra said, ‘O Agni, you are all things. This whole universe is
established in you. You sustain every creature; you support the universe.
You bear the havis, and you are the sacred havis.
The wise know you as being one and many. You created the three
worlds, and when the time comes, you will destroy them, Havyavaha,
swelling forth in tides of flame. You are the cause of the universe, and you
are the essence into which the universe dissolves.’
Drona said, ‘Lord of the universe, growing stronger within the bodies of
living beings, you digest the food that they eat. So, everything is founded in
you. O Sukra, you from whose mouth the Vedas emerged, you assume the
form of the Sun and, evaporating and absorbing the waters of the Earth and
every other juice of life, you send them back as rain that makes all the
living grow.
From you, come these green plants and trees, and these vines. From you,
have come these lakes and pools, as well as the great and always blessed
Ocean. Fierce-rayed, our bodies depend on Varuna for life, and we cannot
bear your heat. Be our auspicious guardian, Agni, do not kill us!
Coppery-eyed Deva of the scarlet neck, who leave a black wake behind
you, burn along some other path, and save us just as the Sea might a house
built on his shore.’
When Drona, chanter of Brahman, spoke thus, Agni was pleased by
what he said. The Fire God remembered the promise he had made to
Mandapala, and said, ‘You are truly a Sage, Drona! For what you say is
Brahman. I will do as you ask. Never fear, because Mandapala has asked
me to spare his sons when I burn the vana. What he said and what you have
just said carries great weight with me. Tell me what to do, Brahmanottama,
for I am pleased indeed by your stuti. Be blest, Brahmana!’
Drona said, ‘O Sukra, look at these cats; they stalk us every day.
Hutasana, devour them in your flames, all their kind.’
Agni did what the Sarngakas asked him to. Janamejaya, he swelled in
tidal flames and consumed the Khandava vana.”
CANTO 235
aisampayana said, “O Kurusthama, the Rishi Mandapala was very

anxious about his sons, although he had spoken to Agni to spare their
lives.
He had no peace, and spoke thus to his second wife Lapita, ‘Lapita, my
children cannot walk or fly, how will they escape the fire as the wind fans
its flames into an inferno? Their poor mother will be terrified and grief-
stricken, when she finds that she can do nothing to save them. Ah, I can
hear her lament in my mind.
Oh, how is my son Jaritari? How are Sarisrikka, Stambamitra, Drona,
and how is their helpless mother?’
O Bharata, stung by jealousy, Lapita said to the sobbing Mandapala,
‘You need not worry about your sons, since you say they are all Rishis
endowed with great powers and energy. What do they have to fear from
fire? Besides, you spoke to Agni in my presence, and did the illustrious one
not promise to protect them?
Agni is one of the sovereigns of the universe; he would never lie. You
are not really anxious for your sons. I know that it is only because of Jarita
that you have no peace. I am sure that you have never loved me as you do
her. Oh, you so easily watch me suffer, but cannot bear to think of her in
pain, for she dwells in your heart.
Why don’t you go to Jarita, for whom your heart grieves so? As for me, I
will wander alone from now, as my punishment for having given myself to
a lustful, wayward man.’
Mandapala replied, ‘I am neither lustful nor wayward. I only roam the
Earth to beget sons. Even those that I have sired are in mortal danger, and
the evil man is he who casts away what he already has for the sake of what
he might acquire. The world disregards and insults him. I must go to my
children, and you can do as you please. This blazing fire that licks up the
greatest trees makes my heart quail and fills me with ominous thoughts.’
Meanwhile, after the fire had left the place where the little Sarngakas
were, Jarita flew back to her children. She found all of them safe and well.
Seeing their mother, they began to cry, and seeing them alive she wept as
well – tears of joy. One by one, she hugged her sons in her wings.
Just then, O Bharata, the Rishi Mandapala arrived there. None of his
sons showed any joy on seeing him. The Rishi spoke repeatedly to his sons
and their mother, lovingly, but none of them made any reply.
Mandapala said, ‘Which of these is my firstborn son, and who is second?
Who is born third and which one is the youngest? I speak to you in sorrow,
why don’t you answer me? It is true that I did leave you all, but I was not
happy where I went.’
Jarita said, ‘What is it to you which of these is the eldest, or which
second? What concern of yours is it who is third and who the youngest? Go
to Lapita of the sweet smiles, lush in her youth, to whom you went, finding
her better than me in all ways.’
Mandapala replied, ‘For women, nothing shatters their happiness as
when their husband marries a second wife, or when he takes a lover.
Nothing inflames rage and anxiety in a woman as these do.
Even the gentle and chaste Arundhati, celebrated through the worlds, is
intensely possessive of her husband, the great Vasishta, who is devoted to
her happiness. Why, such is her jealousy that she once insulted that wisest
of the Saptarishis, speaking harshly to him, and then she became a little star
amidst the Seven Sages of the sky, at times bright and at others dim, like
fire and smoke, and ominous.
I look only to you for children. Like Vasishta Muni, I never wronged
you. Yet, you insult me even as Arundhati did Vasishta of old, out of your
insane jealousy. Men ought never to trust women, not even their wives.
Only when they become mothers, do women serve their husbands.’
Hearing what their father said, his sons came forward, one by one, to
worship him, and he spoke kindly to them, reassuring them of his love.”
CANTO 236
aisampayana said, “Mandapala said to his sons, ‘I spoke to Agni to

protect you, and the blazing Deva gave me his word that he would
not harm you. It was only because of that, and knowing your mother
is virtuous, and also knowing the great tejas which is in you four, that I did
not come earlier.
My sons, do not keep bitterness in your hearts towards me. You are all
Rishis, and knowers of the Veda. Even great Agni knows you well.’
Having reassured them, the Brahmana Mandapala took his wife and
sons, and leaving that charred forest, went away to another land.
This is the tale of how Agni blazed forth, and with the help of Krishna
and Arjuna, devoured the Khandava vana, for the weal of the world. Having
drunk many rivers of fat and marrow, Agni is pleased, and appears again
before Arjuna.
Just then, Indra Purandara, surrounded by the Maruts, flies down from
the sky and says to Partha and Kesava, ‘No Deva could do what you both
have done. Ask me each for a boon that no man can otherwise have, for I
am pleased with you.’
Arjuna asks Indra for all his weapons, his astras. Sakra of untold
splendour says, ‘When illustrious Mahadeva becomes pleased with you,
Pandava, I will give you all my weapons. Kurusthama, I will know when
the time comes, and then for your stern tapasya you shall have all my astras
of fire and of wind.’
Krishna asks that his friendship with Arjuna be eternal, and the king of
the Devas grants that boon, and having given both those heroes what they
asked, and speaking gently to Agni Hutasana, as well, Indra ascends into
Swarga on high again, followed by the Maruts and the other celestials.
Gratified with his mighty feast, having burned the Khandava for fifteen
days, with all its denizens, birds, beasts and the rest, Agni is becalmed: he
blazes no more. Having gorged abundantly on the flesh of all those
creatures, the pleased Fire God says to Krishna and Arjuna,
‘Purushavyaghras, I am delighted with you. I bless you heroes that you will
be able to travel wherever you wish.’
Agni now vanishes, leaving Krishna, Arjuna and Mayaa Danava. Those
three wander along a little, then come to the banks of an enchanting river
and sit beside it.”
END OF ADI PARVA

THE COMPLETE
MAHABHARATA
Sabha Parva and Vana Parva (Part 1)
THE COMPLETE
MAHABHARATA
Sabha Parva and Vana Parva (Part 1)
RAMESH MENON
PUBLICATIONS INDIA
First published in 2011 by
Rupa Publications India Pvt. Ltd.
New Delhi 110002
Sales centres:
Kolkata Mumbai
Copyright © Ramesh Menon 2011
The views and opinions expressed in this book are the author’s own and
the facts are as reported by him/her which have been verified to the extent
possible, and the publishers are not in any way liable for the same.
This digital edition published in 2012
Ramesh Menon asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of

this work.
e-ISBN:

This e-book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of
trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated,
without the publisher’s prior consent, in any form or cover other than that in
which it is published. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form or by any means,
whether electronic, mechanical, print reproduction, recording or otherwise,
without the prior permission of the publisher. Any unauthorized distribution
of this e-book may be considered a direct infringement of copyright and
those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
For Geetha Menon
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
SABHA PARVA
Canto 1-4: Sabhakriya Parva
Canto 5-13: Lokapala Sabhakhyana Parva
Canto 14-19: Rajasuyarambha Parva
Canto 20-24: Jarasandha-vadha Parva
Canto 25-31: Digvijaya Parva
Canto 32-34: Rajasuyika Parva
Canto 35-38: Arghyaharana Parva
Canto 39-44: Sisupala-vadha Parva
Canto 45-80: Dyuta Parva
VANA PARVA (PART I)

CANTO 1-36: Aranyaka Parva
CANTO 37: Arjunabhigamana Parva
CANTO 38-41: Kairata Parva
CANTO 42-51: Indralokabhigamana Parva
CANTO 52-79: Nalopakhyana Parva
CANTO 80-154: Tirtha-yatra Parva

Indian.
supported by our publisher Rupa & Co, undertook a line-by-line retelling of
the complete Mahabharata, for the contemporary and future reader. Our aim
has not been to write a scholarly translation of the Great Epic, but an
eminently readable one, without vitiating either the spirit or the poetry of
the original, and without reducing its length.
Ramesh Menon
Series Editor
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Jayashree Kumar and Kadambari Mishra edited and proofread this volume
of the Mahabharata. I am most grateful to them for their fine, painstaking
work.
SABHA PARVA
CANTO 1
SABHAKRIYA PARVA
UM I bow down to Narayana, and Nara, the most exalted Purusha, and
also to the Devi Saraswati, and utter the word Jaya.
Vaisampayana said, "Then, in Vasudeva's presence, Mayaa Danava
worships Arjuna and, hands folded, says repeatedly to him, and feelingly,
'Kaunteya, you have saved me from this Krishna in spate and from Agni
Pavaka, who wanted to consume me. Say what I can do for you.'
Arjuna says, 'Great Asura, even by asking, you have already done
everything. May you be blessed. Go wherever you please. Be kindly and
well-disposed towards me, just as I am towards you!'
Mayaa says, 'Purusharishabha, what you say is worthy of you, exalted
one. But Bhaarata, I am keen to do something for you, in joy. I am a great
artist, a Viswakarman among the Danavas. Pandava, being so, I want to do
something for you.'
Arjuna says, 'Sinless one, you think that I have saved you from death.
Even if this is true, I cannot ask you to do anything for me. However, I do
not want to refuse what you ask. Do something for Krishna; that will be
enough to requite what I did for you."
Vaisampayana said, "Then, Bharatarishabha, urged by Mayaa, Krishna
thinks for a moment about what he should ask Mayaa to do for him. Having
reflected, Krishna, Lord of the Universe, Creator of everything, says to
Mayaa, 'Build a palatial sabha, as you choose, O son of Diti, O best among
all artists, for Yudhishtira Dharmaputra. Indeed, build such a palace that no
one in this world of men will be able to imitate it even after the closest
inspection, within and without. O Mayaa, build a mansion in which we
might see a blend of Deva, Asura and Manava styles.'
Mayaa becomes exceedingly pleased, and readily agrees to build a
magnificent palace for the Pandava, one truly like a palace of the Devas.
Returning, telling Yudhishtira everything that has transpired, Krishna and
Arjuna bring Mayaa to him. Yudhishtira receives Mayaa respectfully,
offering him the honour he deserves. Mayaa receives that honour,
graciously, and holds it in high regard.
O King of the Bhaaratavamsa, that great son of Diti narrates for the
Pandavas the legend of the Danava Vrishaparva. Then, after he rests awhile,
that greatest of artists, after deep thought and careful planning, sets about
building a great palace for the illustrious Pandavas.
In accordance with the wishes of both Krishna and Pritha's son, the
Danava of untold prowess, on an auspicious day, performs the propitiatory
rituals of laying the foundation. He also pleases thousands of learned
Brahmanas with sweetened milk and rice, and with rich gifts of many kinds,
then measures out a plot of land, five thousand cubits square, enchanting
and beautiful, and suitable for building an edifice which would withstand
every season's exigencies."
CANTO 2
SABHAKRIYA PARVA CONTINUED
aisampayana said, "One day, when he had lived in Khandavaprastha

for a while, happily, looked after with great love and affection by the
Pandavas, Krishna, who is worthy of all worship, wants to see his father. He
of the large eyes, who is due the worship of the universe, folds his hands to
Yudhishtira and to Kunti, and lays his head at the feet of Kunti, who is his
father's sister. So adored by Krishna, Pritha sniffs the top of his head and
embraces him. Krishna, illustrious Hrishikesa, his eyes now filling, goes to
his sister Subhadra, lovingly, and speaks to her – words true and excellent,
succinct and apposite, and laden with goodness. The sweetly-spoken
Subhadra, in turn, worships him repeatedly, her head bowed, and gives him
many messages for her kinsfolk in her fathers home.
Bidding farewell to her, blessing her, now Vaarshaneya comes to
Draupadi and Dhaumya. The Purushottama pays obeisance to Dhaumya
and, comforting Panchali, takes leave of her to depart. Then, mighty, wise
Krishna, with Arjuna beside him, goes to his cousins. Surrounded by the
five brothers, he is as radiant as Indra among the Devas.
He who flies Garuda upon his banner now wants to perform the rituals
undertaken before leaving on a journey and, purifying himself with a bath,
puts on fine clothes and ornaments. The Yadavapungava, bull of the race of
Yadu, worships the Devas and Brahmanas with garlands of flowers,
mantras, prostrations, and with fine perfumes.
When these are done, he, that best of the good and the steadfast, actually
thinks of setting out. Krishna now emerges from the inner apartment and,
coming out to the outer apartments, he offers Brahmanas, worthy of
worship, vessels of curd, fruit and aval, parched-grain, making them bless
him copiously. He gives them rich gifts, and walks around them in
pradakshina. Finally, climbing into his exceptional golden chariot, of
blinding speed, which flies the flag of Tarkhya Garuda and is laden with his
mace, discus, sword, his bow Saringa and other weapons, and is yoked to
his horses Shaibya and Sugriva, the lotus-eyed one goes forth at a most
auspicious moment, on a fine lunar day, during a propitious conjunction of
the stars above.
Out of love, Yudhishtira climbs into that chariot after Krishna and,
asking Daruka the sarathy to sit aside, takes the reins himself. Arjuna, also,
of long arms, rides in that ratha; he walks around Krishna and fans him with
a golden-handled, white, silken chamara whisk. Mighty Bhimasena, with
the twins, Nakula and Sahadeva, and all the priests and the people of the
city, follow behind Krishna's chariot. Kesava Krishna glows like a great
Guru being followed by his favourite sishyas.
Then, Govinda embraces Arjuna tightly, speaks to him, pays homage to
Yudhishtira and Bhima, and embraces the twins. He is embraced in return
by the three older Pandavas, while the twins salute him reverently. When
they have gone half a yojana, Krishna, subduer of hostile cities, respectfully
asks Yudhishtira not to follow him anymore. Knower of every nuance of
karma, Govinda now humbly worships Yudhishtira and clasps his feet.
Yudhishtira quickly raises him up and sniffs the top of his head with love.
When he has raised up the lotus-eyed Krishna, Yudhishthira Dharmaraja,
son of Pandu, gives him permission to leave, saying, Svasti! Krishna bids
them kind farewell, promising to return soon. With difficulty, he keeps them
from following him any further on foot, and then sets out for his home,
Dwaraka, with joy in his heart, even like Indra returning to Amaravati.
From their intense love for him, the Pandavas stand gazing at Krishna's
chariot for as long as they can see it; later their hearts follow him,
unsatisfied, when he is out of sight. Finally, Pritha's sons, those bulls among
men, minds still fixed on Krishna, turn back to their city, unwillingly.
Krishna swiftly reaches Dwaraka in his chariot, with the heroic Satyaki
following him. Devaki's son, Sauri, with his charioteer Daruka, flies as
swiftly as Garuda to Dwaraka.
Meanwhile, Yudhishthira, with his brothers and friends, re-enters his
splendid capital. That tiger among men dismisses all his relatives, brothers
and sons, and seeks to comfort himself in Draupadi's company. Krishna,
received with worship by the greatest Yadavas, including Ugrasena, happily
enters magnificent Dwaraka. He worships his father, who is old now, and
his radiant and gracious mother. He salutes his brother Baladeva, and then
the lotus-eyed one sits down. Finally, embracing Pradyumna, Shamba,
Nishatha, Charudeshna, Gada, Aniruddha and Bhanu, his sons and
grandsons, Krishna goes in to Rukmini's apartment."
CANTO 3
aisampayana said, "Mayaa Danava says to Arjuna, best of warriors,

'With your leave I must go now, but I will return soon. Upon the
northern peak of Kailasa, near the Mainaka Mountains, once while the
Danavas performed a great sacrifice on the banks of the Bindusaras, lake of
waterdrops, I collected a treasure of varied jewels and gemstones, past
compare. This I stored in the palace of Vrishaparva, ever devoted to
dharma. If that treasure still exists, Bhaarata, I will bring it back, and then
begin building the magnificent sabha of the Pandavas, which I will
embellish with every manner of rare, precious jewel, so it shall be
celebrated the world over.
Also, Kurunandana, I believe there is a great and fierce mace which the
Danava king kept beneath the surface of the Bindusaras after slaughtering
his enemies with it. It is mighty and heavy, studded with golden knobs,
capable of savaging armies, and equal to a hundred thousand other maces.
As the Gandiva for you, this mace is a worthy weapon for Bhima. Also, in
the lake is a powerful conch-shell, the reverberant Devadatta, which was
once Varuna's. I want to bring all these for you.'
So saying, to Partha, the Asura goes from Khandavaprastha towards the
north-east. North of Kailasa, amidst the mountains of Mainaka, is a massive
peak of gems and jewels called Hiranyashringa. Next to that sparkling
massif is the enchanting lake called Bindu. Upon the banks of the Bindu,
long ago, King Bhagiratha sat in intense penance, for countless years,
wanting to invoke the Devi Ganga; indeed, she is called Bhagirathi in the
world, after that king.
There, upon the banks of that sacred lake, Indra, irradiant lord of all
created things, Bhaaratottama, once performed a hundred mahayagnas. He
erected for their beauty, and not because it was ordained, yupastambhas,
sacrificial stakes, made entirely of gold and encrusted with precious jewels.
When he finished the hundred sacrifices, Indra, Lord of Sachi, had what he
wanted.
There, too, the fierce Siva Mahadeva, eternal Lord of every creature,
dwelt, when he had created all the worlds, and is worshipped by thousands
of ganas. There, indeed, Nara and Narayana, Brahma and Yama and Sthanu,
being the fifth, perform their profound sacrifices when a thousand yugas
come to an end. There, to establish punya and dharma, Vasudeva devoutly
performed his sacrifices which lasted countless years. Tens of thousands of
stambhas, embellished with golden garlands and vedis, altars of shimmering
splendour, Kesava set there.
Arriving in that place, Bhaarata, Mayaa retrieves the great sankha and
the other crystalline and invaluable possessions of King Vrishaparva. The
great Asura Mayaa takes Vrishaparva's entire hoard, guarded by Yakshas
and Rakshasas, fetches it back to Khandavaprastha and there builds for the
Pandavas a palace of incomparable loveliness, of unearthly craft, copiously
encrusted with precious stones, which becomes renowned throughout the
three worlds.
He gives Bhimasena that best of maces, and to Arjuna the exceptional
conch, at whose sound all living creatures tremble. The palace which
Mayaa builds has golden columns and is spread over full five thousand
cubits of land. It shines for leagues around, so it seems to dim even the
lustre of the Sun, and it is like the palace of Agni, Surya or Soma. Its
radiance, which is a mixture of Heaven's light and this Earth's, is such that
the edifice appears to be on fire.
Even like a bank of new clouds appearing in the sky, Mayaa's palace
rises from the ground. The palace that Mayaa of untold genius built is
fascinating; it is enchanting, built only with the rarest, most exquisite
materials, with golden walls and arches, with the most beautiful paintings
and hangings; why, it has been said that it excels the Sudharma of the race
of Dasarhas, even the palace of Brahma himself.
Eight thousand Rakshasas, called Kinkaras, fierce, with powerful bodies,
blessed with untold strength, red eyes, ears pointed like arrowheads, well-
armed and who can fly through the air, guard the Mayaa sabha.
Inside the palace, Mayaa sets a lucid tank, in which he has lotuses,
whose leaves are dark jewels and whose stalks are of clusters of bright
gemstones, and other flowers with leaves of gold. Various waterbirds swim
and frolic upon its water. Other resplendent lotuses adorn the tank, and
golden fish and tortoises swim in it, and it is clear right to its bottom, where
there is no trace of mud; its water is transparent like glass. A flight of
crystal steps leads down to the water from its banks, which ripp'e in the
gentle breezes that make the flowers quiver.
The banks of that tank are paved with slabs of priceless marble, set with
pearls, and it is told that many a king who comes to the banks of the water
mistakes it for solid ground and falls in.
Diverse lofty, great trees are planted all around the palace, verdant, their
shade cool, and perennially in bloom, casting a spell of charm all around
them. Mayaa creates artificial woods of scented trees, ever fragrant.
Countless pools and tanks dot the great gardens, upon which chakravakas
and karandavas swim. The breeze which wafts the fragrance of the lotuses
that grow upon those waters, as well as of other flowers on land and tree,
add to the joy of the Pandavas.
Mayaa builds the palatial sabha in fourteen months, and informs
Yudhishtira that it is complete."
CANTO 4
aisampayana said, "Yudhishtira, best among men, feeds ten thousand

Brahmanas payasa of sweetened milk and rice, mixed with ghee;
honey mixed with fruit and roots; and with pork and venison. He pleases
those holy ones, who have come from various lands, far and near, with
delicacies seasoned with seasamum, prepared with rare vegetables called
jivanti, rice mixed with clarified butter, and many different meat
preparations, indeed with countless dishes, and every manner of fine drink.
He gives them the most excellent robes and other garments, and fine
garlands of flowers. The king gives them each a thousand cows, O
Bhaarata, and the voices of the gratified Brahmanas can be heard saying,
'What an auspicious day is this!' so loudly, all together, that what they say
seems to resound even in heaven.
Finally, having worshipped the Gods, with music and song, with many
kinds of rare and wonderful perfumes and incense, the Kuru king enters the
great sabha, where athletes, mimes, wrestlers, bards and panegyrists begin
to perform, in turns, to please Dharma's illustrious son, with their skills and
art. Thus, celebrating their entry into the unparalleled edifice, Yudhishtira
and his brothers take their delight within like Indra himself in Swarga.
Upon fine seats within that sabha, great Rishis and kings from other
countries sit with the Pandavas. Asita and Devala are there; Satya,
Sarpamali and Mahasira; Arvavasu, Sumitra, Maitreya, Sunaka and Bali;
Baka, Dalvya, Sthulasira, Krishna Dwaipayana, and Suka Sumanta, Jaimini,
Paila, and we the disciples of Vyasa - Tittiri, Yajnavalkya, and
Lomaharshana with his son; Apsuhomya, Dhaumya; Animandavya, and
Kausika are present, as are Damoshnisha and Traivali, Parnada, and
Barayanaka, Maunjayana, Vayubhaksha, Parasarya, and Sarika; Balivaka,
Silivaka, Satyapala, and Kritasrama; Jatukarna, and Sikhavat, Alamba and
Parijataka; the lofty Parvata, and the great Muni Markandeya; Pavitrapani,
Savarna, Bhaluki, and Galava; Janghabandhu, Raibhya, Kopavega, and
Bhrigu; Haribabhru, Kaundinya, Babhrumali, and Sanatana, Kakshivat, and
Ashija, Nachiketa, Aushija, and Gautama; Painga, Varaha, Sunaka, and
Sandilya of great tapasya and punya; Kukkura, Venujangha, Kalapa and
Katha - these learned and virtuous Sages, senses and minds completely
controlled, and many others, as numerous as the above, all masters of the
Vedas and Vedangas, knowers of the laws of dharma, pure, taintless in
conduct, all attend upon Yudhishtira Dharmaputra and delight him with
their sacred discourses.
So, too, many great Kshatriyas are present in the splendent Mayaa sabha
- the illustrious and virtuous Munjaketu, Vivardhana, Sangramjit,
Durmukha, the powerful Ugrasena; Kakshasena, great lord of the world,
Kshemaka the invincible; Kamatha, the king of Kamboja, and the mighty
Kampana who alone made the Yavanas to ever tremble, at mere mention of
his name, even as the Vajradhari does the Asuras known as the Kalakeyas;
Jatasura, and the king of the Madrakas, Kunti, Pulinda the king of the
Kiratas, and the kings of Anga and Vanga, and Pandrya, and the king of
Udhara, and Andhaka; Sumitra, and Shaibya Parantapa; Sumanas the king
of the Kiratas, and Chanur king of the Yavanas, Devarata, Bhoja, and
Bhimaratha, Srutayudha the king of Kalinga, Jayasena the king of
Magadha; Sukarman, Chekitana, and Puru that scourge of his enemies;
Ketumata, Vasudana, and Vaideha and Kritakshana; Sudharman, Aniruddha,
Srutayu of vast strength; the invincible Anuparaja, the handsome Karmajit;
Sisupala with his son, the king of Karusha; and the invincible princes of the
Vrishni race, all as handsome as Devas - Ahuka, Viprithu, Gada, Sarana,
Akrura, Kritavarman, Satyaka, the son of Sini; and Bhismaka, Ankriti, and
the powerful Dyumatsena; those greatest of bowmen, the Kaikeyas; and
Yagnasena of the Somaka race.
All these Kshatriyas of untold prowess and might, vastly wealthy and
well-armed, as well as many others, wait upon Kunti's son Yudhishtira in
that sabha, all of them keen to minister to his happiness.
Other great Kshatriya princes, who have put on deer-skin, and who
learnt the astra shastra, the science of weapons under Arjuna, attend humbly
on Yudhishtira. O Rajan, the princes of the house of Vrishni as well -
Pradyumna and Samba, and Satyaki, Yuyudhana, Sudharman, Aniruddha
and Saibya, best of men, and many other kings of the Earth, too, Lord of the
World, wait upon Yudhishtira.
Dhananjaya's friend Tumburu the Gandharva, as well as Chitrasena, with
his Gandharva ministers, and many other Gandharvas and Apsaras, all
skilled at music, song and dance, as also Kinnaras, masters of music, sing
unearthly songs, perfectly, in beautiful voices, playing on unworldly
instruments, for the pleasure of Yudhishtira, his brothers and the Rishis who
grace that sabha.
Truly, sitting in that great court, all these mighty heroes,
Purusharishabhas of stern vows, men of unwavering dharma, wait upon
Yudhishtira, even as the gods in heaven do upon Brahma."
CANTO 5
LOKAPALA SABHAKHYANA PARVA
aisampayana said, "While the splendid Pandavas sit in that sabha with
the great Gandharvas, O Bhaarata, the Devarishi Narada arrives in that
assembly, he who is a master of the Vedas and the Upanishads, he whom
the Devas worship, he who knows the Itihasas and Puranas, why, who
knows and is witness to all the Kalpas, who knows nyaya, logic, and the
great and subtle truths of dharma, who knows exhaustively the six Angas.1
He is an unequalled master at reconciling apparently conflicting texts,
and applying general principles to specific practical instances, as in
interpreting contraries by reference to situational differences. Eloquent is
Narada Muni, resolute, intelligent, and he has a powerful memory. He
knows the science of morals and politics; he is profoundly learned, skilled
at distinguishing inferior things from superior ones, at drawing unerring
inference from evidence, competent to judge the correctness or
fallaciousness of syllogisms consisting of five propositions.
Indeed, he can successfully debate with Brihaspati himself, with fine and
decisive conclusions, accurately framed - about dharma, artha, kama and
moksha; a Mahatman he is, and sees the entire universe, on every side,
above and below and all around, even as if it is before his very eyes.
He is a master of both Sankhya and Yoga,2 and he is always eager to
humble both the Devas and the Asuras by stoking subtle dissention between
them. He knows thoroughly the sciences of war and treaty, is a master at
judging matters not within immediate ken, or obvious, as well as the six
sciences of treaty, war, military campaigns, maintenance of posts against the
enemy, and stratagems of ambuscades and reserves. Why, he is a perfect
master of every branch of learning, fond of war and of music, would never
shrink from any science or any deed; and possesses not just these but
countless other accomplishments.
Having ranged many other worlds, Narada Muni arrives in Yudhishtira's
sabha. And the Devarishi, his splendour incomparable, his tejas
immeasurable, comes, O King, with Parijata, Raivata the brilliant, Saumya
and Sumukha. Swifter than the wind does he arrive there, flying by Rishi
patha, and is full of joy to see the Pandavas.
The Brahmana pays homage to Yudhishtira, by uttering blessings over
him and wishing him success in every undertaking. Seeing the wise Narada,
Yudhishtira, knower of every nuance of dharma, rises quickly from his
throne, and his brothers as well. Bowing low, humbly, that king salutes the
Muni, in delight, and offers him a lofty seat, with due ceremony. The
Pandava king also offers him cows and arghya, honey and the other
customary offerings. He adores Narada with gifts of gemstones and jewels,
his heart full of joy. Receiving all this worship, appropriately, the Rishi is
pleased.
When the Pandavas and the other Sages there have all worshipped him,
Narada, who knows the Vedas perfectly, speaks thus to Yudhishtira about
dharma, artha, kama and moksha.
Narada says, 'Is the wealth that you earn being spent righteously? Does
your heart take pleasure in dharma? Do you also enjoy the pleasures of life?
But does your mind sink under their weight? Lord of Men, do you continue
the noble tradition of dharma and artha by which your sires lived and ruled
the three kinds of subjects, the good, the middling and the evil? You must
never wound dharma for the sake of artha, and never dharma and artha for
the sake of kama, which so easily seduces.
Best of victorious men, always devoted to dharma, knower of the
timeliness of all things, do you divide your time judiciously between
dharma, artha, kama and the pursuit of moksha? Anagha, sinless, with the
six gunas of kings,3 do you attend to the seven ways which kings use to
rule?4 Do you, after carefully considering the strengths and weaknesses of
yourself and your enemies, scrutinise the fourteen possessions of your foe -
their country, forts, chariots, elephants, cavalry, foot-soldiers, the principal
officials of state, the harem, store of food, their army's wealth, the religious
beliefs of their soldiers, their accounts of state, their revenue, the wine-
shops and other secret enemies?
Having examined, best of kings, your own resources and your enemy's,
and having struck peace with him, then do you attend assiduously to the
eight everyday occupations – agriculture, trade and the rest? I hope,
Bharatarishabha, that your seven principal officers of state,5 have not
succumbed to the influence or blandishments of your enemies, or become
idle and complacent because of their wealth? I trust they are all loyal and
obedient to you?
I hope your secret counsels are never divulged by yourself or your
ministers, or by your trusted spies who go disguised? I hope you are aware
of what your friends and your enemies are engaged in? Do you strike peace
and make war, each in its proper time? Are you neutral towards those who
are neutral towards you? Kshatriya, have you made men like yourself, and
old and sage, the restrained and continent, those who know what should and
not be done, who are pure of blood and birth, and also devoted to you, your
ministers?
Bhaarata, the victories of kings are attributed to sage counsel. Child, is
your kingdom protected by ministers who know the Shastras, and who keep
their counsel to you close? Are your enemies helpless to harm you? You
have not, I hope, fallen victim to sleep? Do you wake up at the proper time?
Knowing what yields artha, do you consider in the small hours what you
should and should not do the next day?
I hope you neither take decisions by yourself nor consult with too many
advisors. Do the secret decisions you take become known across the
kingdom? Do you swiftly undertake such tasks, which are of great use and
easy to accomplish? Are these measures never obstructed? You do not keep
your farmers out of your sight? Do you achieve your purposes through
agents who are experienced, incorruptible and trustworthy? Mighty King, I
trust that the people only know about your undertakings that have already
been accomplished, those that have been begun, and those that are partially
completed, but nothing of those that are only being contemplated and have
not been begun.
Have you appointed seasoned masters, men who can explain the roots of
events, and who know dharma and every branch of knowledge, to instruct
your princes and the commanders of your army? You must buy one learned
man in place of a thousand fools. It is the learned man who provides
comfort in times of distress.
Are your fortresses always stocked amply with gold, food, weapons,
water, engines of war, arms and other tools, as with engineers and bowmen?
Even one intelligent, brave minister, whose passions are under perfect
control, and who has wisdom and judgement, can bring a king or the son of
a king the highest prosperity. I ask you, do you have at least a single such
minister?
Do you seek to know everything about the eighteen tirthas6 of your
enemy and the fifteen which are your own, through thirty and three spies,
all of whom who must not know one another? Parantapa, do you watch
your enemies vigilantly, and without their knowledge?
Is the priest whom you worship humble, pure in blood, renowned, and
without either envy or illiberality? Have you engaged a Brahmana of
faultless conduct, intelligence, and guileless, as well as thorough in the
laws, to perform your daily rituals before the sacred agni? Does he inform
you at the proper time when a homa needs to be performed?
Is your astrologer skilled at reading physiognomy, interpreting omens,
and competent to neutralise disturbances of nature? Have you engaged
respectable servants to serve in respectable offices, indifferent ones in
indifferent offices, and lowly ones in offices that are low? Have you
appointed loyal, honest ministers, men born into bloodlines which are pure,
superior and noble for generations?
You do not, surely, oppress your people with harsh and cruel
punishments? Bharatarishabha, do your ministers rule the kingdom in
accordance with your dictates? Do your ministers ever slight you like
sacrificial priests slighting men who have fallen and can perform no more
sacrifices, or like wives slighting husbands who are haughty and incontinent
in their behaviour?
Is your Senapati confident, brave, intelligent, patient, of good conduct
and noble birth, devoted to you, and able? Do you treat the chief
commanders of your army with utmost consideration and regard? Are they
men skilled in every kind of warfare, bold, well-behaved, and endowed
with prowess? Do you give your soldiers their sanctioned rations and wages
at the appointed time? You do not trouble them by withholding these? You
do know that, when troops are plunged in misery by receiving irregular or
insufficient wages and rations, they are driven to mutiny, which the wise
regard as among the most dangerous harms in a kingdom?
Are all the main noblemen devoted to you, and ready to lay down their
lives, cheerfully, in battle for you? I hope that you do not allow any one
man, of unrestrained passions, to rule many aspects of military concern,
pertaining to your army.
Do you have any excellent servants, especially accomplished and of
exceptional ability, who are disgruntled about not receiving some extra
remuneration from you, as well as some more regard? I hope that you
reward men of learning, humility, and mastery over every branch of
knowledge with gifts and honour appropriate to their merit?
Bharatarishabha, I trust that you support the wives and children of men who
have laid down their lives for you?
Son of Pritha, do you cherish with a father's affection the enemy whom
you have weakened or vanquished in battle, and the one who has sought
refuge in you? Lord of the Earth, are you equal to all men? Can anyone
approach you without fear, even as if you were their mother and father?
O Bull of the race of Bhaarata, do you march against your enemy,
immediately, having thought well about the three kinds of forces,7 when
you hear he is weak? Subduer of all your enemies, do you go forth, when
the right time comes, having carefully considered all the omens you see, the
resolutions you have made, and that final victory depends upon the twelve
mandalas?8 Parantapa, do you give gems and jewels to the main officers of
the enemy, as they deserve, without your enemy's knowledge?
Son of Pritha, do you seek to conquer your inflamed enemies, slaves to
passion, only after having first conquered your own mind and mastered
your own senses? Before actually going to war against your enemy, do you
correctly use the four arts of conciliation - with gifts, by creating dissent,
with coercion, and only then with force? O King, do you march against
your enemy only after first strengthening your own kingdom? And once
having set out against them, do you then exert yourself to the utmost to
triumph? Having conquered them, do you then protect them with every
care?
Does your army comprise the four kinds of forces — the regular
soldiers, allies, the irregulars and the mercenaries? Is each of these
furnished with the eight necessities for war - chariots, elephants, horses,
officers, infantry, camp-followers, spies who have a thorough knowledge of
the country, and ensigns led out against your enemies after being well
trained by superior officers?
Parantapa, I hope you kill your enemies, Great King, without regard for
their seasons of harvest or famine? Rajan, I hope your servants and agents,
in your own kingdom and in those of your enemies, attend diligently to
their duties and watch over one another.
O King, I hope you employ trusted servants to look after your food, the
clothes you wear, and the perfumes you use. I hope your treasury, barns,
stables, arsenals, and women's apartments are all protected by servants
devoted to you, and always seeking your welfare. I trust that you first
protect yourself from your domestic and public servants, and then from the
servants of your relatives; and then your servants from the servants of these
others.
Do your servants ever speak to you, in the forenoon, about your
extravagant spending on wine, sport, food and women? Are your expenses
always covered by a fourth, a third or at least half of your income? Do you
look after your relatives, superiors, merchants, the old and other
dependants, and those in distress with gold and with food?
Do your clerks and accountants come to you during the mornings, every
day, and inform you of your daily income and expenditure? Do you ever
dismiss, for no fault, servants who are good at their work, popular and
devoted to you? Bhaarata, do you employ superior, average and lowly men,
after examining them thoroughly, in offices they deserve?
Rajan, do you employ men who are thievish, or susceptible to
temptation, who are hostile to you, or minors? Do you oppress your
kingdom with thieves, greedy men, minors or with women?
Are the agriculturists in your kingdom contented? Have you caused large
tanks and lakes to be created at fair intervals, throughout your lands, so that
your farmers are never entirely dependent on the rains from heaven? Are
the farmers in your kingdom wanting in seed or in food? Do you give loans
generously to the tillers of the land, taking from them just a fourth of their
produce in excess of each hundred measure?
Child, are the four professions of agriculture, trade, cattle-rearing, and
money-lending for interest conducted by honest men? For the happiness of
your people depends on these. Rajan, do the five brave and wise men -
those who watch over the city and the citadel, the merchants and the
farmers, and those who punish criminals – always benefit your kingdom by
working unitedly and closely with one another?
To protect your city, have your villages been made like towns, the
hamlets and the outskirts of villages, like villages? Are all these entirely
under your sway? If thieves and robbers sack a town, do your police hunt
them through the flat and difficult parts of your kingdom?
Do you comfort the women in your kingdom and protect them? I hope
that you never place any confidence in them, nor divulge any secret to
them? O King, having heard of danger threatening, do you, after thinking
deeply on it, still lie in your inner chambers enjoying every desirable
object?
Having slept through the second and third yaamas of the night, do you
lie awake during the fourth division of night, reflecting on dharma and
artha? Pandava, do you rise from bed at the proper time, clothe yourself
royally, show yourself to your people with ministers, who know which
times are auspicious and which otherwise? Bane of all enemies, do men
wearing red, armed with swords and adorned with ornaments stand beside
you to guard your person?
Rajan, are you like Dharma Deva himself to those deserving
chastisement, and to those that deserve worship, to those whom you love, as
well as to those whom you do not care for? Son of Pritha, do you seek to
cure yourself of bodily sickness with medicines and by fasting, and mental
afflictions with the advice of the old and the wise? I trust that your personal
physicians are well versed in the eight kinds of treatment and that all of
them are attached and devoted to you.
Does it ever transpire, O King, that, from pride, folly or greed, you fail
to decide between a plaintiff and a defendant who come to you? From
covetousness or neglect, do you ever deprive your dependants of their
welfare or pensions, those who have sought refuge in you from love or in
trust?
Do the people who live in your realm, having been bought by your
enemies and uniting against you, ever seek to oppose or raise dispute with
you? Do you suppress your weaker enemies with stronger troops and wise
counsel? Are all the main chieftains in your lands loyal to you? Are they
ready to lay down their lives for you, at your command?
Do you worship Brahmanas and Rishis according to their proficiency at
the various branches of learning? I say to you, such reverence is of the
highest benefit to you, beyond any doubt. Have you faith in the dharma
based on the three Vedas, which was practised by men who lived before
you? Do you meticulously follow the precepts by which they lived?
Do you entertain accomplished Brahmanas in your home, with fine food,
and give them rich gifts when these feasts conclude? Passions perfectly
controlled, with undivided mind, do you strive to perform the Vajapeya and
Pundarika yagnas, with their entire complement of rituals? Do you worship
your relatives and superiors, the elderly, the Devas, Rishis, Brahmanas, and
the lofty nyagrodhas which stand in villages and bless the people in so
many ways?
Sinless one, do you cause anger or grief to anyone? Do priests who are
able to bestow auspicious fruit upon you always stand at your side?
Anagha, are all your purposes and practices such as I have described, which
inexorably increase the span of your life and spread your fame, and also
further the cause of dharma, artha and kama? He who conducts himself
thus, never finds his kingdom in distress or afflicted, and that king subdues
the whole world and enjoys great felicity.
Rajan, I hope that no man of good conduct, who is pure and respected, is
ever ruined or has his life taken, on a false charge or through theft, by your
ministers, either because they are ignorant of the Shastras or out of their
greed? Purusharishabha, I trust that your ministers, from greed, never free a
real thief, having caught him red-handed with his booty? O Bhaarata, I hope
that your ministers can never be bought with bribes, and that they never
decide unjustly in disputes between the rich and the poor?
Do you keep yourself free from the fourteen vices of kings – atheism,
untruthfulness, anger, carelessness, procrastination, not visiting the wise,
idleness, restlessness of mind, taking counsel with only one man, consulting
men unacquainted with the craft of artha, abandoning a project decided
upon, disclosure of secrets, not accomplishing beneficial projects, and
acting without reflection? These ruin even the most well established
sovereign.
Have your study of the Veda, your wealth, your knowledge of the
Shastras, and your marriage proved fruitful?'
When the Rishi finishes, Yudhishtira asks, 'How, O Muni, do the Vedas,
wealth, one's wife, and knowledge of the Shastras bear fruit?'
The Sage replies, "The Vedas bear fruit when he who has studied them
performs the Agnihotra and other sacrifices. Wealth is said to bear fruit
when he who has it enjoys it himself and also gives it away in charity. A
wife proves fruitful when she is useful and when she bears children.
Knowledge of the Shastras bears fruit when it results in humility and good
behaviour.'
Having thus answered Yudhishtira, Mahamuni Narada asks that
righteous king, 'Do your officers of government, who are paid from the
taxes levied on the people, take only their just dues from merchants who
come from distant lands to your kingdom, impelled by the desire to make
profit? Are these Vaisyas, O King, treated with kindness in your capital and
kingdom? Are they able to bring their merchandise here without being
cheated either by the buyers or the officials of your government?
O Monarch, do you always listen to the wise and righteous words of old
men who know the profound doctrines of artha? Do you make the offerings
of honey and clarified butter to Brahmanas, which make the harvest
bounteous, swell the numbers of kine in the kingdom, yield an abundance
of fruit and flowers, and increase virtue as well?
Do you always give the artists and artisans whom you engage, the
materials they need and their wages, for not more than four months
together? Do you inspect their work and praise them before good men, and
also reward and honour them?
Bharatarishabha, do you live by the precepts and aphorisms of the
Rishis, and particularly with regard to matters relating to elephants, horses
and chariots? Are the sayings which relate to the science of arms, also those
about the engines of war, so useful in towns and fortresses, studied in your
court?
Sinless, do you know the arcane mantras and all about the poisons which
can kill your enemies? Do you protect your kingdom from fear of fire,
serpents and other feral creatures, from disease and rakshasas? Knowing
every dharma as you do, do you care like a father for the blind, the dumb,
the lame, the deformed, the friendless, and for ascetics who have no homes?
Have you banished the six evils, O King - sleep, idleness, fear, anger,
weakness of mind, and procrastination?'
The illustrious Kurupungava Yudhishtira listens to what that
Brahmanottama says, then bows down and worships at Narada Muni's feet.
Delighted by everything he hears, the king says to Narada of celestial form,
'I will do all that you say, for you have swelled my knowledge with your
counsel.'
Indeed, Yudhishtira does as Narada asks him to and, in time, becomes
sovereign of all the Earth with her girdle of seas.
Narada says, "The king who protects the four varnas - Brahmana,
Kshatriya, Vaisya and Sudra - passes his days in this world happily and then
attains the realm of Indra.'"
_____________________
1 Pronunciation, grammar, prosody, the explanation of basic philosophical terms, description of
religious rites, and astronomy.
2 Systems of philosophy.
3 Eloquence, generosity, adroitness in dealing with enemies, memory, knowledge of dharma, and
knowledge of politics.
4 Sowing dissension, chastisement, conciliation, gifts, mantras, medicine and magic.
5 The governor of the citadel, the commander of forces, the chief judge, the general in interior
command, the chief priest, the chief physician, and the chief astrologer.
6 Road; expedient; school of philosophy.
7 Infantry, chariots and horse, and elephants.
8 Reserves, ambuscades, payment given to the troops in advance, etc.
CANTO 6
LOKAPALA SABHAKHYANA PARVA CONTINUED
aisampayana said, "When Narada Muni finishes speaking, Yudhishtira

Dharmaraja worships him appropriately and then, commanded by the
Sage, he begins to answer, briefly, the questions the Rishi has asked.
Yudhishthira says, 'Holy One, the laws which you have enumerated are
true and proper. As for me, I do observe those laws as best I can. For sure
the karma done by kings of yore did bear fruit, and was undertaken from the
purest motives to achieve the best possible objects. Master, we certainly
wish to tread the same righteous path as those kings, who, besides, were
men of perfect self-control.'
Pandu's son, Yudhishtira of great glory, having reverently listened to
Narada Muni, and having answered the Sage's question, now falls into a
moment's thought. Then, sensing a fine chance, sitting beside the Rishi, the
king asks Narada, who sits at his ease, and who can journey into any world
at will, in that sabha of kings, 'With the speed of the mind, you range
through numberless worlds created by Brahma of yore, seeing all things.
Tell me, O Brahmana, have you ever seen, anywhere, a sabha to equal this
one of mine, or any superior to it.'
Narada replies, smilingly, sweetly, 'Child, O King, I have never seen or
even heard before of a sabha among men built of jewels and gemstones like
this one of yours. However, I will describe to you the courts of Yama, King
of the Dead, of Varuna of vast intellect, of Indra, King of the Devas, and
also of Kubera who has his home on Kailasa. I will also describe to you
Brahma's celestial sabha, which dispels all unease.
All these sabhas reflect both divine and human design, and use every
form that exists in the universe. The Devas, the Pitrs, the Sadhyas, the
Ganas, self-controlled Rishis offering sacrifices, tranquil Munis always at
Vedic sacrifice, all offer worship to these sacred courts. All of them I will
describe for you, Bharatarishabha, if you have a mind to listen.'
Mahatman Yudhishtira, his brothers and the great Brahmanas present all
fold their hands to beg Narada to do so.
Yudhishtira says, 'Describe all the sabhas for us, for we surely wish to
listen to you. O Brahmana, of what is each one made? How big is each
sabha, how long and how wide? Who attends upon the Pitamaha in his
court, and who upon Indra, Lord of the Devas, and who upon Vivaswan's
son Yama? Who waits upon Varuna and upon Kubera in their sabhas?
O Brahmarishi, tell us in detail, for all of us are agog to hear about them.'
Narada replies, 'Listen, O King, all of you, about these sabhas of heaven,
one by one.'"
CANTO 7
arada said, 'Lustrous is the sabha of Indra, which he has Indra, got
as the fruit of his punya. Splendid as the Sun, Sakra himself built
his court. Indra's sabha can go anywhere at all, at his will; it is one hundred
and fifty yojanas long, a hundred yojanas wide, and five yojanas high. It
dispels the infirmities of age, grief, exhaustion and fear, and bestows great
fortune. Fine and grand are its apartments, and beautiful the heavenly trees
which surround it. Fine are its seats, and it is altogether delightful.
Son of Pritha, in that sabha upon a magnificent throne sits the Lord of
the Devas with his wife Sachi of great beauty and fortune. He assumes a
form which defies description, a crown upon his head, bright bracelets on
his arms, wearing pure white robes, garlands with flowers of many colours,
and sits there with Beauty, Fame and Glory beside him.
That illustrious Deva of a hundred sacrifices is waited upon in that
sabha, O King, by the Maruts, who are all grihastas, the Siddhas, the
Devarishis, the Sadhyas, the Devas, and by Marutas of shining skins,
wearing golden garlands, with unearthly forms and shimmering ornaments.
All these constantly attend upon Indra Parantapa.
Kaunteya, the celestial Sages, also, all pure-souled, washed of all sin,
resplendent like Agni, tejasvins, free of any sorrow, free of anxiety's fever,
all performers of the Soma yagna, wait upon and worship Indra.
Parasara and Parvata and Savarni and Galava; and Kankha, and the Muni
Gaursiras, and Durvasa, and Krodhana and Swena and the Muni
Dhirghatamas; and Pavitrapani, Savarni, Yagnavalkya and Bhaluki; and
Udyalaka, Swetaketu and Tandya, and also Bhandayani; and Havishmat,
and Garishta, and King Harischandra; and Hridya, Udarshanadilya,
Parasarya and Krishibala; Vataskandha, Visakha, Vidhata and Kala;
Karaladanta, Tvastri, and Vishwakarman, and Tumburu; and other Rishis,
some born of women and others living on air, and others again living on fire
- all these worship Indra, the Vajradhari, Lord of all the worlds.
And Sahadeva, and Sunitha, and Valmiki of great tapasya; and Samika
of truthful speech, and Prachetas who always keeps his word, and
Medhatithi, and Vamadeva, and Pulastya, Pulaha and Kratu; and Maruta,
and Marichi, and Sthanu of vast tapasya; and Kakshivat, and Gautama, and
Tarkhya, and also the Muni Vaishwanara; and the Muni Kalakavrikshiya,
and Asravya, and also Hiranmaya, and Samvarta, and Devahavya, and
Viswaksena of great tejas; and Kanva, and Katyayana, O King, and Gargya,
and Kaushika - all dwell there, with the celestial waters and plants; and
faith, and intelligence, and the Devi Saraswati; and artha, dharma and
kama; and lightning, Pandava; and rain-bearing clouds, and the winds, and
all the thunder of heaven; the eastern point, the twenty-seven fires which
convey the sacrificial butter, Agni and Soma, and the agni of Indra, and
Mitra, and Savitri, and Aryaman; Bhaga, Vishwa; the Sadhyas, Brihaspati
the Guru, and also Sukra; and Vishwavasu and Chitrasena, and Sumanas;
and also Taruna; the Yagnas; the gifts to Brahmanas, the planets, and the
stars, O Bhaarata, and the mantras which are chanted during sacrifices - all
these dwell there.
And, O King, many Apsaras and Gandharvas please the Lord of the
Devas with various dances and music and songs; and with the performance
of auspicious rites, and exhibitions of myriad feats of skill -they gratify
Satakratu, the slayer of Bala and Vritra.
Besides these, many other Brahmanas and Rajarishis and Devarishis, all
splendent as fire, adorned in bright garlands and precious ornaments,
frequently visit and leave that sabha, riding in unearthly chariots of diverse
kinds.
Brihaspati and Sukra are always present in Indra's sabha; and many other
lustrous Rishis of stern vows, and Bhrigu and the Saptarishis, who are
equal, O Rajan, to Brahma himself, come to and depart that sabha in
vimanas as exquisite as the chariot of Soma, and themselves as brilliant as
Soma himself.
This, O Mahabaho, is the sabha of Indra, of a hundred yagnas, which is
called Pushkaramalini, which I have seen. Listen now to a description of
Yama's sabha.'"
CANTO 8
aisampayana said, "Narada says, 'Yudhisthira, now I will tell you

about the court of Yama, son of Vivaswat, which was built by
Viswakarman. Listen.
Shining like burnished gold, that sabha sprawls across more than a
hundred yojanas. Splendid as the Sun, it yields one's every wish. It is
neither too warm nor too cold, and it enchants the heart. No grief, no
weakness of age, neither hunger nor thirst enter that sabha. Nothing
inauspicious finds any place there, or even any ill feeling.
Every object of desire, human or divine, can be found in that mansion -
every manner of thing of delight. Sweet, succulent, delicious, pure things to
eat, to drink and suck upon, are there in profusion, Parantapa. The
vanamalas in that sabha are of unearthly fragrance, and the trees which
surround the palatial court yield any fruit one wishes for.
Both hot and cold water are to be found here, sweet and enjoyable. In
that sabha, numerous Rajarishis, all most holy, and Brahmarishis of
immaculate purity, O Child, happily attend upon and worship Vivaswat's
son Yama.
Yayati is there, Nahusha, Puru, Mandhatri, Somaka, Nriga; Rajarishi
Trasadasyu, Kritavirya, Srutasravas; Arishtanemi, Siddha, Kritavega, Kriti,
Nimi, Pratardana, Sibi, Matsya, Prithulaksha, Brihadratha, Varta, Marutta,
Kusika, Sankasya, Sankriti, Dhruva, Chaturaswa, Sadaswormi and
Kartavirya; Bhaarata and Suratha, Sunitha, Nishatha, Nala, Divodasa, and
Sumanas, Ambarisha, Bhagiratha; Vyaswa, Sadaswa, Vadyaswa,
Badhraswa, Prithuvega, Prithusravas, Prishadaswa, Vasumanas, Kshupa,
and Sumahabala, Vrishadgu, Rusadru, Vrishasena, Purukutsa, Dhwajin and
Rathin; Arshtisena, Dilipa, and the high-souled Ushinara; Ausinari,
Pundarika, Saryati, Sarabha, and Suchi; Anga, Rishta, Vena, Dushyanta,
Srinjaya and Jaya; Bhangasuri, Sunitha, and Nishadha, and Vahinara;
Karandhama, Balhika, Sudyumna, and the mighty Madhu; Aila and the
mighty king of the Earth Marutta; Kapota, Trinaka, and Sahadeva, and
Arjuna also; Vyaswa; Saswa and Krishaswa and King Sasabindu; Rama, the
son of Dasaratha, and Lakshmana, and Pratarddana; Alarka, and
Kakshasena, Gaya, and Gauraswa; Jamadagnya's son Rama, Nabhaga, and
Sagara; Bhuridyumna and Mahaswa, Prithaswa, and also Janaka; King
Vainya, Varisena, Purujit, and Janamejaya; Brahmadatta, and Trigarta, and
Uparichara also; Indradyumna, Bhimajanu, Gauraprishta, Nala, Gaya;
Padma and Muchukunda, Bhuridyumna, Prasenajit; Aristanemi, Sudyumna,
Prithulaswa, and Ashtaka also; a hundred kings of the Matsya race and
hundred of the Nipa and a hundred of the Gaya races; a hundred kings all
named Dhritarashtra; eighty kings named Janamejaya; a hundred sovereigns
called Brahmadatta, and a hundred kings bearing the name Iri; more than
two hundred Bhishmas, and also a hundred Bhimas; a hundred
Prativindhyas, a hundred Nagas, a hundred Hayas, and a hundred Palasas,
and a hundred called Kasa and Kusa; that king of kings Santanu, and your
father Pandu, Usangava, Sataratha, Devaraja, Jayadratha; the most
intelligent Rajarishi Vrishadarbha with his ministers; and a thousand other
kings known by the name of Sasabindu, who have died, having performed
many grand horse-sacrifices with munificent gifts to the Brahmanas - these
holy Royal Sages of magnificent achievements and vast knowledge of the
Shastras, O King, wait upon and worship the son of Vivaswat in that sabha.
And Agastya and Matanga, and Kala, and Mrityu, performers of
sacrifices, the Siddhas, and many Yogins; the Pitrs,1 as also others who
have forms; the Kalachakra, wheel of time, and Agni, the burning conveyer
of the sacrificial butter; all sinners among human beings, as also those that
have died during the winter solstice; the helpers of Yama have been
appointed to count the allotted days of everybody and everything; the
Singsapa, Palasa, Kasa, and Kusa trees and plants, in their embodied forms
- all these, Rajan, wait upon and worship the God of Justice in his sabha.
Many others, too, are present at the court of the king of the Pitrs. So
numerous are they that I cannot tell you either all their names or their great
deeds. This enchanting and vast sabha travels anywhere, at the will of its
Lord. Viswakarman built it after a prolonged tapasya. And, O Bhaarata,
brilliant with its own lustre, it stands beautiful, in all its glory.
Sannyasis of stern tapasya, grave vratas, of truthful speech, serene, pure
and of sacred karma, their bodies radiant, wearing spotless robes, bracelets,
garlands of flowers, golden earrings, and adorned by their own holy deeds
as with the marks of their order constantly visit that sabha. Many bright
Gandharvas and Apsaras fill every corner of the court with music and
songs, with dance and with their unearthly laughter.
Fine perfumes, sweet sounds and garlands of celestial flowers make that
an always supremely blest sabha. Hundreds of thousands of beings of
dharma, of heavenly beauty and great wisdom, always attend upon and
worship the illustrious Yama, Lord of the created, in that court.
Such, Rajan, is the sabha of the lustrous king of the manes. Now I will
describe for you the sabha of Varuna, also called Pushkaramalini."
———————
1 Of the kinds known as called Agniswattas, Fenapa, Ushampa, Swadhavat, and Varhishada.
CANTO 9
arada says, 'Yudhishtira, the celestial sabha of Varuna is unequalled

for its splendour. It is as large as Yama's hall, .A. its walls and
arches all pure white. Viswakarman built it in the waters. Countless
unworldly trees made of gemstones and jewels, yielding excellent flowers
and fruit, surround it, as well as numerous fine plants laden with blooms,
blue and yellow, black and grey, white and red. Within their bowers lakhs of
birds of myriad species, beautiful and variegated, constantly sing their
sweet songs.
Salubrious is the air in and around that sabha, neither cold nor hot.
Varuna's enchanting palace, blemishlessly white, contains numberless
chambers, all furnished with fine seats. Within sits Varuna, wearing celestial
raiment, ornaments and jewellery, with his queen, daubed with heavenly
perfumes and smeared with sandalwood paste of unearthly redolence.
The Adityas wait upon and worship the illustrious Varuna, Lord of
Waters; and Vasuki and Takshaka, and the Naga Airavana; Krishna and
Lohita; Padma and Chitra of great tejas; the Nagas called Kambala and
Aswatara; and Dhritarashtra and Balahaka; Manimat and Kundadhara; and
Karkotaka and Dhananjaya; Panimat and the mighty Kundaka, O Lord of
the Earth; and Prahlada and Mushikada, and Janamejaya - all with
auspicious marks, mandalas, and hoods extended. These and many other
great snakes, Yudhishtira, without fear of any kind, wait upon and adore the
illustrious Varuna.
And, O King, Bali the son of Virochana, and Naraka, subduer of the
whole Earth; Sanghraha and Viprachitti, and the Danavas called
Kalakhanjas; and Suhanu and Durmukha and Sankha and Sumanas and also
Sumati; and Ghatodara, and Mahaparswa, and Karthana and, also, Pitara
and Viswarupa, Swarupa and Virupa; Mahasiras and Dasagriva, Bali, and
Meghavasas and Dasavara; Tittiva and Vitabhuta, and Sanghrada, and
Indratapana - these Daityas and Danavas, all wearing earrings, crowns and
draped in garlands, wearing unworldly robes, all blessed with great boons
and possessed of untold valour, and immortal, and all of fine conduct and
excellent vows, wait upon and worship the illustrious Varuna, the Deva
whose weapon is the paasa, in that sabha.
And, O King, the four Oceans are there, the river Bhagirathi, the
Kalindi, the Vidisa, the Vena, the swift-flowing Narmada; the Vipasa, the
Satadu, the Chandrabhaga, the Saraswati; the Iravati, the Vitasta, the
Sindhu, the Devanadi; the Godavari, the Krishnavena; and Kaveri, queen of
rivers; the Kimpuna, the Visalya and the river Vaitarani, too; the Tritiya, the
Jyeshtila, and the great Sona; the Charmanwati and the mighty Parnasa; the
Sarayu, the Varavatya, and that river-queen, the Langali; the Karatoya, the
Atreyi, the red Mahanada, the Laghanti, the Gomati, the Sandhya, and also
the Tristrolasi - these and other rivers, all sacred and famed tirthas of
pilgrimage, as well as other streams and holy waters, lakes and wells and
springs, and tanks, large and small, all in their personified forms, O
Bhaarata, wait upon and worship the Lord Varuna.
The cardinal points of the heavens, the Earth, and all the Mountains, as
also every species of aquatic creature, all worship Varuna in his sabha.
Numerous tribes of Gandharvas and Apsaras, given to music and song, wait
upon Varuna, singing hymns of praise to him.
All the mountains which are known for being beautiful and jewel-rich,
come, embodied, to that sabha and enjoy sweet converse with one another.
Varuna's foremost minister, Sunabha, surrounded by his sons and
grandsons, also attends upon his master, along with a sacred body of water
called Go, personified. All these worship that Deva.
Bharatarishabha, this is the sabha of Varuna, which I have seen during
my wandering. Listen now to a description of the Hall of Kubera.'"
CANTO 10
arada says, 'The splendid court of Kubera Vaisravana, O Rajan, is a

hundred yojanas long and seventy yojanas wide. Vaisravana
himself built this sabha, using his tapasya shakti. As brilliant as the peaks of
Kailasa, this edifice eclipses the very Moon with its radiance. Supported by
Guhyakas, that palace appears to be fixed to the sky. Of unearthly
contrivance, it is exquisite, with lofty golden chambers, of all delights,
scented with heavenly perfumes, and encrusted with priceless jewels past
counting.
It resembles the summits of massed white clouds, and truly seems to
float on air. Painted in celestial gold, it appears to be adorned with streaks
of lightning. Within that sabha, upon a beautiful throne bright as the Sun,
covered with cloths of heaven, furnished with a peerless footstool, sits the
Lord Vaisravana, handsome and pleasant, wearing fine robes, priceless
ornaments, sparkling earrings, and surrounded by his thousand wives.
Cool, delightful breezes, which murmur through forests of tall
Mandaras, bear the scents of great jungles of jasmines and also the
fragrance of the lotuses which float upon the river Alaka and those of the
divine gardens of Nandana, and these always minister to the pleasure of the
King of the Yakshas.
Here the Devas, with the Gandharvas, and various troupes of Apsaras,
sing in chorus, Rajan, songs of heavenly sweetness. Misrakesi and Rambha,
and Chitrasenaa, and Suchismita; and Charunetra, and Ghritachi and
Menaka, and Punjikasthala; and Viswachi, Sahajanya, and Pramlocha and
Urvasi and Ira, and Varga and Saurabheyi, and Samichi, and Budbuda, and
Lata - these and a thousand other Apsaras, and Gandharvas, all masters and
mistresses of music and dance, attend on Kubera, Lord of Treasures.
That sabha, always brimming with notes from divine instruments and
voices, as with the sounds of many Gandharva and Apsara tribes dancing, is
full of charm and joy. The Gandharvas called Kinnaras, others known as
Naras, and Manibhadra, and Dhanada, and Swetabhadra and Guhyaka;
Kaseraka, Gandakandu, and the mighty Pradyota; Kustumburu, Pisacha,
Gajakarna, and Viskalaka, Varahakarna, Tamroshta, Falakaksha, and
Falodaka; Hansachuda, Sikhavarta, Hemanetra, Vibhishana, Pushpanana,
Pingalaka, Sonitoda and Pravalaka; Vrikshavasyaniketa, and Chiravasas -
these, O Bhaarata, and lakhs of other Yakshas always wait upon Kubera.
The Goddess Lakshmi ever remains there, also Kubera's son Nalakubara.
I myself and many others like me, we go often to that Hall, as do many
Brahmana Rishis and Devarishis. Numerous Rakshasas and Gandharvas,
besides those I named, attend upon and worship, in that sabha, the
illustrious Lord of all treasures.
O tiger among kings, the lustrous husband of Uma, Lord of created
things, the three-eyed Mahadeva, wielder of the trident, the slayer of the
Asura Bhaganetra, the mighty God of the fierce bow, surrounded by
Ganasanghas, spirits in thousands, some dwarfish, some of fierce mien,
some hunchbacked, some with blood-red eyes, some of frightful yells, some
feeding upon fat and flesh, and some too terrible to look at, but all armed
with diverse weapons and blessed with the speed of wind, along with the
Devi Parvathi, who is always cheerful and who knows no tiredness, all
come to the court of their dear friend Kubera, the Lord of Treasures.
Hundreds of Gandharva lords, with joyful hearts and wearing finery, and
Viswavasu, and Haha and Huhu; and Tumburu and Parvarta, and Sailusha;
and Chitrasena, musical genius, and also Chitraratha – these and countless
other Gandharvas worship the Lord of Treasures.
Chakradharman, Lord of the Vidyadharas, with his followers, wait in
that Hall, upon the Lord of Treasures; and Kinnaras, in their hundreds, and
innumerable kings, Bhagadatta their lord; and Druma, Lord of the
Kimpurushas; and Mahendra, Lord of the Rakshasas; and Gandhamadana
accompanied by so very many Yakshas, Gandharvas and Rakshasas wait
upon the Lord of Treasures.
Vibhishana of dharma, also, there worships his elder brother Kubera1.
The Mountains Himavat, Pariyatra, Vindhya, Kailasa, Mandara, Malaya,
Durdura, Mahendra, Gandhamadana, Indrakila, Sunabha, and the Sunrise
and Sunset mountains - these and many other ranges, besides, all in their
personified forms, with Meru standing before the rest, wait upon and
worship the lambent Lord of Treasures.
The illustrious Nandiswara, and Mahakala, and many spirits with arrowy
ears and sharp-pointed mouths, Kasta, Kutimukha, Danti, and Vijaya of
great asceticism, with the mighty white bull of Siva roaring deep, all come
to that sabha. Besides these, many other Rakshasas and Pisachas worship
Kubera in that Grand Hall.
Kubera, son of Pulastya, once performed tapasya and worshipped Siva in
all the known ways of adoration. He then sat by the very side of the
Devadeva, God of Gods, creator of the three worlds, Mahadeva surrounded
by his ganas. One day, Bhava, the most high, made Kubera his friend and
then on, O King, Siva always dwells in the sabha of his friend, the Lord of
Treasures.
Those princes of all gemstones in the three worlds, Sankha and Padma,
in their embodied forms, with all the jewels of the Earth, also personified,
worship Kubera.
I have seen Kubera's sabha of fascination, which can cross the
firmament, and it is, Rajan, as I have described. Now listen to what I say
about the sabha of Brahma, the Grandsire.'"
—————————
1Ganguli says Croesus!
CANTO 11
arada sas, 'Listen to me, Child, and I will tell you about I the sabha
of the Pitamaha, the House which none can describe adequately.
In the Krita Yuga, of old, the exalted Deva Aditya once came down from
heaven into the world of men. He had seen the sabha of Brahma
Svayambhuva, and now joyfully ranged the face of the Earth, to see what he
could here. Pandava, it was then that I met him and that God told me,
Bharatarishabha, about the unearthly Hall of the Grands ire, which is
immeasurable, subtle, and indescribable, in form and shape, and which
enchants and delights the hearts of all who see it with its splendour.
Bharatarishabha, when I heard about the glories of that sabha, Rajan, I
wanted to see it. I asked Aditya, "Exalted one, I want to see the sacred
sabha of the Pitamaha. Lord of Light, tell me, through what tapasya, karma,
mantras or yagnas can I look upon that wondrous court, which washes
every sin away?"
Aditya, God of Day, Deva of a thousand rays, replied, "With your mind
restrained in dhyana, keep the Brahmavrata of a thousand years."
I went to the bosom of the Himavat and began that great vow. When I
finished, the exalted and sinless Surya Deva of terrific tejas, who knows no
tiredness, took me with him to the sabha of Brahma. Rajan, it is impossible
to describe that sabha in words, for, in a moment it assumes a new and
different form, which language cannot capture.
Bhaarata, I cannot tell you how vast it is or what its shape is. I had never
seen anything like it before. It brings joy to those within it, and it is neither
hot nor cold. Hunger, thirst and every manner of unease vanish as soon as
one enters that Hall.
It appears to be made of scintillating jewels of countless kinds. No
columns seem to support it, and being eternal, it knows no decay. It is self-
refulgent, and with its numberless splendid lights it excels the Moon, the
Sun and the Fire in lustre. Situated in Swarga, it blazes forth, as if it were
chiding the illuminer of the day.
In that sabha, the Supreme Deity, the Grandsire of all created things,
who has made them all through his maya shakti, abides ever. And Daksha,
Prachetas, Pulaha, Marichi, Kashyapa the master, Bhrigu, Atri, and Vasishta
and Gautama, and also Angiras, and Pulastya, Kratu, Prahlada, and
Kardama, these Prajapatis, and Angirasa of the Atharvan Veda, the
Balakhilyas, the Marichipas; Intelligence, Space, Knowledge, Air, Heat,
Water, Earth, Sound, Touch, Form, Taste, Scent; Nature, and the Gunas of
Nature, and the elemental and primal causes of the world – all dwell in that
sabha beside the Lord Brahma.
And Agastya of great tejas, and Markandeya of great tapasya, and
Jamadagni and Bharadwaja, and Samvarta, and Chyavana, and Durvasa the
high, and the virtuous Rishyasringa, the illustrious Sanatkumara of great
tapasya, master of all things regarding Yoga; Asita and Devala, and
Jaigishavya who knows truth; Rishabha, Ajitasatru, and Mani of great
vitality; and the science of healing with its eight branches - all in their
personified forms, O Bhaarata; Soma with all the stars and the
constellations; Aditya with all his rays; the Vayus; the Yagnas, the
Declarations of intent in sacrifices, the vital principles - these luminous and
vow-observing beings personified, and many others, too numerous to name,
all attend upon Brahma in that sabha.
Wealth, Religion, Desire, Joy, Aversion, Asceticism and Tranquillity -all
wait upon the Supreme Deity in that palace. The twenty tribes of the
Gandharvas and Apsaras, as also their seven other tribes, all the Lokapalas,
Sukra, Brihaspati, Budha, Angaraka, Sani, Rahu, and the other Planets; the
Mantras, the secret Mantras of that Veda; the rites of Harimat and Vasumat;
the Adityas with Indra, the two Agnis, Agnisoma and Indragni, the Marutas,
Viswakarman, the Vasus, O Bhaarata; the Pitrs, and every sacrificial
libation, the four Vedas, Rig, Sama, Yajuh, and Atharva; all the sciences and
branches of learning; the Itihasas and all the minor branches of learning; the
several Vedangas; the planets, the Sacrifices, the Soma, all the Devas;
Savitri, who is Gayatri, the seven kinds of metre; Understanding, Patience,
Memory, Wisdom, Intelligence, Fame, Forgiveness; the Hymns of the Sama
Veda; the Science of all hymns, all the kinds of Verses and Songs; various
Commentaries with arguments – all in personified forms, O King; and
various Plays and Poems and Stories - these also, and countless others wait
upon the Supreme Deity in that sabha.
Kshanas, Lavas, Muhurtas, Day, Night, Fortnights, Months, the six
Seasons, O Bhaarata; Years, Yugas, the four kinds of Days and Nights, and
that eternal, imperishable, undecaying, most excellent Kala Chakra, the
Wheel of Time, and also the Wheel of Dharma, Virtue - these always wait
there, O Yudhishtira; and Aditi, Diti, Danu, Surasa, Vinata, Ira, Kalika,
Surabhi, Devi, Sarama, Gautami and the goddesses Prabha and Kadru -
these mothers of the celestials; and Rudrani, Sree, Lakshmi, Bhadra,
Shashthi, the Earth, Ganga, Hri, Swaha, Kriti, the goddess Sura, Sachi
Pushti, Arundhati, Samvritti, Asa, Niyati, Srishti, Rati - these and many
other Devis wait upon the Creator of all.
The Adityas, Vasus, Rudras, Marutas, Aswinas, the Viswadevas,
Sadhyas, and the Pitrs blessed with the swiftness of the mind - these wait
there upon the Grandsire. And, Bharatarishabha, know that there are seven
classes of Pitrs, of which four have embodied forms and the remaining three
dwell there without bodies or forms.
It is known that the illustrious Vairajas, Agniswattas and Garhapatyas,
three classes of Pitrs, range in heaven. And those amongst the Pitrs that are
called the Somapas, the Ekasringras, the Chaturvedas and the Kalas are ever
worshipped amongst the four varnas of men. Gratified first with the Soma
rasa, these later gratify Soma. All these tribes of Pitrs wait upon the Lord of
Creation and joyfully worship the Supreme God of measureless tejas.
And Rakshasas, Pisachas, Danavas and Guhyakas; Nagas, Pakshis, and
various beasts; and all the great beings, mobile and unmoving - all worship
the Pitamaha. And Purandara, Lord of the Devas, and Varuna and Kubera
and Yama, and Mahadeva with Uma, always go there. And, Rajadhiraja,
Mahasena Kartikeya also adores the Grandsire there. Narayana himself, and
the Devarishis, and the Rishis called Balakhilyas, and all beings born of
female wombs and all those not womb-born, and whatever else there is in
the three worlds, which moves and the immobile, I saw there, know, O
King.
And eighty thousand celibate Rishis, their vital seed indrawn, and O
Pandava, fifty thousand Rishis, with sons - I saw all these there. The
dwellers in heaven go to that sabha look upon the Supreme God, when they
like, and worshipping him by bowing their heads, return to their abodes.
King of men, the Grandsire of all created beings, the Soul of the
Universe, the self-created Brahma of fathomless intellect and glory, equally
merciful to all creatures, honours each as they deserve, and gratifies, with
sweet speech and gifts of wealth and other things of enjoyment, the Devas,
the Daityas, the Nagas, the Brahmanas, the Yakshas, the Pakshis, the
Kaleyas, the Gandharvas, the Apsaras, and all the other lofty beings who
come to him as his guests.
And that sabha of delight, O Child, always throngs with those who come
and go. Brimming with every kind of tejas, worshipped by Brahmarishis,
that celestial Hall blazes forth with the divine and graceful possessions of
Brahma and is enchanting to look at. Tiger among kings, even as this sabha
of yours is unrivalled in the world of men, so is the sabha of Brahma, which
I have seen, peerless in all in all the worlds.
These sabhas I have seen, O Bhaarata, in the realm of the celestials. This
sabha of yours is unquestionably the best in the world of men!'"
CANTO 12
udhishtira says Best among all the eloquent, from your description
of the different sabhas, it seems that almost all .A. the kings of the
Earth are to be found in the sabha of Yama. And, O Master, almost all the
Nagas, the main Daityas, Rivers and Oceans are to be found in Varuna's
sabha. So, too, the Yakshas, the Guhyakas, the Rakshasas, the Gandharvas
and Apsaras and the God who has the Bull for his vahana are to be found in
the sabha of the Lord of Treasures. You have said that in the sabha of the
Grandsire, all the great Rishis, all the Devas, all the branches of learning are
present. For the sabha of Sakra, you have named, O Muni, all the Devas, the
Gandharvas, and various Rishis.
But, Mahamuni, you have named just a single king of the Earth as living
in the sabha of the illustrious King of the Devas – the Rajarishi
Harishchandra. What deed did that celebrated king do, or what great
tapasya did he perform with what unwavering vratas, because of which he
has become equal to Indra himself?
O Brahmana, how did you also meet my father, the noble Pandu, who
now dwells in the realm of the Pitrs? Lofty one, of pure vratas, did he say
anything to you? Ah, tell me everything; I am agog.'
Narada says, 'King of kings, I will tell you everything you want to know
about Harishchandra, I will tell you of his matchless excellence. He was a
powerful king, indeed, an emperor of all the kings of the Earth, and they
obeyed him. Rajan, riding alone in a triumphal chariot, decked with gold,
Harishchandra brought the whole world, with her seven dwipas, under his
sway with the power of his arms.
Having subdued the entire Earth, with her mountains, forests and rivers,
he prepared to perform the great Rajasuya yagna, the imperial sacrifice, and
at his command all the kings of the world brought untold wealth to that
sacrifice. All of them agreed to be distributors of food and gifts to the
Brahmanas who were fed on the occasion.
During that sacrifice, King Harishchandra gave away to anyone that
asked five times as much gold as they wanted. When the yagna was
concluded, the king pleased the Brahmanas who came from many distant
countries with bounteous gifts and wealth of many kinds. Delighted with
the feasts of food and other gifts, given to their heart's content, and with the
heaps of jewels, they began to say, "King Harischandra is greater than any
king, ever, both in fame and splendour."
Know, O Rajan, this was why Harishchandra shone more brightly than
thousands of other kings. The mighty Harishchandra concluded his great
sacrifice and was installed as sovereign emperor of the Earth, and he was
radiant upon his throne. Bharatarishabha, every king who performs the
Rajasuya yagna attains to the kingdom of Indra and passes his time in
felicity in Indra's company.
Those kings, too, who give up their lives on the field of battle, without
ever turning their backs on the fight, find Indra's halls and live in joy with
him. Those, again, who quit their bodies after stern tapasya, attain the same
realm and shine there for many an age.
King of the Kurus, O son of Kunti, seeing the good fortune of
Harischandra and wondering at it, your father did tell me something.
Knowing that I was coming to this world of men, he bowed to me and
said, "O Rishi, you must tell Yudhishtira that, because his brothers all obey
him, he can conquer the whole world. Once he does this, let him perform a
Rajasuya yagna. He is my son; if he performs that sacrifice, like
Harischandra I might also soon attain to Indraloka, and there in his sabha
pass countless years in uninterrupted bliss."
I replied to him, "O King, I will tell your son all this if I go to the world
of men."
Purushavyaghra, I have now told you what your father said to me.
Pandava, fulfil your father's wishes. If you perform that sacrifice, you will
then be able, along with your dead ancestors, to enter the realm of the king
of the Devas. It is said that many obstacles and fears attend the performance
of this great sacrifice. A race of Rakshasas called Brahma Rakshasas,
whose task it is to obstruct every sacrifice, will do everything in their power
to stop a Rajasuya yagna, once it has begun.
When such a sacrifice is undertaken, there might be a war which could
destroy the Kshatriyas and create an occasion for the destruction of the very
world. Even a slight mischance during a Rajasuya yagna may bring the
whole world to ruin. Reflect upon all this, O King of kings, and do what is
good for you.
Be vigilant in protecting the four varnas among your subjects. Grow in
prosperity and enjoy every felicity. Please Brahmanas with gifts of wealth. I
have now answered in detail everything which you asked. With your leave
now, I will go to Dwaravati, city of the Dasarhas.'
O Janamejaya, having spoken thus to the son of Pritha, Narada goes
away, accompanied by the Rishis with whom he had come. When Narada
has left King Yudhishtira and his brothers begin to think about that greatest
of sacrifices which is called the Rajasuya yagna."
CANTO 13
aisampayana said, "After listening to Narada, Yudhishtira begins to

sigh. O Bhaarata, plunged in thoughts of the Rajasuya, the king has no
peace. Having heard about the glory of the illustrious kings of yore,
knowing for certain now about attaining realms of grace through the
performance of sacrifice and the resultant punya, and, especially, thinking
of the Rajarishi Harischandra, who performed the great yagna, Yudhishtira
wants to prepare to undertake a Rajasuya yagna.
Offering worship to his ministers and others in his sabha, and being
worshipped by them in return, he initiates discussions about that sacrifice
with them. After deep reflection, that King of kings, Bull among Kurus,
turns his mind towards preparing for the Rajasuya. However, then,
considering dharma, that prince of magnificent energy and prowess sets his
heart again on discovering what would be good for all his people. For
Yudhishtira, best of all good men, is unvaryingly kind to his subjects, and
works for the weal of all, without distinctions.
Indeed, shaking off both anger and pride, Yudhishtira always says, 'Give
each his due,' and the only words he likes to hear are, 'Blessed be Dharma!
Blessed be Dharma!
Thus Yudhishtira rules and is like a father to all his people; there is no
one in his kingdom that bears any hostility towards him. Hence, he comes
to be known as Ajatasatru - he without an enemy. The king cherishes
everyone as belonging to his family, and Bhima rules justly over all.
Arjuna, the perfectly ambidextrous bowman, protects the kingdom from
outside enemies, while the wise Sahadeva administers justice impartially.
Nakula shows great humility towards everyone, and this was his nature.
Because of all this the kingdom is free from disputes and fear of every
kind; and the people attend to their svadharma. The rain is plentiful, and
none can ask for any more; the kingdom's prosperity grows. Because of the
dharma and virtue of the king money-lenders, makers of articles needed for
sacrifices, cattle-breeders, farmers and traders: why, all and everything,
grow in prosperity.
During the reign of Yudhishtira there is no extortion in the kingdom, no
stringent realisation of arrears of rent, no fear of disease, of fire, or of death
by poisoning and mantras. It is never heard during that time that criminals,
thieves, cheats or royal favourites ever enjoy any liberties - with the king, or
the people, or even amongst one another.
Kshatriyas, kings conquered during the 'six occasions' wait on the king,
to see to his welfare and to worship him always, while Vaishyas of the
different classes come to pay him the taxes on their occupations. Thus
during the reign of Yudhishtira Dharmaraja, his kingdom prospers. Why, the
prosperity of the kingdom is swelled not only through these, but even by
those who are addicted to voluptuousness and indulge in every luxury to
their fill.
Yudhishtira, King of Kings, whose sway extends everywhere, is
possessed of every accomplishment and treats all things with forbearance.
Rajan, whichever countries that celebrated and splendid king conquers,
their people, from Brahmanas to Sudras, become more attached to him than
to their own fathers and mothers.
Now King Yudhishtira, most eloquent of men, calls together his
ministers and his brothers and asks them repeatedly about the Rajasuya
yagna.
All the ministers speak solemnly to the wise Yudhishtira, who wants to
perform the imperial sacrifice, 'He who already owns a kingdom wishes to
become an emperor through the yagna that confers all the attributes of
Varuna on a king. O Prince of the Kurus, all your friends believe that you
are worthy of becoming an emperor, indeed, that the time is ripe for you to
perform the Rajasuya yagna.
Because of your possessions as a Kshatriya, we say the time has come
for the performance of the sacrifice during which Rishis of austere vratas
kindle six fires by chanting mantras from the Sama Veda. At the conclusion
of the Rajasuya yagna, the sacrificer is installed as sovereign of the empire,
and he is rewarded with the fruit of every other sacrifice, including the
Agnihotra. For this, he is called the conqueror of all.
Mahabaho, you are more than capable of performing this yagna. All of
us obey you, and very soon you will be able to undertake the Rajasuya. So,
Maharajan, resolve to do it without further discussion.'
So say all his friends and ministers to the king, separately and together.
Rajan, having heard these good, brave, agreeable and weighty words,
Yudhishtira Parantapa, in his mind, is inclined to acquiesce. Having heard
what his friends and counsellors say, and also knowing his own strength, O
Bhaarata, yet the king reflects repeatedly on the matter.
After this, Yudhishtira, intelligent and virtuous, wise in counsel, consults
again with his brothers, with the illustrious Ritvijas around him, with his
ministers, and with Dhaumya and Dwaipayana, and others.
Yudhishtira says, 'How will this desire of mine to perform the Rajasuya
yagna, which is worthy of an emperor, become fruitful through merely the
consequence of my faith and speech?'
O you with eyes like lotus petals, asked this by the king, they reply then
to Yudhishtira Dharmaraja, 'You well know the dictates of dharma,
O King, and so you are worthy of performing the awesome Rajasuya
yagna.'
When the Ritvijas and the Rishis say these words to the king, his
ministers and his brothers approve warmly of what they say. However, that
most wise king, his mind perfectly controlled, wishing the weal of the
world, yet again reflects on the matter and considers his own strength and
his resources, all the circumstances of time and place, his income and
expenditure. For, he knows that the wise never come to grief because they
always act only after thorough deliberation.
Yudhishtira thinks that he should not begin the sacrifice only by his own
resolve; carefully considering the gravity of the yagna, he thinks of Krishna,
scourge of sinners, to be the best one to decide, because he knows that
Krishna is the greatest of all persons, of measureless tejas, mighty-armed,
un-born, yet born among men purely from his own will.
The Pandava thinks about Krishna's godlike deeds and decides that there
is nothing unknown to him, nothing Krishna cannot achieve, nothing he
cannot endure; and so concluding, Pritha's son Yudhishtira sends a
messenger to that Master of all beings, sending through his man his
blessings and greetings such as an older man does to one younger than
himself.
Riding in a swift chariot, that messenger arrives in Dwaravati among the
Yadavas and approaches Krishna. When Achyuta Krishna hears that Pritha's
son wants to see him, he, too, becomes desirous of seeing his cousin. In his
chariot drawn by fleet horses, flashing through many lands, Krishna, with
Indrasena, arrives in Indraprastha.
Arriving in Indraprastha, Janardana comes directly to Yudhishtira.
Yudhishtira receives Krishna with fatherly love, and Bhima also receives
him likewise. Then Krishna comes in joy to greet his father's sister Kunti.
When the twins have worshipped him, with reverence, he begins to speak in
great delight with Arjuna, his friend, who is overjoyed to see him. When
Krishna has rested awhile in a delightful apartment, and is refreshed,
Yudhishtira comes to him at his leisure and tells him all about the Rajasuya
yagna.
Yudhishtira says, 'I want to perform the Rajasuya, but that yagna cannot
be undertaken just by my wishing to perform it. Krishna, you know
everything about the royal sacrifice and what is needed for its performance.
Only he can accomplish it in whom everything is possible, who is
worshipped everywhere and who is the King of kings.
My friends and my ministers have come to me and said that I should
undertake the yagna. But, Krishna, what you say about this will be my final
guide. Some ministers do not see the true hazards of such an undertaking,
out of their love; others from self-interest say only what is agreeable. Some,
again, see what benefits them as being the course to follow. Thus, men give
counsel of matters which await deciding.
But you, O Krishna, are above these motives. You are beyond both
desire and anger. You must tell me what is truly most beneficial for the
world.'"
CANTO 14
RAJASUYARAMBHA PARVA
rishna said, 'Maharajan, you are worthy and possess every quality
needed to perform the Rajasuya yagna. You know everything, O
Bhaarata, yet let me tell you something: those who now go in the world as
Kshatriyas are inferior in every way to the Kshatriyas that Rama, the son of
Jamadagnya, exterminated.
Mahipati, Lord of the Earth, Bharatarishabha, you know what kind of
rule these Kshatriyas, guided by the laws and traditions handed down from
generation to generation, have established amongst themselves, and how
competent they are to perform the Rajasuya yagna.
Many royal lines, as well as other ordinary Kshatriyas, say that they are
descendants of Aila and Ikshwaku. The descendants of Aila, O King, as
also the kings of Ikshwaku's race are, know, each divided into a hundred
separate dynasties. The descendants of Yayati and the Bhojas are great, both
in extent and achievements. These last today are scattered all over the
Earth, and all Kshatriyas worship the prosperity of these kings.
However, King Jarasandha has overwhelmed the power and prosperity
enjoyed by their entire order and, overpowering them with his prowess, has
set himself at the head of all these kings. Jarasandha enjoys sovereignty
over the middle portion of the Earth, and he has resolved to create disunion
amongst us.
Rajan, a king who is the paramount lord of all kings, and in whom alone
the dominion of the world is vested, deserves to be called an emperor.
Sisupala of Chedi, of great vitality, has placed himself under Jarasandha's
protection and has become his Senapati, the Commander of all his forces.
The mighty Baka, king of the Karushas, who can do battle using maya,
waits upon Jarasandha as his sishya. Besides, two others, Hansa and
Dimbhaka, of great tejas and atman, have sought shelter with the mighty
Jarasandha.
There are others as well - Dantavakra, Karusa, Karava and
Meghavahana, who serve Jarasandha. He, too, who wears upon his head the
jewel known as the most wonderful on Earth, the king of the Yavanas, who
has chastened Muru and Naraka, and whose power is unlimited, who rules
the west like another Varuna, whose name is Bhagadatta, who is an old
friend of your father, has bowed his head before Jarasandha, both by what
he says and by what he does. However, in his heart he is bound by love for
you, since he regarded your father as his son.
O King, that Lord of the Earth whose dominions extend in the west and
the south, your maternal uncle Purujit, that fearless perpetuator of the race
of Kunti, that slayer of all enemies, is the one king who has regard for you
only out of love.
Then, he whom I did not kill, the vile wretch of the Chedis, who displays
himself to the world as a divine one, and whom the world has also come to
regard as such, who from his witlessness always carries the emblems of the
Avatara, that king of Vanga, Pundra and the Kiratas, who is known in this
world as Paundraka, and who also calls himself Vasudeva, has also allied
himself with Jarasandha.
Bhishmaka, the mighty lord of the Bhojas, friend of Indra, slayer of
hostile Kshatriyas, Bhishmaka who governs a fourth part of the world, who
with his knowledge conquered the Pandyas and the Kratha-Kausikas, whose
brother, the brave Akriti, was like Jamdagni's son Rama, also serves
Jarasandha, Master of Magadha. We are also Bhishmaka's relatives and so
we do what is agreeable to him, but he does not respect us and always tries
to do us harm. Rajan, he hardly seems aware of his own might or the
honour of the great race to which he belongs; he is swayed just by
Jarasandha's shining fame and has allied himself to the Magadhan.
Also, noble one, the eighteen tribes of Bhojas, fearing Jarasandha, have
all fled west, as have the Surasenas, the Bhadrakas, the Bodhas, the Salwas,
the Patachcharas, the Susthalas, the Sukuttas, and the Kulindas, along with
the Kuntis. The king of the Salwayanas, his brothers and followers, the
southern Panchalas and the eastern Kosalas have fled to the land of the
Kuntis; so also the Matsyas and the Sannyastapadas, overcome by fear,
leaving their dominions in the north, have fled south. Terrified by
Jarasandha's power, the Panchalas fled in all directions.
Some time ago, the foolish Kamsa, who persecuted the Yadavas, married
two of Jarasandha's daughters, Asti and Prapti, the sisters of his son, another
Sahadeva. Strengthened by this alliance, the villainous Kamsa tyrannised
his kinsmen and gained odium for himself. He also harried the old Bhoja
kings, but they sought our help.
We gave Ahuka's beautiful daughter to be Akrura's wife, and then
Balarama and I killed Kamsa and Sunamana, to do our relatives a service.
However, even after the immediate cause of fear was removed, his father-
in-law Jarasandha took up arms against us. We decided that if even we, the
eighteen younger branches of the Yadava tribes, attacked our enemy
concertedly with great weapons, we would still not be able to vanquish him,
not in three hundred years.
Jarasandha had two friends who were like immortals and, in strength, the
strongest among all men - they were called Hansa and Dimbhaka, both of
whom no weapon could slay. With them for allies, the mighty Jarasandha, I
believed, could not be killed even if the three worlds united against him.
Most intelligent of men, this was not merely my opinion, but all the other
kings also felt the same way.
However, there was another king, also called Hansa, and Balarama
engaged him in battle and killed him after eighteen days of fight. Bhaarata,
when Dimbhaka heard the people saying that Hansa was slain, he felt could
not bear to live without his friend and killed himself by throwing himself
into the Yamuna. Later, when his friend Hansa, scourge of hostile armies,
returned and heard that Dimbhaka had killed himself, he ran straight to the
Yamuna and took his life by throwing himself into her waters.
Then, O Bharatarishabha, Jarasandha heard that both Hansa and
Dimbhaka were dead and he turned back home with a broken heart. When
he retreated, we were delighted and lived joyfully and in peace in Mathura.
Until Jarasandha's daughter, the lovely, lotus-eyed widow of Hansa,
stricken by the death of her husband, went lamenting to her father and
repeatedly begged him, that monarch of Magadha, "Parantapa, bane of all
your enemies, kill the killer of my husband."
Then, great King, we again remembered what we had concluded long
ago, and in alarm we fled Mathura. We divided our great wealth among
many, into small portions, so each could be easily carried, and we fled with
our cousins and kinsfolk, in fear of Jarasandha. Having thought carefully,
we fled west.
In the west is a delightful city called Kusasthah, ringed by the Raivata
Mountains; in that city, O King, we began living. We rebuilt its fort and
made it so strong that even the gods cannot breach it; and from inside even
our women can hold off any enemy, why speak of the Yadava heroes, who
know no fear? Yes, Parantapa, we now live in that city, and because the
great mountain is impregnable, the descendants of Madhu have become
exceedingly glad, thinking that they have already passed beyond fearing
Jarasandha.
Thus, though strong and powerful, we have been obliged to seek refuge
in the Gomanta Mountains, which are three yojanas long, from fear of
Jarasandha. In each yojana, we have established twenty-one outposts of
armed soldiers; every yojana has a hundred gates, guarded by great
Kshatriyas, all invincible, who belong to the younger strains of the Yadavas.
In our clan, O King, there are eighteen thousand brothers and cousins.
Ahuka has a hundred sons, each like a god in strength. Charudeshna, his
brother Chakradeva, Satyaki, myself, Rohini's son Baladeva, and my son
Samba, who is my equal in battle - we seven, Rajan, are Atirathas. Besides,
there are others, Rajan: Kritavarman, Anadhrishti, Samika, Samitinjaya,
Kanka, Sanku and Kunti: these seven are Maharathas.
Maharathas, also, are the two sons of Andhaka-bhoja, as is the old king
himself. Endowed with great prowess, all these are great Kshatriyas, each
as mighty as Indra's thunderbolt. These Maharathas chose the middle
country and now live among the Vrishnis. Bharatottama, only you are
worthy of being an Emperor; it will become you to establish your empire
over all the Kshatriyas.
However, in my judgement, you will not be able to perform the Rajasuya
yagna as long as the powerful Jarasandha lives. As a lion keeps the
carcasses of mighty elephants he has killed in his cave, Jarasandha has
incarcerated many kings of the world inside his hill fortress. Parantapa,
when they are a hundred in number he wants to sacrifice them to Umapati
Siva, the illustrious Devadeva, whom he worships and who loves him for
his fierce tapasya.
So it is that he has vanquished the kings of the Earth, and he now has the
means to keep the vow he swore to sacrifice a hundred kings. He has made
his city populous by conquering the kings and bringing them and their
troops to his fortress, as his captives.
We, also, once fled Mathura to Dwaravati, from fear of Jarasandha. If,
Maharajan, you want to perform this sacrifice, you must rescue the kings
from Jarasandha and also bring about his death. Scion of the Kurus,
otherwise you cannot undertake to perform a Rajasuya yagna: this is the
only way you can succeed.
Rajan, this is my view; do, Sinless, as you see fit. The circumstances
being what they are, reflect upon everything, consider all causes and effects,
and then tell us what you think is proper to do.'"
CANTO 15
RAJASUYARAMBHA PARVA CONTINUED
udhishthira says, 'Being as intelligent as you are, you have said what
no one else could; surely, no one but you can settle every doubt in
this world. There are kings in every land, engaged in benefiting themselves,
yet none amongst them has been able to become an emperor. Truly, the title
is difficult of acquisition.
He who is aware of the strength and courage of others never praises
himself. He alone is worthy of praise who conducts himself honourably
while engaging his enemies. O Bearer of the dignity of the Vrishnis, even
like the wide Earth is adorned with great many jewels, myriad and countless
are the desires and propensities of man.
Even as experience can rarely be gained other than by journeying in
lands far from one's home, so, too, salvation can never be gained other than
by living by high principles, which are remote from one's desires and baser
tendencies. I regard peace of mind as the highest goal here, for, from that
alone comes true prosperity. In my view, if I undertake this sacrifice, I will
never attain the highest goal.
O Janardana, blessed with vitality and wisdom, the Kshatriyas born into
our race, also thought that some day one of them would become the greatest
Kshatriya of all. But, noble one, we too were all touched by the fear of
Jarasandha and, O Sinless, by his evil. Invincible one, the strength of your
arms is my refuge. When you take fright at Jarasandha's power, how shall I
dare think of myself as being stronger than him? Madhava, O Vrishni, I feel
plunged in dejection to think that not you, or Balarama, not Bhimasena or
Arjuna can kill Jarasandha.
But what shall I say, Krishna? You are my highest authority in all things.'
Hearing this, Bhima, skilled in speech, says, "That king who, being
torpid, or weak and without resources, engages in battle with a strong
enemy, perishes like an anthill. However, it is observed that even a weak
king, with vigilance and the use of stratagem, can vanquish a strong enemy
and gain the fruit of his every wish.
In Krishna there is stratagem; in me, there is strength; and in Arjuna,
victory. So, like the three fires which accomplish a sacrifice, we shall devise
the death of the king of Magadha.'
Now Krishna says, 'One whose understanding is immature seeks the fruit
of his desire, without looking to what might happen to him in the future. We
observe that nobody forgives an enemy for his callowness, one who is self-
serving! We have heard that, in the Krita Yuga, having subjugated the entire
world, Yauvanaswin, through the abolition of all taxes, Bhagiratha, by his
kindliness towards his subjects, Kartavirya, by the force of his asceticism,
the Lord Bharata through his strength and valour, and Maruta by his
prosperity — all these five became emperors.
But Yudhishthira, you, who wish for the imperial dignity deserve it not
merely by one but by all these qualities: by victory, by the protection you
give your people, by your virtue, your prosperity, and your policy. Know, O
Bull of the Kurus, that Brihadratha's son Jarasandha is also, like you, one
who wishes to and can become an emperor. A hundred dynasties of kings
have not been able to subdue Jarasandha.
Surely, for his might he can be regarded an emperor. Kings who wear
royal jewels make offerings of these to Jarasandha, but being evil since he
was a child, he is not satisfied with their worship. He has become the most
powerful king, yet he savagely attacks other kings who wear crowns upon
their heads. There is no king from whom he does not take tribute, and so he
has brought almost a hundred kings under his sway.
How, O son of Pritha, will any weak king dare confront him with hostile
intentions? The kings whom he has locked up like so many animals in
Siva's temple, to sacrifice them to that God, don't they experience abject
misery? A Kshatriya who dies in battle is always honoured. So, why should
we not combine to give battle to Jarasandha?
He has already taken eighty-six kings his captives; he needs only
fourteen more to make them a hundred. As soon as he has them, he will
perform his brutal sacrifice. He who impedes that savagery will surely win
blazing fame, and he who vanquishes Jarasandha will become emperor of
all the Kshatriyas.'"
CANTO 16
udhishtira says, 'Out of my selfish desire to perform the Rajasuya

yagna, and relying on just blind courage, how can I in conscience
send you, O Krishna, to Jarasandha? Bhima and Arjuna I think of as my
very eyes, and you, Janardana as my heart. How will I live without my eyes
and my heart?
Not Yama can conquer Jarasandha's awesome host in battle, his army
endowed with dreadful valour, besides. What can you do against that force?
I fear this will lead only to tragedy. I believe that we must not undertake
this task. Listen, Krishna, to what I think. Janardana, desisting from this
sacrifice seems to me to be best. Ah, today my heart is distressed; to me the
Rajasuya appears hard to accomplish.'
Arjuna, who has received the Gandiva, best of bows, a pair of
inexhaustible quivers, a chariot with Hanuman's banner, as also the great
Mayaa sabha, now says to Yudhishtira, 'My lord, I have won a great bow,
my quivers, astras, prowess, allies, dominions, fame and energy - all of
which are difficult to gain, however one might wish for them.
Learned men always praise, in fine society, nobility of birth. But nothing
is equal to might, and, O King, there is nothing I prefer to strength. He who
is born into a race noted for its valour, but who himself has none, is hardly
worthy of respect; while he who is born into an inferior race but is valiant,
is superior to the first.
He, Rajan, is a Kshatriya in every way, who increases his fame and
possessions by subjugating his enemies. He that is brave, even if he has no
other merit, will conquer his enemies. However, he who has no courage,
though he owns every other quality, can hardly achieve anything. Every
other merit exists, latently, only beside valour.
A focus of attention, exertion and destiny are the three causes of victory.
He that is valiant but acts rashly does not deserve success; this is why a
powerful man is sometimes killed by his enemies. As meanness overtakes
the weak, so does folly at times overtake the strong. So, a king who wants
victory must avoid both these causes of ruin.
If we try to kill Jarasandha and rescue the kings incarcerated by him for
a savage purpose, so that we might perform a Rajasuya yagna, there is
nothing nobler that we could do. Equally, if we refrain from this task the
world will forever think of us as being weak. We are surely capable, O
King, so why should you think that we are not?
Those who become Munis, wishing to attain the peace of their souls,
easily gain ochre robes. So, too, if we vanquish the enemy, we shall easily
perform the Rajasuya yagna. We must, therefore, fight Jarasandha.'"
CANTO 17
rishna says, 'Arjuna has shown what the attitude should be of a

prince born into the race of Bhaarata, especially a JL, ak- son of
Kunti. We do not know when death will overtake us - by night, or by day;
neither have we ever heard that we can become immortal by evading a
battle. So, this is the dharma of men - to attack the enemy by principles laid
down in the law. For this satisfies the heart.
With wise policy, any undertaking meets with success, unless destiny
frustrates it. If two sides, both following precept, meet in battle, one must
triumph for victory cannot belong to both. However, a battle influenced by
bad policy, where one side is devoid of the renowned arts of war, must end
in defeat or death. If, again, both sides are equal the outcome is in doubt.
Yet both cannot win. When this is the case, why should we not confront the
enemy, guided by wise policy, and destroy him as a river in spate uproots a
tree?
If we disguise our own weaknesses while attacking those of the
adversary, why should we not succeed? Surely the policy of wise men has
always been never to engage in open warfare against the very powerful
enemy at the head of his formidable forces. This is my view, as well.
However, if we achieve our purpose by secretly entering the home of our
foe and attacking just him, we shall not find disgrace.
That bull among men Jarasandha enjoys undimmed glory, indeed, even
like him who is the atman in the heart of all the created. But I see his death.
Wishing the welfare of our kinsmen, we will either kill him in a fight, or we
will ascend into heaven being killed by him.'
Yudhishtira says, 'Krishna, who is this Jarasandha? What is the secret of
his power and his energy, that even having touched you he has not been
consumed like an insect by the touch of fire?'
Krishna says, 'Hear, O King, who Jarasandha is - what his tejas is, what
his prowess; and also why I have spared him, despite his giving me
repeated offence.
There was a mighty king called Brihadratha, Lord of the Magadhas.
Invincible in battle, he had three Akshauhinis of men. Handsome he was
and blessed with great vitality; he owned wealth and prowess beyond
measure; always, upon his body, he bore the marks of having been installed
as a sacrificer at countless yagnas. He was like a second Indra. In splendour
he was like Surya, in forgiveness like the Earth, in wrath like Yama and in
wealth like Vaisravana.
Bharatottama, the whole Earth was mantled by his great qualities,
inherited from a long line of ancestors, covered as by rays from the sun.
Endowed with great tejas, that king married the twin daughters of the king
of Kasi, both blessed lavishly with the wealth of beauty. That bull among
men made a secret pact with his wives that he would love them equally and
would never show any preference for either.
And, with his two precious wives, both of whom were perfectly suited to
him, the lord of the Earth spent his days in great joy, even like a mighty
king elephant with two cow-elephants, or like the ocean, embodied, with
Ganga and Yamuna. Yet, though the king's youth passed thus in delight, he
had no son to continue his line, although he performed countless auspicious
rites, homas and yagnas to that end.
One day, Brihadratha heard that the lofty-souled Chandakausika, son of
Kakshivat of the illustrious race of Gautama, had ceased his tapasya and
had come on his wanderings to the king's city, and now sat in the shade of a
mango tree. Taking his wives with him, the king went to that Muni and
worshipped him with offerings of jewels and other valuable gifts, which
pleased the Sage greatly.
That best of Rishis, always truthful, indeed devoted to the truth, said to
Brihadratha, "King of kings, I am pleased with you. Ask me for a boon, O
you of excellent vratas."
Brihadratha and his wives prostrated before the Rishi and, his voice
tearful from his despair at having no son, the king said, "Holy one, I am
about to leave my kingdom and go into the forest to sit in tapasya. Ah, I am
a most unfortunate man that I have no son. So what will I do, O Maharishi,
with a kingdom?"
Hearing this, the Muni restrained his senses and entered into deep
dhyana, where he sat in the shade of the mango tree. Into the Sage's lap
there fell a juicy mango, untouched by the beak of a parrot, or any bird.
That best of Munis took the mango and, breathing some silent mantras over
it, gave the fruit to the king, so he could have a peerless child.
The Mahamuni, of exceptional wisdom, said to Brihadratha, "Go back,
O King, for your wish is fulfilled. Do not leave your kingdom and go into
the forest."
In joy, Brihadratha worshipped the feet of the Sage and returned to his
palace. He remembered his old promise to his wives that he would never
make any difference between them and, Bharatarishabha, the king gave that
mango to them both. His exquisite queens divided that fruit in two halves
and ate it.
Because of the Muni's power, because he could never utter a lie, both
queens became pregnant after eating the mango, and Brihadratha's joy knew
no bounds. When their time came both queens gave birth: each to a divided
child. Each half had one eye, one arm, one leg, half a stomach, half a face
and half an anus.
The mothers looked at what they had brought forth and shivered in fear.
In great sorrow, the mothers decided to abandon the stillborn halves of a
child. Their two midwives carefully swaddled the two lifeless pieces and,
leaving the palace in stealth through a back door at dead of night, left the
parcels outside at a crossing of streets and hurried back.
Purushvyaghra, a while later, a Rakshasi called Jara, a cannibal who
lived on human flesh and blood, found the two halves of the abandoned
child and picked them up to take them outside the city. She put them
together so she could carry them more easily, when, O Bull among men,
there was a flash of light and the two halves were united into a magnificent,
now breathing child!
Now her eyes wide with amazement, the Rakshasi found that she could
not make off with the human child, whose body was as hard and powerful
as the Vajra, the thunderbolt of adamant. That infant clenched his hands into
fists, red as copper, thrust them into his mouth and began to roar as
dreadfully as rain-charged thunderheads. Alarmed by the sound, the king
and others living in his palace came out.
The dejected and grieving queens emerged, as well, their breasts
suddenly welling with milk to have back their child. The Rakshasi saw the
queens who wanted their child back, she saw the king who was desperate
for a son, she felt the strength of the child in her arms, and she thought, "I
live in the domain of this king who is so anxious to have a son, and it does
not become me to kill the infant of such a great and good king."
The Rakshasi held the child in her arms even as clouds enfold the sun
and, quickly assuming a human form, came before the king and said to him,
"Brihadratha, this is your child; I give him to you; here, take him. He has
been born through the virtue of your wives and the blessing of the great
Brahmana. The midwives abandoned him in the night, but I have given him
refuge."
Receiving their son, the lovely daughters of the king of Kasi soon
drenched him in mother's milk. When the king knew everything that had
happened he was full of joy, and he spoke to the Rakshasi, who had
assumed the form of a human woman with a golden complexion.
"O you who have the complexion of a lotus' filament, who are you that
returns my son to me? Auspicious one, to me you seem like a goddess
ranging the Earth at your whim!'""
CANTO 18
rishna continues, 'Hearing this, the Rakshasi answered, "May you

be blessed, O King of kings! I am the Rakshasi Jara, who can take
any form that I choose. I live contentedly in your realm and am revered by
everyone: for I go from house to house, of men, and bring them fortune.
The Svayambhuva Brahma created me of old, and I was called Grihadevi,
the goddess of hearth and home.
I had celestial beauty, and I was sent to the world to destroy the
Danavas. He who draws a likeness of me upon the walls of his house, a
likeness full of youth and in the midst of children, shall indeed have
prosperity in his home; otherwise, his household will suffer decay and ruin.
O King, on a wall of your palace is a picture of me surrounded by children,
which is worshipped daily with flowers and perfumes, with incense,
offerings of food and other things of enjoyment.
Since I am so adored in your home, I think daily of doing you some
great good in return. It happened, good king, that I saw the halves of your
child born in two pieces. When I put them together, a living child was
made. Great king, this transpired only because of your good fortune, and I
was merely its instrument.
I can swallow Mount Meru if I choose; what then to say of this child?
But you have gratified me with the worship, which you offer me in your
home, and so I give you back your son."
With these words, Rajan, the Rakshasi vanished. Having received his
son, Brihadratha returned to his palace, where he had all the rites of infancy
performed. He ordered his people to observe an annual festival to honour
the Rakshasi. Then, that king, who was as Brahma's equal, named his son
Jarasandha - he who had been joined by Jara.
Jarasandha of Magadha grew in size and strength like a fire fed with
libations of ghee. Growing, day by day, even like the moon waxing during
the bright fortnight of the month, the child swelled his parents' joy.'"
CANTO 19
rishna says, 'Some time later, the noble Maharishi Chandakausika

came again to the land of the Magadhas. Joyful at his advent, King
Brihadratha went out to welcome him, taking his ministers and priest and
wives and son. O Bhaarata, he worshipped the Sage with padya and arghya,
and then offered his entire kingdom to him, and also his son.
Receiving, graciously, the king's worship, and well pleased with it, that
holy Rishi said to the sovereign of Magadaha, "I know everything that has
happened with spiritual vision. But listen, O King of kings, to what this son
of yours will become, and also what his beauty, excellence, strength and
valour shall be.
Have no doubt that, blessed with fortune and growing in prowess, he
will have all these. Just as other birds can never match the speed of Vinata's
son Garuda, the other kings of the world will never be able to equal the
tejas of your heroic son. All that stand in his way he will raze. Even as the
force of a cataract makes no dent upon a mountain's breast of rock, weapons
cast at him, even by the Devas, with cause him no injury or pain.
He will blaze forth over the heads of all that wear crowns. As the Sun
dims the lustre of the stars, your prince will rob the glory of every other
monarch. Even the mighty kings, who own great armies and countless
chariots and beasts, will perish like moths in a flame when they confront
your son.
This child will seize the burgeoning fortune of every other king, as the
ocean receives the swollen waters of rivers during the monsoon. As the vast
Earth bears all manner of thing, this child of inordinate strength will support
the four varnas. Even as every creature born with a body depends on
precious vayu, dear as their atman, to live, so will the kings of the world
depend on your son.
This prince of Magadha, mightiest of all men in the world, will see with
his human eyes the God of gods - Rudra, Hara destroyer of the Tripura.
Parantapa, with this, Chandkaushika dismissed King Brihadratha and
turned back to his own ascetic pursuit. The lord of the Magadhas went back
into his capital, and gathering all his friends and kinsfolk, installed
Jarasandha upon his throne. Very soon, King Brihadratha began to feel a
sharp aversion for all worldly pleasures. When he had made Jarasandha
king, he and his two wives went away into the forest and began living in an
asrama.
Rajan, once his father took sannyasa, Jarasandha, through his matchless
valour, brought many kings under his sway.
King Brihadratha lived for some years in the forest, in tapasya, before
finally rising into Swarga with his wives. King Jarasandha had all the boons
that Chandakausika foretold, and ruled his people like a father. Some years
later, when I, Krishna, killed Kamsa, enmity arose between Jarasandha and
me. O Bhaarata, from his city, Girivraja, the king of Magadha whirled a
great mace ninety-nine times over his head and flung it at Mathura.
I lived in Mathura then. The beautiful mace, which Jarasandha hurled all
the way from Girivraja, flew ninety-nine yojanas and landed near Mathura.
Seeing it, the people rushed to me to tell me about the fall of the mace. The
place where that mace fell, next to Mathura, is called Gadavasan.
Jarasandha had two staunch supporters, Hansa and Dimbhaka, both
invincible to all weapons. They were masters of politics and dharma, and in
counsel they were the most intelligent among all men. 1 have already told
you all about that awesome pair. The two of them and Jarasandha, together,
I believe, were more than a match for the three worlds. This was why the
powerful Kukkura, Andhaka and Vrishni tribes, out of discretion, did not
consider it wise to fight Jarasandha.'"
CANTO 20
JARASANDHA-VADHA PARVA
rishna says, 'Hansa and Dimbhaka have both fallen; Kamsa and all
his followers have been slain. So, the time has come to kill
Jarasandha. But he cannot be killed in battle even by the Devas and the
Asuras, even if they combine. However, I think that he can be vanquished
in single combat. In me there is policy; in Bhima is strength, and in Arjuna
there is victory; so, as prelude to your performing the Rajasuya yagna, we
will surely destroy the king of Magadha.
We three shall go to him, secretly, and he will certainly fight one of us.
Because he is proud and fears ignominy he will choose to fight Bhima. And
like Death himself, who kills a man swollen with pride, the long-armed and
mighty Bhima will kill the king of Magadha.
If you know my heart, and if you have any faith in me, then give me
Arjuna and Bhima, without delay.'
Yudhishtira sees how cheerfully Bhima and Arjuna stand beside him,
and cries, Achyuta, O Achyuta Parantapa, do not say this to me! You are the
lord of the Pandavas, and we depend only on you. What you say, Govinda,
is always wisdom. You never walk at the head of those whom Fortune has
abandoned. I, who am yours to command, consider Jarasandha already dead
and the kings he holds captive already set free, and that I have already
performed the Rajasuya.
Lord of the Universe, Purushottama, go forth vigilantly so that this
mission is accomplished. I cannot live without you - like a man stricken by
disease and deprived of dharma, artha and kama.
Arjuna cannot live without Sauri, nor can Krishna live without Partha;
neither is there anything in this world which these two cannot conquer.
Then, this handsome Bhima is the strongest man in the world. Of great
renown, what is there that he cannot achieve with the two of you?
When well led, troops excel in war; an army without a leader is lifeless,
say the wise. So, armies must always be led by commanders of experience.
The wise channel water into low-lying lands; even fishermen cause water to
leak out through holes in the tank. We, too, shall attempt to achieve our
purpose under the leadership of this Krishna, who knows politics, whose
fame spreads through the world. Indeed, to succeed at any venture one
should always set Krishna in the van, this Purushottama whose power
consists of both wisdom and strategy, and who knows both methods and
means.
So, to achieve our purpose, let Pritha's son Arjuna follow Krishna, best
of the Yadavas, and let Bhima follow Arjuna. Through wise policy, good
fortune and prowess, we will find success in this purpose which needs great
valour.'
When Yudhishtira says this, Krishna, Arjuna and Bhima, all mighty
tejasvins, set out for Magadha, their splendid bodies clothed in the garb of
Snataka Brahmanas, and with the blessings and encouraging words of
friends and kinsmen. Great is their splendour anyway; and their bodies,
already like the Sun, the Moon and Fire, blaze brighter for being inflamed
by wrath at the plight of the kings, their kin, imprisoned by Jarasandha.
The people see Krishna and Arjuna, neither of whom have ever been
defeated in battle, with Bhima at their head, all three going forth to
accomplish one mission, and they think of Jarasandha as being already
dead. For the illustrious two are Masters, who direct everything that
happens in all the worlds, as well as all things concerning the dharma, artha
and kama of every creature.
Setting out from the land of the Kurus, they pass through Kurujangala
and arrive at the charmed lake of lotuses. Crossing the hills of Kalakuta,
they then passed over the Gandaki, the Sadanira, the Sarkaravarta and the
other rivers, all of which spring from the same mountains. They then cross
the lovely Sarayu and see the country of Eastern Kosala. Passing through
that kingdom, they come to Mithila, then, crossing the Mala and
Charamanwati, the three heroes ford the Ganga and the Sona, and continue
eastwards.
Finally, those shuras, heroes of undimmed glory, arrive at Magadha at
the heart of Kushamba. Coming to the hills of Goratha, they see below them
the capital city of Magadha, always replete with cows, wealth, water and
beautiful with the countless trees which grow there."
CANTO 21
JARASANDHA-VADHA PARVA CONTINUED
rishna says, 'Look, Partha, at the great capital of Magadha in all its
splendour. Rich are its flocks and herds, and inexhaustible its store
of water. The finest mansions adorn its streets, free from all calamities and
evil.
The five mountains Vaihara, Varaha, Vrishabha, Rishigiri, and the
enchanting Chaitya, all with towering peaks, overgrown with great and lofty
trees, intertwined and of cool shade: all these seem to protect this city of
Girivraja together. The breasts of these hills are covered by delightful trees
of Lodhra forests, fragrant, their branch ends profuse with flowers.
Here the lustrous Gautama, of stern vows, begot on Ausinari, the Sudra
woman, Kakshivat and other sons of great renown. It only goes to reflect
Gautama's mercy on human kings that the race sprung from him still lives
under their mortal sway. Arjuna, it was here that, in elder days, the mighty
sovereigns of Anga, Vanga and other lands came to the asrama of Gautama,
and spent their days in joy.
Look, Partha, at these enchanting forests of Pippalas and lovely Lodhras,
which surround the hermitage of Gautama Muni. Long ago, the Nagas
Arbuda and Sakrapavain lived here, those Parantapas, as did the excellent
Nagas Swastika and Mani. Manu himself had ordained that the land of the
Magadhas would never feel the scourge of any drought; and Kaushika and
Manimat also blessed this country.
Being master of this beautiful and impregnable city, Jarasandha, unlike
other kings, is bent on fulfilling his vile purpose. But we will kill him, and
crush his pride.'
With that, those mighty tejasvins, the Vrishni and the two Pandavas
approach Girivraja, impregnable capital of Magadha, teeming with cheerful,
well-fed people of all the four varnas: Girivraja of perennial festivities.
Upon arriving at the city-gates, instead of entering peaceably, the cousins
assault the sacred Chaityaka peak, which the race of Brihadratha as well as
the people of Girivraja worship, and which gladdens the hearts of all
Magadhans.
Once, Brihadratha killed the Rakshasa Rishabha upon that peak and
made three great drums out of his hide, which he set up in Girivraja. Those
drums, once struck, resound for a full month after! Krishna and the
Pandavas tear down the peak of Chaityaka, the joy and pride of the
Magadhas, and bring it down over those drums covered by the blooms of
heaven, the drums which never stop reverberating. They, who have come to
kill Jarasandha, it seems set their feet upon their enemy's head by what they
do.
Having attacked that celebrated, ancient, immovable massif, always
adored with perfumes and garlands, with awesome arms, breaking it down,
the three heroes joyfully march into Girivraja. The Brahmanas inside the
city see many evil omens, which they hasten to report to Jarasandha.
The chief priest makes the king mount an elephant and, blessed by
lighted brands around him, Jarasandha of untold prowess, wanting to keep
the evil omens signified at bay, enters into a yagna with every apposite
vow; he fasts.
Meanwhile, Bhaarata, the brothers, unarmed, rather with their own bare
arms their only weapons, enter the city disguised as Snataka
Brahmanas; they come seeking single combat with Jarasandha. They see
how marvellously elegant are the shops, full of garlands and various
delicacies to eat, indeed replete with everything that any man's heart could
desire.
Looking at those affluent and excellent shops, the Purushottamas
Krishna, Bhima and Dhananjaya walk along the public highway. Suddenly,
they of untold strength begin to forcibly snatch the garlands that the flower-
vendors have hung up for sale. Wearing colourful robes and earrings,
putting on the garlands, the heroes walk into the abode of Jarasandha of
lofty intellect, even like Himalayan lions eyeing cattle-folds.
Rajan, smeared with sandalwood paste, the arms of those Kshatriyas
look like the trunks of Sala trees. The people of Magadha see those
magnificent three, powerful as elephants, their necks thick as Sala trees,
chests wide, and are wonderstruck. The Purusharishabhas pass through
three crowded gates, where men throng, and in great heart and cheer
approach Jarasandha, haughtily.
Jarasandha gets up in haste and receives them with padya, madhurpaka
and other ingredients of arghya; he offers them gifts of kine, and shows
them every reverence.
Says that great king to them, 'Be welcome!'
O Janamejaya, Partha and Bhima remain silent, while Krishna replies,
'King of kings, these two have sworn a vow of silence and they will not
speak until midnight. After that hour, they will talk to you.'
Jarasandha houses his guests in the apartments of sacrifice and returns to
his royal chambers. At the midnight hour, the king returns to his guests who
wear the attire of Brahmanas. For, that invincible monarch keeps strictly his
vow that, even if it be the midnight hour, he would grant audience to any
Snataka Brahmanas who arrive in his court.
O Bhaarata, seeing the extraordinary attire of his guests, that best among
kings is puzzled. Yet, he waits upon them patiently, respectfully, silently.
Those Purusharishabhas, the three Parantapas, on the other hand, see
Jarasandha and say, 'O King, may you attain moksha without any great
effort!'
Tiger among kings, with that they fall silent, staring. Rajadhiraja,
Jarasandha says to those Pandavas and the Yadava, all disguised as
Brahmanas, 'Pray, be seated.'
Those Narapungavas sit themselves down, and they blaze with beauty
like the three main priests of a great sacrifice.
Jarasandha, always devoted to truth, now softly censures his guests in
disguise, saying, 'Well do I know that, throughout the world, Brahmanas
who keep the Snataka vrata never deck their persons with garlands and
fragrant paste, unseasonably.
So who are you, adorned with flowers, and your hands bearing the marks
of the bowstring? Wearing coloured robes, wearing flowers and sandalwood
paste, out of season, you tell me that you are Brahmanas although you have
the bearing of Kshatriyas.
Tell me truly who you are. Truth embellishes even kings. Why, breaking
the peak of the Chaityaka, have you come in here, disguised, and through
an unlawful gate, without fear of my royal wrath? The Brahmanas tejas
dwells in his speech; what you did is not suited to the varna to which you
profess to belong.
Therefore, tell me what is your purpose? You have arrived here
unlawfully; why do you disdain the worship that I offer you? What motive
have you for coming here?'
Thus addressed by the king, Krishna Mahatman, that most eloquent one,
replies calmly and gravely.
Krishna says, 'O King, know we are Snataka Brahmanas. Brahmanas,
Kshatriyas and Vaishyas are all allowed to observe the Snataka vrata.
Besides, this vow has numerous rules governing it, both general and
particular. A Kshatriya who keeps this vow with special observances finds
great prosperity. Therefore, we have decked ourselves in flowers.
Also, Kshatriyas sow their prowess not with words but deeds. That is
why, O son of Brihadratha, a Kshatriya never speaks audaciously. Brahma
has invested in the Kshatriya his own tejas, implanted it in the purpose of
the warrior. If you wish to see it today, you shall.
This is the code of the Kshatriya: that the house of an enemy must be
entered through the unlawful gate, and a friend's house through the proper
one. Know, also, that having entered our enemy's house through the illegal
gate to accomplish our purpose, we are sworn not to accept the worship
offered us.'"
CANTO 22
arasandha says, 'I do not remember having ever done you an I injury!
Even after thinking carefully about it, I do not recall 1 what harm I ever
did you. When I have never wounded you, Brahmanas, why do you think of
me as your enemy? Answer me honestly, for that is the way of the
righteous.
The mind feels pain at any harm done to one's artha or dharma. The
Kshatriya who injures an innocent man's pleasure or morality, let him not be
a great warrior otherwise, and a master of every aspect of dharma, he,
beyond doubt, finds the fate of sinners and falls away from fortune and
grace.
The ways of the Kshatriyas are the noblest among all men of dharma in
the three worlds. Indeed, all who know dharma acclaim the code of the
Kshatriya. I follow the laws of my varna and never harm any who live
under my rule. So, by bringing this charge against me, it seems that you
speak in error.'
Krishna says, 'Mahabaho, there is one in this world who is sovereign of a
certain royal line, and who upholds the honour of his race. We have come
against you at his command. You have brought many Kshatriyas of the
world here to your city as your prisoners. How can you still think of
yourself as a man of dharma after what you have done? Best of kings, how
can one king sin thus against other righteous kings?
But you treat other kings savagely and seek to offer them as human
sacrifice to the Lord Rudra! O Son of Brihadratha, the sin you have
committed touches me, as well, for I am with dharma and I can protect
dharma. Killing human beings as a sacrifice to the gods is unheard of. So
why do you wish to offer the lives of a hundred kings to the Lord Sankara?
You are treating noble men, who belong to your own varna, like animals.
You are a fool, Jarasandha, for who else would behave in this wise? One
always finds the fruit of whatever one does, under whatever circumstances.
Therefore, since we are sworn to protect and help all those in distress, we
have come here, for the weal of our kind, to kill you and prevent the
slaughter of the captive kings, our kinsmen.
You believe that there is no man among the Kshatriyas who can match
you; you are gravely mistaken in this. Rajan, there is no Kshatriya born who
would not, thinking of his noble ancestry and birth, gladly ascend into
heaven, which has no like anywhere on earth, by dying in battle.
Know, Purusharishabha, that Kshatriyas fight battles like men
performing yagnas, with Swarga as their goal, and thus quell the whole
world. Studying the Vedas, performing tapasya and dying in battle are all
deeds which lead to heaven. Finding Swarga through the first two might not
be certain, but for those who die in battle heaven is assured.
Death in battle inexorably brings triumph to equal Indra's. Countless
gains accrue from dying in battle. It is through battle that Indra of the
thousand yagnas became who he is; it is why he vanquishes the Asuras and
rules the three worlds. You are so full of hubris about the untold might of
your Magadha host; open hostility against you must surely lead only to
heaven.
Do not underestimate other men, for valour dwells in everyone. Rajan,
there are many whose valour might well equal or even exceed your own. It
is only because they are not as renowned as you that your valour is noted.
We can bear your strength. So, I say to you, King of Magadha, do not act
like a superior: you are in the presence of your peers.
Do not tempt fate and go, along with your children, your ministers and
your legions into Yama's land. Dambhodhbhava, Kartavirya, Uttara and
Brihadratha were kings who met death, with all their forces, because they
underestimated their superiors.
We who have come to liberate the kings you hold as captives, know, are
surely not Brahmanas. I am Hrisikesa, also called Sauri, and these two
heroes among men are the sons of Pandu. Lord of Magadha, we challenge
you - stand before us and fight. Either free all the kings or go to Yamaloka!'
Jarasandha says, 'I never make a captive of a king without vanquishing
him in battle. Who have I held here whom I have not first defeated in war?
Krishna, it has been told that this is the dharma which every Kshatriya must
follow: to bring others under his sway by force of arms, and then to treat
them as his slaves.
I have collected these kings in order to sacrifice them to God. How will I
now free them out of fear today, especially after I have told you what
Kshatriya dharma is? With troops against troops, arrayed in battle
formation, or alone against one of you, or alone against two or all three of
you, simultaneously or separately, I am ready to fight!'
Saying this, and eager to have battle with those three warriors of
dreadful achievements, Jarasandha has his son, another Sahadeva, installed
upon his throne. Then, Bharatarishabha, on the brink of battle, that king
remembers his two generals Kausika and Chitrasena. These two were once
known through the world, reverentially, as Hansa and Dimbhaka.
And, Rajan, that tiger among men, the Lord Sauri, who is always
devoted to the truth, that slayer of Madhu, Haladhara's1 younger brother,
Krishna greatest of men who have perfectly controlled their senses,
remembering Brahma's command and knowing that the lord of Magadha is
destined to be killed in single combat by Bhima, and not by any Yadava,
does not wish to himself kill Jarasandha, most powerful of men blessed
with strength, that hero endowed with the strength of a tiger, that Kshatriya
of terrible valour."
——————————
1 Balarama's ploughshare weapon is the Halayudha, so he is Haladhara, bearer of the plough.
CANTO 23
aisampayana said, "Then, that best of orators, Krishna of the Yadava

clan, says to Jarasandha who is resolved to fight, 'Rajan, which of us
three will you fight? Which of us should prepare for combat with you?'
The splendid king of Magadha says that he will do battle with Bhima.
Now, his priest fetches the yellow pigment got from the cow, garlands of
flowers and every other auspicious thing, as well as the best specifics for
restoring consciousness and relieving pain, to Jarasandha, eager for combat.
A celebrated Brahmana performs initiatory rites for Jarasandha, with all
blessings, and, thinking of the dharma of a Kshatriya, the king readies
himself for battle. He takes off his crown, ties up his hair and rises like an
ocean which would burst apart its continents.
That sovereign of dreadful prowess says to Bhima, 'I will fight you, for it
is honourable to be vanquished by a superior man.'
With that, Jarasandha rushes at Bhima even as the Asura Bala of old did
at the king of the Devas. Krishna invokes the gods on behalf of the mighty
Bhimasena, his cousin. Having taken counsel with Krishna, Bhima also
advances upon Jarasandha, keen for battle. Then the two Purushavyaghras,
those Kshatriyas of untold prowess, their bare arms their only weapons,
joyfully lock in combat, each one eager to quell the other.
Grasping each other's arms, locking legs, at times slapping armpits in
self-exhortation, they make the arena where they face each other tremble.
Often they lay hold of each other's necks and push and heave violently, this
way and that; they press every limb against a limb of the adversary; they
continue to slap their own armpits in exultation and defiance.
At times extending their arms, at others withdrawing them, now lifting
them high, now dropping them low, they circle and seize each other. Neck
thrust against neck, brow striking brow, roughly, they make sparks fly from
armour and headpieces, like flashes of lightning.
Grasping each other with many holds with their arms, lashing out with
kicks violent enough to reach their inmost marmas, they also strike each
other's chests with clenched fists. Roaring like thunderheads, they fight as
two maddened elephants might with their trunks. Incensed by each other's
blows, on they fight: hauling, pulling, dragging, ferociously, glaring like
two angry lions.
Every limb of the other each one strikes, using arms, mighty legs;
seizing one another by the waist, they fling each other far with awesome
force. Accomplished wrestlers both, the two Kshatriyas pull and shove and
clasp each other with violent force.
Then, those heroes perform the most difficult of all feats in wrestling:
prishtabhanga, where they throw each other face down onto the ground and
keep the fallen antagonist so for as long as possible. With their arms, they
also perform the sampurna-murchcha and purna-kumbha.
At times, they wring each other's arms and other limbs as if these are
vegetable fibres to be twisted into cords. At others, fists clenched, they
strike thunderous blows upon other parts of their opponent's bodies than
those at which they appear to aim.
So battle those heroes and the citizens, thousands of Brahmanas,
Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras, and even women and the old, O
Purushvyaghra, come out and gather around to watch the titanic duel.
Quickly, the crowd swells, until it is great, and a single solid mass of
humanity, no space between body and body.
The sounds the wrestlers make, while slapping their arms, seizing each
other's necks to throw one another down, grabbing each other's legs also to
fling the adversary to the ground - all these are so loud that they resemble
the roar of thunder or of cliffs breaking and falling.
Both of them are the greatest among the strong and delight greatly in this
encounter. Keen to prevail, each watches alert to take advantage of the
slightest lapse by the other. And, O King, the awesome Bhima and
Jarasandha fight ferociously in those lists, at times driving the crowd back
by waving their hands; they fight even like Indra and Vritra did of old.
Dragging forward, thrusting back, and with sudden twists flinging each
other down, onto face or side, they wound each other savagely. At times,
they strike with bent and vicious knees, while roaring at each other: stinging
taunts and insults. They strike each other with fists, the blows descending
like the weight of rocks. With bull-like shoulders, long arms, and both
masters of wrestling, they strike each other with those arms that are like
maces of iron.
On the first day of the lunar month of Kartika begins that duel between
the two heroes, and the lustrous Kshatriyas battle on, never pausing, not to
eat; they battle on by night and day, until the thirteenth day of the Moon.
However, on the night of the fourteenth day, the lord of Magadha calls a
halt from fatigue.
And Krishna says bitingly to Bhima of terrible deeds, 'Kaunteya, an
enemy who is tired must not be pressed, for if he is he might even die of
exhaustion. So, Son of Kunti, you must not press this king while he is tired.
Bhima, put forth only as much strength as he can now summon into his
arms; fight him only with such strength as he has, Bull of the Bhaaratas.'
Bhima Parantapa understands at once what Krishna means, and he
knows the time has come to kill Jarasandha. Bhima, strongest of all strong
men, gathers himself, all his strength and valour, that prince of the Kurus, to
bring down the hitherto unvanquished Jarasandha."
CANTO 24
aisampayana said, "Deciding to kill Jarasandha, Bhima answers

Krishna, 'Yaduvyaghra, O Krishna, I will not relent against this wretch
among kings, who yet stands before me, strong enough and bent upon the
fight; I will no show him mercy.'
Krishna, who wants to exhort that hero to kill Jarasandha swiftly, says,
'Bhima, today show some of the strength, which you have from your father
Maruta Deva!'
Bhima Parantapa seizes Jarasandha, lifts him above his head and begins
whirling that king round dizzily. Bharatarishabha, having whirled him
round fully a hundred times, Bhima thrusts his knee into Jarasandha's spine
and breaks his body in two. Killing the Magadhan thus, Vrikodara gives a
dreadful roar, which mingles with Jarasandha's roars as his back snaps; at
which there is a loud uproar which strikes fear into every creature's heart.
The people of Magadha are speechless for fear, and many women even give
birth prematurely.
Hearing those roars, the people think that either Himavat is crumbling or
even the Earth herself is being rent asunder. Then, those scourges of all
their enemies leave the lifeless body of Jarasandha at the palace gate, where
he lies as one asleep, and they go out of the city. Krishna has Jarasandha's
chariot, of the fine flagstaff, readied and makes Bhima and Arjuna ride in it.
Together they go and set the imprisoned kings, their kinsmen, free.
Saved from certain death, those kings come to Krishna and offer him
priceless gifts of jewels, every manner of gemstone. Having vanquished his
enemy, Krishna, unscathed, bearing every kind of weapon, and
accompanied by the kings he had freed, emerges from Girivraja riding in
Jarasandha's unearthly chariot.
The ambidextrous Savyasachi, whom not all the kings of the world can
contain, the extraordinarily handsome and inexorable Arjuna, with Bhima
of untold strength, also comes out of the citadel of Magadha. Krishna drives
the chariot in which the brothers ride, and it is splendid, for it is the very
ratha in which, of old, Indra and Vishnu fought against the Asuras because
of Brihaspati's wife Tara, and great blood was spilt.
Riding in that chariot, now Krishna comes out of the hill-fort. That ratha
has the lustre of molten gold; it is lined with rows of tinkling, exquisite
bells; and its wheels clatter as thunderclouds rumble; it is always
triumphant, always vanquishes the enemy against which it is driven; it is the
same chariot riding in which Indra slew ninety-nine great Asuras in the
elder days.
The three Purushavyaghras are delighted to have that chariot. The people
of Magadha see long-armed Krishna and the two brothers with him in the
chariot and are wonderstruck. Bhaarata, that ratha is yoked to celestial
steeds, which own the speed of the wind; and with Krishna driving it, it is
indescribably beautiful.
Upon that best of all chariots is an uncanny flagstaff which stands
without being physically or visibly attached: for it is a thing created with
the art of heaven. It can be seen, glorious as a rainbow, from a yojana away.
While emerging from Girivraja, Krishna thinks of Garuda; remembered by
his master Garuda arrows down to him in a wink, and he is like a great tree
of vast proportions standing in the heart of a village and being worshipped
by all.
Garuda, of untold heaviness, who preys on snakes, sits upon that finest
of chariots, alongside numberless open-mouthed and frightfully roaring
creatures, upon its flagstaff. At which, that greatest of chariots is even more
resplendent, so brilliant that it is impossible to be looked upon by any
being: even as is the midday Sun of a thousand rays.
And, O King, that best of flagstaffs, of unearthly creation, is such that
never would it strike any tree, and nor could any weapon ever pierce it,
even though all men see it plain. Achyuta, tiger among men, riding with the
two sons of Pandu in that divine chariot, whose wheels sound like spring
clouds rumbling, emerges from Girivraja.
The ratha which Krishna drives had once been received by King Vasu
from Vasava, and from Vasu by Brihadratha, and from him by Jarasandha in
course of time. Coming out of Girivraja, he of the long arms, eyes like lotus
petals and luminous fame stops on a level plain outside the city. Then, all
the people rush there, O Rajan, with the Brahmanas at their head, hurrying
there to worship him with every religious ritual.
The kings who have been freed adore Madhusudana, reverently, and
eulogising him, say, 'O Long-armed, we were plunged in the deep mire of
grief in this land of Jarasandha, and you have saved us. Devakinandana,
how extraordinary is this deed of yours, with Arjuna and Bhima to help
you.
O Vishnu, we languished in the fell hill-fortress of Jarasandha; surely, it
was only by our greatest good fortune that you rescued us, O Scion of the
Yadavas, and swelled your fame by this deed. Purushavyaghra, we bow to
you; your wish is our command. Say what you want us to do, and however
difficult it might be, O Lord, we shall do it.'
When the kings speak thus to him, the Mahatman Hrishikesa reassures
them and then says, 'Yudhishtira wishes to perform the Rajasuya yagna; that
king who always walks the way of dharma, wants to acquire imperial
dignity. I say to you, help him in his endeavour.'
Joyfully, those kings accept what Krishna says, crying, 'So be it!'
Saying this, those lords of the Earth give gifts of jewels to him of the
Dasarha race. Moved by their kindness, Govinda takes but a portion of
them.
Then, Jarasandha's son, the noble Sahadeva, accompanied by his
kinsmen and main officers of state, and with his priest going before him,
comes to that place. Bending low, offering lavish gifts of jewels and
precious gems, he worships Krishna, god among men. Krishna gently
reassures the weeping prince and accepts those priceless gifts. Joyfully,
there and then, Krishna installs Sahadeva as king of Magadha.
Having been made king by the greatest of men and having gained
Krishna's friendship, Jarasandha's mighty-armed and illustrious son is
shown every kindness and respect by the two sons of Pritha; he re-renters
his father's city. Laden with jewels, Krishna, the sons of Pandu with him
and great fortune attending upon him, leaves the capital of Magadha.
And with the two Pandavas, Achyuta arrives in Indraprastha and, going
to Yudhishtira, says in joy to that king, 'Rajottama, by good fortune Bhima
has killed the mighty Jarasandha, and all the kings imprisoned in Girivraja
have been freed. From good fortune, also, these two, Bhima and
Dhananjaya, are well and have returned to their city, O Bhaarata, without
injury.'
Yudhisthira worships Krishna, as he deserves, and embraces Bhima and
Arjuna in joy. Ajatasatru, the king who has no enemy, has found victory
because of his brothers and the death of Jarasandha, and he gives himself up
to celebration in the company of all his brothers.
Pandu's eldest son, with his brothers, greets the kings who have come to
Indraprastha, welcoming and honouring each according to his age. After the
kings have been entertained duly, they depart immediately in fine chariots,
with joyful hearts and the leave of Yudhishtira.
Thus does Janardana, tiger among men, of fathomless intellect, cause the
death of his enemy Jarasandha at the hands of the Pandavas. O Bhaarata,
having seen Jarasandha slain, that Parantapa, scourge of every foe, takes his
leave of Yudhishtira and Pritha, Draupadi and Subhadra, Bhimasena and
Arjuna, and the twins, Nakula and Sahadeva.
When he finally bids farewell to Dhananjaya, again, he sets out for his
own city, Dwaraka, riding in that best of chariots, of unearthly craft, swift
as the mind, given to him by Yudhishtira, the ratha which fills the ten points
of the horizon with the rumble of its wheels.
O Bharatarishabha, just before Krishna goes forth, the Pandavas, with
Yudhishtira at their head, walk around him in reverent pradakshina.
When Devaki's illustrious son leaves Indraprastha, after his magnificent
triumph, and having dispelled the terror of the kings, that feat swells the
renown of the Pandavas. Rajan, the sons of Pandu pass their days, always
gladdening Draupadi's heart. And during that time, all that is just and in
accordance with dharma, kama and artha are practised piously by
Yudhishtira, while attending to his duty of protecting his people."
CANTO 25
DIGVIJAYA PARVA
aisampayana said, "Having acquired that highest of bows, the

inexhaustible twin quivers, the chariot and flagstaff, as well as the
great sabha, Arjuna says to Yudhishtira, A great bow, weapons, great
energy, allies, territory, fame, a vast army - all these, which, O King, are
difficult to gain, I have won.
I think that what we should now do is fill our treasury. Noblest of kings,
I would like to make all the other kings of the world pay us tribute. I want
to set out on an auspicious moment of a holy day of the Moon, when a
favourable constellation is rising, to conquer the direction of the North, over
which the Lord of Treasures, Kubera, reigns.'
When Yudhishtira Dharmaraja hears what Dhananjaya says, he replies in
a grave and solemn tone, 'Bharatarishabha, make righteous Brahmanas
chant blessings over you, to plunge your enemies in grief and to bring joy to
your friends, then go forth. Partha, victory will surely be yours and your
wishes will be fulfilled.'
When Yudhishtira has said this, Arjuna sets out in the unearthly chariot,
which he got from Agni, and with a large host going with him.
Commanded by Yudhishtira lovingly, Bhimasena, also, as well as the
twins set out, each at the head of a great army.
Arjuna, son of the chastiser of Paka, brings the North under his sway, the
direction ruled by the Lord of Treasures. Bhimasena, with force, quells the
East, while Sahadeva does the South, and Nakula, master of every weapon,
conquers the West.
While his brothers are so engaged, the lofty Dharmaraja Yudhishtira
remains in Khandavaprastha, enjoying great affluence, surrounded by
friends and relatives."
CANTO 26
DIGVIJAYA PARVA CONTINUED
aisampayana continued, "In the North, Arjuna comes to

Pragjyotishapura where Bhagadatta rules, and tells the king what he
intends and asks for his fealty.
Bhagadatta says, 'O you who have Kunti for your mother, as you are to
me, so is Yudhishtira. I will do all that you ask. Tell me, what else shall I do
for you?'
Dhananjaya replies to Bhagadatta, 'If you give your word to do all this,
you have done what I wish.'
Having thus subdued the king of Pragjyotishapura, Dhananjaya of the
long arms, Kunti's son, marches further north - the direction ruled by
Kubera. That Purusharishabha, the Kaunteya, conquers the mountainous
regions and their hems, as also the realms of the hills and foothills. Having
subdued all the mountains and the kings who reign there, bringing them
under his sway, he takes tribute from them all.
Winning their affection, allying himself to them, O King, he next rides
against Brihanta, the king of Uluka, making this Bhumi tremble with the
sound of his drums, the rumble of his chariot-wheels, and the trumpeting of
the elephants in his train. However, Brihanta swiftly emerges from his city
with his army that comprises four kinds of troops, and gives battle to
Phalguna.
Fierce is the battle between the two, but Brihanta cannot bear the
prowess of the Pandava. When that invincible king of the mountain realm
realises that Kunti's son is irresistible, he yields and comes to Arjuna with
great wealth. Arjuna takes his kingdom from Brihanta, but then, making
peace with that king, marches with him at his side against Senabindu,
whom he drives out of his kingdom without ado.
After this he quells Modapura, Vamadeva, Sudaman, Susankula, the
Northern Ulukas, and all the kings of those countries and their peoples.
Fettered by the command of Yudhishtira, O Rajan, Arjuna does not stir
from the city of Senabindu, but only sends forth his legions to fetch those
five realms under his sway.
Having arrived at Devaprastha, the capital of Senabindu, Arjuna stations
himself there, along with his army consisting of four kinds of forces. Then,
surrounded by the kings and the peoples he has subjugated, the Kshatriya
marches against King Viswagaswa, that bull of the race of Puru. He defeats
the bold mountain men, all great warriors, and the Pandava with his legions
takes the city ruled by the Puru king.
Having vanquished the Puru king in battle, as also the robber tribes of
the mountains, the Pandu brings under his sway the seven tribes known as
Utsavasanketa.
The Kshatriyarishabha goes on to vanquish the heroic warriors of
Kashmira, as well as the King Lohita and ten minor chieftains. Then, Rajan,
the Trigartas, the Daravas, the Kokonadas, and many other Kshatriyas,
together, advance against the Pandava.
The Kurunandana now takes the enchanting town of Abhisari and, later,
defeats Rochamana who ruled in Uraga. Next, putting forth his great might,
Indra's son Arjuna conquers the fine city of Singhapura, which is well
guarded with every kind of weapon.
Arjuna leads his legions to fiercely attack the realms of Suhma and
Sumala. Indra's son, of untold prowess, after pressing on direly, brings the
Bahlikas, always so tameless, under his sway. Pandu's son Phalguna, with a
small select force, vanquishes the Daradas and the Kambojas, and follows
that by crushing the bandit tribes of the north-eastern frontier, and those that
live in the forests.
Maharajan, Indra's son also subdues the allied tribes of the Lohas, the
eastern Kambojas, and the northern Rishikas. The battle against the
Rishikas is fierce in the extreme; why, the fight between Pritha's son and
them is equal to that between the Devas and the Asuras, during which
Brihaspati's wife Tara became the cause for so much slaughter.
Quelling the Rishikas, O King, on the field of battle, Arjuna takes from
them as tribute eight horses which are the colour of the parrot's breast, and
also other steeds of the hues of the peacock, born in northern climes, and
endowed with great swiftness. Finally, having conquered all the Himalayas
and the Nishkuta Mountains, that Purusharishabha, bull among men, arrives
at the White Mountains, and camps upon its breast."
CANTO 27
aisampayana said, "That valiant Pandava, blessed with majestic force,

crossed the White Mountains and subdues the land of the
Kimpurushas, ruled by Durmaputra, after a great massacre of Kshatriyas,
and brings the country under his control.
Having quelled that realm, Indra's son, with a calm mind, marches at the
head of his legions to the country of Hataka, ruled by the Guhakas. He
adopts a policy of conciliation with them and wins their alliance. In that
realm, the Kuru prince sees the fine lake Manasa, and other sparkling water
bodies, too, all sacred to Rishis.
Arriving at the Manasa sarovara, Arjuna conquers the lands ruled by the
Gandharvas, which surround the Hataka territories. Here the conqueror
takes, as tribute, countless superb horses called Tittiri, Kalmasha, and
Manduka. At last, the son of the slayer of Paka comes to the country of
North Harivarsha, and wants to conquer it. Thereupon, some formidable
great-bodied frontier guardsmen come, with gallant hearts, to him.
They say, 'O son of Pritha, you can never conquer this land; if you seek
your own good, go back from here. Any human who enters this country will
die. We are pleased with you, Kshatriya; you have conquered enough and
there is nothing here, Arjuna, for you to conquer.
The Northern Kurus live here, and there can be no war here. Even if you
enter this land, you will see nothing; for there is nothing here which can be
seen by human eyes. However, if you seek something else, anything, tell us,
O Purushavyaghra, so that we can do your bidding.'
When they say this to him Arjuna replies, smiling, 'I seek that my
brother Yudhishtira Dharmaraja, of great intellect, becomes emperor. If
your land is shut to humans, I will not enter it. But pay some tribute to
Yudhishtira.'
Hearing this from Arjuna, they give him many exquisite cloths and
ornaments of unearthly make; silks of celestial texture and skins of
unworldly origin.
So it is that tiger among men subjugates the realms of the North, fighting
countless battles both against Kshatriyas and bandit tribes. Having
vanquished those chieftains, bringing them under his sway, he takes great
wealth from them, gems and jewels past counting, the horses known as
Tittiri and Kalmasha, as also those of the colour of the parrot's breast and
those coloured like peacocks, all endowed with the speed of the wind.
Surrounded, O King, by a huge army comprising the four kinds of
forces, the hero returns to Sakraprastha, and Partha offers all that untold
wealth and the animals he has brought to Yudhishtira Dharmaputra. Then, at
his king's command, the Kshatriya retires to a private apartment in the
palace to rest."
CANTO 28
aisampayana said, "Meanwhile, Bhimasena, also blessed with great

tejas, marches east with Yudhishtiras leave. That Bharatavyaghra, of
fathomless valour, always the bane of his enemies, goes with a vast host,
with a full complement of elephants, horses and chariots; well-armed he
goes forth, and he can crush any enemy kingdom.
Bhima comes first to the great land of the Panchalas, and begins to
conciliate them with all the means at his disposal. Next, he effortlessly
vanquishes the Gandakas and the Videhas.
The lofty one then subdues the Dasarnas. In the land of the Dasarnas,
their King Sudharman fights a ferocious duel with bare hands against
Bhimasena. Seeing how mighty Sudharman is, Bhima makes him the chief
commander of all his legions.
Then, Bhima of terrible prowess marches east, making the very Earth
tremble with the tread of the awesome host which follows him. Now that
hero, who is the strongest of all strong men, defeats Rochamana, king of
Aswamedha, who confronts him with his army. Having vanquished that
king with feats of terrific ferocity, Kunti's son subdues the east.
The prince of the Kurus, blessed with great strength, enters the country
of Pulinda in the south, and brings Sukumara and the king Sumitra under
his sway. Next, O Janamejaya, that Bharatapungava, fettered by the
command of Yudhishtira Dharmaraja, rides against Sisupala of great
vitality. Hearing what the Pandava intends, the king of Chedi comes out of
his city, and that Parantapa receives Pritha's son with respect.
Having met, those bulls of the lines of Kuru and Chedi enquire after
each other's welfare.
Then, O Rajan, the king of Chedi offers his kingdom to Bhima, and says
smilingly, 'Anagha, sinless, what is your purpose?'
At which Bhima tells him about the intention of Yudhishtira. For thirty
nights, O King, Bhima stays there being entertained by Sisupala. Then he
sets out again from Chedi with his troops and chariots."
CANTO 29
aisampayana said, "That punisher of all enemies then vanquishes King

Shrenimat of the Kumara country, and then Brihadbala, King of
Kosala. Now, the Panadavottama, with deeds of exceptional ferocity
vanquishes the virtuous and mighty King Dirghayagna of Ayodhya; he then
subdues the country of Gopalakaksha, the northern Kosalas and also the
king of the Mallas.
Arriving next at the foot of the Himalaya, he quickly brings all that land
under his sway. Thus, that Bharatarishabha conquers myriad countries.
Endowed with great energy, and the strongest of all strong men, the son of
Pandu next subdues the country of Bhallata, as also the Mountain
Shuktimanta beside Bhallata.
Then Bhima of long arms and terrible prowess defeats the unretreating
Subahu, the king of Kasi, and brings him under complete sway; after which,
with awesome prowess he overwhelms the great King Kratha who reigned
in the region which lies around Suparsa; he defeats the Matsyas and the
powerful Maladas, and conquers the country called Pasubhumi, which has
neither fear nor oppression of any kind.
The long-armed Kshatriya conquers Madhahara, Mahidhara, and the
Somadheyas, and turns towards the north. With terrific force, the mighty
Kaunteya subdues the kingdom of Vatsabhumi, and the king of the Bhargas,
as also the ruler of the Nishadas, and Manimat and countless other kings.
Effortlessly, swiftly, Bhima overcomes the southern Mallas and the
Bhogavanta mountains. Next, just through policy and conciliation, the hero
vanquishes the Sharmakas and the Varmakas. With some ease, he defeats
that Lord of the Earth, Janaka king of the Videhas.
With strategy, the Kshatriya then subdues the Sakas and the barbarians
who live in that part of the country. Sending forth expeditions from Videha,
where he remains, Bhima conquers the seven kings of the Kiratas who live
around Indrakila, Indra's mountain. He vanquishes the Suhmas and the
Prasuhmas. With them at his side, Kunti's son marches against Magadha.
On his way, he subdues the kings Danda and Dandadhara; taking them
with him, he marches on Girivraja. Peacefully, he brings Jarasandha's son
under his sway and takes tribute from him. Then, with the kings he has
conquered going with him, Bhima marches against Kama, making the Earth
tremble at the advance of his legions consisting of the four kinds of forces.
The Pandava faces Kama Parantapa and brings him under his power. O
Bhaarata, having subdued Karna, he quells the powerful king of the
mountain realms. Then, Pandu's son, with the strength of his arms, slays the
king of Modagiri.
Next, the Pandava vanquishes those valiant and powerful Kshatriyas,
Vasudeva king of Pundra and Mahaujah who rules in Kausika-kachcha,
before attacking the king of Vanga. Defeating Samudrasena, the kings
Chandrasena and Tamralipta, and also the sovereign of the Karvatas and the
ruler of the Suhmas, as also the kings who live upon the sea-shore, that
Bharatarishabha conquers all the Mlechcha tribes.
Having subjugated numerous kingdoms and countries, extracting tribute
from them all, the son of Vayu advances towards Lohita. Now
Bhima makes all the Mlechcha kings who rule the marshlands of the
coast pay him tribute, various kinds of wealth, sandalwood, aloe, fine
clothes and gemstones, pearls and shawls, gold and silver, and priceless
dark corals.
The Mlechcha kings shower untold wealth upon the son of Kunti, gold
coins and precious stones counted in hundreds of millions, tens of crores.
Returning to Indraprastha, Bhimasena of dreadful prowess offers all
those treasures to Yudhishtira Dharmaraja."
CANTO 30
aisampayana said, "Sahadeva, also commanded affectionately by

Yudhishtira Dharmaputra, marches towards the south, taking a great
host with him. That great prince of the Kurus first routs the Surasenas,
bringing the king of Matsya under his sway.
Then he crushes Dantavakra, powerful king of the Adhirajas and, taking
tribute from him, reinstates him on his throne. The Kshatriya then brings
Sukumara and, then, King Sumitra under his sway, before vanquishing the
other Matsyas and the Patacharas.
Blessed with great intelligence, the Kuru warrior now swiftly overruns
the country of the Nishadas and also the lofty hill Gosringa, after which he
subdues King Srenimat. He then subdues the country called Nararashtra,
and the Kshatriya marches against Kuntibhoja who, with utmost
willingness, accepts the sway of the conquering hero.
Marching to the banks of the Charmanwati, the Kuru warrior meets the
son of King Jambaka who has, because of an old enmity, been defeated
before by Krishna Vasudeva. O Bhaarata, Jambaka's son gives battle to
Sahadeva, who overpowers that prince and presses on south.
The great warrior vanquishes the Sekas and others, and exacts tribute
from them, many kinds of wealth and jewels. Making the vanquished tribes
his allies, the Kshatriya marches on the countries that lie on the banks of the
Narmada. There he defeats the two valiant kings of Avanti, Vinda and
Anuvinda, who lead a teeming host, and the powerful son of the twin Devas
takes great treasure from them.
After this, the Kshatriya comes to Bhojataka, and there, O King of
unfading glory, is engaged in a fierce battle by the king of that city, which
lasts two days. Madri's son vanquishes the invincible Bhismaka. He then
overcomes the king of Kosala in battle, and the monarch of the lands which
lie on the banks of the Vena, as also the Kantarakas and the kings of the
eastern Kosalas.
Conquering both the Natakeyas and the Herambakas, quelling the
kingdom of Marudha, he subdues Munjagrama by sheer strength. The
Pandava overwhelms the mighty kings the Narhinas and the Arbukas and
the myriad forest kings of that region of the country.
Endowed with huge prowess, Sahadeva makes a subject of King
Vatadhipa. Defeating the Pulindas, he marches on south. Nakula's younger
brother fights the Pandya king for an entire day; having quelled him, he
goes south again, that long-armed Kshatriya.
Now he sees the celebrated caves of Kishkindha and there fights seven
days against the monkey-kings Mainda and Dwivida. Those magnificent
Vanaras, though not bested in battle, nor tired, are, however, delighted with
Sahadeva.
Joyfully, they say to the Kuru prince, 'Tiger among Pandu's sons, go
now, taking whatever tribute you desire from us, and may the purpose of
Yudhishtira Dharmaraja, of great intelligence, be accomplished without
obstacle.'
Taking precious gems and jewels from them, Sahadeva marches towards
the city of Mahishmati, and there that Narapungava does battle with King
Nila. Fierce and terrific is the encounter between the powerful Pandava,
slayer of hostile heroes, and Nila. Exceedingly bloody it is, and with Agni
Deva himself helping King Nila, Sahadeva's very life is in danger.
Suddenly, the chariots, horses, elephants, and soldiers in their coats of
mail in Sahadeva's army all appear to be on fire. Seeing this, the Kuru
prince becomes fearful, and O Janamejaya, he does not know what to do."
Janamejaya said, "Dvijottama, why did Agni Deva become inimical
towards Sahadeva in battle when the Pandava was fighting to accomplish a
yagna, which would gratify Agni himself?"
Vaisampayana said, "It is said, O Janamejaya, that while the Lord Agni
lived in Mahishmati, he earned a reputation as a lover. King Nila had an
exceptionally beautiful daughter. She always remained next to her father's
sacrificial fire, stoking it vigorously, making it blaze up. Soon, King Nila's
fire would not burn at all until it was fanned by the soft breath from that
girl's lips.
It was told in Nila's palace and in the homes of all his subjects that Agni
Deva wanted the exquisite princess for his bride. The girl accepted him, and
one day, having assumed the form of a Brahmana, the Fire God was
enjoying the princess when he was discovered by King Nila.
The king of dharma ordered the Brahmana be punished by law. At this,
the lustrous deity flamed up in wrath; seeing which, the king was amazed
and bent his head down and set it on the ground. Bowing low, in a while,
Nila gave his daughter to Agni come in the guise of a Brahmana. The Deva
Vibhavasu Agni took the fair-browed daughter of Nila, and turned kindly
towards the king.
Agni, the shining gratifier of all desires told the king to ask him for a
boon. Nila begged that his legions never become panic-stricken in battle.
From that time, any king who dares attack Nila's city is struck by fear by
Agni Hutasana.
From that time, also, the girls of the city of Mahishmati became
unacceptable to marry, to men from outside the city. Then, Agni gave them
sexual liberty so the women could roam at will, none bound to any single
man. Bharatarishabha, indeed, from that time kings of other lands avoid
Mahishmati from fear of Agni.
Virtuous Sahadeva sees his troops stricken with fear and surrounded by
flames, but stands unmoved as a mountain. Purifying himself, touching holy
water, the hero speaks to Agni, the Deva who sanctifies all things:
'I bow to you, whose trail is always marked by smoke. All these
exertions of mine are for you, O sanctifier of everything. You are the mouth
of all the gods; you are the sacrifice embodied. You are called Pavaka
because you sanctify all things, and you are Havyavahana because you
convey the clarified butter which is poured into you to the other Devas.
The Vedas have come to be to minister to you and so you are called
Jataveda. Being great among the gods, you are called Chitrabhanu, Suresa,
Anala, Vibhavasu, Hutasana, Jvalana, Sikhi, Vaiswanara, Pingesa,
Plavanga, Bhuritejasa. You are he from whom Kumara had his origin; you
are holy; you are called Rudragarbha and Hiranyakrit.
O Agni, you give me energy; let Vayu grant me life; let the Earth grant
me nurture and strength, and let Water bless me with prosperity. O Agni
who are the first cause of the waters, you who are of immaculate purity, you
for ministering to whom the Vedas have come to be, you who are the
foremost of the Devas, who are their mouth - O purify me with your truth.
Rishis and Brahmanas, Devas and Asuras pour clarified butter every day
into you during their sacrifices, according to law. Let the rays of truth,
which you exude while you show yourself at these yagnas, purify me.
Smoke-bannered as you are, having many names, O great purifier of all
sins, born of Vayu and ever present in all creatures, O purify me through the
rays of your truth.
I have cleansed myself, lofty one, and happily do I worship you. O Agni,
grant me contentment and prosperity, knowledge and joy.'
He who pours ghee into Agni chanting these mantras shall always be
blessed with prosperity; having his spirit under perfect control, he will also
be purified of all his sins.
Sahadeva addresses Agni again, 'O bearer of the sacrificial libations, it
does not become you to obstruct a sacrifice!'
Saying this, that Purushavyaghra, Madri's son, spreads some kusa grass
on the ground at the head of his terrified legions and calmly sits down to
face the approaching fire.
And Agni, too, like the ocean which never transgresses its continents,
does not sweep over him. Instead, approaching Sahadeva quietly, Agni,
Lord of Men, reassures that Kuru prince, 'O Kuru, arise; I was only testing
you. I know your purpose entirely, as also that of the Dharmaputra. But, O
Bharatottama, as long as this city is ruled by a descendant of the line of
King Nila, I will protect it. However, O Pandava I will fulfil your hearts
desire.'
Hearing this, Madri's son arises cheerfully and, folding his hands,
bowing his head, worships the Fire God, sanctifier of all creatures. When
Agni has vanished King Nila comes there and, at the command of that
Deva, worships Sahadeva, tiger among men, master of battle, with proper
ritual, and pays him tribute.
Having thus brought Nila under his sway, the victorious son of Madri
goes further south. The long-armed Kshatriya subdues the king of Tripura,
of measureless tejas. He turns his forces against the Paurava kingdom, and
makes a subject of the king of the land. After vanquishing that king, the
prince, with some effort, brings Akriti, the king of Saurashtra and preceptor
of the Kausikas under his sway. While staying in the kingdom of
Saurashtra, the good prince sends an ambassador' to King Rukmin, son of
Bhishmaka, in the city of Bhojakata, who, wealthy and wise, is a friend of
Indra himself.
Thinking of their relationship with Krishna, O Rajan, the king and his
son gladly accept the sway of the Pandava. Taking jewels and wealth from
King Rukmin, Sahadeva proceeds further south. Blessed with terrific tejas
and awesome strength, he now reduces Shuparaka and Talakata, and the
Dandakas also, to subjection.
The Kuru warrior subdues numberless kings of the Mleccha tribes,
which live on the sea coast; and the Nishadas and the cannibals and even
the Karnapravarnas, and also the tribes called the Kalamukhas who are a
cross between humans and Rakshasas, and all the Kole Mountains; and also
Surabhipatna, and the copper Island, and the Mountain Ramaka.
Having quelled King Timingila, the noble warrior conquers the wild
tribe, the Keralas, who are men with one leg. Just through emissaries, the
Pandava also conquers the town of Sanjayanti and the country of the
Pakhandas and the Karahatakas, and makes them all pay tribute.
The Kshatriya also quells and exacts tribute from the Paundravas, the
Dravidas, the Undrakeralas, the Andhras, the Talavanas, the Kalingas and
the Ushtrakarnikas; he takes the enchanting city of Atavi, and also the cities
of the Yavanas. And, O King of kings, arriving at the seashore, that
Parantapa, Madri's most virtuous and brilliant son, slayer of all foes,
confidently sends messengers to the illustrious Vibhishana, grandson of
Pulastya. That sovereign willingly accepts the sway of the son of Pandu,
because that sage and great-souled king thinks of it all as being providence.
He sends the Pandava a myriad of jewels, and sandalwood, many
celestial ornaments, and reams of priceless apparel, as well as countless
invaluable pearls. Taking all these, Sahadeva the intelligent returns to his
own kingdom.
So it is, O King, that through conciliation and with battle, having
subdued many kings and exacting tribute from them, Sahadeva comes home
to Khandavaprastha. Giving all that wealth to Yudhishtira Dharmaraja, O
Janamajeya, that bull of the Bhaaratas, Sahadeva, considers his purpose as
being successful and is glad."
CANTO 31
aisampayana said, "I will now tell you about the adventures and
triumphs of Nakula, and how he, exalted one, conquers the direction
which Vasudeva once subjugated. At the head of a great host, making the
Earth tremble with the shouts and lion's roars of his warriors and the
rumbling of their chariot wheels, Nakula, the intelligent, sets out west.
First, that Kshatriya attacks the mountain country of Rohitaka,
delightful, prosperous, rich with cattle, every other kind of wealth and
produce, and dear to the Lord Kartikeya. Fierce is that encounter between
the Pandava and the Mattamayurakas of that country.
Next, the illustrious Nakula overcomes the entire desert and the rest of
the realm of Sarishaka, land of plenty, as also Mahetta. A savage battle the
hero has with Rajarishi Akrosa. Having overwhelmed the Dasarnas, the
Sibis, the Trigartas, the Ambashtas, the Malavas, the five tribes of the
Karpatas, and the twice born Madhyamakas and Vatadhanas, the Pandava
leaves that country.
Going circuitously through their territory, that Narapungava quells the
Utsava-tanketa tribes. The luminous Kshatriya quickly conquers the mighty
Gramaniya who dwells on the shore of the sea; and the Sudras and the
Abhiras that live on the banks of the Saraswati; and all the tribes that lived
by fishing, and also those who dwell upon the mountains; and all of the
country named after the five rivers; and the Amara mountains; and the land
called Uttarajyotisha; and the city Divyakata, and the tribe called
Dwarapala.
Through sheer force, the Pandava reduces the Ramatas, the Harahunas
and numerous kings of the west. While there, O Bhaarata, Nakula sends
messengers to Vasudeva, and Vasudeva, along with all the Yadavas, accepts
his sway.
The mighty Nakula goes on to Sakala, city of the Madras, and persuades
his uncle Salya to accept, out of love, the Pandava sway. And, Rajan, his
uncle lavishly entertains that noble and deserving prince. Nakula, master of
war, receives a great quantity of jewels and gems from Salya, and leaves his
kingdom.
Then the son of Pandu reduces the ferocious Mlechchas of that sea coast,
as also the wild tribes of the Pahlavas, the Barbaras, the Kiratas, the
Yavanas and the Sakas. Having conquered many kings, making them all pay
him tribute, Nakula, Kurusthama, laden with wealth, turns back the way he
came, homewards.
O King, so vast is the treasure Nakula brings that ten thousand camels
carry it upon their backs with difficulty. Arriving in Indraprastha, the
valiant and blessed son of Madri offers up all those treasures to Yudhishtira.
Thus, O Rajan, Nakula subdues the countries of the west, the direction
over which Varuna Deva rules, which once Vasudeva himself had
conquered."
CANTO 32
RAJASUYIKA PARVA
aisampayana said, "Because of the protection given them by

Yudhishtira Dharmaputra, his unwavering righteousness, and because
he always keeps his enemies at bay, his subjects cleave to the swadharma of
their respective varnas. His rule is virtuous, the taxes he levies fair and
kind; the clouds bring as much rain to his kingdom as the people want and
prosperous indeed are his cities, towns and villages.
Truly, because of his dharma all in his kingdom prosper, especially the
herds, the farms with their fields, and trade. O Rajan, even thieves and
cheats never lie amongst themselves, nor do men who are the king's
favourites. There are no droughts, floods, plagues or fires, and no one dies
before their time in those days of Yudhishtira of dharma.
Never for battle or from enmity do other kings come to Yudhishtira but
only to serve him, offer him worship or tribute which puts no strain upon
them. The capacious treasury of that king becomes so full of every manner
of virtuously obtained wealth that it cannot be emptied in a hundred years.
When he knows the extent of his possessions, the son of Kunti sets his
heart upon the celebration of a sacrifice. Friends and officials, individually
and together, come to him and say, 'Mahatman, the time has come for your
yagna. Let arrangements be made without delay.'
Whilst they speak thus, that omniscient and ancient one, that soul of the
Vedas, the one described by the wise as being invincible, that foremost of
all lasting existences in the universe, that origin of all things, as also that in
which all things come to be dissolved, that Lord of the past, the future and
the present, Kesava slayer of Kesi, the strength of the Vrishnis, dispeller of
every fear, smiter of all enemies, having made Vasudeva senapati of the
Yadava army, and bringing with him great treasures for Yudhishtira -
Krishna, Hari, enters Khandava, city of cities, bringing with him a mighty
host and filling the air with the thunder of his chariot wheels.
With the ocean of invaluable gemstones that he brings, Madhava
Purashavyaghra swells the Pandavas already limitless wealth; he enhances
the sorrows of the enemies of the Pandavas. Even as a land of darkness is
made joyful by the Sun, or a still place by a soft breeze, Krishna's presence
gladdens the Bhaaratas city.
Welcoming him with delight, showing him every due reverence,
Yudhishtira asks after his welfare. And when Krishna sits at his ease, the
Pandava, bull among men, along with Dhaumya, Dwaipayana, the other
sacrificial priests, with Bheema, Arjuna and the twins, speaks thus:
'O Krishna it is for you that I have brought the world under my sway. O
Vrishni, it is through your grace that I have won vast wealth.
O Devakinandana, O Madhava, I want to devote my wealth, by the law, to
great Brahmanas and the bearer of the libations of the yagna.
And, O Dasarha, it becomes you, Mahabaho, to allow me to perform a
sacrifice along with you and my brothers. So, O Govinda, if you permit my
yagna, go and install yourself as the sacrifices and I will be washed of all
sin. Otherwise, Mahatman, give me leave to become the sacrificer myself,
together with these my younger brothers: for with your blessing 1 will
surely enjoy the fruit of an immaculate sacrifice.'
When Yudhishtira says this, Krishna replies, 'Rajavyaghra, you deserve
the imperial dignity. So, you be the sacrificer. If you perform the yagna and
gain the fruit thereof, I will think that I have done so myself and been
triumphant.
I always seek your fortune, so perform the yagna which is close to your
heart. Engage me, as well, in some task, for I will obey your every
command.'
Yudhishtira replies, 'Krishna, I am already successful that you have come
here, happily, at my wish.'
At Krishna's command, Yudhishtira and his brothers begin to collect
whatever they need for the Rajasuya yagna. That Parantapa, the eldest
Pandava, says to Sahadeva, best of warriors and ministers, 'Let us lose no
time in gathering everything that the Brahmans have asked for to perform
this sacrifice, and all that Dhaumya might want, all the auspicious
materials, one by one, in their proper order.
Let Indrasena, Visoka and Puru, with Arjuna for his charioteer, gather
the food we need, if they agree. Let these Kurusthamas also collect all such
things of fine taste and scent, which will delight the hearts of the
Brahmanas.'
Immediately as Yudhishtira Dharmaputra speaks, Sahadeva, foremost of
warriors, goes forth to accomplish his tasks and, having done so, comes and
informs the king. Now, O Rajan, Dwaipayana appoints pure and great
Brahmanas, who are even like the Vedas embodied, to be sacrificial priests.
Satayavati's son himself becomes the Brahma of that yagna; Susama,
bull of the race of Dhananjayas, becomes the chanter of the Sama hymns;
Yagnavalkya, who is devoted always to Brahma, is the Adharyu, while
Paila, son of Vasu and Dhaumya, becomes the Hotri.
Bharatarishabha, the sons of these Mahatmans, all masters of the Veda
and the Vedangas, are the Hotragis.
Having chanted blessings and uttered the purpose of the yagna, they
worship the large sacrificial arena, the yagnashala. At the Brahmanas'
command, builders and artificers erect numerous edifices there, all
capacious and perfumed like temples of the gods.
When all this has been done Yudhishtira, best of kings, commands his
main advisor Sahadeva, 'Send forth messengers without delay to invite
everyone to the sacrifice.'
Hearing this, Sahadeva dispatches the messengers, saying to them,
'Invite all the Brahmanas in the kingdom, all the Kshatriyas, who are
landowners, all the Vaisya traders and merchants and every honourable
Sudra, and bring them here yourselves.'
Thus commanded, and blessed with great speed, those messengers go
abroad and invite everyone, as the Pandava told them, with no loss of time;
and they all come accompanied by many friends and relatives, and strangers
join them, as well.
Then, O Bhaarata, at the proper muhurta, the Brahmanas install
Yudhishtira, the son of Kunti, as the sacrificer at the Rajasuya. After the
ceremony of installation, Yudhishtira Dharmaraja, even like Dharma Deva
himself in human frame, enters the yagnashala, surrounded by thousands of
Brahmanas, his brothers, relatives, friends, counsellors, and by a large
number of Kshatriya kings come from various countries, and by the officers
of State.
Countless Brahmanas, skilled in all areas of gyana, versed in the Vedas
and their many angas, begin pouring in from various countries. At the
command of Yudhishtira, thousands of artisans create separate dwellings for
those Brahmanas and their attendants, all well stocked with food, clothes
and flowers and fruit of every season.
O King, having been duly worshipped, the Brahmanas start living in
those dwellings, passing their time in spiritual and other converse, and
watching the performances of actors and dancers. Without let or pause, the
commotion of their cheery eating and talking together is heard there. 'Give'
and 'Eat' are the words heard most often, incessantly, every day. And, O
Bhaarata, Yudhishtira gives thousands of cows, bedsteads, gold coins and
nubile young women to those Brahmanas.
Thus, on Earth commences the sacrifice of that peerless Kshatriya,
Pandus illustrious son, even like the yagna in Heaven of Sakra himself.
Then, that Purusharishabha, Yudhishtira, sends Nakula, son of Pandu, to
Hastinapura to fetch Bhishma and Drona, Dhritarashtra, Vidura, Kripa and
those among his cousins who are affectionate towards him."
CANTO 33
RAJASUYIKA PARVA CONTINUED
aisampayana said, "The always victorious Nakula arrives in

Hastinapura and formally invites Bhishma and Dhritarashtra. Invited
with due ceremony, the Kuru elders, with the Acharya at their head, come
with joyful hearts to that yagna with Brahmanas walking before them.
Also, Bharatarishabha, hearing of Raja Yudhishtiras sacrifice, hundreds
of other Kshatriyas, all of them knowing the nature of this yagna, come
joyfully from numerous countries, wanting to behold Yudhishtira, the son of
Pandu, and his yagnashala; they come bringing priceless jewels with them,
of many kinds.
And Dhritarashtra and Bhishma and Vidura of the lofty intellect; and all
the Kaurava brothers with Duryodhana at their head; and Subala the king of
Gandhara, and Sakuni endowed with great strength; and Achala, and
Vrishaka, and Kama greatest of all rathikas, and Salya of awesome might
and Bahlika the strong; and Somadatta, and Bhuri of the Kurus, and
Bhurisravas and Sala; and Aswatthama, Kripa and Drona; and Jayadratha,
the king of Sindhu; and Yaksasena with his sons, and Shalva, that lord of
the world, and that Maharahika, King Bhagadatta of Pragjyotisha, and all
Mlechcha tribes that dwell in the marshlands of the sea-shore; and many
mountain kings, and King Brihadbala; and Vasudeva king of the Paundras,
and the kings of Vanga and Kalinga; and Akarsa and Kuntala; and the kings
of the Malavas and the Andhrakas; and the Dravidas and the Sinhalas and
the king of Kashmira; and Raja Kuntibhoja of great tejas and King
Gauravahana, and all the other heroic kings of Balhika; and Virata with his
two sons, and Mavella endowed with great prowess; and many kings and
princes ruling in various countries; and, O Bhaarata, King Sisupala blessed
with terrific tejas and invincible in battle, accompanied by his son - all of
these come to the sacrifice of the son of Pandu.
And Rama and Aniruddha and Kanka and Sahasarana; and Gada,
Pradyumna, Samba, and Charudeshna of great energy; and Ulmuka and
Nishata and the bold Angavaha; and innumerable other Vrishnis, all mighty
Maharathikas, come there.
These and many other kings from the middle country come, O King, to
that great Rajasuya yagna of the son of Pandu. Rajan, at the command of
Yudhishtira Dharmaraja, mansions are assigned to all those monarchs, full
of every kind of viand, set among tanks and tall trees. Dharma's son
worships all those illustrious sovereigns, as they deserve; revered by him,
they retire, each to the mansions given to them.
Those edifices are lofty like the cliffs of Kailasa, beautiful, lavishly and
elegantly furnished. They are surrounded by lofty, strong white walls; their
windows are covered by fine mesh of gold, and their interiors adorned with
strings of pearls; gradual and easy to climb are the flights of steps inside,
and the floors are covered with costly carpets.
Everywhere inside those palatial homes, garlands of fresh flowers hang,
and the rooms are perfumed with fine aloe. White as snow or the moon,
they appear enchanting even from a yojana away. Wide and high are their
gates and doors, wide enough to admit a crowd. The mansions are
embellished with every kind of invaluable jewel, fashioned with precious
metals, and they look like the peaks of Himavat.
When they have rested a while in those palaces, the kings emerge to see
Yudhishtira surrounded by numerous Sadasyas, and his sacrificial priests;
they see him performing sacrifices distinguished by the munificent gifts he
makes to Brahmanas.
O King, the yagnashala where the Kshatriyas, Brahmanas and
Maharishis sit is as handsome as Swarga athrong with Devas!"
CANTO 34
RAJASUYIKA PARVA CONTINUED
Vaisampayana said, "Then, O King, Yudhishtira approaches and worships

his Pitamaha and his Acharya, and he says to Bhishma, Drona, Kripa,
Aswatthama, Duryodhana and Vivimsati, All of you must help me with this
sacrifice. All the treasures which you see here belong to you. Consult with
one another and guide me as you decide.'
Having been made the sacrificer, Pandu's eldest son says this and then
appoints each of them to worthy and suitable offices.
He gives Dussasana charge of food and other items of enjoyment.
Aswatthama is asked to look after the Brahmanas. Sanjaya is appointed to
offer worship to the kings. Bhishma and Drona, both endowed with great
intelligence, are given overall charge to decide what should be done and
what should not.
The king appoints Kripa to look after the diamonds, gold, pearls and
gemstones, as also the distribution of gifts to Brahmanas. So, too, are other
tigers among men given various offices and tasks to discharge with honour.
Balhika and Dhritarashtra and Somadatta and Jayadratha, fetched by
Nakula, move about, enjoying themselves as lords of the sacrifice. Vidura,
also called Kshatta, knower of every nuance of dharma, becomes the
disburser. Duryodhana is the receiver of the tributes brought by other kings.
Krishna, focus of the worlds, around whom every living being turns, who
wishes for the best karmaphala, at his own wish engages in washing the feet
of the Brahmanas.
No one who comes to see the yagnashala or Yudhishtira Dharmaputra,
does so without bringing tribute of less than a thousand, in number, weight
or measure. All honour Yudhishtira with bounteous gifts of jewels. Each
Kshatriya king comes with gifts in the conceit that his particular
contribution would enable the Pandava, Kuru king, to complete his
sacrifice.
O King, beautiful and magnificent indeed is the yagnashala of Kunti's
son, with the plethora of palaces built to last for ever, thronging with
guardsmen and warriors. So lofty are these that their tops touch the vimanas
of the gods who come to witness the yagna. Wondrous are the chariots of
the Devas, and wonderful the mansions created for the Brahmanas to stay
in, which resemble those vimanas, and which are adorned with gems and
filled with every kind of wealth.
Fine indeed are the crowds of kings who come here, all blessed with
noble beauty and vast wealth. As if vying with Varuna himself in riches,
Yudhishtira begins the sacrifice distinguished by six fires; he gives lavish
gifts to Brahmanas. The king gratifies everyone with gifts of great value
and, indeed, with every manner of object they can possibly desire.
An abundance of rice is served, as well as all other delicacies, then
masses of jewels brought as tribute are distributed; that immense concourse
consists only of those sated to surfeit. The Devas are worshipped at this
yagna with the Ida, ghrita, homa and libations poured into the agni by the
Maharishis, masters of mantras, their enunciation faultless.
Like the gods, the Brahmanas are also adored with sacrificial offerings,
with food and wealth past calculation. The other varnas are also gratified at
that yagna, and filled with joy."
CANTO 35
ARGHYAHARANA PARVA
aisampayana said, "On the last day of the sacrifice, when the king is to
be sprinkled with holy water, the Brahmana Maharishis, who always
deserve worship, enter the inner enclosure of the yagnashala all together.
With Narada at their head, those lustrous Sages sit at their ease with the
Rajarishis within the enclosure, and together they look like the Devas in
Brahma's sabha, sitting with the Rishis of Heaven.
Endowed with boundless tejas, and at their ease now, those Rishis begin
a host of discussions and arguments.
"This is so.'
"This is not so.'
"This is even so.'
"This cannot be otherwise.'
Thus, they speak animatedly among one another. Some of them, the
skilled debaters, make the obviously weaker viewpoint seem stronger than
the better one. Some, blessed with great intellects, fall upon the views urged
by others like hawks darting at meat thrown up into the air, while those
among them who are versed in the interpretations of religious treatises, and
others of stern vratas, who know every commentary and glossary, engage
themselves in sweet converse.
Rajan, that yagnashala, crowded with Devas, Brahmanas and
Maharishis, is wonderful indeed, even like the wide sky studded with stars.
O King, no Sudra approaches that yagnashala in Yudhishtiras palace, nor
anyone who had not sworn severe vows.
Seeing the prosperity of Yudhishtira the fortunate, sprung from that
sacrifice, Narada becomes exceedingly glad. Looking at that great assembly
of Kshatriyas, the Muni Narada falls to thought. Purusharishabha, Narada
recalls some words he heard of old in Brahma's Sabha, which prophesied
the incarnation in amsa on Earth of every Deva. Knowing, Kurunandana,
that this is a concourse of Devas born as men, Narada, in his heart, thinks
about Hari, whose eyes are like lotus petals.
The Sage knows that the creator of all things, that highest of Gods,
Narayana, who once ordered the Devas, 'Be you born on Bhumi and kill one
another before returning to Swarga,' that slayer of all the enemies of the
Devas, that queller of all hostile towns has, in order to keep his own word,
taken birth himself among the Kshatriyas.
Narada knows that the most holy and high Narayana, Lord of the
Universe, having so commanded the Devas, has himself been born into the
race of Yadava; that the greatest of all perpetuators of races has been born
among the Andhaka Vrishnis on Bhumi and, graced by the highest fortune,
now shines like the Moon herself among the stars.
Narada knows that Hari, Parantapa, whose might Indra and all the Devas
always eulogise, is now living in the world in human form. Ah, Narada
knows that the Svayambhu will himself remove from the Earth the great
throng of Kshatriyas of such prowess.
Such is the vision of Narada, the omniscient, who knows Hari Narayana
to be that Supreme Lord whom everybody worships with sacrifice. And
Narada, blessed with vast intellect, best of all that know dharma, sits
pondering this at the sacrifice of the wise Yudhishtira, and he is filled with
awe.
Then, O King, Bhishma says to Yudhishtira, 'O Bhaarata, let arghya be
offered to each of these kings, exactly as each one deserves. Yudhishtira,
the master, the sacrificial priest, the relative, the Snataka, the friend and the
king, it has been told, are the six who deserve arghya.
The Sages have said that when any of these six live in one's house for a
year, he deserves to be worshipped with arghya. These kings have been
with us for a while, hence, O King, let arghya be procured to be offered
unto each of them. And let an arghya be given first of all to him among all
present who is the foremost of them all.'
Hearing these words of Bhishma, Yudhishtira says, 'O Pitamaha of the
Kurus, tell me who you deem to be foremost among all these, to whom the
first arghya should be offered.'
Then, O Bhaarata, Bhishma, son of Santanu, judges by his intellect that
on Earth Krishna is foremost of all. He says, As is the Sun among all
luminaries, so is this Krishna among us, because of his energy, his strength,
his majesty. This our yagnashala is illumined by him and filled with joy by
him, even as a sunless land is by the Sun, or a deathly still realm by a breath
of breeze.'
Thus commanded by Bhishma, Sahadeva of great prowess offers the first
arghya of most excellent ingredients to Krishna of the Vrishnis. Krishna,
too, receives it with grave propriety, by the law.
However, Sisupala cannot bear to see that worship being offered to
Vasudeva. That mighty king of Chedi censures both Bhishma and
Yudhishitra in the midst of that assembly."
CANTO 36
ARGHYAHARANA PARVA CONTINUED
isupala says, 'O you of the House of Kuru, this Vrishni does not
deserve royal worship, as if he were a king, in the midst of all these
illustrious sovereigns. Pandava, it is not worthy of you to worship this
lotus-eyed one like this; it is not becoming of the sons of Pandu.
Pandavas, you are children. You do not know what dharma is, for it is
most subtle. This son of Ganga, this Bhishma, is also of small wit and
transgresses dharma by giving you such counsel. O Bhishma, if one like
you, virtuous and knowing dharma, behaves like this from self-interest, you
surely deserve reprimand among the pious and the wise.
How does the Dasarha, who is not even a king, accept your arghya
before all these kings, and how is it that you offer him this worship? O Bull
of the race of Kuru, if you regard Krishna as being the eldest, here is
Vasudeva, his father: how can his son be older than him?
Perhaps you think of Krishna as being your well-wisher, your supporter.
But here is Drupada; how can Madhava deserve your worship before him?
Or do you consider Krishna as being your Guru? But how can you worship
the Vrishni first, when Drona is here?
Or, Kuru, do you regard Krishna as the Ritvija? How can you worship
him first as such when old Dwaipayana is here? When this ancient Bhisma
is present, the son of Santanu, foremost among men, he who cannot die
except by his own wish, how, Rajan, have you offered Krishna arghya
before him?
When the brave Aswatthama who knows all the angas of knowledge is
here, why have you worshipped Krishna, O Kuru Raja? When that king of
kings, Duryodhana Purushottama is here; when Kripa, Guru of the Bhaarata
princes is here, how do you worship Krishna?
How, O Pandava, do you worship Krishna, while passing by Druma,
Guru to the Kimpurushas? When the invincible Bhishmaka and King
Pandya, who bears every auspicious sign upon his person, when Rukmi,
best of kings, and Ekalavya and Salya, lord of the Madras, are here, how, O
son of Pandu, have you offered Krishna the first worship?
Here, too, is Kama, always boasting of his strength among all the other
kings, and who is endowed with immense prowess, who is the favourite
disciple of the Brahmana Jamadagnya, the archer who vanquished everyone
in battle by the strength of just his own arms. How, O Bhaarata, do you pass
him over and offer Krishna first worship?
Madhusudana is neither a Ritvik, nor an Acharya, nor a king. That you
adore him first, despite all these, could only be from some motive of gain.
If, O Bhaarata, you always meant to offer the Purodasa to Krishna, why did
you bring all these other kings here to be insulted?
We did not pay you tribute, illustrious Kaunteya, from fear, any desire
for gain, or having been won over through conciliation. On the other hand,
we paid you tribute because you wished to perform the Rajasuya yagna for
the sake of dharma. But you have insulted us.
Rajan, it is only to insult us that you offered Krishna, who owns no
insignia of royalty, the arghya in the midst of all these kings of the Earth.
Surely, the renown you, Dharmaputra, have for your virtue is baseless, for
who would offer such undeserved worship other than a man who has fallen
away from dharma?
This Vrishni wretch treacherously killed the noble Jarasandha.
Yudhishtira, you have abandoned dharma today; you have shown us
baseness by offering Krishna the arghya.
If Kunti's helpless sons were afraid, disposed to baseness, should you,
Madhava, not have enlightened them that you have no right or claim to this
first worship? Janardana, why did you accept the arghya of which you are
unworthy, even though it was offered you by these low-minded princes?
But then you think highly of this worship of which you are not worthy: like
a dog which laps up, by itself, some ghee it has chanced upon.
Krishna, in fact these Kurus have not insulted these assembled kings, but
you. Indeed, as a wife is to an impotent man, a fine play to a blind man, so
is this royal arghya to you who are not a king. We have seen what
Yudhishtira is; what Bhishma is we have seen; and we have seen what this
Krishna is. Yes, they have all been seen for what they really are.'
Saying this, Sisupala rises from his excellent seat and, accompanied by
the rest of the kings, stalks out of the yagnashala."
CANTO 37
aisampayana said, "Yudhishtira runs after Sisupala and speaks sweetly

and conciliatingly to him:
'Lord of the Earth, what you have said hardly becomes you; it is
needlessly cruel and sinful. Do not insult Bhishma, Rajan, by saying that he
does not know what dharma is. Look, all these kings, who are older than
you, approve of Krishna receiving the Purodasa. You, too, should bear it
patiently, as they do. Lord of Chedi, Bhishma knows who Krishna really is.
You do not know him as the Kuru patriarch does.'
Now Bhishma says, 'He who does not approve of the worship offered
Krishna who is the eldest in the universe, deserves neither soft words nor
conciliation. The greatest warrior among Kshatriyas is he who defeats his
enemy in battle and then sets him free; he becomes a Guru to the one he
frees. I do not see in this assembly even one king whom Krishna, son of the
Satwatas, has not vanquished.
Krishna of untainted glory deserves to be worshipped not just by us; this
mighty-armed one deserves the adoration of the three worlds. Numberless
great Kshatriya warriors Krishna has quelled in battle. Why, all the universe
is founded in this Vrishni. So it is that we worship Krishna before all the
rest, all the eldest.
What you say does not become you, Sisupala, do not think like this.
Rajan, I have waited upon many who are truly old in gyana. I have heard
from all those men of wisdom about the countless transcendent and much
honoured attributes of this Sauri.
How often I have listened to all the awesome deeds that Krishna of
matchless intellect has performed since he was born. Also, O master of
Chedi, it is not from caprice, neither thinking of our relationship to him or
what gains he might bestow upon us, that we worship this Janardana, whom
all the good on Earth worship and who is the source of the happiness of
every creature.
We have offered the first arghya to him because of his fame, his heroism
and his success. There is no one here, even of tender years, whom we have
not considered before doing as we did. We have passed over many who are
famed for their dharma, before deciding that Krishna alone deserves this
worship.
Among Brahmanas he who excels in knowledge, among Kshatriyas he
who has boundless strength, among Vaisyas he who has the most
possessions and wealth, and the eldest among the Sudras deserve worship.
We worshipped Govinda because no one knows the Vedas and Vedangas as
he does, and no one is as strong as him.
Who in the world of men is as distinguished as him? Liberality,
cleverness, knowledge of the Vedas, bravery, modesty, achievement,
intelligence, humility, beauty, firmness, contentment and prosperity — all
abide eternally in Achyuta. Hence, O Kings, it behoves you to endorse the
worship which we have offered Krishna of great accomplishments, who, as
the Acharya, the Father, the Guru, deserves everyone's worship.
Hrishikesa is the Ritvik, the Guru, worthy of being approached to give
him one's daughter in marriage; he is the Snataka, the lord, the friend: so
have we worshipped Achyuta. Krishna is the origin of the universe and that
into which the universe will dissolve. Truly, this entire universe of creatures
mobile and unmoving has sprung just from Krishna.
He is the unmanifest primal cause, the Avyakta Prakriti, the creator, the
eternal, and beyond the ken of all creatures. Therefore does he of unfading
glory deserve the highest worship. The intellect, the seat of sensibility, the
five elements — air, heat, water, ether, earth - and the four species of beings
are all founded in Krishna. The Sun, the Moon, the Constellations, the
Planets, all the principal directions and the intermediate directions are all
established in Krishna.
As the Agnihotra is foremost among all Vedic sacrifices, as the Gayatri
is foremost among mantras, as the King is the first among men, as the
Ocean is foremost among all rivers, as the Moon is foremost among planets,
the Sun foremost among luminaries, as Meru is foremost among mountains,
as Garuda is foremost among all birds, so, as long as the upward, downward
and sideways course of the universe lasts, Kesava is foremost in all the
worlds, including the realm of the gods.
This Sisupala is just a boy, and so he does not know Krishna and goes
about everywhere disparaging Krishna. This king of Chedi will never see
dharma in that light in which one who wants to gain great punya will. Who
among the old and the young, or among these illustrious lords of the Earth
does not regard Krishna as deserving worship, or does not worship
Krishna?
If Sisupala considers this worship undeserved, he should do what he
thinks is proper.'"
CANTO 38
aisampayana said, "Saying this, the mighty Bhishma stops. Then

Sahadeva answers Sisupala grimly, 'If there is any king amongst you
who cannot bear to see Krishna, of dark hue, the slayer of Kesi, the
possessor of immeasurable energy, whom I worship, I set my foot on the
head of that king and all others like him!
I wait for a reply from you. And let those kings who own intelligence
approve our worship of Krishna, who is the Acharya, the Father, the Guru,
and deserves the arghya and the worship.'
When Sahadeva shows his foot none of those intelligent, wise, proud
and mighty kings says anything. A shower of flowers falls on Sahadeva's
head, and an asariri, an incorporeal voice, says, 'Excellent, excellent!'
Then Narada, who wears black deer-skin, who speaks of both the future
and the dim past, dispeller of all doubts, who intimately knows all the
worlds, says in the midst of numberless creatures, these words of the
clearest import:
'Men who will not worship the lotus-eyed Krishna should be considered
dead though they move, and they should never be spoken to on any
occasion.'
Then that god among men, Sahadeva, who well knows the difference
between a Brahmana and a Kshatriya, having worshipped those that
deserved worship, completes the arghya ceremony.
But upon Krishna receiving the first worship, Sunitha Sisupala,
Parantapa, his eyes red as copper with rage, says to those lords of men,
'Why do you sit thinking, still, when I am here to lead you all? Let us stand
together in battle against the Vrishnis and the Pandavas!'
Thus stirring the kings, the Bull of the Chedis holds counsel with them
how to obstruct the completion of the sacrifice. All the invited kings who
had come for the yagna, now with Sisupala leading them, look angry and
their faces become pale.
They all say, 'We must make certain that it is clear we have not
acquiesced in Yudhishtira's sacrifice or to Krishna receiving the first
arghya.'
Impelled by hubris and belief in their power, the kings, robbed of reason
by anger, speak thus. Moved by arrogance, smarting under the insult offered
them, the kings repeat this loudly. Though their friends seek to pacify them,
their faces are suffused with rage, even like those of roaring lions driven
away from their prey.
Krishna understands that the sea of kings, countless its waves of troops,
is preparing for a terrific attack."
CANTO 39
SISUPALA-VADHA PARVA
aisampayana said, "Seeing that great assembly of kings agitated with

wrath, like the tremendous Ocean by the winds that blow during the
Pralaya, the universal dissolution, Yudhishtira says to the aged Bhishma,
most intelligent of men and grandsire of the Kurus, even like Puruhuta
Indra, slayer of foes, of boundless energy, addressing Brihaspati, 'This vast
sea of kings is stirred by wrath. Tell me, Pitama, what shall I do that my
sacrifice is not obstructed and my people are not harmed?'
When Yudhishtira, knower of dharma, says this, Bhishma, the Kuru
grandsire, replies, 'Fear not, Kuruvyaghra. Can the dog kill the lion? I know
of a solution which is both peaceable and easy.
These lords of the earth are barking all together even as a pack of dogs
does at a sleeping lion. My child, truly like dogs at the lion, these are barks
in anger at the sleeping Vrishni lion.
Yes, Krishna now is like a lion that is asleep. Until he wakes, this lord of
the Chedis, this bull among men, makes these kings seem like lions. My
child, best of all kings, this Sisupala of little wit wants to carry these kings
with him, through the very will of Him that is the soul of the universe, to
Yama's realm.
Surely, O Bhaarata, Vishnu wants to take back into himself the life that
dwells in Sisupala. Wisest of men, O Kaunteya, the intelligence of this evil
king of the Chedis, as also of all these Kshatriyas, has become perverted.
Why, all these kings' minds have become as perverse as that of the Chedi.
Yudhishtira, Krishna is the progenitor as also the destroyer of all created
beings - of the four species which exist in the three worlds.'
O Bhaarata, when Sisupala hears Bhishma, he retorts roughly, rudely."
CANTO 40
SISUPALA-VADHA PARVA CONTINUED
isupala says, 'Old and infamous wretch of your race, are you not
ashamed of trying to frighten these kings with these false terrors? You
are the foremost of the Kurus, and living as you do in the third state, of
celibacy, does it become you to give counsel like this, which is so far
removed from dharma?
Like one boat tied to another, or the blind following the blind, are the
Kurus who have you for their guide. More than once you have pained us by
eulogising the deeds of this Krishna - the slaying of Putana and all the rest.
You are arrogant and ignorant, always praising this Yadava; why does your
tongue not split into a hundred parts?
How can you, who have such superior gyana, want to extol this cow-
boy, whom even men of little intelligence might berate? If in his childhood
Krishna did kill a vulture, O Bhishma, what was so remarkable in that, or in
his slaying later of Aswa and Vrishabha, both of whom were untutored in
battle?
What is so wonderful in his bringing down a wooden cart with a kick?
Bhishma, what is so remarkable in his holding Govardhana, which is like an
anthill, aloft for a week?
"While he sported upon a mountain he ate a vast quantity of food" -
listening to these words of yours, many have wondered. But, O you who
knows dharma, is it not still more of a crime that Krishna killed the great
one, Kamsa, whose food it was that he ate?
Ah base Kuru, you do not know dharma! Have you never heard from
Sages who spoke to you the very things which I will now tell you? The wise
and virtuous always teach the honest that weapons must never be made to
use against women, cows and Brahmanas, nor against those whose food one
has eaten, or whose shelter one has enjoyed.
Bhishma, it seems you have cast away all these teachings. Infamous
Kuru, in your desire to praise Krishna you say to me that he is grand and
has the highest knowledge and age, as if I know nothing at all. If at your
word, O Bhishma, he who has killed a woman, Putana, must be worshipped,
then what will become of this great teaching?
How can anyone like Krishna deserve such praise, Bhishma?
"This one is the foremost of all wise men; He is the Lord of the
Universe".
Janardana listens to what you say and he believes it all to be true, while
surely they are lies. The words of praise which a vabdhi, a chanter, sings,
leave no impression upon him, however often he croons them. Every
creature acts according to his nature, even like the bhulinga bird, which
forever preaches against rashness and then picks shreds of meat from
between the lion's teeth.
Your nature is low, Bhishma; it is mean, there is no doubt about it. So,
too, it seems that the Pandavas, who consider Krishna as deserving of
worship, who have you for their mentor, are also sinners by nature.
Knowing dharma as you do, you have still fallen away from the way of the
wise. And so, you are sinful.
Who, Bhishma, knowing himself to be virtuous and superior in
knowledge, will do what you have done from motives of gain? If you know
dharma's ways, if your mind is guided by dharma, then be you blessed. But
then, why, Bhishma, did you carry the chaste Amba, who had already given
her heart to another, forcibly from her swayamvara, if you are so full of
virtue and wisdom?
Although you brought her forcibly, your honest and virtuous brother
Vichitravirya did not marry her when he knew her condition. You boast of
dharma, yet under your very eye, were sons not begotten upon your dead
brother's wives by another; true, in accordance with dharma. Where, O
Bhishma, is your own dharma?
I say that this great celibacy of yours, the brahmacharya that you observe
either from foolishness or impotence, is in vain. O Bhishma of dharma, I do
not see your wellbeing; you who preach virtue have never, as I see it, served
the old, your ancestors.
Worship, charity, scriptural study, sacrifices distinguished by generous
gifts to Brahmanas - all these together do not amount to a sixteenth part of
the punya a man obtains by having a son. The punya acquired by fasts and
vows beyond count are all fruitless to him who has no child. You are
childless and old, and the dharma you preach is false.
Like the swan in the story, you will now die at the hands of your own
kinsmen. Other men of knowledge have of old told this tale. I will now
relate it in full for you to hear.
Of yore there lived a swan on the sea-coast. He always preached dharma
to his feathered clan, while not following dharma in his life. Practise
dharma and abjure sin — this was what all the other honest birds
constantly heard him preach. And I have heard that the other birds that
ranged the sea brought him food: for the sake of dharma.
O Bhishma, all those other sea-birds left their eggs with him and dived
among the waves, and the sinful old swan would eat the eggs with which
those other foolish avians trusted him. After a while, when the eggs
decreased alarmingly, another wise bird became suspicious and one day
actually saw what the old swan did.
Having witnessed the old swans crime, the other bird spoke in great
sorrow to his fellow birds. Then, all the other birds also saw the old swan at
his sin and they descended on the evil wretch and killed him.
Your conduct, Bhishma, is just like the old swan's, and these kings of the
Earth might kill you in anger even as the other birds did the sinful old swan.
Men who know the Puranas have an old saying about the swan, and,
Bhaarata - O you that support yourself on your wings, though your heart is
driven by lust, yet you preach dharma. But this your sin of eating the eggs
transgresses what you preach."'
CANTO 41
isupala says, 'That mighty king, Jarasandha, who had no wish ever to
fight Krishna, saying He is a slave, deserved my deepest esteem. Who
can commend what Kesava, Bhima and Arjuna with him, did when they
killed Jarasandha?
Entering through the unlawful gate, disguised as a Brahmana: thus
Krishna spied on the might of King Jarasandha. And when that great
sovereign first offered this wretch padya to wash his feet, only then did he
confess to not being a Brahmana, apparently from motives of dharma.
When Jarasandha, O Kuru, asked Bhima and Arjuna to take padya it was
Krishna who refused for them. If this fellow is Lord of the Universe, as this
other fool says he is, why does he disclaim being a Brahmana?
Ah, I am so surprised that, while you lead the Pandavas astray from the
path of the wise, they regard you as being honest. Or, perhaps, it is hardly
surprising from those who have you, O Bhishma, womanish in nature, bent
with age, for their main counsellor in all things.'
Hearing these, Sisupala's words, harsh both in import and sound,
Bhimasena, mightiest of strong men, of terrific energy, becomes enraged.
His eyes, large and expanded like lotus leaves, dilate still more; they grow
red as copper. Upon his brow the assembled kings see three deep furrows,
even like the Ganga of three paths upon the mountain of three peaks.
When Bhimasena begins to grind his teeth in rage the kings see that his
face resembles that of Yama himself at the end of the Yuga, ready to devour
every creature. Just as that furious Kshatriya is about to spring up, Bhishma
Mahabaho catches hold of him even like Mahadeva seizing Mahasena, the
divine Senapati.
O Bhaarata, Bhishma, Pitamaha of the Kurus, quickly pacifies the raging
Bhima, with different kinds of gentle counsel. Bhima Parantapa cannot
disobey Bhishma, even as the Ocean can never break his shores, not during
the monsoon.
However, Rajan, even while Bhima rages, the bold Sisupala, depending
just on his own manliness, does not tremble or grow afraid. Though Bhima
leaps up every second moment in fury, Sisupala does not bestow a thought
on him, just as a lion pays no heed to a small animal which is angry.
Seeing the dreadful Bhima in such frenzy, the powerful king of Chedi
says with a laugh, 'Let him go, O Bhishma. Let all these kings watch me
burn him with my prowess like a moth in a fire!'
Hearing this from the Chedi king, Bhishma, Kurusthama, best of all wise
men, speaks thus to Bhima."
CANTO 42
hishma says, 'This Sisupala was born in the line of the kings of
Chedi; he was born with three eyes and four arms. As soon as he
was born he screamed, and brayed like a little donkey. His father and
mother, and all his kinsfolk were terrified.
Seeing the extraordinary child and these ominous signs, his parents
decided to abandon him, but then an asariri, a disembodied voice, spoke to
the king, his wife, their ministers and their priest, who stood stricken with
anxiety:
"O King, this son of yours will be both fortunate and of superior
strength. You have nothing to fear from him; indeed cherish him, nurture
him without fear. His time has not come and he will not die yet. Besides,
the one who will kill him with a weapon has also been born."
When the mother heard this, she cried anxiously to the invisible being, "I
bow with folded hands to him that spoke these words! Be he a lofty god or
any other, let him tell me one more thing — I want to know who will be my
son's killer."
The invisible one then said, "When this child is placed upon the lap of
his killer to be, his superfluous arms will fall onto the ground like a pair of
five-headed snakes and his third eye on his forehead will vanish
tracelessly."
When the kings of the Earth heard about the child's three eyes and four
arms and what the unseen being had said about him, they all went to Chedi
to see the infant. Worshipping each one as he deserved, the king of Chedi
gave his son to be placed upon the laps of each of those kings. Though that
child was set upon the laps of a thousand kings, one after the other, yet what
the asariri foretold did not come to pass.
Hearing about all this in Dwaravati, the mighty Yadava heroes
Sankarshana and Janardana also went to the capital of the Chedis to see
their father's sister - the Chedi queen was a daughter of the Yadavas. When
they had greeted everyone present according to his rank, and the king and
queen, too, and asked after their welfare, Rama and Krishna sat upon fine
seats.
After those heroes had been worshipped, the queen, with great joy,
herself brought her child and set him in Damodara Krishna's lap. As soon as
the child was placed on his lap, his extra arms fell off and the third eye in
his brow disappeared.
When the queen saw this, she anxiously begged Krishna for a boon. She
cried, "Krishna, fear afflicts me and I want a boon from you! You reassure
all who are afraid; you dispel their fears."
Krishna, scion of the Yadavas, said, "Revered one, fear not! You know
dharma and you need have no fear of me. What boon shall I give you?
What shall I do, Matuli, O my aunt? I will do what you ask, why, whether I
can or not!"
The queen Srutakirti said, "Mighty, mighty Krishna, for my sake you
must pardon every offence of my child Sisupala, O Yaduvyaghra. O Lord,
this is the boon I ask of you."
Krishna said, "Aunt, even when he deserves to be killed, I will pardon a
hundred offences of his, so do not grieve.'"
Bhishma continues, 'It is thus, O Bhima, that this wretched king, this
evil-hearted Sisupala, haughty with the boon which Krishna granted his
mother, dares summon you to battle.'"
CANTO 43
hishma says, 'The will which moves the lord of Chedi to call you to
fight, though he knows how strong you are, of strength which knows
no exhaustion, that will is not his own but surely the purpose of Krishna
himself, of Jagannatha. O Bhima, which king on Earth would dare abuse me
as this wretch of his race, already in death's clasp, has done today?
There is no doubt that this mighty-armed one is an amsa of Hari's tejas,
and I am certain that the Lord wants to take back unto himself that energy
of his. That is why, O Kuruvyaghra, this tiger-like Chedi king, so vile his
heart, roars as he does, caring nothing for all of us.'
The Chedi king hears what Bhishma says and can bear no more. In fury
he responds, 'May our enemies, O Bhishma, be endowed with whatever
prowess this Kesava has, whom you praise like a hymn chanter, rising
repeatedly from your seat.
If, Bhishma, you find such delight in giving praise, then praise these
kings, not Krishna. Praise this Darada, most excellent ruler of Balhika, who
rent this very Earth as soon as he was born. Praise, O Bhishma, this Kama,
king of Anga and Vanga, who is equal in strength to him of a thousand
eyes; who draws a great bow; this mighty-armed one who wears celestial
kundalas with which he was born, and this coat of mail splendid as the
rising sun; who vanquished Jarasandha, Vasava's equal, at wrestling, almost
mangling that king.
Bhishma, praise Drona and Aswatthama, father and son, mighty
warriors, worthy of praise and the best of Brahmanas, either of whom, I am
certain, if angered could destroy this Earth with all its mobile and unmoving
beings. I do not see any Kshatriya who is the equal in battle of Drona or
Aswatthama.
Why don't you want to praise them? You pass over Duryodhana, most
mighty-armed king, unequalled in this whole sea-girt world, and King
Jayadratha master of weapons, blessed with great prowess, and Druma,
Guru of the Kimpurushas, renowned for his untold might, and old Kripa,
Acharyar of the Bhaarata princes, also endowed with vast prowess: you
ignore all these and praise Krishna?
You pass over that best of bowmen, Rukmin of blazing energy, and
praise Kesava? You ignore Bhishmaka of prodigious might, and King
Dantavakra, and Bhagadatta famed for his numberless sacrificial stakes, and
Jayatsena king of the Magadha, and Virata and Drupada, and Sakuni and
Brihadbala, and Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti; Pandya, Sweta, Uttama and
Sankha of great prosperity, the proud Vrishasena, the powerful Ekalavya,
and the great warrior Kalinga of abundant energy, and praise just Krishna?
And, Bhishma, if your mind is always inclined to sing the praises of
others why do you not praise Salya and the other kings of the Earth? What
can I do when it seems that you have not heard anything before from
virtuous old men about teaching dharma? Have you never heard that both
the reproach and glorification of either oneself or others are not practised by
honourable men?
There is no one who approves of what you do, when you ceaselessly
praise, with such adoration, and out of sheer ignorance, this Krishna so
unworthy of praise. How do you, from your mere wish, establish the entire
universe in the servant of the Bhojas, this cowherd?
O Bhaarata, this is not your true nature as a man, but more like that of
the bhulinga bird, of whom I already spoke. On the far side of Himavat
there lives a bird called bhulinga, who never utters a word of evil import.
Never do anything rash — this is what she always cries, but never
understanding that, she herself always acts rashly.
Having little intelligence, this birds pecks out the shreds of meat sticking
between the lion's teeth, and at that always while the lion is eating.
Assuredly, that bird lives at the lion's pleasure. O wretched Bhishma, O
sinner, you always speak like that bird, just as surely as you are alive only at
the pleasure of these kings.
Yet, there is no one like you to serve the worst interests of these same
kings!' Hearing these harsh words from the king of Chedi, O Rajan,
Bhishma says to him, 'Truly I am alive at the pleasure of these lords of the
Earth, but I do not consider these kings as being even equal to a straw.'
No sooner does Bhishma say this than the kings become inflamed! The
hairs on the bodies of some stand on end, and some begin to reproach
Bhishma. Some, who wield large bows, cry, 'The wretched Bhishma is old
but he is boastful and does not deserve our forgiveness. Kings, mad with
anger as this patriarch is, it is just that we kill him like an animal. Let us
together burn him in a fire of grass or straw!'
Bhishma hears this, and the Kuru grandsire, great his intelligence, says
to those lords of the world, 'I see no end to our talk, for words can always
be answered with more words. So, O lords of the Earth, listen to what I
have to say, all of you. Whether you kill me like an animal or burn me in a
fire of grass or straw, I set my foot on all your heads!
Here is Krishna, Govinda who knows no decay. We have worshipped
him with the first arghya. Let him who wishes for a swift death call the dark
Madhava, the Chakra-bearer, the Gadadhari, to a fight, and dying at his
hands, enter into and become one with the being of this Devadeva, this God
of gods.'"
CANTO 44
aisampayana said, "Hearing these words of Bhishma, the Chedi king,

endowed with great prowess, says to Krishna, 'Janardana, I challenge
you! Come fight me and I will kill you and all these Pandavas, too. For, O
Krishna, the sons of Pandu have dishonoured all these kings by
worshipping you who are no king, and they also deserve to die.
Yes, I am convinced that these who have adored you, who are a slave, a
wretch and no king, surely deserve death at my hands.'
Saying this, that tiger among kings stands there roaring in anger. After
Sisupala has stopped ranting, Krishna speaks in the mildest voice to all the
assembled kings and the Pandavas, 'O Kings, this evil one is the son of a
daughter of the Satwatas, yet he is a terrible enemy to all of us Satwatas.
Although we never seek to harm him, he always seeks our ill. When this
ruthless fellow heard that we had gone to Pragjyotishapura, though he is my
father's sister's son, this villain came and burnt Dwaraka.
While King Bhoja sported upon the Raivataka hill, this vile Chedi
attacked the attendants of that king, slew many and led many others away to
.his city in chains.
His every motive sinful, this wretch stole my father's sacrificial horse,
which had been loosed across the lands with an armed guard: so that he
could obstruct my father's yagna.
This sinner ravished the wife of the pure Akrura, while she was on her
way from Dwaraka to the Sauvira country. This injurer of his uncle
disguised himself as the king of Karusha and ravished the chaste Bhadra,
princess of Visala, whom Karusha was meant to marry.
Patiently have I borne all these sorrows for the sake of my father's sister.
It is fortunate that today this has happened before all of you kings. You have
all seen the hatred and enmity this Sisupala bears me. You also know
everything that he has done to me behind my back.
For the arrogance he has shown me in the presence of you lords of the
Earth, he deserves to be killed by me, and today I find myself ill able to
forgive him. Wishing for a swift death this fool dared desire Rukmini for
himself. But like a Sudra failing to hear the Vedas being recited, he did not
get her.'
Listening to Krishna, all the gathered kings begin to reprove the king of
Chedi. But the mighty Sisupala laughs aloud and says, 'Krishna, are you not
ashamed to say in this sabha, especially before all these kings, that I desired
your wife Rukmini? Madhusudana, who other than you, calling himself a
man, would declare in the midst of honourable men that his wife was
intended for someone else?
Krishna, pardon me if you please, or do not. But angry or friendly, what
can you do to me anyway?'
While Sisupala says this, Kirshna thinks of the Chakra which humbles
the hubris of the Asuras. As soon as the discus appears in his hands, the
eloquent and illustrious one says loudly, 'Lords of the Earth, hear why I
have always forgiven this Sisupala in the past. It is because of the boon I
gave his mother that I would pardon a hundred offences of his. This was the
boon she asked me for and this was the boon that I granted her.
But today, O Kings, that number has become full, and now in your
presence I will kill him.'
With that, and a growl, the Lord of the Yadus sloughs off Sisupala's head
with the Chakra, and the mighty-armed king of Chedi falls like a cliff struck
by thunder. Rajan, the gathered kings see a fierce light, pulsing, bright as
the Sun in the sky, issue from the body of Sisupala. The spirit light
worships Krishna of the lotus-leaf eyes, whom all the worlds worship, and
melts into the Lord's body.
The kings are wonderstruck to see that light entering Krishna
Purushottama. When Krishna kills the Chedi king the cloudless vacant sky
pours down showers of rain; peals of thunder echo; the Earth herself
trembles.
Some kings never say a word during those dreadful moments but merely
sit gazing at Janardana; others rub their palms in fury with their forefingers;
yet others are beside themselves with rage and bite their lips; while some in
their hearts approve entirely of what Krishna does. Some are there who are
moved by anger, while others turn pacifiers.
The great Rishis are profoundly pleased; they praise Krishna warmly
before departing. Indeed, all the high-souled Brahmanas and many of the
mighty Kshatriyas, too, who are there, are overjoyed to witness the prowess
of the Vrishni. They eulogise him.
Yudhishtira now commands his brothers to perform the funeral rites for
Sisupala, bold son of Damaghosha, without delay and with proper honour.
The sons of Pandu obey the behest of their brother, and then Yudhishtira,
along with all the others kings, makes Sisupala's son king of the Chedis.
Then, O Rajan, the yagna of the Kuru king of great tejas, Yudhishtira
blessed with every kind of prosperity, becomes exceptionally beautiful and
pleases all the young men there. Begun auspiciously, every obstacle
removed, replete with an abundance of wealth and corn, with rice and every
other kind of food, Kesava watches over the sacrifice.
In due course, Yudhishtira completes the yagna, while Janardana
Mahabaho, the lofty Sauri, guards it until the end, armed with his bow the
Saringa, his Chakra and Gada.
When the good Yudhishtira has had his ritual bath after the sacrifice, all
the Kshatriyas come to him and say, "Through good fortune you have
gained imperial dignity. O you of the race of Ajamida, you have spread the
fame of your entire race.
King of kings, you have gained profound religious merit by what you
have done. You have worshipped us all to our hearts' content, and we now
say to you that we wish to return to our own kingdoms. It becomes you to
give us leave.'
The just Yudhishtira hears what the kings say, worships each one as he
deserves, then commands his brothers, All these kings came to us at their
pleasure. These Parantapas now wish to return to their own kingdoms, and
to bid me farewell. Be blessed, my brothers, escort them to the frontiers of
our kingdom.'
Listening to their brother, the other Pandavas follow the kings, one after
the other, as each deserves. Without delay, the powerful Dhrishtadyumna
escorts King Virata; Dhananjaya follows the illustrious Maharatha
Yagnasena; the mighty Bhimasena goes with Bhishma and Dhritarashtra;
Sahadeva, master of battle, follows the brave Drona and his son; Nakula, O
King, follows Subala and his son; the sons of Draupadi along with the son
of Subhadra follow the mighty warriors-kings of the mountain countries.
Other Kshatriyarishabhas escort other Kshatriyas, while the Brahmanas
in their thousands also depart, duly worshipped.
When all the Kshatriyas and Brahmanas have left, Krishna says to
Yudhishtira, 'O son of the Kurus, with your leave, I, too, wish to return to
Dwaraka. Through great good fortune, you have performed the greatest of
all sacrifices, the Rajasuya yagna!'
Yudhishtira replies, 'By your grace, Govinda, I have accomplished this.
Because of your grace alone all the world of Kshatriyas is now under my
sway, and all the kings came here with tribute.
Lord, without you my heart never feels any joy. So how can I, O
Anagha, give you leave to go? Yet, I know that you must go home to
Dwaraka.'
The great Hari, his fame worldwide, now goes with his cousin to his
aunt Kunti, and says cheerfully, 'Matuli, your sons have performed the
Rajasuya yagna and gained imperial dignity. Vast wealth they have
obtained, and their endeavours have all been crowned with success. Be
pleased with all this, and now, with your leave, I wish to return to Dwaraka.'
After this, Krishna bids farewell to Draupadi and Subhadra. Coming out
of the inner apartments accompanied by Yudhishtira, he performs his
ablutions and goes through the daily rites of worship, and then has the
Brahmanas utter their blessings.
Now the mighty-armed Daruka arrives in a chariot of wondrous design,
its body like clouds. Krishna Mahatman, his eyes like lotus leaves, looks at
that Garuda-bannered chariot, walks around it in reverent pradakshina
before climbing into it and setting out for Dwaraka.
Yudhishtira Dharmaraja, blessed with prosperity, along with his brothers,
follows the mighty Krishna on foot. Then Hari of the eyes like lotus leaves
stops that best of rathas for a moment, and speaks to the son of Kunti.
'King of kings, cherish your subjects with indefatigable vigilance and
patience. As the clouds are to all creatures, as the great tree of spreading
boughs is to birds, as he of a thousand eyes is to the immortals, you be the
refuge and support of your kin.'
With this, Krishna and Yudhishtira take leave of each other and return to
their respective homes. Rajan, after the lord of the Satwatas has gone back
to Dwaravati, only King Duryodhana, with King Subala's son Sakuni, bulls
among men, continue staying in that unearthly sabha."
CANTO 45
DYUTA PARVA
aisampayana said, "When that greatest of sacrifices, the Rajasuya, so

difficult of accomplishment, was completed Vyasa, surrounded by his
disciples, presents himself before Yudhishtira. Upon seeing him,
Yudhishtira rises quickly from his throne, and surrounded by his brothers,
worships his grandfather, the Rishi, with water to wash his feet and offers
him a fine place to sit.
Having sat on a costly carpet inlaid with gold, the illustrious one says to
Yudhishtira Dharmaraja, 'Sit yourself down.'
When the king and his brothers sit, the illumined Vyasa, always truthful
in speech, says, 'Son of Kunti, your fortune swells and you with it. You
have gained empire, so difficult to acquire. And, O furtherer of the race of
Kuru, the Kauravas have all prospered because of you.
O Chakravartin, I have been duly worshipped, and with your leave I now
wish to go.'
Yudhishtira salutes the dark Rishi, his grandfather, touches his feet and
says, 'Greatest of men, a doubt has arisen in my mind, hard to dispel. O Bull
among the regenerate, none but you can remove it.
The illumined Narada said that, in consequence of the Rajasuya yagna,
three kinds of omens, celestial, atmospheric and terrestrial, occurred.
Grandsire, has the death of Sisupala caused evil fortune?'
The exalted son of Parasara, the island-born Vyasa of dark hue, says,
'For thirteen years, O King, those omens will bear momentous
consequences, ending in the absolute destruction, Rajadhiraja, of all
Kshatriya kind. At that time, with you as sole cause, O Bharatarishabha, all
the Kshatriyas of the Earth shall be annihilated: because of the sins of
Duryodhana and through the prowess of Bhima and Arjuna.
Towards the end of this night, in your dream you will see the blue-
throated Bhava, annihilator of Tripura, always absorbed in dhyana, the Bull
his emblem, drinking from a human skull, and fierce and terrible, Lord of
all creatures, God of Gods, Umapati, called Hara and Sarva also, and
Vrisha, armed with the trident and the bow Pinaka, and wearing tiger skin.
You will see Siva, tall and white as the Kailasa cliff, seated upon his
Bull, gazing unwinkingly towards the south, the direction presided over by
the king of the Pitrs. King of kings, this shall be your dream tonight. Do not
grieve for dreaming such a dream, for no one can escape time.
Be you blessed! I now will go towards Kailasa. You must rule the Earth
with vigilance and steadfastness, patiently bearing every privation!'
Saying this, the illustrious Krishna Dwaipayana, accompanied by his
disciples, who always follows the dictates of the Vedas, goes away towards
Kailasa. When his grandfather has gone, the king is gripped by anxiety and
grief and thinks ceaselessly of what the Sage said.
He tells himself, 'Surely, what the Rishi foretold must come to pass.
Who can keep Fate at bay by effort alone?'
Then Yudhishtira, endowed with great energy, says to his brothers,
'Tigers among men, you have heard what the Dwaipayana said to me.
Having heard him, I have resolved that I must die, since I alone, otherwise,
am ordained to be the cause of the death of all Kshatriya kind.
Ah, my precious brothers, if this is what time has in store for me what
need is there for me to live?'
Hearing the king, Arjuna replies, 'Rajan, do not yield to this manic
dejection, which destroys reason. Summon your courage and do what
would truly be good for us all.'
Yudhishtira, resolute in truth, thinking all the while of what Vyasa Muni
said, replies to his brothers, 'Be blessed and listen to the vow I swear from
this day. For thirteen years, what ever be the purpose for which I must live,
I will never speak a harsh word to you my brothers or to any king of the
Earth.
Commanded by my kinsmen, I will observe dharma and exemplify my
vratas. If I live thus, making no distinction between my own children and
others, there cannot be any disagreement between me and anyone.
Disputation causes war in this world. If I keep war at bay, always doing
what is agreeable to everyone, infamy shall never be mine, O
Purusharishabhas.'
The other Pandavas listen to what their brother says, and being ever
engaged in doing his will, they approve. Having sworn this oath,
Yudhishtira Dharmaraja, together with his brothers, gratifies his priests as
also the Gods with due ceremonies, in that sabha.
Bharatarishabha, when all the kings have gone Yudhishtira performs the
customary rituals and then returns to his palace with his ministers. King of
men, Duryodhana and Sakuni, son of Subala, continue to stay in the Mayaa
sabha of fascination."
CANTO 46
DYUTA PARVA CONTINUED
aisampayana said, "That bull among men, Duryodhana, continues to

live in the Mayaa Sabha. With Sakuni, the Kuru prince slowly
examines the entire edifice, and sees many an unearthly design in it, which
he has never seen in Hastinapura, the city named after the elephant.
One day, while walking through the mansion, Raja Duryodhana comes
upon a crystal surface. Mistaking it for a pool of water, he draws up his
clothes, only to find it is solid floor; he continues in some shame and
sorrow.
Sometime after, mistaking a lake of crystalline water adorned with
lotuses of crystal petals for solid ground, he falls into it with his clothes on,
drawing peals of laughter from the mighty Bhima, as also from the servants
of the palace.
At Yudhishtira's command, the servants quickly bring Duryodhana fine
fresh clothes. Yet, seeing Duryodhana like that, Bhima, Arjuna and the
twins all laugh out loud. Unused to being insulted, Duryodhana cannot bear
that laughter. He hides his feelings and does not even look at them.
Yet again, he draws up his clothes to cross some dry ground which he
once more mistakes for water and again they all laugh. Soon, Duryodhana
mistakes a solid crystal door for being open space, walks straight into it and
stands stunned, his head reeling. Then, he thinks an open door is shut and
cautiously reaches out his hands to feel empty space, and tripping, falls
down.
Coming to yet another door, which is ajar, but thinking it closed, he turns
away from it. Finally, O King, having seen the staggering wealth of the
Pandavas during the Rajasuya yagna, and having humiliated himself
repeatedly inside the Mayaa Sabha, Duryodhana takes his leave of the
Pandavas and returns to Hastinapura.
Dwelling darkly in his mind on everything that he has seen, which has
made him burn with envy, and all that has happened to shame him, his heart
turns to dire thoughts of sin even while riding home.
He has seen the Pandavas full of joy, with all the kings of the Earth
paying them homage; he has seen young and old serving the sons of Pandu;
he has seen the splendour and prosperity of his illustrious cousins, and
Duryodhana, son of Dhritarashtra, is pale with jealousy.
While riding home, his heart sorely afflicted, Duryodhana thinks of little
other than the grand sabha, and the unmatched prosperity of the wise
Yudhishtira. Dhritarashtra is so absorbed by these thoughts that he says not
a word to Subalas son, even when Sakuni repeatedly addresses him.
Seeing him plunged in dejection, Sakuni asks, 'Duryodhana what afflicts
you like this?'
Duryodhana replies, 'Uncle, seeing all the world under the sway of
Yudhishtira from the power of the weapons of the mighty Arjuna, seeing the
glory of the yagna of Pritha's son being equal to that of the sacrifice of
Sakra himself, I am filled with flaming envy, burning me night and day,
drying me up like a shallow tank in summer.
When Sisupala was killed by the lord of the Satwatas, there was no man
to take the side of Sisupala. Consumed by the fire of the Pandava, they all
forgave that crime; else, who could ever condone such a thing? Because of
the power of the son of Pandu, Krishna got away with his heinous offence.
And so many kings brought myriad and untold wealth for Kunti's son:
even like tribute-paying Vaisyas! Seeing Yudhishtira's fortune, his
resplendent prosperity, my heart burns with envy, although this does not
become me.'
Truly as if flames burn him, Duryodhana says again to the Gandhara
king, 'I will cast myself into a fire, swallow poison or drown myself. I
cannot live. Which man of vigour in the world can bear to see his enemies
prosper, while he himself is destitute?
I who watch my enemy prosper am neither a woman, nor yet not a
woman; neither am I a man, nor one who is not a man. Seeing the Pandavas'
sovereignty over the Earth, their vast affluence, ah, watching that Rajasuya
yagna of theirs, who is there in the world who would not be aggrieved?
By myself I can never hope to gain such empire or wealth, and I see no
allies who would help me acquire them. This is why I think of killing
myself. I see the unparalleled and serene prosperity of Kunti's son, and I
know that Fate is supreme and all effort pointless.
Son of Subala, once I strove ceaselessly to effect his death. But he
baffled all my attempts and look at him now bloomed fully like a lotus from
a pool of water. Surely, Fate is supreme and effort in vain: behold, day by
day, the sons of Dhritarashtra decay and the sons of Pritha wax.
Ah, my heart burns as if it were on fire to look at the fortune of the
Pandavas, that sabha of theirs, to think of their servants laughing at me. O
Uncle, know that I am grief-stricken and fit to burst with envy, and I will
speak of it to Dhritarashtra.'"
CANTO 47
akuni says 'Duryodhana, you must not be jealous of Yudhishtira.

Through their own good fortune the sons of Pandu are only enjoying
what they deserve. Parantapa, O great King, with all the numberless plots
you hatched to do away with them you could not. Providence saw the
Purushavyaghras escape all your machinations.
They have Draupadi for their wife, and Drupada, his sons and Vasudeva
Krishna of immense prowess are their allies, with whose help they can
subdue the very world. They inherited their patrimony and have grown
immeasurably through their own vitality.
Why should you be aggrieved at this? Gratifying Agni Hutasana,
Dhananjaya has got the bow Gandiva, the pair of inexhaustible quivers and
many celestial astras. With that peerless bow and the strength of his arms,
as well, he brought all the kings of the world under his sway. Why should
you grieve over this?
Arjuna Parantapa, Savyasachin, saved the Asura Mayaa form the forest
fire and Mayaa built that grand sabha out of gratitude. Commanded by
Mayaa, the grim Rakshasas, the Kinkaras, support the sabha. What is there
in this to cause you grief?
You said, O King, that you have no allies. Bhaarata, this is not true.
These brothers of yours are obedient to you. Drona of great prowess, who
wields a great bow, his son Aswatthama, Radha's son Kama, the Maharatha
Kripa Gautama, I with my brothers and King Saumadatti - these are your
allies. Unite yourself with these, and conquer all the Earth.'
Duryodhana says, 'O King, if it pleases you, with your help and that of
the other great warriors you mention, I will defeat the Pandavas. If I can
subdue them now, the world will be mine and all her kings, and that sabha
so replete with wealth.'
Sakuni replies, 'Dhananjaya and Krishna, Bhimasena and Yudhishtira,
Nakula and Sahadeva, and Drupada with his sons - these cannot be
vanquished in battle even by the Devas, such great warriors are they,
wielding the greatest bows, masters of astras, and delighting in battle.
However, I know how Yudhishtira himself can be vanquished. Listen to
me and do as I say.'
Duryodhana says, 'Uncle, tell me if there is any way by which I can quell
Yudhishtira without endangering our friends and these other illustrious
Kurus.'
Sakuni says, 'The son of Kunti loves dice-play although he does not
know the art of the game. If that king is asked to play dice, he cannot
refuse. I am a master of dice, why there is no one in the world to match me
at rolling the dice, why, no one in the three worlds, O son of Kuru.
Therefore, ask him to play dice. With my skills at dice, I will win his
kingdom and all his vast fortunes for you. Duryodhana, tell all this to your
father the king. If he commands me, I will definitely win all of Yudhishtira's
kingdom and possessions for you.'
Duryodhana says, 'Son of Subala, you tell all this yourself to
Dhritarashtra, king of the Kurus. I will not be able to.'"
CANTO 48
aisampayana said, "Rajan, impressed by the great Rajasuya yagna of

Yudhishtira, and knowing Duryodhana's heart during their journey
home from the Mayaa Sabha, and wanting to gratify the Kuru prince's
desire, Sakuni, son of Subala, goes to Dhritarashtra, of great wisdom, and
finding the blind king seated upon his throne, speaks these words to him.
'Know, Maharajan, Bharatarishabha, that Duryodhana has grown pale,
emaciated, dejected and fallen prey to great anxiety. Why don't you,
through due inquiry, discover the grief which is in the heart of your eldest
son, the sorrow caused by the enemy?'
Dhritarashtra says, 'Duryodhana, what is the cause of your great sorrow,
Kurunandana? If it is fit for me to hear, tell me the reason for your
affliction. Sakuni here says that you have lost colour, become pale and thin,
and fallen prey to anxiety. I do not know what the reason for this sorrow
can be. All my vast wealth and power are yours to control. Your brothers
and all our kinsmen never do anything disagreeable to you.
You wear the finest clothes; eat the best food, all the most excellent
meats. The best horses carry you. So what is it that makes you pale and
thin? Rich beds, beautiful damsels, mansions with the costliest furniture,
every sport to delight you - all these are at your disposal, even as with the
gods themselves. Proud one, O my son, why do you grieve as if you are
destitute?'
Duryodhana says, 'I eat and dress myself like a wretch, and I spend my
time burning with savage envy. He is indeed a man who cannot bear the
fortune and pride of his enemy, and lives only after vanquishing his enemy
and liberating his own subjects from the tyranny of his enemy.
Contentment and pride, O Bhaarata, destroy prosperity, and also those
other two: compassion and fear. He that acts under the influence of these
never achieves anything great.
Having seen Yudhishtira's prosperity, whatever I enjoy brings me no joy.
So splendid is the prosperity of Kunti's son that what I have is as nothing
before it. Knowing the affluence of my enemy and my own relative poverty,
even though that affluence is not before me, yet I see it constantly. This is
why I am pale and lean, why the colour has drained from me and I am
melancholy.
Yudhishtira supports eighty-eight thousand Snataka Brahmanas, giving
thirty slave-girls to each one. Besides these, a thousand other Brahmanas
eat daily at his palace: the best food on golden plates.
The king of Kamboja sent him innumerable skins, black, dark, and red,
of the kadali deer, as also countless shawls of the softest texture, as tribute.
Hundreds of thousands of she-elephants and thirty thousand she-camels
wander within the palace: the kings of the Earth brought them all as tribute
to the capital of the Pandavas.
Lord of the world, the kings also brought to this greatest of yagnas piles
and piles of jewels and great gemstones for the son of Kunti. Never before
did I see or even hear of such immense wealth as was brought to the
sacrifice of the intelligent sons of Pandu.
Rajan, after seeing that treasure past imagining, which belongs to my
enemy, I have no peace of mind. Hundreds of Brahmanas supported by the
wealth which Yudhishtira gave them, and now owning great wealth of kine,
waited with tribute of thirty crores of gold coins, but the dwarapalakas at
his palace gates did not allow them to enter. Bringing with them the finest
ghee in handsome kamanadalus made of gold, yet they could not gain
admission into the palace.
The Ocean himself brought, in vessels of white copper, the nectar that is
created within his waters, which is far superior to what flowers and plants
produce for Sakra.
And at the end of the sacrifice, Vaasudeva bathed Pritha's son with sea
water fetched in a thousand bejewelled jars of gold, which he poured over
Yudhishtira from his own rarest conch shell.
Ah, seeing all this I became feverish with envy. Those golden urns had
gone to the Eastern and the Southern Oceans upon the shoulders of men,
and to the Western Ocean, O Bull among men. O Father, though none but
birds only can go to the Northern realms, Arjuna went there and brought
back untold wealth which he extracted as tribute.
Let me tell you about another wonderful thing which happened; listen to
me. It was arranged that when a hundred thousand Brahmanas were fed,
each day, conches would be blown in unison. O Bhaarata, I heard conches
sounding there almost ceaselessly, and my hair stood on end to listen to
their bass.
Maharajan, how can I describe how magnificent was that palatial
compound, filled with countless kings come to witness the yagna, except to
say that it was like a cloudless sky with stars? Each of the kings came to the
sacrifice bringing untold and variegated wealth as tribute for the wise son of
Pandu.
The kings who came, besides, became like Vaisyas, distributing food to
the Brahmanas who were fed. The prosperity I saw of Yudhishtira was such
that neither Indra himself, nor Yama or Varuna, nor Kubera, Lord of the
Guhyakas, owns.
Oh, my father, my heart burns after seeing the awesome treasures of the
son of Pandu, and I have no peace.'
When Duryodhana has spoken thus, Sakuni says, 'O you who have truth
as your strength, listen to how you can have for yourself the unmatched
prosperity which you saw with the son of Pandu.
O Bhaarata, I am a master of dice, the best player in the world. I know
beforehand the success or failure of every throw of the dice, and when to
wager and when to refrain. I have special, occult knowledge of the game.
The son of Kunti is also fond of playing dice, but he has small skill at the
game.
If you summon him either to battle or to a game, he will certainly accept.
If he and I play dice I will beat him again and again, with sleight of hand,
with subtle deception in my fingers.
I swear that I will win all his wealth and kingdom for you, Duryodhana,
and you will enjoy everything the Pandava has.'
When Sakuni says this, without a moment's lapse, Duryodhana says to
Dhritarashtra, 'Sakuni, master of dice, is ready to win all the fortune of the
Pandavas at the game. You must give him leave to do this for me.'
Dhritarashtra replies, 'I always follow the advice of Kshatta, Vidura my
minister of deep wisdom. Let me consult with him, and I will tell you what
I decide about this matter. He has great foresight, and he will keep dharma
squarely before him and tell us what is best for both parties, and what
should be done.'
Duryodhana says, 'If you consult Kshatta he will persuade you to desist,
and if you do not allow this, O King, I will surely kill myself. When I am
dead, Rajan, you can be happy with your Vidura. You will enjoy the whole
world, what need will you have of me?'
Dhritarashtra hears this dire threat from his son and, indeed, being in his
own heart quite prepared to do what Duryodhana asks, calls a servitor and
commands him, 'Let artisans be engaged immediately to build a capacious
and beautiful palace of a thousand columns and a hundred doors. Fetch the
finest masons, carpenters and joiners and encrust the edifice's walls with
precious stones, all over.
Let it be grand and handsome; make it easy of access. When it is
completed come and inform me.'
After King Dhritarashtra resolves to please his Duryodhana, he sends
messengers to Vidura to summon him. For it is true that the king never
takes a decision without first consulting Vidura. However, in this matter,
although he well knows the evils of gambling, Dhritarashtra is drawn
irresistibly to the plot.
However, as soon as the wise Vidura hears of it, he knows that the Kali
Yuga is at hand. Seeing the gates to perdition about to open, Vidura rushes
to Dhritarashtra. Bowing at his elder brother's feet, Vidura says, 'Great
King, I cannot endorse this resolve of yours. It becomes you to act in a
manner by which no dispute arises between your children caused by this
gambling.'
Dhritarashtra replies, 'O Kshatta, if the gods are kind to us no dispute
will ever arise between our children. So, auspicious or not, good or
otherwise, let the friendly dice game be played, for beyond doubt this is
what fate has ordained for us.
Besides, when I am present, and Drona, Bhishma and you, as well, no
evil which even fate has decreed is likely to occur. So, take a chariot yoked
to horses swift as the wind, so that you will reach Khandavaprastha even
today and bring Yudhishtira back with you.
Vidura, this is my final decision. Say nothing to me, for I believe that
supreme fate brings this upon us.'
Listening to Dhritarashtra, Vidura feels certain that his race is doomed.
In great sorrow, he goes to Bhishma of profound wisdom."
CANTO 49
anamejaya says, "O best among all those who know the Veda, I how was
that game of dice played? It was always fraught with I such evil and
brought heartbreak to the cousins, and because of it my grandsires, the sons
of Pandu, were plunged into grief.
Tell me which Kshatriyas were present in that sabha, and which of them
approved of the gambling and which would have forbidden it. Anagha,
Sinless, best among the twice-born, I want to hear you narrate all this in
detail: that which indeed brought about the ruin of the very world.'"
Sauti says, 'Thus addressed by the king, the disciple of Vyasa, blessed
with great tejas and a master of the entire Veda, related everything that had
happened.
Vaisampayana said, "O Bharatottama, Maharajan, if you wish to hear it
all, listen while I tell it to you in detail.
Having confirmed the opinion of Vidura, Ambikas son Dhritarashtra
calls Duryodhana to him again, in private.
'Son of Gandhari, I say to you, do not have anything to do with this
game of dice. Vidura does not speak well of it. He is wise beyond all
common measure, and he would never counsel me against my best interest.
I, too, think that what Vidura says is true and best for me. Do as I say, my
son, for I am convinced that it is in your best interest also.
Vidura knows dharma, all its mysteries, even as the illustrious, learned
and wise Brihaspati, the Devarishi who is Indra's preceptor, unfolded
dharma to the king of the Devas. My son, I never fail to take Vidura's
advice. Suyodhana, even as the wise Uddhava is revered among the
Vrishnis, so is Vidura among the Kurus: as the most intelligent of us.
So, my son, have nothing to do with dice; for it is plain that gambling
sows dissension, and discord is the ruin of the kingdom. Duryodhna,
abandon this very thought of playing dice.
My child, you have received everything from us, which a father and
mother should give their son. You have rank and you have possessions. You
are learned and astute in every branch of gyana. You have been raised with
love in your father's house. You are the eldest among all your brothers; you
live in your own kingdom: why are you unhappy?
Mahabaho, you eat such food and wear such clothes that common men
cannot even dream of. Why, still, do you grieve? My son, O mighty-armed,
yours is a great ancestral kingdom, brimming with people and with wealth,
and you shine forth as gloriously as the king of the Devas in Swarga.
You have wisdom. Tell me what lies at the root of this despondency of
yours, the terrible melancholy.'
Duryodhana replies, 'I am a wretch and a sinner, O King, for I can
neither eat not clothe myself regally, having seen the prosperity of my
enemy. Indeed, it has been said that the man who is not filled with envy at
seeing the good fortune of his enemy is truly a wretch.
Exalted, the wealth and power which I have mean nothing to me, for I
have seen the resplendent glory of Kuntis son and I am full of pain. Why, I
say to you that I must be strong, indeed, that I continue to live when all the
world is under the sway of Yudhishtira.
The Nipas, the Chitrakas, the Kukkuras, the Karaskaras, and the
Lohajanghas all live like bondsmen in the Pandavas palace. Himavat, the
Ocean, the rich realms upon the shores of the sea, the countless other lands
which yield precious jewels and gems have all admitted that Yudhishtira's
palace is superior to them in the treasures it houses.
Rajan, welcoming with honour me as the eldest among my brothers,
Yudhishtira gave me charge of receiving the jewels which came as tribute.
Bhaarata, nowhere have such treasures, without limit, been seen; my hands
grew tired receiving that incalculable wealth. And when I was tired they
who brought those treasures from distant lands would wait until I could
resume my task.
Fetching jewels from the Bindusaras, the Asura architect Mayaa created
a lake-like surface of crystal for the sons of Pandu. Looking at the artificial
lotuses which adorned it, I mistook it, O King, for water. I drew up my
clothes to cross it and seeing this Vrikodara laughed at me: surely, thinking
that I have no jewels myself and that I had been deranged by the sight of the
affluence of my enemy.
If I could, my father, I would immediately kill Bhima for that laughter.
But if we try to kill Bhima now I have no doubt that we will meet the same
fate as Sisupala did. Yet, that insult scathes me.
Then again, O King, I saw a similar looking water body, and now I felt
certain that this was crystal again, solid ground. I stepped forward and fell
into water. Bhima and Arjuna laughed mockingly, as did Draupadi and the
other women of their palace. Ah, how that sears my heart.
My clothes were drenched, and at Yudhishtira's command his servants
brought me fresh clothes. Even that humiliated me. Rajan listen to yet
another blunder of mine. I tried to pass through what I was certain was an
open door, but there was no passage beyond, and I struck my head painfully
against strange stone and injured myself. Nakula and Sahadeva saw me
from a distance and, full of apparent solicitude, came to lend me arms of
support.
Smiling, Sahadeva said again and again to me, "Rajan, this is the door,
come this way."
Bhimasena laughed aloud and said, "Dhritarashtraputra, the door is
here."
Also, my lord, I had not even heard the names of many of the gemstones
which I saw sparkling in that sabha. Ah, these are the reasons for the
anguish which rends my heart.'"
CANTO 50
uryodhana says, 'Listen, O Bhaarata, to everything about I the most

priceless treasures that I saw, brought to the Pandavas by the kings
of the world. Oh, seeing that wealth of the enemy I lost my reason and
hardly knew myself. Let me describe for you those treasures, both man-
made and produce of the earth.
The Kamboja king gave countless skins of the rarest quality, shawls
made of wool, of the soft fur of rodents and other burrowers, of silky hair of
cats, all inlaid with golden threads. He gave three hundred Tittiri and
Kalmasha horses, with snouts like parrots. Three hundred camels he gave
and as many she-asses, all fattened with the olives and the pilusha.
Numberless Brahmanas, rearing cattle and performing lowly tasks for
the illustrious Yudhishtira Dharmaraja, waited at the gates with three
hundred millions worth of tribute, but they were denied admission into the
palace.
Hundreds and hundreds of Brahmanas, wealthy in kine and living on
lands which Yudhishtira had given them, came there with their beautiful
golden kamandalus full of ghrita. Although they brought such tribute, they
were refused admission into the palace.
The Sudra kings, who live along the sea-coast, brought lakhs of serving
girls of the Karpasika country, all beautiful, slender-waisted, with luxuriant
tresses, decked in golden ornaments. They also brought many skins of the
ranku deer, worthy even for Brahmanas, as tribute to King Yudhishtira.
The Vairama, Parada, Abhira and Kitava tribes, who live on crops that
depend on rain, water from rivers, as well as those born beside the sea, in
woodlands, or countries beyond the Ocean, all waited at the gate, bringing
goats, kine, asses, camels and vegetables, honey, blankets, jewels and
gemstones of diverse kinds, but were refused entry.
That mighty Kshatriya king, Bhagadatta, the valiant sovereign of
Pragjyotisha, the powerful monarch of the Mlechchas, at the head of a vast
horde of Yavanas, waited at the gate, unable to enter, though bringing
considerable tribute of horses of the best breed, swift as the wind.
Bhagadatta was forced to leave the gates after making over a number of
swords with handles of the purest ivory and richly inlaid and adorned with
diamonds and every kind of jewel.
Many strange tribesmen came from diverse realms: some had two eyes,
some three and some with one eye on their foreheads; those called the
Aushmikas came, Nishadas and Romakas, and some cannibals with just one
leg. I say to you, my father, they all stood at the gates and were refused
entry.
Their extraordinary rulers brought tribute of ten thousand varicoloured
asses, with black necks, huge bodies, great speed, all very docile, these
animals being famed the world over. All of them, indeed, were large and
their colouring attractive, and they were all bred on the coast of Vankhu.
So many kings gave Yudhishtira much gold and silver, and giving thus
they gained entry into the palace of the Pandava.
The one-legged tribesmen brought innumerable wild horses for him,
some red as cochineal, some white, some rainbow-hued, some like evening
clouds, and some of many colours besides all these. All these had the
swiftness of the mind.
The kings also brought the purest gold for the son of Pandu, vast
quantities of it. I also saw countless Chins and Sakas and Uddras and many
barbarian tribesmen who live in forests, and many Vrishnis and Harahunas,
and the dark tribes of the Himavat, and many Nipas and folk who live on
the sea-coast, all waiting at the gates for leave to enter.
And the people of Balhika gave Yudhishtira ten thousand asses as
tribute, all of goodly size and black necks, which could run a hundred
yojanas in a day. These beasts were of myriad shapes, well-trained and
famed the world over. Superbly built they were, their colours resonant and
their skins velvet to the touch.
The Balhikas also gifted many, many woollen blankets woven in Chin,
and skins of the ranku deer past counting, and clothes made from jute, and
others made from the threads spun by insects. They also gave thousands of
other garments, none cotton, but all the colour of the lotus, and all so
smooth. They gave soft sheep-skins by the thousands.
Many sharp and great swords and scimitars, hatchets and fine-edged
battle-axes fashioned in the western countries they gave. Having sent in rare
perfumes, diverse glittering jewels and gems in thousands as tribute, they
waited at the gates, being refused admission into the palace.
The Sakas and Tusharas and Kankas and Romasas and men with horns
on their heads brought very many great elephants as tribute, and ten
thousand horses, and hundreds and hundreds of millions of gold coins, and
waited at the gates, being refused permission to enter.
The kings of the eastern countries brought uncountable costly carpets,
and fine bedsteads, and armour of many colours adorned with jewels, gold
and ivory, and weapons of different kinds, and chariots of different shapes,
elegant and chased with gold, drawn by superbly trained horses of
handsome make and adorned with gold, drawn by well-trained horses, tiger-
skins upon their backs, and rich and varied cloths to caparison elephants,
and again a myriad manner of jewels and gems, arrows long and short and
many other weapons, and they received permission to enter the sacrificial
palace of the illustrious Pandava!'"
CANTO 51
uryodhana says, 'Anagha, listen to me describe the vast mass I of

wealth, the many kinds of tribute given to Yudhishtira by the kings
of the Earth. They who live beside the River Sailoda, which flows between
the Mountains Meru and Mandara, who enjoy the delightful shade of the
groves of the kichaka bamboo, they who are called the Khashas, Ekasanas,
Arhas, Pradaras, Dirghavenus, Paradas, Kulindas, Tanganas, and the other
Tanganas brought as tribute mounds of gold sealed in great dranas, which
are raised from under the earth by ants and are hence named after those
creatures.
The mountain tribes of great strength brought tribute of countless soft
chamara whisks, some black, others white as moonrays; sweet honey they
brought, distilled from flowers which grow upon the Himavat, as well as
from the mishali champaka; they brought masses of garlands of flowers
from the lands of the northern Kurus, and diverse plants from the north,
even from Kailasa, and waited with their heads bent at the gates of
Dharmaraja Yudhishtira, and were refused permission to enter.
I also saw there numberless Kirata chieftains, armed with cruel weapons
and always engaged in savage deeds, who eat fruit and root and wear skins
and live on the northern slopes of the Himavat and upon the Udaya
Mountain from behind which the Sun rises, and also in the realm of
Karusha on the sea-coast and on both sides of the Lohitya Mountains.
My King, they brought as tribute load upon load of sandalwood, aloe,
also black aloe, and heap upon heap of valuable skins and perfumes, and ten
thousand serving-girls of their race, and many exotic animals and birds of
remote countries, and so much gold of shining splendour, and the Kiratas
waited at the gate, being refused permission to enter.
The Kairatas, the Daradas, the Darvas, the Suras, the Vaiyamakas, the
Audumbaras, the Durvibhagas, the Kumaras, the Paradas along with the
Bahlikas, the Kashmiras, the Ghorakas, the Hansakayanas, the Sibis, the
Trigartas, the Yauddheyas, the ruler of the Madias and the Kaikeyas, the
Ambashtas, the Kaukuras, the Tarkshyas, the Vastrapas along with the
Palhavas, the Vashatalas, the Mauleyas along with the Kshudrakas, and the
Malavas, the Paundryas, the Saundikas, the Kukkuras, the Sakas, the
Angas, the Vangas, the Punras, the Sanavatyas, and the Gayas, all good men
and wellborn, divided into their respective clans, all proficient at arms,
brought tribute to Yudhishtira, all of it countable in lakhs.
The Vangas, the Kalingas, the Magadhas, the Tamraliptas, the
Supundrakas, the Dauvalikas, the Sagarakas, the Patrornas, the Saisavas,
and innumerable Karnapravaranas, who presented themselves at the gate,
were told by the gate-keepers, at the command of the king, that if they
brought proper tribute and waited at the gates, they could possibly gain
entrance.
Then the kings of those nations each gave a thousand elephants with
tusks like the shafts of ploughs, adorned with golden girdles, covered with
fine cloths and so resembling the lotus in complexion, while they were all
dark as rocks and always in musth, captured from around the Kamyaka
lake, and covered in armour, too. Of the highest breed were these, and
exceptionally patient.
When they had made these gifts those kings were allowed to enter.
Rajan, these and many others, hailing from diverse lands, and numberless
other illustrious sovereigns brought jewels and gems to the sacrifice.
Chitraratha, king of Gandharvas, friend of Indra, gave four hundred
horses blessed with the speed of the wind. The Gandharva Tumburu
joyfully gave a hundred horses, the colour of the mango leaf and decked in
gold.
O Kurusthama, the celebrated king of the Mlechcha tribe, the Sukaras,
gave hundreds of the finest elephants; Virata, king of Matsya, gave two
thousand elephants decked in gold, while King Vasudana of the Pansu
kingdom gifted the son of Pandu with twenty-six elephants and two
thousand horses, all decked in gold and endowed with speed and strength
and in the full vigour of youth, as well as many other kinds of wealth.
Drupada Yagnasena gave the Pandavas fourteen thousand serving-girls
and ten thousand serving-men with their wives for the sacrifice, hundreds of
magnificent elephants, twenty-six chariots with elephants yoked, and also
his entire kingdom.
To enhance the dignity of Arjuna, Vaasudeva of the Vrishnis gave
fourteen thousand fine elephants. Surely, Krishna is the soul of Arjuna as
Arjuna is the soul of Krishna, and whatever Arjuna asks Krishna is certain
to do. Why, Krishna will forsake Swarga for Arjuna, just as Arjuna will
gladly give his life for Krishna.
The Chola and Pandya kings, though they brought numberless golden
jars filled with fragrant sandalwood juice from the hills of Malaya, and
heaps of sandal and aloe wood from the Dardura hills, and many gemstones
of great brilliance and fine cloths chased with gold, did not gain entry into
the palace.
The Sinhala king brought those best of sea-born jewels, the lapis lazuli,
and heaps of pearls, also, and hundreds of coverlets for elephants, and
uncountable dark-skinned men, the tails of whose eyes were red as copper,
wearing bejewelled clothes, and waiting at the gates with these gifts.
Countless Brahmanas, and Kshatriyas who had been vanquished, and
Vaisyas and serving Sudras, brought tribute to the son of Pandu out of love
for Yudhishtira; even the Mlechchas, all of them came to Yudhishtira out of
love and respect. All orders of men - good, indifferent and base, belonging
to numberless races, coming from diverse lands -made Yudhishtira's city the
focus of the world.
Seeing the kings of the world bring such fabulous and invaluable gifts to
my enemies, I wished for death from anguish.
O King, I will now tell you about the servants of the Pandavas, for
whom Yudhishtira Provides food, cooked and uncooked. There are a
hundred thousand crores of mounted elephants and cavalry, and a hundred
million chariots and foot soldiers past counting. In one place, raw
provisions were being measured out; at another they were being cooked; at
another the food was being distributed.
Everywhere, one heard the sounds of festivity. Among men of all the
varnas, I did not see a single one in the palace of Yudhishtira who had not
food and drink and rich ornaments.
Eighty-eight thousand Snataka Brahmanas, grihastas all, Yudhishtira
supports, with thirty serving-girls given to each, and gratified by the king,
these always pray with tranquil hearts for the destruction of his enemies.
Ten thousand other ascetics, brahmacharins, their vital seed indrawn, eat
daily from golden plates in Yudhishtira's palace.
Rajan, without eating herself, every day Draupadi Yagnaseni first sees to
it that everyone else, why even the deformed and dwarfs, has eaten. O
Bhaarata, only two peoples do not pay tribute to the son of Kunti: the
Panchalas because of their being related through marriage, and the Vrishnis
in consequence of their friendship.'"
CANTO 52
uryodhana says, &Every king on Earth who is respected the world

over, devoted to dharma, sworn to unflinching vratas, deeply learned
and eloquent, who knows the Vedas and their Angas as well as all about
yagnas, who is pious and modest, who is a dharmatma, who owns great
fame, and who has been anointed with the majestic rites of coronation,
waits upon and worships Yudhishtira.
Rajan, I saw thousands of wild cows, and as many white copper vessels
into which to milk them, brought there by those kings of the world as
sacrificial gifts for Yudhishtira to gift to the Brahmanas. For Yudhishtira's
ceremonial bath at the conclusion of the sacrifice, a hundred kings rushed to
purify themselves and fetched the finest urns full of holy water.
King Bahlika brought a chariot made of pure gold, while King
Sudakshina with his hands yoked four white Kamboja horses to it, and the
mighty Sunitha fitted the lower shaft and the king of Chedi, also with his
own hands, fixed the flagstaff. The Dravida king stood with the Pandavas
kavacha; the sovereign of Magadha held the garlands of flowers and the
helmet; the great Kshatriya Vasudana stood by with a sixty year old
elephant; the Matsya had the side-fittings of the chariot, all sheathed in
gold; King Ekalavya of the Nishadas held the sandals for his feet; the king
of Avanti fetched different kinds of water for the final ablution; King
Chekitana held Yudhishtira's quiver; the king of Kasi, held his bow; Salya
had his sword whose hilt and straps were adorned with gold.
Then, Dhaumya and Vyasa, of great tapasya, with Narada and Asita's son
Devala performed the ceremony of sprinkling sacred water over the king.
Joyfully sat the greatest Rishis where the sprinkling ceremony was
performed. Other illustrious Munis, knowers of the Vedas, Jamadagni's son
among them, approached Yudhishtira, the munificent giver of sacrificial
gifts, chanting mantras all the while, even as the Saptarishis approach Indra
in Devaloka.
Satyaki of untold prowess held the royal white parasol over the king's
head. Dhananjaya and Bhima fanned him, while the twins held silken
chamaras in their hands.
In a sling, the Ocean himself brought Varuna's great conch, which the
heavenly artificer Viswakarman created with a thousand nishkas of gold,
and which Prajapati gave to Indra in a previous Kalpa. It was with that
conch that Krishna bathed Yudhishtira when the yagna was concluded, and
seeing that, I swooned.
Men travel to the Eastern, the Western and also to the Southern Seas, but
Father, only birds can ever go to the Northern one. But the Pandavas have
extended their dominion even there, for I heard hundreds of conches, which
had been brought from those waters, being sounded at that sacrifice,
celebrant and auspicious.
While those exceptional conches blew all together, my hair stood on end,
and the weaker kings there fell down from the reverberation. Seeing me
turn pale and the other kings faint, Dhrishtadyumna, Satyaki, the Pandavas
and Krishna - those eight, all mighty and handsome, laughed aloud.
Then, O Bhaarata, Arjuna Bibhatsu joyfully gave the main Brahmanas
five hundred bullocks each, their horns plated with gold. Having completed
the Rajasuya yagna, Yudhishtira, the son of Kunti, gained such wealth and
fortune, even like the great Harischandra: such prosperity that not
Rantideva, Nabhaga, Yauvanaswa, not Manu, nor Vena's son King Prithu,
not Bhagiratha, Yayati or Nahusha had seen its like.
And seeing this fortune of Pritha's son, equal to what Harischandra had, I
do not see the least point in continuing to live! King of men, a yoke tied by
a blind man comes loose. So it is with us: the younger ones are growing
while the elder are diminishing. Seeing all this, O Lord of the Kurus, I can
find no peace, not even after deep thought.
This is why, Rajan, I am plunged in grief and have become pale and
wasted.'"
CANTO 53
hritarashtra says, 'You are my eldest son and also born to my first
wife. My child, do not envy the Pandavas. The jealous man is
always unhappy and suffers pangs even like those of death.
Bharatarishabha, Yudhishtira is not deceitful, he owns wealth equal to
yours, his friends are your friends, and he feels no envy towards you. So
why should you be envious of him? My son, you have as many friends and
allies as Yudhishtira does. So, why, from folly, must you covet the wealth of
your brother?
Do not be like this; abandon your envy. Do not grieve, O Bull of the
Bhaaratas, if you wish for the honour attached to the performance of a
sacrifice, let our priests arrange to perform the Saptatantu mahayagna for
you, and then the kings of the Earth will happily and with respect bring you
great wealth, jewels and ornaments.
My child, it is lowly to covet another's possessions. On the other hand,
he who is content with what he has, and engages in his svadharma
diligently, he is the happy man. Never attempting to gain what others own,
persevering in one's own affairs and protecting what one has earned - these
are the signs of true greatness.
He who is unmoved in calamity, skilled in his own work, always at
work, vigilant and humble: he always finds prosperity. The Pandavas are
like your very arms; do not seek to cut off those arms. No, nor create
internal strife for the sake of your brothers' wealth.
Do not envy the sons of Pandu; you are as rich as they are. There is great
sin in falling out with friends. They who are your grandsires are also theirs.
Give charity during sacrifices, satisfy every desire which is dear to your
heart, disport freely in the company of women, and be at peace,
Duryodhana.'"
CANTO 54
uryodhana says, 'He who has no intelligence himself but I has

merely heard many things can hardly understand the true meaning
of the scriptures, even like a spoon which does not know the taste of the
soup it touches. You know everything, yet you confound me.
Like boats fastened, one to the other, you and I are bound to each other.
Are you mindful of your own interests, or are you hostile towards me?
Having you for their king, your sons and your allies are condemned to be
destroyed, for you speak of having in the future what can be had even now!
The man who acts under the counsel of others, frequently trips and falls.
Then how can his followers expect to tread the right path? Rajan, you have
maturity and wisdom; you have heard the ancient truths, and you have
restrained your senses. It does not become you to confound us who are
eager to seek our own interest.
Brihaspati himself has said the ways of kings differ from those of
commoners, and so kings must always vigilantly attend to their own
interests. Finding success must be the only criterion which guides the way
of the Kshatriya. So, what does it matter if the means are virtuous or sinful,
what place for scruples in performing one's svadharma?
He who wants to snatch the blazing prosperity of his enemy, O
Bharatarishabha, must tame all the directions, even as the sarathy does his
horses with his whip. Those who wield weapons always say that a weapon
is not merely a sharp instrument, but a means to vanquish an enemy,
whether covertly or openly.
Who is an enemy and who a friend does not depend on one's size or
strength. He who causes pain is an enemy to the one whom he hurts.
Discontent is the root of prosperity; and so, O King, I want to be
discontented.
The truly politic man is he who strives after property. None should be
attached to property or wealth, for both these, once having been acquired
and hoarded, can be plundered. This is the way of kings.
Sakra cut off Namuchi's head after pledging peace with him, and this
was because he endorsed this eternal way with an enemy. Like a snake
swallowing frogs and other creatures which live in holes, the Earth
swallows kings who are peaceful and Brahmanas who do not stir from their
homes.
Rajan, merely by nature no one is anybody's enemy; only he who has
common purposes as oneself is one's foe. He who is foolish enough to
neglect an infected toenail has his vitals excoriated by a disease that he
himself nurtured without treatment. If an enemy, however insignificant, is
allowed to grow in might, he swallows one like termites at the roots of a
tree, felling the tree itself.
O Bhaarata, O Ajamida, never acquiesce in your enemy's prosperity: this
is a policy that the wise must always bear upon their heads even like a load.
He who always desires and seeks his own prosperity grows among his
kinsmen even as the body does, naturally, from the moment of its birth.
Prowess confers rapid growth. I covet the wealth of the Pandavas, but I
have not yet made it my own. So, I doubt myself, my ability, and I am
determined to lay my doubt at rest. I will either have what belongs to them
or die in battle trying to have it.
When this is my state of mind, what do I care anymore for my life, as the
Pandavas' fortunes swell daily while ours know no increase?'"
CANTO 55
akuni says, 'Best of men of victory, I will take this great wealth of
Pandus son Yudhishtira from him, the sight of which aggrieves you so
much, and give it to you. Therefore, O Rajan, let Kunti's son Yudhishtira be
summoned here. By throwing dice a man of skill can vanquish an unskilled
opponent, while remaining uninjured himself. O Bhaarata, know that
wagering is my bow, the dice are my arrows, the marks on them is my bow-
string, and the dice-board my chariot.'
Duryodhana says, 'Rajan, this Sakuni, master of dice, is ready to take the
wealth of the Pandavas from them at a game. It becomes you to give him
leave to do so.'
Dhritarashtra says, 'I follow the advice of my wise brother Vidura. I will
consult him and then tell you what to do.'
Duryodhana says, 'Vidura always has the welfare of the sons of Pandu at
heart, while, O Kaurava, his feelings towards us are different. I have no
doubt that he will turn your mind from what we propose. No man must let
another man decide for him what he must do, for, O Kurusthama, two
minds rarely agree upon any enterprise.
The fool who lives his life avoiding any fear wastes himself like an
insect during the rains. Neither sickness nor death waits for prosperity to
visit one of its own accord. So, as long as we have life and health, we must
strive to accomplish our purpose.'
Dhritarashtra says, 'My son, I never see wisdom in seeking hostility of
any kind with those who are powerful. Hostility changes the heart and is a
weapon by itself, if not made of steel. O Prince, you think of as a great
blessing what will bring dreadful war in its wake, while in fact what you
wish to do is fraught with danger. If you set yourself on this course, it will
inexorably fetch out keen swords and sharp arrows.'
Duryodhana replies, "The most ancient men invented the game of dice
precisely because there is no bloodshed in it or any striking with weapons.
So, listen to what Sakuni says, and quickly order the sabha to be built. The
gambling will open the door of heaven, the way to great happiness for us.
Why, those who gamble for such stakes deserve the fortune which comes to
them.
The Pandavas, who are now your superiors, will become your equals; so
play dice with them, O King.'
Dhritarashtra says, 'Your words do not find favour with me. Do as you
please, ruler of men, but you will repent choosing this path, for a way of
such adharma can never fetch enduring prosperity, only disaster.
Vidura, who has profound wisdom, who always lives in dharma, has
already foreseen the calamity which will destroy Kshatriya kind itself,
coming towards us brought by fate.'
Saying this, the weak-minded Dhritarashtra yields to Fate as being
supreme and inexorable. Indeed, his reason taken from him by Fate,
submitting to his son's wish, the king commands his men in stentorian
tones, 'With every care, with no delay, immediately build a magnificent
sabha. Call it the palace of crystal arches and a thousand columns; let it be
adorned with gold and lapis lazuli; let it have a hundred gates, and be full
two miles in length and width.'
At his command, thousands of brilliant artificers swiftly raise that
edifice, and having built it, furnish it with every manner of exquisite
artefact. When they finish, they come in joy to the king to inform him that
the grand sabha is complete and that it is beautiful and lavish and adorned
with everything that he might wish it to have: priceless jewels upon the
walls, invaluable carpets in every hue, gold-chased, upon its floors.
Now Dhritarashtra, the learned, summons Vidura and says, 'Go to
Khandavaprastha and fetch Yudhishtira here immediately. Let him come
with his brothers to see my grand sabha of gemstones past counting,
priceless beds and carpets. And let a friendly game of dice be played in our
city.'"
CANTO 56
aisampayana said, "Knowing that Fate is ineluctable and what his

son's heart is set upon, Dhritarashtra does as I have said. However, the
most intelligent Vidura does not approve of what his brother intends and
says, 'My King, I do not like this command which you give me. Do not do
this thing, for I fear it will end in the annihilation of our very race. Terrible
dissension will result from this game of dice and lead inevitably to great
tragedy.'
Dhritarashtra says, 'If Fate is not hostile to us, such a falling out will not
grieve me. All the Universe moves at its Creator's will, and through Fate. It
is not free. Therefore, Vidura, I command you, go to Yudhishtira and fetch
Kunti's invincible son here quickly.'"
CANTO 57
aisampayana said, "Against his will, ordered by Dhritarashtra, Vidura

sets out, taking the finest, swiftest and strongest horses, steeds that are
quiet and patient as well, for the home of Pandu's wise sons.
Vidura of lofiy intellect rides to Khandavaprastha and, arriving in
Yudhishtira's city, enters it and goes straight towards the palace, being
worshipped by many Brahmanas on the way. Coming to that palace, which
is even like that sabha of Kubera himself, the virtuous Vidura approaches
Yudhishtira Dharmaputra.
The illustrious Yudhishtira Ajamida, devoted to dharma, who is without
an enemy in the world, reverently salutes Vidura, and asks after
Dhritarashtra and his sons. Then Yudhishtira says, 'O Kshatta, your mind
seems cheerless. Do you come here in peace and happiness? I hope
Dhritarashtra's sons are obedient to their old father. I hope the people also
are obedient to Dhritarashtra's rule?'
Vidura says, "The illustrious king and his sons are well and happy, and
surrounded by his kinsmen, Dhritarashtra rules even like Indra. The king is
happy with his sons, who are all obedient to him, and he has no grief.
That great sovereign is bent upon his own aggrandisement. The king of
the Kurus commands me to enquire after your peace and prosperity, and he
asks you to come to Hastinapura with your brothers to inspect the new
palace he has built there and then say if it is equal to your own.
Coming to the city of elephants with your brothers, O son of Pritha,
enjoy a friendly game of dice in the new sabha. The other Kurus have all
arrived there already, and we shall be glad if you come at once. And there
you will see the gamblers and cheats that the illustrious King Dhritarashtra
has brought to his home.
It is for this, O Rajan, that I have come here. May you heed my king's
command.'
Yudhishtira says, 'O Kshatta, if we sit down to a game of dice, we might
well quarrel amongst ourselves. Well knowing this, what man will agree to
gamble? What do you think we should do? We all are obedient to your
counsel.'
Vidura says. 'I know that gambling is a root of misery, and I strove to
dissuade the king. However, he has sent me to you. Knowing Yudhishtira,
keep this in mind and do what you think best.'
Yudhishtira says, 'Besides Dhritarashtra's sons what other gamblers are
there, prepared to play, who cheat? Who are they, Vidura, whom we will
have to contend with, wagering our wealth in hundreds and thousands?'
Vidura says, 'Sakuni, king of Gandhara, who is a master of dice, whose
sleight of hand is legend and whose stakes are extreme; Vivimsati, King
Chitrasena, Satyavrata, Purumitra and Jaya - these, Yudhishtira, are there.'
Yudhishtira says, 'Ah, it seems that some of the most crooked, skilled
and wild gamblers are there! But by the will of its Maker, the universe is
under Fate's control. It is not free.
Most learned Vidura, I do not wish to gamble at Dhritarashtra's
command, for he always wants to benefit only his son. You are our master,
O Vidura; you say what I should do. I am loath to gamble, and unless the
vile Sakuni does not call me to the sabha I will not do so. However, if he
challenges me, I will never decline, for I am so sworn, eternally.'
Having said this, Dharmaraja Yudhishtira orders preparations to be made
immediately for his long journey. The next day, with his relatives and
attendants, and also taking with him the women of his household, with
Draupadi among them, he sets out for the capital of the Kurus.
Yudhishtira says, 'Fate deprives us of reason, like some brilliant body
falling before our eyes, and man, as if bound with a cord, submits to
providence,' and that Parantapa, chastiser of his enemies, goes forth with
Kshatta, without even reflecting upon Dhritarashtra's cunning summons.
With his brothers, that slayer of hostile heroes, the son of Pandu and Pritha,
riding in the chariot given him by the king of Balhika, he goes forth.
He wears royal robes; he is, as it were, ablaze with regal splendour;
Brahmanas walk before him, as Yudhishtira sets out from his city:
summoned by Dhritarashtra and impelled by what Time has ordained.
Arriving in Hastinapura, he goes to Dhritarashtra's palace. He
approaches Bhishma, Drona, Kama, Kripa, Drona's son, and embraces and
is embraced by them all. The Mahabaho, endowed with immense prowess,
comes to Somadatta, then to Duryodhana and Salya, and to the son of
Subala, and also to those other kings who have arrived there before him.
The Pandava emperor approaches the bold Dussasana, then all his
brothers, then Jayadratha, and then all the Kurus, one after another. Then,
surrounded by his brothers, the mighty-armed one enters the apartment of
the wise Dhritarashtra. There Yudhishtira see the revered Gandhari, always
obedient to her lord, and surrounded by her daughters-in-law, like Rohini by
the nakshatras. Saluting Gandhari, being blessed by her in return, Pandu's
great son sees his old uncle, that illustrious king whose wisdom is his eye.
Dhritarashtra sniffs the top of his head, as also the heads of his brothers, the
other Kuru princes, Bhimasena's first among them.
Rajan, all the Kuru Purushavyaghras are delighted to see the handsome
Pandavas. Then, at the king's command, the sons of Pandu retire to the
lavish chambers given to them, all furnished with jewels and gems.
When they are ensconced, the women of Dhritarashtra's household,
Dussala leading them, visit the Pandavas. When the daughters-in-law of
Dhritarashtra see the blazing, awesome beauty of Draupadi Yagnaseni, and
her incomparable attire and ornaments, jealousy attacks them and they lose
their cheer.
The Pandavas speak gently to those women. They go through their daily
regimen of physical exercise and then perform their daily religious rites,
their nitya karma. Finishing their devotions, they anoint their bodies with
the most fragrant sandalwood paste, and the Brahmanas chant blessings
over them for their good fortune.
They now partake of the finest delicacies prepared in the palace, then
retire again to their apartments, where they are entertained with music by
beautiful women and by other diversions. Happily those subduers of hostile
cities pass that night, until they fall asleep.
At dawn, bards wake them with sweet music again; they rise from their
beds and perform their morning rituals, before coming into the sabha, where
they are greeted by those who have already gathered there for the
gambling."
CANTO 58
aisampayana said, "Yudhishtira leads his brothers into the sabha,

where they approach the other kings present. Worshipping their elders
who deserve to be worshipped, saluting the others as each deserves, by age,
they seat themselves on fine thrones covered with costly cloths.
When they have sat, and also the other kings, Subala's son Sakuni says
to Yudhishtira, 'Rajan, the sabha is full; we have all been waiting for you.
Let the rules of play be decided upon and the dice be cast, Yudhishtira.'
Yudhishtira replies, 'Deceitful gambling is a sin; there is no Kshatriya
prowess in it. There is surely no dharma in it. Why, then, do you favour
gambling so? The wise never approve of the pride that gamblers take in
cheating. Sakuni, do not vanquish us like a wretch, with deceit.'
Sakuni says, "The noble player, who knows the secrets of winning and
losing, who is skilled enough to confound his adversaries' deceit, who
indeed knows all the subtleties of gambling, he is the true player, and he
endures everything which results from gaming. Son of Pritha, it is the
stakes at dice, which might be lost or won, that could injure us, and this is
why gambling is regarded as a sin. But let us play, O King. And do not fear,
for let the stakes be fixed. Let us play now!'
Yudhishtira says, 'Devala, best of Munis, the son of Asita, who always
teaches us all what deeds lead us to heaven, to hell, or to other realms, has
declared that it is a sin to play dice with a gambler, for there is deceit in it.
To have victory in open battle, with neither cunning nor stratagem: that is a
noble sport. But gambling is not.
Honourable men never use the language of the Mlechchas, nor do they
use deceit. War waged without crookedness and treachery is the way of the
honest man. Sakuni, playing with cunning, do not take from us the wealth
with which we seek to support Brahmanas. Even enemies must not be
vanquished by wild stakes in a game of cheating. I have no wish either to
earn wealth or to gain pleasure through vile means.
Besides, the way of the gambler, even if he does not cheat, is never
lauded.'
Sakuni says, 'Yudhishtira, impelled by the desire for victory, which is not
an honest motive, one Kshatriya confronts another. So, too, from a desire to
prove superiority in learning, does one scholar face another in a debate. But
these are hardly regarded as being adharma.
A skilled dice player confronts one who is less skilled than himself from
the desire to vanquish him even as a superior warrior does one of lesser
prowess, or a superior man of knowledge does an inferior. At dice too the
strong confront the weak. So how is the dice player's motive any more or
less dishonest?
The motive is the same: victory, and in any contention this is so.
However, if you still regard dice as being more dishonest than other
contests, or if you are afraid, then do not play.'
Yudhishtira says, 'I never retreat from a challenge, this is my dharma.
Besides, O King, Fate is all powerful and we are all controlled by destiny.
Whom shall I play against in this sabha? Who is here who can match my
stakes? Let play begin.'
Duryodhana says, 'Rajan, I will stake every manner of jewel and
gemstone, and gold. And this Sakuni, my uncle, will play for me.'
Yudhishtira says, 'I believe that it is unlawful for one man to play for
another, and you also, learned cousin, will grant this. However, if you still
wish it, let play begin."'
CANTO 59
aisampayana said, "When play begins all the kings present,

Dhritarashtra at their head, take their places in that sabha. O Bhaarata,
Bhishma and Drona and Kripa and the Vidura Mahatman sit at the back
with forlorn hearts.
The other kings, their necks like those of lions, endowed with mighty
power, sit singly or in pairs upon lofty seats of wonderful make and hue.
Rajan, that assembly is as splendid as Heaven with a conclave of the Devas
of great fortune. And they all know the Vedas; they are valiant and radiant
of countenance. And, O great King, the friendly match at dice then begins.
Yudhishtira says, 'Here is my stake: this string of invaluable pearls set in
gold, and exquisite, which was once churned up from the Ocean of old.
What is your stake with which you will match mine and play against me?'
Duryodhana says, 'I have many jewels and great wealth, but I am not
vain because of them.' He tells Sakuni, 'Win these pearls, Uncle.'
Then Sakuni, master of the game, takes up the dice and, casting them
perfectly, says to Yudhishtira, 'I have won!'"
CANTO 60
udhishtira says, 'You have won this wager unfairly, but do not preen
Sakuni. Let us raise the stakes to thousands upon thousands. I have
many beautiful jars in my treasury, each one full of a thousand nishkas; I
have gold past exhausting, and silver and other precious metals. O King, I
will wager all this wealth with you!'
Sakuni says to the eldest Pandava, Yudhishtira, whose glory can sustain
no diminution, 'Look, I have won!'
Yudhishtira says, 'My sacred and triumphant royal chariot, which
delights the heart and has borne us here, which is equal to a thousand
chariots, which is perfectly wrought, covered with tiger-skin, which has
immaculate wheels and flagstaffs, which is beautiful, decked with strings of
little bells, whose sound clatters like the roar of thunderheads or the ocean,
which is drawn by eight noble steeds renowned through the land, white as
moonbeams, whose hooves no earthly creature can escape - this, O Rajan, is
my next wager with you!'
Sakuni throws the dice, deceitfully, with sure sleight of hand and says to
Yudhishtira, 'Lo, I have won!'
Yudhishtira says, 'I have a hundred thousand serving-girls, all young,
and adorned with golden bracelets on their wrists and arms, with necklaces
of nishkas around their necks, and other ornaments, wearing priceless
garlands, rich robes, anointed with sandalwood paste, wearing jewels and
golden ornaments, skilled in the sixty-four elegant arts, especially versed in
singing and dancing, who wait upon and, at my command, serve the Devas,
the Snataka Brahmanas, and kings: this wealth my next stake!'
Sakuni hears this, and ready with his crafty dice, rolls and says to
Yudhishtira, 'I have won!'
Yudhishtira says, 'I have thousands of serving-men, skilled at waiting
upon guests, always wearing silken robes, blessed with wisdom and
intelligence, young but their senses restrained, and decked in golden
earrings, who serve all my guests night and day with plates and dishes in
hand. This wealth I wager!'
Sakuni, ready with his loaded dice, says to Yudhishtira, 'I have won!'
Yudhishtira says, 'Son of Subala, I own one thousand elephants with
golden girdles and other ornaments, with the mark of the lotus upon their
temples, necks and other parts, adorned with golden garlands, with white
tusks long and thick as plough-shafts, worthy of bearing kings on their
backs, which can bear every dread sound of battle, their bodies huge, which
can batter down the walls of enemy cities, their colour of freshly formed
clouds, and each possessing eight cow-elephants.
This wealth I wager, O King.'
Subala's son Sakuni, rolling the dice, laughs, 'Yudhishtira, I have won
your elephants!'
Yudhishtira says, 'I have as many chariots as elephants, all fitted with
golden poles and fiagstaffs, trained horses and warriors who fight
magnificently, each receiving a thousand coins as his monthly wage,
whether he fights or not.
This wealth I wager, Rajan!'
When these words have been said, the vile Sakuni, sworn to enmity, rolls
the ivory dice, and says to Yudhisthira, 'Ah, I win!'
Yudhishtira says, 'When Arjuna vanquished him in battle, Chitraratha
joyfully gifted my brother who wields the Gandiva horses of the Tittiri,
Kalmasha and Gandharva breeds, all decked in unearthly ornaments.
This wealth, Rajan, I wager.'
Sakuni, master cheat, says to Yudhishtira, 'I have won!'
Yudhishtira says, 'I have ten thousand chariots and carriages yoked to the
finest draught animals. I have sixty thousand broad-chested warriors, all
valiant and heroic, handpicked from the rest of my forces, all fed on milk
and fine rice.
This wealth, O King, is my stake.'
Sakuni, ready, always cheating, says to Yudhishtira, 'I have won!'
Yudhishtira says, 'I have four hundred nidhis, jewels of incomparable
value, in caskets of copper and iron. Each one is worth five draunikas of the
most pure and expensive leaf gold of the jatarupa variety.
This wealth, O King, shall be my wager.'
Sakuni, ready with his cunning dice, always cheating at the roll, says to
Yudhishtira, 'I have won!'"
CANTO 61
aisampayana said, "While the ruinous gambling is underway, Vidura,

dispeller of doubts, says to Dhritarashtra, 'Great king of the race of
Bhaarata, listen to what I have to say, though my words might not be
agreeable to you even like bitter medicine to a man who is ill and dying.
When this evil-minded Duryodhana howled abysmally like a jackal soon
after he was born, we knew that he would fetch destruction upon the race of
Bhaarata. Rajan, know that he will be the cause of the death of all of you. A
jackal lives in your house and he has the form of Duryodhana, but in your
dotage you do not realise it, you do not know what the consequences of
your folly will be.
Listen to what Sukra Kavi said. They who gather honey on mountains,
take what they desire but do not notice that they are about to fall. Climbing
perilous heights, distracted by their avid pursuit, they fall and die.
Like the honey gatherer, this Duryodhana, also, is maddened by this
game of dice and is not mindful of the dire consequences that will visit him.
Making enemies of these great Kshatriyas, he does not notice the certain
fall to death which lies before him.
You well know, O King of much wisdom, that the Bhojas abandoned an
unworthy son for the sake of their people. The Andhakas, the Yadavas, and
the Bhojas, uniting, abandoned Kamsa. Later, when, at their very command,
Krishna Parantapa killed Kamsa, all the men of those tribes became joyful
for a full hundred years.
Even so, at your command, let Arjuna kill this Suyodhana. And let the
Kurus rejoice at the death of this sinful wretch and pass their days in joy. In
exchange for a crow, O great King, buy these peacocks: the Pandavas; in
exchange for a jackal, buy these tigers.
For the sake of a family, one of its members can be sacrificed; for the
sake of a village, a family may be sacrificed; for the sake of a province, a
village may be sacrificed, and for the sake of one's own soul, the whole
earth can be sacrificed.
This is what the omniscient Sukra himself, who knows the thoughts of
ever creature, who is a terror to all his enemies, said to the great Asuras to
persuade them to abandon Jambha at the moment of his birth.
I have heard that once a king kept a flock of wild birds in his house
because they vomited gold from their beaks, and later, killed them. O
Parantapa, blinded by temptation and the lust for pleasure, for the sake of
gold that king destroyed both his present and future gains.
Rajan, do not, like the king in the tale, persecute the Pandavas from your
lust for wealth. For, this blind folly will make your repent sorely later, just
like the one who killed the birds.
Like a flower-seller who, over long years, plucks countless flowers from
the trees in his garden which he nurtures carefully, you also pluck flowers
gently from the Pandavas, daily, O Bhaarata.
Do not burn them at their roots like a fiery wind which makes black char
of all things. O King, do not go to the realm of Yama with your sons and all
your soldiers, for who is there in this world who can defeat the sons of
Pritha in battle? Why speak of the rest, can the king of the Devas himself
contain them?'"
CANTO 62
idura says, 'Gambling is the root of dissension; it fetches deep rifts.

Its consequences are dreadful. Yet, Duryodhana T creates terrible
enmity for himself with what he is doing.
The descendants of Pratipa and Santanu, with all their valiant troops and
their allies, the Bahlikas, will be destroyed for Duryodhana's sins.
Duryodhana is drunk with avarice and he will force fortune and prosperity
out of this kingdom, like an angry bull breaking its own horns.
The brave and learned man who ignores his own foresight and follows
the bent of another's dark heart is plunged into dreadful calamity, rather as a
man who goes out to sea in a boat guided by a child.
Duryodhana is gambling with the son of Pandu, and you are in raptures
that he is winning. And it is such success, which begets war and ends in the
death of men. This gambling which you have so cunningly abetted can only
lead to dire disaster. Your heart is dark and sick, Rajan, and it is death that
you court.
Yudhishtira is so closely related to you, and even if you do not foresee
the extent of the damage which would be done, you are still an accomplice
in it: it has your approval.
O listen, you sons of Santanu, you scions of Pratipa who now sit in the
sabha of the Kauravas, to these words of wisdom. Do not walk into these
dreadful flames which blaze forth, following this vile wretch Suyodhana.
When Ajatasatru, the son of Pandu, now intoxicated with dice, gives in
to his anger, when Vrikodara and Arjuna and the twins do, who will be your
refuge in that terrible hour?
Great King, you are already a mine of wealth yourself, and you can earn
as much more as you want to by this gambling. What will you gain by
taking the immense wealth of the Pandavas from them, when you can win
over the sons of Pandu themselves, who will be far more valuable to you
than all that they own?
We all know the mastery of Subala's son at dice, for this hill-king knows
numberless ways to cheat at gambling. Let Sakuni go back to where he
came from. O Bhaarata, do not seek enmity with Pandu's sons.
CANTO 63
uryodhana says, 'Ksharta, you are always praising our enemies, and
disparaging the sons of Dhritarashtra. We know, O Vidura, of
whom you are truly fond, for you never think of us as your own children.
A man wishes for the success of those that are dear to him and the defeat
of those whom he does not love. His praise and blame are accordingly
given. Your tongue and your mind betray your heart, yet the hostility which
you show with your words is even greater than what is in your heart.
We have nurtured and cherished you like a serpent in our lap. Like a cat,
you wish evil upon those that keep you. The wise have said that there is no
graver sin than harming one's master. How is it, O Kshatta, that you do not
fear this sin?
By vanquishing these enemies of ours, we have gained great advantage.
Speak not harshly of us, and always be so willing to make peace with the
enemy. A man becomes an enemy by speaking inexcusably of another, and
this is how you have come to detest us, always.
Also, while praising an enemy one must never divulge the secrets of
those that are one's own. But you willingly break this law. Why do you
come in our way, O parasite? You say whatever you like. Do not insult us;
we know your heart.
Go sit at the feet of the old and the sage and learn more wisdom.
Maintain the great repute which you have won for yourself. Do not meddle
in the affairs of other men. Do not imagine that you are our lord. Do not
dare speak cruelly to us always, O Vidura, for we do not ask you what is
good for us.
Stop now. Do not annoy those who have already borne too much from
you. There is only one Lord, no second. He controls even the child that is in
its mother's womb. I am ruled by Him. Like water, which always flows
downwards, I am doing precisely what he wants me to.
He who breaks his head against a stone wall and he who feeds a serpent
are moved by their own minds. He becomes an enemy who seeks to control
others through force. When advice is offered in the spirit of friendship, the
wise listen and tolerate it.
Who sets camphor alight does not even see its ashes, not if he runs to put
it out. One should never shelter a man who is a friend to one's enemies, or a
man who is always envious of his protector and whose mind is thus full of
evil.
So, Vidura, go wherever you please. However well treated in her duties,
an unchaste wife will abandon her husband.'
Vidura says to Dhritarashtra, 'O King, tell us, as an impartial witness,
what you think of those who abandon their servants so for giving them
counsel. Truly, the hearts of kings are fickle. They first give you protection
then finally strike you down with a bludgeon.
Duryodhana, you think that you have a mature intellect, and, evil prince,
you think that I am a child. But know that he is the child who first accepts a
man for his friend and then finds fault with him. An evil-hearted man can
never be brought to the path of dharma, just like an unchaste wife in the
house of a wellborn husband.
Surely, being advised is as disagreeable to this Bharatarishbaha as a
husband of sixty years is to a young woman. After this, O King, if you want
to hear what is pleasing to you at all times, regardless of what you do, good
or bad, go and ask women, idiots, cripples or similar folk to speak to you.
A sinful man speaking agreeable words is easy to find in this world, but
the man who speaks the truth, whether it be pleasing or distasteful, and the
man who listens to him are both rare indeed. A king's true ally is his man
who will speak dharma to his master, regardless of whether what he says
pleases him or no.
Great King, drink the drink called humility, which honest men imbibe
and evil ones shun, which is like bitter medicine, pungent, burning,
distasteful, revolting, on which you cannot get drunk. Drinking it, regain
your sobriety.
I always wish Dhritarashtra and his sons prosperity and fame. Whatever
now happens to you, I bow to you. Let the Brahmanas here wish me well. O
Son of Kuru, this is the lesson that I teach with care: the wise should never
anger snakes like cobras, which have venom in their very glances!'"
CANTO 64
akuni says, 'Yudhishtira, you have lost a lot of the wealth of the
Pandavas. If you still own anything which you have not lost,
Kaunteya, tell us what it is.'
Yudhishtira says, 'Son of Subala, I own untold wealth. Why do you
speak to me of wealth, Sakuni? Wager lakhs and crores and crores of crores
of crores and arabs, and arabs of arabs, and I will match your stake. I have
as much.
With that wealth, King, I will play with you.'
Sakuni, ready with his loaded dice, always cheating, says to Yudhishtira,
'I have won!'
Yudhishtira says, 'Son of Subala, I have uncountable cattle and horses,
and milch cows with calves, and goats and sheep in the lands that extend
from the Parnasa to the eastern bank of the Sindu.
With this wealth, O King, I will play.'
'I have won!'
Yudhishtira says, T have my city, my country, land, the wealth of all who
live there other than the Brahmanas, and all those people themselves except
the Brahmanas, who will remain with me.
With this wealth, O King, I will play with you.'
T have won!'
Yudhishtira says, 'King, these princes here, resplendent in their royal
ornaments, earrings and nishkas are now my wealth. This wealth, Rajan, I
will wager with you.'
'I have won them already. Play!'
Yudhishtira says, 'This Nakula, mighty-armed, his neck a lion's, his eyes
red, youthful, I wager. Know him to be my wealth.'
Sakuni says, O Yudhishtira, Nakula is dear to you. He is already our
subject. Who will you wager next?'
Saying this, Sakuni casts his dice, and says to Yudhishtira, 'We have won
him!'
Yudhishtira says, "This Sahadeva administers justice. He has gained
great renown through the world for his learning. He does not deserve to be
my wager, yet with such a dear one I will play you, though I fervently wish
that I did not!'
'I have won him! O King, I have won both Madri's sons, so dear to you. It
seems that Bhimasena and Dhananjaya are too dear for you to wager.'
Yudhishtira cries, 'Wretch! You want to make dissension among those
that are one at heart? You ignore dharma, serpent.'
Sakuni says, 'He who is drunk falls into a pit and stays there unable to
move. Yudhishtira, you are older than the Kauravas and have the highest
accomplishments. O Bharatarishabha, I bow to you. You know, Yudhishtira,
that while in the grip of the game, gamblers rave as they never do
otherwise, awake or even in their dreams.'
Yudhishtira says, 'He who bears us like a boat across the sea of battle, he
who always triumphs over enemies, this prince of mighty vigour, this
greatest Kshatriya in the world: this Phalguna, who does not deserve this, I
wager against you.'
'I have won! This greatest bowman, this son of Pandu who is perfectly
ambidextrous in his archery I have won. Now, Pandava, stake your
remaining wealth, your beloved brother Bhima.'
Yudhishtira says, 'King, however undeserving he is of becoming my
wager, I will play against you with Bhimasena as my stake: this prince who
is our leader, who is the mightiest warrior, who is even like the Vajradhari,
the single enemy of the Danavas, himself, this high-souled one of leonine
neck, his brows arched, his eyes looking askance, who brooks no insult
ever, who has no equal on Earth for strength, who is the greatest among all
mace-wielders, this grinder of his enemies.'
'I have won. Kaunteya, you have lost great wealth, horses, elephants and
your brothers as well. Tell us if you have anything which you have not lost
yet.'
Yudhishtira says, 'I alone, eldest of all my brothers and precious to them,
remain unwon. If you win me, I will do whatever I must.'
Sakuni, ready with his dice, cheating, casts them and says to Yudhishtira,
'I have won. You have let yourself be won and that is a sin, for you still
have wealth left to lose, O Rajan.'
Sakuni, master of dice, boasts to the kings gathered there of how he has
won all the Pandavas. Subala's son then says to Yudhishtira, 'O King, there
remains one possession dear to you, which is still unwon. Stake Krishnaa,
princess of Panchala, and through her win yourself back!'
Yudhishtira says, 'Draupadi is neither too short nor tall, not lean or fat,
and her tresses are blue and wavy. Her eyes are like the leaves of the
autumn lotus, and she is fragrant, also, as the autumn lotus, and her beauty
equal to Lakshmi who delights in the lotuses of autumn. Her form is as
perfect as that of Sri herself, as is her grace.
She is a woman that any man would want for his wife, for the softness of
her heart, the wealth of her beauty and her virtues. She owns every
accomplishment; she is compassionate and sweetly-spoken; truly, she is a
woman whom a man might want for his wife, for with her he could indeed
have great dharma, artha and kama.
She goes to bed last of all and wakes first. She cares for everyone, down
to the shepherds and cowherds. Ah, when her face is filmed with sweat she
looks like the lotus or the jasmine. Her waist is as slender as a wasp's, her
locks long and flowing, her lips red, and her body without so much as
down: this is the Princess Panchali.
I wager this slender-waisted Draupadi to play against you, son of
Subala!'
When Yudhishtira Dharmaputra says this, cries of 'Fie!' are heard from
all the elders in that sabha. The entire conclave grows distraught, and the
kings there yield to grief. Bhishma, Drona and Kripa are bathed in
perspiration. Vidura holds his head between his hands and sits like one who
has lost his reason. He sits face turned down, plunged in despair, sighing
like a snake.
But Dhritarashtra is glad and asks repeatedly, 'Has the stake been won?
Has the stake been won?' and he cannot hide his excitement.
Kama, Dussasana and some others laugh aloud, while tears flow down
the faces of everyone else in the sabha.
And Subala's son, flushed with success, cries again and again, T have
won! I have won your precious stake.'
He picks up the dice and flings them into the air in evil excitement."
CANTO 65
uryodhana says, 'Kshatta, go and fetch the Pandavas' most beloved

wife Draupadi here. Let her sweep the chambers, force her to, and
let the unfortunate woman live among our serving women.'
Vidura cries, 'Don't you know, O wretch, that with these words you are
tying a noose around your neck? Don't you realise that you are hanging over
the edge of a cliff? Being a deer yourself, dare you provoke so many tigers
to anger? Snakes of deadly venom, stirred to fury, are upon your head! Vile
Duryodhana, do not provoke them further lest you go straight to Yama's
land.
I say that no slavery attaches to Krishnaa because Yudhishtira staked her
after he lost himself and ceased to be his own master. Dhritarashtra's son
wins treasure at dice even like the bamboo which fruits only when it is
about to die. Intoxicated, he does not see in his final moments the enmity
and terrors that this gambling brings.
No man should speak so viciously and pierce the hearts of others. No
man should subdue his enemies through dice and other contemptible
methods. No one should speak such harsh words, of which the Vedas
disapprove and which wound others and lead one straight to hell. One
speaks cruelly, and stung by his words, another burns day and night, for
such words pierce the very heart. So, the wise man never lets fly these barbs
from his lips, aiming them at anyone.
Once a goat swallowed a hook, and when the hook pierced it the hunter
set the animal's head upon the ground and tore the hook out rending its
throat fearfully. Duryodhana the Pandavas' wealth is a similar hook: do not
swallow it and imperil yourself. Do not make enemies of them.
Pritha's sons never speak such savage words. Only base men, who are
like dogs, use such speech, and towards all classes of men: vanaprasthas,
grihasthas, sannyasins and muktas. Alas that Dhritarashtra's son does not
know that dishonesty is one of the dreadful doors which leads into hell.
Alas that so many of the Kurus, Dussasana among them, followed him
eagerly down the path of adharma in this game of dice.
Gourds may sink and stones float, boats might also sink in water,
always, but this foolish king, Dhritarashtra's son, will not listen to what I
say, which might save him. I have no doubt that he will cause the
destruction of the Kurus.
When friends and well-wishers speak words of wisdom and these go
unheeded, and when, rather, only temptation waxes, devastation is bound to
overtake all the heirs of Kuru.'"
CANTO 66
aisampayana said, "Drunk with pride, Dhritarashtra's son hisses, 'Fie

on you, Kshatta!' and his gaze moving to the Pratikamin in attendance,
in the midst of all those revered elders, commands that man, 'Go
Pratikamin, and fetch Draupadi here. You have no fear of the sons of the
Pandavas. Vidura raves because he is afraid. Besides, he never wishes for
our prosperity.'
The Pratikamin, a man of the Suta caste, hears the words of the king and
hurries to the apartments of the Pandavas, and entering like a dog a lion's
den, approaches the queen of the sons of Pandu.
He says, 'Yudhishtira became intoxicated with dice play, C) Draupadi,
and Duryodhana has won you. So come now to Dhritarashtra's palace. I will
take you there and put you to some menial task.'
Draupadi says, 'Pratikamin, what are you saying? Which Kshatriya will
wager his wife at dice? Surely Yudhishtira was drunk with the play; could
he find nothing else to stake?'
The Pratikamin says, 'When he had nothing else to stake, Pandu's son
Ajatasatru staked you. He first wagered his brothers, then himself, and at
last you, O Queen.'
Draupadi says, 'O Sutaputra, go and ask that gambler in the sabha if he
lost himself first or me. After that come back here and I will go with you.'
The messenger returns to the court and repeats what Draupadi said for
all to hear. He says to Yudhishtira, sitting among the kings, 'Draupadi asks
you, "Whose lord were you when you lost me at dice? Did you lose
yourself first or me?'"
But Yudhishtira sits like a man demented, one who has lost his reason,
and makes no reply to the Suta, good or ill.
Then Duryodhana says, 'Let the Panchala princess come here and ask her
question. Let all in this sabha listen to the exchange between Yudhishtira
and her.'
Obedient to Duryodhana's command, though himself distrait, the
messenger returns to the palace and says to Draupadi, 'Princess, they
summon you to the sabha. It seems the end of the Kurus has drawn near.
When Duryodhana orders you to appear in the court how will that witless
king save his fortunes?'
Draupadi says, 'The Great Ordainer of the world has decreed that joy and
misery attend on both the wise and the witless, equally. Yet, it is told that
dharma is the one highest thing in this life, which if cherished will surely
bless us. Let the Kauravas not abandon dharma now.
Go back to the sabha and tell them what I have said about dharma. I am
prepared to do what the wise elders of the court, men that know dharma
well, tell me to.'
The Suta returns to the court and repeats Yagnaseni's words. But no one
says anything; they all sit with their faces turned down for they know the
lust and resolve of Dhritarashtra's son.
However, O Bharatarishabha, Yudhishtira sends his own trusted
messenger to Draupadi, ordering her to appear, even if crying bitterly,
before her father-in-law Dhritarashtra, though she wore but a single piece of
cloth upon her body and her navel was exposed, for she has her period. That
intelligent messenger, O Rajan, goes quickly to Draupadis chambers and
gives her Yudhishtira's message.
Meanwhile, the stricken Pandavas cannot decide what they should do.
Duryodhana, his heart bursting with joy, lets his eyes range over them, and
says to the Suta, 'Pratikamin, fetch her here. Let the Kauravas answer her
question to her face.'
Bound by his master's command, yet terrified of Draupadi's wrath, the
Suta musters the courage to address the sabha again, 'What shall I say to
Krishnaa?'
Duryodhana says, 'Dussasana, this son of my Suta, of little intelligence,
fears Bhima. So, my brother, go yourself and bring Panchali here, by force
if need be. Our enemies now depend on our will, they belong to us. What
can they do to you?'
Dussasana rises, his eyes blood-red, stalks into the apartments of the
Pandavas and says to Draupadi, 'Come, come, O Krishnaa, princess of
Panchala, we have won you. O you whose eyes are as big as lotus leaves,
you must now accept the Kurus for your new lords. You have been won
fairly, come now to the sabha.'
Hearing him, Draupadi, trembling, jumps up in anguish, covers her face
gone pale with her hands in distress and runs towards Dhritarashtra's
antahpura, where the women of his household are. Roaring, Dussasana runs
after her and seizes that queen by her tresses, so long and blue and wavy.
Alas! Those locks that had been sprinkled with holy water during the great
Rajasuya, and sanctified with mantras, Dhritarashtra's feral son now seizes,
forgetting the prowess of the Pandavas; by her hair he drags Krishnaa into
the sabha, while she shakes like a banana plant during a storm.
Hauled along by him, she cries, 'Wretch, it degrades you to take me like
this before the sabha! I have my period and I am wearing just a single
cloth.'
But Dussasana drags Panchali mercilessly, while she prays in despair to
Krishna and Jishnu, who are Nara Narayana upon the Earth.
He roars at her, 'Whether you have your period or not, whether you wear
a single cloth or are naked, you have been won at dice and you will live
among our serving women!'
Her hair in disarray, half her single cloth come loose, modest Panchali,
dragged into the sabha, consumed by rage, protests weakly, 'In this sabha
are great men, all equal to Indra, men who know all the Shastras, who
devotedly perform yagnas, some of whom are truly my superiors and others
who deserve to be revered as such. I cannot stay before them in this state.
Vile, cruel wretch, do not drag me like this! Do not uncover me so. My
husbands will not forgive you, not if Indra and all the Devas be your allies.
Dharma Deva's son is bound now by the dictates of dharma. But dharma is
subtle, and only men who have great clearness of vision can know it.
I will not blame my lord with a word to say that he has broken dharma
by an atom. O you have dragged me before these Kuru heroes when I am in
my season, and this is surely a great sin. Yet no one here rebukes you.
Surely, they are of the same mind as you.
O, truly, truly, the dharma of the Bhaaratas is lost! Truly, the dharma of
the Kshatriya is gone! Else these Kurus in this sabha would never silently
look on at this vile thing which you have done.
Oh, Drona and Bhishma have lost their tejas, and so also has the
renowned Kshatta, and this king. Otherwise why do these greatest of Kuru
elders look silently on this great crime?'
So does Krishnaa of the slender waist wail out her anguish in that sabha.
She looks at her already angry lords with her teary eyes, and inflames them
further with that glance of hers. They are not so distressed at having been
robbed of their kingdom, their wealth, of their costliest jewels, as by that
look from Krishnaa moved by modesty and rage.
Dussasana sees her gaze at her husbands and drags her more roughly
still, crying 'Slave! Slave!' while he laughs aloud. Kama hears him and
laughs loudly as well. And Subala's son Sakuni, Gandhara king, applauds
Dussasana. But all else in that sabha, other than these three and Duryodhana
are filled with sorrow at seeing Krishnaa dragged about coarsely in sight of
everyone.
Bhishma says, 'Blessed one, dharma is subtle and I find myself unable to
answer your question with any certitude, for though it is true that he who
has lost himself owns nothing anymore, yet a wife is always at the disposal
of her husband. Yudhishtira will renounce the whole world with all the
wealth in it but he will never abandon dharma. The son of Pandu said, "I am
lost" and so I cannot decide this thing. Sakuni has no equal among men at
dice play, still Kunti's son played willingly against him. Yudhishtira himself
does not think that Sakuni cheated. No, I cannot decide this matter.'
Draupadi says, 'My king was summoned to this sabha, and though he has
no skill at dice, he was made to play against a masterly, base, deceitful and
desperate gambler. How can you say that he played willingly? Acting in
cohort, these wretched, sinful ones deprived Pandu's eldest son of his reason
and then vanquished him. At first, he did not suspect their motives but now
he has understood.
Here in this sabha are Kuru elders who are lords of both their sons and
their daughters-in-law. Let them all think about what I say and then answer
my question of dharma.'
Krishnaa sobs piteously, looking from time to time at her helpless
husbands, while Dussasana says many cruel, vile things to her. Seeing her
dragged thus into that sabha during her period, with her single cloth come
loose, seeing her in that state which she little deserves, Bhima is stirred
beyond endurance and, looking straight at Yudhishtira, gives way to fury.'"
CANTO 67
hima says, 'Yudhishtira, gamblers keep many loose women in their

homes, but even they do not wager their women, good or shameless,
at gambling. Our enemies won all the wealth, all the precious things, which
the king of Kasi gave us, jewels and animals, gold, coats of fine mail; they
won all the excellent weapons which other kings of the world gave us; they
won our kingdom, your brothers and yourself.
Not all this stirred my anger, for you are our lord. But this, the wagering
of Draupadi, is a dreadful sin; our innocent wife does not deserve this. The
Pandavas are her lords, yet just because of you these villainous Kauravas
are tormenting her. For her sake, O King, my anger falls on you and I mean
to burn those hands of yours which wagered Panchali. Sahadeva, bring me
fire!'
Arjuna says quickly, 'Bhimasena, you have never spoken like this
before! For sure these vile enemies have destroyed your high dharma. You
must not fulfil the wishes of the enemy. Remain with dharma; do not cross
our virtuous elder brother.
The enemy summoned the king, and remembering Kshatriya dharma, he
played dice against his will. That can only add greatly to our honour and
fame.'
Bhima relents and says, 'Dhananjaya, if you did not remind me that our
brother acted in accordance with Kshatriya dharma, I would have taken his
hands by force and burnt them in a fire.'
Seeing the Pandavas distraught and Panchali in anguish, Dhritarashtra's
son Vikarna says, 'O Kings, answer Yagnaseni's question, for if we do not,
all of us will surely go to hell. How is it that Bhishma and Dhritarashtra, the
eldest of the Kurus, and also Mahatma Vidura do not say anything?
Bharadwaja's son, Acharya to us all, and Kripa are here. Why do these
Brahmanotti mas not answer the question?
And the other kings gathered here, from all parts of the land, give a reply
to Draupadi, each according to his judgement and with no thought towards
anger or gain. Kings, answer the question asked of you by Drupada's
blessed daughter, declare which side each of you takes.'
Vikarna repeatedly appeals to those present in that sabha, but none of the
kings says a word to answer him, good or ill. Vikarna begins to rub his
hands together loudly and to sigh like a snake.
Finally, the prince says, 'You kings of the Earth, you Kauravas, you may
or not answer Draupadi but I will say what I think is just. Purushottamas, it
is said that hunting, drinking, gambling and over indulgence in women are
the four vices of kings. The king who is addicted to these lives without
dharma, and men do not take what such a king says or does seriously.
Urged on by deceitful gamblers, Pandu's son Yudhishtira was absorbed
in one of these vices when he made Draupadi his stake. Besides, innocent
Draupadi is also the common wife of all the sons of Pandu. Then,
Yudhishtira had already lost himself when he wagered her. Finally, Sakuni
persuaded him to wager the queen. Considering all these, I believe that
Draupadi has not been won.'
The sabha roars its approval to hear what Vikarna says; all the kings
praise him and censure Sakuni. But Kama jumps up in a froth, and waving
his mighty arms, cries, 'Vikarna, it seems this sabha is full of contradictions!
As for your anger, it is like fire kindled from a faggot, which consumes the
faggot itself.
These great personages here have not said a word, though repeatedly
asked by Krishnaa. They all regard Drupada's daughter to have been fairly
won. You, O son of Dhritarashtra, are immature and bursting with outrage.
You are just a boy but you speak in this sabha as if you were an old man.
You do not know what dharma truly is, and like a fool you insist that
Krishnaa who has been fairly won has not been won at all.
Dhaartarashtra, how do you say she is not won when the eldest Pandava
staked all he owned in this sabha? Bharatarishabha, Draupadi is part of
what Yudhishtira owns. So how do you say that what has been justly won
has not been won at all? Yes, Sakuni asked for her to be wagered and the
Pandava agreed. Then how do you say she was not won?
And if you think that her being fetched here wearing a single cloth is a
crime, let me dispel your callowness. Kurunandana, the Gods have ordained
only one husband for every woman, but Draupadi has many. It is certain
that she is far from chaste. To bring her in this sabha wearing one cloth, or
even to strip her naked here is no crime at all, for she is already such a
woman.
Whatever wealth the Pandavas had - she herself and these sons of Pandu,
too — have all been justly won by Sakuni.
Dussasana, this Vikarna who seems to speak like a wise man is only a
boy. I say strip the Pandavas of their robes and strip Draupadi of her cloth,
as well!'
Hearing this, O Bhaarata, the Pandavas take off their upper garments and
throw them down. Then, O Rajan, Dussasana lays hold of Draupadi's cloth
and begins to pull it away from her body roughly, before all the sabha.
Draupadi, in despair, thinks of Hari, and cries aloud, 'Govinda, you who
dwell in Dwaraka, O Krishna, lover of the gopis! Kesava, don't you see how
the Kauravas shame me? Lord, Lakshmipathe, Lord of Vraja, destroyer of
sorrow, Janardana, save me from drowning in the Kaurava sea. Krishna,
Krishna, Mahayogin, Soul of the Universe, Creator of all things, save me, I
am in dire trouble and losing my mind here among these Kurus!'
Covering her face, still so stunningly beautiful, thinking of Krishna, of
Hari, Lord of the three worlds, Draupadi's cries these words out to him.
Krishna hears her and is moved.
At which, while Yagnaseni still wails out to him, as also to Vishnu and
Hari and to Nara for protection, invisible Dharma Deva covers her in fine
cloths of many colours. Each layer of cloth which Dussasana tears from her
reveals another below it, as exquisite and lustrous. Quickly, hundreds and
hundreds of robes of many hues lie piled on the floor.
A deep roar of many voices rises from the sabha, and all the kings begin
to applaud the amazing spectacle, to applaud Draupadi and to censure
Dussasana. Then Bhima, clenching his great fists, his lips quivering in
anger, swears a terrible oath in the midst of all those kings, an oath in a loud
and echoing voice.
Bhima cries, 'Hear me, you Kshatriyas of the world! Words that I will
speak now have never been spoken by another man, nor will anyone in the
future ever speak them. Lords of earth, if after what I say I do not do what I
swear I will, let me find the realm of my dead ancestors.
I swear that I will tear this beast Dussasana's breast open with my hands
and drink his blood. If I do not let me die!'
Hearing Bhima's dreadful oath, their hair stands on end and everyone in
that sabha applauds him and curses Dussasana. Masses of bright coloured
cloth, all dragged from Draupadi's body, are piled on the floor of the sabha,
and finally, exhausted and defeated, Dussasana gives up and sits down in
shame, while again those gods among men gathered in that court cry 'Fie!'
at him, to see the plight and disgrace of the sons of Pandu.
So loudly do those Kshatriyas roar that anybody who hears them
trembles. Now every honest man in that sabha begins to say, 'Alas! The
Kauravas still do not answer the question which Draupadi asked.'
Now they blame Dhritarashtra, all together, making a loud clamour.
Then Vidura, master of dharma, waves his hands, silencing them, and says,
'O you who sit in this sabha, Draupadi sobs helplessly having asked her
question. Yet you do not answer her and you betray virtue and dharma with
your silence.
Like one being burnt by fire does a woman in distress seek the mercy of
a conclave of righteous men. With truth and dharma does such an assembly
quench that fire. The aggrieved woman asks the sabha what her rights are,
according to dharma, and those in the sabha must answer, without prejudice
or self-interest.
O Kings, Vikarna has answered Panchali, as he knows dharma, and you
must also answer her. He who knows dharma and attends a sabha incurs the
sin of lying if he fails to do so, just as he who replies falsely, or with
prejudice, gains the same sin. The knowing tell the ancient tale of Prahlada
and Angiras's son to illustrate this.
Long ago, there was a king of the Daityas called Prahlada. He had a son
named Virochana. To marry a wife, Virochana quarrelled with Angiras' son
Sudhanwan. Each staked his life, saying "I am superior to you!" for the sake
of the woman, and they made Prahlada their arbiter to decide between them.
They said to him, "Which of us is superior? Answer this without
falsehood."
Prahlada was afraid and looked at Sudhanwan, who, blazing in anger
even like Yama's danda, said, "If you answer falsely or do not answer, your
head will be split in a hundred pieces by Indra's thunderbolt!"
Trembling like a leaf of a fig tree, Prahlada went to Kasyapa of great
tejas. The Daitya said to the Sage, "Most illustrious and exalted one, you
know dharma entirely and you guide the Devas, the Brahmanas and the
Asuras, too.
I find myself on the horns of a great dilemma regarding dharma. I ask
you, what realms are found by one who does not answer a question or
answers it falsely?"
Kasyapa replied, "He who knows but does not answer a question, from
temptation, anger or fear, casts a thousand nooses of Varuna upon himself,
just as he does who answers falsely. At the end of each year one paasa shall
be loosened. So, he who knows should answer truthfully and not hide
anything.
If virtue, struck by sin, comes to a sabha for help, it is the duty of
everyone in that assembly to remove the barb, else they themselves shall be
pierced by it. In a sabha where a truly censurable act is not rebuked, half the
sin of that omission attaches to the head of the sabha, a fourth to the one
who has sinned and another fourth to those who held their peace and did not
speak out against the crime.
However, in a sabha where the sinner is reprimanded, the lord of the
sabha is freed from all his sins and the others also incur none. Then, only
the sinner finds sin for himself and pays alone for it.
Prahlada, they who answer falsely those who ask them about dharma,
destroy the punya of seven generations before and after them.
The grief of one who loses all his wealth, one who loses a son, one who
is in debt, one who is separated from his friends, that of a woman who has
lost her husband, of one who loses his all through the king's demand, of a
sterile woman, of one who is being eaten by a tiger, a woman who is one of
two wives, and of one who is deprived of his wealth by false witnesses: all
these the Devas have declared to be equal.
All these combined accrue to one who speaks falsely. A man becomes a
witness by his having seen, heard, and understood a thing. So, a witness
must always tell the truth. A witness who speaks truly never loses his punya
or his worldly possessions."
Hearing Kasyapa, Prahlada told his son, "Sudhanwan is superior to you,
just as his father Angiras is my superior. Sudhanwan's mother is also
superior to your mother. So, O Virochana, this Sudhanwan is now the lord
of your life."
Sudhanwan said, "Because you have kept dharma, unmoved by love for
your child, I say let your son live for a hundred years.'"
Vidura continues, 'So, let all those in this sabha think carefully, deeply
on what answer they should make to Draupadi's question.'
The other kings do not say a word. But Kama says loudly to Dussasana,
'Take this serving woman away into the antahpura.'
Dussasana begins to haul away the helpless and chaste Draupadi, who is
trembling and crying piteously to her lords, the Pandavas."
CANTO 68
raupadi cries, 'Wait a little, O worst of men, evil-hearted I

Dussasana. I have something to do, a dharma which I have not yet
done because I was hardly in my senses after this wretch dragged me from
my chambers. I fold my hands and salute these venerable elders in the Kuru
sabha. That I could not do this before cannot be my fault.'
Dussasana hauls her more savagely than before, and Draupadi falls to
the ground and wails in that great sabha, 'Only once in my life, during my
swayamvara, did such a gathering of kings ever see me, never before or
after, until today when I have been dragged here. She whom even the winds
and the Sun never saw before, even in her palace, is today exposed to the
gaze of this host of men.
Alas, in my palace, the sons of Pandu could not suffer me to be touched
even by the wind, and today they can stand my being seized by this dog.
Alas, these Kauravas also suffer their daughter-in-law, who is unworthy of
such treatment, to be tormented before them. Surely, it seems that the age
has grown dark.
I am high-born and chaste. What can wound me more than being forced
to come into this public court? Where is that dharma for which these kings
were noted? We all know that the kings of old never brought their wives
into their courts. Oh, that ancient custom has vanished from among the
Kurus, or how has the wife of the Pandavas, the sister of Prihasta's son, she
who is Krishna's sakhi, been dragged into this sabha?
O you Kauravas, I am the wife of Yudhishtira Dharmaputra, who hails
from the same line as your king. Now tell me if I am your serving maid or
not, and I will cheerfully accept your answer. This vile destroyer of the
honour of the Kurus, hurts me sorely and, O Kauravas, I cannot bear it
anymore.
You Kings, I want to hear your answer to my question: am I won or not?
Whatever you say, I will accept your verdict.'
Bhishma answers her, 'Blessed child, I have already said that the course
of dharma is subtle, and even the most enlightened in this world cannot
always fathom it.
In this world, whatever a strong man calls dharma others accept as being
so, even if the truth is very different. But what a weak man calls dharma is
hardly regarded, even if it is indeed the highest virtue. What you ask is deep
and grave, intricate and subtle, and I find myself unable to answer with any
certainty.
However, there is no doubt that all the Kurus have become slaves to
greed and folly, and our race shall very soon find its destruction. Blessed
child, the family into which you have come as a daughter-in-law never
abandons dharma, whatever calamities it faces. Panchali, you are plunged in
grief, yet you also keep your eyes on dharma.
These elders here, Drona and the others, of mature years and knowers of
dharma, sit with their heads bent down even like dead men, from whose
bodies life has gone. I feel that Yudhishtira is the one best suited to answer
your question. Let him say if you have been won or not.'"
CANTO 69
aisampayana said, "From fear of Duryodhana, the kings present in that

sabha do not say a word, good or ill, although they see Draupadi
crying piteously, like a female osprey, and hear her appealing to them
repeatedly. Duryodhana sees those kings, their sons and grandsons all
keeping quiet, and smiles.
He says to Draupadi, 'Yagnaseni, let your husbands Bhima of mighty
strength, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva answer your question. Panchali, for
your sake let them declare in the midst of these honourable men that
Yudhishtira is not their lord, and let them thus make great Yudhishtira a
common liar. If they do, you will be free from the bondage of slavery.
Let the illustrious son of Dharma, who always keeps dharma, who is like
Indra himself, declare whether or not he is your lord. And at what he says,
accept either the Pandavas or ourselves. Indeed, all the Kauravas in this
sabha float upon the sea of your distress. They are kind and generous and,
looking at your pitiable husbands, cannot answer your question.'
Everyone in that court applauds loudly, while surreptitiously making
signs to one another through movements of their eyes and lips. Some cry,
'Oh!' and 'Alas!' The Kauravas hear what their brother says and are
overjoyed, and the other kings look sidelong at Yudhishtira, waiting to hear
what he will say. All are curious to hear what Arjuna, Pandu's son never
defeated in battle will say, and Bhimasena, and the twins.
When the hum of many voices ceases, waving his mighty arms smeared
with sandalwood paste, Bhima says, 'If this Mahatman Yudhishtira
Dharmaraja, our eldest brother, had not been our lord, we would never have
forgiven the Kurus. He is the lord of all our dharma and punya, the lord of
our lives. If he regards himself as won, all of us have also been won. If this
were not so, which creature whose feet touches this Earth and is mortal
would escape me alive after touching Panchali's precious tresses?
Look at these arms of mine, like iron maces. Even he of a hundred
sacrifices could not escape their clasp. Bound by the ties of dharma and
bhakti owed to our eldest brother, and urged repeatedly by Arjuna to be
silent, I restrain myself from doing terrible things. But if Yudhishtira
commanded me, I would kill these vile sons of Dhritarashtra, making blows
do the work of swords, why, like a lion killing a herd of small animals.'
When Bhima says this, Bhishma, Drona and Vidura say to him, 'Forbear,
O Bhima, for you can do anything.'"
CANTO 70
arna says, 'Among all in this sabha, three - Bhishma, Vidura, and
Drona - seem to be independent indeed, for they speak ill of their
master, censure him and never wish for his prosperity.
Excellent Panchali, the slave, the son and the wife are always dependent.
They cannot earn wealth, for whatever they earn belongs to their master.
You are the wife of a slave, who cannot own anything. Go now to
Dhritarashtra's antahpura and serve the king's relatives. That is now your
proper place, for O Princess, all the sons of Dhritarashtra and not the sons
of Pritha are now your masters.
Beautiful one, choose another husband for yourself, one who will not
gamble you away to become a slave. It is known that women, especially
slaves, are not to be censured if they freely choose husbands for themselves.
So, you do so now.
Nakula has been won, as have Bhimasena, Yudhishtira, Sahadeva and
Arjuna. And, Yagnaseni, you are now a slave, and your husbands who are
also slaves cannot be your husbands anymore.
Ah, does Pritha's son think of life, prowess and manhood as being
useless that he offers this daughter of Drupada, the king of Panchala, in the
presence of this entire sabha, as a stake at dice?'
Bhima, a picture of misery, breathed hard, but obedient to his king and
bound by dharma, he can only blaze at everything around with his eyes, and
say, 'Rajan, I cannot even be angry at what this son of a Suta says, for we
have truly become slaves. But Yudhishtira, could our enemies dare say this
to me if you had not wagered Draupadi?'
Duryodhana says to Yudhishtira who is silent, as if he has lost his mind,
'O King, Bhima and Arjuna, and the twins also, are under your sway. You
answer the question. Say if you think that Krishnaa has been won or not.'
Saying this to Kunti's son, and wanting to encourage Karna and taunt
Bhima, Duryodhana suddenly bares his left thigh, his thigh like the stem of
a plantain tree or the trunk of an elephant, his thigh graced with every
auspicious sign and endowed with the strength of thunder, and shows it to
Draupadi.
Bhima's red eyes bulge, and he says to Duryodhana in the midst of all
those kings, words like arrows, 'Let not Bhima Vrikodara never attain the
realms gained by his sires if he does not break that thigh of yours during the
Great War!'
And sparks of fire come forth from Bhima's wrathful body, like those
which fly from every crack in a tree on fire.
Vidura now says, addressing the entire sabha, 'You kings of Pratipa's
race, behold the great danger which rises from Bhimasena. Know for
certain that this great calamity that threatens to overtake the Bhaaratas has
been sent by Destiny itself.
Dhritarashtra's sons have gambled, ignoring every tenet of dharma. Even
now they insist that a queen of our royal house is their slave, and here will
the good fortune of your kingdom end. Look, how they consult evilly
among themselves. Kauravas, take into your hearts what I am saying. If you
corrupt dharma here, this sabha will be ruined.
If Yudhishtira staked Yagnaseni before he lost himself, he would then
certainly have been her master. However, if man who is himself lost and
cannot own any possession wagers something, it is like wealth won or lost
in a dream. Do not, all of you, listen to this Gandhara king and fall away
from the indubitable truth.'
Duryodhana says, 'I am content to abide by what Bhima, Arjuna and the
twins say. Let them declare that Yudhishtira is not their master, and
Yagnaseni will be free from bondage.'
Arjuna says, "This illustrious Kaunteya, Yudhishtira Dharmatma, was
certainly our master before he began to play. But when he had lost himself,
let all the Kauravas judge whose master he could be after that.'
Just then, a jackal begins to howl dismally in the very homa-chamber of
King Dhritarashtra's palace. Rajan, donkeys bray in response to the jackal's
ululating howls. Then dreadful birds also join the cacophony from every
side with their various screeches and cries.
Vidura, who knows all things, and Subala's daughter Gandhari, also,
understand what those terrible sounds portended. Bhishma, Drona and the
wise Gautama cry, 'Swashti! Swashti!'1 Gandhari and Vidura anxiously
explain the wild omens to the king.
Dhritarashtra says, 'Evil-hearted Duryodhana, ruin has already come to
us when you speak in such vile language to a wife of these Kururishabhas,
especially to Draupadi herself.'
The wise Dhritarashtra, wanting to save his kin from disaster, begins to
console Krishnaa. He says to her, 'Ask me for any boon you want, O
Panchali. So chaste and devoted to virtue, you are the first among all my
daughters-in-law.'
Draupadi says, 'O Bharatarishabha, if you will grant me a boon, I ask
that the handsome Yudhishtira Dharmatma be freed from slavery, for let no
thoughtless child call my son Prativindhya, of great tejas of mind, the son of
a slave, for my prince is a superior boy and has been raised by kings.'
Dhritarashtra says to her, 'Auspicious Panchali, let it be as you want.
Excellent princess, ask for another boon for my heart is inclined to grant
you a second wish. You deserve more than one.'
Draupadi says, 'O Rajan, let Bhimasena, Dhananjaya and the twins have
their liberty back, and their chariots and bows.'
Dhritarashtra says, 'Blessed daughter, let it be as you wish. Ask me for a
third boon, for just two boons do not sufficiently honour you. You are
virtuous, the best of all my daughters-in-law.'
Draupadi says, 'Best of kings, most illustrious one, greed always fetches
the loss of dharma. I do not deserve a third boon, and so I dare not ask for
one. O King of kings, it is said that a Vaisya may ask one boon, a Kshatriya
woman two boons, a Kshatriya man three, and a Brahmana a hundred.
Maharajan, now that my husbands are free from ignominious bondage,
they can achieve their own prosperity through their dharma and deeds.'"
—————————
1A blessing.
CANTO 71
arna says caustically, 'Never have we heard of such a wonderful

thing being accomplished by any woman famed through the world
for her beauty. When both the sons of Pandu and Dhritarashtra's princes
were stirred by anger, this Draupadi has become the Pandavas' salvation.
The sons of Pandu were drowning in a sea of distress and Panchali became
a boat to them and has brought them safely ashore.'
Hearing this in the midst of all the Kurus, the angry Bhimasena says
desperately to Arjuna, 'Devala Maharishi has said that three lights live in
every person, their children, their deeds and their knowledge, for from these
three all creation springs.
When life comes to an end and the body decays and a man is cast off by
his relatives, these three become useful. But the light in us has been
dimmed by the humiliation of our wife. How, Arjuna, can a son born from
this shamed queen ever be useful to us?'
Arjuna replies, 'Bhima, superior men never react to the harsh words with
which inferior men might pierce them. Men who have earned honour for
themselves, even if they can retaliate, forget the hostility shown them by
their enemies and only treasure their good deeds.'
Bhima says, 'Yudhishtira, shall I kill all these enemies, even here in this
sabha, or shall I tear them up by their life-roots outside the palace? Ah,
what need have I for words or your command? I will kill them at once and
then you will rule over the whole world, without a rival.'
Saying this Bhima and the twins, like lions in the midst of a herd of
lesser beasts, glare angrily around them. However, Arjuna Swetakarma, he
of white deeds, tries to pacify his older brother with appealing looks. But
Bhima Mahabaho blazes again in wrath. Rajan, fire issues from Vrikodara's
ears and nostrils with flames, sparks and smoke.
His brow is knit and furrowed, his face is terrible, and he is like Yama
himself during the Pralaya. Then Yudhishtira puts his arms around Bhima
and forbids him, saying 'Do not be like this. Be silent and peaceful.'
Having restrained red-eyed Bhima, Yudhishtira, with folded hands,
approaches his uncle Dhritarashtra."
CANTO 72
udhishtira says, 'O King, you are our master. Command us what we
should do. O Bhaarata, we want to always remain obedient to you.'
Dhritarashtra replies, 'Be blessed, O Ajatasatru. Go in peace and safety. I
command you to go and rule your own kingdom with your wealth. And, my
child, I have another command for you which, I beg you, take to your heart.
It is the plea of an old man and will provide nurture to you.
Yudhishtira, child, you know the subtle path of dharma. You own great
wisdom, yet you are humble and you wait upon your elders. Where there is
intelligence, there is forbearance; so, O Bhaarata, follow the counsels of
peace.
The axe sinks into wood but not stone, and you will listen while
Duryodhana will not. The best of men never remember the hostile actions
of their enemies, they see only the good and not the evil even in those that
harm them. And they never seek enmity or revenge.
Also, the good do good without expecting anything in return.
Yudhishtira, only the worst men speak harshly during a quarrel; while
mediocre men reply in kind when spoken to harshly. But the good and the
wise never pay heed to or retort in kind to harshness.
The good know themselves and understand the feelings of others; hence,
they think only of the goodness in other men not the darkness. You have
always been honourable, never breaking the bounds of dharma, artha, kama
and moksha. My son, forget Duryodhanas harshness.
Look at your mother Gandhari and at me, if you wish to remember only
what is good. O Bhaarata, look at me, who am a father to you, and am old
and blind, and still alive. It was only to see our friends and also to examine
the strengths and weaknesses of my children that I allowed the game of
dice.
Rajan, those among the Kurus who have you for their king and the wise
Vidura, who knows every Shastra deeply, for their minister, surely have
nothing to grieve over. In you is virtue, in Arjuna patience, in Bhimasena
might, and in the twins, those best of men, is pure reverence for their elders.
Be you blessed, O Yudhishira! Return to Khandavaprastha, and let there
be brotherly love between you and your cousins. Let your heart always be
fixed on dharma.'
When his uncle speaks thus to him, Yudhishtira Dharmaraja then pays
every homage and courtesy to his elders, and sets out for Khandavaprastha
with his brothers. Their hearts glad now, and Draupadi with them, they
climb into their chariots, which are all the colour of clouds, and ride
towards the city called Indraprastha."
CANTO 73
anamejaya says, "How did Dhritarashtra's sons feel when they learnt that,
with Dhritarashtra's leave, the Pandavas had left Hastinapura with their
kingdom, all their wealth and jewels returned to them?"
Vaisampayana says, "O King, when he learns that wise Dhritarashtra has
given the Pandavas leave to return to their capital, Dussasana hurries to his
brother. O Bharatarishabha, arriving in Duryodhana's presence, the stricken
prince cries, 'Great Kshatriyas, the old man has thrown away what we won
with so much trouble! He has given back everything to our enemies, all
their kingdom and wealth.'
Duryodhana, Kama and Subala's son Sakuni, all of them ruled by hubris,
come together in some haste, and privately, to Vichitravirya's son
Dhritarashtra. They speak sweetly and artfully to him.
Duryodhana says, 'O King, have you not heard what Brihaspati the
Devaguru said to Indra about mortals and politics? Parantapa, these were
Guru's words: "Enemies who harm you by stratagem or by force must be
killed."
If we used the Pandavas' wealth to please the kings of the earth and then
fight the sons of Pandu, how could we lose? Ah, but if a man wraps angry
poisonous serpents around his neck and back, how can he take them off?
My father, in their chariots and armed, the angry sons of Pandu are like
venomous snakes and they will certainly kill us.
Even now Arjuna rides in his chariot, wearing mail, his twin quivers
strapped on, often picking up the Gandiva, while he breathes hard and casts
blazing looks around him. Bhima rides in wrath, whirling his mace in his
great hands. Nakula rides with his sword and his half-moon shield in his
hands, and Sahadeva and Yudhishtira also have made clear what they mean
to do.
Whipping their horses, they go like five winds in their chariots towards
Khandavaprastha to muster their forces. They will never forgive us for
humiliating them. Which of them will forget what we did to Draupadi?
Be you blest, my father, we must gamble again with the Pandavas, this
time to send them into exile. Purusharishabha, only thus can we conquer
them again. The wager shall be that either we or they will live in the forest
for twelve years wearing deerskin, and a further thirteenth year in some city,
in ajnatavasa, undiscovered, unrecognised. Either we or they will live so.
Let us cast the dice immediately, let the sons of Pandu play against us
once more. Bull of the race of Bhaarata, O King, this is our highest dharma
and Sakuni is a master of the rolling dice. Even if the Pandavas survive
their exile, during those thirteen years we will take deep root in the
kingdom and, making many allies, collect a vast and invincible army, so if
the sons of Pandu reappear we will vanquish them.
Let this plan recommend itself to you, O Parantapa.'
Dhritarashtra says, 'Bring the Pandavas back even if they have gone a
good way. Let them come back at once to cast the dice again.'
Drona, Somadatta and Balhika, Gautama, Vidura, the son of Drona,
Dhritarashtra's great son by his Vaisya wife, and Bhurisravas, Bhishma and
the mighty Vikarna all say, 'Let there be no more dice, let there be peace.'
But Dhritarashtra is partial to his sons. He ignores the counsel of his
wise friends and kinsmen and summons the Pandavas back."
CANTO 74
aisampayana said, "Rajan, now Gandhari, in great distress for her

sons, says to Dhritarashtra, 'When Duryodhana was born the wise
Vidura said, "It would be well for us to send this disgrace to our race to the
next world. Look how he howls again and again like a jackal; it is certain
that he will cause the destruction of the Kurus."
Take what Vidura said to heart, O King of the Kurus. O Bhaarata, do not
drown, from your own fault, in a sea of calamities. My lord, do not listen to
these evil and foolish princes. Do not become the instrument of the brutal
end of this noble House.
Who can break an embankment once it has been built, or rekindle a
forest fire which has been extinguished? O Bharatarishabha, who lives that
will provoke the peaceful sons of Pritha?
Ajamida, you remember all things, but still let me remind you that no
scripture can restrain those that have evil hearts from doing evil. An
immature man will never do as one of mature years will. Let your sons
follow you, and not the other way. Let death not take them from you for
ever.
I say to you today, my husband, abandon this vile prince of mine, this
evil Duryodhana. From fatherly love you could not do it before, but now
you must, for the time is here when, if you do not, our very race will be
annihiliated.
Do not err in this, my lord, let your mind be guided by counsels of
peace, virtue and true policy, and be what it naturally is. The fortune won
through evil means is quickly lost, while that acquired gently takes root and
swells and goes down from generation to generation.'
The king replies to Gandhari who pointed out the path of dharma to him,
'If the destruction of our race has come, let it takes its course freely, for I
cannot prevent it. Let my sons' wish be granted and the Pandavas return to
play another game of dice.'"
CANTO 75
aisampayana said, "A royal messenger, sent by Dhritarashtra, rides

like the wind to Pritha's Yudhishtira, who by then has come a good
way from Hastinapura. The messenger says, 'Your uncle, who is like a
father to you, says, "The sabha is ready, O Pandava, come and cast the
dice!'"
Yudhishtira says, 'All creatures find fruit, good and ill, by the will of the
Creator. They are inevitable, if I play or not. This is a summons to dice; it
is, besides, the command of the old king. Although I know that it will prove
ruinous to me, I cannot refuse.'
Although a golden living animal could not exist, Rama allowed himself
to be tempted by a golden deer. Truly, minds of men over whom calamities
hang, become unhinged. So, Yudhishtira returns to Hastinapura with his
brothers. Knowing full well how Sakuni cheated, the son of Pritha comes
back to sit at dice with him again.
Those mighty Kshatriyas enter that sabha once more, while their friends
grieve for them. Compelled by fate, they sit down again to gamble and,
indeed, to ruin themselves.
Sakuni says, 'The aged king has given you back all your wealth. That is
well. But, Bharatarishabha, listen to me, here is a stake of great value: either
defeated by you at dice, we will enter the forest, wearing deerskin, and live
there for twelve years, and then spend a thirteenth in a place of men,
undiscovered. And if we are discovered during the thirteenth year, we will
spend another twelve years in exile. However, if you lose, you, along with
Krishnaa, will spend twelve years in the vana and pass the thirteenth in a
place of men, in ajnatavasa. If you are found during the thirteenth year, you
will go back into exile for another twelve years.
When the thirteenth year is over each one will give his kingdom back to
the other. Yudhishtira, for this stake, play with us, O Bhaarata. Cast the
dice.'
The other noble ones in the sabha raise their arms up in alarm and cry
anxiously, and feelingly, 'Alas, Duryodhana's friends do not warn him of his
great danger. Dhritarashtra, whether he understands the peril or not, it is
your duty to tell him plainly.'
Yudhishtira hears this, but from a sense of shame and dharma, sits again
to play dice. Though he is most intelligent and knows the consequences
well, he begins to play, as if he knows that the end of the Kurus is near and
it is ineluctable.
Yudhishtira says, 'Sakuni, how can a king like me, who always observes
Kshatriya dharma, refuse to play when he has been summoned to dice? And
so I will play with you.'
Sakuni replies, 'We have many horses and milch cows, an infinite
number of goats and sheep, and elephants and treasuries and gold, and
slaves both male and female. We staked all these before but now let this be
our one stake: exile into the forest. If you beat us we will live in the vana
for twelve years and the thirteenth in ajnatavasa. Purusharishabhas, with
this determination, will we play.'
O Bhaarata, only once does he speak about the exile in the jungle.
Yudhishtira accepts it and Sakuni takes up the dice. Casting them, he says to
Pritha's son, 'I have won!'"
CANTO 72
aisampayana said, "The vanquished Pandavas prepare for their exile in

the forest. One after another, in order of age, they cast off their royal
robes and clothe themselves in deerskin.
Seeing those Parantapas wearing deerskin, their kingdom taken from
them and ready to go into exile, Dussasana cries, 'The absolute sovereignty
of the illustrious King Duryodhana has begun. The sons of Pandu have been
vanquished, and plunged into ruin.
We have achieved our goal, be it by the broad or the narrow way. Today,
we have more wealth and kingdom than our enemies, and we have become
worthy of the praise of men, while Pritha's sons are plunged in everlasting
hell. For ever, they have lost their kingdom and their happiness.
Arrogant of their wealth, they once laughed derisively at Duryodhana.
Now, beaten by us and their wealth lost, they must go into the vana and
exile. Let them take off their armour, their resplendent robes of celestial
make; let them put on deerskins, according to the stake of Sakuni, which
they accepted.
These who always boasted that they had no equals in the world will now
see themselves like grains of sesame without a kernel. Though in this new
garb, Pandu's sons seem like wise and powerful men installed in a sacrifice,
yet they do not look men entitled to perform yagnas.
When the wise Yagnasena of the Somakas gave his daughter Panchali to
the Pandavas he made a great mistake, for these sons of Pritha are like
eunuchs. Yagnaseni, what joy will you have in the forest seeing your
husbands wearing deerskin and threadbare valkala, impoverished, all their
wealth lost?
Choose a husband for yourself from this sabha. The Kurus here are all
great and self-restrained, and all of them are vastly wealthy. Choose one of
them for your lord, so that the calamity which has overtaken you does not
drag you into wretchedness. The Pandavas are now like sesame seeds
without a kernel, like stuffed animals, or grains of rice without a husk.
When they have fallen, why should you wait on them anymore? Ah, vain is
the labour which seeks to press the sesame without a kernel!'
So does Dussasana, the son of Dhritarashtra, speak viciously again in the
hearing of the Pandavas. At which, Bhima suddenly rushes at him in fury,
like a Himalayan lion at a jackal, and roars, 'Villain, do you rave like this as
only sinners do? Dare you brag in this sabha of kings after your cause has
been advanced by the cheating skill of Sakuni?
As you pierce our hearts with your words like arrows, I will remember
these words and pierce your heart and shed your blood in battle. And I will
also send to Yamaloka those who stand behind you today, from their anger
or their greed, as your protectors. Yes, them and all their sons and kin!'
But Dussasana begins to dance rudely around Bhima, clad in deerskin,
who is restrained by dharma from doing him any harm, crying, 'Cow! O you
cow!'
Bhima fumes, 'Dare you, wretched Dussasana? Dare you preen and brag
after winning our wealth by the basest means? I say to you that if this
Vrikodara, son of Pritha, does not tear open your breast and drink your
blood, may he never find heaven for himself.
I say to you all that, before a great host of Kshatriyas, I will kill all these
sons of Dhritarashtra and quench my wrath!'
As the Pandavas leave the sabha, the joyful Duryodhana mimics Bhima's
leonine gait with mincing steps.
Vrikodara turns to that king and says, 'Fool, you think to put me down
with these vile tricks? I will kill you and all who follow you soon enough,
and that will be my answer to your strutting.'
With that, controlling the great anger which surges in him, the mighty
and proud Bhima turns to follow Yudhishtira from the Kaurava court again.
Going, he says, 'I will kill Duryodhana, and Dhananjaya will slay Kama.
Sahadeva will kill Sakuni the gambler.
And hear again, all of you in this sabha, the oath I swear, and the Gods
will surely make my oath come true. If we ever meet the Kurus in battle, I
will kill this dog Duryodhana with my mace, and laying him on the ground
I will stamp on his head with my foot. As for this other evil one, so brave
with his words, I will drink his blood like a lion!'
Arjuna says, 'Bhima, the resolutions of superior men are not known only
by their words. On the fourteenth year from this day, these will see what
happens.'
Bhima says, 'The earth will drink the blood of Duryodhana, Kama and
the evil Sakuni, and Dussasana will be the fourth.'
Arjuna says, 'Bhima, as you have sworn, I will kill this malicious,
envious, harsh-tongued and vain Kama. To please Bhima, Arjuna vows that
he will kill Kama and all his followers with arrows in battle. Yes, and I will
send to Yama's realm all the other foolish kings who dare face me in war.
The Mountains of Himavat might move from where they are, the Sun
who makes the day might lose his lustre, the Moon his coolness, but I will
keep my vow. All that I have sworn will happen if, on the fourteenth year
from today, Duryodhana does not return our kingdom to us with proper
respect.'
After Arjuna, Madri's handsome son Sahadeva, of great tejas, eager to
kill Sakuni, waves his arms and, red-eyed and sighing like a snake, cries, 'O
you disgrace of the Gandhara kings, those whom you think of as defeated
are not really so. You have risked death by arrows in battle, and I will do as
Bhima has sworn by killing you and all your followers in war.
So, if there is anything at all that you wish to do, do it before that day
comes, for then I will kill you if you keep Kshatriya dharma and do not flee
the field like a dog, O son of Subala!'
Now Nakula, handsomest of all men, says, T will kill all these sons of
Dhritarashtra, who have dared insult Draupadi in this sabha. They have
wished for death and are moved by Fate and the desire to please
Duryodhana. I will remember what they have said today and they will find
death at Yudhishtira's command. The Earth will be devoid of Dhritarashtra's
sons.'
Having sworn these oaths, those Purushavyaghras, tigers among men, all
blessed with long arms, approach King Dhritarashtra."
CANTO 77
udhishtira says, 'I bid farewell to all the Bhaaratas, to my V Pitama,

to King Somadatta, the great Bahlika, Drona, Kripa, all the other
kings, Aswatthama, Vidura, Dhritarashtra, all the sons of Dhritarashtra, to
Yuyutsu, Sanjaya and all the courtiers. I bid you all farewell, and returning,
I will see you again.'
Overcome by shame, none of those men can make any reply to him. In
their hearts, though, they pray for the welfare of that good and wise prince.
Vidura now says, 'Pritha is a princess by birth. It does not become her to
go into the forest. She is old, delicate and used to luxury. She will live in
my home. Know this, O sons of Pandu, and let safety always be yours.'
The Pandavas say, Anagha, sinless one, let it be as you say. You are our
uncle and so even like our own father. We are all obedient to you, and you
are, O learned one, our most revered elder. We must always obey you and,
Mahatman, command us, what else shall we do?'
Vidura replies, 'Yudhishtira, in my opinion a man vanquished by foul
means need feel no pain at his defeat. You know every law of dharma;
Arjuna is ever victorious in battle; Bhimasena is the slayer of enemies;
Nakula is the gatherer of wealth; Sahadeva is a great administrator;
Dhaumya is the foremost of all who know the Vedas; and Draupadi knows
both virtue and frugality well.
You are devoted to one another, feel delight in each other's company,
enemies cannot divide you and you are contented. Who is there that will not
envy you? O Bhaarata, this patient abstraction from the possession of the
world will be of great benefit to you. No enemy, even if he were equal to
Indra himself, will be able to withstand it.
Once, on the mountains of Himavat, beside Meru, Savarni taught you; in
the town of Varanavata, Krishna Dwaipayana did; upon the cliff of Bhrigu,
Rama; and on the banks of the Dhrishadwati, Siva himself. Maharishi Asita
gave you instruction on the hills of Anjana; and you became a disciple of
Bhrigu on the banks of the Kalmashi.
Narada and your priest Dhaumya will now become your Gurus. In the
matter of the next world, never abandon these profound lessons you have
had from the Munis. O Pandava, your intelligence is greater than even that
of Ila's son Pururavas; in might, you exceed all other kings, and in virtue,
even the Rishis.
Therefore, resolve earnestly to win victory, which belongs to Indra; to
control your wrath, which belongs to Yama; to give charity, which belongs
to Kubera; and to restrain all passions, which belong to Varuna. O Bhaarata,
from the Moon take the power to please; the power to sustain from Water;
patience from the Earth; energy from the Sun; strength from the Wind, and
affluence from the other elements.
May walfare and immunity from disease be yours; I hope to see you
return. Yudhishtira, act righteously and duly in all seasons: those of distress,
those of difficulty, indeed, in all things.
O Son of Kunti, go forth with our leave. O Bhaarata, my blessings be
upon you. No one can say that you have sinned, and so we do earnestly
want to see you return, crowned with success.'
Bowing low to Bhishma and Drona, Yudhishtira, the son of Pandu, of
prowess incapable of being baffled, says, 'Tathastu, so be it!' and departs."
CANTO 78
aisampayana said, "When Draupadi is about to set out she goes to the
illustrious Kunti and solicits her leave. She takes her leave of the other
ladies of the household, all of them plunged in grief. Saluting and
embracing every one of them, as each deserves, she asks them to permit her
to go away.
Then, within the inner apartments of the Pandavas, a loud wail of grief
arises. Kunti, in terrible distress to see Draupadi about to go, says, her voice
choking, 'My child, do not grieve that this calamity has overtaken you. You
know well the dharma of women, and your behaviour and conduct are as
they should be. O my princess of sweet smiles, I need not teach you your
duty towards your husbands.
You are chaste and accomplished, and your qualities have adorned the
race of your birth, as also the House into which you have come through
marriage. Ah, the Kauravas are fortunate that your wrath has not burnt them
to ashes. My daughter, go safely, blessed by my prayers. Good women
never allow their hearts to come unstrung at what is inevitable. Protected by
dharma, which is superior to everything, you will soon find good fortune
again.
While living in the vana, keep your eye on my child Sahadeva. See that
his heart does not sink under the weight of this tragedy.'
Bathed in tears, still wearing her single cloth stained with her woman's
blood, her hair in disarray, saying, 'Tathastu,' Draupadi leaves her mother-
in-law. As she goes, sobbing, Pritha follows her in grief. Kunti does not go
far, when she sees her sons, shorn of their ornaments and royal robes, clad
in deerskin, and their heads bent down with shame. She sees them
surrounded by rejoicing enemies and pitying friends.
Filled by a tide of mother's love, Kunti approaches her sons. Embracing
them, tears in her eyes and voice, she says, 'You are virtuous and decorous;
you own every noble quality, and you are respectful towards all. You are all
high-minded and serve your elders, and you are also devoted to the Gods
and the performance of yagnas. Ah, then why has such disaster overtaken
you?
From where this sudden reversal of fortune? I do not see through whose
villainy this sin has come over you. Alus, I gave birth to you, this must be
my ill luck visited on your innocent lives, for you are all blessed with the
finest virtues, great vitality and prowess, strength, fortitude and power.
Oh, how will you now live in penury in the pathless forest? If I knew
that one day this would be your fate, I would never have left the mountains
of Satasringa to come to Hastinapura when Pandu died.
Your father was a fortunate man, as I see now, and reaped every fruit of
his asceticism. He was gifted with foresight, and he rose into Swarga
without feeling any pain on his sons' account. Fortunate, too, was Madri, as
I look at it today. She, also, it seems, knew what the future held and chose
the high path of freedom from this life, and every blessing which comes
with it. Ah, Madri looked on me as her support, and her heart and her love
were always fixed upon me.
I curse my desire to live, which makes me suffer like this today. My
children, all of you are exceptionally worthy and dear to me. I had you all
after long suffering. Oh, I cannot leave you. I will also go with you!
Oh Panchali, why do you leave me? All that lives is sure to die. Has
Brahma forgotten to ordain this Kunti's death? Perhaps it is so, and that is
why life does not quit me.
Krishna! O you who dwell in Dwaraka, O Sankarshana's younger
brother, where are you? Why don't you deliver me and these Purushottamas
from such misery? They say that you, who are without beginning and
without end, save those that think of you. Why is this being proved false?
These sons of mine have always cloven to virtue, nobility, honour and
prowess. They do not deserve this suffering. Oh, show them mercy! When
there are such elders in our race like Bhishma and Drona and Kripa, all of
whom know dharma and the world well, how does this tragedy overtake us?
O Pandu, where are you? How do you countenance your good princes to
be sent into exile, defeated at dice? Sahadeva, do not go! You are my
dearest child, dearer to me, O Son of Madri, than my body. Do not forsake
me. You must show me some kindness. Let dharma bind your brothers to go
into the vana, but you stay with me, my child, and earn your punya through
serving me.'
The Pandavas console their weeping mother and, also plunged in grief,
set out for the forest. Though grief-stricken himself, Vidura consoles Kunti
as best he can and slowly leads her back into his home.
The women of Dhritarashtra's household hear about all that happened,
about Draupadi being dragged into the sabha, about the exile of the
Pandavas, and they weep and blame the Kauravas openly. Then they sit
sunk in gloom, many with their lotus-like faces buried in their fair hands.
Dhritarashtra begins to think of the danger, which his sons now face, and
he has no peace of mind but is a prey to constant anxiety. Utterly distraught,
he sends a messenger to Vidura, saying, 'Let Kshatta come to me without a
moment's delay.'
Vidura comes immediately to Dhritarashtra's palace. As soon as he
arrives, the king questions him about how the Pandavas left Hastinapura."
CANTO 79
aisampayana said, "As soon as Vidura of great foresight enters his

presence, Ambika's son, the King Dhritarashtra, asks his brother
nervously, 'How did Dharmaputra Yudhishtira leave? And how Bhima and
Arjuna? And how Madri's twins? How, O Kshatta, did Dhaumya proceed?
And the lustrous Draupadi? I want to hear everything, Vidura, tell me
everything they did.'
Vidura replies, 'Kunti's son Yudhishtira went forth covering his face with
a cloth. Bhima, O King, went staring at his own mighty arms. Arjuna threw
pieces of earth around him as he followed Yudhishtira. Madri's son smeared
his face darkly when he went, and Nakula, also, covered his handsome face
with dirt, and he was full of sorrow.
The large-eyed and beautiful Krishnaa's hair was loose and dishevelled,
and she covered her face as well, following the king, and she wept
ceaselessly. Rajan, Dhaumya walked with kusa grass in his hands, and he
chanted the ominous mantras from the Sama Veda which are for Yama, the
God of Death.'
Dhritarashtra asks, 'Tell me, O Vidura, what does all this mean, the
manner of the Pandavas' going forth?'
Vidura replies, 'Although your sons persecuted him, robbed him of his
kingdom and wealth, the mind of Yudhishtira Dharmatma has not yet
deviated from the way of dharma. O Bhaarata, Yudhishtira is always kindly
towards your sons.
Though he has been deprived of his kingdom and possessions by vile
means, and wrath fills his heart, he does not open his eyes. Thinking, "I will
not burn the people by looking at them with angry eyes," Pandu's royal son
went forth covering his face.
Let me tell you now why Bhima went forth as he did.
"I have no equal in the strength of my arms": this is what Bhima thought,
as he repeatedly flexed his mighty arms. He is proud of his strength,
Vrikodara, and he flexed and stretched them to show what he would like to
do to his enemies with those arms.
And Kunti's son Arjuna Savyasachin, who is perfectly ambidextrous,
followed Yudhishtira, scattering bits of earth which shall be as the arrows
he will loose in battle. Bhaarata, he showed the ease with which he will
despatch his arrows by what he did.
Sahadeva had darkened his face, thinking that none should recognise
him on this dreadful day.
Exalted one, Nakula had smeared himself with dirt, for he thought, "I
must not steal the heart of any woman who sees me". So handsome is he.
Draupadi wore one piece of stained cloth, with her hair loose and crying.
She meant that the wives of those who had reduced her to this will lose their
husbands, their sons and all their kinsmen when thirteen years have passed.
And they shall enter Hastinapura, during their periods, smeared with blood,
their hair loose and forced to offer tarpana to their dead.
O Bhaarata, the learned Dhaumya, his passions restrained, held the kusa
grass in his hand, its blades pointing to the south-west, and walked before
the sons of Pandu, singing the mantras of the Sama Veda, which belong to
Yama.
What that Brahmana meant is that, when the Kurus are slain their priests
will sing the Sama mantras for their dead as he was doing.
As for the people, they are grief-stricken and repeatedly they cried out,
"Alas, alas, our lords are going away! Fie on the Kuru elders that, from base
greed, they acted like foolish children by banishing the heirs of Pandu.
Alas, we shall all be masterless without Pandu's eldest son.
What love can we ever have for the avaricious and evil Kurus?"
Thus, O King, did the sons of Kunti, of great tejas leave, showing by
their manner and with signs the resolutions that are in their hearts. As those
Purushottamas left Hastinapura, gashes of lightning crackled in a cloudless
sky and the Earth herself trembled. Rahu came to devour the Sun, although
it was not the day of the eclipse. Meteors fell, keeping the city to their right.
Jackals, vultures, crows and other carnivorous beasts and birds shrieked and
cried aloud from the temples of the Gods and from the tops of sacred trees
and walls and from house-tops.
All these awful omens we saw, O King, portending the destruction of the
Kurus as a result of your evil counsels.'
While Dhritarashtra and Vidura speak thus together in the Kaurava
sabha, before the eyes of all appears Narada, best of Devarishis.
He says direly, 'Because of Duryodhana's sins, fourteen years from now
the mighty Arjuna and Bhima will kill all the Kauravas.'
Saying this, that greatest of divine Sages, adorned with transcendent
Vedic grace, rises straight into the air and vanishes.
Then, Duryodhana, Karna and Sakuni think of Drona as their only hope
and refuge and offer him the kingdom. Drona says to the envious and
choleric Duryodhana, Dussasana, Kama and indeed all the Bhaaratas, 'The
Brahmanas all say that the Pandavas are born of the Devas and they cannot
be killed. Yet, since Dhritarashtra's sons and these kings seek my protection
with reverence, I will protect them to the best of my power. Destiny is
supreme, and I cannot abandon the Kauravas.
Beaten at dice, the sons of Pandu have gone into exile in the forest for
twelve years. They will practise brahmacharya during these years, return in
anger and take revenge on their enemies.
Once, I took his kingdom from Drupada, and he performed a yagna to
have a son who would kill me. Helped by the Rishis Yaja and Upayaja,
Drupada did have a son, Dhrishtadyumna, born from the sacrificial fire, and
also a faultless daughter, Krishnaa. Dhrishtadyumna is now the brother-in-
law of the Pandavas and dear to them. It is him that I fear.
No mortal woman bore him; he is resplendent, born with a bow and
arrows and clad in armour. I am a mortal, and I do fear him. That Parantapa
has taken the side of the Pandavas, and I will lose my life if I ever
encounter him in battle.
O Kauravas, the world says, "Dhrishtadyumna is destined to kill Drona".
What can be more painful to me? Because of you, Duryodhana, the dread
time of war and death has almost come. You must prepare yourself for
every exigency.
Do not think that you have achieved everything you wanted by sending
the Pandavas into exile. This happiness will last just a moment, for as long
as in winter a palm tree's shadow rests at its base. Perform every yagna that
you can, Bhaarata, enjoy your life while you are still able and give generous
charity. When thirteen years have passed great tragedy will overwhelm
you.'
Dhritarashtra says, 'Kshatta, the Acharya speaks the truth. Go and bring
back the Pandavas. If they do not come back, let them go with our respect
and affection. They are like my sons, let them be given weapons, chariots,
footsoldiers and the means to enjoy every luxury in the wilderness.'"
CANTO 80
aisampayana said, "When, beaten at dice, the Pandavas leave for the
forest Dhiratarashtra is overcome by anxiety. While he sits restless and
sighing in sorrow, Sanjaya approaches him and says, 'Lord of the earth, you
have gained the whole world with all its wealth, and you have sent Pandu's
sons into exile. Why, O King, are you grieving now?'
Dhritarashtra says, 'Who are they that would not grieve who must face
those Kshatriyarishabhas in battle? Fighting from their great chariots, with
their allies around them!'
Sanjaya says, 'Rajan, this terrible enmity is because of what you did, and
it will surely fetch the destruction of the world as we know it. Although
Bhishma, Drona and Vidura forbade him, your evil, shameless Duryodhana
sent his Suta messenger to bring the chaste Draupadi into court.
The gods first deprive the man of his reason, to whom they wish to send
defeat and disgrace. Then, that man sees everything in strange light. When
doom is near, evil appears as good to his mind corrupted by sin, and he
clings firmly to it. Adharma appears to be dharma and dharma as adharma
to the doomed man, and invariably he chooses to tread the path of sin, for it
attracts him inexorably.
The time of doom does not arrive with a cudgel upraised to smash a
man's head. No, the mark of impending doom is that it makes a man see
good in evil, and evil in good.
The wretches have brought unthinkable nemesis upon us all by dragging
the helpless Panchali into our sabha. Who but Duryodhana, cheating at dice,
could even think of bringing chaste, beautiful and intelligent Draupadi, born
from no woman's womb but from the sacred fire, she who knows dharma,
and shaming her in this court?
In her period, wearing only a single cloth, when the lovely Krishnaa was
dragged here she looked at the Pandavas. She saw them robbed of their
kingdom, their wealth, even stripped of their robes; she saw them as slaves.
Bound by dharma, they could do nothing to protect her, and before these
assembled kings Duryodhana and Kama spoke vile, savage words to her,
while she wept in grief and anger.
All this surely portends fearful consequences.'
Dhritarashtra says, 'Sanjaya, the angry look of Drupada's daughter could
consume the world. Will even a single son of mine escape death?
The wives of the Bhaaratas and Gandhari set up a great lament, wailing
in grief to see the young, virtuous and beautiful Krishnaa dragged into our
court. Even now, they and all my subjects weep every day.
Enraged by what was done to Draupadi, the Brahmanas, in a body, did
not perform their Agnihotra that evening. The winds blew in awesome gusts
even as they do at the time of the Pralaya, and there was a fearsome
thunderstorm. Meteors fell from the sky, and Rahu swallowed the Sun
unseasonably, terrifying the people.
Suddenly war-chariots took fire and their fiagstaffs fell down,
foreboding evil to the Bhaaratas. Jackals began to howl frightfully from
Duryodhana's sacred fire-chamber, and asses brayed in response from all
directions. Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, Somadatta and Mahatama Bahlika all
left the sabha.
It was then that, at Vidura's advice, I said to Draupadi, "I will grant you
boons, O Krishnaa, whatever you ask."
Panchali begged me to set the Pandavas free, and I did, commanding
them to return to their capital in their chariots with their bows and arrows.
Vidura told me, "This will prove to be the end of the race of Bhaarata.
This Panchali is the faultless Sri Lakshmi herself. She is divinely born and
the wife of the sons of Pandu. The angry Pandavas will never forgive this
insult to her, nor will the mighty Vrishni bowmen or the dauntless Panchala
warriors suffer this.
With Krishna of invincible prowess to support him, Arjuna will
assuredly return, surrounded by the Panchala host. Prodigious Bhimasenaa
of unequalled strength will come back, whirling his mace like Yama himself
with his cudgel. These kings will never be able to bear the force of Bhima's
mace.
Therefore, Rajan, to me not hostility but peace for ever with the sons of
Pandu seems the best course. The Pandavas have always been mightier than
the Kauravas. You know that Bhima killed the great Jarasandha with his
bare hands. O Bhartarishabha, make peace with the sons of Pandu.
Without any scruple or favour, unite the cousins. If you do that, you will
surely find good fortune."
So Vidura said to me, speaking words of both dharma and artha. But,
moved by love for my son, I did not listen to him!'"
So said Vaisampayana to Janamejaya.
End of Sabha Parva

VANA PARVA
(Part 1)
CANTO 1
ARANYAKA PARVA
UM! I bow down to Narayana, and Nara, foremost of Purushas, and

the Devi Saraswati, and utter the word Jaya!
Janamejaya said, "O Dvijottama, having been beaten at dice by
Dhritarashtra's sons and their counsellors, incensed by those evil ones who
so created a fierce enmity, having been spoken to so harshly, what did my
ancestors, Pritha's sons, do?
Equal to Sakra in prowess, deprived suddenly of their wealth and
plunged into misery, how did the Pandavas pass their days in the forest?
Who followed them? How did those Mahatmas bear themselves, how did
they sustain themselves and where did they live? Most illustrious
Brahmanottama, how did those Kshatriyas pass twelve years in the vana,
those Parantapas?
How did the princess, best among women, devoted to her husbands, so
virtuous, always speaking the truth, and surely deserving no such trial,
endure the exile? Tell me all this in detail, O Brahmana, for I want to hear
the story of those heroes of abundant prowess and lustre. Ah, great is my
curiosity."
Vaisampayana said, "Defeated at dice and incensed by Dhritarashtra's
evil sons and their counsellors, Pritha's princes set out from Hastinapura
through the Vardhamana gate of the city, bearing their weapons and
accompanied by Draupadi; they go in a northerly direction. Indrasena and
others, with their wives and servants, all together fourteen, follow them in
swift chariots.
When the people hear of their leaving, they are grief-stricken and
censure Bhishma and Vidura, Drona and Gautama. Gathering, they speak
fearlessly to one another, 'Alas, our families, we ourselves, and our homes
are all lost, when the malignant Duryodhana, supported by Sakuni, Kama
and Dussasana, aspires to this kingdom.
Oh, our families, our customs, our virtue and prosperity, are all doomed,
where this sinner, supported by wretches as sinful as him, aspires to the
throne. And where can there be happiness, where these are gone?
Duryodhana bears malice towards all his superiors; he has left dharma, and
fights with his own kin.
Covetous, vain and mean, his nature is cruel. The very Earth is doomed,
when Duryodhana rules. So let us go with the kind and noble Pandavas,
who are self-controlled, victorious over their enemies, who are humble,
honourable, and devoted to dharma!'
The people follow the Pandavas, and with folded hands say to the sons
of Kunti and Madri:
'Be you blest! Where are you going, leaving us in sorrow? Wherever you
go, we will follow you. We are distraught to hear how ruthless enemies
vanquished you with deceit. We are your loving subjects, your devoted
friends who always serve and wish you well, and it does not become you to
forsake us.
We do not want to be plunged into ruin, living under the rule of the Kuru
king. Purusharishabhas, listen while we describe the punya and paapa
which accrue from associating with the good and the evil. As cloth, water,
the ground, and sesame seeds are perfumed by contact with flowers, so are
the qualities of men always produced through their associations.
Associating with fools creates illusions which entangle the mind, just as
keeping company with good men, daily, leads to the practice of virtue.
"They who wish for moksha must associate with the wise, the old, the
honest and the pure - ascetic men. They must serve such men, for the
knowledge, the birth and the deeds of such men are all pure, and associating
with them is superior even to studying the scriptures.
Though we have no religious merit ourselves, we will find punya if we
keep the company of the good, just as we will find sin by serving sinners.
The very sight and touch of the dishonest, conversation with them and their
company, all cause diminution of dharma, and such men never find purity
of mind.
Associating with the base impairs the understanding, and with the
mediocre makes the mind mediocre, while communion with the good exalts
the heart. All the attributes which are spoken of as sources of dharma, artha
and kama, and which men esteem and which the Vedas extol, dwell in you,
individually and jointly.
So, for our own welfare, we want to live amongst you, who possess
those qualities!'
Yudhishtira says, 'We are blessed that the people, led by the Brahmanas,
moved by kindness and love, credit us with merits which we do not have.
But my brothers and I ask all of you to do just one thing, and you must not
do otherwise, because of your affection or your pity for us.
Our grandfather Bhishma, King Dhritarashtra, Vidura, my mother and
most of my well-wishers are all in Hastinapura. So, if you seek our welfare,
unite together, and care for them, for they are plunged in sorrow.
Grieved by our leaving, you have come far! Go back, and let your hearts
be directed with tenderness towards the relatives I entrust to you as pledges.
This is the one thing upon which my heart is set, and by doing this you will
do me great service and give me much satisfaction.'
When Yudhishtira Dharmatma says this the people set up a loud lament,
crying, 'Alas, O king!'
Sorrowing deeply when they think of the virtues of Pritha's son,
reluctantly they take leave of the Pandavas and turn back towards the city.
When the people followed them no longer, the Pandavas climb into their
chariots, and riding, reach the mighty banyan tree called Pramana on the
banks of the Ganga. It is dusk and Pandu's heroic sons purify themselves,
touching the river's holy water, and pass the night in that place. They spend
that night, only drinking water.
Some Brahmanas, both those that kept the sacred fire and those who did
not, with their disciples and kin, have followed the Pandavas out of love;
they, too, spend the night there with them. Surrounded by those
Brahmavadis, the king shines resplendent in their midst.
And that evening, at once beautiful and terrible, those Brahmanas,
having lit their sacred fires, begin to chant the Vedas and they speak among
themselves. Those Brahmanottamas with swan-sweet voices spend the night
comforting that best of the Kurus, the king."
CANTO 2
ARANYAKA PARVA CONTINUED
aisampayana said, "When night passes and day breaks, the mendicant
Brahmanas stand before the Pandavas of lofty deeds, who are about to
enter the forest.
King Yudhishtira, the son of Kunti, says to them, 'We have been robbed
of our kingdom and wealth, robbed of everything, and we are about to enter
the deep vana in sorrow. We will eat fruit and roots, and what the hunt
fetches. The forest is full of danger, abounding in snakes and beasts of prey.
You will suffer privation and misery there. The sufferings of Brahmanas
can overpower even the gods. That they will overwhelm me is certain.
Therefore, O Brahmanas, turn back, go wherever you will.'
The Brahmanas reply, 'O King, our path is yours. We are your devotees,
you who practise true dharma; do not forsake us. The very gods are
compassionate to their worshippers, especially Brahmanas of self-restraint!'
Yudhishtira says, 'Regenerate ones, I am also devoted to Brahmanas. But
destitution has overtaken me, and I am confused. My brothers who will
gather fruit and roots and hunt deer are stupefied with the shock of losing
our kingdom and the grief of Draupadi. I cannot employ them in painful or
demanding tasks.'
The Brahmanas say, 'Dharmaraja, have no care about supporting us. We
will follow you, providing for our own food. Through our dhyana and our
prayers we will care for you, and cheer you and ourselves with pleasant
conversation.'
Yudhishtira says, 'Indeed nothing pleases me more than the company of
good Brahmanas. Yet, in my fall I see myself as deserving reproach. How
then will I bear to look at all of you feeding yourselves, while you follow
me out of your love? Ah, I curse Dhritarashtra's evil sons!'
Sobbing, the king sits upon the ground. Then a learned Brahmana,
Saunaka versed in the knowledge of the Atman and skilled in Sankhya
yoga, says to him, 'Day after day, causes of grief in thousands, and causes
of fear in hundreds overwhelm the ignorant, but not the wise. Surely,
sensible men like you never allow themselves to be deluded by actions
which are contrary to true knowledge, which are fraught with every kind of
evil, and which destroy moksha.
In you there dwells the understanding furnished with the eight attributes,
the gyana which comes from studying the Sruti1 and the Shastras, which
knowledge provides against all evils. And men like you are never
confounded, not upon finding themselves impoverished or at the affliction
of their friends, either through mental or bodily unease.
Listen, and I will repeat the slokas told of old by Janaka, which deal with
the subject of controlling the self. This world is afflicted with both bodily
and mental suffering. Hear now the means of allaying the twin torments,
both in brief and in some detail.
Disease, contact with things of pain, toil and being deprived of objects of
desire cause bodily suffering. Disease is allayed with medicines, ailments of
the mind through yoga and meditation. Good physicians first seek to allay
the mental sufferings of their patients with pleasant conversation and
offering them desirable objects.
Even as a hot iron rod immersed into a jar heats the water inside, even so
mental grief brings bodily agony; and as water quenches fire, so does true
knowledge allay mental disquiet. When the mind finds ease, the body finds
ease also.
Affection seems to be the root of all sorrow; affection makes every
creature miserable and brings on every kind of woe. Affection is the root of
misery and of all fear, of joy and grief of every kind, of pain. From
affection spring all motives to action, and the love of worldly goods. Both
these are sources of evil, though the first is worse than the second.
As a spark fire lit in the hollow of a tree consumes the tree to its very
roots, even so affection, be it ever so little, destroys both dharma and artha.
A man who has merely withdrawn from worldly life cannot be said to have
renounced the world. However, he who, while in active contact with the
world, clearly sees its flaws, may be said to have truly renounced the world.
Freed from every evil passion, his soul dependent on nothing, such a man
has indeed relinquished the world.
No one should seek to attach his affections either on friends or the
wealth he has earned. So, also, must attachment and affection for one's own
person be extinguished through knowledge. Like the lotus-leaf, which is
never wetted by water, are the souls of men who can distinguish between
the ephemeral and the everlasting.
Men devoted to the pursuit of the eternal, who know the scriptures and
are purified by knowledge, can never be moved by affection. The man
influenced by affection is tortured by desire; from the desire that springs up
in his heart, his thirst for worldly possessions increases. This thirst is sinful
and is the source of all anxiety. This terrible thirst, fraught with evil, leads
men to sin.
Those who can renounce this thirst, never the wicked, find the happiness
which does not decay with the decay of the body, which is truly the fatal
disease. That joy has neither beginning nor end.
Abiding in the heart, desire destroys creatures, like an incorporeal fire.
As a faggot of wood is consumed by the fire that it feeds, even so an impure
man finds death from the covetousness born in his heart. As all living
creatures always have a dread of death, wealthy men live in constant dread
of the king and the thief, of water and fire and even of their relatives.
A morsel of meat, if in the air, can be devoured by birds; if on the
ground, by beasts of prey; if in water, by fish: even so a man of wealth is
exposed to danger wherever he is. To many the wealth they own is their
bane, and he who sees happiness in wealth and becomes wedded to it, never
knows true happiness.
So, the accession of wealth is seen as what increases covetousness and
folly; wealth alone is the root of niggardliness and boastfulness, pride,
anxiety and fear. These are the miseries of men that the wise see in owning
riches. Men undergo infinite miseries in the acquisition and the retention of
wealth. Its expenditure is also fraught with grief. Why, sometimes life itself
is lost for the sake of wealth.
Loss of wealth brings misery, and even those whom a man nurtured with
his wealth become enemies for the sake of that wealth. When owning
wealth is ridden with such sorrow, one should not mind its loss.
Only the ignorant are discontented; the wise are always content. The
thirst for wealth can never be slaked. Contentment is the highest happiness;
so it is that the wise regard contentment as the highest goal worth striving
for.
The wise know the evanescence of youth and beauty, of life and treasure,
of prosperity and the company of loved ones, and never covet these. A man
must refrain from acquiring overmuch wealth, for none who is rich is free
from trouble; this is why the virtuous laud those who are free from the
desire for wealth.
And for those that pursue wealth for dharma, it is better for them to
desist, since, surely, it is better not to touch dirt at all than to wash it off
after having been besmirched by it. Yudhishtira, do not covet anything, and
if you seek dharma, free yourself from the desire for possessions.'
Yudhishtira says, 'Dvija, my desire for wealth is not for enjoying it, but
only to support you Brahmanas. I am not driven by greed. Why, O
Brahmana, do I lead the life of a grihasta, if I cannot cherish and support
those who follow me? All creatures divide the food they procure amongst
those that depend on them.
A grihasta should share his food with yatis and brahmacharins who have
renounced cooking for themselves. The houses of good men must never
want for grass, beds, food, water and, fifthly, sweet words. For the standing
a seat of grass, for the weary a bed, water for the thirsty, and food for the
hungry.
Kind looks, a cheerful heart and sweet words are always due to a guest.
Rising, the host must go up to welcome a guest, offer him a seat, and
worship him. This is Sanatana Dharma. They who do not perform the
Agnihotra,2 do not care for their cows and bulls, cherish their kinsmen,
guests, friends, sons, wives and servants, are consumed by sin for their
neglect.
None should cook food just for himself; none should slay an animal
without dedicating it to the gods, the manes, and guests. Nor should one eat
food which has not been duly offered to the Devas and the Pitrs. One must
set food on the earth, morning and evening, for dogs and Chandalas, scatter
grain for birds, and then perform the Viswadeva sacrifice.3
He who eats the vighasa, what has first been offered during a sacrifice to
the gods and the manes, eats ambrosia; what remains after feeding a guest is
vighasa and equal to amrita. Feeding a guest is equal to a sacrifice, and the
pleasant looks the host casts upon the guest, the attention he pays him, the
sweet words in which he addresses him, the respect he pays by following
him, and the food and drink which he serves him are the five dakshinas of
that sacrifice.4
He who gives food, unstintingly, to a tired wayfarer whom he has never
seen before, finds great punya.
The grihasta who follows these practices, I have heard, gains great
religious merit. O Brahmana, what do you say about this?'
Saunaka says, 'Alas, this world is full of contradictions! He who blames
the good pleases the evil. Moved by ignorance and passion, and being
slaves to their senses, even fools perform many acts of apparent punya, but
only to gratify their appetites in the after-life!
With eyes open, their seducing senses lead these men astray, rather like a
charioteer who has fallen, by having restive and wicked horses. When any
of the six senses finds its particular object, desire springs up in the heart to
enjoy that particular object. When the heart begins to enjoy the object of a
sense, it entertains a wish, which then spawns a resolve.
Finally, pierced by the shafts of the objects of enjoyment set loose by the
desire which constitutes the seed of the resolve, like an insect falling into a
flame from its love of light, the man falls into the fire of temptation.
Thereon, blinded by sensual pleasure which he seeks without stint, steeped
in dark ignorance and folly, which he mistakes for joy, he does not know
himself.
Like a wheel which incessantly turns, every creature, from avidya,
karma and kama, falls into various states in this world, wandering from one
birth to another, and ranges the entire range of existences from Brahma to
the point of a blade of grass, now in water, now on land, and again in the
air!
This is the careen of those who are without knowledge. Listen now to
the course of the wise, they who are intent on dharma, artha, and who wish
for moksha. The Vedas enjoin that we act but renounce action's fruit. You
must perform karma, but without ahamkara, ego.
The performance of sacrifices, study of the Vedas, gifts, penance, truth
in both speech and act, forgiveness, subduing the senses, and renunciation
of desire - these have been declared to be the eight cardinal duties which
make up the true path.
Of these, the four first pave the way to the world of the Pitrs, and these
must be practised without abhimana, pride. The last four are observed by
the pious, to attain the heaven of the Devas. The pure in spirit must always
follow these eight paths. Those who wish to subdue the world for moksha,
must engage in karma, entirely renouncing motives, subduing their senses,
unswervingly observing some vratas, devotedly serving their Gurus,
austerely regulating their food, diligently studying the Vedas, relinquishing
action as mean and restraining their hearts.
By renouncing desire and aversion, have the gods attained prosperity.
Through the wealth of Yoga, the Rudras, the Sadhyas, the Adityas, the
Vasus, and the Aswin twins rule other creatures. Therefore, Kaunteya, like
them, O Bhaarata, you also refrain from karma with motive; strive towards
attaining Yoga through austerities.
Already, you have paid your debts to your ancestors, both male and
female; you have successfully performed yagnas and good karma; now in
order to serve the Brahmanas, strive to attain success in tapasya. For those
who find success at penance can do whatever they like. So, through tapasya
gain whatever you wish. "
————————
1 The Vedas.
2A form of sacrifice which consists of pouring oblations of clarified butter accompanied by prayers
into a blazing fire. It is obligatory for Brahmanas and Kshatriyas, except those that take certain vows
of great austerity.
3 The Viswadeva sacrifice is the offering of food to all creatures of the Earth.
4 A gift. It may be of various kinds. The fees paid to Brahmanas assisting at sacrifices and religious
rites, such as offering oblations to the dead, are dakshinas; as also gifts to Brahmanas on other
occasions particularly when they are fed, it being to this day the custom never to fete a Brahmana
without paying him a pecuniary fee. There can be no sacrifice, no religious rite, without dakshina.
CANTO 3
aisampayana said, "Thus addressed by Saunaka, Yudhishtira

approaches his priest, and in the presence of his brothers says, 'The
Brahmanas versed in the Vedas mean to follow me into the forest. I am
beset by misfortune and cannot support them. I cannot abandon them either,
but I have no power to offer them sustenance. Holy One, tell me what I
should do.'
Dhaumya uses his yogic powers to reflect a moment, then that
Dvijottama says to Yudhishtira, 'Once, long ago, all living creatures were
sorely afflicted by hunger, and Savita the Sun took pity upon them, even
like a father. First, he went north and drew up water through his rays;
returning south, he remained above the world, with his heat indrawn.
While the Sun remained thus poised, the Moon made the vapour within
the solar orb into clouds, poured them down as rain and created plants.
Thus, it is the Sun himself who, drenched by the Moon's influence, is
transformed, upon the sprouting of seeds, into holy nutriments furnished
with the six tastes. And these constitute the food of all creatures upon the
Earth.
So, the food which supports the lives of creatures is infused with solar
energy, and hence the Sun is the father of all creatures. Yudhishtira, you
must also seek refuge in Surya.
Many illustrious and high-born kings, of mighty deeds, delivered their
people through tapasya. The great Kartavirya, Vainya and Nahusha, all,
saved their people from calamities by practising dhyana after swearing stern
vratas. Virtuous Bhaarata, you also purify yourself with dhyana and
vigorously support the Brahmanas.'"
Janamejaya said, "How did that Bull among the Kurus, Yudhishtira
Dharmaraja, adore the lustrous Sun for the sake of the Brahmanas?"
Vaisampayana said, "Listen carefully, O King, purify yourself and
withdraw your mind from every other thought. King of kings, appoint an
hour for it and I will tell you everything in detail.
Listen to the one hundred and eight names of the Sun as Dhaumya
disclosed them of old to Pritha's son, the Mahatman.
Dhaumya spoke these names, 'Surya, Aryaman, Bhaga, Twastri, Pusha,
Arka, Savitri, Ravi, Gabhastimat, Aja, Kala, Mrityu, Dhatri, Prabhakara,
Prithivi, Apa, Teja, Kha, Vayu, Parayana, Soma, Brihaspati, Sukra, Budha,
Angaraka, Indra, Vivaswat, Diptanshu, Suchi, Sauri, Sanaischara, Brahma,
Vishnu, Rudra, Skanda, Vaisravana, Yama, Vaidyuta, Jatharagni, Agni,
Aindhna, Tejasampati, Dharmadhwaja, Vedakarta, Vedanga, Vedavahana,
Krita, Treta, Dwapara, Kali, full of every impurity, Kala, Kashta, Muhurta,
Kshapa, Yama, and Kshana; Samvatsarakara, Aswattha, Kalachakra,
Vibhavasu, Purusha, Saswata, Yogin, Vyaktavyakta, Sanatana,
Kaladhyaksha, Prajadhyaksha, Viswakarma, Tamounda, Varuna, Sagara,
Ansu, Jimuta, Jivana, Arihan, Bhutasraya, Bhutapati, Srastri, Samvartaka,
Vahni, Sarvasyadi, Alolupa, Ananta, Kapila, Bhanu, Kamada,
Sarvatomukha, Jaya, Visala, Varada, Manas, Suparna, Bhutadi, Sighraga,
Prandharaka, Dhanvantari, Dhumaketu, Adideva, Aditisuta, Dwadasatman,
Aravindaksha, Pita, Mata, Pitamaha, Swargadwara, Prajadwara,
Mokshadwara, Trivishtapa, Dehakarta, Prasantatman, Viswatman,
Viswatomukha, Characharatman, Sukhsmatman, the merciful Maitreya.1
These are the hundred and eight names of Surya of measureless energy,
as told by the Swayambhuva.
For prosperity I bow down to you, O Bhaskara, who blaze like gold or
fire, who is worshipped by the Devas, the Pitrs and the Yakshas, who is
adored by Asuras, Nisacharas, and Siddhas.
He who with fixed attention recites this hymn at sunrise, gains a wife
and children, riches and the remembrance of his former life; by reciting this
hymn a person attains patience and memory. Concentrating his mind, let a
man recite this hymn, for he shall become proof against grief, forest-fire
and ocean; and every object of desire shall be his.'
Hearing this from Dhaumya, Yudhishtira absorbs himself in dhyana, so
he can support the Brahmanas. Worshipping the maker of day with flowers
and other offerings, the king performs his ablutions. Standing in the river,
he turns his face towards the god of day. Touching the water of the Ganga,
the virtuous Yudhishtira, his senses perfectly controlled, the air his only
sustenance, stands there, his soul rapt, his breath regulated in pranayama.
Having purified himself and restrained his speech, he begins to sing the
hymn of praise to the Sun.
Yudhishtira says, 'You are, O Surya, the eye of the universe. You are the
soul of all corporeal existences. You are the origin of all things. You are the
embodiment of the deeds of all religious men. You are the refuge of the
Sankhyas and the support of the Yogins.
You are a door without bolts. You are the sanctuary of those who seek
moksha. You sustain and light the world, sanctify and support it out of pure
compassion. Appearing before you, Brahmanas versed in the Vedas worship
you with hymns from the Vedas.
The Rishis adore you. Wanting boons from you, the Siddhas, the
Charanas, the Gandharvas, the Yakshas, the Guhyakas and the Nagas follow
your chariot coursing through the sky. The thirty-three Devas, with Upendra
and Mahendra, and the order of Vaimanikas, have attained success by
worshipping you.
By offering you garlands of the celestial mandaras, the best of the
Vidyadharas have had all their wishes fulfilled. The Guhyas and the seven
orders of the Pitrs—both divine and human—became superior only by
adoring you. lhe Vasus, the Marutas, the Rudras, the Sadhyas, the
Marichipas, the Balakhilyas, and the Siddhas became pre-eminent by
bowing down to you.
I know there is nothing in all the seven worlds, including that of
Brahma, which is beyond you. There are other beings both great and
endowed with tejas; but none of them has your lustre and energy. All light
is in you, indeed, you are the lord of all light.
In you are the five elements and all intelligence, knowledge, asceticism
and the ascetic qualities. The Chakra with which the wielder of the Saranga
humbles the pride of Asuras, the disc with the beautiful nave, was forged by
Viswakarman from your tejas.
In summer, through your rays, you draw moisture from all corporeal
beings, from plants and fluid things, and pour it down during the monsoon.
Your rays warm and scorch, and, becoming clouds, roar and flash with
lightning and pour down showers when each season comes. Not fire,
shelter, or woollen cloths give greater comfort against the cold than your
rays.
With your rays you illumine all the Earth, with her thirteen Dwipas. You
alone engage yourself constantly in the welfare of the three worlds. If you
do not rise, the universe becomes blind and the wise cannot strive to attain
dharma, artha and kama. Through your grace the three varnas, the
Brahmanas, the Kshatriyas and the Vaisyas, perform their various duties
and sacrifices.
Those who fathom time say that you are the beginning and the end of a
day of Brahma, which lasts a full thousand Yugas. You are the lord of
Manus and the sons of the Manus, of the Universe and of man, of the
Manvantaras, and their lords.
When the time of Pralaya comes, the fire Samvartaka, born of your
wrath, consumes the three worlds and exists alone. Born of your rays,
clouds of many hues, along with Airavata and the Vajra, bring the appointed
deluges, and dividing yourself into twelve parts, becoming as many Suns,
you drink up the ocean once more with your rays.
You are called Indra, you are Vishnu, you are Brahma, you are Prajapati.
You are fire and you are the subtle mind. You are the Lord and the eternal
Brahman. You are Hansa, you are Savitri; you are Bhanu, Ansumalin, and
Vrishakapi. You are Vivaswan, Mihira, Pusha, Mitra, and Dharma. You are
thousand-rayed; you are Aditya, Tapana, and the lord of rays.
You are Martanda, Arka, Ravi, Surya, Saranya and the maker of day.
You are Divakara, Saptasaspti, Dhamakesin and Virochana. They say you
are swift as light and the destroyer of darkness, the owner of golden steeds.
He who reverentially adores you on the sixth or the seventh lunar day,
humbly and with tranquillity of mind, finds the grace of Lakshmi. They that
single-mindedly worship you are delivered from all dangers, agonies and
afflictions. They who hold that you are everywhere, being the soul of all
things, live long, are freed from sin and are immune to all disease.
O Lord of all food, it becomes you to grant abundant food to me, for I
wish to feed my atithis, my guests, with every reverence.
I bow also to all your followers, who have taken refuge at your feet—
Matara, Aruna, Danda, Asani, Kshubha and the others. And I bow to the
celestial mothers of all creatures: Kshubha, Maitri and the rest.
O let them deliver me, their supplicant!'
Thus, O Maharajan, Yudhishtira adores the Sun, purifier of the world.
Pleased with the hymn, the maker of day, self-luminous, and blazing like
fire shows himself to the son of Pandu.
Vivaswan says, 'You will have everything that you want. I will provide
you with food for five and seven years. O King, take this copper vessel
from me, and as long as Panchali holds this vessel, without partaking of its
contents, or fruit, roots, and meat and vegetables cooked in your kitchen,
these four kinds of food shall well inexhaustibly from it from today.
On the fourteenth year from this, you will regain your kingdom.'
Saying this, the Deva vanishes. He who wants a boon and recites this
hymn with his mind absorbed in dhyana, will have whatever he wishes for
from the Sun, however difficult of acquisition what he asks for might be.
And the one who hears or chants this stotra, day after day, wanting a son,
he or she gets one; and if riches, gets those; and if learning, acquires that
too. And the man or woman who chants this hymn every day, during the
two sandhyas, is delivered from all danger and bonds.
Brahma himself taught this hymn to the illustrious Sakra; Narada had it
from Sakra, and Dhaumya from Narada. Dhaumya gave it to Yudhishtira,
and the Pandava got whatever he wished for. Through this hymn a man can
always be victorious at war and acquire immense wealth, too. It leads the
one who recites it from all sins, to the realm of the Sun.
With the Sun's boon - the copper vessel - Yudhishtira comes out of the
water, clasps Dhaumya's feet and embraces his brothers. Going into their
kitchen with Panchali, then, Pandu's son begins to cook the day's food. That
food, though minuscule in quantity, clean and furnished with the four tastes,
increases and becomes inexhaustible.
With it, Yudhishtira begins to feed the Brahmanas; and when they have
eaten, he feeds his brothers and eats what remains himself, the portion
called vighasa. After Yudhishtira has eaten, Prihasta's daughter Draupadi
eats what remains. And when she has eaten, the food for that day is
exhausted and the copper vessel empty.
Thus, with his boon from the maker of day, the son of Pandu, himself as
splendid as that Deva, begins to feed his Brahmanas the finest fare.
Obedient to their priest, Pritha's sons, on auspicious lunar days,
constellations and conjunctions, perform sacrifices according to the
ordinance, the scriptures, and the mantras. After the sacrifices, the
Pandavas, blessed by the auspicious rites which Dhaumya performs, and
accompanied by him, and surrounded also by the Brahmanas, set out for the
Kamyaka vana."
—————————
1 Not exactly 108 names in the KMG text!
CANTO 4
aisampayana said, "After the Pandavas have entered the forest,

Ambika's son Dhritarashtra, whose knowledge was his eye,1 grows
exceedingly sorrowful. Sitting at his ease, the king says to the virtuous
Vidura of profound intelligence, 'Your understanding is as clear as
Bhargava's. You know all the nuances of dharma, and you look at all the
Kauravas equally.
Tell me what is right for them and for me, as well. Vidura, things having
this course, what should we do now? How can I secure the goodwill of the
people so that they do not uproot us? Tell us all, for you know every
excellent expedient.'
Vidura says, 'My King, artha, kama and moksha are all founded in
dharma, and the Sages say that a kingdom also stands if it is based on
dharma. So, Rajan, cherish your son and Pandu's son equally, in dharma.
Evil souls, with Subala's son Sakuni leading them, subverted that
dharma when your son called the righteous Yudhishtira here and
vanquished him at dice. I see one expiation for this base act, by which your
son can be freed from his sin and win back his place among good men.
Give back to the Pandavas what you first returned to them; give
Indraprastha back to them. For, a king's highest dharma is that he must
remain content with his own possessions and never covet another's. Thus
your honour will remain and nor will dissension arise in your family, and
nor any sin attach to you. Your first duty now is to disgrace Sakuni and to
satisfy the Pandavas. If you want to restore your sons to the good fortune
that they have lost, do this immediately.
If you do not, the Kurus will surely be destroyed because neither
Bhimasena nor Arjuna, if angry, will leave any of their foes unslain. What
is there in this world that they cannot attain, who have Savyasachin among
their warriors, the Gandiva, most potent of weapons his bow, and also the
inexorable Bhimasena?
Once, as soon as your son was born, I said to you, Abandon this
inauspicious child, for in that lies the good of your clan. But you did not do
as I said then. Now, also, I am showing you the way to your salvation. If
you do as I say, you will not have to repent later.
If your son agrees to rule jointly with the sons of Pandu, and in peace,
you will pass your days in joy. If he will not, forsake Duryodhana for the
sake of your own happiness. Cast him aside and crown Yudhishtira
Ajatasatru, who is free from passion, king of all the Kurus, and let him rule
the Earth with dharma. And then all the kings of the world will quickly pay
homage to us, even like Vaisyas. Let Duryodhana, Sakuni and Kama wait
upon the Pandavas; let Dussasana, in the open sabha, ask Bhimasena's
forgiveness and the forgiveness of Draupadi also; and pacify Yudhishtira by
setting him upon the throne with every show of respect.
You have asked me, and what other counsel can I give you? By doing
this, O King, you will do what is right, and keep dharma.'
Dhritarashtra says, 'You said the same thing in this sabha, Vidura, but
what you say is only beneficial to the Pandavas, not to me. My heart does
not like what you say.
How have you decided all this in your mind? You speak only for the
good of the Pandavas and I see that you are not friendly towards me. How
can I abandon my son for the sake of the sons of Pandu? Doubtless they,
too, are my sons, but Duryodhana has sprung from my body. Who, speaking
impartially, will ever advise me to renounce my own body for the sake of
another's?
Vidura, though I hold you in high esteem, everything that you say is
crooked. Stay here or go as you please. However much he might humour
and please her, an unchaste wife will always forsake her husband!'
Saying this, Dhritarashtra rises abruptly and goes into his antahpura.
Vidura says, "This race is doomed', and he goes away to where the sons
of Pritha are.'"
——————————
1 Being blind, Dhritarashtra is described as Pragnachakshu, having knowledge for his eye. It may
also mean, 'Of the prophetic eye'.
CANTO 5
aisampayana said, "Wanting to live in the forest, those bulls of the race
of Bhaarata, the Pandavas, with their followers, set out from the banks
of the Ganga and journey to the field of Kurukshetra. Performing their
ablutions in the Saraswati, the Drisadwati and the Yamuna, they go from
one forest to another, travelling in a westerly direction.
Finally, they see the Kamyaka vana before them, favourite haunt of
Munis, looming beside a level and wild plain on the banks of the Saraswati.
In that forest, abounding in birds and deer, those heroes begin to dwell,
entertained and comforted by the Munis. Always yearning to see the
Pandavas, Vidura rides in a single chariot to the Kamyaka aranya, abundant
with all things good and auspicious.
Arriving in the Kamyaka in his chariot drawn by swift steeds, he sees
Yudhishtira Dharmatma, sitting with Draupadi in a secluded spot,
surrounded by his brothers and the Brahmanas. Seeing Vidura approach
from a distance with swift steps, the king says to his brother Bhimasena,
'With what message does Kshatta come to us now? Does he come sent by
Sakuni to invite us to another game of dice? Does the vile Sakuni intend to
win back our weapons by gambling?
O Bhima, I cannot refuse anyone who asks me for anything. And if we
lose the Gandiva at dice, how will we regain our kingdom?'
The Pandavas rise to welcome Vidura, and he, descendant of Ajamida,
sits down among them and makes the customary enquiries after their
welfare. When Vidura has rested awhile, those bulls among men ask him
the reason for his coming, and he tells them in detail everything that
transpired with Ambika's son Dhritarashtra.
Vidura says, Ajatasatru, Dhritarashtra called me, his dependant, to him
and honouring me duly, said, "Things have taken their course, Vidura. Now
tell me what I should do which will benefit both the Pandavas and myself."
I told him what was dharma and also good for both yourselves and him.
But Dhritarashtra did not relish what I said to him, and I could not see what
other counsel to offer.
What I advised, O Pandavas, was truly beneficial, but Ambika's son
would not listen to me. My words failed to please him, even as good
medicine does not recommend itself to one that is ill. And, O Yudhishtira,
as an unchaste wife in the family of a man of pure descent cannot be
brought back to the path of virtue, so did I fail to bring Dhritarashtra back
to dharma.
Indeed, as a young woman does not like a husband of three score years,
even so Dhritarashtra did not like what I said. Surely, doom will overtake
the Kuru race; surely Dhritarashtra will never find good fortune. For, as
water dropped on a lotus-leaf does not remain there, my counsels will have
no effect upon my brother.
The incensed Dhritarashtra told me, O Bhaarata, "Go where you like! I
will never again seek your help in ruling the earth or my capital."
Best of kings, forsaken by Dhritarashtra, I have come to you. What I said
in the open court, I will now repeat. Listen, and bear my words in mind:
The wise man who bears all the gross wrongs heaped upon him by his
enemies, who patiently bides his time, and multiplies his resources even as
men turn a small fire into a large one by degrees, will rule the whole world.
He who shares his substance with his followers in prosperity will find in
them sharers of his adversity. This is the best means of securing followers,
and he who has followers wins the sovereignty of the world.
O Pandava, divide your prosperity with your followers, be honest with
them, and speak to them agreeably. Share your food with them, and never
boast in their presence. Such conduct increases the prosperity of kings!'
Yudhishtira says, 'You have such a lofty intelligence, undisturbed by
passion, and I will do as you say. Whatever else you advise, in time and
place, I will follow carefully and entirely.'"
CANTO 6
aisampayana said, "O King, after Vidura leaves Hastinapura and goes
to the Pandavas, Dhritarashtra repents. Thinking of Vidura's great
intelligence in matters of both war and peace, and also of the rise of the
Pandavas in the future, Dhritarashtra, grieving for Vidura, comes to the
door of the great sabha and falls senseless in the presence of the waiting
kings.
Regaining consciousness, the king rises from the ground and says to
Sanjaya standing by, 'My brother is even like Dharma Deva himself. I think
of him today and my heart burns in grief. Go Sanjaya, fetch my brother to
me, my Vidura master of dharma.'
And the king weeps. Scalded by remorse, overwhelmed with sorrow to
think of Vidura, Dhritarashtra, full of brotherly love, says again, 'Sanjaya,
go and find out if my brother, whom I so cruelly cast out in my anger, is
still alive! He is wise, immeasurably intelligent, and he has never been
guilty of the slightest transgression; yet it is him that I have wronged so
grievously.
Seek him, wise Sanjaya, and bring him back here. Otherwise, I will kill
myself!'
Sanjaya hears the king and approves heartily. Saying, 'Tathastu!' he sets
out for the Kamyaka forest. Arriving swiftly in the vana where the
Pandavas dwell, Sanjaya sees Yudhishtira clad in deerskin, sitting with
Vidura, in the midst of thousands of Brahmanas - Yudhishtira guarded by
his brothers, even like Purandara amongst the celestials!
Approaching Yudhishtira, Sanjaya duly worships him and is received
with respect by Bhima and Arjuna and the twins. Yudhishtira makes the
customary inquiries after his welfare. When he has been seated at his ease,
Sanjaya discloses the reason for his visit, 'O Kshatta, Ambika's son
Dhritarashtra remembers you, he grieves terribly for you! Return to him
immediately, and restore the king's spirits.
O best of men, I say that, with the leave of the Kuru princes, these
Purushottamas, it becomes you to return to that lion among kings, your
brother, at his command.'
The wise Vidura, always loving towards his kin, hears what Sanjaya
says, and with Yudhishtira's leave, he goes back to the city named for the
elephant. He comes into the king's presence and Ambika's son,
Dhritarashtra of bright tejas, says to him, Ah Vidura, it is my great fortune
that you, sinless one, knower of dharma, have come back, thinking of me!
Bharatarishabha, while you were away I could not sleep by day or night,
like one who had been lost in the world.'
The king takes his brother onto his lap and sniffs the top of his head in
love, saying, 'Forgive me, Anagha, sinless one, for what I said to you!'
Vidura says, 'My King, I have already forgiven you. You are my
superior, worthy of the highest reverence. Here I am, and I came back eager
to see you. Purusharishabha, all men of dharma are naturally partial towards
those in distress and this is hardly because of any deliberation. Your sons
are as dear to me as the sons of Pandu, but the Pandavas are in trouble and
that is why my heart goes out to them.'
Thus conciliating each other, the two illustrious brothers, Vidura and
Dhritarashtra, feel happy.'"
CANTO 7
aisampayana said, "Hearing that Vidura had returned, and that the king
had consoled him, Dhritarashtra's evil son burns with grief. His mind
clouded with ignorance, he summons Sakuni, Kama and Dussasana, and
says to them, 'The learned Vidura, the minister of the wise Dhritarashtra,
has returned! He is partial to the Pandavas, and always seeks to favour
them.
I hope he does not persuade the king to bring them back. If ever I see
Pritha's sons return to this city, I will starve myself to death, take poison,
hang myself, immolate myself or kill myself with my own weapons. But I
can never see the sons of Pandu prosper again!'
Sakuni says, 'Lord of the earth, what folly takes hold of you? The
Pandavas have gone into the forest, having sworn an oath not to return for
thirteen years, so what you fear will never happen. Bharatarishabha, the
Pandavas always keep dharma and their word. Even if your father calls
them back they will not return.
Yet, if they do, perchance, come back at the king's command, breaking
their vow, we must remain calm, keep our own counsel, and be seemingly
obedient to the king's wishes, while we watch the sons of Pandu carefully.'
Dussasana says, 'I agree with you, O most intelligent uncle. You always
speak words of wisdom which recommend themselves to me!'
Karna says, 'Duryodhana, all of us seek to do your will, O King, and I
see that we are unanimous in this thing. The self-controlled sons of Pandu
will not return during their time of their exile, and thereby break their
solemn word. But if they do, from foolishness, I say beat them again at
another game of dice!'
But Duryodhana is cheerless and turns his face away from his
confederates. Kama marks this, expands his beautiful eyes, gesticulates
angrily, and says vehemently, haughtily, to Duryodhana, Dussasana and
Subala's son, 'Kshatriyas, know my mind! We are all servants of
Duryodhana, and wait upon him with folded hands. We must always do
what pleases him, yet we are not always able to please him promptly
because of his father Dhritarashtra.
I say let us put on our armour, take our weapons, mount our chariots and
ride at once to kill the Pandavas in the forest. When Pandu's sons have been
silenced and sent on the unknown journey, both Dhritarashtra and we will
find peace. As long as they are in distress, as long as they are plunged in
sorrow, as long as they are without help, we are a match for them. This is
my mind!'
They loudly applaud what the Sutaputra says, and finally cry all
together, 'Yes, let us do what you say!'
Each of them mounts his chariot, and confident of success, rush forth in
a body to kill the sons of Pandu. However, Krishna-Dwaipayana, of pure
soul, divines their intention, appears before them and sternly commands
them to desist. Sending them back, the holy one, worshipped by all the
worlds, quickly appears before the king, whose sight is his knowledge,
sitting upon his throne.
The Maharishi Vyasa speaks thus to that sovereign."
CANTO 8
yasa says, 'Dhritarashtra, listen to what I have to say, for I will tell
you what is good for all the Kauravas.
Mahabaho, I am not pleased that, deceitfully beaten at dice by
Duryodhana and the others, the Pandavas have gone into exile. O Bhaarata,
at the end of thirteen years, recollecting all their travail, they may well
shower astras of death, even like virulent poison, upon the Kauravas.
Why does your sinful son, always inflamed by anger, seek to kill the
sons of Pandu for the sake of their kingdom? Let the fool be restrained; let
your son remain quiet. If he tries to kill the Pandavas in exile, he will only
lose his own life.
You are as honest as the wise Vidura, Bhishma, or I, as Kripa or Drona.
O you of profound wisdom, dissension within one's family is forbidden,
sinful and reprehensible. O King, you must refrain from such folly.
Bhaarata, Duryodhana looks upon the Pandavas with such envy that
great harm will come of it, if you do not interfere. Otherwise, let this evil
son of yours go, alone and unaccompanied, to the forest and live with the
sons of Pandu. For then, if the Pandavas, from association, begin to feel
attachment for Duryodhana, then good fortune may be yours.
Ah, but this cannot be, for it is said that a man's congenital nature does
not leave him, not until his death. But what do Bhishma and Drona and
Vidura think? What do you think?
You must do what is beneficial while there is time, or all your purposes
will remain unrealised.'"
CANTO 9
hritarashtra says, 'Holy one, I did not favour the gambling, I but, O
Muni, I believe that fate made me consent to it. Neither Bhishma
nor Drona, Vidura nor Gandhari, liked the game of dice. No doubt, it was
folly. And, illustrious one, you who delight in keeping vratas, I know this is
folly, yet I am ruled by fatherly love and I am unable to cast off my
senseless son Duryodhana.'
Vyasa says, 'Son of Vichitravirya, what you say is true! I well know that
a son is the best of all things and there is nothing as good as a son. Taught
by Surabhi's tears, Indra learnt that a son surpasses every other possession,
however valuable, in worth.
Rajan, let me tell you that best of stories, which deals with a
conversation between Indra and Surabhi. In elder days, Surabhi, the mother
of cows, was once crying in Devaloka. Indra felt compassion for her, and
asked her, "Auspicious one, why are you crying? Is everything well with the
Devas? Has any misfortune, ever so little, befallen the world of the
Manavas or Nagas?"
Surabhi replied, "No evil which I perceive has befallen you. But I am
aggrieved because of my son, and that is why I weep! Look, O Lord of the
Devas, where yonder cruel farmer belabours my weak son with a wooden
stick, and oppresses him with a plough, so my son is in agony and falls onto
the ground.
At this sight, O Devendra, pity fills me and my mind is agitated. The
stronger of the pair bears his burden easily, but the weaker, O Vasava, is
lean, a mass of skin and bones, with veins and arteries showing. He bears
his load with great hardship and it is for him that I grieve.
Look where lashes of the whip mark his hide and he staggers. It is for
him I am grief-stricken and these tears flow from my eyes."
Sakra said, "Fair one, when thousands of your sons are daily oppressed,
why do you grieve for one?"
Surabhi replied, "Although I have a thousand offspring, my affections
flow equally towards them all! But, O Indra, I feel great love and pity for
one who is weak and innocent."'
Vyasa continues, 'Indra was greatly surprised to hear these words of
Surabhi; he became convinced that a son is dearer than one's life. The
illustrious chastiser of Paka suddenly poured a heavy rain and obstructed
the farmer's work. As Surabhi said, your affections, O King, flow equally
towards all your sons. Let them be greater towards those that are weak!
As my son Pandu is to me, so are you, my child, and so also Vidura of
profound wisdom. I say all this to you out of my love. Bhaarata, you have a
hundred and one sons, but Pandu has only five. And they are in a sad plight
and pass their days in sorrow.
How can they save their lives, how will they thrive - such thoughts about
Pritha's sons constantly agitate my soul. King of the earth, if you want all
the Kauravas to live, let your son Duryodhana make peace with the
Pandavas! "
CANTO 10
hritarashtra says, 'Muni of profound wisdom, it is even I as you say.

I know it well as do all these kings. Indeed, what you consider
beneficial for the Kurus was pointed out to me by Vidura, Bhishma and
Drona. And, if I deserve your favour, and if you bear kindness for the
Kurus, I beg you speak to my sinful son Duryodhana.'
Vyasa says, 'The holy Rishi Maitreya comes here, after visiting the
Pandavas. This mighty Rishi will admonish your son for the weal of this
race. Kauravya, what he says must be followed implicitly, for if it is not, the
Sage will curse your son in anger.'
Saying this, Vyasa leaves and Maitreya makes his appearance.
Dhritarashtra and his son receive that travel-worn lord of Munis
reverentially, with offerings of arghya and other rituals.
Ambika's son Dhritarashtra says respectfully to the Sage, 'Holy one, has
your journey from Kurujangala been a pleasant one? Are those heroes, the
five Pandavas, living happily there? Do those bulls of the Kuru race intend
to serve their exile in full? Will the brotherly affection of the Kauravas be
impaired?'
Maitreya says, 'Setting out on a pilgrimage to the different tirthas, I
arrived at Kurujangala, and there, to my surprise, I saw Yudhishtira
Dharmaputra in the Kamyaka vana. Many other Munis had come there to
see Yudhishtira, living in an ascetic asrama, clad in deer-skin and wearing
matted jata.
There, King of kings, I heard of the grave sin which your sons
committed, and the disaster and danger they have brought upon themselves
through the game of dice. So, I have come to you for the good of the
Kauravas, because my affection for you is great and I am pleased with you.
O King, it is not fit that your princes should fall out amongst one another
for any cause, while Bhishma and you are alive. You, Rajan, are the stake to
which all these bulls are tied, and you have the power to reward and to
punish. Why do you ignore this great evil that is about to overtake all of
you?
The Rishis do not think well of you for the crimes that were committed
in your court, sins which are like the deeds of vile chandalas!'
Then, turning to the choleric Duryodhana, the lustrous Rishi Maitreya
says softly to him, 'Duryodhana Mahabaho, most eloquent of men,
illustrious one, pay heed to what I say, for I speak for your good. Do not
seek enmity with the Pandavas!
Purusharishabha, think of your own weal, as also the good of the
Pandavas, of all the Kurus, and of the world. All those tigers among men
are Kshatriyas of invincible prowess in war, strong each one as ten thousand
elephants, their bodies hard as the adamantine Vajra, who never swerve
from their vows, and who are proud of their manliness!
They have killed Rakshasas who could assume any form at will, demons
like Hidimba and Kirmira. When the noble sons of Pandu went forth from
here, the fierce Rakshasa Kirmira stood in their way at night like a hill. As a
tiger kills a little deer, Bhima, strongest of all the strong, always delighting
in battle, killed that monster.
Do not forget how Bhima killed the mighty Jarasandha, who was himself
as strong as ten thousand elephants. The Pandavas are related to Krishna;
Drupada's sons are their brothers-in-law; who among mortals will dare face
Pandu's sons in battle?
O Bull of the Bhaaratas, let there be peace between you and the
Pandavas. Do not yield to envy and anger, listen to what I say.'
Even as Maitreya admonishes him, Duryodhana slaps his own thigh
which is like the trunk of an elephant, and, smiling insolently, scratches the
ground with his foot, as if he cares nothing for what the Sage says. The vile
prince does not say a word but looks down, away from the Rishi.
Rajan, when Maitreya sees Duryodhana slighting him, he becomes
angry. As if urged by fate, that best of Munis decides to curse Duryodhana.
His eyes red, Maitreya touches holy water and curses Dhritarashtra's evil
son.
'You dare slight me, and pay no mind to what I say? You will swiftly
reap the fruit of your insolence! During the Great War which will spring
from your sins, the mighty Bhima will smash that thigh of yours with a
stroke of his mace!'
When the Muni curses Duryodhana, Dhritarashtra hastily tries to placate
the Sage, so that his curse does not come true.
Maitreya says, 'If your son makes peace with the Pandavas, my curse
will not take effect. Otherwise it must be as I have said!'
Wanting to gauge the strength of Bhima, that foremost of kings,
Duryodhana's father asks, 'How did Bhima kill Kirmira?'
Maitreya says, 'I will say no more to you, for your son disregards my
words. When I have left, Vidura will tell you everything.'
Saying this, Maitreya leaves and returns to where he had come from.
Duryodhana is shaken to hear about the slaying of Kirmira and he also
leaves the sabha."
CANTO 11
hritarashtra says, 'O Kshatta, I want to hear about the I death of

Kirmira. Tell me about the encounter between Bhima and the
Rakshasa.'
Vidura says, 'Listen, then, to the tale of that feat of Bhimasena of
superhuman achievements. I heard it often during my stay with the
Pandavas.
Beaten at dice the Pandavas went from here, and, after journeying for
three days and nights, they arrived in the forest known as Kamyaka. Rajan,
after the midnight hour, when nature sleeps, terrible man-eating Rakshasas
range that vana, and no ascetic, cowherd or other forester dares go near the
Kamyaka aranya for fear of the fiends.
At that very hour, as the Pandavas entered that jungle, a fearsome
Rakshasa, a lit brand in his hand and his eyes aflame, appeared in their path.
His face terrible, his arms outstretched, he stood barring their way. Eight
fangs bared on his face, his eyes coppery, his hair like flames standing erect,
he seemed like a great cloud mass reflecting the Sun's rays, or streaked with
lightning gashes with flights of cranes below them.
With frightful yells and roaring like a mass of thunderheads charged
with rain, the monster began to the use the maya which is typical of his
kind. Crying out in fear, birds and other little creatures dropped senseless or
dead when they heard that terrible roar. Deer, leopard, bison and bear fled in
every direction, so it seemed the whole forest was in motion.
Swayed by the wind raised by the Rakshasa's great sighs, creepers
growing leagues away seemed to fling their arms of auburn leaves around
the trees and embrace them. At that moment, a violent wind began to blow,
and the sky was dark with dust covering it. Even like grief, the worst enemy
of the five senses, that unknown enemy appeared before the five Pandavas.
Seeing from a distance the sons of Pandu clad in black deer-skins, the
Rakshasa blocked their path through the forest even like the Mainaka
Mountain. The lotus-eyed Krishnaa looked at him and shut her eyes in
fright. Standing among the five Pandavas, she whose tresses had been
dishevelled by the hand of Dussasana looked like stream chafing among
five hills.
Even as the five senses cling to their objects of desire, the sons of Pandu
supported the shaking Draupadi. Dhaumya of great tejas dispelled the wild
illusions created by the Rakshasa's maya; he chanted powerful mantras to
kill the devil.
Seeing his illusion dispelled, the mighty Kirmira, who could assume any
form he chose, dilated his eyes in wrath and seemed like Death himself.
Yudhishtira said to him, "Who are you, and whose son? Tell us what we
can do for you."
The Rakshasa replied, "I am the brother of Baka, I am the renowned
Kirmira. I live at my ease in this empty Kamyaka vana, and daily I eat by
killing men in fight. Who are you that have come to me as my food? I will
crush you all and feast on your flesh."
Yudhishtira announced his own name and lineage, saying, "I am
Yudhishtira, the son of Pandu, of whom you might have heard. Losing my
kingdom, I have come with my brothers Bhimasena, Arjuna and the others
into this dread jungle, your domain, intending to spend my exile here.'"
Vidura continues, 'Kirmira said to Yudhishtira, "Ah, great fortune! Today
fate has accomplished my long-cherished desire. With weapons raised, I
have ranged the world with the single purpose of killing Bhima. But I did
not find him.
But today, it is my great good fortune that my brother's killer, whom I
have sought so long, has appeared before me. Bhima, disguised as a
Brahmana, slew my brother Baka in the Vetrakiya forest through some
sorcery. He has no real strength!
This evil one is he who also once slew my precious friend Hidimba, and
ravished his sister. And the fool has now come into this deep forest of mine,
when the night is half spent, even at the time when our kind is abroad.
Tonight, at last, I will have vengeance on him, and gratify Baka with his
blood in plenty.
By killing this enemy of the Rakshasas, tonight I will free myself from
the debt I owe my friend and my brother, and thereby find supreme
happiness. Baka once let Bhimasena escape, but tonight, O Yudhishtira, I
will devour him in your sight. Even as Agastya ate and digested the mighty
Asura Vatapi, will I this Bhima!"
Yudhishtira said angrily, "You cannot!"
Bhima tore up a tree ten vyamas long, and stripped it of its leaves. In a
flash, Arjuna strung the Gandiva, powerful as a thunderbolt. O Bhaarata,
Bhima stopped Arjuna and strode towards the Rakshasa, who still roared
like thunderclouds, crying, "Stop! Stop!"
Bhima tightened his waistcloth, rubbed his hands together, bit his lower
lip, and tree in hand rushed at the demon. Even like Indra casting his Vajra,
Bhima crashed that tree, which was like Yama's danda, down on the fiend's
head. The Rakshasa was unmoved by the blow, and hurled his flaming
brand at Bhima like a streak of lightning.
But the Kshatriya deftly struck it with his left foot and the burning thing
flew back at Kirmira. Now Kirmira drew up a tree and rushed into the fray
like Yama himself with his mace. Quickly, the forest around them was
denuded of trees and looked like the place where once, ages by, the Vanara
brothers Vali and Sugriva fought for possession of a woman.
Striking the adversaries' heads, the trees broke into slivers, and were like
lotus stalks flung at the temples of mating elephants. All around,
numberless trees lay strewn like so many crushed reeds. However, the duel
between that greatest of Rakshasas and Bhima did not last long, O
Bharatarishabha.
The raging Kirmira snatched up a great rock from the ground and flung
it squarely at Bhima standing before him, but the Pandava did not flinch.
Then, like Rahu flying to devour the Sun, the Rakshasa, arms outstretched,
flew at Bhima and they locked together, grappling and pulling and
dragging, like two infuriated bulls; or like two mighty tigers, fighting tooth
and claw - the encounter between them waxed fierce and hard.
Bhima thought of the humiliation by Duryodhana, he thought of
Draupadi watching him, and Vrikodara found the true strength of his arms,
strength which swelled in tide. Bhima seized the Rakshasa by his arms, as
one elephant in rut seizes another. The powerful Rakshasa also clasped his
antagonist, but Bhimasena, strongest of all strong men, flung the monster
down violently.
The sounds that the interlocked fingers of the two made echoed like
splitting bamboos. Bhima hurled the Rakshasa down, seized him by the
waist, and began to whirl him around, like some ferocious hurricane shakes
a tree. The Rakshasa was tired, he felt faint; yet, trembling all over, he still
pressed the Pandava with all his strength.
Seeing that Kirmira was tiring, Vrikodara twined his great arms around
him, even as one binds an animal with rope. The monster began to roar
frightfully, like some dissonant trumpet. Bhima whirled him round until the
Rakshasa seemed to lose consciousness and then threw him on the ground,
where his body shook in convulsions. Bhima swiftly seized him again and
killed him like an animal. He planted his great knee on Kirmira's belly and
wrung his neck. As the fiend's eyelids closed, Bhima hauled his bruised
body savagely across the earth roaring, "Sinful wretch, you will not have to
wipe your tears for Hidimba and Baka because you are also bound for
Yama's halls!"
Bhima saw the Rakshasa naked, his ornaments torn from his great body;
he saw that Kirmira was dead and left him there. When the Rakshasa of the
hue of clouds died, Yudhishtira embraced Bhima and praised him joyfully.'
Vidura says, 'So it was, O lord of men, that at Yudhishtira's command,
Bhima killed Kirmira the Rakshasa.
Having rid the jungle of its menace, the Pandavas entered the now
peaceful vana, and comforting the frightened Draupadi, began living there.
In some joy, the Bharatarishabhas often praised Bhima's magnificent deed.
When I passed through the Kamyaka vana, I saw Kirmira's huge corpse
lying there, and when I reached the Pandavas' asrama I heard about Bhima's
prowess and how he killed the Rakshasa from the Brahmans who live there
with the sons of Pandu.'
Dhritarashtra hears about the slaying of Kirmira, he sighs and plunges
into deeper gloom."
CANTO 12
aisampayana said, "Hearing that the Pandavas have been banished, the
Bhojas, the Vrishnis, and the Andhakas come to those heroes living in
sorrow in the great forest. The Panchalas, Dhrishtaketu the king of Chedi,
and those celebrated and powerful brothers, the Kaikeyas, their hearts fired
by anger, come to the forest to see the sons of Pritha.
They reproach the sons of Dhritarashtra, and say, 'What shall we do?'
With Vasudeva Krishna at their head, those Kshatriyarishabhas sit
around Yudhishtira.
Krishna reverently salutes that Kurusthama and says in some rage, 'The
Earth shall drink the blood of Duryodhana and Kama, of Dussasana and the
vile Sakuni! We will kill all these and all who are their allies and follow
them and set Dharmaraja Yudhishtira upon the throne of Hastinapura. The
evil deserve killing - this is Sanatana Dharma.'"
Seeing Krishna wrathful, why, even bent upon consuming all created
things, Arjuna attempts to pacify him by reciting the Lord's own great feats
of his past lives, what He, Vishnu of fathomless wisdom, immeasurable
one, eternal one, Soul of all things, his tejas infinite, the Lord of Prajapati
himself, final sovereign of all the worlds had done in lives and ages gone
by.
Arjuna says, 'In olden days, you, O Krishna, wandered upon the
Gandhamadana Mountains for ten thousand years as a Muni, whose home
was wherever he found himself at dusk. Living on just water, Krishna, you
also lived beside the Pushkara Lake for another eleven thousand years!
Madhusudana, your arms upraised and standing on one leg, you passed a
hundred years on the high hills of Badari, imbibing just air! Your body bare,
emaciated, a mass of veins, you lived on the banks of the Saraswati,
engaged in a yagna which lasted twelve years.
And, Krishna of boundless tejas, keeping a vrata you stood upon one leg
for a thousand years of the Devas, on the plains of Prabhasa which virtuous
men visit in pilgrimage.
Vyasa has told me that you are the cause of the creation and its course. O
Kesava, as the Lord of Kshetra,1 you are the mover of all minds, and the
beginning and end of all things. Ail tapasya rests in you, and you are also
the embodiment of all sacrifices, and the eternal one.
Killing Narakasura, son of Bhumi, your first begotten, you took his
earrings and performed the first aswamedha, offering the Asura as the
sacrificial horse. Lokarishabha, O Bull of all the worlds, with that Yagna
you triumphed over all things.
Killing all the Daityas and Danavas mustered in battle, you gave Sachi's
Lord Indra sovereignty over the universe, and you have now, O Mahabaho,
been born into this world of men.
Parantapa, who once floated upon the primal waters, you later became
Hari, Brahma, Surya, Dharma, Dhatri, Yama, Anala, Vasu,
Vaisravana,Rudra, Kala, Akasa, Bhumi and the ten directions. Un-born
yourself, you are the lord of all the moving and unmoving universe, O First
of all existences.
Slayer of Madhu, O you of boundless energy, in the forest of Chitraratha,
Krishna, you worshipped the God of gods with your yagnas. Janardana, at
each sacrifice you offered gold, in measures of hundreds of thousands.
Yadava, being born as Aditi's son, you became Indra's younger brother.
Parantapa, even a child, you traversed with just three strides Swarga, Bhumi
and Patala. When you were thus transformed, you entered into the body of
the Sun and paled his splendour with your light.
Highest, during a thousand incarnations you slew Asuras past count. You
killed the Mauravas and the Paashas, Nisunda and Naraka, and the road to
Pragjyotishapura was safe again. You killed Ahvriti at Jaruthi; Kratha and
Sisupala and his followers, Jarasandha, Saibya and Satadhanwan!
Riding your chariot, roaring like thunderheads and brilliant as the Sun,
you took Bhojas daughter Rukmini for your wife, vanquishing her brother
Rukmi in battle. In anger, you slew Indradyumna and the Yavana called
Kaseruman. You killed Salva, the lord of Saubha, and destroyed his city.
All these you killed in battle; let me tell of others you despatched. At
Iravati, you slew King Bhoja equal to Kartavirya in battle; and both Gopati
and Talaketu you killed! Janardana, you have taken for yourself sacred
Dwaraka, of measureless wealth and which the Rishis all adore, and finally
you will submerge Dwaravati in the Sea!
Madhusudana, how can any crookedness dwell in you, when, Dasarha,
you have no anger, envy, untruth or cruelty? O You without decay, all the
Rishis come to you, seated in glory upon sacrificial ground, and seek your
protection. You alone remain at the end of the Yuga, contracting all things
and withdrawing this universe into yourself, Parantapa!
O Vrishni, at the beginning of the Yuga, Brahma himself sprang from
your lotus-like navel, Brahma lord of all mobile and immobile things, to
whom this entire universe belongs.
When the dreadful Danavas, Madhu and Kaitabha, were bent on killing
you, you were infuriated and from your forehead, O Hari, sprang Sambhu,
Trilochana. Thus these two greatest of Gods issued from your body, to do
your work. Narada told me this.
Narayana, in the Chaitraratha vana, you performed a multitude of
yagnas, marked by a plenitude of gifts. Lord, you with eyes like lotus
leaves, what you have done while still a mere boy, along with Baladeva, no
one else has ever done, nor will in the future.
Why, you went and stayed on Kailasa with some Brahmanas!'
Saying all this to Krishna, Arjuna who was Krishna's soul, falls quiet.
Janardana says to him, 'You are mine as I am yours, and he who hates
you hates me as well, as he that follows you follows me, too. Irrepressible
one, you are Nara and I, Narayana; we are those two Rishis born into the
world of men for a great purpose. Partha, you are of me, and I of you.
Bharatarishabha, who can fathom any difference which exists between us?'
When the illustrious Kesava says as much in that conclave of valiant
kings, all excited with anger, Panchali, along with Dhrishtadyumna and her
other heroic brothers, approaches him of eyes like lotus leaves, seated with
his cousins, and, wanting his protection speaks angrily to that Sanctuary of
all beings.
'Asita and Devala have said that in the creation of all things, you are the
only Prajapati, Creator of all the worlds. Irrepressible one, Jamadagnya says
that you are Vishnu, O Madhusudana, and that you embody the sacrifice,
the sacrificer and He for whom the sacrifice is performed.
Purushottama, the Rishis say that you are Forgiveness and Truth.
Kasyapa has said you are Sacrifice sprung from Truth. Exalted one, Narada
calls you the God of the Sadhyas, and of the Sivas, the only final Creator
and the Lord of all things.
Purushavyaghra, you sport repeatedly with all the Gods, including
Brahma, Sankara and Sakra even as children play with their toys. Loftiest,
your head covers Swarga, your feet Bhumi, and all these worlds are as your
womb, O Eternal!
For Rishis sanctified by the Vedas and by tapasya, their souls purified
through penance, who are contented with visions of the soul, you are the
best of all things. Purushottama, you are the refuge of Rajarishis of dharma
who never turn their backs on the field of battle, men possessed of every
accomplishment.
You are the Lord of all, you are Omnipresent, you are the Soul of all
things, and you are the active power pervading everything. The rulers of all
the worlds, the worlds themselves, the stellar conjunctions, the ten points of
the horizon, the firmament, the Moon and the Sun are all founded in you.
Mahabaho, the dharma of mortal creatures and the immortality of the
universe are established in you. You are the Supreme Lord of all creatures,
celestial or human.
And so, O Madhusudana, impelled by the love you bear for me, will I
tell you of my sorrows! Krishna, how could I, the wife of Pritha's sons, the
sister of Dhrishtadyumna, and your sakhi, your friend, be dragged into the
Kuru sabha as I was? Ah, du.ing my period, bleeding, wearing just a single
cloth, trembling and weeping, I was dragged into the court of the Kurus.
Seeing me, stained with blood in the presence of those kings in the
sabha, the vicious sons of Dhritarashtra laughed at me. While the Pandavas,
the Panchalas and the Vrishnis lived, Dhritarashtra's sons dared say they
wanted me to be their slave.
By law, Krishna, I am both Dhritarashtra and Bhishma's daughter-in-law,
yet they wanted to forcibly make me a slave. I accuse the Pandavas, who
are the greatest warriors in the world, because they watched their wife being
treated so savagely and did not stir.
Fie on the might of Bhimasena, fie on Arjuna and his Gandiva, for both,
O Janardana, suffered me to be shamed by small men. Men of dharma,
regardless of however weak they might be, have always protected their
wives. By protecting his wife a man protects his children, and that is to
protect oneself.
A man begets himself upon his wife, as his children, and that is why she
is called Jaya. A wife also must protect her lord, remembering that he takes
birth in her womb. The Pandavas never forsake anyone who seeks their
protection, yet they forsook me when I turned to them in my dire need.
Through my five husbands five sons of exceptional tejas I have borne:
Prativindhya by Yudhishtira, Sutasoma by Vrikodara, Srutakirti by Arjuna,
Satanika by Nakula and Srutakarman by the youngest - all of them
dauntless, invincible. For their sake, Janardana, my husbands should have
protected me!
My sons are all mighty Kshatriyas, even like your own Pradyumna. My
husbands are the greatest archers, and no enemy can defeat them in battle.
Why do they bear what Dhritarashtra's sons made me endure, those princes
of such negligible prowess?
Deprived of their kingdom through deception, the Pandavas were made
bondsmen and I was dragged to the sabha while in my season, and wearing
just one cloth!
Fie on the Gandiva, which none else can string save Arjuna, Bhima and
you. Fie on the strength of Bhima, and fie on the prowess of Arjuna,
because, Krishna, after what he dared do Duryodhana has drawn breath
even for a moment!
He once drove the guileless Pandavas and their mother from the
kingdom, while my lords were boys, students still, and young
brahmacharins. That sinner mixed poison into Bhima's food, but Bhima ate
the poison with the food and came to no harm, for his days in the world had
not ended.
Krishna, Duryodhana bound the unconscious Bhima hand and foot and,
below the house at Pramana, rolled him into the Ganga. But Bhima
Mahabaho awoke, tore off his bonds and rose from the river. Duryodhana
was responsible for black cobras biting Bhima all over his body, but this
Parantapa did not die. Waking, Kunti's son killed all the snakes with his left
hand, and he also killed Duryodhana's favourite sarathy, who was the agent
for the dastardly crime.
Again, while the Pandavas slept at Varanavata with their mother,
Duryodhana had that house set on fire, intending to immolate them inside.
Who else could do such an evil thing? Kunti, surrounded by flames, cried
out in terror to her sons, "Ah, I am undone! How will we escape? Alas, my
children and I will die today."
Then Bhima Mahabaho, mighty as the wind, comforted his mother and
his brothers, "I will leap into the air even like Vinata's son Garuda, king of
birds. We have no fear from this fire."
Taking up his mother onto his left side, Yudhishtira on his right, the
twins on each shoulder, and Arjuna on his back, the mighty Vrikodara
cleared the towering flames with one leap. Setting out that night, they came
to the Hidimba vana, and while Kunti and her sons slept the Rakshasi
Hidimbi approached them.
She looked at Bhima and desired him. She took Bhima's feet onto her lap
and began to press them with soft hands. Bhima tejasvin awoke and asked
her, "Faultless featured, what do you want?"
The Rakshasi, who was beautiful, and could also assume any form she
chose, replied to the Mahatman Bhima, "Fly from this place. My mighty
brother will come to kill you. Do not tarry, fly!"
Bhima said haughtily, "I do not fear him. If he comes here, I will slay
him."
Hearing this conversation, her brother Hidimba, vilest of Rakshasas,
arrived there. He was terrible to behold, and came roaring. The Rakshasa
said, "Hidimbi, who are you talking to? Bring him to me, let me eat him.
Quickly, Hidimbi, do not delay."
But moved by compassion, the Rakshasi, whose heart was pure, made no
reply. Then the monster, man-eater, rushed roaring at Bhima. He seized
Bhima's hand and clenching his own hand into a fist as hard as Indra's
thunderbolt, struck Bhima a blow like lightning.
Vrikodara flew into a rage, and a fearful fight erupted between
Bhimasena and Hidimba. Both were skilled in the use of weapons, and their
duel was even like the one between Indra and Vritra, of old.
Sinless Krishna, Bhima toyed with the mighty Rakshasa, wearing him
down, and when Hidimba was exhausted Bhima Mahabaho killed him.
Then, setting Hidimbi before them, Bhima, his brothers and Kunti Devi left
that forest. Later, Hidimbi would give birth by Bhima to Ghatotkacha.
After that, surrounded by Brahmanas, these Parantapas went towards
Ekachakra with their mother. Meanwhile, Vyasa met them and became their
counsellor. At Ekachakra, the Pandavas of stern vratas killed another
mighty Rakshasa called Baka, as savage as Hidimba.
When he had killed Baka, Bhima went with his brothers to the capital of
Drupada. And there, O Krishna, even as you won Bhishmaka's daughter
Rukmini, Arjuna Savyasachin won me! Arjuna won me during my
swayamvara, first performing an incredibly difficult feat of archery and
then defeating all the other kings gathered there.
O Krishna, innumerable griefs afflict me now and we live here, with
Dhaumya for our priest and guide, but separated from our beloved Kunti.
Why do these, who are gifted with such strength, who have the prowess of
lions, sit here indifferent, doing nothing, after they have seen me humiliated
by vile and despicable enemies?
Am I born to suffer such searing indignity at the hands of base sinners,
men of little strength beside? Am I to burn endlessly with grief? I was born
into a great race, and came into this world in an extraordinary manner.
Besides, I am the beloved wife of the Pandavas, and the daughter-in-law of
the illustrious Pandu.
I, who am called the best of women, I who am devoted to my husbands,
even I, O Krishna, was seized by my hair, and in the sight of the Pandavas,
each of whom is like an Indra!'
Draupadi hides her face in her soft hands like lotus buds and sobs. Her
tears flow down and wash her deep, full and graceful breasts, which bear
every auspicious mark.
Wiping her eyes, sighing frequently, her voice choked, she says, 'No, I
have no sons, husbands, friends, brothers or father, I have no one! I do not
even have you, Krishna, for all of you see me having been savaged by vile
men and you sit here and do nothing.
How will my grief at Kama's ridicule ever be assuaged? Krishna, I say to
you that I deserve your protection always: because of our being related,
because of your respect for me, because of our friendship and because you
are the Lord!'
In that gathering of Kshatriyas in the forest, Krishna says to the weeping
Panchali, 'Beautiful One, the wives of those who have angered you will
weep even as you do, seeing their husbands lying dead on the ground,
covered in blood and pierced by Arjuna's arrows.
Do not cry, for I will do everything in my power to help the sons of
Pandu. I swear to you that you will again be a queen of kings. The Heavens
may fall, or Himavat split open, the Earth might be rent, or the waters of the
Ocean dry up, but my words shall never prove to be in vain!'
Draupadi listens to what Krishna says and looks sidelong at Arjuna.
Mighty king, Arjuna says to her, 'You with the lovely copper eyes, do not
grieve, it will be even as Krishna has said! Beautiful Panchali, it can never
be otherwise.'
Dhrishtadyumna says, 'I will kill Drona, Sikhandin will kill the Pitama,
Bhimasena will kill Duryodhana, and Dhananjaya will kill Karna. My
sister, with Balarama and Krishna on our side, even Indra himself could not
vanquish us in battle, then what are these sons of Dhritarashtra?'
Now, all the Kshatriyas there turn to Krishna, who then speaks to them."
——————————
1 Nilakantha explains kshetra as including Mahabhuta, consciousness, intellect, the unmanifest
(primordial elements), the ten senses, the five objects of the senses, desire, aversion, pleasure, pain,
the combinations of elements, and chaitanya.
CANTO 13
rishna says, 'Yudhishtira, lord of the earth, if I had been in Dwaraka,

this evil would not have befallen you. Irrepressible one, I would
have come to the game of dice, even if Ambika's sons had not asked me, or
the other Kauravas. I would have called upon Bhishma, Drona, Kripa and
Bahlika to help me, and prevented the game from being played.
Noble one, for your sake I would have said to Dhritarashtra, "Best of
kings, let your sons have nothing to do with dice!" Yes, 1 would have
spoken at length on all the evils of gambling, through which once Virasena's
son lost his kingdom and through which you have now fallen into such
distress.
Rajan, unthought-of evils befall a man from playing dice. I would have
told how a man plays in compulsion, even if he wishes to stop. Women,
dice, hunting and drinking, to which men become addicted from temptation,
are regarded as the four evils that deprive a man of his prosperity. Those
who know the Shastras say that evil attends upon all these.
Those who are addicted to dice also know all its evils. Mahabaho,
appearing before the son of Ambika, I would have told him that through
dice men lose all their possessions in a day and exchange harsh words. I
would have named innumerable other ills which attend on dice.
If Dhritarashtra had accepted what I said, both the weal of the Kurus and
dharma itself would have been secured. If he had rejected my gentle
counsel, offered like a specific, then, Bharatasreshta, I would have
compelled him with force. If those who sit in his sabha, professing to be his
friends but who are actually his enemies, had supported him, I would have
slain them all, along with the gamblers.
Kauravya, it is because I was away from Anarta1 then that you played
dice and have fallen into woe. Kurusthama, when I returned to Dwaraka,
Yuyudhana told me about the disaster. As soon as I heard, my heart pierced
by grief, I came here to you.
Alas, Pandava, such dire distress has overtaken you and I see you
brothers and you plunged in misfortune.'"
————————
1 Krishna's country, of which Dwaraka is the capital.
CANTO 14
udhishtira says, 'Krishna, where were you, away from Dwaraka?

What did you do while you were away?'
Krishna says, 'Bharatarishabha, I went forth to raze the city of Salva.
Best of the Kurus, listen to why I did this.
At your Rajasuya yagna, I slew Damaghosha's son Sisupala, mighty-
armed and of great energy, because that evil one could not bear to see me
being given the purodasa.
Hearing that Sisupala was slain, Salva, burning with anger, went to
Dwaraka while I was away in Indraprastha with you. Arriving in a chariot
made of precious metals, the Saubha, he engaged the young Vrishni princes,
bulls of our line. Without mercy he slaughtered many young Vrishni heroes,
and devastated all the gardens of our city.
Mahabaho, he roared, "Where is Krishna, that wretch of the Vrishni race,
Vasudeva's evil son? I mean to humble his pride in battle. Tell me, O
Anartas, where he is. I will go and kill him who slew Kamsa and Kesin, and
then return.
By my weapons I swear I will not return without slaying him!"
Roaring again and again, "Where is he? Where is he?" the lord of the
Saubha dashed here and there, wanting battle with me. Salva also raged,
"He has dared kill Sisupala, and I will send him to Yama's halls today! I
must kill Janardana for he slew my brother who was just a boy of tender
years, and not on a field of battle, but while my brother was unprepared!"
Raging and howling thus, abusing me vilely, he flew up into the sky in
his magical chariot, the Saubha which could fly anywhere at his very will. I
returned to Dwaraka and heard what the evil king of Martika had said about
me. I grew angry, O King, and considering his attack on Anarta, his abuse
of me and his intolerable arrogance, I decided to kill him.
I set out from Dwaravati to slay the lord of the Saubha. I looked for him
and found him on an island in the sea. I blew on my Panchajanya,
challenging Salva to battle. However, at that moment, a host of Danavas
attacked me and I slew them all.
Mahabaho, it was because of this that I could not come to you then. As
soon as I heard about the game of dice at Hastinapura, I have come to see
you and comfort you in your distress."'
CANTO 15
udhishtira says, 'Krishna, tell us in detail about the death of V the

lord of the Saubha. You have whetted my curiosity!' Krishna says,
'When Salva heard that I had killed Sisupala, he came to Dwaravati, and
with his army besieged that city from above and around. Keeping himself in
the sky, he began his assault with a heavy shower of weapons of every kind.
Bharatarishabha, Dwaraka was fortified on all sides with pennons,
arches, soldiers, walls, turrets, miners; her streets were barricaded with
spikes; she had towers, storehouses full of provisions, engines for hurling
burning brands and other fiery missiles, and vats of scalding oil and water;
there were skins for carrying water to drink; trumpets, tabors we had, drums
by thousands, lances and pitchforks, sataghnis, halayudhas, rockets, balls of
stone, battle-axes, iron shields, and other engines for flinging iron balls,
bullets and steaming fluids.
Many chariots defended Dwaraka, Kuruvyaghra, with maharathas like
Gada, Samba, Uddhava and other great heroes, all nobly born, tried in
battle, and who could resist any enemy. All these positioned themselves at
their commanding posts, with horsemen and standard-bearers, and began to
defend the city.
Ugrasena, Uddhava and others ordered that no one should drink
throughout the city, to prevent any folly or carelessness. Knowing that
Salva would destroy them if they were in the least careless, all the Vrishnis
and Andhakas remained sober and watchful.
The soldiers made all the mimes, singers and dancers of Anarta leave
Dwaraka, and they sank the bridges leading to the Sea city; boats were
forbidden to ply, and long spikes raised upright in the moats which ring
Dwaravati. The land around the city, for two yojanas, is always dug up, in
pits and holes, in which explosives are hidden.
Anagha, our city-fortress is naturally protected, and well-defended and
stocked with all kinds of weapons. Because of all this, Dwaraka was well
prepared to counter any attack; why, she resembled Indra's own Amaravati.
When Salva came, no one could enter or leave the city of the Vrishnis and
Andhakas without giving a pre-arranged secret signal.
All the streets of the town and the open spaces, too, were filled with
numberless elephants and horses. Mahabaho, all our soldiers were paid
handsomely and given plentiful rations, weapons and clothes. All of them
were paid in gold; all of them were in some way obliged to us, and all were
of tried valour.
Yudhishtira of eyes like lotus-leaves, so, comprehensively, did Ugrasena
defend Dwaraka!'"
CANTO 16
rishna. continues, 'King of kings, Salva, master of the Saubha, great

chariot and city of the air, came towards our city with an immense
force of infantry, cavalry and elephants. His army, led by four other kings of
great power, occupied a level ground commanding a plentiful water-supply.
Apart from cemeteries, temples dedicated to the gods, sacred groves of
trees, and grounds covered by ant-hills, that host occupied every other place
around Dwaraka. Divisions of that army barred all the roads into our city,
and the secret entrances also were all blocked by the enemy.
O Kauravya, even like Garuda, Salva flew towards Dwaraka, with his
host bearing all kinds of arms, skilled at all weapons, a dense array of
chariots, elephants and cavalry, flying a sea of banners - well-paid and well-
fed warriors, of great strength, bearing every mark of heroism, riding those
wonderful chariots, armed with magnificent bows.
The young Vrishni princes saw Salvas army and sallied forth from our
gates to face it. Charudeshna, Samba, the mighty Pradyumna, all put on
mail, mounted their chariots, and decked with ornaments, their colours
flying, rode to fight Salvas teeming legions.
Fiercely, Samba attacked Kshemavriddhi, the Senapati of Salva's forces,
and struck his chief counsellor too with gusts of arrows. Why, Jambavati's
son showered arrows upon the enemy in a river even as Indra does the rain.
Kshemavriddhi stood unmoved as Himavan in that deadly storm.
Using maya, Kshemavriddhi discharged an even mightier tide of shafts
at Samba. Samba dispelled the sorcery with his own maya and loosed a
thousand arrows at his adversary's chariot. Now, pierced by Samba's barbs,
overwhelmed, Kshemavriddhi fled in his fleet chariot.
When Salva's evil general left the field, a mighty Daitya called Vegavat
rushed at my son. Samba stood his ground calmly. Kaunteya, Samba
whirled a flashing mace and cast it at Vegavat, who fell on the ground like a
mighty, faded patriarch of the forest whose roots have rotted away.
Upon the death of that ferocious Asura, Samba was at the enemy,
spilling blood all around.
Another renowned Danava, Vivindhya, mighty warrior wielding a
menacing bow, faced Charudeshna. And, O monarch, the encounter
between Charudeshna and Vivindhya was as fierce as the one in olden days
between Vritra and Vasava.
In fury, roaring like two great lions, they struck each other with arrows.
Rukmini's son fitted a mighty astra, splendid as fire and the sun, to his
bowstring; he chanted mantras over it and it could raze every enemy.
Yudhishtira, my son loosed that weapon at Vivindhya, and the Danava fell
dead.
Seeing Vivindhya slain, and his entire army wavering, Salva advanced
again in his beautiful chariot, which could go anywhere. Mahabaho, seeing
Salva in his chariot the fighters of Dwaraka trembled and began to retreat.
Then Pradyumna sallied forth, crying to the Anartas, "Do not fear!
Watch me, I will drive back Salva in his chariot. Yadavas, today my astras
will be like serpents and consume this entire host of the lord of the Saubha.
I will kill Salva today and smash his fine Saubha."
Pandava, when Pradyumna spoke to them, fear left the Yadavas and they
stayed to fight.'"
CANTO 17
rishna continued, 'Bharatarishabha, Pradyumna climbed into his

golden chariot, drawn by the finest steeds covered in mail. Over it
flew a standard bearing a Makara, a fierce crocodile with jaws agape and
dreadful as Yama. His horses more flying than running on the ground, he
charged the enemy.
Pradyumna bore quiver and sword, his fingers were encased in leather,
and switching his bow, brilliant as lightning, from hand to hand, he twanged
its string resoundingly, laughing in the enemy's face, spreading panic
through their ranks.
He slew them all around him, contemptuously, and no one could mark
any interval between the shafts he loosed. No colour rose into his face, his
limbs did not so much as quiver; only his leonine roars rang across the field,
while the sea monster's image on his golden flagstaff struck terror in his
enemies' hearts.
Pradyumna, destroyer of his enemies, flew at Salva, himself eager for an
encounter. But Salva could not bear Pradyumna's assault; he leapt down
from his beautiful chariot of untold speed. Ihose watching, the people, saw
the duel between Salva and the Vrishni hero which was even like that
between Bali and Vasava, of old.
Kshatriya, Salva, mighty and lustrous, climbed back into his chariot and
beset Pradyumna with a storm of arrows. Pradyumna fought back, briefly
overwhelming Salva, who now shot arrows of blazing fire at my son. But
Pradyumna easily parried that burning shower. Salva rained more shafts
afire over him.
Best of kings, wounded by Salvas arrows, Pradyumna loosed an astra
which could pierce the entrails of any enemy. That winged shaft pierced
Salva's armour and entered his heart, at which he fell in a swoon. Seeing
their lord fall, the Danava chieftains all fled the field.
Lord of the earth, cries of Oh! and Alas! arose from Salva's army. But
Salva regained his senses, jumped up and suddenly loosed a clutch of
savage barbs at Pradyumna. Pierced about his throat, Pradyumna staggered
in his ratha. Wounding Rukmini's son, Salva roared like a lion, filling the
world with that great sound. O Bhaarata, when my son fell senseless, Salva
did not lose a moment but shot him with more deadly arrows. Pierced by
numberless arrows, Pradyumna became motionless on the field of battle.'"
CANTO 18
rishna continues, 'Seeing Pradyumna felled by Salva, the Vrishnis

all grew disheartened and stricken. Their fighters broke into loud
cries of Oh and Alas! while joy swept through the enemy ranks. Daruka's
son, his sarathy, bore him swiftly from the field.
The chariot had not gone far when Pradyumna regained his senses,
picked up his bow and said to his charioteer, "Sutaputra, what have you
done? Why do you leave the battlefield? This is not the custom of the
Vrishni heroes in battle!
Were you confounded by the sight of Salva? Or frightened by our duel?
Tell me truly, I must know your mind."
The charioteer answered, "O son of Janardana, I am not confounded or
afraid. On the other hand, I saw that it was difficult for you to vanquish
Salva, and so I left the field. The wretch is stronger than you, and besides a
sarathy must protect his warriors, especially when his Kshatriya faints.
Long-lived, I must always protect you even as you must always watch
over me. Besides, you are alone while the Danavas are legion. I felt, O
Rukminiputra, that you are not equal to them in this fight and began to
leave the field.'"
Krishna continued, 'When the charioteer said this, he who bears the
Makara on his banner, retorted, "Turn the chariot around! O son of Daruka,
never do this again, never flee the field, not while I am alive. No son of the
House of Vrishni ever forsakes battle or kills an enemy fallen at his feet,
crying I am yours! No Vrishni ever kills a woman, a boy, an old man, or a
warrior in distress, who has lost his chariot or has had his weapons broken.
You are born a Suta and are well trained in your craft. O son of Daruka,
you know the customs of the Vrishnis in battle. Never again fly from the
field as you have done today. What will the irrepressible Krishna say to me
when he hears that I left the field in bewilderment or that I was struck in the
back, as I fled from battle?
What will Krishna's elder, the mighty-armed Baladeva, wearing blue and
drunk on wine, say when he returns? What, O Suta, will that lion among
men, Sini's grandson Satyaki, that great warrior, say when he hears I
abandoned the fight?
Sarathy, what will the ever-victorious Samba, the invincible
Charudeshna, Durdarsha, Gada, and Sarana, and Akrura of mighty arms say
to me? What will the wives of the Vrishni heroes say to one another of me,
who have so far been considered brave of noble conduct, honourable and
manly?
They will even say, This Pradyumna is a coward who leaves the battle
and comes here. Fie on him! They will never say, Well done! Ridicule, O
Suta, is worse than death to someone like me. So never again leave the field
of battle!
Leaving Dwaraka in my charge, Krishna has gone to the yagna of the
Bhaarata lion. I cannot be a bystander now. Suta, when the brave
Kritavarman was sallying out to face Salva, I stopped him, saying, You stay,
I will fight Salva. And to honour me, Hridika's son desisted. If I leave the
field of battle, what will I say to that mighty warrior when I meet him?
When Krishna, wielder of the sankha, chakra and gada, returns, what
will I tell him of the eyes like lotus leaves? Satyaki, Baladeva and all the
other Vrishnis and Andhakas always boast about me. What will I say to
them?
Having left the field of battle and with wounds of arrows on my back, as
you bore me away, I will not be able to live! O son of Daruka, turn the
chariot around at once, and never flee again during battle, for I do not
consider the life worth living which was gained by fleeing the field like a
coward.
Sutaputra, have you ever seen me fly in fear from an enemy? It does not
become you to leave the battle while my desire to fight on remains
unquenched. Hurry, turn back!'"
CANTO 19
ARANYAKA PARVA CONTINUE
rishna continues, 'His charioteer replied hastily to Pradyumna, in

sweet tones, "O son of Rukmini, I am not afraid to guide your
horses on the field, and I know well the customs of the Vrishnis in war. But,
O long-lived, the sarathy is taught that his warrior s life is always to be
safeguarded by his charioteer.
You were sorely wounded by Salva's arrows, you fell unconscious, O
Kshatriya. Only then did I leave the field. But, O lord of the Satwatas, now
that you have regained consciousness, watch my skill in driving your
horses! Daruka is my father and he has taught me chariotry. Watch me
pierce Salva's army, O Hero!"
Saying this, that sarathy snapped his reins and turned back to the field of
battle. Struck by his whip, deftly manoeuvred, those fine steeds seemed to
fly through the air; beautifully they ran, in circles, now to the left then to the
right, in even paths, then uneven. Truly, so light, so deft was the artistry of
Daruka's son, his horses blazed along, and it seemed their hooves did not
touch the ground, it seemed they read the sarathy's very thoughts.
So effortlessly and swiftly did that chariot dart through and wheel
around Salvas force that they who watched were wonderstruck. Salva could
not bear this and shot three arrows at Pradyumna's charioteer. But he sped
on to the right, taking no notice of the shafts which pierced him.
Salva again loosed a shower of every kind of missile at Pradyumna. But
that Parantapa, Rukmini's son, smiled, and with breathtaking lightness of
hand cut them all down in flight. Salva used maya now and attacked
Pradyumna more savagely still. Using the Brahmastra, Pradyumna again
stopped those fell and powerful weapons, all the while shooting a stream of
winged arrows at Salva.
And delighting in blood, these shafts truncated Salvas missiles, and
flashed on to pierce his head, breast and his face. Salva fell senseless, and
Pradyumna aimed another arrow at him, one which could kill any enemy.
Seeing that great astra, which all the Dasarhas worship, burning like fire
and deadly as a serpent, fitted to Pradyumna's bowstring, the air was filled
with cries of Oh! and Alas!
Now, the Devas, led by Indra and the Lord of treasures, Kubera, sent
Narada down, and Vayu, the Wind God, whose speed is that of the mind.
Coming to Pradyumna, they gave him this message: "Kshatriya, you must
not kill Salva. Do not draw your astra, for you cannot kill him.
There is no man whom that arrow will not kill, but, Mahabaho, Brahma
has ordained his death at the hands of Devaki's son Krishna. Do not let what
Brahma has ordained be proved false."
Happily, Pradyumna withdrew that best of astras and thrust it back into
his quiver. Then, best of kings, wounded sorely by Pradyumna's arrows, the
mighty Salva rose, disheartened, and sped away. Afflicted by the Vrishnis,
Salva mounted his magical chariot and, leaving Dwaraka, flashed away into
the sky."
CANTO 20
rishna said, 'When Salva had left Dwaravati, I returned to it, O

King, upon the completion of your great Rajasuya yagna. On my
arrival, I found Dwaraka shorn of its splendour, and there were no sounds of
Vedic chanting or sacrificial offering.
All the lovely young women wore no ornaments, and the gardens were
desolated, no longer beautiful. Alarmed, I asked Hridika's son, "Why are
the men and women of the city woebegone, O tiger among men?"
Kritavarman then told me in detail about Salva's invasion of Dwaraka,
and also how he fled. Bharatottama, I decided to kill Salva. Cheerfully, I
said to King Ahuka and Anakadundubhi, and the other great Vrishni heroes,
'Yadavarishabhas, stay in the city, taking every care, for I now go forth to
kill Salva and I will not return to Dwaravati until I have.
I will come to you again when I have destroyed both Salva and his
precious Saubha. Now strike up the sharp, middle and flat notes of the
Dundubhi, which so terrifies our enemies!"
O Bharatarishabha, those Kshatriyas cried joyfully to me, "Go and slay
the enemy!"
Taking their blessings and having the Brahmanas chant auspicious
mantras, while I bowed down to those Dvijottamas, and to Siva also, I set
out in my chariot, yoked to my great steeds Saibya and Sugriva, filling all
the world with the clatter of my wheels and blowing on the Panchajanya,
best of all sankhas!
I set out accompanied by my redoubtable and ever victorious army,
consisting of the four kinds of forces and steadfast in battle. Passing over
many countries, mountains crowned with trees, and water bodies, lakes,
rivers and streams, I arrived at last in the country of Matrikavata.
There, Purushavyaghra, I heard that Salva flew in his aerial chariot,
which was also his township, his city, near the sea and I pursued him there.
Parantapa, I found him right in the midst of the billowing, heaving waves.
Seeing me from a distance, Yudhishtira, that evil one challenged me
repeatedly to fight. I loosed many arrows at him, great missiles, but they did
not penetrate his Saubha.
I grew angry, and the evil, powerful son of a Daitya began to shoot
thousands of arrows at me in a torrent. He covered my warriors, my sarathy
and my horses with arrows, but we fought on.
Salva's legions loosed more arrows, again in thousands, over me. They
mantled my ratha, my horses and Daruka with astras which could pierce
one's very entrails. Then, I could no longer see my chariot, horses or even
Daruka; my army and I were both shrouded in arrows.
Kaunteya, I chanted mantras to summon astras, and loosed tens of
thousands of them at the enemy. But the Saubha was far away, two yojanas,
and my warriors could not see it. They could only stand below on the
battlefield and, like spectators in an arena, cheer me with lions' roars and
loud handclapping.
My tinted arrows, meanwhile, pierced Danava bodies like fierce insects,
and there arose cries from within the Saubha of those who died by them,
and fell into the sea below. Arm and necks cut off, Danavas looking like
dismembered kabandhas fell, roaring horribly. Carnivores of the deep
devoured them hungrily.
I blew an echoing blast on the Panchajanya, which once rose from those
waters, and which is as graceful as a lotus-stalk, and white as milk, the
kunda flower, the moon, or as silver. Seeing his soldiers die, Salva began to
fight using maya, illusion.
He cast a tirade of maces, ploughshares, winged darts and lances,
javelins, battle-axes, daggers, arrows blazing like thunderbolts, nooses,
swords, bullets from barrels, other strange shafts, and missiles. I allowed
them to fly towards me, then dispelled the sorcery of which they were
made.
Salva now cast mountain peaks of maya at me. Then he created uncanny
weather changes - darkness and light, alternately, the day was now fair, and
now gloomy, now hot, and now cold. He caused a fierce shower of live
coals, hot ash and arrows to pour down over me.
With these illusions, he duelled with me; and I dispelled all his maya
with my own power, and also continued to loose thousands of shafts at the
Saubha. Suddenly, the dome of heaven blazed as with a hundred suns and
with a hundred moons, too, and millions of stars; and no one could tell if
this was day or night; no one could distinguish the points of the horizon.
Perplexed myself, I fitted the Pragnastra to my bowstring. That weapon
blew away Salva's sorcery in the sky even as the wind does wisps of cotton
wool. Now we had light again, and we fought fiercely once more, so those
who watched had their hair stand on end.'"
CANTO 21
rishna says, 'Tiger among men, Salva flew high into the sky again
and cast down blazing sataghnis, and mighty maces, and flaming
lances, and thick cudgels. I shot them all down as they flew at me, and the
sky echoed.
Salva covered Daruka, my horses and ratha with hundreds of straight,
deadly shafts. Daruka seemed about to faint and said to me, "Ah Krishna, I
am sorely wounded. I have not left the field only because it is my dharma to
stay. But my limbs turn weak and I cannot continue."
Hearing his piteous voice, I looked at him and saw he was wounded by
countless arrows. There was no place on his chest, his head, his arms or the
rest of his body from which fell arrows did not protrude. Blood flowed
profusely from his wounds, and he looked like a mountain of red chalk after
heavy rain.
Mahabaho, seeing Daruka wounded, I tried to embolden him and make
him cheerful.
Just then, a man from Dwaraka came running to my chariot with a
message from Ahuka. He seemed to be one of Ahuka's followers, and said
in a voice choking with sorrow, "Ahuka, the lord of Dwaraka, sends you
this message. Krishna, listen to what your father's friend says. O Vrishni,
irrepressible one, while you were away today, Salva came to Dwaraka,
seized your father Vasudeva by main force and killed him. No need for you
to fight anymore. Cease, Janardana, you must return to Dwaraka now; to
defend her is your only dharma."
My heart grew heavy, and I could not decide what to do. Inwardly I
blamed Satyaki, Baladeva, and the mighty Pradyumna, for when I left to
attack Salva I had given them charge of protecting Dwaraka and Vasudeva.
In grief I asked myself, "Does the mighty-armed Baladeva live, and
Satyaki, and Rukmini's son and Charudeshna of great prowess, and Samba
and the others? For, if they did, even Indra himself could not kill Vasudeva.
Ah, if Vasudeva is dead, surely all these others and Balarama, too, must also
be dead."
Yudhishtira, I was overwhelmed by grief, and in that condition I
encountered Salva again. And now I saw Vasudeva himself falling from the
Saubha! Oh, my father seemed like Yayati falling down to the earth when
he lost his punya; I saw my father fall like a luminary whose punya was
exhausted, his clothes in disarray, his helmet loose and his hair flowing free
and wild, and I swooned away.
The bow Saranga dropped from my hand and I had to sit down abruptly
in my chariot. My legions saw me thus, and their cries rent the air. Ah, my
father fell like a dead bird, and Salva's soldiers on the ground hewed
savagely at him with sword and axe.
At this my heart shook violently and I regained consciousness. O
Kshatriya, nowhere did I see my father or Salva or his Saubha made of
precious metals. I knew that it had all just been maya, the enemy's illusion,
and recovering quickly, I began to loose my arrows again, in hundreds.'"
CANTO 22
rishna continues, 'Seizing up my beautiful bow, I began to

decapitate the Danavas who rode in the Saubha. My Saranga
streamed arrows formed like serpents, of intense energy and which could
fly up to great heights.
Then, I did not see the Saubha anymore, for it had vanished through
maya. I was filled with wonder. However, the frightful Danava host set up a
loud and joyful howling. I fitted an astra to my bowstring, a missile which
would bury itself in an invisible enemy if only his voice was audible.
Immediately, their shouting stopped. However, those who had howled were
already slain by my arrows blazing like the sun.
When the shouts and yells stopped in one place, they broke out in
another, and there too I loosed my arrows. Bhaarata, the Asuras roared from
the ten directions, as well as from above and below, and all those who did
roar I slew: those that were in the sky and invisible, all with arrows of
diverse forms, and astras summoned with mantras.
Suddenly, the Saubha reappeared, of all places at Pragjyotishapura,
dazzling my eyes. The monstrous Danavas showered a lashing rain of great
rocks over me, covering me entirely, even like some vast anthill. Mighty
crags covered my horses, my charioteer and flagstaffs, and I could not be
seen anymore.
The Vrishni army panicked and fled in every direction. Seeing me
covered over with the massive stones, heaven and earth resounded with
shocked cries; all my kinsmen and comrades began to weep and wail aloud,
while grief tore at their hearts.
My enemies were delighted, so I heard after I had defeated the enemy!
Then, I wielded the Vajra, Indra's thunderbolt, which can rive the hardest
stone, and smashed the mountain of rocks. However, my horses could
hardly bear the weight of the rocks, and seemed on the point of death. They
trembled.
When my warriors saw me again they rejoiced as men do when the Sun
breaks out from behind dark clouds, dispelling darkness. Seeing my horses
almost at last gasp, sorely wounded by the mass of stones, my sarathy
Daruka said to me, "O Vrishni, look where Salva sits in his Saubha. Kill
him, Krishna! Abandon your mercy and mildness, Mahabaho, do not let
him live.
Parantapa, you must do everything in your power to kill your inveterate
enemies. A strong man should not disregard even a weak enemy who is
under his foot, then what to say of someone like Salva, who dares us to
fight? Tiger among men, Lord, exert yourself and kill him!
Do not delay any longer, this one cannot be vanquished with milder
methods. And surely, he that is fighting you so savagely, he who has
devastated Dwaraka, cannot be your friend!"
Kaunteya, listening to Daruka and knowing that what he said was true, I
turned my attention back to the battle, now meaning to kill Salva and
destroy his Saubha.
I said to Daruka, "Stay here a moment!", and I summoned my favourite
weapon, of fire, chakra of blazing energy, irresistible and splendid disc. I
cried to that great wheel, "Consume the Saubha and all the enemies inside
it!"
In anger, chanting mantras of power, I loosed the inexorable Sudarsana
Chakra, which makes ashes of Yakshas, Rakshasas, Danavas and kings born
into fell tribes, the disc sharp as a razor, stainless, which is even like Yama
the destroyer, and incomparable.
Spuming up into the sky, it seemed like another Sun of the blinding
fulgurance with which the yuga ends. Flashing at the airborne township, the
marvellous Saubha, whose glory vanished in a moment, the Chakra scythed
right through it, even as a saw divides a tree.
Cut in two by the Sudarsana, the Saubha fell like the city of Tripura
cloven by the shafts of Maheswara. When the Saubha fell, the Chakra flew
back into my hands. I cast it again, crying, "Go now to Salva!"
Salva was about to hurl a sorcerer's mace at me, when the Sudarsana
struck him, cut him in half and set him ablaze. When that fierce and valiant
Danava died, Asura women lamented everywhere, and were led away
sobbing.
I brought my chariot before the townlike vimana Saubha and joyfully
blew my conch, gladdening the hearts of my friends. Seeing their city, lofty
as the peak of Meru, with its palaces and gateways ruined, and all ablaze,
the Danavas fled in fear. Having thus destroyed the Saubha and slain Salva,
I returned to the Anartas and my kin and friends were delighted.
Rajan, this is why I could not come to Hastinapura. If I had come,
Suyodhana would not be alive nor would the game of dice have been
played. What can I do now? It is hard to confine the waters after a dam is
breached! "
Vaisampayana continued, "Having addressed the Kaurava thus, Krishna
Purushottama, Mahabaho, Madhusudana, owner of all grace, salutes the
Pandavas, and prepares to depart.
Reverently, he salutes Dharmaraja Yudhishtira, and in return the king
and Bhima, also, sniff the crown of his head affectionately. Arjuna
embraces Krishna, and the twins salute him with reverence. Dhaumya duly
honours Krishna, and Draupadi, in tears, worships him.
Making Subhadra and Abhimanyu climb into his golden chariot, Krishna
mounts it himself. After consoling Yudhishtira, Krishna sets out for
Dwaraka in his ratha resplendent as the Sun, chariot to which the horses
Saibya and Sugriva are yoked.
After the Dasarha has left, Dhrishtadyumna also sets out for his own
city, taking Draupadi's sons with him. Bidding farewell to the Pandavas,
Dhrishtaketu, king of Chedi, sets out for his beautiful city Suktimati, taking
his sister with him. The Kaikeyas, too, with leave from Yudhishtira of
immeasurable tejas, reverentially salute all the Pandavas, and depart.
But the Brahmanas, the Vaisyas and the other people of Yudhishtira's
kingdom will not leave the Pandavas, though asked repeatedly to do so.
Best of kings, extraordinary is the multitude that surrounds those
Mahatmans in the Kamyaka vana.
Yudhishtira honours those high-minded Brahmanas, then commands his
men, 'Prepare my chariot!'"
CANTO 23
aisampayana continued, "After Krishna leaves, Yudhishtira, Bhima,

Arjuna, and the twins, each of them as magnificent as Siva, with
Draupadi and their priest, climb into fine chariots yoked to pedigreed
horses, and drive into the jungle together.
As they go, they distribute nishkas of gold, clothes and cows to
Brahmanas versed in siksha, akshara and mantras, and twenty attendants
follow them, all carrying bows, more gleaming weapons, astras and other
engines of war. With the princess's clothes and ornaments, her maids and
her sakhis, Indrasena follows speedily in another chariot.
Approaching the best of Kurus, the noble-minded citizens walk around
him. The principal Brahmanas of Kurujangala cheerfully salute him, and
Dharmaraja Yudhishtira and his brothers salute them back in joy. The
illustrious king stops there a while, looking at the concourse of the
inhabitants of Kurujangala.
Yudhishtira feels for them as a father for his sons, and they also feel for
him what sons feel for their father. Coming up to the great Kuru, they stand
around him.
Taken with shyness, tears in their eyes, they all exclaim, "Alas, O Lord!
O Dharma!" And they say, "You are the lord of the Kurus, our king, and we
are your subjects. Where are you going, O king of dharma, leaving all these
your people, like a father leaving his sons?
Fie on the cruel son of Dhritarashtra! Fie on the evil-minded son of
Subala! Fie on Karna! For, O best of kings, who are steadfast in dharma,
these wretches always wish you ill.
Having established the unrivalled city of Indraprastha, splendid as
Kailasa itself, where do you go leaving it? O illustrious and just king, O
Dharmaptura, where do you go, leaving the peerless Mayaa Sabha, as
resplendent as the palace of the Devas, which is even like some divine
illusion, always guarded by the gods?"
Arjuna, who knows the ways of dharma, artha and kama, says to them in
a loud voice, "By living in the forest, the king means to take away the
honour of his enemies. O you with these Brahamans at your head, who
know dharma and artha, ask them privately what they believe will fetch us
supreme felicity."
When the Brahmanas and the other varnas hear what Arjuna says, they
salute Yudhishtira, that best of men. Walking reverently around the king—
Bhima, Arjuna, Yagnaseni, and the twins—and commanded by Yudhishtira,
they return to their homes in the kingdom with heavy hearts."
CANTO 24
aisampayana said, "After they have gone, Yudhishtira says to his

brothers, 'We must live in the forest for twelve years. So, search this
mighty vana for some spot which abounds in birds, deer, flowers and fruit, a
place that is beautiful, auspicious, and also where Sages dwell, so we might
live there pleasantly all those years.'
Arjuna says to his elder brother, as reverently as to a Guru, 'You have
worshipfully served all the great and old Rishis, and there is nothing in the
world of men that you do not know. Bharatarishabha, with the utmost
respect, you have waited upon great Brahmanas, Dwaipayana and others,
and Narada of great punya, who with their senses perfectly controlled,
journey freely from the gates of this world to those of the realms of the
Devas, the Gandharvas and the Apsaras, and even to Brahmaloka.
Beyond doubt, you know the mind of the Maharishis, as well as their
power. You also know, O King, what is best for us. We will live wherever
you say. Here in this forest called Dwaitavana is a lake full of holy water,
enchanting to look at, with its profusion of flowers and every kind of bird.
Rajan, if this place pleases you, shall we remain there for twelve years?
Or are you of a different mind?"
Yudhishtira replies, "Partha, what you say recommends itself to me. Let
us go the famed, great and sacred Dwaitavana."
Pandu's son goes towards the sacred lake known as Dwaitavana.
Yudhishtira is surrounded by many Brahmanas, some of whom sacrifice
with fire and some without it; some are devoted to the study of the Vedas,
living on alms and they are Vanaprasthas, forest-dwellers. The king is also
surrounded by hundreds of Mahatmans, of stern vows, their tapasya
crowned with success.
Those Bharatarishabhas, the Pandavs, and their Brahmanas, enter the
sacred and enchanting vana of Dwaita. At summer's end, Yudhishtira sees
the great jungle full of salas, palms, mango trees, madhukas, nipas,
kadambas, sarjas, arjunas and karnikaras, many of them covered with
flowers.
Flocks of peacocks, datyuhas, chakoras, varhins and kokilas sit on the
tops of the tallest trees, pouring down mellifluous songs. Mighty herds of
gigantic elephants, big as hills, he sees, with the juice of rut trickling down
their temples, accompanied by herds of cow-elephants.
Approaching the beautiful Saraswati, the king sees many Sannyasins,
and other ascetics, within that vana, all wearing valkala, with matted jata
upon their heads.
Alighting from his chariot, Yudhishtira enters the forest even like Indra
entering Devaloka. Hosts of Charanas and Siddhas, wanting to see that king
of dharma, come towards him. Quickly, the dwellers of the Dwaita throng
around that lion among kings, of the great intellect.
Saluting all the Siddhas, and saluted by them in return as a king or a god
should be, that best of men walks into the forest with folded hands, along
with those Dvijottamas. Yudhishtira sits down in the midst of those good
ascetics, at the foot of a magnificent tree, adorned with flowers, even as his
father Pandu had once.
All of them tired, Bhima, Dhananjaya, the twins, Panchali and their
followers, leave their chariots and sit around their king. And that mighty
tree, bent with the weight of thick creepers, with those five illustrious
bowmen sitting beneath it, looks like a mountain with five noble elephants
resting upon its side."
CANTO 25
aisampayana said, "In their distress, the exiled princes find a pleasant
place to live in the vana. And there in that jungle of plentiful Sala
trees, forest washed by the Saraswati, they who are like five Indras begin to
besport themselves.
The king devotes himself to befriending, serving and pleasing all the
Yatis, Munis and the main Brahmanas in that forest, with offerings of fine
fruit and roots. Dhaumya, their priest of tremendous tejas, and like a father
to the princes, begins to perform the sacrificial rites of Ishti and Paitreya for
the Pandavas in that great forest.
One day, the ancient Rishi Markandeya, of intense and abundant tejas,
arrives as a guest in the Pandavas' asrama. Yudhishtira pays devout homage
to the great Muni, revered by the devas, by Rishis and by men, and who is
as splendid as blazing fire.
Seeing Draupadi, Yudhishtira, Bhima and Arjuna living amongst ascetics
of the vana, the lustrous and all-knowing Sage smiles. Yudhishtira asks,
'Muni, all these hermits feel sad to see us here in the wilderness, but you
smile as if in joy. Why is it that you alone seem pleased?'
Markandeya replies, 'My child, I too feel sad and do not smile in any joy,
nor do I feel any satisfaction to see you here. But seeing you today I am
reminded of Dasaratha's son Rama, who lived in the forest at his father's
command.
Son of Pritha, I saw him in those olden days, ranging through the jungle,
his bow in his hand and Lakshmana beside him. I saw him on the hill of
Rishyamooka. Rama was like Indra, the lord of Yama himself, and the
slayer of Namuchi. Yet, that sinless one had to live in the forest at his
father's command, and he accepted that as his dharma.
Yes, Rama was Sakra's equal in prowess; he was invincible in battle. Yet,
abandoning all luxury and pleasure he went to live in the vana. So no one
should sin, or leave dharma thinking I am mighty!
The king Nabhaga, Bhagiratha and others, too, subdued the Earth
bounded by seas, only through dharma, and finally gained the realms
beyond. Child, no one should leave dharma, thinking I am mighty!
Noblest of men, the virtuous and honest king of Kasi and Karusha was
called a mad dog for relinquishing his kingdom and his wealth. No one
should sin, saying I am mighty!
Best of men, O son of Pritha, the Saptarishis blaze in the sky for having
followed the eternal dharma which the Creator has laid down in the Vedas.
Ah, no one should leave dharma, thinking I am mighty!
Behold, O King, mighty elephants, tusked and great as mountain cliffs
do not transgress the laws of the Creator. So, too, no man should break
dharma thinking Might is mine! Best of kings, look how every creature and
species follows its own nature and law, as created by God. Surely, no one
should break dharma saying Might is mine!
Prithaputra, in truth, in virtue, in righteous conduct and in humility you
have surpassed all creatures, and your fame and brilliance are as those of
Agni or Surya. You are steadfast in keeping your word, and when you have
passed your painful exile in the forest you will take back your lambent
fortune from the Kauravas, through your own might!'
Saying this much to Yudhishtira, who sits among his friends and the
ascetics of the forest, the Maharishi Markandeya salutes Dhaumya and the
Pandavas and walks away towards the north."
CANTO 26
aisampayana said, "While the Pandavas live in the forest, the

Dwaitavana teems with Brahmanas. The lake always resounds with
Vedic chanting, and is like a second holy Brahmaloka, as the very air thrills
to the sounds of the Yajus, the Riks, the Samas, and other incantations.
These chants mingle with the twanging of the bowstrings of the sons of
Pandu, creating a union of Brahmana and Kshatriya customs, noble and
beautiful.
One evening, the Rishi Baka of the Dalbhya clan says to Yudhishtira
who sits among the Brahmanas, 'Look, lord of the Kurus, it is the time of
the homa and the sacred fires have been lit. All these Brahmanas of stern
vows sanctify this place with their rituals.
The descendants of Bhrigu and Angiras, along with those of Vasishta
and Kasyapa, the illustrious sons of Agastya, the offspring of Atri, indeed
all the foremost Brahmanas of the world are here with you! Listen, O
Kaunteya, you and your brothers, to what I have to say to you.
As fire helped by the wind consumes a forest, so will Brahmana tejas
combining with Kshatriya might consume all enemies. My child, he who
wants to subdue this world and the next must never be without Brahmanas
beside him. A king vanquishes his enemies only when he has for his priest a
Brahmana who knows dharma, worldly affairs, and is free from passion and
folly.
King Bali, who loved his subjects, performed his dharma, which led to
moksha, knowing of no other means to achieve his ends other than the
Brahmanas. For this alone all the wishes of Virochana's son, the Asura,
were always gratified, and his wealth was inexhaustible.
He gained the whole world with the help of Brahmanas, and found
destruction when he wronged them. This Earth, with her treasures, never for
long adores as her lord a Kshatriya who lives without a Brahmana. The
same sea-girt Bhumi, however, bows to him who is ruled by a Brahmana
and taught his dharma by a Brahmana. Like an elephant in battle without
his mahout, a Kshatriya destitute of Brahmanas dwindles in power.
The Brahmanas vision is without compare, and the Kshatriyas might is
also unparalleled. When these combine, the whole world joyfully yields to
the twain. As fire becomes stronger blown by the wind, and consumes straw
and wood, so do kings with Brahmanas consume all foes.
To gain what he has not, and to increase what he has, a Kshatriya should
take the counsel of Brahmanas. Therefore, O son of Kunti, you also keep a
Brahmana of repute with you, one who knows the Vedas, a man of wisdom
and experience. Yudhishtira, you have always had the highest regard for
Brahmanas. It is because of this that your fame is great and blazes through
the three worlds.'
All the Brahmanas there are delighted to hear Baka of the Dalbhya clan
praise Yudhishtira and they, in turn, worship Baka. Dwaipayana, Narada,
Jamadagnya and Prithusravas; Indradyumna and Bhaluki and Kritachetas
and Sahasrapat; and Karnasravas and Munja and Lavanaswa and Kasyapa;
and Harita and Sthunakarna and Agnivesya and Saunaka; and Kritavak and
Suvaka, Brihadaswa and Vibhavasu; and Urdhvaretas and Vrishamitra and
Suhotra and Hotravahana - these and many other Brahmanas, too, then
adore Yudhishtira even like Rishis adoring Purandara in heaven!"
CANTO 27
aisampayana said, "Exiled to the forest, one evening as they sit

together, in some sorrow, the sons of Pritha and Draupadi speak to one
another.
Beautiful, knowing, beloved of her lords and devoted to them, Panchali
says to Yudhishtira, 'Ah, when Dhritarashtra's cruel, sinful son could send
us into the vana wearing deerskin, surely the evil one feels no twinge of
remorse. His heart is made of iron, that he could speak to you, his elder
brother, as harshly as he did.
No, causing you, who deserve every happiness, such distress, the evil
one rejoices with his friends. O Bhaarata, when you were sent into exile
only four men did not shed a tear: Duryodhana, Kama, the vile Sakuni and
the beast Dussasana. All the other Kurus grieved and they wept.
Seeing this harsh bed on which you sleep, I think of what you had before
and I grieve for you, O King who were raised in every luxury and do not
deserve the least hardship. I think of the jewelled ivory throne in your court,
and now I see you on this seat of kusa grass, and grief devours me.
Rajan, I saw you surrounded by kings in your sabha. What peace can my
heart know seeing you like this today? I have seen your body anointed with
sandalwood paste, and now I see you smeared with dust and mud. I saw you
clad in royal silken robes, and now I see you wearing rags.
Once, the purest, finest food was carried from your palace in golden
plates to thousands of Brahmanas, and you fed delicacies to ascetics, both
homeless and grihastas. You lived in your palace once and worshipped the
Brahmanas of the earth, satisfying their every wish.
Yudhishtira, what peace can my heart now have, seeing all this? These
brothers of yours, young and wearing the costliest ornaments, were once
clad in the most expensive clothes and fed by the greatest cooks. Alas, I see
them all now, none deserving sorrow, living in the wild, upon what the
wilderness yields.
O King, my heart knows no peace! Thinking of this Bhimasena living in
sorrow in the vana, does your anger not blaze up? Why are you not wrathful
seeing Bhima, who always did everything for us all, now plunged in grief,
though it is every happiness that he deserves? Why does your fury not blaze
seeing Bhima, who once lived amidst every luxury, with countless chariots
and wearing the most superior clothes, like this today, in this jungle?
This noble one is ready to kill all the Kurus, but he contains his rage and
his grief to keep your solemn word.
Arjuna, O Rajan, has but two hands, but he is equal to Kartaviryarjuna of
a thousand arms in his prodigious archery. To his enemies, he is even like
Yama himself. Was it not through his prowess that all the kings of the Earth
waited upon the Brahmanas at your Rajasuya yagna?
How is it that seeing Arjuna, tiger among men, whom both men and the
gods worship, in this wretchedness, you anger does not blaze up? I grieve,
O Bhaarata, that you are not wrathful at seeing this son of Pritha in exile -
Arjuna who deserves no such misery, who had been raised in the lap of
every luxury.
Why are you not furious, seeing Arjuna in exile, Arjuna who in a single
chariot vanquished the Devas, the Manavas and the Nagas, all? Why are
you not furious seeing Arjuna in exile, Arjuna who was honoured with
offerings of chariots, horses and elephants, who forcibly took from the
kings of the Earth their treasures, who is the conqueror of all foes, who in
one moment can loose five hundred arrows? Why are you not furious
seeing Nakula in exile, Nakula so fair, able-bodied and young, who is
foremost among swordsmen? How can you pardon your enemy, O
Yudhishtira, seeing Madri's son, the handsome and brave Sahadeva, in
exile? Why are you not furious seeing both Nakula and Sahadeva
overwhelmed by grief, though so undeserving of it?
How can you pardon your enemy while seeing me in exile, I who am
Drupada's daughter, Dhrishtadyumna's sister, illustrious Pandu's daughter-
in-law and the devoted wife of the Pandavas? Truly, O Bhaarata, you are
incapable of anger, for how else is it that you are not moved seeing your
brothers' distress and mine? It is said that there is no Kshatriya in the world
who is free of anger, that the Kshatriya who does not find his anger when
the need arises is forever disrespected by all creatures.
O King, you should not forgive your enemies. With your power, you can
defeat them all. Know also that the Kshatriya who does not forgive when
the time for forgiveness comes is cursed by every creature and meets with
destruction both in this world and the next.'"
CANTO 28
raupadi continues, 'Once, Vali, son of Virochana, questioned his

grandfather Prahlada, the chief of the Asuras and the Danavas,
possessed of great wisdom and versed in the subtleties of dharma, saying,
"Sire, is forgiveness greater, or strength and anger? I am unsure, Pitama,
enlighten me! Tell me, since you know dharma so well, which is better? I
will do whatever you command."
Prahlada said, "Know this truth with certainty - neither anger nor
forgiveness is invariably greater! He that forgives suffers many ills.
Servants and strangers and enemies disrespect him. No creature bows down
to him. So it is that the learned do not approve constant forgiveness.
The servants of an ever-forgiving person will seek to deprive him of his
wealth and belongings. They do not give others the things that they are
directed to by their master, nor do they give their master the respect that is
his due. Dishonour is worse than death. My child, sons, servants, attendants,
and even strangers speak harshly to the man who always forgives.
Disregarding this man, people even desire his wife, and his wife also
behaves as she pleases. Servants who are not punished by their master
acquire all sorts of vices, and some even injure such a master. These and
many other ills afflict the ever forgiving.
Listen now, O son of Virochana, to the troubles of those that never
forgive. The man of wrath who, surrounded by darkness, uses his strength
to constantly inflict punishment on others, whether deserved or not, is
separated from his friends. Such a man is hated by both relatives and
strangers. Such a man, because he insults others, loses his wealth and reaps
disregard, sorrow, hatred, bewilderment and enemies.
Because of his ire, the man of wrath listens to harsh words, is parted
from his friends, relatives, prosperity and his very life. He who uses his
strength against both his friend and his foe, is an object of alarm to the
world, as a snake who has taken shelter in a house is to its residents. What
prosperity can he have who alarms the world? People will hurt him
whenever they have an opportunity.
So, men should never use strength in excess, nor forgiveness on all
occasions. One should use might and show forgiveness when appropriate.
He who forgives at the proper time and is angry at the proper time finds
happiness both in this world and the next.
I will now tell you in detail about the occasions prescribed by the Sages
for forgiveness, which everyone should observe. Listen carefully. If
someone who has once done you a service wrongs you, even grievously, he
must be forgiven in remembrance of the old service. Those who offend
because they are ignorant or callow should be forgiven because not all men
are learned or wise.
However, those who wrong you knowingly, even if their offence be
trivial and they plead ignorance, must be punished. Such false, crooked men
should never be pardoned. Although every man's first offence should be
forgiven, the second you must punish, even if it is trivial.
But if a man offends you unwittingly, and his plea of ignorance is found
to be true after a judicious and thorough enquiry, he should be pardoned.
Humility will vanquish might; humility will also vanquish weakness; there
is nothing which humility cannot accomplish. Truly, humility is fiercer than
it seems!
One must act in accordance with place and time, taking note of his own
strength or weakness. No undertaking which does not take place and time
into account can succeed; always wait upon place and time. Sometimes,
offenders should be forgiven from fear of the people. These have been
declared to be times for forgiveness, while on other occasions force should
be put forth against offenders."'
"Draupadi continues, 'O King, I believe that this is the time to use your
strength and force. Dhritarashtra's greedy sons always seek to harm us, and
this is no time to forgive them but to use your power against them.
The ever humble and forgiving person is disregarded; while those that
are always fierce and persecute others are despised. But he is indeed a king,
who takes recourse to both, each at their proper time.'"
CANTO 29
udhishtira says, 'Anger is the slayer of men and is again V their

prosperor. Wise one, know that anger is the root of all prosperity
and all adversity. Beautiful one, he who restrains his anger prospers, while
he who gives in always to his rage reaps adversity.
In this world, anger is the cause of the destruction of every being; then
how can one like me indulge my anger, when it can destroy the very world.
The angry man commits sin. The angry man kills even his Gurus. The angry
man insults even his elders with harsh words.
The man who is angry cannot distinguish between what he should and
should not say. There is nothing that an angry man will not do, no vile word
that an angry man will not utter. In anger a man might kill someone who
does not deserve killing, and he might worship another who deserves to die.
The angry man might even send his own soul to the land of Yama.
Seeing all this clearly, the wise control their anger, wishing for great
prosperity both in this world and the next. This is why serene souls banish
anger, then how can I indulge in wrath?
Draupadi, I reflect on this, and do not allow my anger to be excited. He
who does not respond to an angry man saves himself and others from great
fear. Indeed, he can be regarded as the physician of both himself and the
angry man.
If a weak man is persecuted by men who are stronger than himself, and
foolishly turns his anger on them, he causes his own downfall. Such a one
who deliberately throws away his life gains no realms of felicity in the
hereafter. So, Draupadi, a weak man should always suppress his anger. And
the wise man who, even though wronged, does not allow his anger to be
roused, passing over his persecutor in indifference, enjoys great happiness
in the next world.
This is why it has been said that, be he strong or weak, the wise man
forgives his enemy. Panchali, this is why the good applaud those who have
conquered their wrath. Sage men believe that the honest and forgiving man
is always victorious.
Truth is ever more beneficial than falsehood, and gentleness than cruelty.
Then how can one like me show anger even to kill Duryodhana, when anger
has so many faults, anger which men of dharma banish from their souls?
The wise surely regard those who only outwardly show anger as being men
of character. Men of learning and true insight call him who can control his
provoked anger, through his wisdom, a man of character.
O you of the fair hips, the angry man does not see things in their true
light. He does not see his way or respect anyone. The angry man kills even
those that do not deserve killing. The man of wrath kills even his
preceptors. So, the man of character must always banish wrath to a distance.
The man who is overwhelmed by anger does not easily acquire
generosity, dignity, courage, skill, and the other qualities which belong with
true character. By forsaking anger a man can show his strength and energy
at the proper time, while this is very difficult for the angry man to do.
Fools regard anger as being equivalent to strength, but wrath has been
given to man for the destruction of the world. So, the man who wishes to
live in dharma must always forsake anger. For sure, those who abandon the
virtues of their svadharma indulge anger.
Faultless one, if fools, their minds full of darkness, trangresss dharma in
every way, should I be like them and do the same? If there were none
among men equal to the Earth in forgiveness, there would be no peace in
the world, but ceaseless strife caused by wrath.
If the injured return their injuries, if one chastised by his superior were
to chastise his superior in return, the consequence would be the destruction
of every creature, and sin would prevail throughout the world.
If the man who is spoken harshly to speaks back savagely in turn, if
fathers kill sons and sons their fathers, if husbands kill wives, and wives
husbands, Draupadi, how can there be any births into such a world where
anger held such sway? For, lovely one, know that men are born because
there is peace.
Panchali, if kings yield to wrath, their subjects quickly find death. The
consequence of anger is distress and destruction for the people. It is because
there are men who are as forgiving as the Earth that all beings live and
prosper. One should forgive every injury, for every species and race
continues because man is forgiving.
Truly, the wise and excellent man, who has conquered his anger, is he
who forgives even when he is insulted, persecuted and infuriated by a
strong enemy. The man of power who controls his anger enjoys countless
everlasting realms, while the angry man is known to be a fool and finds
destruction both in this and the other world.
O Krishnaa, the illustrious and forgiving sang this of men who are
always forgiving:
"Forgiveness is virtue; forgiveness is sacrifice; forgiveness is the Vedas,
forgiveness is the Sruti. He who knows this can forgive anything.
Forgiveness is Brahman; forgiveness is truth; forgiveness is punya;
forgiveness protects the punya of the future; forgiveness is sannyasa;
forgiveness is holiness; and by forgiveness the universe is held together.
Men of forgiveness attain the realms gained by those who perform great
tapasya, or those who are masters of the Vedas, or those that have great
ascetic merit. Those who perform Vedic yagnas, as also those who perform
other sacred karma obtain lesser realms, while men of forgiveness find the
adored realms which are in Brahmaloka. Forgiveness is the might of the
mighty; forgiveness is sacrifice; forgiveness is quiet of mind."
How, Krishnaa, can someone like me abandon forgiveness, in which
Brahman, truth, wisdom and the worlds are founded? Kasyapa said, "The
man of wisdom should always forgive, for when he is capable of forgiving
everything, he attains Brahman.
This world belongs to those that are forgiving; the other world is also
theirs. The forgiving find honour here, and a state of blessedness hereafter.
Men who subdue even their anger through forgiveness gain the loftiest
realms. So has it been said that forgiveness is the highest virtue."
So did Kasyapa sing of those who are ever forgiving. Panchali, having
heard what he said, content yourself. Do not give way to your anger!
Our Pitama, Santanu's son Bhishma, will worship peace; Krishna, the
son of Devaki, will worship peace; Acharya Drona and Vidura will both
speak of peace; Kripa and Sanjaya also will preach peace; and Somadatta
and Yuyutsu and Drona's son and our grandsire Vyasa, every one of them
always speaks of peace.
Urged constantly by these towards peace, I believe that Dhritarashtra
will return our kingdom to us. However, if he yields to temptation, he will
meet with destruction. Panchali, a crisis has entered the history of the
Bhaaratas to plunge them into doom. For some time now, I have been
convinced of this.
Suyodhana does not deserve the kingdom, and that is why he has not
discovered forgiveness; I, however, do, and for that, forgiveness has
possessed me. Forgiveness and gentleness are the qualities of the reposed
man. They represent eternal virtue, and I will embrace these gunas.'"
CANTO 30
raupadi says, 'I bow down to Dhatri and Vidhatri who have so
clouded your good sense! You think differently from your sires and
grandsires about the burden you bear.
Influenced by karma, men find themselves in various circumstances of
life. Karma produces inevitable consequences; we wish for emancipation
from mere folly.
It seems that man can never attain prosperity in this world through
virtue, gentleness, forgiveness, honesty and fear of censure. If this were not
so, O Bhaarata, this intolerable calamity would never have overtaken you,
who are so undeserving of it, and your brothers of great tejas.
Neither in your days of prosperity nor in these of adversity, O Bhaarata,
have you held anything as dear as dharma, which you hold even dearer than
life. The Brahmanas, your elders, even the Devas know that your kingdom
and your life are for dharma alone.
You will abandon Bhimasena, Arjuna, these twin sons of Madri and me,
but you cannot leave dharma. I have heard that the king protects dharma,
and dharma protects him in return. But I do not see that dharma protects
you.
Like his shadow pursues a man, your heart, O Purushavyaghra, single-
mindedly always seeks dharma. Never have you disregarded your equals,
your inferiors or superiors. Even gaining the whole world, pride never
touched you.
O son of Pritha, you always adore the Brahmanas, the Devas and the
Pitrs, with swadhas, and other forms of worship. Kaunteya, you gratify
Brahmanas by fulfilling their every wish. Yatis, Sannyasins and Grihastas
have always been fed in your house from plates of gold, and I served their
food.
You always give gold and food to Vanaprasthas. Why, there was nothing
in your house which you would not give away to Brahmanas. During the
Viswadeva sacrifice, conducted for your peace, in your palace, the
consecrated offerings were always first given to sadasyas and every other
living being, while you contented yourself with whatever was leftover.
Ishti Pasubandhas, sacrifices for obtaining fruition of desires, the
religious rites of domesticity, Paka sacrifices, and sacrifices of other kinds
were constantly performed in your royal house.
Even in this great forest so solitary and haunted by robbers, living in
exile, divested of your kingdom, your dharma has sustained no diminution.
You performed the Aswamedha, the Rajasuya, the Pundarika, and Gosava,
the grandest yagnas which demand prodigious gifts and charity.
Rajan, yet during the dire game of dice, perversity moved you to wager
me as a stake? You lost your kingdom, your wealth, your weapons, your
brothers, and me! You are simple, gentle, liberal, modest and truthful; how,
Rajan, could your mind be attracted to the vice of gambling?
Ah, grief overwhelms my heart and I am losing my mind to see this
distress of yours, this calamity. Surely, it is true that men are subject to the
will of God and never to their own wishes. The Supreme Lord and Ordainer
of all things ordains every joy and sorrow, all the happiness and misery of
all creatures, even before they are born, in accordance with their karma
which is like a seed destined to sprout into this tree of life.
O Kshatriya, God moves men as a puppeteer does his wooden puppets
with his wires. Even as akasa covers everything, God pervades every
creature, and ordains its weal or woe. As a bird tied with a string, every
creature depends on God. Everyone is subject to God and none else. No one
can decide his own fate.
Like a pearl on its string, or a bull held by the rope through its nose, or a
tree fallen from the bank into the river, every creature follows God's
command because they are imbued with His Spirit and because they are
established in Him.
Dependent on the Universal Soul, man cannot pass a moment
independently. Enveloped in darkness, creatures are not masters of their
own joy or sorrow. They go to heaven or hell urged by God Himself.
Like light straws fly on strong winds, all creatures, O Bhaarata, fly on
God's will. And God pervades all creatures, engaged in deeds right and
wrong; He moves in the universe, but none can say This is God.
This body is only the means through which God causes every creature to
reap fruits of karma, good and bad. Ah, look at God's maya which
confounds men and makes them kill their fellows.
Truth-knowing Munis see these bodies differently, as rays of the Sun,
which is the Lord, while ordinary men see the things of the Earth otherwise.
God creates them all, each one uniquely born and destroyed. O Yudhishtira,
Brahma the Pitamaha spreads his maya and kills his creatures through the
agency of other creatures, even as one might split a piece of wood with
another, crack a stone with another stone or break a piece of iron with an
iron rod.
Lord sports with his creatures, creating and destroying them at his
pleasure, like a child with his toy. O King, it does not seem to me that God
treats his creatures as a father or a mother does their children. Rather, like a
vicious man, he seems to treat them with anger, maliciously.
Ah, I am deeply troubled seeing good, superior men persecuted, while
sinners thrive and are happy I cannot think or speak well of the Great
Ordainer seeing your distress and Suyodhana's prosperity. How can God
suffer such iniquity?
What does He gain by allowing Duryodhana, who breaks every sacred
law, who is greedy and crooked, who grievously harms dharma, to prosper?
If a deed done pursues the doer and none else, then certainly it is God
himself who is stained with the sin of every act. If however, the sin of an
action does not attach to the doer, then might and not God is the true cause
of whatever happens, and I grieve for those who are weak and have no
prowess!'"
CANTO 31
udhishtira says, 'You speak beautifully, Yagnaseni, your words

smooth, your phrases delightful. I have listened carefully to what
you say, but you speak the language of atheism. Princess, I never do
anything for the fruits of what I do. I give because it is my duty to give; I
sacrifice because it is my duty to sacrifice. Krishnaa, I do to the best of my
ability whatever a grihasta should do, regardless of whether what I do
benefits me or not.
Round-hipped one, I act virtuously not from the desire to reap the fruits
of virtue, but so that I do not break the ordinances of the Veda, and also
with an eye on the conduct of the good and wise. Krishnaa, my heart is
drawn naturally towards virtue.
The man who wishes to reap the fruit of virtue is a trader in virtue. His
nature is base, and he can never be counted among the virtuous; nor does he
ever gain the fruit of his actions.
The man of sinful heart, who does a virtuous thing, but doubts dharma in
his mind - he, too, does not obtain the fruits of his deed, because of his
scepticism. I speak to you by the authority of the Vedas, which constitute
the highest proof in these matters - you must never doubt dharma.
The man who doubts dharma is destined to be born into bestial species.
The man of weak understanding who doubts religion, virtue or the words of
the Rishis, is excluded from the realms of immortality and bliss, even as are
Sudras from the Vedas!
Intelligent one, if a young child born into a noble race studies the Vedas
and conducts himself virtuously, great Rajarishis regard him as a mature
Sage, notwithstanding his years. But the sinner that doubts dharma and
transgresses the scriptures, is regarded as even lower than Sudras and
robbers.
With your own eyes, you have seen the Maharishi Markandeya of
immeasurable soul come to us. Through dharma alone did he acquire
immortality in his very body.
Vyasa, Vasishta, Maitreya, Narada, Lomasa, Suka and other Rishis have
all been purified through dharma alone. You see them with your own eyes
as having the power of divine asceticism, able to curse or bless, and
superior to the Devas themselves.
Anagha, sinless one, all these, equal to the Devas, look at what is written
in the Vedas and describe virtue as the foremost dharma. Sweet Queen, so it
does not become you to either doubt or censure God, or to act rashly.
The fool that doubts religion and disregards virtue, being proud of his
own reasoning, does not regard other great reasons, and thinks of the Rishis,
who see into past, present and the future, as being madmen.
The fool regards only the external world as being capable of gratifying
his senses, and is blind to everything else. He who doubts religion finds no
expiation. The miserable one is full of anxiety and gains no realms of bliss
hereafter. A heretic, a slanderer of the Veda, a sinner moved by lust and
greed, he goes to hell.
On the other hand, he who always cherishes dharma with faith finds
eternal bliss in the other world; while the fool who not does keep dharma,
disregarding all the proofs which the Rishis offer, does not prosper in any
life. Have no doubt, lovely one, that he who pays no heed to what the Rishis
say, and to their lives as living proof, he finds no joy in this world or the
next.
Draupadi, do not doubt the ancient dharma which good men live by, the
religion framed by Sages of universal knowledge, who can see all things.
Dharma is the only raft for those who want to find heaven, even as a ship is
to merchants who want to cross the sea.
Faultless one, if the dharma by which men of dharma live were fruitless,
all the universe would be shrouded in infamous darkness. No one would
then pursue moksha; no one would seek to acquire knowledge or even
wealth, but men would live like beasts. If sannyasa, the austerities of
brahmacharya, sacrifices, study of the Vedas, charity, honesty were all
fruitless, men would not have practised dharma and virtue, generation after
generation.
If all karma was fruitless, dreadful chaos would prevail. Think, why do
Rishis and Devas and Gandharvas and Rakshasas, all of whom are not
human, treasure dharma with such love? Knowing for certain that God
rewards the practise of dharma, they all observe dharma. Dharma, Panchali,
is eternal prosperity.
While we see the fruit of both gyana and tapasya, dharma and adharma,
virtue and sin, cannot be without their fruit. Krishnaa, just think of the
circumstances of your own birth, as you have heard of it, and the birth of
the mighty Dhrishtadyumna. O you of the sweet smiles, what better proof
of the value of dharma?
They that have their minds under control reap the fruit of their actions,
and are content with little. The ignorant are not content with what they
receive here, however much it might be, because they have no joy born of
virtue to inherit in the hereafter.
When dharma and adharma appear to prove fruitless, and the very origin
of all karma - why, my beautiful one, these are mysterious even to the gods.
Not everyone knows these things, certainly not ordinary men. The Devas
preserve the mystery, for the maya which obscures what the gods do is
inscrutable.
Those regenerate ones who have destroyed all desire, who have founded
their aspirations on vratas, sannyasa and tapasya, who have burnt up all
their sins, and in whose minds and hearts quietness, peace and holiness
dwell - they understand all these.
So, though you might not see the fruits of dharma, you must never doubt
dharma or the gods. You must perform sacrifices with a will, and practise
charity without insolence. All karma in this world has its fruit, and dharma
is eternal. Brahma himself told this to his sons, as Kasyapa has said. So, let
your doubts be dispelled like mist, Draupadi. Reflecting on all this; let your
scepticism give way to faith.
Do not slander God, who is the lord of all creatures. Learn how to know
him. Bow down to him. Do not let your mind be sad, and never disregard
the Supreme Being through whose grace mortal men, with piety, find
immortality!'"
CANTO 32
raupadi says, 'Son of Pritha, I never disregard or slander dharma.

Why would I disregard God, the lord of all creatures? O Bhaarata, I
am griefstricken and ranting. Yet, I will lament again, and you must listen to
me.
O Parantapa, every conscious creature must certainly perform karma in
this world. Only the immobile, not other beings, may live without doing.
Immediately after its birth the calf sucks its mother's teat. Why, men feel
pain when fell mantras are chanted using their statues.
So, O Yudhishtira, it seems that beings derive the character of their lives
from their karma of past births. Among the mobile, man differs from the
rest in that he aspires to affect the course of his life in this and the other
world through his deeds.
All creatures visibly reap the fruit of their karma of past lives. Indeed, all
creatures exist because of past karma, even Brahma, the Creator and the
Ordainer of the Universe, even as a crane lives, untaught, in water. If a
creature does nothing, it cannot live; all beings must act.
You must also act, and not incur censure by abandoning karma. Cover
yourself with deeds, as with armour. Among a thousand men, there is
perhaps one who truly knows the worth of karma, of action. One must act to
protect oneself, and to increase one's wealth, for if a man only spends
without earning, even if he owns a hoard as great as Himavan, it will
quickly be exhausted.
But for karma, doing, all the creatures of this world would have become
extinct. If karma bore no fruit, the created would never have multiplied. We
see that at times men perform karma even though it bears no fruit, for
without doing, life's course itself would be impossible.
Those in this world who believe in destiny, and those again who believe
in chance, are both the worst among men. Only those that believe in the
efficacy of karma are laudable. He who does nothing, believing just in
destiny is soon destroyed, even like an unburnt earthen pot in water. Also,
he that believes in chance and sits idle though he can act, does not live long,
for his life is one of weakness and helplessness.
If a man gains wealth without effort, it is told that he does so by chance;
if he acquires fortune through religious rites, it is deemed providential. But
the fruit gained through his own actions is proof of his ability.
Best of men, wealth gained through chance is called spontaneous
acquisition; wealth thus gained is through the karma of a previous life. God
dispenses the fruit of the karma of past lives to men in this world -good and
bad.
This body is only the instrument in God's hands for the performance of
karma; inert of itself, it does what God urges it to. Kaunteya, it is the
Supreme Lord of all who makes every creature do what it does. The
creatures themselves are inert.
O Kshatriya, deciding upon some purpose in his mind, man
accomplishes it, working with his intelligence. Thus we say that man
himself is the cause of what he does. Purusharishabha, it is impossible to
count the deeds of men, for mansions and cities are the result of man's
deeds.
Intelligent men know that oil may be had from sesame, curds from milk,
and that food can be cooked by igniting fuel. They also know the means for
accomplishing all these; and knowing them, they use the required
appliances to accomplish them. Through what they do, men support their
lives.
If a skilled workman does something, it is well executed; and the
opposite happens if a thing is done by an unskilful hand. In karma, if a man
was not himself his own karma's doer and cause, then no sacrifice would
bear any fruit for him, and nor would anyone be a Guru or a sishya.
It is because a man himself is the cause of his work that he is applauded
when he achieves success; and he is censured when he fails. If this were not
so, how would praise and blame be justified?
Some say that everything is the result of Providence; others, that this is
not so, but that everything is the result of the karma, good and bad, of past
lives. Chance fetches possessions, as also does destiny; some things are
gained through exertion; there is no fourth cause — so say those who know
the truth, men of gyana.
However, if God himself did not dispense good and bad fruit, then there
would be no misery among the created. If the effects of past karma are a
myth, then a man would achieve everything for which he strives. So, those
who believe that chance, destiny and effort are the only causes of success,
and who deny the effects of karma from past lives, are dull, why, inert as
the body itself.
Yet, a man must act; Manu himself has said so. He who does not act,
surely succumbs, O Yudhishtira. While the man of action usually finds
success in this world, the idle never succeed. If success becomes
impossible, one seeks to remove the obstacles on one's path to it.
Rajan, if a man works, his debts of karma are paid, whether he succeeds
or not. Adversity overtakes the idle man, while the active, skilful one will
certainly prosper. Intelligent men, who engage confidently in karma, regard
others as being faithless and failures. They think of the confident and the
faithful as being men of success.
Misery has found us now, but if you act against it, it will surely be
removed. If you fail, it will prove that Bhima, Arjuna and the twins cannot
take the kingdom back. But since the efforts of most men meet with
success, it is likely that we shall also have what we strive for.
How can anyone predict whether we shall win or lose? Only if you act
will you know what fruit your action will bring. The tiller tills the soil with
his plough and sows seeds. He then sits quiet, for only the clouds can bring
the rain which will make his seeds grow into plants. If the clouds do not
favour him, he is absolved from blame.
He says to himself, "I have done what others do. If despite this I have
failed, the fault is not mine," and he does not reproach himself.
O Bhaarata, no one should despair saying, "Oh, I am doing what I
should yet success is not mine!"
For there are two other causes, besides exertion, for success. One should
never despair about the success or failure of any undertaking because both
depend upon the concatenation of many circumstances. If one important
element is wanting, success does not come immediately, sometimes not at
all. But without exertion there can never be any success.
Nor is there anything to applaud in abstaining from action. The
intelligent put forth all their might, bringing together time, place, means and
auspicious rites to acquire prosperity. With care and vigilance a man must
set himself to his task, his main strength being his prowess. In the union of
qualities needed to succeed in any undertaking prowess, ability, seems to be
the main.
When the intelligent man sees that his enemy is superior to himself in
many ways, he should seek success through conciliation. But he must wish
his enemy ill and seek his banishment. Why speak of mortal men, even if
his enemy were the ocean or the mountains, these motives should guide
him.
A man who seeks to strike at his enemy's weaknesses discharges his
dharma to himself and his own. No man should ever disparage himself, for
he who does, never finds great prosperity. O Bhaarata, only through such
endeavour can success be found in this world. Indeed, success in the world
depends on acting when the time and circumstances are ripe.
My father used to keep a learned Brahmana with him. Bharatarishabha,
he said all this to my father. My brothers first heard these tenets of dharma,
uttered by Brihaspati himself. It was from them that I heard these, later, in
my father's house. Yudhishtira, whenever I had time, I would go and sit on
my father's lap, and that knowing Brahmana would recite these truths to me,
sweetly consoling me by what he said!'"
CANTO 33
aisampayana said, "Bhimasena listens to Draupadi, and sighing in

anger, approaches the king and says to him, 'Walk, O Rajan, on the
ancient path trodden by great kings who went before you! What do we gain
by living in an asrama of Sannyasins, deprived of our own dharma, kama
and artha?
Duryodhana took our kingdom not by dharma, nor by might, but through
a game of dice at which he cheated. Like a weak, offal-eating jackal
snatching their prey from mighty lions, he has taken our kingdom from us.
Why, Rajan, just for the trite merit of keeping your given word, do you
suffer such distress, abandoning our wealth, the source of both dharma and
kama?
He who wields the Gandiva protected our kingdom, and not Indra
himself could take it by force; yet taken it was, because of your
carelessness. Because of you our kingdom was taken like some fruit from a
man who has no arms, or cattle from one who has no legs.
You are faithful in dharma. To please you, Bhaarata, we allowed
ourselves to be overwhelmed by such a calamity. It is because we are
obedient to you that today we rend the hearts of our friends and gratify our
enemies.
Ah, how it grieves me that, just to obey you, we did not kill
Dhritarashtra's son even then. This is your home in the forest, where you
live like a wild animal. Only a weak man would bear this, surely no strong
one would ever lead such a life.
Not Krishna, Arjuna, Abhimanyu, the Srinjayas, Madri's sons or I
myself, approve of this life you have chosen. Bound by your vows, you
always cry Dharma! Dharma! Has despair deprived you of your manliness?
Only cowards, who cannot win back their lost wealth, cherish despair - vain
despair which destroys one's purposes.
You have ability and eyes; you see that manliness dwells in us. But you
have accepted a life of peace, and feel no distress. The Dhartarashtras think
of us, who are in truth forgiving, as being weak, inept. This hurts me more
than dying in battle.
Even if we all die in fair fight, without showing our backs to our
enemies, that would be better than this shameful exile, for then we would
find realms of bliss in the next world. Or if we slay them and gain the whole
world, that would be wealth well won, and worth the attempt.
We always keep Kshatriya dharma; we always seek grand achievements;
we always avenge injustice; it is our bounden duty to win our kingdom back
with battle. Then our fame would mantle the world, not our shame.
Rajan, the dharma which torments oneself and one's near and dear ones
is no dharma at all; rather, it is evil, fetching calamities. Sometimes, dharma
becomes the weakness of a man; and though such a man might always
cleave to dharma, yet both dharma and artha forsake him even like pleasure
and pain forsaking a dead man.
He who clings to dharma for dharma's sake always suffers. He can
hardly be called a wise man, for he does not know the very ends of dharma,
like a blind man who cannot see the light of the Sun. He who uses his
wealth only for himself does not understand the meaning or purpose of
artha. He is really like a servant who tends cows in a forest.
Again, he who hankers only after artha, ignoring dharma and kama
deserves censure and killing. He who pursues only pleasure, without
seeking dharma and artha, quickly loses his friends and also his virtue and
wealth. Without dharma and artha, only indulging indiscriminately in kama,
a man exhausts his pleasures and finds death, like a fish when the water in
which it lives runs dry.
For these reasons, the wise always cherish both dharma and artha,
because a union of these is essential to pleasure, even as fuel is to fire. The
root of kama is dharma, and dharma, too, is not apart from pleasure. The
two depend on each other as the ocean and the clouds, the ocean causing the
clouds and the clouds filling the ocean.
Pleasure, kama, is the joy that one feels from contact with the objects of
the senses or from the possession of wealth. It exists in the mind, having no
corporeal existence which one can see.
He who desires wealth, first seeks a large share of dharma to have his
desire fulfilled. He who wishes for kama, first seeks artha, wealth. But
pleasure, in its turn, yields nothing. One pleasure cannot lead to another,
being its own fruit - as ashes may be had from wood, but nothing from
those ashes in their turn.
As a fowler kills the birds we see, so does sin slay the creatures of the
world. So, he who is misled by pleasure or covetousness, and does not see
the true nature of dharma becomes wretched both here and hereafter, and
deserves killing.
Rajan, you know that pleasure is to be had from possessing the various
objects of enjoyment. You also know well the changes these objects of
desire and enjoyment undergo. At their loss or disappearance, occasioned
by decrepitude or death, there arises distress. That distress has now
overtaken us.
The joy which comes from the five senses, the intellect and the heart, all
being directed to the objects proper to each, is called kama, pleasure. I
believe that pleasure is one of the best fruits of our karma, our actions.
So one must respect dharma, artha and kama, one after the other. One
should not devote oneself just to dharma, or think of wealth as the highest
object of one's wishes, nor pleasure; one should always pursue all three.
The Shastras ordain that one should seek dharma in the morning, artha at
noon, and kama in the evening. The scriptures also say that one should seek
pleasure in the first part of life, wealth in the second, and virtue in the last.
And the wise pursue all three, dividing their time equally.
Kurunandana, you must think carfeully whether these three should be
independent or interwoven, for those that seek happiness. Then you must
unhesitatingly act either to acquire them, or abandon them all. For he who
lives wavering in doubt between two paths, leads a wretched life.
The world knows that you always live by dharma. Knowing this, still
your friends tell you to act. Charity, sacrifice, respect for the wise, study of
the Vedas, and honesty - these constitute the highest dharma, and are
efficacious both here and hereafter. Yet, these virtues cannot be attained by
one who has no wealth, not, O Purushavyaghra, if his other
accomplishments are infinite.
All the universe depends upon dharma; there is nothing higher than
virtue. And he who has great wealth can attain to virtue. Wealth cannot be
earned by leading a mendicant life, nor by a life of feebleness. Wealth can
be earned by using intelligence, directed by dharma.
For you, begging alms, which is allowed Brahmanas, is forbidden. So
strive to acquire wealth by exerting your might and energy. Neither
mendicancy nor the life of a Sudra is proper for you. Might and energy
constitute the special dharma of the Kshatriya. So, adopt your swadharma
and kill your enemies.
Destroy the power of Dhritarashtra's sons, with my prowess and
Arjuna's. The learned and the wise say that sovereignty is virtue. So acquire
sovereignty, for it does not become you to live in this wretched condition.
Awake, O King, and understand the Sanatana Dharma. By birth you belong
to a varna whose deeds are violent and cause pain to men.
Cherish your subjects and reap the fruit thereof; for that you can never
be reproached. This is the dharma ordained by God himself for the
Kshatriya! If you fall away from it, you will make yourself ridiculous.
There is no praise for leaving the path of one's swadharma. Therefore, set
your heart where it ought to be, in concord with the varna to which you
belong, cast away this course of feebleness, summon your energy, and bear
your burden manfully, as you should.
No king ever gained sovereignty of the earth, prosperity or affluence
through dharma alone. As a fowler snares small game by offering them
food, so does an intelligent man acquire a kingdom by offering bribes to
base and greedy enemies. The Asuras, though elder to the Devas and more
powerful and wealthy, were vanquished through stratagem by the gods.
Everything belongs to the mighty. Mahabaho, kill your enemies who
used vile strategy to vanquish us. No one can equal Arjuna at wielding a
bow in battle; none is my equal with a mace. Depending on their own
prowess, strong men fight battles; they care little for the numbers ranged
against them, or on information gleaned from spies.
O Pandava, exert your might. Might is the only root of wealth; whatever
else is said to be its root is not really so. As in winter the shade of a tree
counts for nothing, so also without might everything else becomes fruitless.
A man who wants to increase his wealth should spend it, O Kaunteya, in the
manner of scattering seeds on the ground.
Have no doubt about this. However, unless the returns from what you
spend are not more than or at least equal to what you spend, you must not
invest your wealth. For the man who spends wealth unreasonably is like the
donkey scratching itself - pleasurable at first but painful afterwards.
So, too, the man who scatters a little of his seeds of dharma to gain
greater dharma is considered wise. Have no doubt, it is as I say.
The wise man alienates his enemies' friends by scattering seeds of
wealth; once the enemy's friends abandon him, the intelligent man brings
him to subjection. Even the strong engage in battle depending on their
courage. Without courage, neither ceaseless efforts nor the arts of
conciliation can always win a kingdom.
Sometimes weak men, uniting in great numbers, kill even a powerful
enemy, like bees killing a honey-gatherer through the sheer power of
numbers. Yudhishtira, adopt the ways of the Sun - who nurtures as well as
kills through his rays - to protect our kingdom and the people, as our
ancestors did; Rajan, I have heard that this is a sannyasa which even the
Veda speaks about.
A Kshatriya cannot acquire the realms of blessedness through asceticism
as he can by honourable battle, regardless of whether he wins or loses.
Seeing you in this condition, the world has concluded that light may well
forsake the Sun and the Moon; good men come and go from here, singly or
in groups, and all of them praise you and blame our enemies.
Moreover, the Kurus and the Brahmanas, together, always speak of your
absolute truthfulness, how you have never told a lie, from ignorance, from
meanness, from greed, or from fear.
Whatever sins a king commits to gain kingdom he later consumes them
through sacrifices distinguished by bountiful charity. Like the Moon
emerging from behind clouds, a king is purified from all sins by gifting
villages to Brahmanas, and cows by thousands.
Almost all the people of the country, young or old, praise you,
Yudhishtira. They also say that sovereignty vested in Duryodhana is as milk
in a bag of dog-hide, as the Vedas in a Sudra, as truth in a robber, as
strength in a woman. Even women and children say this repeatedly, as if it
were a lesson they seek to commit to memory.
Parantapa, you have not fallen by yourself; all of us are also lost with
you. So, climb into your chariot laden with every weapon, make superior
Brahmanas utter benedictions over you, and fly, this very day, at
Hastinapura, so that you can give the spoils of victory to your Brahmanas.
Surrounded by your brothers who are great archers, and by other
Kshatriya heroes who are like snakes of virulent poison, set out even like
Vritra's slayer surrounded by the Marutas. Kaunteya, you are powerful;
decimate your weakling enemies, crush them like Indra did the Asuras; and
snatch the prosperity he enjoys from Dhritarashtra's son.
There is no mortal who can even bear the touch of the vulture-feathered
arrows, like vicious serpents, loosed from the Gandiva. Bhaarata, there is no
warrior, no horse or elephant which can withstand the blows of my mace
when I am enraged in battle.
With the Srinjayas, the Kaikeyas, and the Vrishni Bull fighting for us,
why should we fail to wrest the kingdom from the enemy? How will we not
take back the Earth, with our allies, if only we put forth our might?'"
CANTO 34
aisampayana said, "Yudhishtira is silent for a few moments after

listening to Bhimasena; he gathers his patience. Then he says,
'Bhaarata, all this is no doubt true. I cannot reproach you for savaging me
with your arrow-like words, This disaster has overtaken you solely through
my fault. I cast the dice wanting to take Dhritarashtra's son's kingdom from
him. But Subala's son, that expert gambler, played against me on
Suyodhana's behalf.
Sakuni is from the hill country, and is exceptionally artful, while I am
innocent of any artifice; and he routed me in the presence of all the sabha.
Bhimasena, this is why distress and calamity have overtaken us.
I saw how the dice rolled invariably, odds and evens, as Sakuni wished. I
could have controlled myself, and stopped playing. But anger drives away a
man's patience. Child, when the mind is influenced by arrogance or vanity,
it cannot be restrained. I do not reprimand you for what you say to me, or
for the harsh words you use.
I believe that what has happened to us is fate, and pre-ordained. When
for his greed for our kingdom, Dhritarashtra's son Duryodhana made slaves
of us at first; then, O Bhima, it was Draupadi who rescued us. When we
were summoned again to the sabha to play dice again, you know, as Arjuna
does, what Dhritarashtra's son told me, before all the Bhaaratas, what stakes
we would play for.
He said, "Ajatasatru, if you lose, you and all your brothers must live in
the forest of your choice for twelve years, then spend a thirteenth year in
ajnatavasa. If my spies discover you in the final year, you must live another
twelve years in the vana and yet another in ajnatavasa, without being
discovered.
Think about this and pledge yourself to it. As for me, I, Duryodhana,
swear solemnly in this august sabha that if my agents cannot find you
during the thirteenth year, this kingdom of the five rivers shall once again
become yours.
And if we lose the game of dice, instead, we will abandon all our wealth
and pass the same years in the wilderness, the same rules applying to us."
I replied to him, in the midst of all the Kurus, "So be it!"
The wretched game began; we were beaten and have been exiled. This is
why we range in misery and discomfort through these forests. But
Suyodhana was not satisfied and, giving himself up to anger, made the
Kurus and everyone one else whose allegiance he enjoys express joy at our
misfortune.
Having entered into such an agreement in the presence of good men,
who dares break his word for the sake of a kingdom on Earth? I think, for
an honourable man, death is preferable to gaining a kingdom after breaking
one's word.
During the game of dice you wanted to burn my hands, but Arjuna
stopped you and you only wrung your own hands. If you had done what you
wanted, would this tragedy have overtaken us? You well knew your
prowess, Bhimasena, then why did you not object to the second game of
dice?
Now it is too late and we are plunged in distress by the word we gave;
what use is it for you to berate me now? Bhima, my greatest grief lies in the
fact that we saw Draupadi shamed and could do nothing to stop her
humiliation. My heart burns as if I have drunk poison.
But having given my word in the midst of the Kuru heroes, I cannot
break it now. Bhima, wait for better days to return to us, like the scatterer of
seeds waiting for the harvest. When he who has been done an injury
succeeds in avenging himself when his enemy's designs have borne flowers
and fruit, that man accomplishes a great thing through his prowess. That
brave man earns undying fame; he finds immense fortune and prosperity.
His enemies bow down to him, and his friends gather round him, like the
Devas do around Indra for protection.
But Bhima, know that I will never break my word. I consider dharma as
being superior to life itself, I think of it as a divine condition. Kingdom,
sons, fame, wealth - all these together do not equal even a sixteenth part of
truth.'"
CANTO 35
hima says, 'O King, being insubstantial as froth, impermanent as a

fruit falling from a tree, dependent on time, mortal, you have given
your word on a matter of time, which is infinite, immeasurable, quick as an
arrow, or flowing like a stream, carrying all before it as Death. How can
you consider time to which you are subject to be available for you to keep
your word?
Kaunteya, how can a mortal man whose life is shortened with each
moment, even as some collyrium is reduced each time a grain of it is taken
up by a needle, wait for the future? Only an immortal, or he who knows
how long he will live, who knows the future as if it were before his eyes,
can wait for time, for an exact period of time to arrive.
If we wait thirteen years we will be thirteen years closer to death, which
takes us all. We must strive to recover our kingdom before we die. He who
does not achieve fame by punishing his enemy is an unclean thing. He is a
useless burden upon the Earth, like a castrated bull, and he dies
ingloriously. He who has no strength and courage, who does not chastise his
enemy, lives in vain; I think of such a man as lowborn.
Your hand can rain gold; your fame can cover the whole world. So kill
your enemies in battle and enjoy the wealth won through the might of your
arms. Parantapa, if a man kills his enemy who has done him injury and goes
that same day to hell, hell turns into heaven for him.
The pain I feel from having to suppress my anger is worse than burning
fire; I cannot sleep for it, day or night. This Partha, this Arjuna, is the
greatest archer; he, also, surely burns with grief although he lives here like a
lion in his den. Like some mighty tusker, he who wants to kill every other
bowman in the world single-handedly, represses his wrath.
Nakula, Sahadeva are all silent, to please you; as are all our friends,
including the Srinjayas. Only I and Prativindhya's mother burn so much that
we speak to you in grief. The rest agree with everything that I say to you,
for they are all plunged in sorrow and eagerly wish for battle.
What more wretched catastrophe can overtake us than that our kingdom
should be taken from us by weak and contemptible enemies, and enjoyed by
them? You have a weak nature and you feel ashamed to violate your given
pledge. But no one lauds you for suffering like this out of your kindliness.
Rajan, your mind does not seem to see the truth - like that of a highborn
but foolish man, who commits the hymns of the Veda to memory but does
not understand their meaning.
You are kind, like a Brahmana; how have you been born a Kshatriya?
Kshatriyas have devious hearts. You have heard the dharma of kings, as
taught by Manu, full of crookedness, unfairness and everything opposed to
peace and virtue. Then why do you forgive Dhritarashtra's sons?
You have intelligence, prowess, learning and are nobly born. Why are
you like a great snake which cannot move? Kaunteya, whoever wishes to
hide us will be like one trying to conceal the mountains of Himavat with a
handful of grass.
All the world knows you, O son of Pritha; you will no more be able to
live undiscovered than the Sun can course through the sky unseen. Like a
great tree in a well-watered land, with spreading branches and flowers and
leaves, or like Indra's elephant - how will Arjuna live unknown?
How, also, will these children, Nakula and Sahadeva, who are like a pair
of young lions, both live undiscovered? How will Drupada's daughter
Krishnaa, our princess and mother of heroes, of great virtue and famed
throughout the world, live unnoticed?
All the world knows me, as well, from my boyhood; I do not see how I
can live unknown anymore than the mountains of Meru can seek
concealment.
Then, we expelled many kings from their kingdom; these Kshatriyas will
all become the evil Duryodhana's followers and allies, for we robbed them
of their wealth and drove them into exile. How will they ever be our
friends?
They will join Dhritarashtra and wish to do us harm. They will certainly
send countless spies to seek us out. If these find us, great danger will come
to us. We have already spent thirteen months in these forests. Rajan,
consider them to be thirteen years, for the wise have said that a month is a
substitute for a year even as a pot-herb is for Soma.
Otherwise, Rajan, free yourself from the fetter of your pledge by
offering savoury food to a quiet bull which bears sacred burdens. Thus,
decide to kill your enemies - for the Kshatriya has no higher dharma than
battle!'"
CANTO 36
aisampayana said, "Listening to Bhima, Yudhishtira Purushavyaghra,

Parantapa, begins to sigh, and to reflect silently.
Within himself, he thinks, 'I have heard the dharma of kings recited, and
also the dharmas of the other varnas. Only he who always keeps these
tenets before his eyes can regulate his conduct both in the present and the
future.
I know the true way of dharma, so difficult to know; then how can I use
force to try to grind it down, even like trying to crush Meru?'
Thinking thus for a moment, deciding what he should do, he replies
firmly to Bhima, without allowing his brother to say another word.
Yudhishtira says, 'Mahabaho, what you say is true, but, my eloquent
brother, listen once more to me. Bhima, whatever sin one seeks to commit,
rashly, depending purely on one's strength and courage, invariably ends up
as a source of failure and pain; while whatever is begun with deliberation,
with well-directed prowess, after much thought, inevitably succeeds - the
gods themselves favour such designs.
Bhima, you are proud of your strength, and restless, but listen to what I
think of what you think we should do immediately. Bhurisravas, Sala,
Bhishma, Drona, Karna, the mighty son of Drona, Dhritarashtra's powerful,
invincible sons are all great warriors and even now prepare for battle
against us.
The kings and chieftains of the Earth, also, whom we have injured, are
all on the side of the Kauravas, bound to them by ties of affection. O
Bhaarata, they seek Duryodhana's good, not ours. With full treasuries and
allied to great forces, they will all surely give their all in battle.
Also, Duryodhana has given much largesse, wealth and every luxury, to
the warriors of the Kuru army, their sons and relatives. He honours those
heroes and holds them in high regard. I am certain that they will give their
lives for him in battle.
Although Bhishma, Drona, and the illustrious Kripa love us as much as
we do them, I am also certain they, too, will sacrifice their very lives, than
which there is nothing dearer, in return for the royal favours they enjoy in
Hastinapura. All of them are masters of the devastras, and devoted to
dharma. Why, I believe even the Devas led by Vasava himself cannot
vanquish these three.
Then they have Kama with them, the impetuous, always angry Kama,
master of astras, invincible, he who wears impentrable armour.
Without first killing all these awesome warriors, Bhima, how will you
kill Duryodhana? Ah, Vrikodara, I cannot sleep when I think of the
swiftness of the Sutaputra's hand; to me he is the greatest of all archers!'
Bhima hears what Yudhishtira says and, slightly taken aback, falls silent.
While the Pandavas speak thus among themselves, Satyavati's son, the
Maharishi Vyasa arrives there. The sons of Pandu receive him with due
worship.
Then Vyasa, most eloquent among all speakers, says to Yudhishtira,
'Yudhishtira Mahabaho, with spiritual vision I saw what was passing
through your heart, and I have come to you, Purusharishabha.
I will dispel this fear in your heart of Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, Karna,
Drona's son, Duryodhana, and Dussasana. I will dissolve your fear through
a secret enjoined in the Veda. Parantapa, hear it from me, acquire it
patiently, and having done so, O King, quell this fever of yours quickly.'
Parasara's son, the Muni, takes Yudhishtira apart and speaks words of
deep import to him.
Vyasa says, 'Best of the Bhaaratas, when the time of your fortune arrives,
Arjuna will kill all your enemies in battle. Now learn this arcane Pratismriti
from me, for you are worthy and capable of receiving it. You must then
teach it to Arjuna, and with it he will be able to accomplish what needs to
be done.
Pandava, let Arjuna go to Mahendra and Rudra, and to Varuna, and
Kubera, and to Yama, and from them receive their astras. For his asceticism
and prowess, he is fit to look upon the gods. Why, this Arjuna is in truth a
Rishi of immense tejas, he is Narayana's friend Nara, the ancient, a god
himself, invincible, always attended on by success, knowing no decay.
He will perform mighty deeds, once he receives their weapons from
Indra, Rudra and the Lokapalas.
Also, think of leaving here and going to another forest in which to live.
It is hardly pleasant to live in one place for too long a time. In your case, it
might also cause the hermits here some anxiety. And as you maintain so
many Brahmanas, knowers of the Vedas and their angas, for you to live here
too long might deplete the forest of its deer, and its creepers and plants.'
Now, Yudhishtira purifies himself, and Vyasa, of great wisdom, who
knows the mysteries of the world, teaches him the Pratismriti, best of
hermetic mantras. Then, quickly bidding farewell to Kunti's son, Vyasa
vanishes before his eyes.
Having received the Pratismriti, the virtuous Yudhishtira treasures it
carefully in his mind and always chants it at the proper times. Glad of
Vyasa's advice, the son of Kunti now leaves the Dwaitavana and goes to the
Kamyaka forest on the banks of the Saraswati.
Rajan, numberless ascetic Brahmanas follow him as Rishis do Indra.
Arriving in the Kamyaka, those illustrious Bharatarishabhas begin living in
that vana, along with their friends and attendants. Listening all the while to
the Vedas being chanted, devoting themselves to the practice of archery,
those mighty Kshatriyas live in that forest for some length of time.
Every day, armed with pure arrows, they go deep into the jungle in seach
of deer. And they dutifully perform all the rites in honour of the Pitrs, the
Devas and the Brahmanas."
CANTO 37
ARJUNABHIGAMANA PARVA
aisampayana said, "After some time, Yudhishtira rememebers the

command of Muni Vyasa and calls Arjuna, bull among men, possessed
of great wisdom, to him privately.
Taking Arjuna's hands, with a smile, Yudhishtira appears lost in thought
for a moment, before saying gently to Arjuna, 'Bhaarata, all of the astra
shastra, the sciene of warfare, dwells in Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, Karna and
Aswatthama. They are masters of every sort of Brahmastra, Devastra,
Manavastra and Vayavyastra, as well as the means to loose and repel them.
Dhritarashtra's son conciliates, honours and pleases all of them; he treats
them all as a sishya his gurus. Why, Duryodhana treats all his warriors with
great affection; all his allied chieftains he honours and gratifies, and in turn
they seek his weal. They will not fail to put forth their might on his behalf.
Besides, remember, the whole world, all its cities, towns and villages, all
its seas, forests and mountains, are now under Duryodhana's sway. Arjuna,
you are our only refuge and a great burden rests on you. Parantapa, I want
you to do something for me now.
Vyasa Muni taught me a secret science. If you use it, the very universe
will lie revealed before you. Child, receive that Pratismriti from me, and
through it, in due course, find the grace of the gods. Bharatarishabha, first
you must devote yourself to a fierce tapasya.
Taking your bow and your sword, wearing mail, keeping stern vows,
travel north without giving way to anybody. Arjuna, Indra has all the
Devastras because, when they feared Vritrasura, the other gods all invested
their might in Sakra. Indra has all the weapons of heaven; go to him and he
will give them to you.
Take your bow, and set out even today to see Indra Purandara.'
Yudhishtira Dharmatma teaches Arjuna the Pratismriti, with all the
proper rituals. Having communicated the secret gyana to his heroic younger
brother, restrained in speech, action and mind, Yudhishtira commands him
to go forth. Arjuna takes up the Gandiva and his inexhaustible twin quivers,
puts on his kavacha, and his finger guards made of the skin of the iguana.
Pouring oblations into a sacred fire and giving gifts to the Brahmanas
and having them utter blessings over him, Arjuna sets out from the
Kamyaka vana to find Indra. As he goes, bow in hand, that Kshatriya
heaves a sigh and casts a look heavenwards so that he might kill
Dhritarashtra's sons.
Seeing Kunti's son, armed and about to go forth, Siddhas and invisible
spirits say to him, 'Kaunteya, may you get what your hearts desires.'
The Brahmanas also bless him, 'Achieve your purpose, let victory truly
be yours!'
And seeing heroic Arjuna, his thighs like trunks of Sala trees, about to
set out, and taking with him the hearts of all, Draupadi says fervently,
'Mahabaho, let everything that Kunti wished for when you were born, and
everything that you wish for be yours, Dhananjaya!
Let none among us ever be born again into Kshatriya kind. I always bow
down to Brahmanas, who live through mendicancy.
Ah, my great sorrow is that, seeing me in the sabha of Kshatriyas, the
wretched Duryodhana called me a cow! Many other savage things he said
to me in that assembly of princes, and they are raw wounds. But the grief
and pain that I experience at parting from you makes all those insults seem
as nothing.
Surely, while you are gone your brothers will spend their days
recounting your deeds. Certainly, in your absence, your brothers will while
away their waking hours in recalling your heroic deeds, over and over. But
Arjuna, if you stay away for long, we will have no pleasure or any joy in
our lives. Why, our very lives will become despicable.
Partha, our weal and woe, life and death, our kingdom and prosperity all
depend on you. Bhaarata, I bless you, let success be yours! Sinless one, you
will accomplish your mission even against the most powerful enemies.
Mahabaho, go swiftly and win success. Let no danger be yours.
I bow to Dhatri and Vidhatri! I bless you, let prosperity be yours.
Dhananjaya, let Hri, Sri, Kirti, Dhriti, Pushti, Uma, Lakshmi and
Saraswati, all protect you on your way, for you always worship your elder
brother and always obey his commands.
I pray to the Vasus, the Rudras and Adityas, the Marutas, the
Viswadevas, and the Sadhyas, for your welfare. O Bhaarata, be safe from
all evil spirits of earth, sky and heaven, and from all evil spirits in general!'
Crying out these blessings, Yagnasena's daughter Krishnaa stops. Arjuna
walks in pradakshina around his brothers, and around Dhaumya, and again
taking up his beautiful bow, sets out.
Every creature moves hastily out of the path which the Pandava takes,
on his way to meet Indra. Many mountains, homes to countless sannyasis,
the bane of his enemies passes over and arrives at the sacred Himavat,
resort of the Devas. The Mahatman reaches the holy mountain in a single
day, for like the wind he is gifted with the mind's very speed due to his
asceticism and the Pratismriti he received from his brother.
Having crossed Himavat, as also Gandhamadana, he passes through
diverse uneven and dangerous places, walking night and day without
fatigue. And reaching Indrakila, Dhananjaya halts, for he hears a voice in
the sky, saying, 'Stop!'
The Pandava looks around him and Arjuna Savyasachin sees a hermit
sitting under a tree, an ascetic quite ablaze with Brahmic lustre, his skin
tawny, his hair matted into jata, an emaciated sannyasi.
Seeing Arjuna, the ascetic says to him, 'Who are you, child, come here
with a bow and arrows, wearing kavacha, a sword, and obviously a
Kshatriya? There is no need of weapons here. This is the abode of peaceful
Brahmanas devoted to tapasya, who have no anger or pleasure.
There is no use for your bow here, for here there is no dispute of any
kind. Child, throw away that bow of yours. You have found grace by
coming here, Kshatriya, for truly no man is your equal in energy and
prowess.'
Smiling, that Brahmana says this repeatedly to Arjuna. But Arjuna, set
firmly on his course, is unmoved.
Then, smiling even more, the Brahmana says, 'Parantapa, be you blest! I
am Indra, ask for the boon you want.'
Arjuna bends his head, folds his hands, and replies to him of a thousand
eyes, 'Illustrious, give me all your astras, that is the boon I want.'
The king of the Devas, still smiling, says, 'Dhananjaya, when you have
come to this blessed place what need have you of astras? You have already
found beatitude. Ask me for any realms of bliss that you want.'
Arjuna replies to the thousand-eyed Sakra, 'I want no realms of bliss, nor
even to become a god, then why speak of joy? Lord of the Devas, I do not
wish for the prosperity of even all the gods.
For if I leave my brothers in the forest, and not avenge myself on our
enemies, I will earn infamy forever throughout the world, through all the
ages.'
Now, the slayer of Vritra, whom the worlds worship, says gently to the
Pandava, 'Child, I will give you all the devastras when you can see the
three-eyed Trisulin, Siva, Lord of all creatures. So, seek a vision of
Mahadeva, greatest of Gods, because it is only after you have seen him,
Kaunteya, that you will have everything you wish for.'
Saying this to Phalguna, Indra vanishes and Arjuna sets himself to
tapasya, staying in that very place."
CANTO 38
KAIRATA PARVA
anemejaya said, "Illustrious one, tell me every detail of how the taintless
Arjuna acquired the devastras. Tell me how Arjuna, Purushavyaghra, the
mighty-armed, entered that solitary forest without fear. Also, Best among
those who know the Veda, what did he do whilst he lived in that forest?
How did he gratify Siva Sthanu and Indra, as well? Dvijottama, bless me
by telling me all this. You are omniscient; you know all about the gods and
about men. O Brahmana, I have heard that the battle that look place of old
between Arjuna and Bhava was most extraordinary and without parallel.
I have heard it makes one's hair stand on end to listen to it. Even the
hearts of those lions among men—the valiant sons of Pritha—trembled to
hear about it, in wonder, joy, and a sense of their own inferiority.
O tell me everything else that Arjuna did. I do not see even the most
trivial thing about Jishnu which is censurable. So, narrate in full the legend
of that Kshatriya, that hero."
Vaisampayana said, "Tiger among Kurus, I will narrate the story of that
peerless Kshatriya to you, a tale excellent, extensive and unrivalled. Sinless
one, hear in detail about Arjuna's meeting with the three-eyed God of gods,
and his contact with the illustrious God's person!
At Yudhishtira's command, Dhananjaya of immeasurable prowess sets
out from the Kamyaka to see Sakra, lord of the Devas; and Sankara, the
God of gods. Arjuna Mahabaho sets out armed with his unearthly bow, his
golden-hafted sword; north he goes towards the summit of the Himavat.
Rajan, the best of all warriors in the three worlds, Indra's son, firmly
committed to his mission, calms his mind and losing no time devotes
himself to fervid tapasya. All alone, he enters that terrible forest full of
thorny plants and trees, dense with flowers and fruit of every kind,
swarming with wild animals and birds of many species, a vana where
Siddhas and Charanas went.
When Arjuna enters that forest, where no human being goes, heaven
resounds with conches and drumrolls, and a rain of flowers falls upon the
earth, while clouds spread across the sky darkening the earth below. Passing
through the dense jungles at the foot of the great mountains, Arjuna soon
reaches the breast of the Himavat; staying there for some time at penance,
he shines forth with his dhyana.
He sees great trees, their branches alive with the songs of countless
birds. He sees rivers flowing like fluid lapis lazuli, their currents broken by
fierce eddies here and there, and echoing with the calls of swan, duck and
crane. The banks of those rivers echo with the mellifluous songs of the male
kokila and the cries of peacocks.
Seeing those sacred rivers, their waters, pure and sweet, their banks
enchanting, the mighty warrior is filled with delight. Arjuna of fierce
energy and high soul then performs a stern tapasya in that charmed place.
Wearing valkala and a black deerskin, he holds a stick in his hand and
eats only dry leaves fallen onto the ground. The first month, he also eats
some fruit once every three nights; the second month he eats fruit once
every six nights; and the third month, only once a fortnight.
When the fourth month comes, that Bharatottama, Pandu's mightiest son,
does not eat at all but subsists on just the air he breathes. His arms raised
up, standing on tiptoe, he continues his penance. Because he bathes
frequently, his hair assumes the sheen of lightning, or of the lotus.
Now all the great Rishis go together to the God of the Pinaka, Siva, to
inform him of Arjunas tapasya.
Bowing to the God of gods, they say, 'Pritha's son, of great tejas,
performs the most difficult penance upon the breast of the Himavat. Heated
by his tapasya, the Earth issues smoke all around, O Devadeva. We do not
know what his tapasya is for, but he causes us distress. You must make him
stop, Lord!'
Pasupati, Umapati, Siva listens to those Munis of perfect self-restraint,
and says, 'It does not become you to grieve over Phalguna's tapasya. Return,
all of you, to where you came from; go in peace. I know the desire that is in
Arjuna's heart. He does not want heaven, wealth or a long life. I will give
him, even today, everything he wishes for!'
The Rishis of truth hear what Mahadeva says and go back to their
respective asramas and dwellings."
CANTO 39
KAIRATA PARVA CONTINUED
aisampayana said, "When the illustrious Munis have left, Siva, who
cleanses all sins, the lustrous Hara, assumes the form of a Kirata, a
huntsman as resplendent as a golden tree, with a great and stalwart form
like a second Meru, and taking up a handsome bow and arrows resembling
snakes of virulent poison, and looking like an embodiment of fire, comes
quickly down onto the breast of Himavat.
The beautiful Lord comes with Uma in the guise of a Kirata woman, and
also with a motley swarm of merry spirits, his ganas, of various forms and
attire, and thousands of women also in the form and garb of Kiratas.
Rajan, all that forest suddenly blazes up in splendour, at the arrival of
Siva and his company; soon enough, a solemn stillness pervades the place.
The sounds of springs, and rivers and birds all suddenly cease.
As Mahadeva approaches Pritha's irreproachable son, he sees an
extraordinary thing – the Danava Muka, taking the form of an enormous
boar, has come to kill Arjuna. Seeing the demon, Arjuna picks up the
Gandiva and some arrows like serpents.
Stringing his bow and filling the air with its twang, he says to the boar, 'I
have come here but done you no harm. But you want to kill me, so I will
send you to Yama.'
Seeing Phalguna about to kill the boar, Siva disguised as the Kirata
suddenly says, 'Stop! I aimed first at the beast the colour of the Indrakila
mountain.'
Ignoring him, Arjuna shoots the boar; at the same moment the splendid
Kirata also lets fly an arrow like fire at the boar. Both shafts strike Muka's
massive body, hard as adamant, at the same instant.
The two astras strike Muka with a sound like Indra's Vajra and the
thunder of clouds falling together upon a mountain. Each astra emits
countless arrows like snakes with mouths ablaze, and Muka dies, and
assumes again his dreadful Rakshasa form in death.
Arjuna now sees the Kirata before him, the mountain hunter whose form
blazes like a God's, surrounded by many women. His heart strangely joyful,
Kunti's son says smilingly, 'Who are you that wander in this solitary forest,
surrounded by women? O you of the splendour of gold, are you not afraid
of this terrible forest?
Why did you shoot the boar? This Rakshasa came here to kill me and I
aimed at him first. You will not escape with your life. You have flouted the
law of the hunt, and so, O Kirata, I will take your life.'
The Kirata says to the Pandava, softly, 'Kshatriya do not fear for me in
this forest, which is our home. But why are you here amidst its danger?
Yogi, we live here amongst all the wild creatures, but why are you, who are
delicate, raised in luxury, and splendid as agni, here in this lonely place?'
Arjuna says, 'Depending on this Gandiva and arrows which are like fire,
I live here like a second Indra. You saw how I despatched the monstrous
Rakshasa who came as a boar.'
The Kirata replies, 'I shot the Rakshasa first. I killed him and sent him to
Yama. It was my arrow which slew him. You are arrogant of your strength,
and blame others for your own faults. Wretch, you are the guilty one and
shall not escape with your life today.
Come, I will loose my arrows at you. You do the same!'
Arjuna becomes angry and attacks the Kirata with fierce arrows.
However, the Kirata cheerfully receives those deadly shafts upon his breast,
saying all the while, 'Wretch, come shoot your most terrible astras at me,
shafts which can consume a man's very entrails!'
Arjuna looses a rain of missiles at him. Now the Kirata also shoots back
fiercely at Arjuna, storms of barbs, each one like a virulent serpent. Arjuna
looses a perfect volley which falls out of the sky over the huntsman, who
stands unmoved, unharmed, like some invincible mountain.
Seeing this, Arjuna is full of awe and thinks, 'Wonderful! Wonderful!
Ah, a delicate-limbed mountaineer who lives on the heights of Himavat
calmly bears arrows shot from the Gandiva. Who is he? Is he Rudra
himself, or some other Deva, or a Yaksha, or an Asura?
The Devas do sometimes come down to the summits of Himavat, but
only he that wields the Pinaka can stand a thousand arrows shot from the
Gandiva. Let him be a Deva or a Yaksha; unless he is Rudra himself, I will
send him to Yamaloka!'
Arjuna looses hundreds of arrows, resplendent as sunrays. The lustrous
Creator of the worlds, the Trisulin, calmly bears those shafts as a mountain
might a shower of stones. Suddenly, Arjuna finds he has no arrows left! In
some alarm, now, he thinks of Agni who gave him his inexhaustible quivers
when the Khandava vana burned.
Arjuna thinks, 'My arrows are exhausted. Now what shall I shoot from
my bow? Who is this who consumes all my astras? But I will kill him with
the tip of my bow, as elephants are killed with spears, and send him to land
of the mace-wielding Yama!'
Arjuna rushes at the Kirata, and strikes him some thunderous blows with
the Gandiva, at which the mountaineer deftly snatches the divine bow out of
the Pandavas hands. Arjuna draws his sword and with all his might,
wanting to end this duel, brings it down squarely on the Kirata's head. That
blade cuts the hardest rocks like pats of butter, but that best of swords
shatters into bits when it touches the Kirata's crown.
The desperate Arjuna now attacks the Kirata with trees and stones; the
mountain huntsman bears these rough weapons as calmly as he had arrows,
bow and sword. Frothing at the mouth, Arjuna strikes the Kirata some
dreadful blows with his fists, blows like thunderclaps. Now the Kirata
strikes Phalguna back, and the sounds they make are truly fearsome.
That battery of blows exchanged, which resembles the fight of old
between Vritra and Vasava, lasts only moments. The mighty Jishnu clasps
the Kirata to him and presses him hard with powerful arms, while the
huntsman presses back, so their bodies burn like charcoals in fire, and
smoke.
Abruptly, Mahadeva strikes the already beaten Pandava and makes him
unconscious, and the bruised and battered Arjuna falls down as one dead.
However, he regains consciousness, and rising, his body covered in blood,
he is filled with despair.
He prostrates in his mind before Siva, and fashioning an earthen linga of
that God, he worships it with a vanamala, a wildflower garland. But he sees
the garland he offered the linga of clay decking the crown of the Kirata! Joy
surges through the Pandava and he prostrates at the feet of the Kirata. Siva
becomes pleased with Arjuna.
Seeing the wonder of Pandu's son, seeing his body emaciated by long
austerities, Rudra says to him in a voice deep as rumbling clouds,
'Phalguna, I am pleased with you, for what you just did is without parallel.
No Kshatriya is your equal in courage, and patience; and, sinless, why your
strength and valour are almost equal to mine!
Mahabaho, I am pleased with you. Behold me, O Bharatarishabha! I will
give you sight to see my true form. You were a Rishi before. You will
vanquish all your enemies, even those that dwell in heaven. Since I am
pleased with you, I will give you an inexorable astra, my own astra. You
shall have it soon.'
Then Arjuna sees Siva, God of ineffable splendour in his true form —
Mahadeva, who wields the Pinaka, who dwells on Kailasa, with Uma at his
side. Falling onto his kness, bowing his head, that conqueror of hostile
cities, Pritha's son worships the Lord Hara.
Arjuna says, 'O Kapardin, O Devadeva, O You who put out Bhaga's
eyes, Nilakanta, O You with matted jata, I know you are the Cause of all
causes, O Three-eyed, O Lord of all!
You are the sanctuary of all the gods; this universe has sprung from you!
Not the three worlds of Devas, Asuras and Manavas together can vanquish
you. You are Siva in the form of Vishnu and Vishnu as Siva.
Of old, you razed Daksha's great yagna. O Hari, O Rudra, I bow to you!
You have a third eye on your brow. O Sarva, who shower the objects of
desire, O Trisulin, O Pinakin, O Surya, O You of the pure body, O Creator
of all, I bow to you!
Lord of all creatures, I crave your grace with my worship. You are the
Lord of the Ganas, the Source of every blessing in the universe, the Cause
of the causes of the universe. You are beyond the greatest Purusha, you are
the highest, you are the subtlest, O Hara!
Lustrous Sankara, I beg you to forgive my offence. I came to this great
mountain, so dear to you, home of Yogis, to have a vision of you, whom all
the worlds worship.
Lord, I worship you to have your grace. Rashly and in ignorance did I
dare to fight you. O Sankara, I seek your protection, forgive me for what I
did!'
Mighty Siva, whose emblem is the Bull, takes Arjuna's handsome hands
into his own, and says smilingly to him, 'I have already forgiven you!'
Brilliant Hara clasps Arjuna lovingly in his arms and consoles him
again."
CANTO 40
ahadeva says, 'You were Narayana's friend Nara in your past life.
You sat in fierce tapasya in Badarikasrama for many thousands of
years. In you dwells great might, even as it does in Vishnu, that
Purushottama. You both, through your might, are the holders of the
universe.
During Indra's coronation, with your great bow whose twanging is like
the roar of thunderheads, you and Krishna, as well, chastened the Danavas.
The Gandiva is that bow, O Partha, it belongs in your hands. I took it from
you with my maya, and your twin quivers shall again be inexhaustible!
Partha, Kurunandana, the bruises will leave your body, and it shall be
free forever from pain and disease. Your prowess shall be invincible. I am
pleased with you, ask me, best among all men, for the boon you want.
Parantapa, you who worships me, not in heaven is there anyone who is
your equal, nor any Kshatriya who is your superior.'
Arjuna says, 'Illustrious Vrishabhdhvaja, if you would grant my wish,
Lord, give me your own Pasupatastra of dreadful power, which destroys all
the universe at the end of the Yuga; that weapon through which, Devadeva,
with your grace, I can be victorious over Karna the vile-tongued, Bhishma,
Kripa and Drona; with which I can kill Danavas, Rakshasas, Pisachas,
Gandharvas and Nagas; the astra which when loosed with the proper
mantras emits thousands of arrows, fierce maces, narachas like serpents.
O Destroyer of the eyes of Bhaga, this is my first wish so that I can
prevail over our powerful enemies.'
Siva replies, 'Mighty one, I will give you my favourite astra, the
Pasupata. Pandava, you are capable of bearing, loosing and withdrawing it.
Not Indra, Yama, Kubera king of the Yakshas, Varuna, or Vayu know it –
then how could man know anything of it?
But, Partha, this astra must not be loosed without adequate cause,
because if it is loose against an enemy of small might it can consume the
very universe. In the three worlds, with all their mobile and immobile
creatures, there is no one whom this astra cannot consume. You can cast it
with your mind, your eye, through words and with your bow.'
Arjuna now purifies himself, comes to the Lord of the universe and says
with rapt attention, 'Instruct me!'
Mahadeva gives that best of Pandu's sons the knowledge of that weapon,
which looks like an embodiment of Yama, together with all the mysteries
about loosing and withdrawing it. Now that astra begins to wait upon
Arjuna as it does on Sankara. Gladly, too, does Arjuna receive it.
At that moment all the Earth trembles – its mountains, forests, trees,
seas, villages, towns, cities, mines. Thousands of conches, drums and horns
resound. Whirlwinds and hurricanes sweep land and sea.
The Devas and the Danavas see that terrible weapon stay beside Arjuna
of measureless tejas, in its embodied form. Whatever evil there had been in
the body of Phalguna is all dispelled by the touch of the three-eyed God.
Three-eyed Siva commands Arjuna, 'Go into Swarga!'
Bending his head, Arjuna worships the God, then gazes at him with
folded hands. The Lord of all who dwells in heaven, He who dwells upon
mountains, Uma's lord, the Mahayogin whose passions are under perfect
control, the source of all blessings, gives Arjuna, best of men, back the
Gandiva, bane of Danavas and Pisachas.
As Arjuna watches, Siva, Uma beside him, ascends into the sky,
vanishing from that blessed mountain with snowy tablelands, valleys and
caves, favourite haunt of sky-ranging Maharishis."
CANTO 41
aisampayana said, "Siva, whose emblem is the Bull, who wields the
Pinaka, vanishes from Arjuna's sight even as the Sun sets on the
world.
Arjuna Parantapa is full of awe. He exults, Ah, I have seen the God of
gods. Fortunate indeed am I, and greatly favoured, for I have both seen and
touched with my hands the three-eyed Hara, in his boon-giving form.
I will win success. I am already great. My enemies have already been
vanquished by me. My purposes have already been achieved!'
As he stands thinking all this, suddenly Varuna, Lord of waters, appears
before Arjuna, handsome and splendid beyond belief and of the hue of lapis
lazuli, surrounded by all manner of aquatic beings, and filling all the points
of the horizon with blazing effulgence.
Varuna Deva, lord of all creatures of water, comes with the Rivers—
male and female—and Nagas, and Daityas and Sadhyas and lesser deities.
Then Kubera, whose body is like the purest gold, arrives in his splendent
vimana, numerous Yakshas coming with him. The most beautiful Lord of
treasures, also illumining the sky with his lustre, comes to see Arjuna.
Yama himself, also magnificently beautiful, mighty destroyer of all the
worlds, comes to that place, and with him those lords of creation, the Pitrs,
both embodied and disembodied. Yama of inconceivable soul, dispenser of
justice, destroyer of all enemies, the son of Surya, also flies here in his
vimana, mace in hand, lighting up the three worlds, and the realms of the
Guhyakas, the Gandharvas and the Nagas even like a second Sun, rising at
Yuganta.
Arriving there, upon three refulgent summits of the great mountain,
those Lokapalas see Arjuna at his tapasya.
Next moment, the blindingly bright Indra also arrives, with his queen
Sachi, upon his mount Airavata, and with all the Devas around him. With
the sovereign white parasol unfurled over his head, he looks like the full
moon among fleecy clouds.
Eulogised by Gandharvas, and Rishis endowed with a wealth of tapasya,
the king of the Devas alights upon a peak of that mountain, like another
Sun.
Now Yama of fathomless intelligence, who knows the depths of dharma,
says from his peak in a cloud-deep voice, these auspicious words, Arjuna,
look, we the Lokapalas have come here! We will grant you spiritual vision,
for you deserve to behold us.
In a past life you were the Rishi Nara of immeasurable soul, of
plumbless might. Child, at Brahma's command, you have been born among
men. Anagha, sinless, you will vanquish that most righteous grandsire of
the Kurus in war, Bhishma of tameless energy, born of the Vasus.
You will also defeat all the ferocious Kshatriyas commanded by the son
of Bharadwaja. Besides, you will quell all the terrible Danavas who have
incarnated as men, as well as the Danavas on high called the
Nivatakavachas.
Dhananjaya, Kurunandana, you will also kill the mighty Karna, who is
an amsa of my father Surya, his tejas celebrated throughout the worlds.
Kaunteya, Parantapa, you will also kill all the amsavataras of the Danavas
and Rakshasas who have been born into the world as men; and slain by you,
these will attain the realms they have earned through their karma.
And, O Phalguna, the legend and fame of your achievements will last for
ever in the world, for you have pleased Siva himself with your prowess.
With Krishna, you will lighten the burden of the Earth.
Here, take this mace, this inexorable danda of mine. With this weapon
you will accomplish great things.'
Pritha's son receives that weapon from Yama, and the secret mantras for
casting and withdrawing it.
Now Varuna, Lord of all water beings, blue as seas, says from a peak on
which he has perched towards the west, 'Son of Pritha, you are the greatest
Kshatriya, and you engage in Kshatriya dharma.
Look at me, O you with the large coppery eyes! I am Varuna, the lord of
waters. No one can resist my fluid pasas, my weapons that are deadly
nooses. Kaunteya, receive these Varunastras and the secrets of casting and
withdrawing them. During the Devasura yuddha of old, which began
because of Brihaspati's wife Tara, these pasas seized and bound thousands
of mighty Daityas.
Here, take them from me. With these in your hands, even if Yama
himself is your adversary, he will not escape you. When you range over the
field of war with my pasas, be certain that the land will become destitute of
Kshatriyas.'
When Varuna and Yama have given Arjuna their weapons, Kubera, lord
of treasures, who dwells on the heights of Kailasa, says, 'O mighty and wise
Pandava, I am also pleased with you, and this meeting with you gives me as
much pleasure as a meeting with Krishna.
Savyasachin, Mahabaho, once you were a Deva, eternal and immortal.
On ancient Kailasa, you performed tapasya with the rest of us. Best of men,
I grant you celestial vision. Mighty-armed, you will vanquish even
invincible Daityas and Danavas.
Here, take from me, also, a great weapon with which you will consume
the legions of Dhritarashtra. Take then this favourite weapon of mine, the
Antardhana of awesome energy, power and splendour. It will make your
enemies sleep.
When the illustrious Sankara razed Tripura, he loosed this astra and
consumed countless great Asuras. Magnificent Arjuna, as dignified as
Meru, you are capable of wielding this weapon.'
Arjuna the Kuru prince duly receives that celestial weapon from Kubera.
Now the king of the Devas himself, great Indra, speaks to Pritha's son
sweetly, in a voice deep as thunderheads rumbling or a battery of great bass
drums. 'Kaunteya, Mahabaho, you are an ancient God. Already, you have
achieved the highest success, and acquired the status of a Deva. But, O
Parantapa, scourge of your enemies, you have yet to accomplish a mission
for the Devas.
You must ascend into Devaloka. So, prepare yourself, splendid
Kshatriya! My own chariot, with Matali its sarathy, will soon fly down to
the earth. I will bring you to Devaloka in it, and there give you all my
Devastras.'
Arjuna is wonderstruck to see the four Lokapalas together upon the
summits of Himavat. He worships them with japa, water, and fruit. The
Devas return his worship, then vanish, going back to their abodes.
Arjuna, Bull among men, is full of joy to have received the astras of
Varuna, Yama and Kubera. He considers himself one whose tapasya has
been fulfilled and crowned with success."
CANTO 42
INDRALOKABHIGAMANA PARVA
aisampayana said, "After the Lokapalas leave, Arjuna Parantapa

begins to think of the chariot of Indra. Even as he does, that vimana of
tremendous resplendence, Matali its sarathy, comes, dividing the clouds and
illumining the sky, and filling all the firmament with a roar deeper than
those of massed thunderclouds. Across its form are gleaming swords, astras
with dreadful forms, maces too frightful to be described, winged arrows of
unearthly splendour, streaks of dazzling lightning, thunderbolts, whirling
propellors and jets, all creating that deafening sound.
Also in that chariot are fierce and immense Nagas with flaming mouths,
with precious gemstones on their hoods white as fleecy clouds. Tens of
thousands of golden coloured horses, swift as the wind, draw that chariot.
Endowed with maya, so swift is that chariot that the eye can hardly mark its
flight.
Arjuna sees the flagstaff Vaijayanta, effulgent, of the hue of the emerald
or the deep blue lotus, decked with golden ornaments and straight as a
bamboo stalk. Seeing a charioteer wearing gold sitting in that ratha, the
mighty Partha knows this is a chariot of the Devas.
As he stands thinking about this, the sarathy Matali descends from the
ratha, and bending down, says, 'Most fortunate son of Sakra! Sakra himself
wishes to see you. Come now, Indra has sent this chariot.
Your father, the God of a hundred yagnas, king of the Devas, said to me,
"Fetch Kunti's son here, and let the Devas see him."
Sakra himself, surrounded by the Devas, Devarishis, Gandharvas and
Apsaras, waits to see you. At the command of the chastiser of Paka,
therefore, come with me to Devaloka. You will return after receiving the
astras of Indra.'
Arjuna replies, 'O Matali, lose no time but mount your wondrous ratha,
which cannot be attained even after hundreds of Rajasuya and Aswamedha
yagnas. Not kings of great wealth who performed Mahayagnas
distinguished by vast gifts to Brahmanas, why, not the Devas and Danavas
do not ride in this vimana.
He who does not have the wealth of tapasya cannot see or even touch
this chariot, far less ride in it. Blessed Matali, after you have climbed into it
and the horses have become still, I will follow you like a virtuous man
stepping onto the high path of dharma.'
Indra's sarathy climbs back into the marvellous ratha and makes his
horses still. His heart full of joy, Arjuna purifies himself with a bath in the
Ganga; Kunti's son silently says his daily prayers and makes water
offerings, tarpana, to his Pitrs.
Finally, he prays to Mandara, that king of mountains, 'O you who are the
sanctuary of holy, heaven-seeking Sages, it is through your grace, O
Mountain, that Brahmanas and Kshatriyas and Vaisyas attain Swarga, and
then, their anxieties gone, sport with the gods.
O King of mountains, you are the refuge of Munis, and bear many most
sacred tirthas upon your breast. Happily have I dwelt upon your heights. I
leave you now, bidding you farewell. How long my eyes have dwelt on
your tablelands and bowers, your sparkling springs and brooks, and your
sacred shrines.
I have eaten the delicious fruit which grow upon your trees, and slaked
my thrist with the scented, nectarine water of your streams, sweet as amrita.
O Mandara, as a child sleeps happily on the lap of his father, so have I,
King of mountains, dwelt and slept upon you, in woods that ring with the
songs of Apsaras and the chanting of the Vedas.
O Mountain, every day I have spent upon you I have spent in joy!'
Thus bidding farewell to the mountain, Arjuna, slayer of foes, bright as
the Sun himself, climbs into the celestial chariot. Joyfully, then, he courses
through the sky in that divine and extraordinary vimana, brilliant as a star.
Once he has vanished from the sight of mortals of the Earth, Arjuna sees
thousands of sky ships of extraordinary beauty. And in that realm, there is
no Sun, Moon or Fire to give light, but it is lustrous of itself, lit by tapasya!
The Pandava sees that the stars, which appear like minuscule lamps from
the Earth are in fact great and huge, of exceptional beauty and brilliance.
There he sees Rajarishis, in hundreds upon hundreds, whose lives had
been crowned by ascetic success; he sees them ablaze, and also heroes who
had given their lives in battle; and men who had gained Swarga through
tapasya.
And there are also Gandharvas, illustrious as suns, thousands and
thousands of them, as also Guhyakas, Rishis and numerous tribes of
Apsaras. Arjuna is wonderstruck, exhilarated, seeing these self-luminous
realms and beings, and asks Matali about them.
And Matali answers gladly, "These, O son of Pritha, are virtuous beings
stationed in their places. It is these whom you have seen, great one, as stars
from the Earth.'
Now Arjuna sees the gates to Indra's own realm, and standing there, the
magnificent, always triumphant elephant Airavata, four-tusked, and
resembling the Mountain Kailasa with its peaks. Coursing along that path of
the Siddhas, that best of the Kurus, that son of Pandu, sits in beauty even
like Mandhata, greatest of the kings of old.
He of the eyes like lotus leaves passes through that realm set apart for
kings of dharma. Thus flying through many regions of Swarga, Arjuna of
great renown finally sees Amaravati, the city of Indra."
CANTO 43
INDRALOKABHIGAMANA PARVA CONTINUED
aisampayana said, "Indra's city, resort of Siddhas and Charanas, is

beautiful past describing. Flowers of every season adorn it, and sacred
trees of all kinds. Arjuna sees the divine garden Nandana, favourite haunt of
Apsaras. Fanned by fragrant breezes charged with the scents of unearthly
flowers, the trees of that garden and their lord of celestial blossoms seem to
welcome him among them.
This is a realm that none can see who has not performed tapasya or
poured libations on sacred fire. Only the virtuous ever come here, and none
that ever turn their backs on the field of battle. None who have not
performed sacrifices, kept stern vows, or who are not knowers of the Veda,
or who have not bathed in sacred waters, or who are not distinguished for
sacrifices and gifts can ever see this realm.
None can ever see this place who ever disturbed a yagna, or who are
base, or who drink intoxicating liquor, or who violate their Guru's bed, or
who eat unsanctified meat, or who are evil can ever come to the enchanted
Nandana.
Having seen those celestial gardens full of soft divine music, the strong-
armed son of Pandu enters Indra's city. He sees vimanas here, in thousands,
which can fly anywhere at all at will, each kept in its place; he also sees
tens of thousands of more such craft flying in every dircetion.
Fanned by flower-scented breezes, Apsaras and Gandharvas sing the
Pandavas praises. Along with the Siddhas and Maharishis, the Devas
joyfully welcome Pritha's son of white deeds, pouring blessings over him,
while divine music plays.
Arjuna hears conches and drums, and eulogised all round, at Indra's
behest, the Pandava goes to the great starry way known as Suravithi, where
he meets with the Sadhyas, the Viswas, the Marutas, the twin Aswins, the
Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the Brahmarishis of great splendour, and
numerous Rajarishis with Dilipa at their head, and Tumburu and Narada,
and that pair of master Gandharvas known as Haha and Huhu.
Having met and duly worshipped all these, the Kuru prince finally sees
before him the king of the Devas, Indra of a hundred yagnas. Arjuna alights
from the chariot and approaches the Deva king—his father—the chastiser
of Paka.
A great and beautiful white parasol, with a golden staff, is unfurled over
Devendra's head; he is fanned by a chamara whisk scented with the
perfumes of heaven. Many Gandharvas, led by Viswavasu and others, hymn
Indra, as do bards and singers, while the loftiest Brahmanas chant Rik and
Yajur mantras.
Kunti's son approaches Indra and bends his head down to the ground
before him. Whereupon, Indra embraces him with round, mighty arms.
Taking Arjuna's hand, Sakra makes him sit beside him on a part of his own
throne, that sacred throne which the Devas and Rishis worship.
Indra, Parantapa, sniffs the top of his son's head in affection, and even
took him onto his lap. Sitting on Sakra's throne, at the command of that God
of a thousand eyes, Pritha's son of immeasurable tejas begins to blaze in
splendour, like a second Indra.
Moved again by love, Indra, slayer of Vritra, comforts Arjuna, touching
his handsome face with his scented, beautiful hands. Repeatedly patting and
stroking with his hands, which bear the sign of the thunderbolt, Arjuna's
mighty arms, which are like two golden columns, hardened by years of a
bowstring being drawn across them, Indra and his son appear like the Sun
and the Moon illumining the beauty of that divine sabha, as they do the sky
on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight.
A band of Gandharvas headed by Tumburu, masters of music both
sacred and profane, sing many rapturously melodious songs. Ghritachi and
Menaka and Rambha and Purvachitti and Swayamprabha and Urvasi and
Misrakesi and Dandagauri and Varuthini and Gopali and Sahajanya and
Kumbhayoni and Prajagara and Chitrasena and Chitralekha and Saha and
Madhuraswara – these and thousands of others, all with eyes like lotus
leaves, who engage in seducing the hearts of men at tapasya, dance there.
Slim are their waists and ample and fair their hips, as they dance, their
bodies twisting sinuously, with astonishing suppleness and agility, and deep
bosoms shaking, casting their alluring glances around, and otherwise
enticing those that watch them."
CANTO 44
aisampayana said, "Knowing Indra's wishes, the Devas and the

Gandharvas procure a most excellent arghya and worship the son of
Pritha. Giving him water to wash his feet and his face, they bring the
Kshatriya into Indra's palace.
Thus worshipped, Jishnu begins to live in his father's home, and while
he is there, he acquires the Devastras, and the secrets of loosing and
withdrawing them. From Sakra's hands he receives Indra's favourite
weapon, the inexorable Vajra, and other astras too, all awesome – heaven's
very gashes of lightning, vari-coloured as clouds and dancing peacocks'
fans.
When he has all these astras, Arjuna remembers his brothers and misses
them. However, at Indra's command he spends full five years in Devaloka,
ensconced amidst every comfort and luxury.
After some time, Indra says to him, "Kaunteya, learn music and dancing
from Chitrasena. Learn the instrumental music of the gods, which does not
exist in the world of men, for, O son of Kunti, it will benefit you."
And Purandara gives Chitrasena as a friend to Arjuna, who lives happily
and in peace with that Gandharva. All the while, Chitrasena teaches Arjuna
music, both singing and the instruments; he teaches him dancing.
However, Arjuna is restless and has no peace, because thoughts of
Subala's son Sakuni, the game of dice, angry thoughts of Dussasana and of
killing him, roil the Pandava. But his friendship with Chitrasena ripens and
he does learn the unrivalled dance and music of the Gandharvas.
Finally, even after having learned all the various forms of song and
instruments, and dance as well, that Parantapa still finds no peace of mind,
thinking constantly of his brothers and his mother Kunti."
CANTO 45
aisampayana said, "One day, knowing that Arjuna's glances turn

repeatedly to the Apsara Urvasi, Indra calls Chitrasena to him
privately and says, 'King of Gandharvas, go as my messenger to that best of
Apsaras, Urvasi, and let her wait upon my son Arjuna, tiger among men.
Tell her that I said, "Even as I have caused Arjuna to learn the secrets of
all the astras, as well as all the arts, worshipped by everyone, so should you
make him conversant with the arts of disporting himself in feminine
company!'"
Chitrasena goes at once to Urvasi, most beautiful among Apsaras. She
honours and delights him with her welcome and the worship she offers him.
When he sits at his ease, he says to Urvasi, who sits relaxed in his
company, 'O You of the fair hips, know that I come here at the word of the
only Lord of Swarga, who asks a favour of you.
You do know Arjuna, who is known among the gods and men for his
many natural virtues, for his grace, his conduct, the beauty of his person, his
vows and self-control; who is noted for might and prowess, and respected
by the virtuous, and quick-witted; who is endowed with genius and splendid
energy, is of a forgiving temper and without malice of any kind; who has
studied the four Vedas with their angas, the Upanishads, and the Puranas,
also; who is blessed with devotion to his preceptors and with an intellect
possessed of the eight attributes; who by his abstinence, ability, origins and
age, is by himself capable of protecting Devaloka like Maghavat himself;
who is never boastful; who shows proper respect to all; who sees the
minutest things as clearly as if those were gross and large; who is sweet-
spoken; who showers diverse kinds of food and drink on his friends and
dependants; who is truthful, worshipped by all, eloquent, handsome, and
without pride; who is kind to those devoted to him, and universally pleasing
and dear; who is firm in keeping his promises; who is equal even to
Mahendra and Varuna for owning every worthwhile quality and attribute.
Know, Urvasi, that Kshatriya is to taste the joys of heaven! Commanded
by Indra, let him today find your favours. Do this, O sweet one, for
Dhananjaya is inclined towards you, he desires you.'
Urvasi of faultless features smiles; her heart glad to hear the Gandharvas
words, she says, 'I would bestow my favours on anyone who owns such
qualities. Then why should I not choose Arjuna for a lover? Indeed, at
Indra's command, for the sake of my friendship with you, and stirred by
Arjuna's numerous virtues, I am already under the spell of the god of love.
O Chitrasena, go where you will now, and I will go to Arjuna.'
CANTO 46
aisampayana said, "Having thus sent away the Gandharva, who has
succeeded in his mission, Urvasi of the luminous smiles, moved by the
desire of possessing Arjuna, bathes luxuriantly. She decks herself in
wonderful ornaments and garlands of heaven's fragrances. Inflamed by the
god of love, her heart pierced through by Kama's flowery shafts to think of
Arjuna's beauty, her mind entirely absorbed in thoughts of him, she already
makes love to him in her imagination, on a wide and fine bed covered with
celestial linen.
When twilight deepens and the moon rises, that Apsara of the high hips
sets out for Arjuna's palace. In that mood and her soft long tresses adorned
with flowers, she is exquisite, absolutely graceful. The movements of her
eyebrows, her soft accents are full of enchantment. Her own face like a full
glowing moon, she goes forth as if challenging the moon for beauty.
As she goes, her deep, finely pointed breasts, smeared with unworldly
unguents and sandalwood paste, covered by a golden chain, begin to
tremble. So heavy are they that with each step she takes she seems to bend
forward slightly at her lovely waist with three folds.
Faultless are her loins, ah, elegant abode of Kama Deva; her hips are
fair, round and wide at their base. Wearing the sheerest clothes, decked in
golden ornaments, she could shake the sainthood of any yogi.
Fine are her ankles, flat the soles of her feet, straight her toes the hue of
burnished copper, and dorsum high and curved like the back of the tortoise;
she wears anklets with little bells tinkling.
She has drunk some wine, she is flushed with desire; soft anticipation
and delight course through her; she sways slightly from all these and is
more beautiful than ever. And though Devaloka abounds in wonders of
every kind, when Urvasi goes to Arjuna as she does, the Siddhas and
Charanas and Gandharvas think that she is the most beautiful thing on
which they ever laid eyes.
Dressed exquisitely in a fine, cloud-coloured garment, she is surely as
lambent as a digit of the moon in the sky with fleecy clouds across his face.
Swiftly as the wind or the mind goes she of the luminous smiles, and soon
arrives at Arjuna the Pandavas mansion.
Purushottama, at the gates Urvasi sends word in through the
dwarapalaka, and quickly she is inside the splendid and elegant palace. O
Rajan, when Arjuna sees her in his palace at night he feels anxiety grip him,
but then he comes forward to welcome her respectfully. However, when he
sees her as she is, the Pandava shuts his eyes out of modesty.
Saluting her, he offers the Apsara worship that is given to an elder, a
superior.
Arjuna says, 'O best of the Apsaras, I bend my head down before you.
Command me, for I am your servant.'
Hearing this, and his reverential tone, Urvasi is distraught. She tells
Arjuna how Chitrasena the Gandharva came to see her, and of their
meeting.
She says, 'Best of men, I will tell you everything which passed between
Chitrasena and me, and why I have come here.
Arjuna, because of your coming to this realm, Mahendra called together
a large and charming sabha, where celestial festivities were held. The
Rudras, the Adityas, the Aswins and the Vasus came to that gathering, as
did a number of Devarishis, Rajarishis, Siddhas, Charanas, Yakshas and
great Nagas.
O large eyes, when the members of that gathering, all splendid as fire,
the Sun or the Moon, all sat according to rank, honour, and prowess, O son
of Sakra, the Gandharvas began to play on their vinas and sing songs of
divine enchantment. And, Kurupravira, the main Apsaras also began to
dance.
Then, O son of Pritha, you looked at me, gazed at me, why, stared only
at me. When that assembly of the celestials broke, at your father's
command, the gods went away to their respective abodes. The Apsaras also
went away to their homes, and the others also, O Parantapa, with your
father's leave.
It was then Sakra sent Chitrasena to me, and arriving in my home, O you
of the eyes like lotus leaves, he said to me, "Fairest, the king of the Devas
has sent me to you. Do something which would please Mahendra, and me,
and yourself as well.
O fair hipped, go and please Arjuna, who is as brave in battle as Sakra
himself, and is always magnanimous and great-hearted."
Even these, Partha, were his words to me. So, Anagha, commanded by
Chitrasena and by your father I have come to serve you, Parantapa. My
heart has been attracted by your virtues, and I am already under the
influence of the god of love.
Kshatriya, this is also my own fervent wish, and I have cherished it since
I first saw you.'"
Vaisampayana continued, "Listening to this, Arjuna is overcome by
bashfulness. He stops his ears with his hands, and says, 'Devi, I curse my
hearing that you speak to me like this! For, O beautiful one, I think of you
as the wife of an elder. Auspicious one, you are even like Kunti to me, or
Indra's queen Sachi.
This is the only way I have always thought of you, and that is why I
gazed at you and no one else, most blessed one. I have my particular reason
for this and I will tell you what it is, O you of luminous smiles.
I stared at you in Indra's sabha, my eyes wide with delight, thinking,
"This most exquisite woman is the mother of the race of Kuru!" O Apsara,
it does not become you to have other feelings for me, because you are
superior to all my superiors – you are the mother of my race!'
Urvasi says, 'O son of Indra, we Apsaras are free and bound to no one;
we choose whom we will. You must not think of me as your elder or
suprior. The sons and grandsons of Puru's race who came here through their
punya have all sported freely with us, without incurring any sin.
So, relent, Kshatriya, it does not become you to send me away. I am afire
with desire for you. I am devoted to you. Accept me, take me if you would
properly adore me.'
Arjuna replies, 'Listen to me, O you of fautless, perfect features. I speak
truly, and let the four directions and the gods hear me as well. Sinless one,
as Kunti, Madri or Sachi is to me, so are you, the mother of my race, an
object of reverence to me. Return, O fairest, I bend my head down to you
and prostrate at your feet. You deserve my worship as a son, and I your love
as a mother.'
Hearing this, Urvasi is beside herself with rage. Trembling with it,
knitting her brows, she curses Arjuna, 'Since you spurn a woman come to
your palace at your father's command and of her own will, a woman,
besides, who is pierced by the shafts of Kama, O Partha, you will spend
your time among women as a dancer, your manhood gone and scorned as a
eunuch!'
With this curse, her lips still pale and quivering, her breasts still heaving
in wrath, Urvasi walks out of Arjuna's palace and returns home. Arjuna,
Parantapa, desparate, immediately seeks out Chitrasena, and finding him,
tells him everything that passed between Urvasi and himself in the night,
anguishing repeatedly over the Apsaras curse.
Chitrasena goes to Sakra and tells him everything. Indra calls Arjuna to
him privately, and consoles him.
Indra says gently, 'O greatest of all men, today Pritha has truly become a
blessed mother for having you as her son. Mahabaho, you have excelled
even the Rishis in your self-control.
Do not fear, the curse of Urvasi will benefit you, it will prove a blessing.
Anagha, back on Earth you must spend the thirteenth year of your exile in
ajnatavasa, unrecognised, undiscovered. That is when you will suffer the
curse of Urvasi, and when you have spent one year exactly as a eunuch and
a dancer, you will have your manhood back.'
When Indra says this to him, great relief and delight wash over Arjuna;
he no longer anguishes over the curse. Pandu's son Dhananjaya spends his
time pleasantly in Devaloka in the company of the celebrated Gandharva
Chitrasena.'
The desires of the man that listens to this story of Arjuna never turn
towards blind lust. The best men who listen to this tale of the awesome
purity of Phalguna, son of the lord of the Devas, become devoid of pride,
arrogance, anger and every other fault, and ascending into Swarga, sport
there in bliss."
CANTO 47
aisampayana said, "One day, during his wanderings, the great Rishi
Lomasa comes to Indra's abode, wanting to meet the king of the
Devas. The Mahamuni approaches the Lord of the gods and bows
reverentially to him. He sees Pandu's son occupying half of Vasava's throne.
Having been worshipped by the Devarishis, that Dvijottama, invited by
Indra, sits in a most excellent seat. He wonders how Arjuna, who was a
Kshatriya, has attained to the throne of Sakra himself. What great deeds of
punya has he performed, what lofty realms has he conquered, that he sits
upon the throne which the gods themselves worship?
As these thoughts engage the Rishi, Sakra, slayer of Vritra, reads the
Muni's heart. With a smile, Indra says to Lomasa, 'Brahmarishi, I see what
you are thinking – this one is no mortal though he has been born among
men. Mahamuni, this mighty-armed Kshatriya is my own son born to Kunti.
He has come here to acquire astras, for a great purpose. Alas! Don't you
recognise him as an ancient Rishi of the highest punya? Listen to me, O
Brahamana, I will tell you who he is and why he has come to me.
Know, those magnificent Rishis of antiquity, Nara and Narayana, are
none other than Dhananjaya and Hrishikesa. Nara and Narayana, celebrated
throughout the three worlds, have been born on Earth for the sake of
dharma.
That sacred asrama, which even Devas and Maharishis never see, which
is known through the world as Badari, which nestles by the source of the
Ganga, which is worshipped by the Siddhas and the Charanas, was the
hermitage, O Lomasa, of Vishnu and Jishnu.
Brahmarishi, at my wish, the two Sages of blazing splendour have been
born into the world of men, and endowed with awesome tejas, they will
lighten the burden of Bhumi Devi.
Besides this, the Asuras known as Nivatakavachas, arrogant of the boon
they have, are constantly engaged in doing us harm. They boast of their
power, and are even now plotting to destroy the Devas, for with their boon
they no longer fear us. They are fierce and mighty Danavas, who live in the
Pataias, and not all the Devas together can withstand their might.
The blessed Vishnu, slayer of Madhu, Kapila who made ashes of the
sons of Sagara with just his look when they attacked him roaring in the
bowels of the Earth, can indeed quell the Nivatakavachas. Either Hari or
Partha, or both, can slay those Asuras.
Just as he subdued the Nagas in the great lake, the lustrous Hari can
surely consume the Nivatakavachas and all their followers, with just his
look. But the task is too insignificant for Madhusudana himself, for being
the awesome mass of energy which he is, if incensed, his wrath might
consume the very universe.
This Arjuna can also kill our enemies, and having killed them he will
return to the world of men. Now you must go to the Earth, for my sake. You
will find the brave Yudhishtira living in the Kamyaka vana. For me, you
must tell Yudhishtira of unbaffled prowess in battle that he should not be
anxious about Arjuna, because this hero will return as a great master of
astras, for without being a complete and perfect master he will not be able
to face Bhishma, Drona and the others in battle.
You must also tell Yudhishtira that the mighty Arjuna has not only
acquired the devastras, he has also mastered the arts of celestial music, both
singing and of instruments, and dancing as well.
You will also tell Yudhishtira that, taking all his brothers with him, and
yourself, O Muni, he should set out on a pilgrimage and visit all the sacred
tirthas of the holy land. Bathing in the various sacred waters, he will be
washed of all his sins, and the fever in his heart will abate. Then, he will be
able to enjoy his kingdom, in the knowledge that his sins are gone.
Dvijottama, you must protect Yudhishtira during his wandering over the
Earth. Fierce Rakshasas live in mountain fastnesses and rugged plains.
Protect the king from those eaters of men.'
When Mahendra has said this much to Lomasa, Arjuna also speaks
reverently to that Rishi. 'O, always bless and protect the son of Pandu, and
with your protection, Maharishi, the king will undertake his tirtha yatra and
give charity to Brahmanas across the land.'
The mighty Sage Lomasa says to them both, 'So be it,' and sets out for
the Earth and the Kamyaka aranya. Arriving in that jungle, he sees that
Parantapa, Kunti's son Dharmaraja Yudhishtira, surrounded by Rishis and
his younger brothers."
CANTO 48
anamejaya said, "Surely, the feats of Partha of measureless energy were

certainly marvellous. O Brahmana, what did Dhritarashtra of great
wisdom say, when he heard about these?"
Vaisampayana said, "When Ambika's son Dhritarashtra hears about
Arjuna's arrival and stay in Indra's realm from Dwaipayana, first among
Rishis, he says to Sanjaya, "O Sarathy, do you know everything about what
Arjuna did, from beginning to end, all that I have just heard?
Sanjaya, my wretched, sinful son even now pursues the most base and
vulgar policy. Ah, his soul is evil and he will surely unpeople this very
Earth. The illustrious man, who speaks the truth even when he speaks in
jest, and who has Arjuna to fight for him, is certain to win the three worlds.
Who that is even beyond the influence of death and decay will be able to
stay before Arjuna, when he looses his barbed arrows whetted on stone? My
wretched sons, who must fight the invincible Pandavas are all doomed. I
think about it night and day but do not see the warrior amongst us who can
withstand the wielder of the Gandiva.
If Drona, Karna or even Bhishma advance against him in battle, a great
calamity is likely to befall the Earth. Even then, I do not see the way to our
victory. Kama is kind and forgiving. Acharya Drona is old, and besides he
is Arjuna's teacher.
But Arjuna is wrathful, strong, proud, and of firm and steady prowess.
All these warriors are invincible and a terrible battle will take place
between them. All of them are heroes skilled in weapons and of great
repute. They would not wish for the sovereignty of the world, if it was to be
bought by defeat. Indeed, peace will be restored only after the death either
of these or of Phalguna.
But there is no one who can kill Phalguna, no one who can vanquish
him. Oh, now I am the object of his anger; how will that rage be quenched?
Equal to the king of the Devas, that Kshatriya gratified Agni at Khandava;
he subdued all the monarchs of the Earth during the occasion of the great
Rajasuya.
O Sanjaya, the thunderbolt falling on the mountain top leaves a portion
unconsumed; but, child, the shafts shot by Kiriti leave no rack behind. As
the rays of the Sun heat this mobile and immobile universe, so will Arjuna's
shafts scorch my sons. It seems to me that the legions of the Bhaaratas,
terrified by the clatter of Arjuna's chariot wheels, are already broken
through on all sides.
Vidhatri has created Arjuna as an all-consuming Destroyer. He stays in
battle as an enemy, spewing swarms of arrows. Who will defeat him?'"
CANTO 49
anjaya says, 'All that you say about Duryodhana is entirely true.
Nothing that you have said is untrue, O Lord of the Earth.
The sight of their pure wife Krishnaa dragged into the sabha has filled
the Pandavas with rage. They have been so incensed to hear the cruel words
of Dussasana and Karna that they will never forgive the Kurus.
I have heard how Arjuna pleased the God of Gods in battle with his bow
– Sthanu of eleven forms. Wanting to test Phalguna, the illustrious Kapardin
assumed the guise of a Kirata and fought him.
And there it was that the Lokapalas revealed themselves to that
Kururishabha, and gave him their weapons. What other man on earth,
except Phalguna, would strive to see these gods in their own forms? Rajan,
who will weaken Arjuna in battle, when the eight-formed Maheswara could
not do so?
By coarsely dragging Draupadi into this sabha and shaming her, and
enraging the Pandavas, your sons have brought this terrifying calamity upon
themselves. When Bhima saw Duryodhana bare both his thighs to Panchali,
with quivering lips Vrikodara said, "Wretch! I will smash those thighs of
yours with my mace when thirteen years have passed."
All the sons of Pandu are the greatest warriors; all of them have
immeasurable energy; all of them are masters of every kind of weapon; not
the gods can vanquish them. Incensed at the insult to their wife, Pritha's
sons will kill all your sons in battle.'
Dhritarashtra says, 'O Sarathy, what mischief Karna did by speaking
savage words to the sons of Pandu! Was not enough enmity provoked by
bringing Krishnaa into the sabha?
How can my evil sons live, whose eldest brother and preceptor does not
walk the way of dharma? Seeing me blind, Sanjaya, and incapable of
exerting myself actively, my son believes me to be a fool, and does not
listen to what I say. The wretches who are his counsellors, Kama, Sakuni
and the others, always pander to his vices, because he does not see light.
Arjuna's arrows, even if he shoots them lightly, can consume all my
princes; what then when he looses them in anger? Why, arrows shot by
Arjuna's mighty arms, from his great bow, with mantras spoken over them,
can turn themselves into astras which can punish the Devas themselves.
He who has for his counsellor, protector and friend that scourge of
sinners, the lord of the three worlds, Hari himself, encounters nothing that
he cannot conquer. O Sanjaya, we have heard that the Lord Siva himself
clasped Arjuna in his arms.
All the world knows what Phalguna did, with Krishna beside him, to
help Agni in the Khandava vana. So, when Bhima, Partha and Vaasudeva of
the Satwatas are enraged, surely my sons, with their allies and the Subalas
are no match for them in battle.'"
CANTO 50
anamejaya said, "O Muni, surely, after sending Pandu's heroic sons into
exile, these lamentations of Dhritarashtra were perfectly futile. Why did
the king allow his foolish son Duryodhana to incense the mighty Pandavas?
O Brahmana, tell us now what did the sons of Pritha eat while they lived
in the forest? Was it produce of the wilderness or of cultivation?"
Vaisampayana said, "Those bulls among men gather fruit and roots and
also hunt deer with purified arrows. They first dedicate a portion of the food
to the Brahmanas, and then eat the rest themselves.
For, O King, while those heroes with great bows live in the forest,
Brahmanas of both classes follow them, those that worship with fire and
those that do not. Ten thousand illustrious Snataka Brahmanas, all knowers
of the means to moksha, Yudhishtira supports in the vana.
Killing Rurus and the black deer with arrows, as well as other clean
animals of the wild, fit for eating, he gives them to those Brahmanas. None
who stays with Yudhishtira looks pale or ill, or is lean or weak, or
melancholy or afraid. Yudhishtira, lord of the Kurus, looks after his brothers
as if they are his sons, and his other kinsmen as if they are his brothers.
The chaste Draupadi feeds the Brahmanas and her husbands, even as if
she is their mother, and only after they have eaten, does she herself eat.
Daily, bows in hand, the king himself goes east, Bhima to the south, and
the twins west and north, and kill deer for meat. Thus do the Pandavas
spend five years in the Kamyaka vana, in some anxiety at the absence of
Arjuna, and engage all the while in study, prayers and sacrifices."
CANTO 51
INDRALOKABHIGAMANA PRAVA CONTINUED
aisampayana said, "Ambika's son, Dhritarashtra Purusharishabha

listens to this account of how the Pandavas live in exile, and is filled
with grief and dread. Overwhelmed by dejection, sighing heavily and
sweating, that king says to Sanjaya, 'Sarathy, I have not a moment's peace,
day or night, thinking of my son's terrible conduct during the gambling, and
also thinking of the heroism, the patience, the high intelligence, the
unbearable prowess, and the extraordinary love for one another of the sons
of Pandu.
Among the Pandavas, the lustrous Nakula and Sahadeva, born of Devas
and as splendid as the king of the Devas himself, are invincible in battle.
They wield their weapons powerfully, loose their arrows over great
distances, are resolute in battle, of remarkable lightness of hand, of
quenchless wrath, possessed of great steadiness, and blessed with terrific
energy. They have the strength of lions and are as inexorable as the Aswins
themselves.
When they take the field with Bhima and Arjuna before them, I see,
Sanjaya, that my soldiers will all be slain without a remnant. Those mighty
warriors, all Devas' sons, unrivalled in battle by anybody, filled with anger
at the memory of Draupadi's humiliation, will show no mercy.
The awesome Vrishni warriors, also, the Panchalas of tameless tejas, and
the sons of Pritha, led by Krishna of unbaffled prowess, will raze my
legions. All the warriors on my side together cannot bear the might of just
the Vrishnis, for Balarama and Krishna command them.
Then, Bhima of dreadful prowess, his iron mace raised, he who can kill
any Kshatriya, will prowl among my soldiers like Death himself. High
above the din of the field, the twang of the Gandiva will resound, loud as
heaven's thunder. No king who is with us can withstand the force of
Bhima's mace and the mere sound of the Gandiva's bowstring.
And then, Sanjaya, obedient as I have been to the voice of Duryodhana, I
will have to recall all the rejected counsels of those who were truly my
friends and well-wishers, counsels which I should have attended to more
timely.'
Sanjaya says, 'This was your grievous mistake, O King, that although
you could have stopped your son from doing what he did, you did not, out
of your love for him.
Hearing that the Pandavas had been defeated at dice, Krishna of
unfading glory went to the Kamyaka vana and consoled them there.
Draupadi's sons, too, led by Dhrishtadyumna arrived in that vana, as did
Virata, Dhrishtaketu and the mighty Kekayas.
Through our spies, I learnt everything those Kshatriyas said there, when
they saw the Pandavas after they were beaten at dice. I have told you
everything I know. When Krishna met the Pandavas, they asked him to be
Arjuna's charioteer in battle. Hari replied, "So be it."
Seeing Pritha's sons clad in deer-skins, Krishna was full of rage, and said
to Yudhishtira, "During the Rajasuya yagna, in Indraprastha, I saw the
prosperity you sons of Pritha had, which no other king of the world could
acquire. I saw all the other kings, even those of the Vangas, Angas,
Paundras, Odras, Cholas, Dravidas and Andhakas subservient to you at the
great sacrifice, as were the chieftains of many islands and countries on the
sea-board as also of frontier kingdoms, including the rulers of the Sinhalas,
the barbarous Mlecchas, the natives of Lanka, and all the kings of the West,
by hundreds, and the kings of the Pahlavas and the Daradas, and the many
tribes of the Kiratas, Yavanas and Sakas; and the Harahunas and Chinas; the
Tusharas and the Saindhavas and the Jagudas; and the Ramatas and the
Mundas and the inhabitants of the kingdom of women; and the Tanganas
and the Kekayas and the Malavas and the inhabitants of Kasmira – all
officiated as your vassals at the Rajasuya yagna, obedient to your summons,
afraid of your prowess.
O King, I will restore that prosperity to you, which is so unstable now
and waits upon the enemy! I will take your enemies' lives from them. Lord
of the Kurus, with Rama and Bhima and Arjuna and the twins and Akrura
and Gada and Samba and Pradyumna and Ahuka and the heroic
Dhrishtadyumna and the son of Sisupala, I will kill Duryodhana and Kama
and Dussasana and Subala's son and any others who face us in battle, in a
single day!
And, O Bhaarata, you will rule from Hastinapura, with your brothers;
taking from Dhritarashtra's sons and their allies the prosperity they are
enjoying, you will rule this Earth."
Rajan, these were Krishna's words to Yudhishtira. When Krishna had
finished, Yudhishtira spoke to him in that conclave of heroes, within
hearing of all those valiant Kshatriyas led by Dhrishtadyumna, saying, "O
Janardana, I accept what you say as truth. But, Mahabaho, kill my enemies
and all that follow them when thirteen years have passed. Kesava, promise
me this much, because I gave my word in the presence of the king that I
would spend thirteen years in exile, in the wilderness."
Consenting to these words of Yudhishtira Dharmaraja, his counsellors
led by Dhrishtadyumna and the others pacified the furious Krishnaa with
sweet words. Within Krishna's hearing, they said to Draupadi, "Because of
your anger, Duryodhana will lose his life. We swear it, most beautiful one,
so grieve no more.
Panchali, those that mocked you will reap the fruit of what they dared
do. Beasts of prey and birds of carrion shall eat their flesh, and thus mock
them. Jackals and vultures will drink their blood. And, Panchali, you will
see the corpses of the wretches who dared drag you into the sabha lying on
the ground, being dragged about and devoured by wild carnivores.
They also that gave you pain and ignored you will lie headless upon the
Earth and the Earth herself will drink their blood."
Those bulls of the Bhaaratas said all this and more in that place, O King
– all of them endowed with boundless prowess and valour, all of them
marked with the scars of battle. At the end of thirteen years, those mighty
Kshatriyas, chosen by Yudhishtira, led by Krishna, will come to the field of
battle.
Rama and Krishna, Dhananjaya and Pradyumna, Samba and Yuyudhana,
Bhima and the sons of Madri, the Kekaya and the Panchala princes, with
their Matsya kinsmen – all these, illustrious, celebrated and invincible
heroes, with their allies and their troops, will come. Who is there, who
wishes to live, that will encounter these in battle, these like angry lions with
manes erect?'
Dhritarashtra says, 'What Vidura told me during the game of dice is
about to be realised. He said, "O King, if you try to vanquish the Pandavas
at dice, it will end in great bloodshed, a war which will destroy all the
Kurus." It is true what he said, a terrible war will be fought as soon as the
thirteen years of the Pandavas' exile is over.'
CANTO 52
NALOPAKHYANA PARVA
anamejaya said, "What did Yudhishtira and the other Pandavas do when
Arjuna went into Indra's realm to acquire the astras?" Vaisampayana said,
"When Partha goes to Devaloka, those other ratarishabhas continue to live
in the Kamyaka, with Draupadi. One day, those best of men, full of sorrow,
sit with Panchali upon a clean and solitary rock; they grieve for Arjuna,
they weep for him, all of them equally afflicted by his absence.
Full of anguish at both Arjuna being away and at losing their kingdom,
the mighty Bhima says to Yudhishtira, At your command, great King,
Arjuna, on whom our lives depend, as well as those of our son, and the
Panchalas, and Satyaki and Krishna, has gone away.
What can be sadder than this, that Fe has gone bearing so much grief in
his heart? Depending upon the might of his arms, think of our enemies as
being already dead and the whole world as belonging to us again.
Why, it was for his sake that I restrained myself from despatching all the
Dhartarashtras and the Saubalas, there in that sabha. We are mighty, we
have Krishna's support, yet we must perforce suppress the wrath which has
been kindled in our hearts because you are the root of that anger.
With Krishna's help, slaying our enemies we can even today rule the
world, conquering it through the might of our arms. Manliness we possess,
yet we are overwhelmed by calamity, because of your vice of gambling,
while the foolish sons of Dhritarashtra grow stronger every day with the
tribute they receive from other kings.
Great King, you should keep Kshatriya dharma in your sight. It is not the
dharma of a Kshatriya to live in the forest; the first dharma of a Kshatriya is
to rule. You know Kshatriya dharma, so do not leave the path of your duty.
Turn away from the forest and let us summon Partha and Krishna, and
kill the sons of Dhritarashtra, even before twelve years are over. Illustrious
king of kings, even if the Dhartarashtras are surrounded by soldiers in battle
array, I will send them to the next world with just my own strength.
I will kill all the sons of Dhritarashtra, along with the Saubalas,
Duryodhana, Karna, and anyone else who fights me. After I have killed all
our enemies, you can return to the vana, and so no sin will attach to you.
And Parantapa, even if any sin does cling to you, we will wash it away
through great yagnas and find a lofty heaven for ourselves.
Yes, we might have such a consummation if our king is not unwise or
procrastinating. But you are too virtuous, and the deceitful must be
destroyed with deceit. O Bhaarata, there is no sin in killing the deceitful
with deceit. Also, those who know dharma all say, great Kshatriya, that one
day and one night are equal to a full year.
The Veda also frequently declares that a day passed in keeping difficult
vratas equals a year. Glorious brother, if the Vedas are an authority for you,
think of the time we have spent in the wilderness as being equal to thirteen
years, more.
Parantapa, this is the time to kill Duryodhana and his followers,
otherwise he will soon bring the whole world under his sway. Ah
Yudhishtira, all this is the result of your addiction to gambling.
Already we live in grave peril because of your word given – to go
undiscovered during the thirteenth year. I can think of no land where the
evil Suyodhana's spies will not track us down. Once we are found, the evil
one will send us into exile for another thirteen years.
Or if, perchance, we pass the ajnatavasa undiscovered, the sinner will
challenge you to play dice again, and once more you will lose everything.
You are no dice-player, and once you sit down to play you will lose control
of yourself again, and yet again you will find exile for yourself.
If you do not want to ruin all our lives, follow what the Veda says — that
the deceitful must be killed with deceit. If you only command me, I will go
straightaway to Hastinapura, and as fire falling upon a heap of dry grass
consumes it, I will put forth my strength and kill Duryodhana. It becomes
you, my lord, to give me leave.'
Thus addressed by Bhima, Dharmaraja Yudhishtira sniffs the top of his
brother's head affectionately, and pacifying him, says, 'Mahabaho, beyond
doubt, along with Arjuna who wields the Gandiva, you will kill Suyodhana,
when thirteen years have passed.
But, O son of Pritha, as for your assertion that the time is complete, I
will not dare tell a lie, for falsehood is not in me. Kaunteya, you must kill
the evil and powerful Duryodhana, and his confederates, but without using
deceit.'
While Yudhishthira is speaking to Bhima, the great and illustrious Rishi
Brihadaswa appears before them. Seeing the virtuous Sage, the king
worships him with the offering of madhuparka. When the Muni is seated
and refreshed, the mighty Yudhishtira sits at his feet, and looking up at
Brihadaswa, speaks to him in a piteous tone.
'Holy one, challenged by cunning gamblers skilled at dice, I have lost all
my wealth and kingdom at gambling. I am no adept at dice, and am
unacquainted with deceit. Sinful men vanquished me at dice, by cheating.
'They even brought my wife, dearer to me than life, into the public sabha.
Defeating me a second time, they have sent me into exile in this great
forest, clad in deer-skin, and I live here with my heart heavy, full of grief.
The harsh and cruel words they pierced me with, and what my friends and
kin later said about the game of dice are all fresh in my memory.
Thinking of these, I cannot sleep at nights but lie awake in anxiety. I am
also without Arjuna, upon whom all our lives depend, and that is like being
dead. Oh, when will I see the sweet-spoken and large-hearted Bibhatsu, so
full of kindness and vitality, return to us, having acquired all the astras?
Is there a king on this Earth who is more unfortunate than me? Have you
ever seen or heard of one? To my mind, there is no man more wretched than
I am.'
Brihadaswa says, 'Great king, O Pandava, you say that there is no man
more miserable than you are. Sinless monarch, if you will listen, I will tell
you the tale of a king more wretched than yourself.
Yudhishtira says to the Rishi, 'Illustrious one, tell me, I want to hear the
story of the king who fell into such misery.'
Brihadaswa says, 'O King who has never fallen, listen attentively, with
your brothers. I will narrate the story of a Kshatriya more miserable than
yourself. There was a celebrated king among the Nishadhas, named
Virasena. He had a son called Nala, versed in ways of dharma and artha. I
have heard that Nala was vanquished through deceit by his brother
Pushkara, and overtaken by calamity, lived in the forest with his wife.
While he lived in the vana, he had neither servants nor chariots, neither
brothers nor friends with him. But you are surrounded by your heroic
brothers, who are like Devas, and also by magnificent Brahmanas who are
like Brahma himself. Therefore, it does not become you to complain.'
Yudhishtira says, 'I am anxious to hear in detail, O foremost of eloquent
men, the tale of Nala. You must tell me his story.'
CANTO 53
NALOPAKHYANA PARVA CONTINUED
rihadaswa says, 'There was a king named Nala, the son of Virasena. He
was strong, and handsome, a master of horses, and possessed of every
accomplishment. A king of kings, he was even like the lord of the Devas.
Exalted above all others, he resembled the Sun in glory.
And he was the king of the Nishadhas, intent on the welfare of
Brahmanas, versed in the Vedas, and possessed of heroism. He always told
the truth, he was master of a mighty army, and he was fond of dice. Men
and women loved him; he was a great soul, his passions subdued. He was
the greatest bowman, protector of his people, and like Manu himself.
And among the Vidarbhas, there was another king like him called
Bhima, of terrible prowess, heroic, kindly towards his subjects and
possessed of every virtue. However, he had no children. Single-mindedly,
he did his best to have a child.
O Bhaarata, one day a Brahmarishi named Damana came to Bhima.
Desperate to have children, Bhima, versed in dharma, and his queen
received the lustrous Rishi with every reverence. Well pleased, Damana
granted the king and his consort a boon in the form of a jewel of a daughter,
and also three sons of lofty soul and great fame.
These were named Damayanti, Dama, Danta, and Damana after the
Sage. The three sons were accomplished in every way; they were fierce to
behold and fierce in prowess. The slender-waisted Damayanti became
celebrated the world over for her beauty and radiance, her good nature, her
grace and fortune. Upon her coming of age, hundreds of sakhis and female
slaves, all decked in precious ornaments, waited upon her as if she were
Sachi herself, while Bhima's daughter shone amongst them like the
luminous lightning of the clouds.
Damayanti of large eyes was as beautiful as Sri; not among the Devas,
the Yakshas or among men had such beauty ever been seen or heard of
before. She filled even the Devas' hearts with joy.
So also, Nala was peerless in the three worlds, for he was as handsome
as Kandarpa himself. Admiring heralds sang Nala's praises before
Damayanati and Damayanati's praises before the king of the Nishadhas.
Hearing over and over about each other's virtues the two conceived an
attachment towards each other, though neither had seen the other.
That affection grew, and then Nala could not contain the love which was
in his heart. He began to pass much of his time alone, in the wooded
gardens which adjoined his royal apartments in his palace. There he saw a
flock of golden-winged swans, wandering among the trees, and one he
caught in his hands.
The sky ranging avian said to Nala, "I do not deserve to be killed by you,
O King. Let me do something for you instead – lord of the Nishadas, I will
speak to Damayanti about you in such a way that she will never want any
other man for her husband."
The king let the swan go, and the flock rose in flight and winged its way
to the land of the Vidarbhas. Arriving, the birds alighted before Damayanti
and her sakhis, and seeing the extraordinary swans, she was full of delight
and, along with her maids, tried to catch the sky-coursers.
The swans fled in all directions pursued by that bevy of beautiful young
women, while each maiden ran after one bird. The one that Damayanti
chased led her to a secluded place, and then spoke to her in human speech.
"Damayanti, there is a king of the Nishadhas called Nala. He is equal to
the Aswins in beauty, and has no remote peer among men. Indeed, he is as
handsome as Kama Deva. Fair one, slender-waisted one, if you become his
wife, your own beauty and your life will become fruitful.
We have seen Devas and Gandharvas, Nagas and Rakshasas, and the
best among men, but never have we seen anyone like Nala. You, also, are
an incomparable jewel among women, even as Nala is among men. Happy
is a union between the best and the best!"
Damayanti said to the swan, "Go and say the same thing to Nala!"
The swan replied, "So be it," and flew back to the land of the Nishadhas,
and told Nala everything.'
CANTO 54
rihadaswa says, 'O Bhaarata, after hearing what the swan said about
Nala, Damayanti lost all peace of mind. Sighing repeatedly to think of
him, she became full of anxiety and melancholy, she was pale and grew
lean. Kama, god of love, seized her heart; she grew paler by the day, and
her gaze turned skywards; her mood always abstracted, she seemed to be
quite deranged.
She lost all her taste for fine beds and seats, and every object of
enjoyment. Night and day, she would not lie down, but always wept, with
soft and loud exclamations of despair.
Seeing her like that, her sakhis went and hinted about her condition to
her father, the king of the Vidarbhas. King Bhima realised that Damayanti's
condition was serious and he asked himself, "Why does my daughter seem
to be so ill now?"
Reflecting by himself, the king thought that his daughter had attained
puberty and decided that he should hold a swayamvara for Damayanti. That
monarch invited all the lords of the Earth, saying, "Kshatriyas, know that
Damayanti's swayamvara is at hand!"
When they heard this, all the kings came to Bhima, filling earth and sky
with the clatter of their chariot wheels, the trumpeting of their elephants,
and the whinnying of their horses, and bringing their magnificent legions
decked in ornaments and beautiful garlands. The mighty-armed Bhima paid
due homage to those illustrious sovereigns, and honoured by him, they
began living in his city.
At this time, those best of Devarishis, Narada and Parvata, both of
untold splendour, wisdom and stern vows, arrived during their wanderings
in Indra's realm and entered the palace of the Deva king, where they were
received with reverence. Indra Maghavat worshipped the two, and asked
after their welfare and peace.
Narada said, "Divine one, peace attends on us in every way, and, O
Maghavat, peace attends also upon the kings of the whole world."
Indra, slayer of Vritra, said, "Those righteous kings of the Earth who
fight leaving all desire to live, and who die by weapons when their time
comes, never fleeing the field of battle – theirs is this Swarga, everlasting
for them and granting all desires, even as it is for me.
Where are those Kshatriya heroes? I do not see those kings coming here
to me. Where are my favourite guests?"
Narada replied, "O Maghavat, I will tell you why you do not see those
Kshatriyas now. The king of the Vidarbhas has a daughter, the renowned
Damayanti. In beauty she excels all the women of the Earth. O Sakra, her
swayamvara is to take place shortly and every king and prince from every
direction and land is going to that swayamvara.
All the lords of the Earth desire that pearl of the Earth for themselves, O
slayer of Bala and Vritra."
While they sat talking together, those greatest of the Devas, the
Lokapalas, and Agni with them, appeared before the lord of the celestials,
and they all heard what Narada said, which was of grave import. As soon as
they heard him, they exclaimed in excitement, "We will also go there!"
Mounting their various vahanas and vimanas, taking their attendants
with them, the gods set out for the land of the Vidarbhas where all the
Kshatriyas of the world had gone.
Kaunteya, meanwhile, Nala also heard of the swayamvara and set out for
it, his heart full of joy and love for Damayanti. On his way, the goas saw
Nala, as handsome as Kama Deva. Seeing him splendid as the Sun, the
Lokapalas were astonished at his wealth of beauty.
Leaving their chariots in the sky, the gods flew down to Nala, king of the
Nishadhas, and said to him, "Greatest of the Nishadha kings, O Nala, you
are devoted to dharma. You must help us. Best of men, be you our
messenger.'"
CANTO 55
rihadaswa continues, 'O Bhaarata, Nala pledged his word to the gods
saying, "I will do what you ask."
Then, approaching them with folded hands, he asked, "Who are you?
And who is he that wants me to be his messenger? And what must I do for
you? Tell me!"
Maghavat said, "We are the Devas come here for Damayanti's sake. I am
Indra; this one is Agni; this the Lord of waters, and this, O King, is even
Yama, destroyer of the bodies of men.
You must inform Damayanti of our coming, saying, "The Guardians of
the world, great Indra and the others, are coming to your swayamvara. The
Devas Sakra and Agni and Varuna and Yama want to have you for their
wife, so choose one of them for your lord.'"
Nala said with joined hands, "I too have come here for the same reason.
It does not become you to send me on this errand. How can a man who is
himself smitten by love bring the suit of another to the woman that he
loves? So, spare me, O Devas!"
But the gods said, "King of the Nishadhas, having sworn that you will do
what we ask, will you now break your word? Tell us quickly, O Nala!"
The Nishadha king said, "Those palaces are well guarded, how can I
hope to enter them?"
Indra replied, "You will be able to enter."
Saying, "So be it," Nala went to Damayanti's palace. Arriving there, he
saw, surrounded by her sakhis, the daughter of the king of Vidarbha ablaze
with beauty, her form of exquisite symmetry, her limbs so delicate, her
waist slender, and her eyes lage and lovely. And she seemed to rebuke the
light of the moon with her own luminosity.
As he gazed upon that young woman of the sweet smiles, Nala's love
grew, but wanting to keep his dharma, he suppressed his passion. And when
they saw the Naishadha, all those finest among women were overpowered
by his radiance and rose to their feet in amazement. Full of wonder, they
praised Nala in joy, silently in their minds.
"Oh, what beauty, what gentleness belongs to this Mahatman! Who is
he? Is he some Deva or Yaksha or Gandharva?"
Quite confounded by Nala's splendour, and full of bashfulness, those
best among women did not speak to him at all. But, although stricken by
amazement herself, Damayanti spoke smilingly to Nala, who also gently
smiled at her.
"What are you, O you of faultless features, who have come here
awakening my love? O Sinless, O Hero of celestial form, I am anxious to
know who you are, and why you have come here. And how have you come
undiscovered into my apartments, when the king's mandates are stern?"
Nala replied, "Beautiful one, my name is Nala, and I come here as a
messenger of the gods. The Devas Sakra, Agni, Varuna and Yama want you,
lovely one, choose one of them for your lord. It is through their power that I
have entered here unobserved, and unobstructed. Gentle one, the gods have
sent me here on this mission. I have given you their message, most
fortunate one, now do as you please.'"
CANTO 56
rihadaswa says, 'Damayanti bowed to the Devas, then said to Nala with
a smile, "O King, love me with proper regard, and command me what I
should do for you. I myself and everything precious which I own are yours.
Magnificent one, grant me your love in complete trust, for what the swan
said burns in my heart.
Kshatriya, it is for your sake that I called this swayamvara, and for your
sake I, who adore you, will take my life with poison, immolate myself in
fire, drown or hang myself."
Nala replied, "When the Lokapalas ask for you, you would choose a
man? Turn your heart to those great gods, I am not equal to the dust on their
feet. If a mortal displeases the gods he certainly finds death. Save me, O
you of faultless limbs! Choose the all-excelling Devas. By accepting the
gods, enjoy wearing incomparable garments, unearthly garlands of myriad
hues, and divine ornaments.
What woman would not choose Hutasana for her lord, he who devours
the Earth? What woman would not choose Yama for her lord, from dread of
whose danda all creatures tread the way of dharma? What woman would
not choose for her lord the virtuous and high-souled Mahendra, the king of
the Devas, the scourge of Daityas and Danavas? Or, if you choose Varuna in
your heart among the Lokapalas, do so without hesitation.
Lovely one, I beg you, accept my friendly advice!"
Her eyes by now swimming with tears, Damayanti said to Nala, "Lord of
the earth, bowing to all the gods, I choose you for my husband. Truly do I
tell you this."
The king, who had come as the messenger of the gods, replied to the
trembling Damayanti standing before him folded hands, "Sweet one, do as
you please. Having pledged my word to the very Devas, how can I dare
seek my own interest? If seeking my own interest coincides with dharma, I
will seek it, and beautiful one you must also do the same."
Her voice choked with tears, Damayanti of luminous smiles said slowly
to Nala, "Lord of men, I see a blameless way, by which no sin whatever will
attach to you. Best among men, come to the swayamvara with all the Devas
led by Indra. There, O Kshatriya, in the presence of the Lokapalas I will,
tiger among men, choose you, and then no blame will be yours."
Having heard this from Damayanti, Nala returned to where the Devas
were. Seeing him, the gods asked him eagerly about what had happened.
"Kshatriya, have you seen Damayanti of the sweet smiles? What did she
say to us? Sinless king, tell us all."
Nala replied, "At your command I entered Damayanti's palace of lofty
portals, guraded by veteran guardsmen with wands in their hands. By your
power, no one saw me as I went in, other than the princess. I saw her hand-
maidens, and they also saw me. Most exalted Devas, they saw me and were
filled with wonder.
And even as I pressed your suit to her, O you best among gods, that
beautiful princess said she had her heart set on me and chose me for her
husband. She said to me, 'Purushavyaghra, let the Devas come with you to
the swayamvara, and in their presence I will choose you for my lord. At
this, Mahabaho, no blame will attach to you.'
O Devas, this is all that transpired, and now everything depends upon
you."
CANTO 57
rihadaswa continues, 'At the sacred hour of the holy lunar day of the
auspicious season, King Bhima summoned the kings to the
Swayamvara. All the lords of the Earth came with alacrity to his city, all of
them keen to have Damayanti. The Kshatriyas entered the great hall
decorated with golden pillars and a lofty portal arch, like mighty lions
entering the mountain wilds.
Wearing fragrant garlands and polished earrings hung with jewels, the
kings and princes sat down on the fine seats provided. And that sacred
assembly of kings, graced by those tigers among men, resembled the
Bhogavati swarming with Nagas, or a mountain cave with tigers.
They were mighty, resembling iron maces, and well-shaped, and
graceful, and looked like five-headed snakes. With lustrous locks, fine
noses, eyes and brows, the faces of the kings shone like the stars in the sky.
And when the muhurta arrived, the exquisite Damayanti entered that
great hall, dazzling the Kshatriyas, stealing their gazes and hearts. The
gazes of those illustrious kings were riveted to those parts of her person
where they had chanced to fall first, and never moved.
O Bhaarata, when the names of the monarchs were proclaimed, Bhima's
daughter saw five men all identical in appearance. Seeing them sitting there,
no difference whatever between the five, doubt filled her mind for she could
not tell which one was Nala. All five looked exactly the same and all of
them seemed to be the king of the Nishadhas.
Anxiety sweeping through her, the princess thought, "How will I know
which are the Devas and which my love?"
Grief had its way with her. She thought of the signs and marks attributed
to each of the Devas but saw none of these upon the five who sat before her.
Long she thought, and hard, and then decided to seek the help of the
Lokapalas themselves.
She folded her hands, and bowing down to them, mind and body, the
trembling Damayanti said piteously, "Since I heard what the swan said, I
chose the king of the Nishadhas as my lord. For the sake of dharma, and as
I have never swerved from my love in my heart or speech — for that truth,
let the Devas themselves reveal him to me. The gods have decided that Nala
will be my lord; for that truth, let them show him to me.
Since I have taken this vow to pay homage to Nala, for that truth let the
gods reveal him to me. O, let the exalted Guardians of the worlds assume
their own forms, so that I may know the good king."
When the Lokapalas saw how firm her resolve was, how fervent her love
for Nala, how pure her heart, the gods reassumed their natural forms which
they had hidden. She saw the awesome ones, skins untouched by human
sweat, eyes winkless, garlands unfading, no speck of dust upon them, feet
never touching the ground. Nala Naishadha stood revealed mortal, his
garlands fading, himself stained with dust and sweat, feet resting on the
ground, and his eyes blinking from time to time.
O Bhaarata, when she saw which of the five were the gods and which
Nala, Bhima's chaste daughter chose Nala for her lord. Bashfully, she seized
the hem of his robes and draped a bright and graceful garland of flowers
around his neck. A great outcry of regret arose from the other Kshatriyas,
while the Devas and Rishis cried out in wonder and approval.
O Kauravya, the royal son of Virasena, Nala, his heart filled with joy,
said to the beautiful Damayanti, "You have chosen a mortal while you could
have had a god. From this day you shall have a husband obedient to your
every wish and command. And, O you of sweet smiles, I swear that as long
as there is life in this body, I will be yours and yours alone."
Damayanti, also, with folded hands, paid homage to Nala in similar
words. Seeing Agni and the other Devas, the happy couple sought their
protection, in their minds. When the daughter of Bhima had chosen
Naishadha for her husband, the Lokapalas, of blinding effulgence, their
hearts pleased, bestowed eight boons on Nala.
Sakra, the lord of Sachi, blessed Nala with the boon that he would be
able to see his Deity during sacrifices and that he would attain blessed
realms after this life; Agni Hutasana blessed him with the boon of his own
presence whenever Naishadha wished, and realms, also, bright as himself;
Yama granted him subtle taste in food as well as pre-eminence in dharma;
and Varuna, the lord of waters, granted Nala his own presence whenever the
Naishadha desired, and also garlands of heavenly fragrance. Thus, each
Lokapala blessed Nala with two boons each, and having blessed him the
gods returned to Swarga.
Having witnessed, with wonder and delight, Damayanti's choosing of
Nala, the kings of the world also returned to their kingdoms. When they had
gone, Bhima, well pleased, celebrated the wedding of Nala and Damayanti.
Nala remained in the Vidarbha city for some while, to please Bhima, and
then returned to his own home.
Having married that pearl of a woman, Nala now passed his days in joy
with Damayanti, even as Indra does with Sachi. Like the Sun in glory, that
king ruled with dharma and his people were all satisfied and happy. Like
Nahusha's son Yayati, the brilliant Nala performed the Aswamedha yagna
and many other great sacrifices, and gave abundant gifts to Brahmanas.
Truly like a Deva, Nala dallied with Damayanti in romantic woods and
charmed groves, and he begot on his lovely wife a son named Indrasena,
and a daughter named Indraseni. Thus, performing countless sacrifices, and
making love with Damayanti, Nala ruled the world, and it was a time of
grace and plenitude.'
CANTO 58
rihadaswa says, 'When the blazing guardians of the worlds were

returning to their homes after the swayamvara, they saw Dwapara and
Kali approaching them. Seeing Kali, Sakra said, "O Kali, say where you are
going with Dwapara."
Kali replied, "Sakra, I am going to Damayanti's swayamvara, and I will
have her for my wife, for my heart is fixed upon that young woman."
Hearing this, Indra said with a smile, "That swayamvara is already over,
and she has chosen Nala for her husband."
Kali, vilest of the celestials, was filled with wrath, and said to the gods,
"Since she dared chose a mortal when the Devas were present, she must
suffer a heavy consequence."
The Devas replied, "It is with our sanction that Damayanti chose Nala.
What young woman would not choose Nala, who is blessed with every
virtue? He knows his dharma, always conducts himself with rectitude, he
has studied the four Vedas together with the Puranas that are regarded as the
fifth. He harms no living creature, speaks only the truth, keeps his vows
faithfully, and worships the gods with sacrifices in his house.
In that tiger among men, that king who is like a Lokapala, dwell truth,
forbearance, knowledge, asceticism, purity, self-control and perfect
tranquillity of spirit. O Kali, the fool that wants to curse Nala, who has such
character, curses only himself and destroys himself by what he does. Kali,
he who seeks to curse Nala of such immaculate virtue sinks into the wide,
bottomless pit of hell, rife with torments."
Saying this to Kali and Dwapara, the Devas went to their heavens. And
when the gods had gone, Kali said to Dwapara, "Dwapara, I cannot contain
my anger. I will possess Nala, deprive him of his kingdom, and he shall not
sport anymore with Bhima's daughter. Enter into the gambling dice; you
must help me."
CANTO 59
rihadaswa says, 'Having made this compact with Dwapara, Kali came
to the city of the king of the Nishadhas. Always watching for an
opening, the slightest lapse from Nala, he continued to dwell in the country
of the Nishadhas for a long lime. In the twelfth year, Kali saw his chance.
One day, after answering the call of nature, Naishadha touched water and
said his twilight prayers, but without having washed his feet. Through this
ritual lapse, Kali entered into him, and having possessed Nala, he appeared
before Nala’s brother Pushkara, and said to him, "Come and play dice with
Nala. I will help you and you will certainly win. Defeat Nala and, winning
his kingdom, rule the Nishadhas!"
Exhorted by Kali, Pushkara went to Nala; and Dwapara also came to
Pushkara and became the main dice called vrisha. Appearing before the
warlike Nala, that slayer of hostile heroes, Pushkara repeatedly said, "Let us
play dice together."
Thus challenged in the presence of Damayanti, the lofty-minded
Naishadha could not refuse for long. He fixed a time for the game.
Possessed as he was by Kali, Nala began to lose all his stakes — in gold,
silver, chariots with their teams of horses, costly garments. And maddened
by the dice, none amongst his friends could make him stop playing.
O Bhaarata, the citizens in a body, with the chief councillors, came to
see the king and make him stop. The charioteer came to Damayanti and
said, "O Queen, the people and the officers of the state are waiting at the
gate. You must tell the king that they cannot bear the calamity which has
overtaken him."
Overwhelmed by grief, almost mad from it, Bhima's daughter spoke in a
choked voice to Nala, "Rajan, the loyal people and the councillors are at the
gates, waiting to see you. You must grant them audience."
But possessed by Kali, the king did not reply to his desperate wife. At
this, the people and the officials returned to their homes, in shame and
sorrowing, saying among themselves, "He does not live!"
Yudhishtira, for many months Nala and Pushkara gambled, and the
viruous Nala always lost.'
CANTO 60
rihadaswa says, 'Bhima's daughter, the calm Damayanti, saw her

husband maddened by the dice, and she was full of alarm; she saw how
ciritical the situation was, for he had lost almost everything. She said to her
nurse and maid-servant Brihatsena, "Go and summon the councillors in the
name of Nala, and tell them also what wealth has been lost and what
remains."
The councillors heard Nala's summons and said, "This is fortunate for
us". They came to the king, along with all the people, for the second time.
Damayanti informed Nala of their coming, but he ignored her and she
returned in shame to her apartments.
Hearing that the dice rolled constantly against Nala, and that he had lost
everything, she said again to her nurse, "Brihatsena, go again in Nala's
name and fetch the charioteer Varshneya. For this is a crisis."
Brihatsena had Varshneya summoned by trusted servants, and the
blameless Damayanti said softly to the sarathy, "You know how good the
king has always been to you. He is in trouble now, and you must help him.
The more the king loses to Pushkara, the more ardently he wants to play on.
The dice fall obedient to Pushkara, and roll against Nala.
He is so possessed by the game that he does not listen to his friends and
family, not even to me. O Sarathy, I seek your protection; my heart is weak
within me and I fear the king will come to grief. I beg you, yoke Nala's
favourite horses, swift as the mind, and take these twins, my son and
daughter, in the royal chariot to Kundina. Leave them there with my kin,
Sarathy, and then do as you will – either remain there yourself or go
anywhere else that you please."
Nala's charioteer reported what Damayanti said to the chief officers of
the king. With their assent, he then set out for Vidarbha, taking the children
in his ratha. Leaving the boy Indrasena and the girl Indraseni, and also that
best of chariots and those finest of horses with Bhima, and his heart full of
sorrow for Nala, Varshneya the sarathy wandered here and there for some
time, then arrived in Ayodhya and entered the service of King Rituparna, as
his charioteer.'
CANTO 61
rihadaswa says, 'After Varshneya left, Pushkara won Nala's kingdom

and what remained of his wealth. Then, laughing, he said to Nala, "Let
us play on! But what will you stake now? You have lost everything you
own except Damayanati. I am prepared to accept her as a wager, if you will
put her up."
Nala listened to Pushkara and felt his heart would burst in anger, but he
did not say a word. Only gazing at his adversary in anguish, Nala stripped
all the precious ornaments from every part of his body. Wearing just a
single piece of cloth, his body uncovered, all his wealth lost, having brought
great grief to all his friends, the king set out from his city. Damayanti, also
clad in one piece of cloth, followed him. Coming to the outskirts of the city,
Nala stayed there for three nights with his wife. But Pushkara had it
proclaimed that anyone who gave shelter to Nala or paid him the least
attention would be put to death. No citizen, O Yudhishtira, dared show Nala
any regard or hospitality.
Nala passed three nights upon the city's hem, living just on water. Roiled
by hunger, the king went in search of fruit and roots, Damayanti following
him. After many days, in agony from starving, Nala saw some birds of
golden plumage and the mighty lord of the Nishadhas thought, "These will
be my banquet today and also my wealth."
He covered them with the single cloth which he wore, but in a flash the
birds rose up into the sky with that last garment. They looked down at Nala,
now standing naked and stricken, his face turned down in shame, and those
rangers of the sky said to him, "O you of small sense, we are the dice with
which you played. We came here to take away your cloth, for we wanted to
see you go naked from here!"
Nala now said to Damayanti, "They whose anger took my kingdom from
me, they who have ravaged me with hunger, they who keep me from
finding food, who kept the Nishadhas from offering me any hospitality have
now come as birds and taken away my last cloth.
Ah, I have plunged into disaster, and my mind and senses reel with grief.
I am your lord still, so listen to what I say and do as I ask; it is for your own
good. These many roads lead to the southern country, passing by the city of
Avanti and the Rikshavat Mountains. This is the mighty Vindhya; yonder,
the river Payasvini runs seawards, and there are the asramas of the Rishis,
where many roots and fruit grow.
This road leads to the country of the Vidarbhas, and beyond that is the
land of the Kosalas. Beyond these roads, to the south, is the Dravida
country. Leave me and go there."
Over and over, the almost deranged Nala repeated these words to
Damayanti. At which, in grief, her voice full of tears, Damayanti said
piteously to the Naishadha, "O King, my heart trembles and my limbs turn
weak to think of your purpose. How can I go, leaving you alone in this
forest, having lost your kingdom and wealth, naked, worn with hunger and
exhausted?
When you think of your old felicity in this deep vana and grieve, I will
soothe your sorrow, great king. All the physicians say that in every sorrow
there is no physic equal to a wife. It is the truth, O Nala, that I speak."
Nala replied, "Slender-waisted Damayanti, it is even as you say. To a
man in distress, there is no friend or medicine that is equal to his wife. But I
do not seek to renounce you, so why are you in dread? Faultless one, I can
forsake myself but you I can never leave."
Damayanti said, "Mighty King, if you do not intend to forsake me, then
why do you point out the way to the country of the Vidarbhas? I know, my
lord, that you would not desert me. But, Lord of the Earth, your mind is
sorely disturbed and you might desert me. Best of men, repeatedly you
point out the road which leads out of here, and you swell my sorrow, O
godlike.
If you intend that I go to the country of my kin, then let us both go the
land of the Vidarbhas. The king of the Vidarbhas will receive you with
honour, and you will live happily in our home.'"
CANTO 62
ala said, "Surely, your father's kingdom is as my own. But I will

not go there in this condition. Once I appeared there in glory,
increasing your joy. How can I go there now in misery, augmenting your
grief?"
Saying this again and again to Damayanti, King Nala, wrapped in half a
garment now, comforted his wife. Both of them sharing her single cloth,
weary with hunger and thirst, they wandered on weakly, and at last came to
a wayside shelter for travellers, a meagre shed.
Arriving there, the king of the Nishadhas sat down on the bare earth with
the princess of Vidarbha. Sharing the same piece of cloth, dirty and
haggard, stained with dust, exhausted, they fell on the ground. Plunged so
abruptly in distress, the delicate and innocent Damayanti, every mark of
fortune upon her body, fell into a deep slumber.
But Nala, his heart and mind distraught, could not sleep as he used to.
He thought about losing his kingdom, the desertion by his friends, and his
distress in the wilds.
He thought to himself, "To what avail my living on? Is death better for
me now? But can I desert my wife, who is so devoted to me and suffers this
hardship for my sake? But if I leave her, she might find her way to her
relatives.
She is absolutely loyal and if she stays with me distress can be her only
lot; while, if I leave her, she might find fortune and even happiness again
someday."
Reflecting upon this repeatedly, he concluded that he should leave
Damayanti. He also thought, "She has lofty fame, auspicious fortune; she is
devoted to me, her husband, and no one will harm her on her way, such is
her tejas."
It was the evil Kali influencing his mind to desert Damayanti. Nala then
thought that they were sharing her single cloth, and he wanted to cut half of
it away for himself. He thought, "How shall I divide this garment, so that
my beloved does not awaken?"
Thinking of this, he paced that shelter and, O Bhaarata, he found a
handsome sword lying nearby, unsheathed. That Parantapa used the blade to
shear away one half of the cloth, then throwing the weapon aside, he left the
daughter of Vidharbha asleep and walked away.
But his heart failed him, and he returned to the shelter, and seeing
Damayanti again, burst into tears. He said, "Alas! My beloved, whom not
the Wind or the Sun has seen before, lies forsaken and wretched on bare
ground, wearing a single cloth. Ah, what will she of the luminous smiles do
when she awakens alone? How will Bhima's beautiful daughter find her
way through this forest full of wild animals and snakes?
O blessed one, may the Adityas and the Vasus, and the twin Aswins
together with the Marutas protect you, your virtue being your best guard."
Saying this softly to his wife, whose beauty was unmatched in the world,
Nala, deranged by Kali, tried to leave again. He came back again and again,
helplessly, hauled away by Kali but pulled back by love; and it seemed as if
the heart of the wretched king was torn in two, and like a swing, he kept
going out from the shelter and coming back into it.
At length, after lamenting long and piteously, Nala, entirely stupefied by
Kali, went away, forsaking his sleeping wife. Bereft of reason through
Kali's touch, the king left in sorrow leaving Damayanti alone in that solitary
forest.'
CANTO 63
rihadaswa says, 'O King, some time after Nala had left, the exquisite
and timorous Damayanti awoke in that lonely forest. Not finding her
lord Naishadha, she screamed in fright, "My husband, have you abandoned
me? I am lost, undone, oh, I am terrified in this dreadful jungle. Illustrious
Kshatriya, you are always truthful and you know dharma well. Then how
have you deserted me while I slept in this wilderness? Oh, why have you
left your wife, who is devoted to you, who has never wronged you, even
when everyone else has abandoned you?
King of men, you said in the presence of the Lokapalas that you would
always be true to me. Purusharishabha, it is only because mortals die when
their time comes that I am alive for even a moment after you have left me.
Ah, Bull among men, enough of this joke! Irrepressible one, I am
terribly afraid. Lord, show yourself to me. I see you! I see you hiding in the
bushes, why don't you answer me? You are being cruel, Nala, that you see
me in this plight but do not come to comfort me.
I do not grieve for myself, nor anything else. I only grieve to think how
you will pass your days alone. In the evening, savaged by hunger, thirst and
tiredness under the trees, how will you live without seeing me, without
having my comfort?"
The anguished Damayanti began to dash here and there, sobbing and
wailing. Now the helpless princess would spring up, then sink down to the
ground again; now she shrank in terror, and then she wept aloud. Sighing,
burning with grief, Bhima's daughter sobbed, "He through whose curse
Nala suffers this grief will suffer torment worse than ours! May the evil one
who has reduced the sinless Nala to this lead a life of greater misery than
ours, bearing greater ills."
So lamenting, the crowned queen of Nala began to seek her husband in
that forest, which teemed with predators. Crying bitterly, the daughter of
Bhima wandered dementedly, like a madwoman, exclaiming, "Alas! O
King!"
As she wailed loudly like a female osprey, and grieved unceasingly and
lamented piteously, she came near a gigantic serpent. The huge and hungry
snake suddenly seized Bhima's daughter, who had come within its striking
range. Folded in serpent's coils, in pain, she still wept not for herself but for
her Naishadha.
She cried, "O Nala, why don't you rush to me now that this snake has
seized me in this wild place? Naishadha, how will you bear it when you
think of me? O lord, why have you gone away, abandoning me in this
jungle? When you are freed from your curse and regain your mind and your
wealth, what will you do when you remember me?
Sinless one, who will comfort you when you are tired, hungry and feel
faint, O tiger among kings?"
As she cried all this aloud, a hunter ranging through the deep vana heard
her and ran to the place. Seeing the doe-eyed beauty in the coils of the
snake, he cut off the serpent's head and freed Damayanti. He sprinkled
water over her, fed and consoled her, O Bhaarata.
Then the vetala asked her, "Who are you, O gazelle-eyed, and why have
you come into the jungle? Beautiful one, how did you fall into this extreme
misery?"
Damayanti told him everything. Looking at her wearing half a cloth, her
breasts deep and her hips round, her limbs flawless and delicate, her face
like the full moon, her long lashes curved, her speech as sweet as honey, the
hunter became inflamed. In the grip of Kama Deva, he began to console her
in a soft voice, with smooth words.
The chaste Damayanti immediately understood his intentions; she blazed
up in anger. The wild fellow, in the grip of lust, also grew angry and tried to
force himself on her who was fierce as a flame. Already stricken past
endurance, Damayanti cursed him in fury, "I have never even thought of
another man other than Naishadha, so let this wretch who subsists on the
hunt fall dead!"
As soon as she said this, the hunter fell lifeless on the ground, like a tree
consumed by fire.'
CANTO 64
rihadaswa continues, 'Having killed the hunter, Damayanti of eyes like

lotus leaves walked on through that fearful and solitary forest, which
rang with the chirping of crickets. The vana abounded with lion, leopard,
ruru, tiger, bison, bear and deer. It swarmed with birds of various species,
and was, besides, infested by bandits and mlechcha tribes.
Sala trees grew there, bamboo, Dhavas and Aswatthas, Tindukas and
Ingudas, Kinsukas and Arjunas, Arishtas, Sanchanas, Nimbas and Tinisas,
Syandana, Salmalas and Jambus, and mango trees, and Lodhras, and
Khadiras, and the cane, and Padyakas, and Amalakas, and Plakshas, and
Kadambas, and Udumvaras and Badaris, and Bilvas, and banyans, and
Priyalas, and palms, and date-trees, Haritakas and Vibhitakas.
The princess of Vidarbha saw many mountains with lodes of precious
minerals of diverse kinds, and groves resounding with the music of winged
choirs, and many glades of great beauty, and many rivers and lakes and
tanks and all manner of birds and beasts. She saw numberless Nagas and
Pisachas and Rakshasas of grim visage, and pools and rillets and hillocks,
and brooks and fountains of wonder.
Herds of bison Damayanti saw, sounders of boar and solitary bears and
snakes in that pristine wilderness. Safe in her virtue, glory, good fortune and
patience, Damayanti wandered through those forests alone, in search of
Nala. Bhima's royal daughter was not frightened by anything—feral
creature or sight—in the fearsome vana; she only grieved at being apart
from Nala.
O King, she sat down upon a flat stone, full of sorrow, her every limb
trembling, and she lamented, "O King of the Nishadhas, you with the
mighty arms and broad chest, where have you gone, leaving me in this lone
forest? O Kshatriya, you performed the Aswamedha and other sacrifices,
gave profuse gifts, then why have you betrayed me, Purushavyaghra?
Best of men, O you of great splendour, O auspicious one, don't you
remember what you swore to me, Rajarishabha? Remember what the swan
said to both of us! Tiger among men, all the four Vedas together, with the
Angas and the Upangas, mastered, are only equal to a single truth spoken
and honoured. So, Parantapa, honour the oath you swore to me.
Alas, O Kshatriya! O Nala! Sinless one, being yours, I am about to die
alone in this dreadful forest. Oh! Why don't you answer me? This terrible
lord of the forest, of grim face and gaping jaws, and famished with hunger,
fills me with fear. Should you not deliver me?
You would always say, 'Other than you there is no one that I love.
O blessed king, keep your word to me now. Nala, why don't you come
back to your wife, who is demented with grief, and wailing here, she that
you love and who loves you in return? Lord of the earth, O large-eyed,
honoured one, bane of your enemies, don't you see me here, emaciated,
distraught and pale, wearing a half piece of cloth, alone, crying, desolate,
and like a solitary doe separated from the herd?
Nala, it is I, Damayanti, devoted to you, who, alone in this great forest,
that speaks to you. Why don't you reply? Oh, I do not see you today upon
this mountain, lord of men, you of noble birth and character, your every
limb so full of grace! Whom shall I ask in this terrible forest, full of lions
and tigers, O King of the Nishadhas, foremost of men, enhancer of my
sorrows, if you are lying down, sitting or standing nearby, or gone?
Griefstricken as I am, whom shall I ask, 'Have you seen Nala in this
jungle? Do you know where the noble and handsome Nala, scourge of his
enemies, has gone?'
From whom shall I hear the sweet words, 'The royal Nala is here!'
Look, here comes the king of the jungle, the lordly tiger, his cheeks high
and four fangs showing. I will accost even him fearlessly, and say, 'You are
the lord of all beasts, and king of this vana. I am Damayanti, daughter of the
king of the Vidarbhas, and the wife of Nala, Parantapa, king of the
Nishadhas. I am distrait and griefstricken, seeking my husband alone in this
forest. King of beasts, comfort me with news of Nala, if you can, or best of
animals, free me from my misery by devouring me.'
Alas, he stalks away without responding.
Look! This king of mountains, this lofty and sacred hill crested with
countless peaks hears my piteous appeal and seems to loll towards the sea.
Let me, then, ask the mountain king for tidings of my Nala, this lord of
mountains with so many heaven-kissing and many-hued and beautiful
peaks, abounding in precious ores, decked with gemstones of diverse kinds,
and rising like a banner over this great forest, the mountain upon whom
lions and tigers and elephants and boars and bears and stags roam, the
mountain which echoes with the songs of birds of every kind, mountain
adorned with Kinsukas and Asokas and Bakulas and Punnagas, with
blossoming Karnikaras, and Dhavas and Plakshas, and with streams
teeming with waterfowl of every kind.
O sacred one! O best of mountains! O you wondrous spectacle! O
celebrated massif! O refuge of the distressed! O most auspicious one! I bow
to you, O pillar of the earth! Approaching, I bow to you.
Know me for a king's daughter, and a king's daughter-in-law, and a
king's wife. I am Damayanti, daughter of Bhima, mighty warrior king of the
Vidarbhas, protector of the four varnas. That best of kings performed the
Rajasuya and Aswamedha yagnas, with bountiful gifts to Brahmanas.
Bhima of the beautiful and large eyes, distinguished for his devotion to the
Vedas, of blemishless character, always truthful, devoid of guile, gentle,
powerful, lord of immense wealth, versed in dharma, and pure, has
vanquished all his enemies and protects all the people of Vidarbha. Holy
Mountain, I am that Bhima's daughter, come to you in direst straits.
That best of men, the renowned king of the Nishadhas, Virasena of
towering fame, was my father-in-law. His heroic and beautiful son, of
invincible prowess, who rules well the kingdom he inherited from his
father, is called Nala. Know, O Mountain, that I am the wife of that golden-
complexioned slayer of foes, devoted to Brahmanas, versed in the Vedas,
gifted with eloquence, that righteous and Soma-drinking and fire-adoring
king, who performed great sacrifices and is both liberal and warlike, who
punishes evil men – I am his innocent queen who stands before you.
Having lost all that we owned and also my husband now, I have no one
to protect me anymore, and I have come before you in deep distress. I have
come seeking my husband. O foremost of mountains, with your hundreds of
peaks towering into the sky, have you seen Nala in this fearful jungle? Have
you seen my husband, that king of the Nishadhas, the lustrous Nala with the
tread of a mighty elephant, blessed with great intelligence, long-armed, and
of fiery tejas, possessed of prowess and patience and courage and high
fame?
Ah, best of mountains, you see me lamenting alone, overwhelmed by
sorrow, then why don't you comfort me with your voice, as your own
daughter in distress?
O mighty Kshatriya, O warrior of truth and prowess, O you who know
every particular of dharma, O lord of the earth – if you are in this forest, O
King, show yourself to me. Ah, when will I hear the voice of Nala again,
gentle, and deep as that of the clouds, that voice sweet as amrita, of my
illustrious king calling me Vidarbhas daughter, in accents clear, rich and
holy, and musical as the chanting of the Vedas, and soothing all my
sorrows? Nala, I am frightened. Virtuous one, comfort me."
Having said all this to that greatest of mountains, Damayanti walked
towards the north, and having gone three days and nights, she came to an
incomparable tapovana of Rishis, as beautiful as a grove in heaven. She saw
great Sages that adorned that asrama— Valmiki, Bhrigu and Atri—all holy
men, at stern tapasya, their senses and minds restrained, some living on
water, some on air, and some on fallen leaves, passions in check, eminently
blessed, clad in barks of trees and deer-skins, seeking the way to salvation.
Damayanti's spirits revived seeing that charmed hermitage of Munis,
where herds of deer grazed and monkeys frolicked in the trees. That best of
women, her eyes large and black, her brows graceful, her tresses long, her
hips wide, her bosom deep, her face perfect, her teeth like pearls, her form
lustrous and noble, entered the hermitage. She saluted those ascetics, grown
old practising their austerities, and stood humbly before them.
They said to her, "Welcome! Sit down and tell us what we can do for
you."
Damayanti said, "Sinless and most blessed Munis, is all well with your
tapasya, your sacrificial fire, religious observances, and your svadharma?
And is all well with the beasts and birds of this asrama?"
They answered, "Beautiful, illustrious woman, prosperity attends us in
every way. But O you of faultless limbs, tell us who you are, and what you
seek. Seeing your lovely form and your bright splendour, we are amazed.
Do not grieve. Blameless, blessed one, tell us, are you the Devi of this
forest, or of this mountain, or of this river?"
Damayanti replied, "Brahmanas, I am not the goddess of this forest, or
of this mountain, or of this stream. O Rishis of ascetic wealth, I am a human
woman. I will tell you about my life in detail. I beg you, listen to me.
There is a king called Bhima, the mighty ruler of the Vidarbhas, and O
Dvijottamas, I am his daughter. Nala, wise ruler of the Nishadhas, heroic, of
great renown, always victorious in battle, and learned, is my husband, the
large-eyed Nala, his face like the full moon, who always worships the gods,
who is devoted to Brahmanas, guardian of the line of the Nishadhas, of
mighty energy, of great strength, truthful, conversant with dharma, wise,
unwavering in keeping his word, crusher of his foes, devout, graceful,
conqueror of hostile towns, foremost of kings, equal in splendour to the
king of the Devas.
He performs great sacrifices, knows the Vedas well, and their Angas,
destroys his enemies in battle, is as splendid as the Sun and the Moon. That
king devoted to truth and dharma was summoned to play dice by some
deceitful and evil ones, skilled at gambling, and he had his kingdom and his
wealth taken from him.
Munis, I am the wife of that Rajarishabha, and my name is Damayanti.
My lord has gone missing and I am desperate to find him. I am wandering
through forests and among mountains, lakes, rivers and tanks, in sorrow, in
search of my husband – Nala, skilled in battle, high-souled, and a master of
weapons.
O Rishis, has Nala, lord of the Nishadhas, come to this beautiful asrama
of yours? It is for him, O Brahmanas, that I have come to this forest full of
terror, haunted by tigers and other beasts. If I do not see King Nala in a few
days, I will seek my weal by leaving this body. Of what use is my life
without that bull among men? How will I live tormented by grief at being
without him?"
The Rishis said to the forlorn Damayanti, "Blessed and beautiful child,
with our mystic powers, we see that the future holds joy for you and that
you will soon find Nala. O daughter of Bhima, you will see the lord of the
Nishadhas, slayer of his enemies, foremost of the virtuous, freed from
distress. You will see the king, your husband, freed from all sin, wearing
precious jewels, again ruling his own city, punishing his enemies, striking
terror into their hearts, and gladdening the hearts of friends, while all
success and every blessing crown him."
When they had said this to the princess, Nala's beloved queen, those
Sages and all that asrama vanished before her eyes! Damayanti of faultless
limbs stood wonderstruck. She asked herself, "Was it a dream that I saw?
Ah, what a marvel! Where are all those Brahmanas? Where is that asrama?
Where is that sparkling river of sacred water, on which so many kinds of
waterbirds swam? Where are those enchanted trees laden with flowers and
fruit?"
After wandering for some time, Damayanti was melancholy again and
the colour drained from her face from grief for Nala. She went to another
part of the forest and saw a great asoka tree. Going up to that first of trees,
blossom-laden and full of leaves, resounding with birdsong in its branches,
Damayanti, with tears in her eyes and her voice choking, said, "Oh, this
graceful tree in the heart of the forest, decked in flowers, is so beautiful,
like some charming king of hills. O beautiful Asoka, quickly set me free
from sorrow!
Have you seen King Nala, Parantapa, the beloved husband of
Damayanti? Have you seen my precious husband, the king of the
Nishadhas, clad in half a piece of cloth, his skin delicate, hero plunged in
woe who came into this wilderness? O Asoka, free me from my grief!
Vindicate your name, for Asoka means destroyer of grief."
Thrice she walked around that tree, then entered an even denser part of
the jungle. Wandering in quest of her lord, Bhima's daughter saw many
unusual, majestic trees, lovely rills, towering mountains, and beasts and
birds, and caves, and cliffs, many rivers of wonderful beauty.
As she went, she came upon a wide path where, in some amazement, she
saw a mighty group of merchants, with their horses and elephants, on the
banks of a river full of clear and cool water, and lovely to behold, and wide,
the banks overgrown with bamboo clumps, echoing with the cries of cranes
and ospreys and chakravakas, the river itself full of tortoises, crocodiles and
fish, and studded with innumerable islets.
As soon as she saw that caravan, Damayanti, dishevelled, lean, her hair
tangled and filthy, wearing half a cloth, went towards the merchants like
some madwoman, that lovely queen. Seeing her some of the Vaisyas fled in
fear, some grew anxious, while some cried out, and others laughed at her,
and yet others despised the very sight of her.
However, some felt pity, O Bhaarata, and asked her, "Blessed one, who
are you, and whose? What do you seek in this forest? We are frightened of
you, tell us truly are you human or the Devi of this jungle, or this mountain,
or of the points of the sky? We seek your protection. Are you a Yakshi or a
Rakshasi, or a Devastri? Anyway, bless us, O you of faultless features, and
protect us so our caravan passes through this place safely, with ourselves
and our goods secure."
Damayanti said, "O leader of the caravan, merchants, youths, old men,
children, I am a human woman. I am the daughter of a king, the daughter
in-law of a king, and the consort, also, of a king, eager for the sight of my
lord. The king of the Vidarbhas is my father; my husband Nala is the lord of
the Nishadhas, and even now I am looking for him.
If you have seen my beloved Nala, tiger among men, razer of hostile
armies, tell me quickly!"
At which the leader of that great caravan, Suchi, said to Damayanti of
faultless limbs, "Blessed one, you of sweet smiles, I am a Vaisya and the
leader of this caravan. Lovely lady, I have not seen any man called Nala. In
this great forest, where no men live, there are only elephants, leopards,
bison, tigers, bears and other beasts. Other than you I have met no human in
this vana, may Manibhadra, king of the Yakshas, help us now!"
She asked, "Tell me where this caravan is bound."
The leader of the band said, "O daughter of a great king, we are bound
for the city of Subahu, the honest sovereign of the Chedis, to make some
profit from our goods. "
CANTO 65
rihadaswa said, 'Damayanti went with that caravan, and she was
anxious to see her Nala. After travelling for many days, the merchants
saw a large lake fragrant with lotuses in the midst of that dense and terrible
forest. Its banks adorned with velvet grasses, with plenty of wood to burn as
fuel, and with flowers and fruit, it was a charmed place indeed.
The shimmering water abounded with birds of many kinds; it was cool,
clear and sweet, and captivated the heart. Worn with their long journey, the
merchants of the caravan decided to halt there and spread themselves
through the fine woods surrounding the lake. It was dusk.
At midnight, when all was still and quiet, when the tired caravan had
fallen asleep, a herd of wild elephants, the juice of rut flowing down their
temples, and going to drink from a mountain stream, saw the caravan of
sleeping Vaisyas, and also the many tame elephants which went with the
merchants. Seeing the domesticated elephants, the wild herd, maddened by
musth, rushed at them, meaning to kill them; they came like great boulders
loosed down a mountain slope.
The charging wild elephants found their way to the lake of lotuses and
the elephants of the caravan barred by sleeping merchants and they
trampled the Vaisyas. Many died, while others awoke and fled screaming in
all directions, into the deeper forest. Some were gored to death, others
scooped up in massive trunks and dashed on the ground, while more were
crushed under massive feet.
The wild elephants killed many camels and horses, as well, while in
panic the fleeing merchants with weapons drawn even killed one another in
the dark. Some fell on the ground, others scrambled up trees, while yet
others jumped down into deep pits. O King, great losses that caravan
suffered when the wild herd attacked it.
An uproar broke out, for precious jewels the Vaisyas were carrying
scattered on the ground.
"Save us!" they screamed.
"Pick up the jewels!"
"Leave them. What do the jewels matter when our lives are in danger?"
"Fly!"
"Where to fly?"
And they dashed about blindly in complete terror. Damayanti awoke in
fear, while the slaughter held sway around her; she awoke trembling and
panting.
Finally, the elephants lumbered away and those merchants who had
escaped with their lives met together, and they asked "What have we done
that this disaster has overtaken us?"
"Surely, we did not worship the Manibhadras, and the exalted and
graceful Vaisravana, the king of the Yakshas."
"Perhaps, we have not worshipped the gods who fetch calamities, or
perhaps we did not pay them the first homage. Maybe, this evil follows the
birds we saw on our way."
"Our stars are not unpropitious. From what other cause, then, has
disaster come?"
Some, who had lost their wealth and relatives, and were distraught,
cried, "This mad looking woman came among us and she was strange and
hardly human. Surely she has brought this on us. She must be a Rakshasi, a
Yakshi or as Pisachi! Beyond doubt, this evil is her doing.
"If we see that evil creature again, we will kill her!"
Damayanti heard what they said and fled into the forest. She said
desperately to herself, "Alas! Fierce and great is the wrath of God upon me.
Peace does not follow my paths. What have I done to deserve this? I do not
remember that I ever harmed anyone in the least, in thought, word or deed.
Then why such terrible consequences?
Surely, some great sins from a past life are being visited on me that my
husband has lost his kingdom, and his own kinsmen turned against him and
vanquished him. I have been separated from my son and daughter, and my
lord, and find myself alone in this dreadful jungle full of savage beasts."
O King, the next day, what remained of the once mighty caravan of
merchants left that place, loudly lamenting their lost wealth and their dead
brothers, fathers, sons and friends.
And the princess of Vidarbha also lamented, "Ah, what have I done?
Surely, it is my misfortune which has devastated the company of men with
whom I took refuge. Now, surely, I will have to suffer for a long time. I
have heard wise old men say that no one dies before their time; surely, that
is why the elephants did not trample me while I slept.
Everything which has happened to me is only because of something I did
in a past life, for not even as a child did I commit any such sin in thought,
word, or deed, which could bring such tragedy as this one as its
consequence. Oh, I do believe that I have been parted from my Nala
because I chose him over the all-powerful Lokapalas who came to my
swayamvara. It is their power which has brought calamity into my life."
Thus grieving, pale as the autumn moon, Damayanti now attached
herself to the Brahmanas, knowers of the Vedas, who had survived the
night's massacre. Travelling briskly, towards evening she came to the
mighty city of Subahu, king of the Chedis. Wearing half a garment, she
entered that magnificent city.
The citizens saw her, full of fear, lean, melancholy, her hair dishevelled
and soiled with dirt, and altogether like a madwoman. In curiosity, the boys
of that city began following her. Surrounded by them, she came to the
palace of the king.
The queen-mother saw her from a terrace, surrounded by the crowd of
youths. She said to her nursemaid, "Go and bring that woman to me. She is
forlorn and the crowd troubles her. She is in distress and in need of succour.
I find her beauty such that it illumines my house. Though she looks like a
madwoman, with her large eyes, the fair one is as lovely as the Devi Sri
herself."
The woman went out and, dispersing the crowd, brought Damayanti to
that fine terrace. O King, wonderstruck, that nursemaid asked Damayanti,
"You are plunged in misfortune, yet you are so very beautiful. You shine
like lightning in the clouds. Tell me who you are, and whose. Your lustre is
celestial; surely you are not merely human. You wear no ornaments, and
although you are helpless, you are unmoved by the coarseness of these
men."
Damayanti said, "I am a human woman, devoted to my husband. I am a
serving woman from good stock. I live wherever I like, eating fruit and
roots, and without a companion, and sleep where night overtakes me. My
husband is a man of countless virtues and was always devoted to me. I was
also deeply attached to him, following him like his shadow.
Once he became involved in a desperate game of dice. Beaten, losing
everything, he came into the wilderness. I came with him into the forest,
comforting that hero clad in a single piece of cloth, who was demented by
his sudden adversity. Afflicted by hunger, thirst and grief, he was forced to
relinquish even his last cloth.
Naked and deranged as he was, I still followed him, myself in a single
garment. For nights together, I did not sleep. Many days passed, until, once
while I slept, he cut away one half of my garment and abandoned me, who
had done him no wrong.
I am seeking my husband but cannot find him, who has the complexion
of the filaments of a lotus. Without seeing him who delights my heart, my
beloved lord who owns my heart, for he is like a Deva to look at, I am
consumed by grief by night and day."
Now the queen-mother herself said to the tearful Damayanti, "Blessed
one, you stay with me. I am well pleased with you. Lovely one, my men
will search for your husband, or he might come here on his wanderings.
Remain here with me and you will have your lost lord back."
Damayanti replied, "Mother of heroes, I can only stay with you on some
conditions. I will not eat the leavings of any food, nor will I wash anyone's
feet, nor must I have to speak to any other man. If anyone tries to make me
his wife or mistress, he must submit to my punishment; more, if he solicits
me repeatedly, he must be punished with death.
This is the vow I have sworn. I also want to speak to the Brahmanas who
will go forth to seek out my husband. If you can do all this for me, I will
certainly live with you. But if you cannot, I also cannot remain here with
you."
The queen-mother answered her gladly, "I will do all this. I approve of
the vow you have taken."
O Bhaarata, the queen-mother now said to her daughter Sunanda,
"Sunanda, take this woman who is like a goddess to be your Sairandhri. She
is the same age as you are, let her be your companion, and enjoy her
company."
Sunanda cheerfully accepted Damayanti and led her to her own
apartments, along with her sakhis. Treated with respect, Damayanti was
satisfied and she lived there without any anxiety, for all her wishes were
met.'
CANTO 66
rihadaswa says, 'Rajan, after deserting Damayanti, Nala saw a mighty

conflagration that raged in that dense forest. From the great fire, he
heard some creature crying repeatedly to him, "O righteous Nala, come
here!"
Answering, "Fear not!" he ran into the fire and saw a mighty Naga king
in coils. Trembling, with folded hands, the Naga said to Nala, "O King, I
am a snake and Karkotaka is my name. I once deceived the Maharishi
Narada and he cursed me in anger: 'Stay here immobile as if graven of
stone, until one Nala takes you out from this place. And at the very place to
which he bears you, you will be free from my curse.
For that curse, I canot move. I will tell you how to save me, and I will be
your friend. There is no Naga to equal me, but I will be light in your hands.
Pick me up, Nala, and hurry from here!"
Saying this that prince of snakes became as small as a man's thumb.
Picking him up, Nala took him out of the forest fire. Coming to an open
glade, Nala meant to set the Naga down, when Karkotaka said again to him,
"King of the Nishadhas, go on a little further, a few steps more. Mahabaho,
I will do you great good."
As Nala walked on, the snake bit him at the tenth step. As soon as he
was bitten, Nala found himself transformed; he saw the snake also resume
his own massive form.
Karkotaka comforted Nala, "I have taken your beauty from you so that
people will not recognise you. And, Nala, he who has deceived you and
plunged you in despair will continue to dwell inside you, but now tortured
by my venom. As long as he does not leave you, he will be in agony in your
body, its every limb filled with my venom. O King, I have saved you from
the one who has destroyed you out of anger and hatred, though you are
perfectly innocent and undeserving of wrong.
Also, tiger among men, from now through my grace you will feel no fear
from any fanged creature, from other enemies as well as Brahmanas who
know the Vedas. Nor will you feel any pain from my poison. Kshatriya, you
will always be victorious in battle.
Lord of Nishadhas, go to the wondrous city of Ayodhya even today and
present yourself before King Rituparna, who is a master of gambling, and
say to him, 'I am Bahuka, a charioteer.' In return for your knowledge of
horses, he will teach you the skills of dice. He is of the line of Ikshvaku,
and prosperous; he will be your friend.
When you are an adept at dice you will have your fortune back. You will
find your wife and children and have your kingdom again. I say this to you
in truth, so do not let sorrow cloud your mind.
Lord of men, when you want to have back your own form, think of me
and put on this garment."
That Naga gave Nala two pieces of celestial cloth, and the king of snakes
vanished.'
CANTO 67
rihadaswa says, 'After the snake disappeared, Nala made his way
towards Ayodhya and entered Rituparna's city on the tenth day.
He went to the king and said, "My name is Bahuka. There is no one in
this world to equal me in tending to horses. My counsel is also valued in all
difficult problems, and I have many other skills besides. I am also a most
excellent cook. Why, for you I will excel at every art which exists in this
world, and accomplish everything difficult. O Rituparna, keep me in your
palace."
Rituparna replied warmly, "Bahuka, stay with me! May fortune befall
you, for I believe what you say. I have always particularly wanted to be
driven fast; I leave it to you to make my horses swift. I give you charge of
my stables, and I will pay you ten thousand coins for that.
Varshneya and Jivala will always be under your direction, and you will
spend your time pleasantly with them. So, Bahuka, do stay with me!"
Nala began to live in Rituparna's city, and was treated with respect,
while Varshneya and Jivala were his companions. Living there, he thought
of Damayanti and every morning and evening he would sing aloud to
himself, even like a sloka, "Where is that helpless one, afflicted by hunger
and thirst, worn with toil, thinking of that wretch. Ah, on whom does she
now wait?"
Once as the king was chanting this in the night, Jivala asked him,
"Bahuka, for whom do you so lament daily? I am curious. O you who are
blessed with a long life, whose wife is she for whom you so grieve?"
Nala replied, "There is a certain foolish man who had a wife known to
all. However, the wretch proved false in his vows to her. He was separated
from her and wandered the earth, tormented by sorrow, without rest by day
or night. At nights, he remembers her, and he sings this verse. Having
wandered over all the world, he has finally found a refuge, and undeserving
of the suffering which has overtaken him, he passes his days thinking of his
wife.
When calamity overtook this man, his wife followed him into the jungle.
Deserted by him of small virtue, her very life is in danger. Alone, with no
knowledge of the ways of the world, ill able to bear grief, faint with hunger
and thirst, she can hardly protect herself. And, O friend, that man of small
sense and little fortune has abandoned her in that terrible forest, teeming
with predators."
Thus always remembering Damayanti, Nala, king of the Nishadhas,
continued to live, unknown, in the palace of Rituparna of Ayodhya.'"
CANTO 68
aisampayana said, "Brihadaswa says, "After Nala lost his kingdom and
became a bondsman, while Damayanti entered the service of a queen-
mother, Bhima wanted to see Nala and he sent out Brahmanas to search for
him. Giving them profuse wealth, Bhima said, "Seek out Nala and also
Damayanti. He who finds the Naishadha and my daughter, and brings them
to me, shall have a thousand cows from me, and fields and a village as big
as a town. Even if he does not fetch Damayanti and Nala here, he that
discovers where they are will have wealth equal to a thousand cows."
The Brahmanas happily went forth in every direction, combing cities
and provinces. But nowhere did they find Nala or his queen, until, at last a
Brahmana called Sudeva came to the city of the Chedis, and there, during
the time of the king's prayers, saw Damayanti in the king's palace, sitting
with Sunanda. Lean and soiled as she was, her incomparable beauty glowed
like fire hidden in curls of smoke, and he felt certain she was the princess of
Vidarbha.
Sudeva said to himself, "I am blessed, that my eyes behold the princess
who is like Sri herself, delighting the worlds! Her face is like the full moon;
she is in the fullness of her youth, her breasts round and high, illumining
this place with her lustre like moonrays, her eyes like lotus petals,
fascinating as Kama's Rati herself, although, alas, she seems like a lotus
stalk transplanted by ill fortune from the Vidarbha lake, and covered with
mire in the process.
Grieving for her husband, she looks like the paurnima night when Rahu
swallows the Moon, or like a river which has run dry. Ah, she is like a lake
of lotuses, whose blooms have been ravaged by the trunks of elephants, a
lake whose birds are terrified by the rampaging herd. Surely, this delicate
girl of exquisite limbs, who deserves to dwell in a jewelled palace is indeed
like a lotus uprooted and scorched by the sun.
She is beautiful past compare, she is generous; she should wear
ornaments but has none, and is like the moon covered by black clouds.
Deprived of every comfort and luxury, torn away from her friends, she is in
distress, supported only by the hope of seeing her lord, for truly her
husband is the best ornament of a woman, even if she has no other. Without
her husband beside her, this lady, though beautiful, does not shine forth as
she should.
As for Nala, how does he remain alive separated from such a wife? Why,
I look at her, black-haired, her eyes like lotus leaves, unhappy though she
deserves to be joyful, and even my heart is pained. When will this girl,
graced by every auspicious mark and devoted to her husband, cross this
ocean of woe, and be with her lord again, even like Rohini regaining the
Moon?
For sure, when Nala finds her again, he will experience the delight of a
king regaining his lost kingdom. He is her equal in nature, in age and
lineage; Nala deserves Damayanti and this black-eyed beauty deserves the
Naishadha. I see how she pines for him, and I should comfort the queen of
that hero of immeasurable prowess, energy and might. Let me console this
distraught girl, her face like the full moon, and suffering as she never has
before, and always thinking only of her husband."
The Brahmana Sudeva approached Damayanti, and said, "Princess of
Vidarbha, I am Sudeva the Brahmana, your brother's dear friend. I have
come here seeking you at the behest of King Bhima. Your father is well,
and also your mother, and your brothers. Your son and daughter, blessed
with length of days, live in peace. However, your kinsfolk, though living
are almost as dead on your account, and hundreds of Brahmanas range the
world in search of you."
Damayanti recognised Sudeva, and asked about all her family, one after
the other. O King, then, overwhelmed, the princess began to sob bitterly at
unexpectedly seeing that best of Brahmanas, her brother's friend. Sunanda
saw Damayanti crying, and speaking privately to Sudeva, and went in some
distress to her mother and said, "Sairandhri is sobbing in the presence of a
Brahmana. Come and see."
The mother of the king of the Chedis came out of the inner apartments of
the palace, to where Damayanti was with the Brahmana. Calling Sudeva,
the queen-mother asked him, "Whose wife is this fair one, and whose
daughter? How has she of beautiful eyes lost the company of her relatives
and of her husband as well? How do you know her? Tell me all this in
detail, about this girl of unearthly beauty."
Then, O Bhaarata, Sudeva, that best of Brahmanas, sat at his ease and
began to tell the story of Damayanti.'
CANTO 69
udeva said, "There is a virtuous and illustrious king of the Vidarbhas

called Bhima. This young woman is his daughter Damayanti. She is
also the wife of the wise and righteous Nala, king of the Nishadhas, the son
of Virasena. Defeated at dice by his brother, and deprived of his kingdom,
that king, taking Damayanti with him, left his city.
We have been ranging the earth in search of Damayanti, and at last we
have found her in the palace of your son. No woman exists who can rival
her beauty. From her infancy she has had a fine birthmark between her eye-
brows, a mark like a lotus. It now seems to have all but vanished, for her
face is covered by dust, even as clouds hide the moon. Put there by Brahma
himself, to be a mark of fortune and wealth, that lotus is still faintly visible,
like the cloud-covered crescent moon of the first day of the bright fortnight.
And though her body, too, is covered with dirt, her beauty has not
disappeared. Though she is careless of her person, her beauty still shines
through like gold. Ah, by her birthmark and her mole I have recognised her,
even as one discovers a covered fire by its heat!"
O King, hearing what Sudeva said, Sunanda washed away the dust that
covered the mark between Damayanti's eye-brows, whereupon it became
clear like the moon appearing from behind clouds. When they saw the lotus
mark, Sunanda and the queen-mother began to cry; they embraced
Damayanti and stood silent for a time.
Still shedding tears, the queen-mother said gently, "Through this mark I
know that you are my sister's daughter! Lovely one, your mother and I are
both daughters of the high-souled Sudaman, king of the Dasarnas. She was
given to King Bhima, and I to Virabahu. I witnessed your birth in our
father's palace in the kingdom of the Dasarnas. My beautiful child, my
house is as your own father's house to you; all my wealth, Damayanti, is
yours as much as mine."
At this, Damayanti, her heart glad, bowed down to her mother's sister
and said, "Even before you knew me, you took me in and cared for me. I
have already been happy in your house, and now I am sure I will be still
happier. But, mother, I have long been an exile and so, I beg you, give me
leave to go.
My son and daughter live in my father's palace. Deprived of both their
father and mother, they must pass their time in great sorrow. If you want to
please me, give me an escort even now and let me go to the Vidarbhas."
Rajan, Damayanti's aunt agreed happily, "So be it."
And with her son's permission, she sent Damayanti in a handsome
palanquin, carried by sturdy servitors, protected by a large escort and
provided with food and drink and the finest garments. Soon enough, she
reached the country of the Vidarbhas, where all her family received her in
great joy, while she worhipped the Gods and Brahmanas and gave thanks at
seeing her relatives, her children, both her parents, and all her old sakhis
well.
King Bhima gave Sudeva a thousand cows and much wealth and a whole
village.
Having slept the night in her father's palace, and having recovered
somewhat from her exhaustion, Damayanti said to her mother, "O mother, if
you want me to live, you must find Nala and bring him to me."
At which, the queen, her mother, began to cry but could give her
daughter no reply. Seeing her like that all the women of the harem began to
lament and weep loudly. Then the queen went to the mighty Bhima and
said, "Your daughter Damayanti grieves heartbroken for Nala. She told me
so herself. Let all your men do their utmost to find the Naishadha."
Bhima sent his Brahmanas in all directions, saying, "Do everything you
can to find Nala!"
Before going forth, those Brahmanas came to Damayanti and told her of
their mission. Bhima's daughter said to them, "Go and cry out in every
realm, 'Beloved gambler, where have you gone cutting away half my
garment, and abandoning your devoted wife while she slept in the jungle?
That girl waits for you, consumed by grief. Relent, O King, O Kshatriya,
and answer her, for she weeps incessantly for you!'
Say all this and more so that he is moved by pity. Say, 'Helped by the
wind, fire consumed the forest. A husband must always protect and provide
for his wife. Why then, good as you are and acquainted with every duty,
have you neglected to do both? You have fame, wisdom, lineage, and
kindness; why have you been unkind?
I fear that all this is because of my good fortune being lost! O tiger
among men, take pity on me, O bull among men! You always said to me
that kindness is the highest virtue, why are you not kind now?'
If anyone answers you when you say all this, find out who he is and
where he lives. Dvijottamas, come and tell me what that man says who
answers you. You must be careful that no one knows that the words you
speak are at my behest, nor that you will come back to me. You must
discover everything about him who answers you – if he is rich or poor,
powerful or powerless, everything about him."
With these instructions from Damayanti, the Brahmanas set out in all
directions in search of Nala overtaken by misfortune. They looked for him
in kingdoms, cities and villages, in Rishis' asramas and cowherd
settlements. Wherever they went they repeated aloud what Damayanti had
told them to say.
CANTO 70
rihadaswa says, 'After a long time, a Brahmana named Parnada

returned to the city of the Vidarbhas, and said to the daughter of Bhima,
"Damayanti, seeking Nala, king of Nishadhas, I went to the city of
Ayodhya, and appeared before the son of Bhangasura, where I repeated
your words in the presence of the blessed Rituparna. However, neither that
king of men nor any of his courtiers said anything in reply, although I
uttered them over and over.
Then, after I had been dismissed by the king, a man in Rituparna's
service, a certain Bahuka, accosted me. Bahuka is that king's charioteer, of
unseemly appearance and short arms. He is skilled at driving chariots and
riding horses very fast, and is also a master cook.
I found that he sighed often, and wept, as he asked about my welfare.
Then he said, Although they might fall into great distress, chaste women
protect themselves and so secure heaven. Although their lords might
abandon them, yet they do not become angry, for women that are chaste
lead their lives encased in the armour of virtue. It becomes her not to be
angry since he that abandoned her was overcome by calamity, and deprived
of everything.
A beautiful and virtuous woman should not be angry with one whom
birds deprived of his single cloth, while he went looking for food, with one
who, besides, is being consumed by grief. Regardless of whether she is
treated well or ill, a chaste wife should never succumb to anger, seeing her
husband in such a plight, having lost his kingdom, destitute of prosperity,
ravaged by hunger and overwhelmed by disaster.'
After hearing what he said, I returned quickly to you, and now I have
told you what transpired. Tell your father the king about it and then do as
you see fit."
Tears in her eyes, Damayanti went to her mother and spoke to her in
private, "Mother, you must not under any circumstances tell my father King
Bhima of what I intend. In your presence, I will send Sudeva, that best of
Brahmanas, to Ayodhya immediately, to fetch Nala here just as he did me."
When Parnada had refreshed himself and recovered from his tiredness,
the princess of Vidarbha worshipped him with profuse wealth. She also
said, "When Nala comes here, O Brahmana, I will give you abundant
wealth again, for you have done me a great service by which I hope to see
my lord again quickly."
That high-minded Brahmana uttered blessings over her, auspicious
mantras, and went home, regarding his mission as accomplished. When he
had left, Damayanti, still in the clutches of grief, called Sudeva and, in her
mother's presence, said to him, "O Sudeva, go to the city of Ayodhya,
straight as a bird, and say there to King Rituparna, 'Bhima's daughter
Damayanti will hold another swayamvara. All the kings and princes are
going to it. Calculating the time, I find that the ceremony will take place
tomorrow. O Parantapa, if it is possible for you, go there without delay.
Tomorrow, after the Sun rises, she will choose a second husband, since
she does not know whether King Nala still lives or not.'"
Sudeva went to Ayodhya and declared what Damayanti had told him to
King Rituparna.'
CANTO 71
rihadaswa continues, 'When he heard what Sudeva said, King

Rituparna called Bahuka and said gently to him, "O Bahuka, you are a
master of horses. I want you to take me to Damayanti's Swayamvara in a
single day."
When he heard this, Nala thought his heart would burst with grief that
seared his very entrails.
He thought to himself, "Perhaps Damayanti is deranged by sorrow that
she is doing this; or, perhaps, she has conceived this wonderful plan for my
sake? Alas, I senselessly abandoned the innocent princess of Vidarbha and
this is a cruel thing that she plans. The world knows that the nature of
women is fickle. Besides, I have wronged her grievously, and she might
well be doing this because she has no love for me anymore.
But then, how will the slender-waisted one do this thing when she is the
mother of my children? The only way to discover the truth is by going
there, and I will go, to accomplish both Rituparna's purpose and my own."
Bahuka folded his hands to Rituparna and, though his heart was full of
sadness, said, "Purushavyaghra, I will take you to the city of the Vidarbhas
in a single day!"
At the command of Bhangasura's son, Nala went to the stables to choose
his horses. Rituparna called repeatedly to him to hurry, and after some
scrutiny and carfeul deliberation. Bahuka chose some lean steeds, of high
pedigree, docile, strong and which could go a great distance. They had wide
nostrils, outthrust cheeks, no inauspicious marks, or ten curls which are
considered unfortunate; they were all born in the land of Sindhu and were
fleet as the wind.
But when Rituparna saw those horses, he cired, "What are you doing?
This is no time for jesting. How can such weak horses bear us to the
Vidarbha city in a day?"
Bahuka replied, "Each of these horses has one curl on his forehead, two
on his temples, four on his sides, four on his chest, and one on his back.
Have no doubt they will go to the country of the Vidarbhas. If, O King, you
want to choose some others, point them out and I will yoke them for you."
Rituparna replied, "Bahuka, you know about horses and are a master of
driving them. Quickly yoke the ones you think best."
Nala yoked the four fine steeds he had chosen to the king's chariot.
Rituparna climbed into the chariot and at once all the horses fell down on
their knees! Then, O King, Nala began to soothe those beasts endowed with
speed and energy. He lifted them again to their feet by their reins and made
the charioteer Varshneya sit beside him at the chariot head; Nala prepared to
ride at great speed.
Now, urged by Bahuka, those horses rose into the sky! The king of
Ayodhya and his sarathy were dumbstruck; they went at the speed of the
wind.
The astonished Varshneya thought, "Is this Matali, the charioteer of
Deva king? For the magnificent Bahuka's skills are no less than his. Or, has
Salihotra taken human shape? Or is this King Nala who has come here? Or
it may be that this Bahuka knows whatever Nala does about horses.
Bahuka and Nala are of the same age; yet, this might not be Nala, only
someone who knows as much about horses as he does. However, when
misfortune strikes them, the most illustrious men walk this earth in disguise,
as ordained by the scriptures. True, he is ugly, but then Nala might even
have changed his features. Bahuka and Nala are of similar age, but they are
unlike in appearance.
Yet, Bahuka is as accomplished, in every way, as Nala and I feel certain
that he is indeed the Naishadha."
Thus, long thought Varshneya, who was once Nala's own sarathy. King
Rituparna delighted in the marvellous skills of Bahuka. He looked at how
Bahuka held his reins and how he made his horses fly and he was full of
joy.'
CANTO 72
rihadaswa says, 'Like a bird coursing through the sky, Nala crossed
rivers and mountains, forests and lakes. Suddenly, Rituparna's upper
garment peeled away from his body and fell to the earth below.
Rituparna said to Nala, "I must have my royal garment back. Restrain
your steeds, most intelligent one, and let Varshneya bring my cloth back."
Nala replied, "The cloth has fallen far down, and we have come a yojana
since. We cannot recover it now."
When Nala said this to him, Rituparna saw a Vibhitaka tree laden with
fruit, in a forest. The king said quickly to Bahuka, "Sarathy, observe my
extraordinary skill at counting. There is no one who is a master of every art
or science. Knowledge in its entirety is not found in any one person. O
Bahuka, the leaves and fruit of this tree which are lying on the ground
exceed those that are still upon it by one hundred and one. The two
branches of the tree have fifty million leaves, and two thousand and ninety-
five fruit. Examine the two branches and all their boughs."
Bahuka stopped his chariot and said to the king, "Parantapa, you take
credit for yourself in a matter that is beyond my perception. But, O King, I
will cut down the Vibhitaka and count the leaves and fruit. Let Varshneya
hold the reins of the horses for a while."
The king replied, "We have no time to lose."
But Bahuka replied humbly, "Stay awhile, otherwise make Varshneya
your charioteer. The road lies straight and even."
Rituparna said, "Bahuka, you are the only charioteer, there is no other in
this world like you. I place myself in your hands, only you can take me to
the Vidarbhas. If you make me see the Sun rise in the land of the Vidarbhas,
I will give you anything you wish for."
Bahuka said, "Let me count the leaves and fruit of the Vibhitaka and
then I will take you to the Vidarbha country."
Reluctantly the king said, "Count, and upon counting the leaves and
fruits of a portion of this branch, you will be satisfied with what I said."
Bahuka quickly got down from the chariot and felled the tree. He was
amazed to find the fruit to be exactly as many as the king had said. He said
to Rituparna, "This power of yours is extraordinary. O King, I want to learn
this art from you."
Wanting to ride on swiftly, the king said, "Know that apart from the art
of reckoning, I am also a master of dice."
And Bahuka said to him, "Bull among men, teach me that art and in
return receive my knowledge of horses and kine."
Knowing that he depended on Bahuka's goodwill to arrive in the
Vidarbha land, and also tempted by the horse-lore that his charioteer
possessed, Rituparna said, "So be it. Receive the art of dice from me, O
Bahuka, and let the equine science remain with you in trust."
Rituparna imparted that art to Nala, and immediately Kali came out of
his body incessantly vomiting the virulent poison of Karkotaka. As soon as
he left Nala, the fire of that curse left Kali.
Nala, who had been possessed and tormented for so long, wanted to
curse Kali, when terrified and trembling, Kali said with folded hands,
"Control your anger, O King! I will make you lustrous. When you
abandoned her, Indrasena's mother cursed me and, ever since, I have lived
in your body in torment. Unconquered one, miserable and scalded night and
day by the venom of the snake prince, I lived inside you.
I seek your protection. If you do not curse me, who am frightened and
seek refuge in you, then anyone who attentively recites your story will
never have to fear me."
Nala controlled his wrath, and Kali swiftly entered into the Vibhitaka
tree. All the while that Kali spoke with Nala, he remained invisible to the
others. Delivered from his travail, and having counted the fruits of that tree,
Naishadha, filled with great joy and of terrific energy, climbed back into the
chariot and urged his fleet horses on.
From that hour, the Vibhitaka tree fell into disrepute because of the
touch of Kali.
Nala's horses flew up again into the air even like winged creatures, and
he drove them in the direction of the Vidarbha country. When he had gone
far, Kali crept out of the tree and returned to his own abode.
O King, when Kali left Nala, that lord of the earth was free again from
calamity, though he did not yet assume his natural form.'
CANTO 73
rihadaswa says, 'Rituparna arrived that same evening at the gates of the
city of the Vidarbhas; the people brought news of his coming to King
Bhima. And at the invitation of Bhima, the king of Ayodhya entered the city
of Kundina, filling the ten cardinal points with the sound of his chariot
wheels.
The horses of Nala who were in that city heard that sound and were as
delighted as they used to become in the presence of Nala himself.
Damayanti also heard the sound of that chariot driven by Nala, like the deep
roar of clouds during the monsoon. Bhima and Nala's horses inside Bhima's
city felt they were hearing the chariot wheels of Nala himself, as of old.
Like the horses, the peacocks on the terraces and the elephants in their
stables heard the rumble of Rituparna's chariot, like that of thunderheads,
and they all began to cry out and trumpet, full of joy such as they
experience when they hear the actual roar of clouds.
Damayanti said, "The rumble of this chariot fills all the world and
gladdens my heart, so it must be Nala. If I do not see Nala, his face bright
as the moon, the Kshatriya of countless virtues, I will surely die. If today I
am not clasped in that hero's arms, his thrilling embrace, I shall cease to be.
If Naishadha, whose voice is as deep as that of the clouds, does not come
to me today, I will walk into a pyre of golden brilliance. If that best of
kings, strong as a lion, mighty as a bull elephant in musth, does not appear
before me, I will not live anymore. I do not remember a single untruth in
him, or a single wrong done by him to anyone. He has never told a lie even
in jest.
Ah, my Nala is noble, forgiving, heroic, magnificent, superior to all
other kings, faithful to his marriage vow and like a eunuch to other females.
Night and day my heart is full of him, and if I do not see him quickly, my
heart will burst."
So she spoke to herself, as one devoid of sense, and climbed up to her
terrace to catch a glimpse of the righteous Nala. In the central courtyard of
the main palace she saw Rituparna in the chariot with Varshneya and
Bahuka. Varshneya and Bahuka climbed down from that fine ratha and
unyoked the horses, then left the chariot itself in a proper place.
Rituparna climbed down and presented himself before King Bhima of
terrible prowess. Bhima received him with great respect, for without a due
occasion, a great man cannot be received as a guest. Honoured by Bhima,
Rituparna looked around him again and again, but saw no sign of any
swayamvara.
O Bhaarata, the Vidarbha king approached Rituparna, and said,
"Welcome! What is the occasion for this visit of yours?"
Bhima asked this without knowing that Rituparna had come to obtain the
hand of his daughter. Rituparna saw that there were no other kings or
princes here; nor did he hear anything of the swaymvara; nor did he see any
concourse of Brahmanas.
The most intelligent Kosala king thought for a while, then said, "I have
come here to pay my respects to you."
Bhima was astonished and tried to fathom why Rituparna had come a
hundred yojanas. He thought, "It is unlikely that he has passed through so
many kingdoms and by countless kings just to pay his respects to me. But I
will learn the truth by and by."
Bhima said to Rituparna summarily, "Rest now, you are tired."
Honoured thus by the pleased Bhima, King Rituparna, his heart glad,
went to his appointed quarters, followed by the servants of the royal
household.
When Rituparna had gone with Varshneya, Bahuka took the chariot to
the stables. He freed his horses there, rubbed them down, soothed them with
his own hands, and sat down at one end of the ratha.
Meanwhile, having seen the royal son of Bhangasura, and Varshneya of
the Suta race, and also Bahuka as a Suta, Damayanti was forlorn and asked
herself, "Whose is this chariot-rumble? It was as loud as Nala's, but I do not
see the lord of the Nishadhas.
Varshneya has learnt the art from Nala, and that is why this chariot
rumbled as Nala's did. Or is Rituparna as skilled as Nala so the sound of his
chariot wheels is as that of Nala's?"
Thinking all this, that blessed and beautiful woman sent a female
messenger in search of the Naishada.'
CANTO 74
amayanti said, "O Kesini, go and find out who that ugly and I
short-armed sarathy is, sitting beside the chariot. Faultless one,
approach him cautiously, with sweet words, showing him courtesy and
discover everything about him. Ah, from what my mind feels and the joy in
my heart, I fear that he is King Nala.
Kesini, after asking about his welfare, say the words of Parnada to him
and, my beautiful one, listen carefully to his reply."
While Damayanti watched from the terrace, Kesini softly approached
Bahuka and said, "Best of men, you are welcome here. I wish you
happiness. O bull among men, now listen to what Damayanti says. When
did you all set out, and with what object have you come here? Tell us truly,
for the princess of Vidarbha wishes to know."
Bahuka replied, "The king of Kosala heard from a Brahmana that
Damayanti will hold a second swayamvara, and Rituparna flew here in this
chariot yoked to horses swift as the wind, steeds which could fly a hundred
yojanas. I am his sarathy."
Kesini then asked, "Who is the third among you, whose son? And whose
son are you, and how have you become a charioteer?"
Bahuka replied, "The third one was the charioteer of Nala, and his name
is Varshneya. Beautful one, after Nala left his kingdom, Varshneya came to
the son of Bhangasura. I am skilled in horse-lore, and so I have been made
charioteer. Indeed, King Rituparna himself chose me as his charioteer and
cook."
Kesini said, "Perhaps Varshneya knows where King Nala has gone, and,
O Bahuka, he may also have spoken to you about his master."
Bahuka said, "Varshneya brought the children of Nala here and then left.
He does not know where Naishadha is, nor does anybody else know Nala's
whereabouts, for the king wanders over the world in disguise and despoiled
of his natural beauty. Only Nala knows who Nala is, for he does not seem
like himself anymore, not in the least particular."
Kesini said, "The Brahmana who went to Ayodhya repeated these words
suitable to female lips, 'O beloved gambler, where have you gone tearing
off half my piece of cloth, and abandoning me, your devoted wife, asleep in
the woods? Your wife waits for you in half a garment still, burning with
grief day and night.
'O Kshatriya, relent towards her that weeps ceaselessly for you and give
her a reply. Illustrious one, send her a soothing message, for she hungers for
your words.'
When you heard what the Brahmana said in Ayodhya, you made a reply.
The princess of Vidarbha wants to hear again the words you then spoke."
Hearing Kesini, Nala's heart ached and his eyes filled with tears.
Steadying his voice that choked, restraining his grief, that king repeated
what he had said to the Brahmana, "Though overtaken by calamity, chaste
women still protect themselves, and thereby secure heaven. Even when
deserted by their lords, chaste women never become angry, but continue to
live sheathed in virtue's mail. Deserted by one fallen into calamity; bereft of
sense, and deprived of bliss, it still does not become her to grow angry.
A virtuous woman must not be angry with one that had his garment
taken by birds, as he strove to find food, one who, besides, burns in misery.
The chaste woman would never be angry, after seeing her husband in that
plight, despoiled of his kingdom, bereft of prosperity, oppressed by hunger,
and overwhelmed by catastrophe."
Nala could not contain his grief anymore and began to cry. Kesini went
back to Damayanti, and told her everything, also about the outburst of
sorrow.
CANTO 75
rihadaswa says, 'Damayanti heard everything and sorrow overwhelmed

her, too. She suspected the man beside the chariot was Nala.
She said, "O Kesini, go again and study Bahuka; staying silent beside
him, mark his conduct. Lovely one, whenever he does anything skilful,
mark it well, how he does it. And, Kesini, whenever he asks for water or
fire, be in no hurry to give it to him. Study him carefully and come and tell
me how he is and what he does, all that is human and also whatever is
superhuman. Everything."
Kesini went to Bahuka and having observed him, that master of horses,
with great care, she returned to Damayanti. She told Damayanti all that had
happened, everything both human and superhuman that she had seen in
Bahuka.
Kesini said, "Damayanti, I have never seen or even heard of a person of
such control over the elements. Whenever he comes to a low passage, he
never stoops down, but seeing him, the passage itself grows in height so
that he may pass through it easily. At his approach, impassable narrow
openings open wide.
King Bhima sent diverse kinds of meals, of various meats, for
Rituparna's food. Many vessels have been set down there for washing the
meat. As Bahuka looked at them, the vessels were full of water. Having;
washed the meat, he set himself to cook. He took up a handful of grass and
held it in the sun, and fire blazed up all on a sudden.
I saw this marvel and came here amazed. Further, I witnessed other great
wonders in him. Most beautiful one, he put his hand into the fire and was
not burnt. And at his will, falling water flows in a stream.
Another still greater wonder I saw. He took some flowers and kneaded
them slowly with his hands; they were not crushed but became brighter and
more fragrant.
All these I saw and hurried back to you."
Damayanti heard all this and knew this was Nala and felt she already
had him back. Suspecting that Bahuka was her husband, tears in her eyes,
she said to Kesini softly, "My beautiful one, go out again and, without
Bahuka knowing, fetch some meat that he has cooked."
Always eager to please Damayanti, Kesini went to where Bahuka was,
and without him noticing, took some hot meat which he had prepared and
took it back to Damayanti, who immediately tasted it. Having eaten meat
cooked by Nala before, she felt even surer that Bahuka was her husband,
and wept.
O Bhaarata, overwhelmed by grief, she then washed her face and sent
her two children with Kesini, to Bahuka. Recognising Indrasena and her
brother, he ran to them, embraced the children and took them onto his lap
even as if they were children of the Devas. Shaken by deep sorrow, he wept
aloud.
Naishadha then suddenly put them down and said to Kesini, "Fair
maiden, these twins are so like my own children that seeing them suddenly
made me cry. If you come often to me like this, people may think evil
thoughts, for we are guests from another land. Therefore, blessed one, go at
your ease.'"
CANTO 76
rihadaswa says, 'Seeing the agitation of the virtuous and wise Nala,
Kesini went back to Damayanti and told her everything.
Sorrowing, eager to see Nala, Damayanti sent Kesini now to her mother,
with this message: "I suspect that Bahuka is Nala and I have tested him in
various ways. The only doubt which remains with me is his appearance, and
I mean to examine him myself. Mother, either let him into the palace, or
give me leave to go to him. Arrange this either with the knowledge of my
father or without."
Her mother told Bhima of Damayanti's intention and he gave his
consent. Bharatarishabha, with both her parents' consent, Damayanti had
Nala fetched to her apartments. When he saw her, suddenly before him,
Nala was overwhelmed and he sobbed and tears streamed down his face.
Damayanti, best among women, saw him like that and she was also
griefstricken.
O King, wearing a strip of red cloth and her hair matted in jata, covered
with dust and dirt, Damayanti said, "O Bahuka, have you ever seen a man
that knows dharma abandoning his sleeping wife in the heart of a jungle?
Who but the virtuous Nala could desert his exhausted wife in the vana?
Of what offence was I guilty in his eyes, that my lord since my early
youth should leave me like that and go away while I slept? Why did he
whom I chose over the Devas abandon his devoted and always loving wife,
and the mother of his children besides?
Before the sacred fire, and in presence of the gods, he took my hand,
vowing, 'I will be yours.' Oh, Parantapa, what happeed to that vow when he
left me?'
As she spoke, tears flowed down her face. Nala also shed tears, black as
of those of the gazelle with extremities of red.
He said, "Soft, gentle one, neither losing the kingdom nor abandoning
you was my doing, but both were because of Kali. Best of chaste women,
you cursed Kali in the forest and he possessed me, and began dwelling in
my body. Burning with your curse, he lived in me like fire within fire.
Through vratas and tapasya, blessed one, I have vanquished that wretch
so that our grief might end. The sinful spirit has left me and that is how I
have come here. I have come here only for you and nothing else.
But, gentle one, will any other woman forsake her loving, devoted
husband and seek a second lord as you have? At the command of the king,
messengers are ranging this earth, crying, 'Bhima's daughter will choose a
second husband worthy of her.'
Immediately on hearing this, the son of Bhangasura has arrived here."
When she heard Nala lament thus, Damayanti, frightened and trembling,
said with folded hands, "It does not become you, blessed one, to suspect
any fault in me. King of the Nishadhas, I ignored the Devas themselves and
chose you as my husband. It was to bring you here that the Brahmanas went
forth in all directions, to every horizon, singing my words, as ballads.
Rajan, at last a learned Brahmana called Parnada found you in Kosala, in
the palace of Rituparna. When you answered the message he carried, O
Naishadha, I devised this plan to get you back.
Lord of the earth, there is no one in the world who can cover a hundred
yojanas in a day with horses. O King, touching your feet, I can swear that I
have never sinned, not even in thought.
May the all-witnessing Air that courses through this world take my life,
if I have sinned. May the Sun that courses through the sky take my life, if I
have sinned. May the Moon, that dwells within every creature as a witness,
take my life, if I have sinned.
May these three Gods who sustain the three worlds in their entirety,
declare that I speak the truth, or let them forsake me today."
The Wind-god said from the sky, "O Nala, I tell you truly, she has done
no wrong. O King, Damayanti has protected your family honour, she has
enhanced it. Of this we are the witnesses, as we have been her protectors for
these three years. It is for your sake alone that she devised this unrivalled
scheme, for, other than you, none on earth can travel a hundred yojanas in a
single day.
O Naishadha, you have found Bhima's daughter, and she has found you.
You have no cause to be suspicious but be united with your wife."
When the Wind-god had spoken, flowers fell from the sky and drums of
heaven sounded and auspicious breezes blew. Seeing those wonders, Nala
Parantapa cast away all his doubts about Damayanti. He remembered the
serpent king, put on the pure garment and regained his native form.
Seeing him back to himself, Bhima's daughter of faultless limbs
embraced him and wept. Nala also clasped her, his devoted wife, and his
children, and knew great joy. Burying her face in his chest, the lovely doe-
eyed Damayanti began to sigh heavily, remembering her griefs.
Overwhelmed, that tiger among men stood for some time, clasping the dust-
covered Damayanti of sweet smiles.
Rajan, the queen-mother joyfully told Bhima everything that had passed
between Nala and Damayanti. That mighty monarch said, "Let Nala pass
this day in peace. I will see him tomorrow, after his bath and prayers, with
Damayanti by his side."
Pleasantly the couple passed that night, also telling each other all about
what had chanced with them in the forest. So, their hearts full of joy, Nala
and the princess of Vidarbha passed their days in the palace of King Bhima,
intent upon making each other happy.
It was four years after losing his kingdom that Nala was reunited with
his wife and, all his desires gratified, once more experienced the highest
bliss. Damayanti rejoiced at having recovered her lord even as fields of
tender plants on receiving a shower of fine rain. Having Nala back, Bhima's
daughter blazed forth in beauty, her weariness gone, her anxieties dispelled
and welling over with joy, even like a night that is lit by the bright disc of
the full moon!'"
CANTO 77
rihadaswa says, 'Having passed that night, Nala, wearing royal

ornaments and with a radiant Damayanti by his side, presented
himself before the king. Nala saluted his father-in-law with becoming
humility; after him, the fair Damayanti paid her respects to her father.
With untold joy, the noble Bhima received him as a son, and honoured
him duly with his devoted wife, and comforted them. Accepting the homage
paid to him, Nala in return offered Bhima his services, as became him.
When the people saw Nala, they were overjoyed; an uproar of delight
arose in the city. The citizens decorated the city with flags and standards
and garlands of flowers; the streets were watered and decked in garlands.
The people piled flowers at their gates, and all the shrines and temples were
adorned with flowers.
Rituparna heard that Bahuka was united with Damayanti, and he was
glad. He called Nala and begged his forgiveness. The intelligent Nala also
asked Rituparna's forgiveness, for diverse reasons. After being honoured by
Nala, Rituparna said to the Naishada, "Through good fortune you have been
re-united with your own wife and you have found happiness. O Naishadha,
while you lived in my house I hope I did not wrong you in any way, O lord
of the earth! If I did knowingly do you any wrong, forgive me!"
Nala replied, "O King, you have never done me the slightest injury, and
even if you did, you did not rouse my anger because you deserve to be
forgiven. You were my friend and also, ruler of men, you are related to me.
Now on, I will find greater delight in you because I lived so happily in your
house, all my desires satisfied, indeed, more happily than in my own home.
This Aswa shastra, knowledge of horses, is something I have. If you
wish, I will give it to you."
Saying this, Naishadha gave Rituparna that secret science and the latter
took it with the ordained rites. Bhangasura's son thus received the mysteries
of horses and taught Nala those of dice play; then, taking another charioteer,
he returned to his own city.
Rajan, after Rituparna had gone, Nala did not stay long in the city of
Kundina.'
CANTO 78
rihadaswa says, 'Kaunteya, Nala lived in Bhima's city for a month,

then, with Bhima's leave, he set out from Kundina taking just a few
men with him. With a single white chariot, sixteen elephants, fifty horses,
and six hundred footsoldiers, that illustrious king swiftly entered the
Nishadha kingdom, his anger swollen and making the earth tremble.
Virasena's mighty son went to his brother Pushkara and said to him, "Let
us play again, for I have earned vast wealth. Let Damayanti and everything
else that I own be my stake, Pushkara, and let the kingdom be yours.
Let the play begin; I am determined. Let us stake everthing that we own
along with our lives. Having won another's wealth or kingdom, it is high
dharma to wager it again when the owner demands.
If you do not care to play with dice, let us contend with weapons instead.
O King, let one of us, either you or I, find peace through single combat. The
Rishis have all said that a lost ancestral kingdom must be recovered under
all circumstances and by any means.
Pushkara, choose one of the two – gambling with dice or bending the
bow in battle!"
The arrogant Pushkara answered laughingly, "Naishadha, it is good
fortune that you have earned wealth enough to gamble, good fortune also
that Damayanti's ill-luck has at last come to an end. O King, it is good
fortune that you are still alive with your wife, Mahabaho.
I will win all your newfound wealth, and your Damayanti will wait upon
me as an Apsara does upon Indra in heaven. O Naishadha, I think of you
every day and have been waiting for you, for I find no pleasure in gambling
with anyone not related to me by blood.
Today, I will win the exquisite Damayanti of faultless features and
consider myself fortunate indeed, for she has always dwelt in my heart!"
Nala's eyes turned red with anger and he wanted to cut off Pushkara's
head. However, instead, he said with a smile, "Let us play. You have
vanquished me and you can say what you like. But come, let us play."
The game began between Pushkara and Nala, and in a single throw Nala
won back everything that he had lost, along with the life of his brother,
which had also been wagered.
Smiling, Nala said to Pushkara, "This whole kingdom is now mine, and,
worst of men, you cannot even dare look at the princess of Vidarbha now.
Fool, you and all your family shall now be her slaves.
But, though you did not know it, whatever you did was never your own
doing, but Kali did it all. So, I shall not impute another's crime to you. Live
happily, as you choose, I spare your life.
I also grant you your share in the kingdom and its wealth. Kshatriya,
have no doubt that my affection for you is as before, undiminished, as is my
brotherly love. You are my brother, Pushkara, live in peace and joy for a
hundred years!"
Nala embraced Pushkara repeatedly and gave him leave to return to his
own city. And Pushkara saluted his brother of dharma and said to him with
folded hands, "O King who grant me both life and refuge, let your fame be
immortal and may you live happily for ten thousand years!"
Entertained by the king, Pushkara lived there for a month and then went
home to his own city, taking his kindred with him, as well as many obedient
servants and a large force of soldiers; his heart was full of joy and that bull
among men blazed forth in splendour like a second Surya.
Thus establishing Pushkara, giving him wealth and freeing him from his
debt, Nala entered his own magnficent palace. The king of the Nishadhas
now comforted his people; citizens and people from the countryside were
awash with joy. Led by the officers of state, the people said with folded
hands, "O King, throughout the city and the rest of the country your people
rejoice today that we have our sovereign back, even like the Devas their
Lord of a hundred yagnas!'"
CANTO 79
rihadaswa says, 'Fear of every kind left the city; it welled with joy. Nala
took a large force with him and fetched Damayanti from her father's
home. Bhima of awesome prowess, slayer of enemies, of immeasurable
soul, sent his daughter back after honouring her duly.
When the princess of Vidarbha arrived, with her son and daughter, King
Nala began to pass his days in delight even like the king of the Devas in the
gardens of Nandana. Having regained his kingdom and shining forth among
the kings of Jambu Dwipa, Nala ruled again. Numerous sacrifices he
performed, with abundant gifts to Brahmanas.
Maharajan, Yudhishtira, you also will soon blaze forth in glory with your
brothers and your kin. For, O best of men, it was through dice that great
Nala and his wife fell into distress. Lord of the earth, Nala suffered direly,
and all alone, before he recovered his prosperity, while you, Pandava, your
heart set on dharma, sport in joy in this great forest, not alone but with your
brothers and Krishnaa.
You keep the company of blessed Brahmanas who know the Vedas and
their angas – you have small cause for sorrow. Besides, this itihasa of the
Naga Karkotaka, of Damayanti, of Nala and of that Rajarishi Rituparna
destroys evil. This tale of unfading glory banishes the influence of Kali, and
it comforts those like you who listen to it.
Reflect upon the uncertainty of all human endeavour; it does not become
you to exult or grieve at prosperity or adversity. Having listened to this tale,
be comforted, O King, and do not yield to sorrow. A great king like you
should not succumb to calamity.
Men of self-possession reflect upon the caprice of destiny and the futility
of labour, and they never allow themselves to be dejected. Adversity will
never lay its hand upon those who repeat the noble history of Nala, as well
as those who listen to it.
He that listens to this old and excellent itihasa has his purposes crowned
with success and, without doubt, finds fame, besides sons, grandsons, a
high position among men, wealth and animals, health and happiness.
Also, Rajan, let me dispel forever the fear you keep in your heart that
someone might summon you to another game of dice. Invincible
Yudhishtira, I know the science of dice-play in its entirety. I am pleased
with you, Kaunteya, take the arcane science from me.'"
Vaisampayana continued, "Gladly, then, Yudhishtira says to Brihadaswa,
'Illustrious one, I want to learn the science of dice play from you.'
The Rishi imparts that art to the high-souled son of Pandu, and having
done so, the great Sage leaves for the sacred waters of Hayasirsha for his
ablutions.
After Brihadaswa has gone, some Brahmanas and asetics, who come to
him from various parts, from holy tirthas of pilgrimage, from mountains
and forests, tell Yudhishtira Dridavrata that Arjuna of lofty intelligence,
Savyasachin, still sits in the most austere tapasya, living only upon air.
Yudhishtira hears that Arjuna performs penance so fierce that none else
has done before him. His mind controlled, his vows unfaltering, sworn to
perfect mowna, Pritha's son Dhananjaya, through his tapasya, blazes forth
like Dharma Deva himself in his embodied form.
O King, the Pandava hears that his precious brother sits in such a terrible
penance in the great jungle, and grieves for him. His heart burning with
sorrow, the eldest son of Pandu seeks consolation in that deep vana from the
Brahmanas there, men of diverse and profound knowledge."
CANTO 80
TIRTHA-YATRA PARVA
anamejaya said, "Holy one, after my great-grandfather Partha left the

forest of Kamyaka, what did the sons of Pandu do? It seems to me that
mighty ambidextrous bowman, vanquisher of armies, was their refuge, as
Vishnu of the Devas. How did my heroic grandsires pass their time in the
forest, without the company of that hero who was like Indra himself in
prowess, and who never turned his back in battle?"
Vaisampayana said, "After Arjuna of unbaffled prowess leaves
Kamyaka, the sons of Pandu, child, are filled with sorrow. The cheerless
Pandavas are like pearls unstrung from their string, or birds shorn of their
wings. Without that Kshatriya of the white horses, that forest is like the
Chaitraratha vana without Kubera.
O Janamejaya, those Purushavyaghras continue to live in that forest, in
sorrow. Those mighty Kshatriyas kill many kinds of sacrificial animals for
their Brahmanas, with arrows purified with mantras. Daily they hunt those
wild beasts and offer them to the Brahmanas after sanctifying them.
O King, those bulls among men continue to live in that vana, their hearts
empty of all cheer after Dhananjaya's departure. Panchali, in particular,
misses her third husband.
She says to the anxious Yudhishtira, 'Without Arjuna, who with two
arms rivals the thousand-armed Arjuna of old, this forest has not beauty in
my eyes. Without him, whenever I look, this earth seems forlorn. Even this
vana with its blossoming trees and so full of marvels, holds no delight as it
did before, without Arjuna.
Without him who is like a mass of blue clouds, who has the prowess of
an infuriated elephant, and whose eyes are like the leaves of the lotus, ah,
this Kamyaka does not seem beautiful in the least. I think of Savyasachin,
the twang of whose bow is like thunder, and all that I feel is sorrow, O
King!'
Hearing her, Bhimasena says, 'Blessed one of the slender waist, your
words are like nectar to me. Without him, whose mighty arms adorned with
golden bracelets, like a pair of five-headed snakes, are long and powerful as
iron maces, round and marked by the abrasions of bowstrings, whose hands
wield a bow and a sword and other weapons, without that tiger among men
the sky itself seems to be without the sun.
Without that mighty-armed one, relying on whom the Panchalas and the
Kauravas fear not the hosts of the Devas themselves, without that lustrous
Kshatriya relying on whose arms we consider all our enemies already dead
and the earth conquered, without our Phalguna I find no moment's peace in
this Kamyaka vana.
Wherever I turn my gaze, the ten directions also seem to be empty!'
When Bhima finishes, Nakula, his voice choking with tears, says, 'What
pleasure can we find here without him of whose extraordinary deeds on the
field of battle even the gods speak, that greatest of warriors? Without him,
who went north and vanquished hundreds of great Gandharva chieftains,
and who having taken numberless magnificent horses of the Tittiri and
Kalmasha breeds, all endowed with the speed of the wind, and gifted them
in love to his brother, the king, during the Rajasuya Yagna; without that
beloved and luminous warrior, that terrible bowman born after Bhima,
without that Kshatriya equal to a god, I have no wish to remain any longer
in this Kamyaka aranya.'
After Nakula's lamentations, Sahadeva says, 'He vanquished mighty
warriors in battle, won wealth and virgins and brought them unto the king
on the occasion of the great Rajasuya. That immeasurably splendid
Kshatriya singe-handedly vanquished all the Yadavas assembled together,
and then took Subhadra for himself with Krishna's consent. He invaded
Drupada's kingdom and gave Acharya Drona his dakshina. Ah, seeing his
bed of grass empty in this asrama, my heart is breaking.
Bhaarata, Parantapa, I would prefer to leave this forest, for without
Arjuna, there can be no trace of joy here.'"
CANTO 81
TIRTHA-YATRA PARVA CONTINUED
aisampayana said, "Yudhishtira's dejection deepens on hearing what

his brothers and Panchali say, all of them distraught over the absence
of Arjuna. Just then he sees the Devarishi Narada, ablaze with Brahmic
beauty, like a fire flaming up at being fed sacrificial libations. Seeing
Narada come, Raja Yudhishtira and his brothers stand up and duly worship
the illustrious one. Himself blessed with great tejas, the handsome king of
the Kurus shines forth like the God of a hundred sacrifices surrounded by
the Devas. In obedience to the dictates of dharma, Yagnaseni follows her
lords, the sons of Pritha, like Savitri follows the Vedas, or the rays of the
Sun the peak of Meru.
Accepting their worship, Narada comforts Dharma's son. The Rishi says
to Dharmaraja Yudhishtira, 'Tell me, O foremost of virtuous men, what it is
you want and what I can do for you.'
Yudhishtira and his borthers bow reverently to Narada, whom the Devas
worship, and Dharma's son, with folded hands, says, 'Lord, most blessed
one, whom all the worlds worship, when you are pleased with me, I regard
all my wishes as already fulfilled. If, O Sinless, my brothers and I deserve
your favour, I beg you, answer the question, the doubt, even, which is in my
mind, O best of Munis. Tell me in detail what punya belongs to the man
who travels the earth to visit the sacred waters and the shrines that are upon
her.'
Narada says, 'O King, listen carefully to what the intelligent Bhishma
heard from Pulastya. Once, that best of men, Bhishma, while keeping the
Pitriya vrata, lived in the company of Munis in the auspicious and sacred
tapovana near the source of the Ganga, where Devarishis, Gandharvas and
the Devas themselves come.
Living there, the splendid Bhishma gratified the Pitrs, the Devas and the
Rishis with oblations, according to the rites inculcated in the scriptures. One
day, while he sat doing silent japa, he saw Pulastya, best of Rishis,
altogether marvellous in appearance. Seeing that austere Sage, blazing with
beauty, Bhishma was filled with great delight and wonder. O Bhaarata,
Bhishma worshipped the blessed Rishi according to the rites of the Veda.
Purifying himself and with rapt attention, he approached that best of
Brahmarishis, with the Arghya on his head. And uttering his name aloud, he
said, "O you of excellent vows, be blessed! I am Bhishma, your slave. At
the sight of you, I am set free from all my sins."
Saying this, Bhishma stood in silence and with joined hands. Seeing
Bhishma, that greatest of the Kurus, reduced and emaciated by the
observance of vows and the study of the Vedas, the Muni was filled with
joy.'
CANTO 82
ulastya said, "O you of excellent vows, I am very pleased with your
humility, your self-control, and your truth, blessed one, knower of
dharma. Sinless one, it is the punya which you have acquired through your
devotions to your ancestors that has pleased me and, O child, given you
sight of my person.
Bhishma, my sight penetrates all things. Tell me what I can do for you.
Anagha, Kurusthama, I will give you whatever you ask for."
Bhishma said, "O most blessed one, when you, whom the three worlds
worship are pleased with me and I have seen you with my eyes, I think of
myself as being already crowned with success. Yet, if I have deserved your
favour, most virtuous and holy one, allow me to tell you some religious
doubts I have in regard to the tirthas, and dispel them for me.
Tell me in detail about the tirthas. O you who are like a Deva, what is the
punya of a man who goes round the earth visiting the sacred tirthas and
shrines? O answer me this with certainty."
Pulastya said, "O son, listen with attention, I will tell you about the
punya which is attached to the tirthas and which is the refuge of the Rishis.
He whose hands and feet and mind and knowledge and asceticism and
deeds are under wholesome control, enjoys the fruit of the tirthas. He who
has ceased to accept gifts, he that is contented, he that is free from pride
enjoys the fruits of the tirthas. He that is without sin, he that acts without
desire, he that eats light, he that has his senses under control, he that is free
from every sin, enjoys the fruits of tirthas.
O King, he that is free from anger, he who cleaves to truth, he that is
firm in his vows, he that regards all creatures as his own self, enjoys the
fruit of the tirthas. In the Vedas, the Rishis have declared in due order the
sacrifices and also their fruits, here and hereafter truly. O lord of the earth,
those yagnas cannot be accomplished by him that is poor, for those
sacrifices require diverse materials and offerings in large measures. These,
therefore, can be performed by kings or sometimes by other men of
prosperity and wealth.
However, O lord of men, best of warriors, let me now declare to you that
rite which men without wealth, without allies, singly, without wife and
children, and destitute of means, can accomplish, whose punya is equal to
the sacred fruit of sacrifices. O Bharatottama, visiting the sacred tirthas,
which constitute one of the high mysteries of the Rishis, is superior even to
sacrifices.
He is a poor man who goes to a tirtha without fasting for three nights,
without giving gold as alms, without distributing kine. Why, not by the
performance of the Agnishtoma and other sacrifices distinguished by large
gifts, does a man acquire the punya which visiting a tirtha confers.
In the world of men, there is that tirtha of the God of gods, celebrated
throughout the three worlds by the name Pushkara. One that journeys there
becomes equal to Brahma. O noble son of the Kurus, during the three
sandhyas – dawn, noon and dusk – there is the presence of a hundred
thousand million of tirthas in Pushkara. The Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras,
the Sadhyas, the Maruts, the Gandharvas, and the Apsaras are always
present in Pushkara. It was there, O King, that the Devas, the Daityas and
Brahmarishis performed tapasya and gained vast punya, and attained
godhood.
Men of self-control are purified of their sins by merely thinking of
Pushkara, and find high regard in heaven. Rajan, the illustrious Pitamaha,
who has the Lotus for his throne, once dwelt with great joy in this tirtha.
Having of old acquired great punya, it was in Pushkara that the Devas and
the Rishis found moksha.
The wise say that one who is devoted to the worship of the Devas and
the Pitrs, and bathes in this tirtha, gains punya which is equal to ten times
that of the Aswamedha Yagna. Having gone to the forest of Pushkara, he
that feeds even one Brahmana becomes happy here and hereafter, O
Bhishma, for that single act. He who lives on vegetables, roots and fruits,
may, with pious regard and without disrespect, give even such fare to a
Brahmana, and he will gain the punya of a horse-sacrifice.
Illustrious Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas or Sudras that bathe in
Pushkara are set free from rebirth. In particular, that man who visits
Pushkara on the full moon of the month of Kartika acquires everlasting
regions in Brahmaloka. O Bhaarata, he who remembers Pushkara with
folded hands, morning and evening, as good as bathes in every tirtha.
Man or woman, one's every sin since being born is destroyed as soon as
one bathes in Pushkara. As Madhusudana, the slayer of Madhu, is the first
among all the gods, so is Pushkara, the foremost of all tirthas. He who lives
a pure life, regulated by vratas, for twelve years in Pushkara gains the merit
of all the sacrifices, and goes to the abode of Brahma. The punya of one
who performs the Agnihotra for full one hundred years is equal to that of
him who spends the single month of Kartika in Pushkara.
There are three white hillocks and three springs known from the
remotest times which, we do not know why, go by the name of Pushkara. It
is difficult to go to Pushkara; it is difficult to do tapasya at Pushkara; it is
difficult to give alms in Pushkara; and it is difficult to live in Pushkara.
Having stayed twelve nights at Pushkara, with regulated diet, and vows,
and having walked in pradakshina around the place, one should then go to
Jambumarga. He that travels to Jambumarga, where the Devas, the Rishis
and the Pitrs go, acquires the punya of the Aswamedha and the fruition of
all his wishes. The man who remains there for five nights has his soul
cleansed from all sins. He never sinks into hell, but acquires lofty success.
Leaving Jambumarga, one should journey to Tandulikasrama. He who
visits this tirtha never devolves into Naraka but rises into Brahmaloka. He
that goes to the lake of Agastya and, fasting for three nights, worships the
Pitrs and the Devas, acquires the merits of the Agnishtoma. He who subsists
there on fruit or plants gains the condition known as Kaumara, lasting
youth.
Next, the pilgrim should take himself to the beautiful asrama of Kanva,
which is worshipped by the whole world. That sacred forest has existed,
Bharatarishabha, from the most ancient times. As soon as a man enters it,
he is freed from all his sins. He who controls what he eats and observes
vratas, while worshipping the ancestors and god there, obtains the fruit of a
sacrifice which can bestow all desires.
Having circumambulated this asrama, the pilgrim must then go to the
place where Yayati fell from heaven. He who comes to this place gains the
merit of a horse-sacrifice.
Next, one must journey to Mahakala, with senses; bathing there in the
tirtha called Koti, one gains the punya of another Aswamedha. Next, a
virtuous man should go to the tirtha of Sthanu, the husband of Uma, the
sacred place known through the three worlds as Bhadravata. The man who
visits Bhadravata has a vision of Isana and gains the punya of making a gift
of a thousand holy cows. Through the grace of Mahadeva, he acquires the
state of Ganapatya, blessed with peace, prosperity and great auspiciousness.
He that then comes to the Narmada, the river celebrated throughout the
three worlds, and offers oblations of water to the manes and the gods,
acquires the punya of an Aswamedha.
He who keeps bramacharya and goes into the Southern Ocean, his senses
subdued, gains the fruit of the Agnishtoma yagna and ascends into Swarga.
Food and senses controlled, he who journeys to Charmanwati, also gains
the merit of the Agnishtoma, at the command of Rantideva. One must next
go, O virtuous lord of Kshtariyas, to Arbuda, the son of Himavat, where
there was a hole right through the earth in days of yore. Here there is the
asrama of Vasistha, renowned through the three worlds. Spending one night
here, one gains the punya of giving a gift of a thousand cows.
Kshatriyavyaghra, the brahmacharin who bathes in the tirtha called
Pinga obtains the merit of having made a gift of a thousand Kapila cows.
One must go next, O King, to that excellent tirtha called Prabhasa. There
Agni Hutasana is always present in his own person. He, the friend of
Pavana, O hero, is the mouth of all the gods. The man who, with his souls
subdued and sanctified, bathes at that tirtha finds punya greater than even
that of the Agnishtoma or Atiratra sacrifices.
Journeying next to the place where the Saraswati mingles with the sea,
one obtains the fruit of the gift of a thousand kine and heaven also besides,
O Bharatarishabha, blazing forth for all time like Agni himself. His mind
and heart subdued, he who bathes in the tirtha of the King of waters, and
offers oblations of water to the manes and the gods, remaining there for
three nights, blazes forth like the Moon, and also gets the punya of the
Aswamedha.
The pilgrim must continue, Bharatasreshta, to the tirtha known as
Varadana, where Durvasa gave Vishnu a boon. A man by bathing in
Varadana obtains the fruit of a thousand kine. Next, he should procceds to
Dwaravati, where by bathing in Pindaraka he can gain an abundant gift of
gold. Blessed one, wonderful to tell, to this day in that tirtha, coins with the
mark of the lotus, and lotuses also with the mark of the trident, are seen, O
Kshatriyavijaya! Bull among men, the presence of Mahadeva is there.
Then, O Bhaarata, arriving at the place where the Sindhu flows into the
sea, one should with subdued soul, bathe in that tirtha of Varuna. Bathing
there and giving oblations of water to the Pitrs, the Rishis, and the Devas
one acquires the realm of Varuna, and blazes forth in effulgence. Men of
wisdom say that by worshipping the God known as Shankukarneswara a
man acquires ten times the merit of the horse-sacrifice.
Bharatarishabha, having walked round that tirtha, one should go on to
Drimi, another tirtha celebrated throughout the three worlds. This tirtha
cleanses from every sin, and it is here that the gods, including Brahma,
worship Maheswara. Having bathed there and worshipped Rudra,
surrounded by the other gods, one is freed from all sins since birth. It was
there, O best of men, that Drimi was adored by the Devas. Bathing there,
Purushottama, one surely gains the fruit of the horse-sacrifice, for O you of
great intelligence, after killing the Daityas and Danavas, Vishnu the creator
of the universe went there to purify himself.
Virtuous, the pilgrim goes next to Vasudhara adored by all. The moment
one arrives at that tirtha, one acquires the fruit of the horse-sacrifice.
Kurusthama, by bathing there with subdued soul and rapt attention, and
giving oblations of water to the Devas and Pitrs, one ascends into
Vishnuloka and is adored there.
In that tirtha, O Bharatarishabha, there is a lake of the Vasus. By bathing
there and drinking its water, a man becomes honoured by the Vasus.
There is a famed tirtha of the name Sindhuttama, which destroys every
sin. By bathing there, one gains gold in plenitude. By going in a state of
purity to Bhadratunga, one gains Brahmaloka and a condition of great
blessedness.
Then there is the tirtha of the Kumarika of Indra, much resorted to by the
Siddhas. O best of men, bathing there, a pilgrim obtains Indraloka. In
Kumarika there is another tirtha called Renuka, which also the Siddhas go
to. A Brahmana who bathes there becomes as lustrous as the Moon.
Journeying next, senses subdued and food regulated, to the tirtha called
the Panchananda, one obtains the fruit of the five sacrifices that have been
mentioned one after another in the scriptures. Then one should go to the
excellent realm of Bhima. Best of the Bhaaratas, bathing in the tirtha there,
which is called Yoni, a man, in his next birth, becomes the son of a goddess,
wearing earrings adorned with pearls, and also gains the punya of making a
gift of a hundred thousand cows.
Going next to Srikunda, celebrated through the three worlds, and
worshipping the Pitamaha, one obtains the fruit of the gift of a thousand
kine. After this, one should go to the excellent tirtha called Vimala, where
to this day fish of golden and silver hues can be seen. Bathing there, one
quickly acquires the region of Vasava, where one's soul being cleansed of
every sin, one attains a high state of blessedness.
O Bhaarata, going next to Vitasta and offering oblations of water to the
manes and the gods, a man is purified of all his sins, gains the fruit of the
Vajapeya sacrifice and a high state of blessedness. That sin-destroying tirtha
known as Vitasta is in the country of the Kasmiras and is the abode of the
Naga Takshaka.
One should next travel to Badava famed throughout the three worlds.
Bathing there with due rites in the evening, one should offer rice boiled in
butter and milk, according to the best of his might, to the deity of seven
flames. Men of wisdom say that a gift made here in honour of the Pitrs,
becomes inexhaustible.
The Rishis, the Pitrs, the Devas, the Gandharvas, several tribes of
Apsaras, the Guhyakas, the Kinnaras, the Yakshas, the Siddhas, the
Vidhyadharas, the Rakshasas, Daityas, Rudras, and Brahma himself, with
their senses subdued, performed tapasya for a thousand years at Badava in
order to move Vishnu to grace.
They cooked rice in milk and butter and gratified Kesava with oblations,
each offered with seven Riks at which, the gratified Kesava conferred on
them the eight-fold attributes called Aiswarya and other objects that they
desired. Having bestowed these, that God disappeared from their sight like
lightning in the clouds. And it is for this, O Bhaarata, that that tirtha became
known as Saptacharu, and if one offers Charu there to the seven flamed
god, one obtains punya superior to that of the gift of a hundred thousand
cows, to that of a hundred Rajasuya sacrifices, as also of a hundred
Aswamedhas.
Leaving Badava, the pilgrim travels to Raudrapada, and seeing
Mahadeva there, obtains the merit of the Aswamedha. Then, soul subdued,
observing brahmacharya, he goes to Manimata, and staying there for one
night, acquires the merit of the Agnishtoma.
One should then go to Devika celebrated throughout the world. It was
there, O Bharatarishabha, that, as I have heard, the Brahmanas first sprang
into existence. This is also the realm of the Trisulin, a place famed
everywhere. Having bathed in Devika and worshipped Maheswara by
offering him, to the best of one's means, rice boiled in milk and butter, a
man obtains the merit of a sacrifice that can fulfil every desire.
There also is another tirtha of Rudra's, Kamakhya, which is much
resorted to by the gods. Bathing there, a man swiftly finds success. By
touching the waters of Yajana, Brahmavaluka, and Pushpamba, one
becomes free from sorrow in the afterlife. The learned have said that the
sacred tirtha of Devika, resort of the Devas and the Rishis, is five Yojanas
in length and half a Yojana in breadth.
The pilgrim next, in due order, journeys to Dirghasatra. There the gods
with Brahma at their head, the Siddhas, and the greatest Rishis, with
regulated vows and the chanting and acceptance of the initiatory pledge,
perform the long-extending sacrifice. By going only to Dirghasatra, O
Parantapa, one gains punya which is superior to that of the Rajasuya or the
Aswamedha.
Senses restrained, diet controlled, one should next go to Vinasana, where
the Saraswati disappearing on the breast of Meru, reappears at Chamasa,
Shivodbheda and Nagodbheda. Bathing in Chamasodbheda, one gets the
punya of the Agnishtoma sacrifice. Bathing in Shivodbheda, one acquires
the merit of the gift of a thousand kine. And bathing in Nagodbheda, one
gains the realm of the Nagas.
One should go on to the well-nigh inaccessible tirtha of Shasayana,
where the cranes, O Bhaarata, disappearing in the forms of sasas, reappear
every year in the month of Kartika, and bathe in the Sarsawati. Bathing
there, Naravyaghra, one shines forth like the Moon, and gains the merit of
the gift of a thousand kine.
Next the pilgrim must go to Kumarakoti, with subdued senses, and
bathing there, worship the gods and the manes. By doing this, he gains the
punya of the gift of ten thousand kine, and raises all his ancestors into
higher realms.
After this, virtuous one, proceed with subdued soul to Rudrakoti, where
in olden days ten million Munis gathered. Filled with great joy at the
prospect of beholding Mahadeva, the Rishis each cried, 'I will be the first to
see the God!' And, in order to prevent disputes amongst those Rishis, the
Lord of Yoga multiplied himself into ten million forms and appeared
simultaneously before every Sage, so every one cried, 'I have seen Him
first!'
Gratified with the deep devotion of those self-controlled Munis,
Mahadeva granted them a boon, saying, 'From this day your dharma shall
grow' O tiger among men, he that bathes, with a pure mind, in Rudrakoti
obtains the merit of the horse-sacrifice and delivers his ancestors.
One should next go to that most sacred and famed confluence where the
Saraswati enters the sea. There, the Devas with Brahma at their head, and
Rishis with a wealth of asceticism, repair to adore Kesava, on the fourteenth
day of the lighted fortnight of the month of Chaitra. Bathing there, O tiger
among men, one obtains the merit of giving away an abundance of gold;
and his soul cleansed from every sin, he ascends into Brahmaloka. It is
here, O Kshatriya, that the Rishis have performed numberless yagnas. A
pilgrimage to this place confers the punya of giving away a thousand holy
cows."
CANTO 83
ulastya said, "One should next travel to the adored Kurukshetra, the
sight of which can free any creature at all from all sins. Why, a man
who says 'I will live in Kurukshetra, constantly, is set free from his sins.
The very dust of Kurukshetra, blown by the wind, leads a sinful man to a
blessed course in life and the afterlife.
They that dwell in Kurukshetra, which lies to the south of the Saraswati
and to the north of the Drishadwati, are said to dwell in heaven. O greatest
of Kshatriyas, one should remain there for a month. There, lord of earth, the
gods with Brahma at their head, the Rishis, the Siddhas, the Charanas, the
Gandharvas, the Apsaras, the Yakshas and the Nagas, come often, O
Bhaarata, to the most holy Brahmakshetra.
The sins of one who merely wishes fervently to visit Kurukshetra are all
destroyed, and he finally goes into the world of Brahma. Kurunandana, by
visiting Kurukshetra in a pious frame of mind, one obtains the fruit of the
Rajasuya and Aswamedha Yagnas.
Next, the tirthayatri salutes the Yaksha Mankanaka, Kubera's mighty
dwarapalaka, and gains the punya of giving away a thousand holy cows.
After this, one should repair to the excellent realm of Vishnu, where Hari
is always present. Bathing there and bowing down to Hari, the Creator of
the three worlds, one obtains the fruit of the Aswamedha and goes to the
abode of Vishnu. One should next go to Pariplava, that tirtha celebrated
across the three worlds, and bathing there, O Bhaarata, one finds punya that
is greater than that of the Agnishtoma and the Atiratra sacrifices.
Journeying next to the tirtha called Prithivi, one gets the fruit of a gift of
a thousand kine. The pilgrim should next travel to Shalukini and bathing
there in the Dasaswamedha one gains the punya the merit of ten horse-
sacrifices. Going on to Sarpadevi, most excellent tirtha of the Nagas, one
acquires the merit of the Agnishtoma Yagna and attains to the realm of the
Nagas.
After this, the pilgrim goes on to Tarantuka, the gate-keeper, and staying
there for one night he gains the merit of giving away a thousand sacred
cows. On he goes, with subdued senses and his food regulated, to
Panchananda and bathing in the tirtha there, called Koti, one gains the fruit
of the horse-sacrifice.
Proceeding to the tirtha of the twin Aswins, he gets great personal
beauty. Virtuous one, one should next go to the fine tirtha called Varaha,
where Vishnu once stood in the form of a boar. Bathing there, O best of
men, one gains the merit of the horse-sacrifice.
One should next repair to the tirtha called Soma in Jayanti. Bathing there
one acquires the merit of the Rajasuya sacrifice. By bathing in Ekahamsa, a
man obtains the punya of giving away a thousand cows. A pilgrim who
goes to Kritasaucha gains the lotus-eyed Lord Vishnu and perfect purity of
soul.
After this, he should go on to Munjavata, a place sacred to the
illuminous Sthanu. Remaining there without eating for one night, he
acquires the condition of Ganapatya. Then there is the celebrated tirtha
Yakshini, bathing at which a man attains the fruition of all his desires.
Bharatarishabha, that tirtha is regarded as the gateway of Kurukshetra. His
mind absorbed in dhyana, the pilgrim should walk around it. Equal to the
Pushkaras, it was created by the high-souled Rama, the son of Jamadagni.
Bathing there and worshipping the ancestors and the gods, one gains the
punya of the horse-sacrifice and becomes successful in everything.
Next, the rapt pilgrim goes on the Ramahrada. There, as we have heard,
the heroic Rama of resplendent energy exterminated the Kshatriyas with his
might, dug five lakes and filled them, O tiger among men, with the blood of
his victims. And having filled those lakes with Kshatriya blood, Rama
offered oblations of blood to his sires and grandsires.
Gratified, those Rishis then addressed Rama, 'O Rama, Rama, O you of
great good fortune, we are pleased with you, O you of the Bhrigu race, for
this your regard for the Pitrs, and for your prowess, O exalted one! Be
blessed, and ask for the boons of your choice. What is it that you want, O
you of great splendour?'
Rama folded his hands to the manes in the sky, and said, 'If you are
pleased with me and I deserve your favour, O Pitrs, let me have the joy of
doing tapasya again. Let me also, through your power, be freed from the sin
of wrath I have committed of exterminating the Kshatriya race. Also let
these my lakes become tirthas celebrated the world over.'
Gratified, joyful to hear him, the Pitrs answered him, 'Let your tapasya
increase because of the regard for the Pitrs. You have exterminated the
Kshatriyas in wrath. You are already free from that sin for they perished
from their own crimes. Have no doubt, these lakes of yours shall become
tirthas. And if anyone bathed in these lakes, offering tarpana to the manes,
they will grant him his desire in this world, however difficult it might be,
and also eternal bliss.'
Having granted him these boons, the Pitrs joyfully saluted Rama of the
Bhrigus and vanished. It was thus that the lakes of the illustrious Rama
became sacred.
Keeping Brahmacharya and observing sacred vows, one should bathe in
the lakes of Rama. Bathing there and worshipping Rama, one obtains the
merit of a gift of gold in abundance.
The pilgrim next takes himself, O Kurunandana, to Vamsamulaka, and
by bathing there uplifts and exalts all his race. Going after this to the tirtha
Kayasodhana, and bathing there, he purifies his body, and ascends to the
realm of unrivalled grace.
He next repairs to that tirtha, celebrated across the three worlds, called
Lokodwara, where once Vishnu of great prowess created the worlds.
Arriving at that tirtha, which is adored by the three worlds, and bathing
there one earns many lofty worlds for oneself.
Mind subdued, he goes next to the tirtha known as Sri; bathing there,
worshipping the gods and manes, he acquires great felicity. Sworn to
Brahmacharya, absorbed in dhyana, he should next take himself to Kapila
tirtha. Bathing there and worshipping one's own ancestors and the Devas, a
man earns the fruit of the gift of a thousand Kapila cows.
Repairing next to the tirtha called Surya and bathing there, heart
quietened and worshipping the Pitrs and the Devas, fasting all the while, he
gains the punya of the Agnishtoma sacrifice and goes finally to the
Suryaloka, realm of the Sun.
The pilgrim travels next to Gobhavana and bathing there obtains the
merit of the gift of a thousand kine. O son of the Kurus, he next journeys to
the tirtha called Shankhini and bathing in the Devi-tirtha that is there, gains
awesome prowess.
O Kshatriya, he should go next then to the tirtha called Tarandaka
situated in the Saraswati and belonging to the lustrous chief of the Yakshas
who is one of the gate-keepers of Kubera. Bathing there, he gains the punya
of the Agnishtoma Yagna.
Virtuous Kuru, one should next go to the tirtha called Brahmavarta.
Bathing in Brahmavarta, one ascends to the abode of Brahma. After this, he
seeks the sacred tirtha Sutirtha. Here, the Pitrs are ever-present along with
the Devas. One should bathe here and worship the manes and the gods. By
so doing, one acquires the punya of the horse-sacrifice and goes into the
realm of the Pitrs. This is why the Sutirtha in Ambumati is regarded as
being so auspicious.
And, Bharatottama, bathing in the Kasiswara tirtha, a man is set free
from every disease and is adored in Brahmaloka. There, in that tirtha, is
another called Matri; one who bathes in the Matri tirtha has many children
and finds great fortune.
The pilgrim next goes, in self-restraint, to the tirtha called Sitavana,
whose punya has been observed to be rare and such as hardly any other
owns. He who merely goes there becomes holy. O Bhaarata, by offering his
hair in that tirtha, the pilgrim acquires great sanctity. In that tirtha, is
another called Swavillomapaha, where, O tiger among men, learned
Brahmanas go to obtain profound satisfaction by bathing in its waters.
Offering their hair in this tirtha, too, good Brahmanas acquire holiness
through pranayama and attain a lofty spiritual state.
In that tirtha is also another called Dasaswamedhika, by bathing in
which too an exalted spiritual condition can be attained.
One should next proceed to the famed tirtha called Manusha where,
once, a herd of black antelope wounded by a hunter's arrows, plunged into
its waters, and they were transformed into human beings. Bathing in that
tirtha, while observing continence and with one's mind focused in dhyana, a
man is freed from all his sins and is worshipped in heaven.
A krosa to the east of Manusha is the renowned river Apaga that the
Siddhas resort to. The man who offers syamaka grain here, in honour of the
gods and the manes acquires great religious merit; if one Brahmana is fed
here, it is equal to feeding ten million Brahmanas. Having bathed in that
tirtha and worshipped the Devas and the Pitrs, and staying there for one
night, a man gains the merit of the Agnishtoma.
Then, O Bhaarata, the pilgrim should go to that auspicious tirtha of
Brahma, known as Brahmodumbara. Bathing in the tank of the seven Rishis
which is there, O bull among men, with his diet and mind restrained, as also
in the tirtha Kedara of the great-souled Kapila, and beholding Brahma who
is there, the pilgrim's soul is purified of every sin and he goes to the abode
of Brahma.
Also, by burning his sins through performing tapasya at the almost
inaccessible Kedara tirtha of Kapila, he acquires the siddhi of being able to
vanish at will.
The pilgrim continues his journey and goes to the renowned tirtha called
Saraka, and seeing Mahadeva there on the fourteenth day of the dark
fortnight, he gets everything he might wish for and also goes to heaven. O
son of the Kuru race, in Saraka and Rudrakoti and in the well and the lakes
that are there, thirty million tirthas are present.
In that place is another tirtha called Ilaspada. After bathing there and
worshipping the gods and the ancestors, one will never sink into hell but
gain the merit of the Vajapeya Yagna.
Repairing next to Kindana and Kinjapya, the pilgrim gains the punya of
giving away boundless charity as also an infinite recitation of prayers. Once
he journeys to the Kalasi tirtha, and bathing there devoutly, his senses under
control, he gains the fruit of the Agnishtoma.
To the east of Saraka, is an auspicious tirtha, Ambajanma, of the
Mahatman Narada. He that bathes there, O Bhaarata, finds, after dying,
many unrivalled realms of glory, at the command of Narada Muni.
Next, on the tenth day of the lighted fortnight, the pilgrim should go to
the tirtha called Pundarika. Bathing there, he gains the merit of the
Pundarika Yagna. After this, he must go to the tirtha called Trivishtapa,
famed through the three worlds. In that tirtha flows the sin-destroying river
Vaitarani. Bathing there and adoring the god known by the mark of the bull
who holds the trident in his hand, the pilgrim's soul is washed of every sin
and he attains to the highest state.
Then, he proceeds to the excellent Phalakivana. In this holiest tirtha the
Devas performed a tapasya of many thousand years. One should then go on
to the Dhrishadwati. Bathing there and worshipping the gods, one obtains,
O Bhaarata, punya which is superior to that of both the Agnishtoma and the
Atiratra sacrifices.
Bathing in that Sarvadeva tirtha, a man acquires the punya of giving
away a thousand cows. Bathing next in the Panikhata tirtha and
worshipping all the gods, a man finds punya superior to that of both the
Agnishtoma and the Atiratra sacrifices, besides acquiring that of the
Rajasuya Yagna; and finally, he attains the realm of the highest Rishis.
Dharmatma, after this, one must visit the Misraka tirtha. There, O tiger
among kings, as I have heard, the great-souled Vyasa, for the sake of the
Brahmanas, has mingled all the tirthas. He, therefore, that bathes in Misraka
bathes in all the tirthas.
Mind and senses restrained, the yatri goes next to the tirtha Vyasavana.
Bathing in the sacred waters of Manojava there, he gains the punya of the
gift of a thousand cows. He goes on to the Devitirtha which is in
Madhuvati; whoever bathes here and worships the manes and the gods
receives the spiritual merit of a gift of a thousand cows, through the grace
of the Goddess.
He who then bathes at the confluence of the Kausiki and the
Dhrishadwati is freed from all his sins. He proceeds to Vyasasthali where
Vyasa of great intelligence, burning with grief for his son, had resolved to
cast off his body but was put in good heart again by the gods. Here the
pilgrim gains the merit of the making a gift of a thousand kine.
Journeying on to the sacred well called Kindatta, he who casts a measure
of sesame into it is freed from all his debts and finds success. Bathing in the
tirtha called Vedi, one obtains the merit of making a gift of a thousand
cows. There are two other celebrated tirthas called Ahas and Sudina.
Bathing there, Purushavyaghra, one goes to the realm of the Sun.
The pilgrim continues to the tirtha called Mrigadhuma that is celebrated
throughout the three worlds. Here he bathes in the Ganga, worships
Mahadeva, and gains the punya of the Aswamedha Yagna. Bathing next in
the Devitirtha there he obtains the merit of the gift of a thousand sacred
cows.
He goes on to Vamanaka, also celebrated across the three worlds.
Bathing there in Vishnupada and worshipping Vamana, his soul is purified
from every sin, and he goes to the abode of Vishnu.
Bathing next in Kulampuna, one sanctifies one's race. Going after this to
the Pavana-hrada, that great tirtha of the Marutas, and bathing there, O tiger
among men, one becomes adored in the realm of the Wind-god. Bathing in
the Amara-hrada and worshipping Indra with devotion, the pilgrim becomes
adored in Devaloka and he will sit in a scintillating vimana and course
through the sky in the company of the immortals.
Best of great men, bathing next with due rites in the tirtha called Sali
surya, of Salihotra, he acquires the punya of the gift of a thousand kine.
Bhaaratottama, there is another tirtha called Srikunja in the Saraswati.
Bathing there, one gains the merit of the Agnishtoma sacrifice.
The pilgrim goes next to Naimishakunja. In days of yore, the Rishis who
performed tapasya in the Naimisha vana took the vows of pilgrimage and
went to Kurukshetra. There, on the banks of the Saraswati a tapovana was
created, which served as a resting place for them and which pleased them
greatly. Bathing in the Saraswati in that sacred grove, one obtains the merit
of the Agnishtoma sacrifice.
O Virtuous, one should go after this to the excellent Kanya tirtha.
Bathing there one obtains the merit of the gift of a thousand kine. Then, on
to the tirtha of Brahma. Bathing here, a person of the inferior varnas
becomes a Brahmana, and if he is already a Brahmana, his soul is purified
of every sin, and he attains moksha.
After this, the pilgrim journeys to the auspicious Soma tirtha, bathing at
which place, he gains the world of Soma. The yatri now proceeds to the
tirtha called Saptasaraswata, where the renowned Rishi Mankanaka found
ascetic success. As I have heard, in olden days, Mankanaka cut his hand
with a pointed blade of Kusa grass, upon which, from his wound flowed not
blood but vegetable sap. Seeing this, his eyes wide with wonder, the Sage
began to dance. And as the Rishi danced, all the mobile and immobile
creatures, overwhelmed by his power, began to dance with him.
Then, the Devas with Brahma at their head, and Rishis of vast tapasya
said to Mahadeva, 'Lord, you must stop the Sage from dancing.'
His heart full of joy, Siva went to the dancing Rishi and said, 'Maharishi,
most virtuous one, why do you dance? O bull among Munis, what can be
the reason for this great joy?'
The Rishi answered, 'O best of Brahmanas, I am an ascetic who treads
the path of dharma. Do you not see that vegetable sap flows from the
wound in my hand? This fills me with great joy and I dance.'
To the Rishi blinded by emotion, the God laughingly said, 'O Brahmana,
I do not wonder at this. Look at me!'
Mahadeva made a cut on his own thumb with the nail of his forefinger,
and lo, from the wound there came ashes white as snow. Seeing this, the
Muni became ashamed and fell at Siva's feet, and believing that there was
nothing better and greater than the God Rudra, he began to hymn him: 'O
Trisulin, you are the refuge of the Devas and the Asuras, of, indeed, the
universe. You have created the three worlds with all their beings, mobile
and unmoving. It is you again that swallow everything at the end of the
Yuga. Not the gods themselves can know you, far less me. O sinless one,
the Devas with Brahma at their head are all revealed in you. You are all, the
Creator himself and the Ordainer of the worlds. It is by your grace that all
the gods sport without anxiety or fear.
Devadeva, God of gods, grant me your grace, so that my tapasya may
not diminish.'
The God replied, 'Brahmana, let your tapasya increase a thousandfold
through my grace. Great Muni, I will dwell with you in this your asrama.
Those who bathe here in Saptasaraswata, and worship me, will attain
everything here and hereafter. And without doubt they shall all attain finally
to the realm of Saraswata.'
With that, Mahadeva vanished.
After visiting Saraswata, one should travel on to Ausanasa, also famed
throughout the three worlds. There, Bhaarata, the gods with Brahma before
them, and Rishis endowed with the wealth of asceticism, and the illustrious
Kartikeya, are always present during the two twilights and midday,
impelled by the desire to do good to Bhargava.
In that tirtha is another called Kapalamochana, which cleanses one from
every sin. O tiger among men, bathing there the taint of all one's sins
vanish.
The pilgrim should then proceed to the tirtha called Agni. Bathing there,
Purusharishabha, one obtains the worlds of Agni and exalts his very vamsa.
There in that tirtha is another, O lord of the Bhaaratas, that belongs to
Viswamitra. Bathing there, best of men, one gains the status of a true
Brahmana.
Purushavyaghra, the pilgrim, his body pure and his mind subdued, goes
on to Brahmayoni, and bathing there at the abode of Brahma, he sanctifies
his race for seven generations before and after.
Next, he travels to another tirtha renowned through the worlds,
Prithudaka, which belongs to Kartikeya. He bathes there, worshipping the
Devas and the Pitrs. Whatever evil any man or woman has committed,
knowingly or otherwise, is destroyed by a bath in that sacred tirtha, which
also confers the punya of an Aswamedha and Swarga, as well. The learned
say that Kurukshetra is holy; holier than Kurukshetra is the Saraswati;
holier than the Saraswati are all the tirthas together, and that holier than all
the tirthas together is Prithudaka.
He who casts off his body at Prithudaka, while chanting holy mantras,
becomes an immortal. Sanatkumara and the high-souled Vyasa have sung,
and it is in the Vedas also, that one should indeed go to Prithudaka, with
soul subdued. O son of the Kurus, there is no tirtha which is superior to
Prithudaka. Without doubt, that tirtha is purifying, holy and sin-destroying.
The most sinful man who bathes in Prithudaka goes to heaven.
O best of the Bhaaratas, in that tirtha is another called Madhustrava;
bathing there, one acquires the merit of giving away a thousand cows.
After this, the pilgrim must proceed to the calebrated and sacred tirtha
where the Saraswati unites with the Aruna. Bathing there, after fasting for
three nights, one is cleansed of even the sin of killing a Brahmana, and
obtains punya that is superior to that of either the Agnishtoma or Atiratra
sacrifice, and redeems his race to the seventh generation, up and down.
In that tritha is another called Ardhakila. From compassion for the
Brahmanas, Darbhi created that tirtha in days of old. Without doubt, by
vows, by investiture of the sacred thread, by fasts, by rites and by mantras,
one becomes a Brahmana. However, Bharatarishabha, wise men of old have
observed that even a man who is without ritual and mantras becomes
learned and blessed with the punya of vratas – merely by bathing at
Ardhakila.
Darbhi also brought the four oceans there. Best of men, he that bathes
there never meets distress again and also gains the punya of giving away
four thousand cows.
The tirtha-yatri goes on to Satasahastraka, next to which is another
sacred tirtha also called Sahasraka. Both are renowned, and bathing in
them, one obtains the merit of giving away a thousand kine. Fasts and gifts
here multiply a thousandfold.
Then, on he must go the wonderful tirtha Renuka, bathe there and
worship the Pitrs and the Devas. By this, cleansed of every sin, he receives
the merit of the Agnishtoma sacrifice. Bathing next in the tirtha called
Vimochana, with passions and senses under control, he is cleansed from all
the sins which accrue from accepting gifts.
Senses controlled and observing Bramacharya, he must then go to the
forest of Panchavati. A sojourn there brings great virtue and he becomes
adored in all the realms of the good and godly.
After this, one should travel to the tirtha of Varuna called Taijasa,
blazing with its own effulgence. In that tirtha the lord of Yoga, Sthanu
himself dwells, the bull his mount. He that stays there finds success by
worshipping the God of gods. It was here that the Devas, with Brahma at
their head, and Rishis endowed with the wealth of asceticism, installed
Guha as the Senapati of the celestials.
To the east of that tirtha is another, which is called Kuru tirtha. With
senses controlled and keeping brahmacharya, he that bathes in Kuru tirtha is
cleansed of all his sins and gains Brahmaloka.
He must go next to Swargadwara. Staying there, the pilgrim finds the
merit of the Agnishtoma sacrifice and goes to the abode of Brahma.
After this, he must take himself to the the tirtha called Anaraha. Bathing
there, he will never meet again with distress, for there Brahma himself and
the other gods with Narayana at their head are always present, O tiger
among men. O royal son of the race of Kuru, the wife of Rudra is also
present there. Beholding the Goddess, one never meets with any sorrow
thereafter. In that tirtha is also an image of Visweswara, the lord of Uma;
seeing the God of gods there, one is cleansed of all one's sins. Also, seeing
the idol of Narayana, from whose navel the Lotus sprang, the tirthayatri
blazes forth, O Parantapa, and goes to the abode of Vishnu.
Bull among men, he that bathes in the tirtha of all the gods is redeemed
from all his sins and shines like the Moon.
The pilgrim goes next to Swastipura. By walking in pradakshina around
that place, one gains the punya of giving away a thousand holy cows.
Arriving next at the tirtha called Pavana, one should offer oblations to the
Pitrs and the Devas; with this, he gets, O Bhaarata, the merit of the
Agnishtoma sacrifice.
Near Pavana is Ganga-hrada, and another tirtha, O Bhaarata, called
Kupa. Thirty million tirthas are present in that Kupa. Bathing there, a
person finds heaven. Bathing also in the Ganga-hrada and adoring
Maheswara, one finds the condition of Ganapatya and redeems his race.
One should next travel to Sthanuvata, celebrated all over the three
worlds. Bathing there, also, one finds heaven. The pilgrim goes on to
Badaripachana, the asrama of Vasishtha. Having fasted there for three
nights, one should eat the badari fruit. He that lives on badari for twelve
years, and he that fasts at that tirtha for three nights acquires punya which is
eternal.
Journeying then at Indramarga, and fasting there for a day and night, the
pilgrim becomes adored in the realm of Indra. Going on to the Ekaratra
tirtha, he who spends a single night there, with vratas and with perfect truth,
becomes adored in Brahmaloka. One should next go to the asrama of
Aditya, that lustrous god who is a mass of effulgence. Bathing in that tirtha
famed through three worlds, and worshipping the god of light, one goes to
the realm of Aditya and saves his own race.
The pilgrim then goes on to bathe in the Soma tirtha and without any
doubt finds the realm of Soma for himself.
Next, he must visit the most sacred tirtha of the illustrious Dadhicha, that
sanctifying tirtha which is celebrated all over the world. It was here that
Angiras of the Saraswatas, that ocean of tapasya, was born. Bathing in that
tirtha, one gains the punya of the Aswamedha, and without doubt, also the
realm of Saraswati.
With senses subdued observing brahmacharya, the pilgrim goes on
Kanyasrama. Staying there for three nights, with subdued senses and a
regulated diet, he acquires a hundred Apsaras, and also goes to Brahma's
realm.
O Virtuous, he continues his yatra, now to the tirtha called Sannihati.
Living there, the gods with Brahma at their head, and Rishis endowed with
the wealth of asceticism earn great punya. Bathing in the Saraswati during a
solar eclipse, one gains the merit of a hundred Aswamedhas, and any
sacrifice that one might perform there produces merit that is eternal.
Whatever tirthas exist on earth or in the firmament, all the rivers, lakes,
pools, springs, tanks large and small, and places sacred to particular gods all
come, O tiger among men, month after month, and mingle with Sannihati!
It is because all the other tirthas are united together here, that this tirtha is
so named. Bathing here and drinking of its water, one becomes adored in
heaven.
Listen to the punya acquired by a mortal who performs a Sraddha there
on the day of the new moon during a solar eclipse, after bathing in this
tirtha. He gains the punya of one who assiduously and thoroughly performs
a thousand Aswamedhas. Whatever sins a man or woman commits are,
beyond doubt, all destroyed as soon as one bathes in that tirtha. Bathing
here one also ascends to the abode of Brahma in the lotus-coloured vimana.
Bathing next in Koti-tirtha, after having worshipped the Yaksha
dwarapalaka Machakruka, one gains the merit of giving away a bounty of
gold.
Best of the Bhaaratas, near this is a tirtha called Ganga-hrada. Mind
subdued, keeping brahmacharya, and bathing here, a pilgrim acquires punya
which is greater than that of the Rajasuya and the Aswamedha Yagnas.
The Naimisha tirtha confers its fruit on earth; Pushkara confers punya in
the realms of the firmament; Kurukshetra, however, confers felicity in all
the three worlds. Even the dust of Kurukshetra, carried by the wind, leads
sinful men to a highly blessed state. They that live in Kurukshetra, which
lies to the north of the Drishadwati and to the south of the Saraswati, really
reside in heaven.
'I will go to Kurukshetra. I will dwell in Kurukshetra,' he that utters these
words even once, becomes cleansed of all sin. Sacred Kurukshetra,
worshipped by Brahmarishis, is regarded as the Vedi, the sacrificial altar of
the Devas. Mortals that dwell there have nothing to grieve for at any time.
That which lies between Tarantuka and Arantuka and the lakes of Rama and
Machakruka is Kurukshetra. It is also called Samanta-panchaka and is said
to be the northern sacrificial altar of the Grandsire."
CANTO 84
ulastya said, "Then, O great Kshatriya, one should journey on to the

excellent tirtha of Dharma, where the illustrious god of justice once
performed an austere tapasya. And it is for this that he made the place a
sacred tirtha which would be known after his own name. Bathing there, a
virtuous man with his mind concentrated in dhyana certainly sanctifies his
family to the seventh generation.
Next, the pilgrim goes to the wonderful Jnanapavana. Staying there, he
acquires the merit of the Agnishtoma, and goes to Muniloka, the realm of
the Munis.
Then, he must travel to the Saugandhika-vana. There the Devas dwell,
with Brahma at their head, Rishis with a wealth of asceticism, the Siddhas,
the Charanas, the Gandharvas, the Kinnaras and the Nagas. As soon as he
enters these woods, he is cleansed of all his sins.
After this, he goes on to visit the stream of the Devi Saraswati, known
here as the Devi Plaksha. There he must bathe in the water issuing from an
anthill, worship the manes and the gods, thereby gaining the punya of the
Aswamedha. At a distance of six throws of a heavy stick from the anthill,
there is a rare tirtha called Isanadhyushita. The Puranas say,
Purushavyaghra, that bathing here a man obtains the merit of giving away a
thousand Kapila cows, and also of the Aswamedha Yagna.
Journeying next to Sugandha and Satakumbha and Pancha-yagna, a man
becomes adored in heaven. He must visit another tirtha there called
Trisulakhata, bathe and set himself to worship the Pitrs and the Devas.
Doing so, without doubt, he finds, after his death, the condition of
Ganapatya.
The pilgrim travels on to the glorious tirtha of the Devi known through
the three worlds as Sakambhari. There, for a thousand celestial years, she of
the fervent vow, had subsisted, month after month, only upon herbs. Drawn
by their reverence for the Goddess, many Rishis of great tapasya came
there, O Bhaarata, and she entertained them with herbs; it is for this that
they named her Sakambhari. Bhaarata, the man who comes to Sakambhari,
observing brahmacharya and rapt in dhyana, and passes three nights there in
purity, eating only herbs, obtains, at the will of the Goddess, the punya of
one who lives on just herbs for twelve years.
From there he goes on to the tirtha called Suvarna, famed through the
three worlds, where in days of old Vishnu paid his adorations to Rudra for
his grace, and obtained many boons difficult of acquisition even by the
gods. And, O Bhaarata, the gratified destroyer of Tripura said, 'Krishna, you
will be much beloved in the world, and the foremost of everything in the
universe.' Worshipping the God having the bull for his mark, in that place,
the tirthayatri gains the punya of the Aswamedha and also the state of
Ganapatya.
After this, he goes on to the tirtha of Dhumavati. Fasting there for three
nights, he has his every wish fulfilled. In the southern part of this tirtha of
the Goddess, there is another tirtha called Rathavarta. With a devout heart
and senses controlled one should visit this sacred place, and, through the
grace of Mahadeva, attain a lofty condition of grace.
After circumambulating this tirtha, Bharatarishabha, the pilgrim
continues his pilgrimage going to the tirtha named Dhara, which, O you of
great wisdom, washes away every sin. Bathing there, tiger among men, a
man is freed from every sorrow.
Bowing to the Great Mountain Himavat, the pilgrim now takes himself
to the source of the Ganga, which is beyond doubt the very gateway to
heaven. There, his mind fixed in dhyana, he bathes in the tirtha called Koti,
thereby gaining the punya of the Pundarika sacrifice; and he delivers all his
race. Spending one night there, one acquires the merit of giving away a
thousand cows.
By offering oblations of water to the gods and the manes at Saptaganga,
Triganga and Sakravarta, all of which are here, one becomes adored in the
realms of the virtuous.
Bathing next at Kanakhala, and fasting there for three nights, a man
reaps the punya of the horse-sacrifice and goes to heaven.
After this, O lord of men, the pilgrim should repair to Kapilavata.
Fasting for one night there, he acquires the merit of giving away a thousand
cows. This tirtha of the illustrious Kapila, king of the Nagas, is celebrated,
O best of Kurus, over all the worlds. Bathing at the Nagatirtha, one gains
the merit of giving away a thousand Kapila kine.
After this the pilgrim journeys to the most excellent tirtha of Santanu,
called Lalitaka. Bathing there, one never sinks into distress thereafter. The
man who bathes at the confluence of the Ganga and the Yamuna obtains the
punya of ten horse-sacrifices, and also redeems his race.
Next, the pilgrim should go to Sugandha, celebrated over the world.
Here, cleansed of every sin, he becomes adored in the abode of Brahma.
Then, on to Rudravarta, where bathing, one ascends to heaven. Bathing at
the confluence of the Ganga and the Saraswati, a man finds the merit of the
Aswamedha and also heaven.
Going on to Bhadrakarneswara and worshipping the gods, the pilgrim
ensures that he will never be in distress again and will be loved in heaven.
Then, lord of men, he goes to the Kubjamraka tirtha, and gains the merit of
giving away a thousand cows, and swarga also.
From there he journeys to the Arundhativata, observing brahmacharya
and his mind fixed in dhyana. Bathing there in Samudraka and fasting for
three nights, he acquires the punya of the Aswamedha, that of giving away
a thousand cows, and also redeems his entire clan.
One should next go to Brahmavarta, soul concentrated and locked in
brahmacharya vratas. By this, one obtains the merit of the horse-sacrifice,
and goes to the world of Soma.
The man who goes on to the Yamuna-prabhava, the source of the
Yamuna, and bathes there, finds the punya of the Aswamedha and is
worshipped in swarga. Arriving after this at Darbisankramana, a tirtha
worshipped in the three worlds, a person acquires the merit of the horse-
sacrifice and finds paradise.
Repairing next to Sindhu-prabhava, he source of the Sindhu, which is
worshipped by Siddhas and Gandharvas, and staying there for five nights,
one obtains the merit of giving away an abundance of gold. Going next to
the almost inaccessible Vedi tirtha, the pilgrim finds the punya of the
Aswamedha and ascends into swargaloka.
Then, O Bhaarata, one should travel to Rishikulya and Vasishtha. By
visiting the latter, all varnas attain to Brahmanahood. Bathing at Rishikulya,
while living a month eating just herbs, and worshipping the gods and
manes, one is cleansed of all one's sins, and obtains the realm of the Rishis.
Going next to Bhrigutunga, a pilgrim acquires the merit of the horse-
sacrifice.
Going on to Virapramoksha, one is freed from every sin. Travelling then
to the tirtha of Krittika and Magha, one, O Bhaarata, gains punya superior
to that of the Agnishtoma and Atiratra sacrifices. The man who goes to the
most excellent tirtha called Vidya and bathes there in the evening, becomes
a master of every kind of knowledge.
Next, the pilgrim must stay for one night at Mahasrama, capable of
destroying every sin; and eat only a single meal. By this, he gains many
auspicious realms, and delivers ten preceding and ten succeeding
generations of his vamsa.
Dwelling next for a month in Mahalaya, and fasting there for three
nights, one's soul is purged of all sin, and one acquires the punya of giving
away gold in abundance. Proceeding to Vetasika, worshipped by the
Grandsire, the tirtha-yatri obtains the merit of the Aswamedha and the state
of Usanas.
He goes on to the tirtha Sundarika, worshipped by the Siddhas, and
obtains radiant personal beauty, as witnessed by the ancients. Proceeding to
Brahmani, with subdued senses and observing the brahmacharya vrata, a
person rises into Brahmaloka in a lotus-hued chariot.
The yatri journeys next to the sacred Naimisha, worshipped by the
Siddhas, where Brahma dwells with the Devas. Just the intention of visiting
Naimisha, destroys half one's sins; by entering it, one is cleansed of all
one's sins. The pilgrim of subdued senses should stay in Naimisha for a
month; for, O Bhaarata, all the tirthas of the earth are present in Naimisha.
Bathing there, with restrained senses and regulated fare, one obtains the
merit of the cow-sacrifice, and also sanctifies his race for seven generations,
before and after himself. The wise have always said that he who renounces
his life at Naimisha by fasting, enjoys bliss in the heavenly regions, for
Naimisha is ever sacred and most holy.
Travelling next to Gangodbheda and fasting there for three nights, a man
obtains the merit of the Vajapeya sacrifice, and becomes like Brahma
himself. Journeying to the Saraswati, one should offer oblations to the
Devas and the Pitrs; with this, the pilgrim will surely enjoy bliss in the
regions called Saraswata.
After, he wends his way to Bahuda, with soul subdued and keeping the
brahmacharya vrata. Staying there for one night, one becomes beloved in
heaven, and also gains the punya of the Devasatra sacrifice. On then he
must go to Kshiravati, frequented by the most holy men. By worshipping
the gods and the manes there, he acquires the punya of the Vajapeya.
Travelling next to Vimalasoka, mind subdued and keeping
brahmacharya, and remaining there for one night, one is adored in heaven.
After this, he must go the exalted Gopratara in the Sarayu, where Sri
Rama, with all his attendants and animals, abandoned his body, and
ascended to heaven through the power of this tirtha. Bathing in that tirtha, O
Bhaarata, through Rama's grace and by virtue of his own karma, one is
washed of one's every sin and becomes adored in heaven.
Going next, O son of the Kurus, to the Rama-tirtha on the Gomati, and
bathing there, one gains the merit of the Aswamedha, and also sanctifies his
race. There, Bharatarishabha, is another tirtha called Satasahastrika.
Bathing in it, with senses restrained and fasting, a person reaps the merit of
giving away a thousand sacred cows.
Now he should go to the unrivalled tirtha called Bhartristhana, where he
finds the merit of the Aswamedha. Bathing next in the tirtha called Koti,
and worshipping Kartikeya, a man reaps the punya of giving away a
thousand kine, and acquires great energy.
Going next to Varanasi, and worshipping the God having the bull for his
mark, after a bath in the Kapilahrada, the pilgrim obtains the merit of the
Rajasuya Yagna.
Journeying then to Avimukta, and seeing there the God of gods, he is
instantly cleansed of even the sin of killing a Brahmana. By giving up one's
life there, one attains moksha.
Arriving next at the rare tirtha Markandeya, celebrated over the world
and situated on the Ganga, a person obtains the merit of Agnishtoma
sacrifice, and delivers his race. On next to Gaya, with subdued senses and
observing brahmacharya, one obtains the punya of the horse-sacrifice and
also redeems his race. In that tirtha is the Akshaya-vata, celebrated
throughout the three worlds. Whatever is offered here to the Pitrs is said to
become inexhaustible. Bathing there in the Mahanadi, and offering
oblations to the gods and the manes, a man acquires eternal regions, and
also saves his race.
Then the pilgrim travels to Brahmasara in the forest of Dharma, and
passing one night there, he attains Brahmaloka. In that lake, Brahma raised
a sacrificial pillar; by walking round this stamba, a man acquires the punya
of the Vajapeya sacrifice.
After this, mighty Kshatriya, the tirtha-yatri should go to Denuka, famed
the world over. Staying there for one night and giving away sesame and
cows, one's soul is cleansed of every sin, and one ascends into the world of
Soma. Here, of yore, the cow Kapila ranged over the mountains, with her
calf. O Bhaarata, her great hoof-prints and her young ones can be seen in
that place even today. By bathing in those hoof-prints, whatever sin a man
may have incurred is washed away.
Then should one go to Gridhravata, consecrated to the trident-bearing
God. Approaching the Deity having the bull for his mark, the pilgrim
should rub himself with ashes. If a Brahmana, he gains the merit of
observing the twelve-year vow and if he belongs to any of the other varnas,
he is freed from all his sins.
After this, on to the Udyanta mountains, which resound with great and
mysterious songs. There, Bharatarishabha, you can still see the the
footprints of Savitri. The Brahmana of rigid vows who says his morning,
noon and evening prayers here, for a day, finds the punya of performing that
service for twelve years.
The famous Yonidwara is in this place; going there one is set free from
the pain of rebirth. The person who stays at Gaya during both the dark and
lighted fortnights, certainly sanctifies his own kula, up and down, to the
seventh generation. One should wish for many sons so that at least one of
them might go to Gaya, or celebrate the horse-sacrifice, or offer a Nila bull.
Then, the pilgrim should proceed to Phalgu, where he acquires the punya
of the Aswamedha, and finds great success. After this, the pilgrim, his mind
quietened, should travel to Dharmaprastha. There, O foremost of Kshatriya,
Dharma dwells for ever. Drinking of the water of a well, which is there, and
purifying one's self with a bath, he who offers oblations to the Devas and
the Pitrs is cleansed of all his sins and ascends into swarga.
In that tirtha is the hermitage of the great Rishi Matanga of the perfectly
restrained soul. By entering that beautiful asrama, which can soothe fatigue
and sorrow, one earns the merit of the Gavamayana sacrifice, and by
touching the image of Dharma, which is there, one obtains the fruit of the
horse-sacrifice.
One should next go, O Kshatriya, to the excellent Brahmasthana.
Approaching Brahma, that bull among male beings, who is present there,
one acquires the merit of the Rajasuya and Aswamedha Yagnas.
The pilgrim should then repair to Rajagriha. Bathing there, one lives as
happily as the Rishi Kakshivan. Purifying himself, the pilgrim should
partake here of the offerings daily made to the Yakshini. By this, one is
freed even from the sin of killing a Brahmana, through the Yakshini's grace.
Going on to Maninaga, one finds the punya of giving away a thousand
kine. O Bhaarata, he that eats anything at all offered at the tirtha of
Maninaga, becomes immune to the venom of the most deadly serpents.
Staying there for one night, one is cleansed of one's sins.
Then should the pilgrim continue to the favourite forest of the
Brahmarshi Gautama. There, bathing in the lake of Ahalya, he attains to an
exalted slate. After this, seeing the image of Sri, he acquires great
prosperity. There in that tirtha is a well famed through the trilokas. Bathing
in it, one acquires the merit of the Aswamedha. Here is also a well sacred to
the Rajarishi Janaka, a well that the gods worship. Bathing in this well, one
rises into Vishnuloka.
Then should one repair to Vinasana that destroys every sin. By going
there, one acquires the punya of a Vajapeya sacrifice, and also gains
Somaloka. Travelling next to Gandaki, which is created by the waters of
every tirtha, a person acquires the merit of the Vajapeya, and ascends into
Suryaloka.
The pilgrim journeys next to the Visala, river celebrated across the three
worlds, and gains the merit of the Agnishtoma and also rises into Swarga.
After this, virtuous one, he goes to the tapovana of Rishis called Adhivanga,
and finds great happiness amongst the Guhyakas.
Continuing to the river Kampana, visited by the Siddhas, one obtains the
merit of the Pundarika sacrifice, and also ascends into heaven. Arriving
then, O lord of earth, at the stream called Maheswari, one acquires the
punya of the horse-sacrifice and also redeems his own race.
Journeying after this to the realm of the Devas, the pilgrim earns
freedom from misfortune and also the merit of the horse-sacrifice. Next, he
must go to Somapada, with subdued soul and keeping brahmacharya.
Bathing in Maheswarapada there, one reaps the merit of the Aswamedha. In
that tirtha, O Bharatarishabha, it is well known that ten millions of tirthas
exist together.
Once a fiendish Asura, in the shape of a tortoise, attempted to carry it
away, but the mighty Vishnu recovered it from him. There in that tirtha one
should perform ablutions, for by doing this one acquires the punya of the
Pundarika sacrifice and ascends into Vishnuloka besides.
Then, O best of kings, one should proceed to the Narayana tirtha, where,
O Bhaarata, Narayana is always present and dwells for ever. The Devas
with Brahma at their head, Rishis endowed with the wealth of asceticism,
the Adityas, the Vasus, and the Rudras, all adore Janardana in that tirtha,
and Vishnu of wonderful deeds has come to be known as Salagrama.
Approaching eternal Vishnu, Lord of the three worlds, giver of boons, one
gains the merit of the horse-sacrifice, and goes to Vishnuloka.
In that place is a sacred well, capable of destroying every sin; the four
seas are ever present in that well. He that bathes in it will be free from
misfortune. Beholding the image of the boon-giving, eternal, and fierce
Mahadeva who is also there, the pilgrim glows like the moon emerging
from behind a cloud.
Bathing then in Jatismara, with a pure mind and subdued senses, one
acquires, without doubt, the recollections of his past life. Going on to
Maheswarapura, and worshipping the God having the bull for his mark,
fasting the while, one gets the fruition of all one's desires.
Journeying, after this, to Vamana, which destroys every sin, and
beholding the Lord Hari, the pilgrim is set free from all misfortune. He goes
on to the asrama of Kusika that can remove every sin. Going then to the
river Kausika, which cleanses even great sins, mahapaapas, one should
bathe in it. By this one obtains the merit of the Rajasuya Yagna.
Next, best of Kshatriyas, he should go to the sacred Champaka forest.
By spending one night there, he will acquire the merit of giving away a
thousand cows. Arriving next at Jyeshtila, tirtha of rare worth, and passing
one night there, one reaps the fruit of the gift of a thousand cows. Seeing
the image of Visweswara of great splendour there, with his consort the
Devi, a person obtains, O bull among men, the world of Mitra-Varuna. By
fasting there for three nights, a man acquires the merit of the Agnishtoma.
By visiting Kanya-samvedya, with senses restrained and fasting, the
pilgrim gains the region of Manu, the lord of creation. Rishis of stern vows
have said that he that gives away rice or makes any gift at the tirtha called
Kanya, renders such a gift eternal.
Arriving next at Nischira, celebrated through the three worlds, he gains
the merit of the horse-sacrifice and goes to Vishnuloka. Those that give
daana at the confluence of Nischira, ascend into blessed Brahmaloka. In
that tirtha is the asrama of Vasishtha, known in the three lokas; bathing
there, one obtains the merit of the Vajapeya.
Going on to Devakuta, to which Devarishis resort, one acquires the
punya of the Aswamedha, and also delivers his vamsa. After this, the tirtha-
yatri should go to the lake of the Muni Kausika, where Kausika's son,
Viswamitra, found grace. Bathing there, a man acquires the merit of the
Vajapeya. O Kshatriya, at Kausika, the pilgrim should spend one month and
reap the punya of an Aswamedha Yagna.
He that lives in that best of tirthas, Maha-hrada, enjoys immunity from
misfortune, and also gains the merit of giving away gold in abundance.
Next, seeing Kartikeya who dwells at Virasrama a man surely reaps the fruit
of the horse-sacrifice. Proceeding to Agnidhara, celebrated across the three
worlds, and after a bath there, beholding the eternal and boon-giving
Vishnu, that God of gods, the pilgrim acquires the punya of the
Agnishtoma.
Journeying on to the pool of Brahma, near the mountains with peaks of
snow, and bathing in it, a man gets the merit of the Agnishtoma. Falling
from the Grandsire's pool, is that world-sanctifying stream, celebrated
through the three worlds, called Kumara-Dhara. Bathing there, one has all
his purposes fulfilled. Fasting in that tirtha for three days, one is cleansed
even of the sin of slaying a Brahmana.
The pilgrim should go on the peak of the great Goddess Gauri, also
renowned across the three worlds. Climbing it, O best of men, one should
approach Stana-Kunda. By touching the waters of Stana-Kunda, a person
gains the merit of the Vajapeya sacrifice. Bathing in that and worshipping
the Devas and Pitrs, one acquires the merit of the horse-sacrifice and also
rises into Indraloka.
Arriving next at the well of Tamraruna, frequented by the gods, one
acquires, O lord of men, the merit which attaches to human sacrifice.
Bathing next at the confluence of the Kalika with the Kausiki and the
Aruna, and fasting there for three nights, a man of learning is cleansed of all
his sins.
Going on to the Urvasi tirtha, and then to Somasrama, a wise man, by
bathing next at Kumbhakarnasrama, becomes loved through the world. The
ancients knew that by touching the waters of Kokamukha, while observing
steady vows and bramacharya, a man revives the memory of his former life.
The pilgrim goes quickly next to the river Nanda, where a regenerate
man becomes free from all his sins and, soul controlled, rises into
Indraloka. Then, on he goes to the island called Rishabha, where cranes die,
and bathing in the Saraswati he blazes forth in heaven.
Continuing to the tirtha Auddalaka, frequented by Munis, and bathing
there, one is cleansed of all one's sins. Repairing next to the sacred tirtha
Dharma, where Brahmarishis come, one acquires the merit of the Vajapeya
and becomes respected in Swargaloka.
Proceeding to Champa and bathing in the Bhagirathi, he who goes to
Dandaparna, finds the punya of giving away a thousand kine. After this, he
must go on to sacred Lalitika, graced by the presence of the virtuous. By
this the tirtha-yatri acquires the merit of the Rajasuya sacrifice and is
regarded in heaven."
CANTO 85
ulastya said, "Arriving next at the excellent Samvedya tirtha in the

evening, and touching its waters, the pilgrim surely gains knowldge and
wisdom. Created a tirtha in days of old by Rama's power, at Lauhitya one
obtains the merit of giving away a bounty of gold.
Then, on to the river Karatoya; and fasting there for three nights, a man
acquires the merit of the horse-sacrifice.
This is the injunction of the Creator himself. It has been said by the
wisest, O Kshatriya, that if a person goes to the place where the Ganga
mingles with the sea, he reaps merit which is ten times that of the
Aswamedha Yagna. Crossing over to the opposite bank of the Ganga, he
that bathes there, having spent three nights in the place, is cleansed of all
his sins.
The pilgrim must next go to the Vaitarani capable of destroying every
sin. Arriving after this at the tirtha named Viraja he like the moon, and
sanctifying his vamsa, rescues it and is himself purified of all his sins. He
that bathes in Viraja further reaps the punya of giving away a thousand
cows.
Living in purity at the confluence of the Sona and the Jyotirathi, and
offering oblations of water to the gods and the manes, a man reaps the merit
of the Agnishtoma sacrifice. Touching the waters of the Vamsagulma,
constituting the sources of both the Sona and the Narmada, one obtains the
punya of the Aswamedha.
Travelling on to the tirtha called Rishabha in Kosala, O lord of men, and
fasting there for three nights, one earns the merit of the Vajapeya sacrifice,
and of the gift of a thousand kine, and also delivers his race. Arriving at
Kosala, a man should bathe in the tirtha named Kala, and by this he surely
obtains the merit of giving away one and ten sacred bulls.
By bathing in Pushpavati and fasting there for three nights, one
sanctifies one's own race, besides earning the merit of the gift of a thousand
cows. O foremost of the Bhaaratas, by bathing in the tirtha called Badarika,
one obtains long life, and also goes to heaven.
Arriving next at Champa, and bathing in the Bhagirathi, and seeing
Danda one earns the punya of giving away a thousand kine. Then the
pilgrim should go to the sacred Lapetika, graced by the presence of the
pious; there he reaps the punya of the Vajapeya and also becomes regarded
by the gods.
Proceeding next to the mountain Mahendra, where Jamadagnya lived,
and bathing in Rama's tirtha, a person acquires the fruits of a horse-
sacrifice. Here is Matanga's tirtha, Kedara, O son of the Kurus; bathing in it,
a man gains the merit of giving away a thousand kine.
Going on to the mountain Sri, he who touches the waters of the stream
there, worshipping the God who has the bull for his mark, obtains the merit
of the horse-sacrifice. On the mountain Sri the effulgent Mahadeva dwells
in joy with the Goddess, as also does Brahma with the other gods. By
bathing in the lake of Beva, with purity and mind restrained, one gets the
merit of the horse-sacrifice, and also attains the highest success.
Proceeding next to the mountain Rishabha in Pandya, worshipped by the
gods, he finds the merit of the Vajapeya and rejoices in heaven. After this,
he must go to the river Kaveri, frequented by Apsaras. Bathing there, he
gains the merit of giving away a thousand cows.
After this he must touch the waters of the tirtha called Kanya on the
shores of the sea, and be cleansed of every sin.
Going next to Gokarna, celebrated across the three worlds, which is
situated in the midst of the deep, and is reverenced by all the lokas, and
where the gods headed by Brahma, and Rishis endowed with the wealth of
asceticism, and Bhutas and Yakshas and Pisachas, and Kinnaras and the
great Nagas, and Siddhas and Charanas and Gandharvas, and men and
Pannagas, and Rivers, Seas and Mountains worship the lord of Uma, one
should worship Isana, fasting there for three nights. By this, one acquires
the merit of the horse-sacrifice, and the state of Ganapatya. By staying there
for twelve nights, one's soul is cleansed of all sin.
One should go to the tirtha known as Gayatri, renowned across the
worlds. Staying there for three nights, one acquires the punya of giving
away a thousand cows. A strange phenomenon is seen to occur there, O lord
of men. If a Brahmana, whether born of a Brahmani or any other woman,
recites the Gayatri there, the recitation becomes rhythmic and musical,
while, O Kshatriya, one who is not a Brahmana cannot chant it adequately
at all.
Going next to the well nigh inaccessible tank of the Brahmana Rishi
Samvarta, one acquires personal beauty and prosperity. Repairing next to
Vena, he that offers oblations of water to the gods and the manes, gains a
chariot drawn by peacocks and cranes.
Going next to the Godavari, ever frequented by the Siddhas, one earns
the merit of the cow-sacrifice, and goes to the wondrous realm of Vasuki.
Bathing next at the confluence of the Vena, one obtains the punya of the
Vajapeya sacrifice.
Bathing next at the confluence of Varada, one acquires the punya of
giving away a thousand kine. Arriving next at Brahmasthana, he that stays
there for three nights acquires the merit of giving away a thousand kine, and
also ascends into swarga.
Coming next to Kusaplavana, with a subdued mind and keeping
brahmacharya, and staying there for three nights, he that bathes in that tirtha
obtains the merit of the Aswamedha. Bathing next at the romantic Deva-
hrada, fed by the waters of the Krishna-Vena, and also in the Jatismara-
hrada, one regains the memory of one's former life. It was here that Indra
celebrated a hundred sacrifices and ascended to heaven. By visiting only
this tirtha, one acquires the punya of the Agnishtoma.
Bathing next in the Sarvadeva-hrada, the pilgrim obtains the merit of
giving away a thousand sacred cows.
Going on to the most holy tank Payoshni, best of waters, he that offers
oblations of water to the gods and the manes acquires the merit of the gift of
a thousand kine. Arriving next at the sacred forest of Dandaka, a person
should bathe in the waters there, and immediately gain the punya of giving
away a thousand cows.
Journeying next to the asrama of Sarabhanga and that of the illustrious
Suka, one acquires immunity from all misfortune, besides sanctifying his
race. Then should one travel to Surparaka, where Jamadagni's son lived of
old. Bathing in that tirtha of Rama, one acquires the merit of giving away
gold in abundance.
Bathing next in the Saptagodavara, with senses subdued and food
regulated, one earns great merit, and also goes to Devaloka.
Going on to Devahrada, a man gains the merit of the Devasatra sacrifice.
After this, the pilgrim should journey to the forest of Tungaka, in self-
restraint and keeping bramacharya. It was here that, in olden days, the Muni
Saraswata taught the Vedas to other ascetics. When the Vedas had been lost,
in consequence of the Munis having forgotten them, Angirasa's son, seated
at his ease upon the upper garments of the other Munis, duly spread out,
pronounced the sacred syllable AUM, and at this the Sages again
remembered all that they had learnt before.
It was there that the Rishis and the Devas Varuna, Agni, Prajapati,
Narayana who is also called Hari, Mahadeva and the lustrous Pitamaha of
great splendour, appointed the resplendent Bhrigu to officiate at a sacrifice.
Gratifying Agni with libations of ghee, poured according to the law of
ritual, the illustrious Bhrigu performed the Agnidhana sacrifice for all those
Rishis, after which both they and the gods went away to their respective
homes, one after another.
One who enters the forest of Tungaka, man or woman, is cleansed of
every sin. In that tirtha, O Kshatriya, one should remain for a month, with
senses and food controlled; by this, one ascends into Brahmaloka, and also
delivers one's race. Arriving next at Medhavika, one should offer oblations
of water to the gods and the manes, and so acquire the merit of the
Agnishtoma sacrifice, and also memory and intellect.
In that tirtha is the mountain famed the world over, called Kalanjara.
Bathing in the unwordly lake that is there, one acquires the merit of giving
away a thousand kine. He who, after a bath, offers oblations on the
Kalanjara mountain is, without doubt, regarded in heaven.
Going on to the river Mandakini, which can destroy every sin, and which
flows on that best of mountains, Chitrakuta, he that bathes there and
worships the gods and the manes, receives the punya of the horse-sacrifice
and attains to an exalted state.
After this, virtuous one, the pilgrim should visit the excellent tirtha
Bhartristhana, where Kartikeya, Senapati of the Devas, is ever present; by
going to just this tirtha a man finds success.
Bathing next at the tirtha called Koti, he earns the merit of giving away a
thousand cows. Having walked around Koti, he must go on to
Jyeshtasthana. Looking at the image of Mahadeva there, the tirtha-yatri
shines like the moon. There is a renowned well in that place,
Bharatarishabha, in which are the four seas. He that bathes there, and with
mind subdued, worships the gods and the ancestors, is cleansed of all his
sins and attains to an exalted state.
Then, one should journey to the great Sringaverapura, where once
Dasaratha's son Rama crossed the Ganga. Bathing in that tirtha, Mahabaho,
one is exorcised of all one's sins. Bathing with subdued senses in the
Ganga, while observing brahmacharya, one is washed of every sin, and also
receives the punya of the Vajapeya.
After this, the pilgrim goes on to Mayuravata, consecrated to Mahadeva
of awesome intelligence. Seeing the image of the God there, bowing down
to him and walking around the place in pradakshina, one acquires the
condition of Ganapatya. Bathing in Ganga at that tirtha, all one's sins are
washed away.
Then, O Kshatriya, one should go on to Prayaga, whose praises have
been sung by Rishis and where the gods dwell with Brahma at their head,
the cardinal directions with their presiding deities, the Lokapalas, the
Siddhas, the Pitrs adored by the worlds, the Maharishis – Sanatkumara and
others, stainless Brahmarshis — Angiras and others, the Nagas, the
Suparnas, the Siddhas, the Rivers, the Seas, the Gandharvas, the Apsaras,
and the Lord Hari with Prajapati.
In that tirtha are three fiery caverns between which the Ganga, that
foremost of tirthas, rushes. There in that place the world-purifying daughter
of the Sun, Yamuna, celebrated across the three worlds, unites with the
Ganga. The country between the Ganga and the Yamuna is regarded as the
yoni, mons veneris, of the world, and Prayaga as the foremost point of that.
The tirthas Prayaga, Pratishtana, Kambala, Aswatara and Bhogavati are
the sacrificial altars of the Creator. In those places, O Kshatriyottama, the
Vedas and the Yagnas, in embodied forms, and the Rishis blessed with the
wealth of asceticism, adore Brahma, and there the gods and kings of the
world also celebrate their sacrifices. The learned however, say that of all
these tirthas Prayaga is the most sacred, in fact, the foremost of all tirthas in
the three worlds.
By going to that tirtha, by singing its praises, or by taking a little earth
from it, one is purified of every sin. He who bathes in that confluence,
celebrated the world over, acquires all the punya of the Rajasuya and the
Aswamedha Yagnas. The gods themselves worship this tirtha.
If a man gives ever so little here, it increases, O Bhaarata, a
thousandfold. Child, do not let the texts of the Veda, nor the opinions of
men turn your mind from the desire to die at Prayaga. O son of the Kurus,
the wise say that six hundred million and ten thousand tirthas exist at
Prayaga. Bathing in the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna, one obtains the
merit that attaches to the four kinds of knowledge and the merits also of
those that are founded in the truth.
At Prayaga is the excellent tirtha of Vasuki, called Bhogavati. He that
bathes in it, obtains the merit of the Aswamedha. There in the Ganga is also
the tirtha famed throughout the three worlds, called Hamsaprapatana, which
confers the merit of ten Aswamedhas.
O Kurunandana, wherever a person bathes in the Ganga, he earns merit
equal to that of a visit to Kurukshetra. An exception, however, is made in
regard of Kanakhala, while the punya attaching to Prayaga is the greatest.
Having committed a hundred sins, he that bathes in the Ganga, has all his
sins washed away by the waters, even as fuel is consumed by fire.
It has been said that in the Satya-yuga all the tirthas were sacred; in the
Treta, Pushkara alone was holy; in Dwapara, Kurukshetra; and in the Kali-
yuga, the Ganga alone is sacred. In Pushkara, one should practise
austerities; in Mahalaya, one should perform charity; in the Malaya
mountains, one should ascend the funeral pyre; and in Bhrigutunga, one
should renounce one's body by forgoing food.
Bathing in Pushkara, in Kurukshetra, in the Ganga and in the confluence
of the Ganga and the Yamuna, one sanctifies seven generations of one's
vamsa up and down. He that recites the name of the Ganga is purified; he
that sees her, receives prosperity; while he that bathes in her and drinks of
her waters sanctifies seven generations of his race, above and below
himself.
As long as one's bones lie touching the waters of the Ganga, so long
does one live regarded in swarga, even as one lives in heaven in
consequence of the merit he earns by pious pilgrimages to all the sacred
tirthas and other holy places. There is no tirtha like the Ganga, there is no
god like Kesava, and there are none superior to Brahmanas – this has been
said even by Brahma, the Grandsire.
The land through which the Ganga flows must be regarded as a sacred
asrama, and any place on the banks of the Ganga should be regarded as one
favourable to the attainment of ascetic success.
One should narrate this description of the tirthas only to the regenerate,
to those that are pious, to one's son and friends and disciples and
dependants. This narrative, without a rival, is blessed and holy and leads to
heaven. Sacred, enlivening and sanctifying, it bestows merit and high
worth. Destructive of every sin, it is a mystery that the great Rishis cherish
with care. By reciting it in the midst of Brahmanas, one is cleansed of every
sin, and ascends to paradise.
Truly, this description of the tirthas is auspicious and heaven-giving and
sacred indeed; ever blessed as it is, it destroys one's enemies; foremost of
all accounts, it sharpens the intellect. By reading this narrative the sonless
obtains sons, the destitute obtains riches, the Kshatriya conquers the whole
world, the Vaisya comes by great wealth, the Sudra has all his desires
fulfilled, and the Brahmana crosses the ocean of samsara.
Purifying himself, he that listens daily to the merits of the different
tirthas, recollects the incidents of many previous births and rejoices in
swargaloka. Of the tirthas that have been named here, some are easily
accessible, while others are difficult of access. But he who is inspired with
the desire of beholding all the tirthas, should visit them even in imagination.
Wanting to obtain punya, the Vasus, the Sadhyas, the Adityas, the
Maruts, the Aswins, and the Rishis equal to the Devas, all bathed in these
tirthas. O Kuru, observe the vows I have explained, and with subdued
senses, visit these tirthas, increasing your punya. Because of their pure
senses, their belief in God, and their knowledge of the Vedas, pious men are
able to visit these holy tirthas.
O Kauravya, he who does not observe vows, he whose mind is not
conrolled, he that is impure, he that is a thief, and he that is of crooked
mind, does not bathe in any tirthas. You always keep dharma, and are of
pure character. By your virtue, you have always gratified your father, your
grand-father, and great-grand-fathers, and the gods with Brahma at their
head, and the Rishis also.
O Bhishma, who resembles Vasava, you will attain to the world of the
Vasus, and also find eternal fame on earth!'"
"Narada continues, 'With this, the illustrious Rishi Pulastya, well-
pleased, bid Bhishma farewell and vanished before his eyes. And Bhishma,
O tiger among men, well knowing the import of the Shastras, wandered
over the world at the behest of Pulastya. Bhishma ended his great
pilgrimage to all these tirthas, which destroy every sin, at Prayaga.
The man that ranges the earth in accordance with these injunctions,
obtains the highest fruit of a hundred horse-sacrifices and earns salvation
thereafter. O son of Pritha, you will acquire punya consisting of the eight
attributes, even as Bhishma, foremost of the Kurus, did of yore. And since
you will lead these ascetics to those tirthas, your merit will be much greater.
These tirthas are infested by Rakshasas, and no one but you, O
Kauravya, can go to them. He who rises early and recites this narrative by
the Devarishis on the subject of the tirthas becomes free from all sins.
Those best of Rishis, Valmiki, and Kasyapa, and Atreya, and Kundajatara,
and Viswamitra, and Gautama, and Asita, and Devala, and Markandeya,
and Galava, and Bharadwaja, and Vasishtha, and the Muni Uddalaka, and
Saunaka with his son, and Vyasa, best of Sages, and Durvasas, foremost of
Munis, and Jabali of great austerities – all these lustrous Rishis, endowed
with the wealth of tapasya, are waiting for you. Mighty king, meet with
these by undertaking a tirtha-yatra to all the tirthas.
A great Rishi of immeasurable tejas, Lomasa, will come to you. Follow
him, and me, and visit the tirthas one by one. By this, you will acquire great
fame, even like King Mahabhisha! O tiger among kings, even as the
virtuous Yayati and King Pururava, you blaze forth with your own virtue.
Like King Bhagiratha and the illustrious Rama, you shine among kings
even as the Sun himself. And you are, Maharajan, celebrated in the world
even as Manu or Ikshvaku, or the famed Puru or Vainya!
As in days of yore, the slayer of Vritra, after burning all his enemies,
ruled the three worlds, his mind freed from anxiety, so will you rule your
people, after killing all your enemies. And, O you of eyes like lotus leaves,
having conquered the earth according to the customs of your varna, you will
have renown by your dharma, fame even like Kartaviryarjuna.'"
Vaisampayana continued, "O great King Janamejaya, having comforted
and advised the monarch thus, the illustrious Rishi Narada bids him
farewell and vanishes before Yudhishtira's eyes. And the virtuous
Yudhishtira, reflecting upon what Narada Muni said, begins to describe to
his Brahmanas and Rishis the great spiritual merit attaching to the tirthas."
CANTO 86
aisampayana continued, "Having ascertained the opinion of his

brothers, and of the intelligent Narada, Yudhishtira says to Dhaumya,
who was even like the Pitamaha himself, 'I have sent Purushavyaghra
Jishnu away to acquire the Devastras. Arjuna, whose prowess can never be
baffled, whose arms are long and his intelligence immeasurable — that hero
of immense ability and a master of weapons, who is like the peerless
Vasudeva himself, is devoted to me.
O Brahmana, I know both Krishna and Arjuna, those destroyers of
enemies, endowed with untold prowess, even as the puissant Vyasa knows
them. I know Vasudeva and Dhananjaya to be none else than Vishnu
himself, possessed of the six gunas. And this is what Narada also knows,
for he has always spoken so to me. I also know the two to be the Rishis
Nara and Narayana.
I have sent Arjuna on this mission, knowing that he will accomplish it.
Not inferior to Indra and entirely capable, I have sent that son of a god to
meet the king of the Devas and to receive astras from him.
Bhishma and Drona are Atirathas. Kripa and the son of Drona are
invincible; Dhritarashtra's son has made these mighty warriors the
commanders of his army. All of them are versed in the Vedas, they are
heroic, and possess of the knowledge of every weapon. Endowed with great
strength, they always want to face Arjuna in battle.
And the Sutaputra Kana is also a mighty warrior, a master of celestial
astras. As far as the swiftness of his missiles is concerned, he owns the
strength of Vayu. Himself a fire, his arrows are like great tongues of flame;
the sound his left hand cased in leather makes, when he looses these shafts,
are like those flames crackling. The dust of the battlefield is the smoke of
the fire. Spurred on by the son of Dhritarashtra, even as the wind urges
agni, Kama is like the all-consuming apocalypse at the end of the Yuga,
which Death himself sends. He will consume my troops like straw.
Only that awesome thunderhead called Arjuna, helped along by Krishna
like a powerful wind, with devastras its fierce lightning, the white steeds the
rows of white cranes coursing below it, and the unbearable Gandiva the
rainbow ahead, can extinguish the conflagration that is Kama with arrowy
showers loosed with unflagging consistency.
I have no doubt that that conqueror of hostile cities, Bibhatsu, will
acquire all the celestial astras, with their awesome might and energy, from
Indra himself. I believe that Arjuna by himself is equal to all the great
heroes that oppose us; otherwise, we could never hope to vanquish them.
We shall see Arjuna, Parantapa, entirely armed with devastras, for once
he undertakes a task he never droops under its weight.
However, without him here in the Kamyaka, Draupadi and we can find
no peace. So, tell us of some other vana, which is sacred and full of delight,
where game and fruit abound, where pious Munis live in tapasya, and
where we can pass our days waiting as eagerly for mighty Arjuna as the
Chataka birds do the gathering of rainclouds. Tell us of some asramas; tell
us where we can find lakes and streams and beautiful mountains.
O Brahmana, I cannot stay on in this Kamyaka without Arjuna. All of us
want to leave and go elsewhere.'"
CANTO 87
aisampayana said, "Seeing the Pandavas so anxious and dejected,

Dhaumya, who resembles Brihaspati, comforts them,
'Bharatarishabha, sinless one, listen to me and I will tell you about some
holy asramas and lands and tirthas and mountains of which the great
Brahmanas approve. Listen to me, yourself, your brothers and Drupada's
daughter, and you will find relief from your sorrow. Son of Pandu, by
merely hearing of these places, you will acquire punya; by visiting them,
you will gain merit a hundred times greater, O best of men!
First, O King, I will, as far as I recall, speak of the beautiful eastern
country, much adored by Rajarishis. In that direction, O Bhaarata lies a
place called Naimisha which is regarded by the Devas. There, in that land,
are several tirthas belonging to the gods. There, too, flows the sacred and
beautiful Gomati, worshipped by Devarishis; and there, as well, stands the
sacrificial stake of Surya.
In that quarter is also that best of hills, Gaya, and much regarded by
royal Sages. On that hill, is the auspicious lake called Brahmasara, which is
adored by celestial Rishis. The ancients say that one should wish for many
sons, so that at least one among them might visit Gaya, perform the
Aswamedha or give away a Nila bull, and thereby deliver ten generations of
his clan, up and down.
There, O Yudhishtira, is a great river and a particularly auspicious spot
called Gayasira. In Gayasira is a nyagrodha, a banyan tree, which the
Brahmanas call the Eternal banyan: for, food that is offered there to the
Pitrs becomes eternal, O Mahatman! The great river that flows by the tree is
known by the name of Phalgu, and its waters are most sacred.
Bharatarishabha, in that place is also the Kausiki, whose basin abounds
in various fruit and roots, and where Viswamitra, his wealth his tapasya,
acquired Brahmanahood.
Towards that direction also is the Ganga, on whose banks Bhagiratha
performed many sacrifices with profuse gifts to Brahmanas.
They say that in the country of Panchala there is a forest called Utpala,
where Viswamitra of Kausika's race performed sacrifices with his son, and
where, seeing the relics of Viswamitra's superhuman power, Rama, the son
of Jamadagni, recited the praises of his ancestry. At Kamyaka, Kausika's
son once quaffed the Soma rasa with Indra. Then, abandoning the Kshatriya
varna, he said, "I am a Brahmana!"
In that quarter, O hero, is the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna, which is
celebrated the world over. Holy and sin-destroying, that tirtha is much
reverenced by the Rishis. It is here that the soul of all things, Brahma the
Grandsire, in olden days, performed his sacrifice; and it is for this, O lord of
the Bhaaratas, that the place has come to be called Prayaga.
In this direction, O foremost among kings, lies the beautiful asrama of
Agastya, and the forest called Tapasa, which many Rishis adorn. And there
also is the great tirtha called Hiranyabindu on the Kalanjara hills, and that
best of mountains called Agastya, which is sacred and auspicious.
In that quarter, O scion of the Kurus, is the mountain called Mahendra,
sacred to the illustrious Rama of the Bhrigus. There, Kaunteya, the
Grandsire performed sacrifices of yore. There, O Yudhishtira, the sacred
Bhagiratha enters a lake and there also, O King, is that holy river, the
punya-giving Brahmasara, on whose banks live men whose sins have been
washed away, whose very sight bestows great grace.
In that direction, also, lies the high-souled Matanga's fine asrama,
Kedara, which is holy and auspicious and renowned through the world.
There is also the mountain called Kundoda, so delightful and abounding in
fruit and roots and waters, where Nala, king of the Nishadhas, slaked his
thirst and rested a while.
In that quarter, also, is the delighltful Deva-vana, graced by ascetics;
there, too, are the rivers Bahuda and Nanda on the mountain's crest. Mighty
king, I have described to you all the tirthas and other sacred places in the
eastern quarter.
Hear now of the tirthas, and rivers and mountains and holy places in the
other three quarters.'"
CANTO 88
haumya continues, 'Listen, O Bhaarata, and I will now I tell you

about the holy tirthas of the south. In that quarter flows the sacred
and auspicious Godavari, full of crystalline water, abounding in tapovanas
and frequented by ascetics.
In the south also are the rivers Vena and Bhimarathi, both of which
destroy sin and fear, and their banks abounding in birds and deer, and
graced with the hermitages of Munis. In that part, too, O Bharatarishabha, is
the tirtha of the Rajarishi Nriga – the river Payoshni, enchanting and
brimfull of water and visited by Brahmanas. There the lustrous
Markandeya, of lofty ascetic merit sang the praises, in verse, of King
Nriga's line.
We have heard what happened to King Nriga while performing a yagna
at the auspicious Varaha tirtha on the Payoshni. Indra became intoxicated
by drinking the Soma rasa during the sacrifice, and the Brahmanas, with the
gifts they received. The water of the Payoshni, taken up in a vessel or
flowing along the ground, or as spray blown by the wind, can cleanse a
person from whatever sins he may commit until the the day of his death.
Higher than heaven itself, and pure, and created and given by the
Trisulin, in that tirtha is an image of Mahadeva, seeing which a mortal
attains to Sivaloka. Placing on a scale Ganga and the other rivers with their
waters on one side, and on the other the Payoshni, in my opinion the latter
would outweigh all the other tirthas in terms of punya.
Then, O Bharatottama, upon the mountain called Varuna-strotasa is the
auspicious vana Mathara, with its plenitude of fruit and roots, and
containing a sacrificial stake. In the land north of the Praveni, and around
the holy asrama of Kanva, are many tapovanas of Rishis.
And, O child, in the tirtha called Surparaka are two sacrificial platforms
of the illustrious Jamadagni, known as Pashana and Punaschandra. And, O
son of Kunti, in that place is the tirtha Asoka, also with an abundance of
hermits' tapovanas.
And, O Yudhishtira, in the country of the Pandyas are the tirthas named
Agastya and Varuna. Bull among men, there, amongst the Pandyas, is the
tirtha called the Kumaris.
Listen, O son of Kunti, I will now describe Tamraparni. In that asrama,
the Devas, impelled by the desire of obtaining salvation, performed tapasya.
In that country, also, is the lake of Gokarna, celebrated across the three
worlds, which is full of cool, pure water, and which is auspicious, and can
bestow great punya. That lake is extremely difficult of access to men of
unpurified hearts and souls.
Near that tirtha is the asrama of Agastya's disciple, the mountain
Devasabha, which abounds in trees and grass, and fruit and roots. And there
also is the Vaidurya mountain, delightful, replete with gemstones and which
bestows great spiritual merit. There on that mountain is the hermitage of
Agastya, rich with fruit and roots and water.
Lord of men, I will now describe the tirthas, asramas, and holy rivers
and lakes that belong to the Surashtra country. O Yudhishtira, the
Brahmanas say that on the sea-coast is the Chamasodbheda, and also
Prabhasa, that tirtha which is highly regarded by the gods. There also is the
tirtha called Pindaraka, frequented by ascetics and which can bestow great
punya.
In that region is a mighty hill named Ujjayanta, which is conducive to
quick success, about which Devarishi Narada of great intelligence has
composed an ancient sloka. By performing tapasya on the sacred hill of
Ujjayanta in Surashtra, which abounds in birds and animals, a person
becomes honoured in heaven.
Dwaravati is also in this region, producing great merit, where
Madhusudana dwells, who is the Ancient One, in embodied form, and the
Sanatana Dharma. Brahmanas versed in the Vedas, and men who know the
Atma Vidya say that the illustrious Krishna is eternal Virtue. Govinda is
said to be the purest of all pure things, the most righteous of the righteous
and the most auspicious of the auspicious.
In all the three worlds, He of eyes like lotus-leaves is the God of gods,
and is eternal. He is the pure soul and the Life of life, the Supreme Brahman
and the lord of all. That slayer of Madhu, Hari of inconceivable soul, dwells
in Dwaravati!'
CANTO 89
haumya continues, 'O Bhaarata, I will describe to you the holy tirthas,
which lie in the west, in the land of the Anartas. There, in a westward
course the sacred river Narmada flows, graced by priyangu and mango
trees, and garlanded with thickets of bamboo. All the tirthas and rivers and
woods and foremost of mountains that are in the three worlds, all the gods
with the Grandsire, along with the Siddhas, the Rishis and the Charanas,
Kurusthama, always come to bathe in the sacred waters of the Narmada.
And I have heard that the holy asrama of the Muni Visravas once stood
there, and that there was born the Lord of treasures, Kubera, who has men
for his vahanas. There also is that best of hills, the auspicious Vaidurya peak
with abundant trees that are evergreen and always graced with flowers and
fruit. Lord of the earth, on the top of that mountain is a tank laden with full-
blown lotus, to which the Devas and the Gandharvas come. Many are the
wonders, O mighty King, that can be seen on that holy mountain, which is
like swarga itself and which is visited by celestial Rishis.
There, O subduer of hostile cities, is the sacred river called Viswamitra,
which belongs to the Rajarishi of that name and which teems, O Rajan, with
tirthas. It was on the banks of this river that Yayati, the son of Nahusha, fell
from heaven among the virtuous, and also obtained once more the eternal
regions of the righteous.
In this region also are the famed lake called Punya, the mountain called
Mainaka, and that other mountain Asita, rich with fruit and roots. And here
also is the hermitage of Kakshasena, and O Yudhishtira, the asrama of
Chyavana, also, which is famed in every country, O son of Pandu. In that
place, O noble one, men attain to moksha without performing severe
austerities.
Here, also, Maharajan, is the land called Jambumarga, inhabited by birds
and deer, where Sages of self-restraint dwell, O foremost of those that have
subdued their senses.
Next, lie the exceedingly sacred Ketumala and Medhya, always graced
by Munis, and, O lord of earth, Gangadwara, and the renowned vana of
Saindhava, most holy, where the regenerate ones dwell. Here also is the
celebrated lake of Brahma, called Pushkara, the favourite abode of the
Vaikanasas, and Siddhas and Rishis.
Moved by the desire of having its protection, the Creator sang this verse
at Pushkara, O lord of the Kurus and most virtuous of men – If a man of
pure soul ever imagines a pilgrimage to the Pushkara, he is purged of all his
sins and rejoices in swarga!'
CANTO 90
haumya continues, 'O tiger among kings, I will now describe the
tirthas and sacred places that lie in the north. Do you, O exalted one,
listen to me attentively. By hearing this narration, O Kshatriya, one acquires
a reverential frame of mind, which is conducive to great good.
In those parts, flows the most sacred Saraswati, abounding in tirthas and
her banks easy of descent. There, also, O son of Pandu, is the impetuous
ocean-going Yamuna, and the tirtha called Plakshavatarana, which bestows
high merit and prosperity. It was there that the Brahmanas bathed after
having performed the Saraswata Yagna.
Sinless one, in the famed celestial tirtha called Agni-siras, which
generates great punya, the King Sahadeva once performed a sacrifice, after
measuring out the sacrificial ground by a throw of the Samya. It is for this
reason, Yudhishtira, that Indra sang the praises of Sahadeva in verses,
which are still current in this world, and recited by the Dvijas – On the
Yamuna Sahadeva worshipped the sacrificial fire, with gifts in a hundred
thousands to Brahmanas.
There, too, the illustrious king, the imperial Bharata, performed thirty-
five horse-sacrifices.
O child, I have heard that Sarabhanga once used to fully gratify the
desires of the Brahmanas. In this region is his celebrated asrama, which
produces great merit. In that land also, O son of Pritha, is the river
Saraswati, which is ever worshipped by the gods, where, in elder days, the
Balakhilyas, O great king, performed sacrifices.
In the northern region, also, O Yudhishtira, is the renowned river
Drishadwati, which bestows great punya. Then, O chief of men, are
Nyagrodhakhya, and Panchalya, and Punyaka and Dalbhyaghosha, and
Dalbhya, which are, O son of Kunti, the sacred resort in this world of
illustrious Anantayasas of excellent vows and great energy, and which are
celebrated over the three worlds.
Here, too, O lord of men, the illustrious Etavarna and Avavarana, versed
in the Vedas, learned in Vedic lore, and proficient in the knowlegde of Vedic
rites, performed sacrifices of great merit, O king of the Bhaaratas.
Here in the north, is also Visakhayupa to which, in days of yore, came
the Devas with Varuna and Indra, and performed tapasya. And that is why
the place is so eminently auspicious.
Here, also, is Palasaka, where the great and lustrous and most blessed
Rishi Jamadagni performed sacrifices, and all the great rivers, in their
embodied forms, each bringing their own holy waters, stood surrounding
that best of sages. And there also, O king, Viswavasu, Agni himself, at
seeing that Mahatmans initiation, sang this sloka – The rivers, coming to the
illustrious Jamadagni, who was sacrificing to the gods, gratified the
Brahmanas with offerings of honey.
O Yudhishtira, the place where Ganga rushes past, cleaving that king of
mountains, which is frequented by Gandharvas and Yakshas and Rakshasas
and Apsaras, and inhabited by hunters, and Kinnaras, is called Gangadwara.
Sanatkumara regards that place visited by Brahmarshis, as also the tirtha
Kanakhala that is near it, as being sacred.
There, as well, is the mountain named Puru to which great Rishis come,
and where Pururavas was born, and Bhrigu performed tapasya, for which
that asrama has become known as Bhrigutunga.
Near that peak is the sacred and extensive Badari, most auspicious
asrama, famed over the three worlds, of Him, O Bharatarishabha, who is the
Present, the Past and the Future, who is called Narayana and Lord Vishnu,
who is eternal and the best of purushas, and who is pre-eminently
illustrious.
Near Badari, the cool current of Ganga was once warm, and her banks
there were covered with golden sands. There the Devas and Rishis of high
fortune and great effulgence, approach the divine Lord Narayana, always,
and worship him. All the universe, with all its tirthas and other holy places,
is there where the divine and eternal Narayana, the Supreme soul, dwells,
for he is Punya, he is the Parabrahman; he is the tirtha, he is the asrama; he
is the First, he is the foremost of gods, and he is the great Lord of all
creatures. He is eternal, he is the great Creator, and he is the highest state of
blessedness.
Learned men, versed in the scriptures, attain to great happiness by
knowing him.
In that place are the Devarishis, the Siddhas, and, indeed, all the Rishis,
where the slayer of Madhu dwells, that primeval Deity and mighty Yogin.
Let no doubt enter your heart that this place is the first of all holy places.
These, O lord of the earth, are the tirthas and other sacred places in the
world. These are all visited by the Vasus, the Sadhyas, the Adityas, the
Marutas, the Aswins and the illustrious Rishis who resemble the celestials
themselves. By journeying, O son of Kunti, to those places, with your
Brahmanas and ascetics, and with your blessed brothers, you will be set free
from fear!' says Dhaumya."
CANTO 91
aisampayana continued, "O son of the Kurus, even as Dhaumya

speaks, Rishi Lomasa of great tejas arrives there; and Yudhishtira,
with his followers and his Brahmanas sits around that most righteous Sage,
even as the celestials in heaven do around Indra. And having received him
with reverence, Dharmaraja Yudhishtira enquires after the reason of his
arrival, and the object of his wanderings.
Well-pleased with his welcome, the illustrious Muni replies in sweet
words which delight the Pandavas, 'Travelling at will, O Kaunteya, over all
the realms, I came to Indra's abode and saw the lord of the Devas there.
There, I saw your heroic brother, who can wield the bow with both hands,
seated on the same throne with Sakra. Seeing Partha in the lofty place, I
was greatly astonished, O tiger among men.
Indra then said to me, "Go, Lomasa, to the sons of Pandu." At his behest,
as also that of the noble Arjuna, I have come swiftly here to you, wanting to
see you and your younger brothers. Child, I will relate something that will
please you greatly, O son of Pandu. Listen to it, O king, with Krishnaa and
the Rishis that are with you.
Bharatarishabha, Partha has got that peerless weapon from Rudra for
which you sent him on his journey. That fierce astra, the Brahmasira, which
arose after the Amrita, and which Rudra once gained through stern tapasya.
Arjuna now has that astra, along with the mantras to loose and withdraw it,
and the rites for expiation and revival.
Yudhishtira, Arjuna of immeasurable prowess has also acquired Vajras
and Dandas and other celestial weapons from Yama and Kubera and Varuna
and Indra. He has also music, both vocal and instrumental, thoroughly, and
dancing and the art of the proper recitation of the Sama, from Vishwavasu's
son. And having thus acquired weapons and mastered the Gandharva Veda,
your third brother lives happily in Devaloka.
Listen now Yudhishtira to the message of Indra. He commanded me,
"You will go to the world of men. O best of Brahmanas, tell Yudhishtira that
I said, 'Your brother Arjuna will soon return to you, having acquired the
astras and also having accomplished a great deed for the Devas, which they
themselves cannot accomplish. Meanwhile, devote yourself to sannyasa,
along with your brothers. There is nothing superior to asceticism, and it is
through sannyasa that a person achieves great results.
And, O Bharatarishabha, I well know that Kama is endowed with great
ardour and energy and strength and prowess, all incapable of being baffled.
Well do I know that, skilled in fierce battle, he has no rival in war; that he is
a mighty bowman, a hero who is a master of great weapons and cased in the
best mail. Well do I know that that lofiy son of Aditya resembles Siva's son
Kartikeya himself.
I also well know the awesome natural prowess of the broad-shouldered
Arjuna. In battle, Kama is not even a sixteenth part of Pritha's son. And as
for the fear of Kama which is in your heart, O Parantapa, I will dispel that
when Savyasachin leaves Devaloka.
As for your intention, Kshatriya, to set out on a pilgrimage to the tirthas,
Maharishi Lomasa will speak to you about that. And whatever that
regenerate Sage says to you about the great merits of sannyasa and the
tirthas, you must receive with respect and not otherwise,' said the Lord
Indra," Lomasa says.
CANTO 92
omasa continues, "Listen now, O Yudhishtira, to what Dhananjaya said

– 'Cause my brother Yudhishtira to attend to the practice of dharma,
which leads to prosperity. Blessed with the wealth of asceticism, you are
conversant with the highest dharma, with ascetic austerities of every kind,
with the eternal duties of kings blessed with prosperity, and the high and
sanctifying merit that men obtain from the tirthas. Persuade my brothers,
the sons of Pandu, to acquire the punya attaching to the tirthas. With all
your soul persuade the king to visit the tirthas and to give away kine.'
This is what Arjuna said to me. Indeed he also said, 'Protected by you,
let Yudhishtira visit all the tirthas. You must also protect him from
Rakshasas, watch over him in inaccessible regions and upon rugged
mountain breasts. And as Dadhichi protected Indra, and Angiras protected
the Sun, so must you, O Dvijottama, protect the sons of Kunti from demons.
Along the way are many Rakshasas, big as mountain-cliffs, but with your
protection, these will not be able to approach the sons of Kunti.'
Obeying the command of Indra and the request of Arjuna, and also
safeguarding you from all danger, I will come with you on your pilgrimage.
I have visited the tirthas twice before, O Kuru, and with you I will go to
them a third time.
O Yudhishtira, Manu and other Rajarishis of great deeds journeyed to the
tirthas. Indeed, a tirtha-yatra can dispel all fear. They that are crooked-
minded, who do not have their minds under control, who are ignorant and
perverse, do not, O Kauravya, bathe in tirthas. But you are ever virtuous
and conversant with dharma and firm in keeping your promises. You will
certainly free yourself from samsara, for, O Pandava, you are even like
King Bhagiratha, or Gaya, or Yayati, or any one, O son of Kunti, that is like
them."
Yudhishtira replies, 'I am so overwhelmed with delight, O Brahmana,
that I cannot find words to answer you. Who can be more fortunate than he
who is remembered even by the lord of the Devas? Who can be more
fortunate than he who has been favoured with your company, who has
Dhananjaya for a brother, and who is thought of by Vasava himself?
As for what you say, illustrious one, about a tirtha yatra, my mind had
already been made up at what Dhaumya said to me. O Brahmana, I will set
out at whatever hour you may be pleased to appoint, on the pilgrimage. This
is my firm resolve!'
Lomasa then says to Yudhishtira, who has made up his mind to go on the
yatra, 'O mighty king, be light in your retinue, for so you will travel more
easily.'
Yudhishtira then says, 'Let those mendicants and Brahmanas and Yogis
that cannot bear hunger and thirst, the fatigues of travel and toil, and the
severity of winter, desist from coming with us. Let those Brahmanas also
not come that live on sweetmeats, and they also that desire cooked food that
is sucked or drunk, as well as meat. And let those also remain behind that
are dependent on cooks.
Let those citizens that have followed me from loyalty, and whom I have
hitherto suppported, go back to King Dhritarashtra. He will give them
succour and allowances. If, however, that king refuses to grant them proper
allowances, the king of the Panchalas will, for my satisfaction and welfare,
surely maintain them.'
And now, though stricken with grief, the citizens and the prinicipal
Brahmanas and Yatis set out for Hastinapura, and out of affection for
Dharmaraja Yudhishtira, the royal son of Ambika receives them properly,
and gratifies them with proper allowances.
And the royal son of Kunti, with only a small band of Brahmanas, stays
for three nights in Kamyaka, consoled by Lomasa."
CANTO 93
aisampayana said, "The Brahmanas, who have been living with him in
the forest, see the son of Kunti about to set out on his tirtha yatra,
approach him, O King, and say, 'You are about to set out on your journey to
the sacred tirthas, along with your brothers and the Rishi Lomasa. O King,
O son of Pandu, take us with you, for without you we will never be able to
visit them at any time. Surrounded by dangers and difficult of access, they
are infested by beasts of prey.
Those tirthas, O lord of men, are inaccessible to small bands of men.
Greatest among bowmen, your brothers are always valiant; and with your
protection, we also wish to visit the sacred places. Help us also, O lord of
the earth, to acquire the punya of the tirthas. Protected by your valour, let
us, as well, be cleansed of all our sins by visiting the sacred fords and
bathing in their waters.
Bathing in the tirthas, O Bhaarata, you will certainly gain the realms so
difficult of acquisition, which only Kartavirya and Ashtaka, the Rajarishi
Lomapada and the imperial and heroic Bharata earned for themselves.
Rajan, we want to behold Prabhasa and the other tirthas, Mahendra and the
other mountains, Ganga and the other rivers, and Plaksha and the other
giant trees.
If, O lord of men, you have any regard for Brahmanas, do our bidding;
you will surely gain prosperity from this. Mahabaho, the tirthas swarm with
Rakshasas that ever obstruct ascetic penances. It falls to you to protect us
from them. Watched over by Lomasa and taking us with you, go to all the
tirthas of which Dhaumya and the wise Narada spoke, as also to all those of
which the celestial Lomasa, blessed with great ascetic wealth, told; and by
this, be cleansed of all your sins.'
Thus addressed respectfully by them, the king, that bull amongst the
sons of Pandu, surrounded by his heroic brothers led by Bhima, with tears
of joy in his eyes, says to all those ascetics, 'Let it be so.'
So, at Lomasa's behest and Dhaumya's urging, that best of the Pandavas,
his soul perfectly restrained, resolves to set out, along with his brothers and
Draupadi of faultless features. Just then, the blessed Vyasa, as also Parvata
and Narada, all of lofty wisdom, come to Kamyaka to meet the son of
Pandu. Seeing them, Yudhishtira worships them with proper rites.
Thus worshipped by the king, those blessed ones say, 'O Yudhishtira, O
Bhima, and you twins, banish all evil thoughts from your minds. Purify
your hearts and then set out for the tirthas. The Brahmanas have said that
the observance of regulations for the body are called earthly vows, while
efforts to purify the heart, so that it may be free from evil thoughts, are
called spiritual vows.
O King, the mind that is free from all evil thoughts is most pure.
Purifying yourselves, therefore, harbouring only friendly feelings for all, go
and see the tirthas. Observing earthly vows with your bodies and purifying
your minds through spiritual vows, obtain all the fruit, as told to you, of
pilgrimages.'
Saying, 'So be it,' the Pandavas, with Krishnaa, have those celestial and
human Rishis perform the customary propitiatory rituals. And having
worshipped the feet of Lomasa and Dwaipayana and Narada and the divine
Rishi Parvata, and accompanied by Dhaumya as also the ascetics that had
been living with them in the forest, the Pandavas set out on the day
following the full moon of Agrahayana in which the constellation Pushya is
ascending.
Dressed in bark and hides, and with matted locks on their heads, they are
all cased in impenetrable mail and armed with swords. And, O Janamejaya,
the heroic sons of Pandu, with quivers and arrows and swaords and other
weapons, and accompanied by Indrasena and other attendants, with fourteen
and one chariots, a number of cooks and servants of other classes, set out
with their faces turned towards the east!
CANTO 94
udhishtira says, 'O best of Devarishis, I do not think that I am

without merit. Yet I am afflicted with so much sorrow that there
never was a king like me. I think, however, that my enemies have no good
in them, nor even any dharma. Then why, O Lomasa, do they prosper in this
world?"
Lomasa says, 'Do not grieve, O son of Pritha, that sinful men often do
prosper as a consequence of the sins they commit. A man may be seen to
prosper by his sins, obtain good therefrom and vanquish his enemies.
However, destruction overtakes him to his very roots.
O King, I have seen many Daityas and Danavas prosper through sin but I
have also seen doom overtake them. O exalted one, I have seen all this in
the Krita Yuga.
The Devas practised dharma, while the Asuras abandoned it. The gods
visited the tirthas, while the demons did not. And at first the sinful Asuras
were possessed by pride; pride begot vanity and vanity begot wrath. And
from wrath there arose every kind of evil propensity, and from these sprang
shamelessness. And in consequence of shamelessness, good conduct
disappeared from amongst them; and because they had become shameless
and devoid of virtue and good conduct and virtuous vratas, forgiveness and
prosperity and morality forsook them in no time.
And then, O King, prosperity sought the Devas, while adversity found
the Asuras; and when the Daityas and the Danavas, deprived of good sense
by pride, were possessed by adversity, Kali also sought to possess them.
And overwhelmed by pride, and destitute of rites and sacrifices, and devoid
of reason and feeling, and their hearts full of vanity, destruction soon
overtook them. Covered with infamy, the Daityas were quickly
exterminated.
However, the Devas, who were virtuous in their practices, going to the
seas, the rivers, the lakes and the holy spots, cleansed themselves of all sins,
O son of Pandu, through ascetic penances and sacrifices and gifts and
blessings, and found prosperity. And because the gods always performed
sacrifices and holy deeds abandoning every practice that was evil, and
visited the tirthas, they acquired great good fortune.
Be guided by this, O King; and you also, with your brothers, bathe in the
tirthas, for then you will regain prosperity once more. This is the eternal
road. As King Nriga and Sibi and Ausinara and Bhagiratha and Vasumanas
and Gaya and Puru and Pururavas performed tapasya and, visiting the
tirthas, touched sacred waters and saw illustrious Rishis, gained fame and
sanctity and merit and wealth, so will you find fortune that is great. And as
Ikshvaku with his sons, friends and followers, as Muchukunda and
Mandhatri and King Marutta, as the Devas, through the power of asceticism
and the Devarishis also, all gained fame, so will you also find great
celebrity. The son of Dhritarashtra, on the other hand, enslaved by sin and
ignorance, will, without doubt, soon be destroyed like the Daityas.'"
CANTO 95
aisampayana said, "The heroic sons of Pandu, accompanied by their

followers, travelling from place to place, at last arrive at Naimisha. O
King, reaching the Gomati, the Pandavas bathe in the sacred tirtha of that
river, and having performed their ablutions there, they give away, O
Bhaarata, both kine and wealth. Repeatedly offering oblations of water to
the Devas, the Pitrs, and the Brahmanas, in the tirthas called Kanya, Aswa,
and Gaya, and staying in Kalakoti and the Vishaprastha hills, the Pandavas
then come to Bahuda and perform their ablutions in that stream.
Going next, O lord of earth, to the sacrificial realm of the gods known as
Prayaga, they bathe at the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna and living
there, perform tapasya of great merit. And bathing in that tirtha, the
Pandavas, of firm vratas, cleanse themselves of every sin.
The sons of Pandu, accompanied by those Brahmanas, travel next to the
tirtha called Vedi, sacred to the Creator and adored by ascetics. Staying
there for some time and gratifying the Brahmanas with the fruit and roots of
the wilderness and with ghee, those Kshatriyas begin to perform tapasya of
deep punya.
They next journey to Mahidhara consecrated by the great Rajarishi Gaya
of unrivalled splendour. In that land is the mountain called Gayasira, as well
as the enchanting river Mahanadi, her fine banks graced by thickets of
bamboo. On that divine mountain of holy peaks is another tirtha, the
Brahmsaras, adored by Rishis. On the banks of that lake, of old, Dharma
Deva, eternal god of justice himself dwelt, and it was there that the
illustrious Rishi Agastya went to see that deity.
From that lake, all those sacred rivers arise, and in that tirtha, Mahadeva,
wielder of the Pinaka, is present for ever.
Arriving there, the Pandavas keep the vrata called Chaturmasya,
observing all the rites of the great sacrifice called Rishiyagna. There that
mighty tree called the Eternal Banyan stands; any sacrifice performed there
produces merit that is eternal. In that sacrificial dais of the gods producing
eternal punya, the Pandavas begin to fast with concentrated souls. And
there, Brahmanas, by hundreds, endowed with the wealth of tapasya, come
to them; these Brahmanas also all perform the Chaturmasya sacrifice
according to the rites prescribed by the Rishis.
In that tirtha, those Brahmanas old in knowledge and ascetic merit and
masters of the Vedas, become the court of the lustrous sons of Pandu, and
they discourse upon various subject of sacred import. And it was in that
place that the wise and holy Shamata, who leads a life of celibacy, speaks to
them, O King, of Gaya, the son of Amurtaraya.
Shamata says, 'Gaya, the son of Amurttaraya, was one of the greatest of
all Rajarishis. Listen to me, O Bhaarata, I will tell of his deeds of dharma. It
was here, O King, that Gaya performed many sacrifices distinguished by
the vast quantities of food he distributed and the profuse gifts he gave.
Those yagnas had hundres of thousands of hills of cooked rice, lakes of
clarified butter and rivers of curds, in many hundreds, and streams of rich
curries, in thousands.
Day after day, these were prepared and given to all comers, while, over
and above this, Brahmanas and others, received more food that was clean
and pure. During the conclusion of every sacrifice, when gifts were
dedicated to the Brahmanas, the chanting of the Vedas reached the heavens.
And so loud, indeed, was the sound of the Vedic mantras that nothing else,
O Bhaarata, could be heard, for these sacred sounds filled the earth, the
points of the horizon, the sky and heaven itself.
Such were the wonders that people observed on those occasions.
Gratified with the excellent food and drink that the illustrious Gaya
provided, men, O Bharatarishabha, went about singing these verses:
At Gaya's great sacrifice, who is there today, amongst creatures, that

still wants to eat anymore? There are yet twenty-five mountains of food
there after everyone has been fed! What Rajarishi Gaya of untold
splendour has achieved in his sacrifice has never been achieved by men
before, nor will be by any in the future. The gods have been so surfeited
by Gaya with ghrita that they are unable to take anything that anybody
else offers. As sand grains on earth, as stars in the firmament, as
raindrops showered by clouds cannot ever be counted by anyone, so,
too, can no one count the gifts given during Gaya's sacrifice!
O son of the Kurus, many times did King Gaya perform such yagnas
here, by the side of this Brahmasaras!"
CANTO 96
aisampayana said, "After this, the royal son of Kunti, who always gave
profusely to Brahmanas, goes to the asrama of Agastya and takes up
his abode in Durjaya. It is here that that best of speakers, King Yudhishtira
asks Lomasa why Agastya slew Vatapi in this place. And the king also
enquires after the extent of that man-killing Daityas prowess, and the
reason, also, why the illustrious Agastya's wrath was stirred against that
Asura.
So questioned, Lomasa says, 'O son of the Kurus, there was in the city
called Manimati, in days of yore, a Daitya named Ilvala, whose younger
brother was Vatapi. One day that son of Diti said to a Brahmana endowed
with tapasyashakti, "Holy one, grant me a son equal unto Indra."
The Brahmana, however, did not grant the Asura a son like Indra. At
this, the Asura was inflamed with wrath, and from that day, O king, the
Asura Ilvala became a killer of Brahmanas. And blessed with the power of
maya, the angry Asura would transform his brother into a ram. And Vatapi,
who could also assume any form at will, would assume the shape of a ram;
and the flesh of that ram, after being properly cooked, was offered to
Brahmanas as food. And after they ate, they were killed, for whoever Ilvala
summoned with his voice would come back to Ilvala, re-embodied, even if
he had gone to the land of Yama, and show himself to Ilvala.
So, tranforming Vatapi into a ram and cooking his flesh and feeding
Brahmanas therewith, he would summon Vatapi. And the mighty Asura
Vatapi, that enemy of Brahmanas, endowed with great strength and the
power of illusion, upon hearing, the loud voice of Ilvala calling, would tear
open the belly of the Brahmana and come out chortling! So it was that the
evil Daitya Ilvala, having fed unsuspecting Brahmanas, frequently took
their lives.
Meanwhile, the illustrious Agastya saw his departed ancestors hanging
in a pit with their heads downwards. He asked them, "What is the matter
with you?"
Those Brahmavadins replied, "We are your manes, and it is to have
offspring that we hang in this pit. Agastya, if you can beget a good son, we
can be saved from this hell and you will also find the blessed state of having
a child."
Blessed with great energy and observant of truth and dharma, Agastya
replied, "O Pitrs, I will accomplish your desire. Let this anxiety of yours be
dispelled."
And the lustrous Rishi then began to think of perpetuating his race. But
he did not see a wife worthy of him, from whom he himself could take birth
in the form of a son. Then he took every part considered most beautiful
from many who possessed these individually, and created an exquisite
woman.
That Muni, endowed with great tapasyashakti, gave that girl created for
himeslf to the king of the Vidharbhas who was then performing tapasya to
have children. Through Agastya's power, the lovely girl he had created was
born into Vidarbhas royal line and, beautiful as effulgent lightning, she
grew day by day. And as soon as that lord of earth—the king of the
Vidarbhas—saw her ushered into life, he joyfully gave the news, O
Bhaarata, to the Brahmanas. The Brahmanas blessed the girl and they
named her Lopamudra.
Possessed of great beauty, she began to grow as quickly as a lotus in the
water or the flame of a fire. And when she attained puberty, a hundred
virgins decked in ornaments and a hundred maids waited in obedience upon
her; she shone in their midst, brilliant as she was, like Rohini in the
firmament amidst an inferior multitude of stars. And possessed as she was
of good conduct and excellent manners, none dared ask for her hand even
when she attained puberty, through fear of her father, the king of the
Vidharbhas.
Lopamudra, devoted to truth, surpassing even the Apsaras in beauty,
gratified her father and relatives with her deportment. Seeing his daughter
turn into a young woman, her father began to think, "To whom should I
give this daughter of mine?'"
CANTO 97
omasa continues, 'When Agastya thought that that girl was competent
for domesticity, he approached the king of the Vidharbhas, and said, "I
ask you, O king, to give me your daughter Lopamudra."
The king swooned; yet, though unwilling to give the Muni his daughter,
he dared not refuse. Going to his queen, he said, "This Rishi has great
power. If angered, he may consume me with the fire of his curse. O you of
the sweet face, tell me what you wish."
His queen did not say a word. Lopamudra saw them both distraught and
came to them. She said, "O king, do not grieve on my account. Give me
away to Agastya, and, O father, save yourself."
So, the king gave Lopamudra to the illustrious Agastya with due rites.
When she was his wife, Agastya said to Lopamudra, "Cast away these
costly robes and ornaments."
At the word of her lord, that large-eyed young woman, of thighs tapering
as the stem of the plantain tree, put aside her fine and costly robes, and she
dressed herself in rags and tree-bark and deer-skin, and became her
husband's equal in vrata and karma.
Going then to Gangadwara that best of Rishis began to practise the
severest penances along with his dutiful and helpful wife. Lopamudra,
herself well pleased, began to serve her lord from the deep respect that she
bore him. The lofty Agastya also began to show great love for his wife.
After a considerable time, O king, the Rishi one day saw Lopamudra,
blazing in ascetic splendour, emerge from the stream after the bath, in her
season. And pleased with the girl, for her services, her purity, and self
control, as also with her grace and beauty, he called her to him for marital
intercourse.
However, the girl, folding her hands, said bashfully but lovingly to the
Rishi, "The husband, without doubt, weds the wife for offspring. But, O
Muni, I beg you show me the same love which I bear for you. O Dvija, it
becomes you to approach me on a bed like the one I had in the palace of my
father. I also want you to be decked in garlands of flowers and other
ornaments, and that I should come to you adorned in the celestial ornaments
that I like.
Otherwise, I cannot come to you, dressed in these rags dyed in red. Nor,
O regenerate Rishi, is it sinful to wear ornaments on such an occasion."
Agastya replied, "O blessed girl, you of the slender waist, I do not have
wealth like what your father has, Lopamudra!"
She said, "You who have the wealth of tapasya can certainly fetch
anything that exists in the world of men, in a moment, by your power."
Agastya said, "It is even as you say, but that would exhaust my punya.
O bid me do what may not make me lose my ascetic merit."
Lopamudra then said, "O Muni, my season will not last long, but I do
not wish to come to you otherwise, nor do I wish to diminsh your punya in
any way. You must do as I wish, without injuring your virtue."
Agastya then said, "O blessed one, if this is your resolve, upon which
you have set your heart, I will go out in quest of wealth. Meanwhile, you
stay here, as it pleases you.'"
CANTO 98
omasa continues, 'Agastya went to King Srutarvan who was regarded as

richer than other kings, to beg for wealth. And that monarch, learning of
the arrival of the pot-born Rishi on the frontiers of his kingdoms, went out
with his ministers and received the holy one reverentially. The king duly
offered the Sage arghya, submissively and with folded hands and then
enquired after the reason for the Rishi's coming.
And Agastya answered, "Lord of the earth, know that I have come to
you for wealth. Give me what you can afford and without doing injury to
anyone."
The king, then, told the Rishi how his income and his expenditure were
equal, adding, "Learned one, take from my possessions the wealth you
please."
Seeing however that the king's income and what he spent were equal, the
Sage thought that if he took anything, he would deprive someone by what
he did. So, taking Srutarvan with him, the Rishi went to Bhadhnaswa, who,
hearing of their arrival on his frontiers, went forth to receive them.
Bhadhnaswa also offered them the arghya and padya, water to wash their
feet. Then, with their leave, he asked after the reason for their coming.
Agastya said, "Lord of the earth, know that we have come to you for
wealth. Give us what you can, while doing no injury to any of your
subjects."
That king informed them of how his income and his expenditure, also,
were equal, and said, "Knowing this, take whatever you want."
The Rishi, who saw all things with equal eyes, thought that if he took
anything under the circumstances, what he did would injure all creatures.
Agastya and Srutarvan, with King Bhadhnaswa then went to Purokutsa's
son, Trasadasyu, of enormous wealth. The high-souled Trasadasyu learnt of
their arrival on the border of kingdom, went out and received them with
reverence. And that best of kings, in Ikshvaku's line, having worshipped all
of them duly, asked why they had come.
And Agastya said, "Lord of earth, know that we have all come to you for
wealth. Give us what you can, while doing no creature any harm."
That monarch then, also, told them how his income and his expenses
were equal, and added, "Knowing this, take what you wish."
However, seeing how that king's expenses were equal to his income, the
Rishi, who saw all things with equal eyes, thought that if he took anything,
he would harm all creatures.
Now, Rajan, those kings looked at one another, and together said to the
Rishi, "O Brahmana, there is a Danava called Ilvala, who of all beings on
earth has the most wealth. Let us go together to him today and beg wealth
of him."
This suggestion, O king, of begging wealth of Ilvala appeared to them to
be proper; and all of them went together to Ilvala.'
CANTO 99
omasa says, 'When Ilvala learnt that those kings along with the
Maharishi had arrived on the confines of his domain, he went out with
his ministers and worshipped them duly. And that prince of Asuras received
them hospitably, entertaining them, O son of the Kuru race, with well
cooked meat, which was that of his brother Vatapi, transformed into a ram.
When those Rajarishis saw the mighty Asura Vatapi, who had changed
into a ram, thus cooked for them, they became disconsolate and were
almost senseless with grief and fear.
But Agastya , best of Rishis, said to those royal sages, "Do not worry, I
will eat the Asura."
And the mighty Rishi sat himself down on an excellent chair, and the
prince of Asuras, Ilvala, began to serve the food, smiling. Agastya ate up all
of the meat of the ram which Vatapi had turned into. When the meal was
over, Ilvala began to call out to his brother. But only a great belch of air
issued from the belly of Agastya, with a sound, O child, as loud as the
rumbling of clouds.
Repeatedly, Ilvala called, "Come out, O Vatapi!"
Then that best of Munis, Agastya, burst out laughing, and said, "How
can he come out, I have digested him?"
Ilvala was stricken, and folding his hands, along with his ministers, said,
"What have you come here for? What can I do for you?"
Smiling, Agastya replied, "We know, O Asura, that you have great
power and great wealth, as well. I have great need of wealth and these kings
cannot give it to me, being needy themselves. Give us what you can,
without depriving anyone."
Ilvala saluted the Rishi and said, "Say what I should give, and I will."
Agastya said, "O great Asura, give each of these kings ten thousand
cows and as many gold coins; and to me give twice as much, as well as a
golden chariot and a pair of horses fleet as thought. Why, if you look even
now you will find that your chariot has become made of gold."
At which, O son of Kunti, Ilvala made enquiries and learnt that the car
he intended to give away was really a golden one. His heart sad, the Daitya
then gave away much wealth and that ratha, to which two steeds called
Virava and Surava were yoked. Those steeds, O Bhaarata, took the kings
and Agastya and all that wealth to the Sage's asrama, in the twinkling of an
eye. Taking Agastya's leave, the Rajarishis went away to their respective
cities.
Agastya, using the wealth of the Asura, did all that Lopamudra wanted.
And Lopamudra said, "Most illustrious one, you have given me everything
I wanted. Now beget a son on me, a child of immense tejas."
And Agastya replied, "Blessed and beautiful one, you have pleased me
greatly with your conduct. Listen now to what I have to say with regard to
your offspring. Would you have a thousand sons, or a hundred sons each
equal to ten, or ten sons equal each to a hundred, or only one son who may
vanquish a thousand?"
Lopamudra answered, "Let me have one son equal to a thousand! One
good and wise son is preferable to many evil ones."
Saying, "So be it," that pious Muni took his chaste wife to himself, and
after she had conceived, he retired into the forest. After Agastya Muni had
gone away, the foetus grew inside Lopamudra for seven years. At the end of
seven years, from her womb there issued the wise and learned Dridasyu,
blazing, O Bhaarata, in his own splendour. He came forth auspiciously, as if
chanting the Vedas, with the Upanishads and the Angas.
Endowed with great energy while yet a child, he would carry loads of
sacrificial fuel into his father's asrama, and so he was called Idhmavaha –
the bearer of sacrificial wood.
When Agastya saw his son, with such virtue, he was greatly pleased. So
it was, O Bhaarata, that Agastya begot a splendid son, as a result of which
his ancestors, O king, gained the realms they desired. And it is from that
line that this place has become known in the world as Agastyasrama.
Indeed, Rajan, this is the asrama of great beauty, of the Rishi Agastya
who consumed Vatapi of the race of Prahlada. The sacred Bhagirathi,
adored by Devas and Gandharvas, gently flows by this hermitage like a
breeze-shaken pennon in the sky. Yonder also she flows over craggy crests,
descending lower and lower, and looks like an affrighted she-snake lying
along the hilly slopes. Issuing out of the matted locks of Mahadeva, she
passes along through the southern country nurturing it like a mother; and
ultimately flows into the ocean as if she were his favourite bride.
Bathe as you like in this sacred river, you son of Pandu! And behold
there, O Yudhishtira, the tirtha of Bhrigu that is celebrated throughout the
three worlds and adored, O King, by Maharishis. Bathing there, Rama, of
Bhrigu's race, regained his might, which had been taken from him by
Dasaratha's son. Bathing here, O son of Pandu, with your brothers and
Krishnaa, you will certainly regain that power of yours, which has been
taken by Duryodhana, even as Parasurama regained his, which Dasaratha's
son took from him during their hostile encounter.'
At this, Yudhishtira bathes there with his brothers and Krishnaa, and
offers oblations of water, O Bhaarata, to the Devas and the Pitrs. And, O
bull among men, after Yudhishtira has bathed in that tirtha, his body blazes
forth in brighter effulgence, and he becomes invincible to all his enemies.
The Pandava asks Lomasa, 'Illustrious one, why were Rama's energy and
might taken away? And how did he regain them? Mahatman, I beg you, tell
me everything.'
Lomasa says, 'Listen, O king, to the tale of Dasaratha's son Rama and
Rama of Bhrigu's line, of great intelligence. To kill Ravana, Vishnu
incarnated himself as the son of Dasaratha. We saw Dasaratha's son in
Ayodhya after he was born. It was then that Rama of Bhrigu's line, the son
of Richika by Renuka, heard of Dasaratha's son Rama, of immaculate
purity, and impelled by curiosity, he went to Ayodhya, taking with him the
divine bow which had been the scourge of the Kshatriyas, to test the
prowess of Dasaratha's son.
Hearing that Rama of Bhrigu's race had arrived at the borders of his
dominion, Dasaratha sent his own son Rama to receive the great one with
reverence. Seeing Dasaratha's son approach and stand before him with his
weapons, Rama of Bhrigu's line said challengingly, sneeringly, to him, "O
king, O lofty one, if you can, with all your might, string this bow, which in
my hands became the instrument of the destruction of the race of
Kshatriyas."
Dasaratha's son answered, "Illustrious one, it does not behove you to
insult me like this. I do not lack the virtues of the Kshatriya varna, and the
descendants of Ikshvaku, in particular, never boast of their prowess."
Rama of Bhrigu's line replied, "Be done with clever talk and take the
bow!"
At this, Rama the son of Dasaratha, angered, took that celestial bow
from the hands of Rama of Bhrigu's, that weapon which had killed the
greatest Kshatriyas. And, O Bhaarata, the mighty prince smilingly strung
that bow, effortlessly, and with its twang loud as thunder, terrified all
creatures.
Dasaratha's son Rama said to Parasurama Bhargava, "Here, I have strung
this bow. What else, O Brahmana, shall I do for you?"
Jamadagni's son Rama handed Dasaratha's Rama a heavenly arrow, and
said, "Fit this to the bow-string and draw it to your ear, O Kshatriya!"
Dasaratha's son blazed up in wrath and said, "I have listened to whatever
you said and even forgiven you; O Bhargava, you are full of vanity.
Through Brahma's grace you have got prowess superior to that of the
Kshatriyas, and it is for this that you insult me. But behold me now in my
pristine form – I give you sight."
Then Rama, the Bhargava, saw in the body of Dasaratha's son the
Adityas with the Vasus, the Rudras, the Sadhyas with the Marutas, the Pitrs,
Hutasana, the stellar constellations and the planets, the Gandharvas, the
Rakshasas, the Yakshas, the Rivers, the tirthas, those eternal Brahmarishis
called the Balakhilyas, the Devarishis, the Seas and Mountains, the Vedas
with the Upanishads and Vashats and the Yagnas, the Samans in their living
form, the Science of weapons, O Bhaarata, and the Clouds with rain and
lightning, O Yudhishtira!
And lustrous Vishnu then loosed that arrow, and the earth was filled with
sounds of thunder, and burning meteors began to flash through the sky; and
showers of dust and rain fell upon the earth; and whirlwinds and frightful
reverberations convulsed everything, and the earth herself began to quake.
And shot by the hand of Rama, that shaft, confounding the other Rama,
came back blazing into Rama's hands. Bhargava, who had fainted, regaining
consciousness, now bowed to Rama -that manifestation of Vishnu's power.
Then, commanded by Vishnu, he went away to the mountains of Mahendra,
and then onwards that great ascetic began to live there, in terror and shame.
When a year passed, the Pitrs, seeing Rama there, bereft of all vitality,
his pride quelled, and sunk in affliction, said to him, "O son, having
approached Vishnu, you did not behave properly towards him. He deserves
worship for ever and reverence in the three worlds. Go, O child, to the
sacred river Vadhusara. Bathing in all the tirthas of that stream, you will
regain your vigour. There in that river is the tirtha Diptoda where your
grandsire Bhrigu, O Rama, performed great tapasya in the Krita Yuga."
Rama, O son of Kunti, did as the Pitrs asked, and at this tirtha, he
regained the powers he had lost. This, O Pandava, was what befell the great
Rama in days of yore, after he met Vishnu incarnate as Dasarathas son.'
CANTO 100
udhishtira says, 'Dvijottama, I want to listen again in detail to the

achievements of Agastya Rishi, of awesome glory.'
Lomasa says, 'Listen then, O king, to the excellent and wonderful and
extraordinary story of Agastya, as also about the prowess of that Rishi of
immeasurable tejas.
In the Krita Yuga there were some tribes of fierce Danavas that were
invincible in battle, and they were called the Kalakeyas and possessed
dreadful prowess. Banding together under Vritra and arming themselves
with diverse weapons they hunted the Devas with Indra at their head, in all
directions.
The gods decided that Vritra must be killed, and went with Indra to
Brahma. Seeing them standing before him with folded hands, Parameshti
addressed them all, saying, "I know everything, O Devas, and why you
have come. I will tell you how you can kill Vritra.
There is a high-souled and great Rishi called Dadhicha. Go, all together,
and seek a boon from him. He will become pleased, and that virtuous Rishi
will grant you the boon. If you want victory, go and say to him: For the
good of the three worlds, give us your bones.
Renouncing his body, he will give you his bones. With these bones of
his, make a fierce and powerful weapon, which will be called Vajra, with
six sides, and a terrible roar, and capable of destroying even the most
powerful enemies. With that weapon, Indra of a hundred sacrifices shall kill
Vritra.
This is all I have to say; see you do as I have told you, quickly."
Taking his leave, the gods came away, and with Narayana at their head
went to Dadhicha's asrama, which stood on the banks of the Saraswati, in an
entwinement of many diverse trees and vines. The hermitage resounded
with the hum of bees as if they were reciting Samans; it echoed with the
melodious songs of the male kokila and the chakora. Bison and boar and
deer and chamaras wandered there at their pleasure, free from the fear of
tigers in this holy place; and tuskers with the juice of rut trickling down
from rent temples, plunged in the stream, sported with she-elephants and
made all the place resound with their trumpeting.
The place also echoed with the roars of lions and tigers, while at times
those grisly monarchs of the forest could be seen lying stretched in caves
and glens, adorning them with their presence. Such was the asrama of
Dadhicha, like a bit of heaven, which the gods entered. And there they saw
Dadhicha looking like the Sun in splendour and ablaze with grace like the
Grandsire himself.
The Devas prostrated at the feet the Rishi, and bowing low before him,
begged the boon that Brahma had told them to.
Well pleased, Dadhicha said to those greatest of gods, "Devas I will do
anything for your good, even give up this body of mine."
Saying this, that greatest of men, his soul under perfect restraint,
suddenly renounced his life. The gods then took the bones of the deceased
Rishi as they had been directed to. Glad at heart, the Devas went to
Tvashtri, the celestial Artificer, and told him about the way in which they
could defeat the Asuras.
Tvashtri was filled with joy, and, with great attention and care, he
fashioned the awesome weapon called the Vajra. And having made it, he
said happily to Indra, "Great One, make ashes of the terrible enemy with
this ayudha; and having slain him, rule all the domains of swarga in joy,
with all who follow you."
Purandara took the Vajra from Tvashtri's hand, joyfully and with proper
reverence.'
CANTO 101
omasa says, 'Armed with the Vajra, and with the mighty Deva host
behind him, Indra confronted Vritra, who was then ruling all of Swarga
and Bhumi, heaven and earth. Kalakeyas, of immense bodies, guarded
Vritra on every side, with upraised weapons and resembling great
mountains with towering peaks.
The battle between the Devas and the Danavas lasted for a short while
and was, O lord of the Bhaaratas, terrific in the extreme, appalling the three
worlds. Thunderous was the clash of swords and scimitars, wielded by
heroic hands. Heads that had been severed fell down from the sky onto the
earth like fruits of the palmyra falling onto the ground, when loosened from
their stalks.
Armed with iron-mounted bludgeons and cased in golden mail, the
Kalakeyas ran against the gods, like moving mountains afire. And unable to
stand the shock of that ferocious and haughty host, the Devas broke ranks
and fled in fear. Purandara of a thousand eyes saw his gods flying in terror
and Vritra growing in boldness, and Indra was dejected.
Now, terrified himself by the Kalakeyas, Indra, king of the Devas,
sought refuge with Narayana, the Supreme One. Seeing Indra so distraught,
eternal Vishnu infused the Deva with a part of his own infinite prowess; and
when the Devas saw that Vishnu now protected Sakra, each of them also
transferred a portion of his prowess to Indra.
The taintless Brahmarishis also imparted their mystic energies to the lord
of the celestials. Indra was mightier than ever, and when Vritra learnt that
the Deva king was infused with powers of others, he sent forth some terrific
roars. At these, the earth, the directions, the firmament, heaven, and the
mountains, all began to tremble.
Hearing this awful sound, Indra was filled with fear and, wanting to kill
the Asura quickly, cast, O king, the mighty Vajra at the Demon. Struck by
Indra's Vajra, the great Asura, decked in gold and garlands fell headlong,
like the great mountain Mandara hurled of old by Vishnu's hands; and
although the prince of Daityas was slain, yet Indra ran in panic from the
field, and took shelter in a lake, thinking the Vajra had not killed Vritra.
However, the Devas and the Maharishis were filled with joy, and all of
them began to joyously sing Indra's praises. Mustering their forces again,
the gods began to slaughter the demons, now dispirited at the death of their
leader. The Danavas fled into the depths of the sea; and having entered the
fathomless deep teeming with fish and crocodiles, the Asuras assembled
together and arrogantly began to conspire to destroy the three worlds.
Those among them that were deemed wise suggested different courses of
action, each according to his judgment. In course of time, however, the
dreadful resolution those sons of Diti arrived at was that they should, first
of all, compass the destruction of all men of knowledge and ascetic virtue:
for, the worlds are all supported by tapasya.
Therefore, they said, "Lose no time in wiping out dhyana and yagnas.
Kill all those on earth who have ascetic virtues, those who know the ways
of karma and dharma, and especially those that have knowledge of
Brahman; for when these are dead, the very universe will be destroyed."
Arriving at this decision to destroy the universe, the Danavas were
pleased. They made the ocean—that realm of Varuna—with waves high as
hills, their fortress, from which to make their attacks.'
CANTO 102
omasa says, 'The Kalakeyas began to put their plan to destroy the
universe in motion. During the darkness of night, the angry Daityas
would issue from the Sea and devour all the Munis they found in wooded
asramas and other sacred places.
In Vasishta's asrama, the evil ones ate a hundred and eighty Brahmanas,
besides nine other ascetics. Going on to Chyavana's hermitage, home to
many Brahmacharis, they devoured another hundred Brahmanas who lived
on just fruit and roots.
While these depredations continued through the nights, they returned to
safety under the sea by day. In Bharadwaja's asrama, they killed a score of
Brahmanas of subdued souls, Brahmacharis who lived just on air and water.
So, the Kalakeyas, intoxicated with power and their lives nearly run out,
invaded every Rishis asrama, one by one, during the hours of darknes, and
slaughtered numberless holy Brahmanas.
And, O best of men, though they continued with these savage attacks,
killing so many Sages in their asramas, no one could find them, or where
they hid. Every morning dead bodies of fragile Munis were found, many of
them without flesh and without blood, without marrow, without entrails,
and with limbs torn from one another; here and there, bones were heaped
like conch shells.
And the earth was strewn with the contents of broken sacrificial urns and
shattered ladles for pouring libations of clarified butter and with the ruins of
sacred fires once kept burning with care by the ascetics.
And the universe, afflicted with terror of the Kalakeyas, and without the
Vedas being chanted or vashats or sacrificial festivals or religious rites, was
dreary and without any joy. O king, when men began to perish in this way,
the survivors, taken with fear, fled for their lives in all directions; some fled
to caverns and some hid behind mountain-streams and springs, while others
just died of fight.
But some that were brave and mighty bowmen, spiritedly, cheerfully,
went out and took great pains to track the Danavas to their lair; however,
they did not find them because the demons hid beneath the sea. The valiant
bowmen returned to their homes, at least satisfied that they had searched.
And, O lord of men, while the universe was being ruined, and when
sacrificial festivals and religious rites had all ceased, the gods became
deeply perturbed. Gathering together around Indra, they held council; and
then going to the exalted and un-born Narayana—that unvanquished God of
Vaikunta—the celestials sought his protection.
Bowing to Madhusudana, the Devas said, "O Lord, you are the creator,
the protector, and the destroyer of ourselves, as well as of the universe. It is
you who have created this universe with its mobile and immobile creatures.
O lotus-eyed one, in days of old, you took the form of the Varaha and raised
the sunken earth out of the Sea, to benefit all beings.
Purushottama, you assumed the form of the Narasimha, and, in ancient
times, killed the mighty Asura Hiranyakasipu; taking the form of the
Vamana, you subdued the invincible Bali, and thrust him down into Patala.
Lord, it was you who killed the evil Jambha, who was a matchless bowman
and who always desecrated and obstructed sacrifices.
Achievements like these, beyond count, belong to you. O slayer of
Madhu, we are taken with terror and have only you for our refuge.
Devadeva, protect the worlds, the gods, and Sakra also, from this terrible
fear."
CANTO 103
he Devas said, "Through your grace everything is born and the four
kind of beings increase. And being created, they worship the
swargavasis with offerings made to the gods and the manes of departed
fathers.
So, protected by you and free from troubles, they live depending on one
another, and increase. Now this peril has befallen the people. We do not
know who is killing the Brahmanas during the night. But if the Brahmanas
are destroyed, the earth itself will cease to exist, and if the earth comes to an
end, heaven also will cease to exist.
Mahabaho, O lord of the universe, we beg you to save all the worlds!"
Vishnu said, "Devas, I know the reason why these Brahmanas die; I will
tell of it, listen to me with calm minds. There exists a savage and ferocious
host of demons called Kalakeyas. Led by Vritra, these were devastating the
very universe.
When the thousand-eyed Indra slew Vritra, to save their lives these
Kalakeyas submerged themselves in Vaurna's domain, the ocean. Making
the ocean deeps, which abound with sharks and crocodiles, their refuge,
they come out at nights, and kill the holy sages, with a view to ending the
worlds.
But they cannot be killed, since they have made the sea deeps their
sanctuary. Think of some way to dry up the ocean, and I say to you -who
but Agastya can achieve this thing? Without drying up the sea, you have no
way to attack these Asuras.'
The gods listened to Vishnu, then sought leave from Brahma, who lives
in the best of all lokas, and then went to the hermitage of Agastya. They
saw the high-souled Agastya, the son of Varuna, of resplendent mien,
waited upon by sages, even as Brahma is by gods.
Approaching that son of Mitra and Varuna in his asrama, that
magnanimous and unswerving one, who looked like an embodiment of
pious karma heaped together, they glorified him by reciting his deeds.
The deities said, "You were once the refuge of the gods when Nahusha
oppressed them. Thorn of the world that he was, he was cast down from his
throne in swarga – from the very celestial realms.
Vindhya, foremost of mountains, suddenly began to increase his height,
due to an angry competition with the Sun, but you commanded him to stop
and he could not refuse you and stopped growing.
And when darkness covered the world, the created were all threatened
by death, but having gained you for a protector, they found utmost security.
Whenever peril besets us, you are always our refuge; this is why we have
come to ask a boon from you, and we know that you always grant any boon
for which you are asked.'"
CANTO 104
udhishtira says, 'O Maharishi, I am eager to know in detail how

Vindhya became so incensed that he began to grow.'
Lomasa says, 'Between his rising and setting, the Sun used to revolve
around that monarch of mountains – the great Meru of golden lustre. Seeing
this, the Mountain Vindhya said to Surya, "As you go every day round
Meru and honour him with your pradakshinas, do the same to me, O maker
of light!"
The Sun replied to the great mountain, "I do not honour Meru by my
own will. Those who have made this universe have assigned my path to
me."
Wrathful in a moment, the Vindhya mountain suddenly began to increase
his size, for, O Parantapa, he wanted to obstruct the paths of the Sun and the
Moon. All the Devas assembled and came to Vindhya, that mighty king of
mountains, and tried to dissuade him from this. But he paid no heed to their
entreaties.
Then the gods went to the Sage in his asrama, at his tapasaya, the very
best and most powerful of those who are devoted to dharma, and told
Agastya Muni what had happened.
The Devas said, "This king of hills, Vindhya, has yielded to anger and
stops the paths of the Sun and the Moon, and also the course of the stars. O
best of Brahmanas! O most gifted one! None but you can make him desist;
we beg you, make him stop."
Hearing what the Devas said, the Brahmana came to the mountain; and,
with his wife, he said to the Vindhya, "O best of mountains, give me a path,
for I need to go south for a purpose of mine. Until my return, wait for me;
and when I have come back grow on as much as you please!"
Parantapa, having made this compact with Vindhya, Varuna's son has
not, until today, returned from the southern region. So it is that, by
Agastya's power, the Vindhya has not grown any further.
Now, O king, listen to how the Devas killed the Kalakeyas, after getting
their boon from Agastya Muni.
Having heard what the gods said, Agastya, the son of Mitra and Varuna,
said, "Why have you come here? What boon do you want from me?
The Devas replied, "O Magnanimous, we beg you to drink up the ocean
and drain it, for then we shall be able to kill the Kalakeyas, and all their
allies."
The Sage said, "So be it. I will do what you wish, and that will bring
great happiness to all men."
Saying this, O virtuous one, Agastya went to the ocean, lord of rivers,
and with him went Rishis of great tapasya, and the Devas as well. And
Manavas and Nagas, Gandharvas, Yakshas and Kinnaras followed the
awesome Sages, wanting to witness the event of wonder.
Together they came to the sea, which roared, dancing with its waves,
leaping in the wind, and laughing with masses of froth, and gushing into
caves on the shore, the ocean thronging with all kinds of sharks, and flocks
of diverse birds above and upon his waters.
The Devas, along with Agastya and the Gandharvas and huge Nagas and
most gifted Munis, approached the immense waters.'
CANTO 105
omasa says, 'Varuna's son, that blessed saint spoke to the assembled
gods, and the sages, "I am going to drink up the ocean, abode of the god
of waters. You be ready with whatever preparations you need to make."
With these few words, the unswerving son of Mitra and Varuna, now full
of wrath, began to drink up the sea, while all the worlds watched. Indra and
the Devas were awestruck and began to give praise to mighty Agastya:
"O you are our protector, and Providence itself for men, why, the very
creator of the worlds. By your grace, possibly, the universe with its gods
might be saved."
Glorified by the Devas, while the musical instruments of Gandharvas
played all around, and while celestial blossoms were showered upon him,
the great Agastya drained the vast ocean and it was dry!
Seeing the ocean rendered devoid of water, the host of gods rejoiced;
taking up diverse weapons of celestial forge, they fell to slaughtering the
demons. Assailed by the Devas of untold strength and speed, who came
roaring at them, the Asuras could not stand before the heaven dwellers, O
Bhaarata! Only for a moment, did the demons last before the onslaught of
the gods, and return battle.
Moreover, the evil ones had already been consumed by the tapasya
shakti of the greatest Rishis; the Devas quickly massacred the Kalakeyas.
Decked with brooches of gold, wearing ear-rings and armlets, the demons,
when slain, looked beautiful indeed, like palasa trees in full crimson bloom.
Then, O best of men, a few of the Kalakeyas who remained alive rent the
goddess Earth, and took refuge at the bottom of the Pataias.
When they saw that the demons were slain, the gods gave praise to the
mighty sage:
"O Mahabaho, through your grace, all men have found a great blessing,
and the ruthless Kalakeyas have been killed by your power, O creator of
beings! Now, mighty-armed, fill the ocean again, give up once more the
waters that you drained."
The blessed and mighty Muni replied, "I have digested that water, so if
you wish to fill the ocean again, you must think of some other expedient."
Great king, the assembled gods were struck with both wonder and
sadness. Now, after bowing to the Maharishi and saying farewell to one
another, they all went away to their respective homes.
The Devas, with Vishnu, came to Brahma; they consulted again now
about how to fill the empty sea. They stood with folded hands, and forlorn.'
CANTO 106
omasa says, 'Brahma Pitamaha said, "Go, O Devas, where your pleasure
may lead you, or your desire takes you! It will take a long course of
time for the ocean to resume its original state; the occasion will be
furnished by the ancestors of the great king Bhagiratha."
Hearing what the Pitamaha said, all those main gods went to their
homes, and would bide their time until the day when the ocean was filled
again.'
Yudhishtira says, 'What was that occasion, O Muni? And how did
Bhagiratha's ancestors furnish it? And how was the ocean filled again
through Bhagiratha's efforts? O Sage, who deem your tapasya as your only
treasure, O Brahmana, I want to hear the achievements of that king, in
detail, from you.'
Thus addressed by the magnanimous and virtuous king, Lomasa, best of
Brahmanas, narrates the achievements of the high-souled king, Sagara.
Lomasa says, 'Into the clan of the Ikshvakus, was born a ruler of the
earth named Sagara, endowed with beauty and strength. And that king was
sonless, O Bhaarata! He brought havoc through the tribes of the Haihayas
and the Talajanghas, all of Kshatriya kind under his rule, and then reigned
over his own kingdom.
And, O most praiseworthy of the scions of Bhaarata, O chief of the
Bhaarata race, Sagara had two wives, proud of their beauty and of their
youth – one a princess of the Vidarbhas, and the other of the royal line of
Sibi.
Best of kings, Sagara and his wives went to Mount Kailasa, and sat in
severe tapasya in order to have a son. Practising rigid penance, and locked
in Yoga, Sagara had a vision of three-eyed Siva, who made ashes of the
Tripura, who is the Eternal One, the bestower of blessings to all beings, the
Great Sovereign, who wields the bow Pinaka, with the Trisula in his hand,
in whom infinite peace resides, the lord of all those that are fierce, who can
assume any form; and who is the Lord of the Goddess Uma.
Mahabaho, as soon as Sagara saw that God, the giver of boons, he and
his two queens fell at Siva's feet, and offered him a prayer to have a son.
Well pleased, Siva said to that most just king and his wives, "Lord of
men, considering the moment at which you have offered your prayer to me,
sixty thousand sons, valiant and exceedingly proud, will be born in one of
your two wives. But they will all perish together.
In the other wife, a single brave son will be born, who will perpetuate
your race."
Having said this to him, the God Rudra vanished, and king Sagara came
home with his queens, all of them delighted with what had transpired. And,
O best of men, there, the two lotus-eyed queens—the princess of Vidarbha
and the princess of Sibi— soon became pregnant.
When her time came, the princess of Vidarbha brought forth something
shaped like a gourd while the princess of Sibi gave birth to a boy as
beautiful as a god. Sagara decided to throw away the gourd, when he heard
an asariri speak gravely from the sky, "O King, do not be hasty, you must
not become guilty of abandoning your sons! Take the seeds out from the
gourd and let them be preserved with care in steaming vessels partly filled
with ghrita. Then thou will get, O scion of Bharata's race, sixty thousand
sons.
King of men, Mahadeva Siva has decreed that your sons are to be born
in this fashion, so do not turn your mind away from what must be."'
CANTO 107
omasa says, 'Most righteous king, when he heard the voice speak from
the sky, he believed what it said and did as it asked. Sagara took each
seed from the gourd, separately, and immersed it in a vat of ghee. Intent on
the survival of his sons, he provided a nurse for every receptacle.
Then, after a long time, there arose sixty thousand immeasurably strong
and powerful sons from those vessels of ghee, sons born to the Rajarishi
Sagara through Siva's grace.
And they were terrible and their deeds were ruthless. They could fly and
range through the sky, and being as many as they were, they were unafraid
of anyone, including the gods. They would chase even the Devas, the
Gandharvas, and the Rakshasas and all the born, for they were mighty and
addicted to fighting.
Harassed by the dull-headed sons of Sagara, all men and the gods with
them went to Brahma, as their refuge.
The Grandsire of all beings said to them, "Go your way, Devas, and take
these mortal men with you, for very soon the sons of Sagara will find death
for all their sins, and a terrible end will they find."
The Devas and the Manavas bade farewell to the Pitamaha, and went
back to where they had come from. Then, O Bhaarata, when many days had
passed, the mighty king Sagara took the consecration for performing the
rites of a horse-sacrifice, an Aswamedha yagna.
Protected by his ferocious sons, the king's sacrificial horse ranged across
the earth; when it reached the sea, waterless and frightful to behold,
although the horse was guarded with great care it suddenly vanished from
where it stood.
Sagara's sons thought that fine steed had been stolen; they returned to
their father and told him how it had disappeared.
He said to them, "Go and look for the horse in all the cardinal points."
Great king, at their father's command, his sons began their quest for the
horse in all the cardinal points and throughout the surface of the earth. But
even all together, those sixty thousand could not find the horse, nor the one
who had stolen it.
Returning home, they stood with folded hands before their father, and
said, "O Protector of men! O ruler of the earth! O king! At your command,
we combed all this world, with all its hills and its forests, with its seas, and
its woods, and its islands, with its rivulets and rivers and caves. But we did
not find either the horse, or the thief who stole it."
Sagara was insensate with anger, and stirred by destiny, too, he said to
them in wrath, "Go again and seek the horse and never return until you find
it!"
Again obedient to their father's command, his sons, those awesome
Kshatriyas, once more searched the earth and they found a cleft upon her
surface, upon the dried up sea-bed. The sons of Sagara began to excavate it.
Exerting themselves to the utmost, with spades and pickaxes they dug
the bed of the sea. At their violent excavation, Varuna's abode writhed in
agony, and Asuras, Nagas, Rakshasas and all living beings began to cry out
in distress, while Sagara's sixty thousand sons slaughtered them.
Hundreds of thousands of living creatures could be seen with severed
heads and trunks and with their skins and bones and joints rent asunder and
broken.
They went on digging up the ocean, abode of Varuna, and a vast amount
of time went by but they still did not find the horse. Then, lord of earth,
towards the north-eastern region of the sea, the incensed sons of Sagara dug
down as far as Patala, and there they saw the animal, roaming about as it
pleased.
And they saw the magnificent Kapila, looking like a perfect mass of
splendour. Seeing him shining even as fire does with flames and seeing the
horse, as well, they became flushed with joy. Having been sent by fate, and
after their fervid exertions, they paid Kapila Muni no heed but ran forward
to seize the horse.
Maharajan, Kapila, most righteous of Munis, whom the great sages
name Kapila Vasudeva, assumed a fiery look, and the mighty ones loosed
flames at Sagara's sons, and burnt them to ashes.
Narada, of vast tapasya, saw Sagara's sons reduced to ashes and he came
to that king and told him what had happened. When Sagara heard the
terrible news from the Rishi's lips, he was plunged in grief for an hour, until
he recalled what Siva had said.
Sending for his grandson Ansuman, the son of Asamanjas, he said,
"Because of me, my sixty thousand sons of measureless strength
encountered Kapila's wrath and have met their death. My pure child,
taintless Ansuman, I have also forsaken your father for the sake of my
Rajadharma and for the weal of my people.''
Yudhishtira says, 'O Muni, whose only wealth is your tapasya, tell me
why Sagara, foremost of kings, abandoned his own son, endowed with
valour – something so diffcult for other men to do.'
Lomasa says, A son was born to Sagara, by the princess of Sibi, and he
was called Asamanjas. The prince would seize the weaker children of the
townspeople and throw them into the river. Outraged, and stricken by grief
and fear, the townsmen met together, and came, hands folded before Sagara,
and implored him, "Great king, you protect us from invasions by hostile
enemies. Now you must protect us from the peril of Asamanjas."
Hearing the fearful news of his son's doings, the king fell sad and silent
for almost an hour, and then he said to his ministers, "Let my son
Asamanjas be driven out of our city from this day. If you wish to please me,
do it quickly!"
And, O King, the ministers did what he asked without delay. So did the
great Sagara banish his son for the welfare of his people. Now listen in full
to what Sagara said to his grandson Ansuman of the powerful bow.
Sagara said, "O my child, my heart is broken from having banished your
father and now from having sent your uncles to their deaths. Besides, I have
not recovered the horse for my sacrifice.
My grandson, grief tears at me and my mind is confounded that I cannot
complete my Aswamedha yagna. Your must fetch the horse back and
deliver me from hell."
Ansuman went with sorrow to the place where the earth had been
excavated; he went down by the same tunnel beneath the dry sea bed, and
saw the illustrious Kapila and the horse. Seeing the ancient Sage, most
righteous of his kind, who looked like a mass of light, the prince bowed
touching his head to the ground, and told the Rishi why he had come.
Maharajan, Kapila was pleased with Ansuman, and told him to ask for a
boon. Ansuman first asked to have the horse back for the sacrifice, and then
he prayed for the purification of his uncles.
The mighty Kapila said, "I will grant you all that you desire, stainless
prince. May good fortune be with you! In you I see forbearance, truth, and
righteousness. By you Sagara shall have his wishes fulfilled; you are truly a
grandson to your sire. Through your goodness, the sons of Sagara will find
redemption and heaven.
Your son's son will find Mahadeva Siva's grace so your ancestors might
be purified of their sin. He will perform a great tapasya that will bring the
river of three streams down into this world – the Ganga, O lord of men!
May good fortune be yours! Here, take this sacrificial horse with you
and complete the Aswamedha yagna of the great Sagara."
Ansuman took the horse with him, and returned to mighty king Sagara's
yagnashala. He prostrated at the feet of the high-souled Sagara, who sniffed
the top of his head lovingly; Ansuman told him everything, all that he had
seen and heard, and all about the death of Sagara's sons. He also announced
that he had brought back the horse.
When Sagara heard all this, he no longer grieved on account of his dead
sons. He praised and honoured Ansuman, and completed his sacrifice.
When this was done, all the Devas greeted him with honour, and Sagara
made the sea, where Varuna dwells, his son.
The lotus-eyed Sagara ruled his kingdom for a great length of time, and
then he set his grandson Ansuman upon his throne, laden with
responsibility, and ascended into Swarga.
Like his grandsire, the virtuous Ansuman ruled over the world with
dharma, as far as the edge of the sea, following in the footsteps of his
father's father. His son was named Dilipa, versed in virtue. Finally,
Ansuman gave his throne to Dilipa and he also left this world.
When Dilipa learnt of the awful fate that had overtaken his forefathers,
he grieved and thought of the means to redeem their souls. That king of
men did his utmost to bring the Ganga down into the world, but he did not
succeed.
A son was born to him, and known by the name of Bhagiratha, who was
beautiful, and devoted to a virtuous life, and truthful, and free from all
malice. Dilipa made his son the king, and took to vanaprastha himself. And,
O best of all the scions of Bhaarata's race, Dilipa devoted himself to a long
tapasya, at the end of which he, too, rose from the forest into heaven.'
CANTO 108
omasa says, 'Bhagiratha, of the mighty bow, Maharatha, lord of all he

surveyed, became the delight of the eyes and the soul of the world. He,
the Mahabaho, learnt how his ancestors had met an awful end from Kapila,
and how they had been unable to attain the realm of the gods.
With a sorrowful heart, he made over his kingly duties to his minister,
and, O lord of men, he went to the Himalayas, mountains of snow, to sit in
tapasya, and by leading the most austere life, to gain the favour of the Devi
Ganga.
He saw Himavana, adorned with peaks of diverse forms, full of bright
minerals, strewn on all sides with raindrops from clouds resting upon the
breeze; beautiful with rivers and groves and rocky spurs, looking like so
many palaces in a city, attended upon by lions and tigers that had hidden
themselves in its caves; and also inhabited by birds of myriad species,
uttering diverse sounds – bhringarajas, and ganders, and datyuhas, and
water-cocks, and peacocks and birds with a hundred feathers, and
jivanjivakas, and blackbirds, and chakoras with black-cornered eyes, and
the koyals that love their young.
He saw the mountain abounding in lotus plants that grew in enchanted
lakes. And kraunchas, cranes, rendered it charming with their sounds; and
Kinnaras and Apsaras sat upon its stone slabs.
And the Diggajas, the elephants of the cardinal points, had marked the
trees growing there with their tusks; and Vidyadharas frequented the
mountain, which was replete with treasures of jewels, as it was infested by
serpents with glowing tongues and virulent venom.
In places the mountain seemed to be made of gold, while in others it was
silver, and yet other peaks were like massifs of kohl. So was the snowy
mountain where the king now found himself.
There, that best of men sat in a fierce tapasya. For one thousand years,
he sustained himself on just water, fruit and roots. When a thousand years
of the Devas passed, the great Devi, the divine river Ganga, manifested
herself before him, embodied and shimmering.
Ganga said, "Great king, what do you want from me? What boon must I
bestow upon you? I will do what you ask."
Bhagiratha replied to Himalaya's daughter, "Grantress of boons, O great
River, when my father's fathers went in search of their sire's sacrificial
horse, Kapila sent them to the land of Yama; in an instant, those sixty
thousand perished.
Since then, there has been no place for them in Swarga. O great river, as
long as you do not wet their ashes with your water, they will not find
moksha. Blessed Devi, I beg you, redeem my ancestors, Sagara's sons, lead
them into heaven. I am here to beg you to save their souls."
Ganga, the goddess whom the worlds worship, was pleased to hear what
Bhagiratha said, and she said to him, "Great King, I am prepared to do what
you ask. But when I descend from the sky to the earth, the force of my fall
will be impossible to bear.
Protector of men, in the three worlds none but Siva, greatest of Gods, the
Lord Nilakanta whose throat is sable blue, can break my falling into the
world.
Mahabaho, with tapasya gain the grace of the Lord Siva, river of boons.
He will bear my descent upon his head; he will fulfil your desire, and save
your sires, O King."
Maharaja Bhagiratha went to Mount Kailasa and undertook another
great penace, and after a long tapasya, he gained the grace of Lord Siva,
worker of blessings. Protector of men, that king secured from Mahadeva a
boon that the Ganga might fall safely upon his head, and flow into the
world.'
CANTO 109
omasa sayas, 'The blessed Siva listened to Bhagiratha's petition, and,

also, in order to fulfil the wishes of the dwellers in Swarga, said,
"Tathastu! So be it, O guardian of men, O Mighty-armed. For your sake I
will contain the descent of the pure and blessed and divine river of heaven,
O King!"
Saying this, The Lord came to the snowy mountain, surrounded by his
ganas, of awful mien, who bore uplifted weapons of diverse forms.
Standing there, he said to Bhagiratha, most praiseworthy of men,
Mahabaho, you pray to the river who is the daughter of the king of
mountains. I will contain her when she falls down from Swarga."
Reassured by Siva, Bhagiratha made obeisance with utmost devotion,
and directed his thoughts again towards Ganga. Seeing that Mahadeva stood
to receive her fall, Ganga flashed down suddenly in a pure and crystal
torrent from the sky, and the Devas, the Maharishis, the Gandharvas, the
Nagas, and the Yakshas, assembled there as witnesses.
Down from the sky came the snow mountain, Himavan's daughter; her
whirpools raged and she teemed with fish and sharks. O King, directing her
course towards the sea, she separated herself into three streams; and her
water was strewn with piles of froth, which seemed like so many rows of
white ganders.
Sinuous and twisting, at times, at others stumbling, as it were; covered in
foam as with a robe; she came down like a woman drunk. Elsewhere, by
virtue of the roar of her waters, she gave vent to loud sounds.
Thus assuming many different aspects, when she fell from the sky, she
reached the surface of the earth, and said to Bhagiratha, "Great King, show
me the path I must take! Lord of the earth, for your sake I have come down
into the world."
Bhagiratha made a course towards where the dead sons of mighty Sagara
lay, so that the sacred waters might drench their ashes. Having borne and
contained the fall of Ganga, Siva, saluted by all men, went back to Kailasa,
best of mountains, accompanied by the Devas.
With Ganga following him, Bhagiratha reached the sea; and the sea, the
abode of Varuna, was quickly filled! The king adopted Ganga as his own
daughter, and at that spot offered libations of water, tarpana, to the manes of
his ancestors; thus was his heart's wish fulfilled.
At your asking me, I have narrated the whole story of how Ganga,
running in three streams, was brought down to the earth to fill the sea; how
the mighty Sage drained the sea for a particular reason, and how Vatapi,
slayer of Brahmanas, was destroyed by Agastya.'"
CANTO 110
aisampayana said, "O lord of the Bhaaratas, next the son of Kunti goes
leisurely to the two rivers Nanda and Aparananda, which have the
virtue of destroying the dread of sin. Reaching a great mountain Hemakuta,
he sees many strange and inconceivable sights there. When their party
merely speak among themselves, clouds rumble into the sky and a thousand
volleys of stones fall, so they cannot climb the mountain.
Here the winds blow incessantly, and the heavens forever lash down
rain; they also hear the chanting of the Veda, yet they see nobody. In the
evening and in the morning they see the blessed fire that carries offerings to
the gods, and there sharp insects sting them to interrupt their tapasya.
An unaccountable sadness overtakes the soul, and men fall sick. Seeing
all these uncanny phenomena, Yudhishtira asks Lomasa what they are and
what causes them.
Lomasa says, "Parantapa, Rajan, I will tell you about this as we heard it
of old; listen carefully to what I say.
Upon this peak of Rishabha, there was once a Rishi of that name, who
lived for hundreds of years. He was devoted to penance and was also
wrathful. When some men came and spoke to him, interrupting his dhyana,
he said in anger to the mountain, "If any man speaks in this place, cast
stones at him and summon the winds to prevent him from making any
sound."
This was what the sage said; and so, in this place, as soon as a man utters
any words, he is forbidden by a roaring cloud. Rajan, in anger he also
forbade other deeds in this place, that Maharishi.
Yudhishtira, tradition has it that, when of old, the Devas came to the
Nanda, suddenly a number of men arrived there to look at the gods.
However, the Devas, at whose head Indra stood, did not want to be seen;
and so they rendered this place inaccessible, by raising obstructions in the
form of mountains. From that day, O Kaunteya, men could not cast their
eyes, at any time, upon what looked like this mountain, far less climb it.
No one who has not led an austere life can see this mountain, or ascend
it.
Therefore, O son of Kunti, keep your tongue under control. Here, at that
time, all those gods performed the most sacred yagnas. O Bhaarata, even to
this day the marks of those sacrifices can be seen. This grass here has the
form of the sacred kusa grass; the ground here seems to be covered by the
sacred grass; and, O lord of men, so many of these trees here look as if they
are ideal for tying up yagnapasus.
O Bhaarata, the Devas and the Rishis still dwell here and one can see
their sacred agni burning in the morning and in the evening. If one bathes
here, one's sins are immediately destroyed, Kaunteya! So, best of the Kurus,
you and your younger brothers, perform your ablutions here.
Having bathed in the Nanda, you must journey to river Kausiki, to the
place where Viswamitra performed his great tapasya."
Yudhishtira, and all that are with him, bathe in that river, and then go on
to the Kausiki, crystalline, her waters cool and delightful.
Lomasa says, "This is the pure and divine Kausiki. Lord of the
Bhaaratas, here is the enchanting asrama of Viswamitra; and there is the
hermitage of the mighty-souled Kasyapa, whose son was Rishyasringa,
devoted to tapasya, his passions under control. Through the rigours of his
penance he forced Indra to pour down his rain during a drought, for the
Deva, slayer of Bala and Vritra, was in dread of Rishyasringa's penance.
That powerful son of Kasyapa was born of a hind. He worked a great
marvel in the kingdom of Lomapada; and when the rains brought forth
crops in his lands, Lomapada gave his daughter Shanta in marriage to
Rishyasringa, even as the Sun gave away his daughter Savitri."
Yudhishtira says, "How was Kasyapa's son, Rishyasringa, born of a
hind? And how was he endowed with such holiness, being the offspring of a
sinful sexual union? Why did Indra fear this Rishi, so he poured down his
rain during a time of drought?
Tell us about the beauty of the princess Shanta, pure in life, she who
captivated his heart when he had turned himself into a stag? And since the
Rajarishi Lomapada was as virtuous as he is known to have been, why was
it that over his lands, Indra, scourge of Paka, withheld rain?
Most holy one, I beg you, relate all this to me in detail, exactly as it
happened, for I want to know everything about Rishyasringa's life."
Lomasa says, 'Listen to how Rishyasringa, of dreaded name, was born as
the son of Kasyapa Muni's son Vibhandaka, a Brahmana Rishi who had
evolved through tapasya, of unfailing seed, who was learned and bright like
the Lord of beings. And the father was honoured, and the son was possessed
of a mighty spirit, and, though a boy, he was respected by old men.
Vibhandaka went to a great lake and devoted himself to the practice of
austerities. He who was like a Deva performed a long penance. One day,
while he was washing his mouth in the water, he saw the Apsara Urvasi, at
which he ejaculated his seed.
Rajan, a hind was drinking from the lake and she lapped up his seed,
floating on the water, and at once she became pregnant. That hind was, in
fact, a Devaputri, and Brahma had once told her, "You will be a hind; and
while you have that form, you will give birth to a Rishi; then you will be
free."
As fate would have it, and as the word of the Creator can never prove
untrue, that female deer bore Vibhandaka's son, a mighty sage,
Rishyasringa.
Rishyasringa, devoted to tapasya, always passed his days in the forest,
and there was a horn on his head and for this he came to be known as
Rishyasringa. Apart from his father, he had never seen any other man; and
so, his life was entirely absorbed in brahmacharya.
During this same time, there was a king of the land of Anga known as
Lomapada, who was a friend of Dasaratha. We have heard that, from his
love of pleasure, he had been guilty of telling a lie to a Brahmana; and for
that Lomapada was shunned by all men of the priestly varna, and he had no
priest to perform his religious rites.
And Indra of a thousand eyes abruptly withdrew the rains from his
kingdom and his people suffered. He asked a number of Brahmanas,
devoted to austerities, of cultivated minds, "How will the heavens send us
rain? Think of some expedient."
Each of them gave their view, and among them, the best, said to the
king, "King of kings, the Brahmanas are angry with you, so you must do
something to appease them. Send for Rishyasringa, the Muni's son, who
lives in the forest and knows nothing of women, who is the epitome of
simplicity.
O King, if he whose tapasya is so great, shows himself in your kingdom,
I have no doubt that the rain will also come."
Lomapada made atonement for his sins, and he went away. When the
Brahmanas had been pacified, he returned and his people were glad. The
king of Anga convened a meeting of his ministers, men who were expert at
giving counsel, and he sought their counsel to devise a plan to fetch
Rishyasringa into his lands.
Finally, with the advice of those men versed in all branches of
knowledge, very proficient in worldly matters, he settled on a plan. He sent
for a number of courtesans, women of the town, all clever.
When they came, Lomapada said to them, "Lovely ones, you must find a
way to entice Rishyasringa into my kingdom."
Those women, on the one hand afraid of the king's wrath and on the
other dreading a curse from the Rishi, were alarmed and declared the
business to be beyond their power.
However, one among them, a seasoned and forward woman, said to the
king, "Maharajan, I will try to fetch him whose wealth consists solely of
tapasya, into your lands. However, there are some things I will need to put
my plan into action. If you can give me these, I might be able to bring
Rishyasringa here."
The king gave an order that all that she might ask for should be
procured. He also gave her a good deal of wealth and jewels of various
kinds. Then, Lord of the earth, taking a number of young and beautiful
women with her, she went to the forest.
CANTO 111
omasa says, 'O Bhaarata, she prepared a floating hermitage, both

because the king had ordered so, and also because it exactly accorded
with her plan. Delightful it was, the floating asrama, with artificial trees
adorned with various flowers and fruit, with diverse shrubs and creepers,
and it provided delicious fruit. It truly looked as if it had been created by
magic.
She moored this great craft very near the hermitage of Kasyapa's
grandson, then sent emissaries to survey the places that that Rishi habitually
frequented. Then she saw her opportunity, and sent forth her daughter, also
a courtesan and of smart sense. That clever woman went to the vicinity of
the Rishis's hermitage, and she saw Rishyasringa.
Approaching him, she said, "Muni, I hope that all is well with you and
the other tapasvins. I trust that you have a plentiful store of fruit and roots
and that you take delight in this hermitage.
I have come to visit you, and I hope the tapasya of the Rishis waxes,
daily. I trust your father's spirit has not slackened and that he is well pleased
with you. O Rishyasringa, I hope that you pursue the studies that are
appropriate for you!"
Rishyasringa said, "You shine with lustre, as if you were made of light;
and I say you are worthy of worship. I will give you padya to wash you feet
and such fruit and roots that you might like, for this is what my dharma
says.
This darbhasana is made of kusa grass and covered with a black deerskin
to make it comfotable. Sit upon it, O Brahmana who resembles a Deva, and
tell me where is your asrama. And what is this vrata called, which you now
seem to be observing?"
The courtesan said, "O son of Kasyapa, my asrama is on the other side
of yonder hill; it covers three yojanas and is full of delight. There, it is my
faith not to receive obeisance or to touch water to wash my feet. I am not
worthy of being worshipped by men like you, rather I must make my
obeisance to you.
O Brahmana, this is the vrata that I must observe – to clasp you in my
arms!"
Rishyasringa said, "Let me give you ripe fruits, gallnuts, myrobalans,
karushas, ingudas from sandy soil, and figs. Be pleased to taste them and
find some pleasure."
She, however, flung aside all those pure things he offered and instead
gave him unclean things to eat, but deliciously prepared and fine to look at;
and the innocent Rishyasringa found them most agreeable.
She gave him the most fragrant garlands, exquisite and shimmering
garments to wear, and fine drink; they talked and laughed and played
together. In his sight she played with a ball, sinuously, and seemed like a
creeping plant broken in two, her lissom body.
Repeatedly she touched his body with her own, and clasped him in her
arms. She took flowering twigs from sala, asoka and tilaka trees. Drunk,
assuming a bashful look, she continued tempting Rishyasringa; and when
she saw that she had touched his heart, she pressed his body with her own,
again and again, and with sidelong, seductive glances, slowly wandered
away, saying that she was going to make offerings to the fire.
When she left him, Rishyasringa was frantic with desire, and could think
of nothing else but her. His mind turned constantly to her and felt empty. He
began to sigh and seemed to be in great distress.
At that moment, Kasyapa's son Vibhandaka, whose eyes were tawny like
a lion's, whose body was covered with hair down to the tips of his nails,
who was devoted to Brahmana dharma, whose life was pure and spent in
dhyana, came and saw his son sitting alone, pensive and sad, obviously
distraught, and sighing again and again with upturned eyes.
Vibhandaka said to Rishyasringa, "My child, why are you not chopping
firewood for the agni. I hope that you have offered havis, the burnt offering,
today? I hope you have polished the sacrificial ladles and spoons and
brought the calf to the milch cow whose milk gives us all we need to make
our sacrificial offerings to the fire?
Surely, you are not yourself, my son. You are pensive, why, you seem to
be terribly disturbed. Why are you so sad today? Who has come here this
day?"
CANTO 112
ishyasringa said, "A Brahmachari with a mass of jata on his head came
here today. He was neither short nor tall. He had a spirited look, a
golden complexion, and eyes large as lotuses; and he was shining and
graceful as a god.
Rich was his beauty, alight like the sun; and he was exceedingly fair, ah
his eyes graceful and black. His twisted hair was blue-black and neat and
long and fragrant and tied up with strings of gold. A beautiful ornament
glittered at his throat, like lightning in the sky.
And under the throat he had two balls of flesh without a single hair upon
them, and oh an exceedingly beautiful form, with such a slender waist and a
deep navel; and the skin upon his chest was smooth. A golden string shone
from under his cloth, just like this waist-string of mine.
There was something on his feet of a wonderful shape which gave forth
a lovely tinkling. His wrists, likewise, bore a pair of ornaments that made a
similar sound and looked just like these prayer beads. And when he walked,
his ornaments sounded like delighted ganders upon a sheet of water.
He wore garments of wonderful make upon his person; these clothes I
wear are by no means beautiful like those. His face was was also so
wonderful to behold; and his voice was modulated to gladden the heart, just
as his speech was as sweet as the song of the koyal; while I listened to him,
I felt stirred in my inmost heart.
As a forest in spring is most graceful when swept by a breeze, even so,
my father, that fragrant sage is most beautiful when the air fans him. His
mass of hair is neatly tied and is slick againt his head and brow, divided
evenly by a parting.
His eyes seemed to be covered with chakravaka birds of exceptionally
beautiful forms. In his right hand he held a wonderful round fruit, which
falls to the ground and again leaps up to the sky, in the strangest way; and
he beats it and turns himself round and whirls: like a tree moved by the
breeze.
When I looked at him, O father, he seemed to be a son of the Devas, and
my joy was extreme, and my pleasure unbounded. He clasped my body,
seized my matted hair, and bent me down, and mingling his mouth with my
own, uttered a delightful sound I have never heard.
He does not care for padya or the fruit I offered him, and said to me that
this was his vrata. But he gave me many fruit, and these we have do not
match those nearly for taste. They have no rind nor any stone within them,
like these.
That noble-formed one gave me water of such flavour that I have never
drunk before; it was exquisite and having drunk it, I felt uncanny pleasure;
why, the ground seemed to move under my feet.
These redolent garlands, entwined with silken threads, belong to him.
And he, bright with fervent piety, scattered these garlands here, then went
back to his own asrama. His going has saddened my heart; and my body
seems to burn all over.
My desire is to go to him as soon as I can, and to have him walk about
here every day. O father, let me go to him this very moment. Ah, what
tapasya does he practise? As he, that pious one, is performing tapasya, I
want to go and live with him, and share his penances. My heart yearns for
his unusual mode of practising austerities; my soul will be in torment if I
cannot see him."
CANTO 113
ibhandaka said, "My child, these are Rakshasas, who walk about in
wonderful forms. Their strength is unrivalled and their beauty great,
and they always strive to obstruct the practice of true austerities. They
assume lovely forms and try to seduce by various means.
Those fierce beings hurled the Rishis, the dwellers in the forest, down
from blessed regions won through their piety. And the Muni who has
control over his soul, and who wants to gain the realms where the righteous
go, must have nothing to do with them.
They are vile creatures, who obstruct tapasya and delight in that, and a
Rishi should never look at them.
O my son, those were drinks unworthy to be drunk; they were spirits that
sinners consume. And these garlands, bright and fragrant and of many hues,
are not intended for sannyasis."
Having thus forbidden his son, saying that those were evil demons,
Vibhandaka went in quest of her. When, after a three days' search he could
not find her, he returned to his asrama.
In the meanwhile, when Rishyasrinuga went out to gather fruit, the
courtesan returned to tempt him.
And as soon as Rishyasringa saw her, he was ecstatic and ran to her,
crying, "Let us go to your asrama before my father returns!"
Rajan, those courtesans made Rishyasringa board their floating
hermitage. As soon as he was aboard, they unmoored the vessel and cast
off. With a myriad of pleasures they kept him engaged and delighted, until
they arrived in the kingdom of Anga.
Then, leaving the floating vessel, of dazzling white, upon the water, they
fetched the innocent Rishi, Vibhandaka's son, to the king Lomapada, who
kept him in his antahpura, among his women. Suddenly, the heavens
opened and it poured over the kingdom, why, the very world seemed to
become flooded with water.
His fervent wish fulfilled, Lomapada bestowed his daughter Shanta on
Rishyasringa in marriage.
With a view to appease the wrath of his father, he ordered kine to be
placed, and fields to be ploughed, by the road that Vibhandaka would take
to come to his son. He also set stout cowherds along the route, with a
plenitude of cattle, and ordered them:
"When the Maharishi Vibhandaka asks you about his son, you must fold
your hands and say to him that all these cattle, all these fields belong to his
son, and that you yourselves are his slaves, ready to obey his every wish."
Now, having gathered roots and fruit, the Rishi Vibhandaka, whose
temper was fierce, returned to his hermitage, and looked for his son; not
finding him, he became fiercely angry. He was beside himself with fury and
he suspected king Lomapadas hand in what had befallen Rishyasringa.
He set out for the city of Champa, having made up his mind to burn the
king, his city, and his whole kingdom. On the way, he was tired and hungry,
when he reached the cleverly placed and opulent cowherd settlements, rich
with cattle. He felt honoured at the way in which the cowherds welcomed
and feted him; and he spent that night in a manner befitting a king.
Having partaken of their great hospitality, he asked them, "To whom, O
cowherds, do you belong?"
They surrounded him and said, "All this wealth has been provided for
your son."
Vibhandaka continued his journey, and along his way he was similarly
honoured, frequently. Finally, arriving, he saw Rishyasringa, his son, who
looked like the god Indra in heaven. He also saw his daughter-in-law,
shanta, looking like lightning springing from a cloud. Having seen
everything provided for Rishyasringa, as well as the exquisite princess
shanta, Vibhandaka was appeased.
Rajan, he expressed his satisfaction with Lomapada. The Maharishi,
whose powers rivalled those of Surya and Agni, said to Rishyasringa, "As
soon as a son is born to you, and having done all that this king wants from
you, you must return immediately to the forest."
Rishyasringa did exactly as his father said, and he returned to
Vibhandaka's asrama. Rajan, shanta obediently waited upon him, as in the
firmament Rohini waits upon the Moon, or as the fortunate Arundhati waits
upon Vasishta, or as Lopamudra waits upon Agastya. Just as Damayanti
was an obedient wife to Nala, or as Sachi is to the god who wields the
thunderbolt, or as Indrasena, Narayana's daughter, was always obedient to
Mudgala, so did shanta wait lovingly upon Rishyasringa, while he lived in
the forest.
This is the holy hermitage that was Rishyasringa's; ennobling the great
lake here, it bears sacred fame. Perform your ablutions here and have your
desire fulfilled. And having purified thyself, direct your course towards
other holy tirthas.'"
CANTO 114
aisampayana said, "Then, O Janamejaya, the son of Pandu sets out

from the river Kausiki and journeys in succession to all the sacred
shrines; and he comes to the sea where the river Ganga flows into it. There,
at the nave of five hundred rivers, he performs the holy ceremony of an
ablution.
Then, O ruler of the earth, accompanied by his brothers, the valiant
Kshatriya goes along the shore towards the land where the Kalinga tribes
dwell.
Lomasa says, 'This is the land, Kaunteya, where the Kalinga tribes live.
The river Vaitarani passes through it, upon the banks of which river Dharma
Deva performed a tapasya, having first placed himself under the protection
of the celestials.
This is the northern bank, with its charmed mountain, inhabited by
Rishis, ideal for the performance of religious rites, and frequented by
Brahmanas. This place rivals the path by which a virtuous man, fit for
heaven, repairs to Devaloka. Here, in days of yore, other sages worshipped
the Gods with austerities.
It was here, O King, that the Lord Rudra seized the sacrificial beast and
cried, "This is my share!" Bharatottama, when Siva carried away the
yagnapasu, the Devas said to him, "Do not covet the property of others,
flouting the laws of dharma."
They eulogised the Lord Rudra, and pleased him with the offering of a
sacrifice, and honoured him duly. Thereupon he gave up the beast, and left
by the path trodden by the gods.
Hear what happened to Rudra, O Yudhishtira! Influenced by their dread
of him, the Devas forevermore set apart the best of all shares of their
offerings, what was fresh and not stale for him.
Whoever performs ablutions at this spot, while reciting this ancient
story, will see, with his mortal eyes, the path that leads to Devaloka.'
All the sons of Pandu and the daughter of Drupada—all of whom were
the favoured by fate—descend to the river Vaitarani, and offer libations in
the names of their fathers.
Yudhishtira says, 'O Lomasa, how great must be the force of a pious
deed! Having bathed here, I feel as if I am no more in the world of men!
Maharishi, I see all the worlds! And I hear the holy Munis of the forest
chanting the Veda.'
Lomasa says, 'Yudhishtira, the place from where the chanting comes is
three hundred thousand yojanas from here. Lord of men, be quiet and utter
no word. This is the divine forest of the Swayambhuva, which has now
come to our view. There Viswakarma, whose name is dreaded, performed a
yagna.
During that mighty sacrifice, the Self-existent One made a gift of this
entire earth, with all its hilly and forest tracts, to Kasyapa, by way of
dakshina, for serving as a priest. As soon as Bhumi Devi was given away,
she became sad, and spoke in anger to that great lord, the ruler of the
worlds.
"O Mahadeva, it is unworthy of you to give me away to an ordinary
mortal, and this daana of yours will come to nothing. For I mean to plunge
down into the bottom of Patala!"
When the blessed Rishi Kasyapa saw the goddess Earth despondent and
angry, he performed a propitiatory ritual to appease her. Pandava, Bhumi
Devi was pleased with his worship and she rose again from within the
waters, and showed herself in the form of a sacred altar.
This, O king, is the place which distinctly manifests the form of a vedi.
Walk over it, and you will gain valour and strength. Rajan, this is the very
altar which reaches as far as the sea, and rests itself upon its bosom.
May good fortune be yours; climb here and by yourself walk out into the
sea, while I perform the ritual for averting all evil from you. For, as soon as
it receives a mortal's touch, this vedi at once enters into the sea.
Salutation to the God who protects the universe! Salutation to You that
are beyond the universe! O Lord of gods, vouchsafe your presence in this
sea.
Pandava, you must swiftly climb the vedi, while chanting this mantra:
"The god of fire, and the sun, and the organ of generation, and water, and
goddess and the seed of Vishnu, and the navel of nectar. The god of fire is
the organ that generated the ocean; the earth is your body; Vishnu deposited
the seed that caused your being and you are the navel of nectar!"
Chant these words aloud, Pandava, and plunge into the sea even as you
do so. Otherwise, O best of Kunti's son, this lord of waters of divine birth,
this most auspicious of all waters of the earth, must not be touched, not
even with the tip of a blade of sacred grass.'
When the ritual for averting evil has been completed, Yudhishtira enters
the sea, and having done everything that the Rishi had asked of him, repairs
to the foothill of the Mahendra mountain, and spends the night in that
place."
CANTO 115
aisampayana said, "The king of the earth spends a single night there,
and, with his brothers, pays the highest homage to the Rishis. And
Lomasa acquaints him with the names of all of them – the Bhrigus, the
Angiras, the Vasishtas, and the Kasyapas.
And the Rajarishi visits them all and makes obeisance to them, with
folded hands.
And then he asks the valiant Akritavrana, who is a follower of
Parasurama, 'When will the worshipful Parasurama show himself to the
Rishis here? I, too, wish to have a darshana of the Bhargava.'
Akritavrana says, 'Rama already knows about your coming here, for his
soul spontaneously knows all things. He is in every way well-pleased with
you, and he will show himself readily to you.
The Rishis who perform tapasya here are allowed to see him on the
fourteenth and the eighth day of the lunar month. When this night ends,
tomorrow, the fourteenth day of this moon will begin; and you shall see
him, clad in a sable deerskin, and wearing his hair in a mass of jata.'
Yudhishtira says, 'You have long been a follower of the mighty Rama,
Jamadagni's son; you must have been an eye-witness to all his awesome
deeds of yore.
I beg you, tell me how Rama vanquished all the Kshatriyas on the field
of battle, and tell me also what the original cause of the conflict was.'
Akritavrana says, 'Bhaarata, gladly, I will narrate that great tale to you,
the legend of the the godlike deeds of Rama, the son of Jamadagni, who
belongs to the race of Bhrigu.
I will also relate the achievements of the great king of the Haihaya tribe;
his name was Arjuna, and Parasurama killed him. He, O Pandava, was
endowed with a thousand arms; and through the grace of Dattatreya he also
had a golden, heavenly vimana.
His sway extended over all the worlds, and his vimana could go
anywhere at his very thought. Become invincible with the boon, he went
everywhere in that vimana, and rode rough over the Devas, Yakshas and
Rishis, wherever he pleased; he tyrannised all the created.
Finally, the Devas and the Rishis of austere tapasya went together to
Vishnu, slayer of demons, God of gods, of inexorable prowess, and said to
him, "Blessed and revered Lord, if creation is to be saved, you must kill
Kartaviryarjuna."
The mighty king of the Haihayas, riding his vimana, rudely affronted
Indra, while that Deva was alone with his queen Sachi. At this, O Bhaarata,
the Lord Vishnu consulted with Indra with a view to killing Kartavirya's son
Arjuna.
Indra told Vishnu all about Arjuna's depredations and sins, and the God
whom the worlds worship went to the enchanted Badari forest, which was
his own chosen tapovana.
At this very time, there lived on the earth a mighty sovereign, monarch
in the land of Kanyakubja, a king with a vast army. His name was Gadhi
and his fame resounded through the world. He, however, retired into the
forest, becoming a vanaprastha.
While he lived in the vana, a daughter was born to him, as beautiful as
an Apsara was she. And Richika, the son of Bhrigu, asked for her to be his
wife.
Gadhi said to that Brahmana, who led a most austere life, "We have a
family custom in our race, founded by our most ancient ancestors -know, O
Brahmanottama, that he who wishes to marry a princess of our clan must
offer a dowry of a thousand fleet horses, whose colour must be brown and
every one of which must have a single sable ear.
But, son of Bhrigu, a reverend Muni like you cannot be asked to make
the same offering, neither can I refuse to give my daughter to an exalted and
holy one like you."
Richika said, "I will give you a thousand fleet steeds, brown in hue and
each one with a single black ear; give me your daughter."
Richaka went to Varuna and said, "Give me a thousand swift horses,
brown in colour, and each with one black ear. I want them as the dowry for
my marriage."
Varuna gave him a thousand steeds. These steeds had issued out of the
river Ganga; and so the place has been named Aswatirtha.
In the city of Kanyakubja, the daughter of Gadhi, the princess Satyavati
was given in marriage; and the gods themselves were in the bride's party.
Thus, Richaka, best of Brahmanas, procured a thousand horses, and saw the
dwellers of heaven and won a wife. And he enjoyed the girl of the slender
waist, and gratified all the desire that he ever had.
When the marriage had been celebrated, O king, his father Bhrigu came
on a visit to see him and his wife; and he was glad to see his son. The
husband and wife together paid their respects to him, who was worshipped
by all the gods. Bhrigu sat, and they stood near him with folded hands,
waiting to do his bidding.
Maharishi Bhrigu, glad at heart, said to his daughter-in-law, "Lovely
child, ask me for a boon, I will give you anything you want."
And she asked that a son might be born to both herself and her mother.
And he granted her wish.
Bhrigu said, "During the days that your season lasts, you and your
mother must bathe, observing the vrata to bear a son. Then you must both
separately embrace two different trees – she a peepal tree, and you a fig
tree.
Dutiful child, here are two pots of payasa, rice and milk, which I have
prepared with great care. I have combed the universe to find the
medicaments that I have blended into this payasa. With great care must you
both drink this."
Saying this, he vanished. However, the two women interchanged not
only the vessels of payasa that he gave them but also the trees that they
embraced. After many days, the Sage appeared again, and he already knew,
through his mystic vision, what had happened.
The mighty Bhrigu said to Satyavati, his daughter-in-law, "Dharmaputri,
you ate the wrong pot of payasa and you embraced the wrong tree. It was
your mother who deluded you. You will have a son who, though born a
Brahmana, will have the character and nature of a Kshatriya. Your mother
will have a Kshatriya son who will live the life of a Brahmana, and great
shall be his power and he will walk the path trodden by the righteous."
She begged repeatedly, "O let my son not be so but my grandson!"
And, O Pandava, Bhrigu replied, "Tathastu, so be it!" and he was pleased
to grant her wish.
On the expected day, she gave birth to a son, who was called Jamadagni,
endowed with both splendour and grace. As he grew in years and in
strength, he excelled all the other Sages in his knowledge of the Vaidik lore.
Bhaarata, he rivalled the Sun in lustre and the entire astra shastra, the
martial science, and the fourfold Devastra gyana came to him
spontaneously, with no instruction.'
CANTO 116
kritavrana says, 'Jamadagni devoted himself to the study of the Veda

and the practice of tapasya, and became famous for his .great
austerities. He pursued a deep and systematic course of study and gained
mastery over the entire Veda.
Then, O king, he went to Prasenajit and sought the hand of Renuka in
marriage. That king happily gave the Sage his daughter, and having got
Renuka for his wife, the Bhrigunandana, delight of Bhrigu's race, began
living with her in his asrama; now, he performed tapasya and she helped
and looked after him.
Four boys were born to her, Rama the fifth. Although the youngest, he
was superior to all his brothers.
One day, when her sons had gone into the forest to gather fruit, the pure
and austere Renuka went to bathe in the river. While bathing, she happened
to see the king of Martikavataka, who was known as Chitraratha. This
Kshatriya, wearing a lotus wreath upon his chest, was sporting with his
wives in the water.
Seeing his magnificent form, Renuka was touched by desire that she
could not contain, and she sinned in thought in the very river and was
polluted. She returned to the hermitage, trembling in her heart. Her husband
instantly saw the condition she was in, and seeing that the lustre of chastity
had abandoned his wife, he cried out in anguish and anger.
At that very moment, the eldest of Jamadagni's sons, Rumanvan arrived
there; and then, Sushena, and then, Vasu, and Viswavasu also. One by one,
the Maharishi ordered them to kill their mother. However, they could not
find the heart to do so; they stood silent. He cursed them in anger, and they
lost their reason, and became like senseless things, dull as inanimate
objects, and in conduct like beasts and birds.
Now, Rama arrived in the asrama, last of all. The mighty-armed
Jamadagni, of great austerities, said to him, "Kill this evil mother of yours,
without compunction, O my son."
Rama immediately took up an axe and cut off his mother's head. The
wrath of Mahatama Jamadagni was appeased; and well-pleased, he said,
"My child, knower of dharma, you have done this most difficult thing at my
bidding. Ask me for whatever your heart wishes for and I will give you
everything you want."
At which, Rama asked that his mother be restored to life, and that he
himself not be haunted by the remembrance of his savage deed and that he
might not be affected by any sin, and that his brothers might recover their
former condition, and that he might be unrivalled on the field of battle, and
have a long life.
Bhaarata, Jamadagni of awesome tapasya granted all those wishes of
Rama.
Then, one day, when the Sage's sons had all gone out again, the valiant
son of Kartavirya, the lord of the country near the shore of the sea, came to
Jamadagni's hermitage. The Sage's wife received him hospitably. However,
intoxicated with a Kshatriya warrior's pride, he was; not pleased with the
reception given to him, and forcibly seized and carried off the foremost
among the cows whose milk supplied the sacral butter, heedless of its loud
lowing.
He wantonly tore down the great trees of the forest. When Rama came
home, his father told him all that had happened. When Rama saw how the
cow lowed for its calf, anger arose in his heart and he rushed towards
Kartavirya's son, whose last moments had drawn near.
Then Bhargava, scourge of the Kshatriyas, put forth his valour on the
field of battle, and with flat-tipped, sharp arrows loosed from a beautiful
bow, cut away Kartaviryarjuna's thousand arms, which were as massive as
great door bolts. Touched by the hand of death, Kartavirya's son died at
Rama's hands.
Their wrath stirred against Rama, Arjuna's kinsmen rushed at Jamadagni
in his hermitage, while Rama was still away. They slew him there; for
although his strength was great, he was at tapasya and would not fight.
Helplessly, repeatedly, he cried out Rama's name in a piteous voice.
And, O Yudhishtira, the sons of Kartavirya shot Jamadagni dead with
their arrows, and left the asrama. When they had gone, and when Jamadagni
had breathed his last, Rama Bhrigunandana returned to the hermitage,
bearing fuel for the sacred agni in his arms, and saw his father lying slain.
He was stricken and railed against the grievous fate that had caused this
tragedy.'
CANTO 117
ama cried, "The blame is mine, O father, that the wretched sons of
Kartavirya have shot you dead with arrows, like a stag in the woods. O
father, you were always virtuous and never swerved from the path of
dharma, nor harmed any living creature. How did Fate bring you such a vile
death?
What an awful sin they have committed, who have killed you with
hundreds of arrows, although you were an old man and performing tapasya
and would not fight them! With what face will those shameless ones speak
of this deed of theirs to their friends and servants? That they have murdered
an unassisted and unresisting holy man?"
O King, thus Rama of great penance wailed, piteously, and then, at last,
performed the obsequies for his dead sire. Rama, conqueror of hostile cities,
cremated his father on a pyre, and vowed, O scion of Bharata, to annihilate
the very race of Kshatriyas.
Of awesome strength, with the valour of a great warrior, and comparable
to the god of death himself, he took up his weapon in wrath, went forth and
singlehandedly put Kartavirya's sons to death. In three encounters, he struck
down all the Kshatriya followers of Kartavirya's sons.
And seven times, that powerful one exterminated the warrior tribes of
the earth. In the land called Samanta-panchaka, he made five lakes of their
blood.
There the mightiest scion of Bhrigu's race offered tarpana to his
ancestors, and Richika appeared to him in a visible form, and spoke words
of counsel to him; after this, Jamadagni's son performed a mighty sacrifice
and gratified the king of the Devas, and gifted the Earth to the ministering
priests.
Lord of men, he raised a golden altar there, ten vyamas in breadth and
nine in height, and gifted that vedi to the great Kasyapa. At Kasyapa's
bidding, the Brahmanas divided the altar into a number of shares, and so
they became known as as the Khandavayanas, the share takers.
The exterminator of the Kshatriyas bestowed the earth upon Mahatma
Kasyapa, then engaged himself in an atikatora tapasya. He now dwells upon
this Mahendra, monarch of hills.
So it was that there were hostilities between Rama and all the Kshatriyas
of the world; and killing them, Rama conquered all the earth,' says
Akritavrana.
Then on the fourteenth day of the moon, at the appointed hour, the
mighty-souled Rama shows himself to those Brahmanas and also to the
virtuous Yudhishtira and his younger brothers. And, O king of kings, the
Pandavas worship Rama, and also all the other Dvijas. After worshipping
Jamadagni's son and receiving words of praise from him, at Parasurama's
behest, Yudhishtira spends the night on the Mahendra Parvata, and then sets
out on his journey towards the southern lands."
CANTO 118
aisampayana said, "The great king pursues his journey, and at different
places on the sea shore he visits all the auspicious tirthas to which
Brahmanas went. And O son of Parikshit, Yudhishtira bathes in them all,
and his brothers with him.
Later, they come to a sacred river, holiest of them. There, also, the king
performs his ablutions and offers libations to his ancestors and the gods,
and distributes riches to the leaders of the dvijas.
Next he comes to the Godavari, river that falls direcdy into the sea.
There he is freed from his sins. He reaches the sea in the Dravida land, and
visits the holy tirtha bearing Agastyas name, which is exceedingly sacred
and exceptionally pure. The valiant king visits the feminine tirthas, of the
crocodiles who were Apsaras; here he listens to the story of Arjuna's feat,
which no other mortal man could have performed.
Here, the Pandava is praised by the highest men among all Brahmanas,
and Yudhishtira experiences the greatest delight. And, O Lokarakshaka,
along with Krishnaa, Pandu's son bathes in those tirthas, and lauding
Arjuna's valour, spends some delightful time there.
Yudhishtira gives away thousands of cows at those tirthas on the coast of
the sea; and with his brothers tells, with pleasure, of how Arjuna had made
a gift of kine here. Rajan, one after another, they visit those holy places,
both on the coast and many other sacred spots, as well, fulfiling their hearts'
desire, until they come to that holiest tirtha known as Surparaka.
Crossing over a stretch of the sea coast, they arrive at a forest celebrated
over the world. Here the Devas had performed tapasya in the elder days,
and so had the great Rajarishis of dharma undertaken yagnas. Here,
Yudhishtira, of long and mighty arms, sees the celebrated altar of Richaka's
son, who had been the greatest of archers.
And the vedi is surrounded by hosts of ascetics, altar fit to be
worshipped by men of dharma. The king sees the holy, and beautiful, and
delightful shrines of all the Devas and of the Vasus, and of the Maruts and
of the Aswin twins, the celestial physicians, and of Yama, son of Surya, and
of Kubera, the lord of riches, and of Indra, and of Vishnu, and of Brahma
and of Siva, and of Soma the Moon, and of Surya, author of day, and of
Varuna, lord of waters, and of the host of Sadhyas, and of the Pitrs, and of
Rudra together with all his ganas, and of Saraswati, the goddess of learning,
and of the host of Siddhas, and of many other immortal holy gods besides.
In all those shrines the king observes various vratas, and gives away
countless gemstones. He bathes in all the tirthas, then returns to Surparaka,
from where, with his brothers, he crosses to Prabhasa, whose fame great
Brahmanas have spread throughout the world.
There Yudhishtira, of the large reddish eyes, bathes with his brothers and
offers libations to the Pitrs and the Devas, as do Krishnaa and all the
Brahmanas travelling with them, and Lomasa as well. For twelve days he
subsists upon air and water, and performs ablutions during those days and
their nights, surrounding himself with kindled fires.
Thus that greatest of all virtuous men engages himself in asceticism,
while word reaches Balarama and Krishna in Dwaraka of Yudhishtira's
severe penance, and those two lords of all the Vrishnis, bring a large
complement of soldiers with them, and come to meet the Pandava of the
race of Ajamidha.
When the Vrishnis see the sons of Pandu lying upon the ground, their
bodies covered in dirt, when they see the daughter of Drupada in a piteous
condition, their grief is great and they cannot stop themselves from
breaking out into loud lamentation.
Now the king, whose courage is such that no misfortune can ever prevail
over his heart, rises and lovingly meets Rama and Krishna and Krishna's
son Samba, and the grandson of Sini and other Vrishnis, and pays his
respects to them, suitably. In return, they also honour him and all the sons
of Pritha, who in turn honour them.
And they seat themselves around Yudhishtira, as the Devas sit around
Indra, O king! He describes the machinations of his enemies to them, and
how he has spent his years in the forest, and how Arjuna has gone to Indra's
realm to acquire the Devastras; he is joyful in their company and relates all
this with a light and glad heart.
And they are happy to learn all this news from him; but when they see
the Pandavas so emaciated, the majestic and kindly Vrishnis cannot stanch
their tears, gushing from their eyes for the anguish they feel."
CANTO 119
anamejaya said, "O you of ascetic wealth, when the sons of Pandu and
the Vrishnis reach holy Prabhasa, what do they do and whatconversation
do they have between them? For all of them were such Mahatmans, and
held each other in high esteem."
Vaisampayana said, "When the Vrishnis arrive in holy Prabhasa, the
sacred landing on the coast of the sea, they surround the sons of Pandu and
wait upon them.
Then, Balarama, whose complexion is as fair as the milk of the cow, the
kunda flower, the moon, silver and the lotus root, Balarama who wears a
vanamala and whose weapon is the ploughshare, speaks to the lotus-eyed
Panchali, 'Krishnaa, I do not see that the practice of dharma leads to any
good or that sin fetches evil upon the sinners, for I see the godly Yudhishtira
in this miserable condition, with matted hair, a vanaprastha, and wearing
valkala; while Duryodhana rules the earth, and the ground does not open to
swallow him.
It would seem that a life of viciousness is more rewarding than a
virtuous one. All ordinary men wonder that the sinner Duryodhana
flourishes while the righteous Yudhishtira Dharmaputra, who cleaves to
justice, is always honest and liberal has been robbed of his throne.
Why, this son of Pritha would give up his kingdom and his pleasure but
would not swerve from the path of dharma. How do Bhishma and Kripa and
the Brahmana Drona and the old king Dhritarashtra live happily after
banishing the sons of Pandu into exile? Ah, fie on the sinful lords of
Bharata's race!
What will Dhritarashtra say to the Pitrs of his noble line when the wretch
meets them in the next world? He has cast his sinless sons from their
throne; how can he ever claim that he is not guilty of the worst crime?
At this time he does not see with his mind's eye that he has acted blindly,
and truly gone blind in the sight of the kings of the earth. It is because he
has banished Kunti's son from his kingdom! I have no doubt that, when he
with his sons perpetrated this inhuman act, Vichitravirya's son saw the
dread smasana where bodies are burnt with flowering trees of a golden hue.
Surely, when these stooped towards him, the evil dead with great
crimson, staring eyes, he must have heeded their vicious counsel, since he
so fearlessly sent Yudhishtira to the forest, even while this son of Pandu had
all his weapons with him and his brothers, as well.
This Bhima here, whose voracious appetite is like that of a wolf, can
decimate a formidable army just with the strength of his arms and bearing
no weapon. The forces on the battlefield were unmanned just to hear his
war-cry. And now this mighty one suffers from hunger and thirst, and is
emaciated with toilsome journeys.
But when he takes up his arrows and other weapons, and meets his
enemies on the field, he will remember the suffering of his wretched forest-
life, and kill them to the last man – of this I have no doubt.
Throughout the whole world no one can boast of strength and prowess
equal to his. Alas, his great body is denuded by the cold, and heat and the
winds. But when he stands up to fight, he will not spare a single enemy.
This mighty Kshatriya is inexorable when he rides a chariot — this
Vrikodara single-handedly conquered all the rulers of the east, together with
ther armies; and he returned from those wars uninjured. And that same
Bhima, clad miserably in the bark of trees, now leads a sorry life in the
vana.
This powerful Sahadeva vanquished all the kings of the south; those
lords of men who amassed on the sea coast – look at him now in
tapasavesham, an anchorite's garb. Valiant Nakula singe-handedly
vanquished the kings of the west; and he now roams the jungles, subsisting
on fruit and roots, with a matted mass of jata on the head, and his body
covered with dirt.
This daughter of a king who is a maharatha, rose from the flames during
a sacrifice. She has always known a life of luxury and happiness; how does
she now endure this sorry existence in a forest?
And the son of the god of virtue—dharma which stands at the head of
the three purusharthas—and the son of the wind god and the son of the lord
of the Devas, and these two sons of the Aswini Kumaras – how do they live
in the forest deprived of all comforts?
When Dharmaputra was beaten at dice, and when he, his wife, his
brothers and his followers were all driven into exile, and Duryodhana began
to flourish, why did the very earth not perish with all her mountains?"
CANTO 120
atyaki says, "Rama, this is not the time to lament. Although Yudhishtira
does not say a single word, we must do what the time and occasion
demand. Those who have others to look after their welfare do not need to
undertake anything themselves; others do their work, as Saibya and the rest
did for Yayati.
So, too, Rama, those who have friends, patrons who, of their own
accord, fight their causes meet with no trials, as if they are helpless. How is
it that when the sons of Pritha have Balarama and Krishna for friends and
patrons, as well as Samba and Pradyumna and myself—we who can protect
the three worlds—how is it then that Yudhishtira lives in the forest with his
brothers?
Even today our army of Dasarhas, fully armed and wearing chequered
mail, should march on Hastinapura, and the Vrishnis should send
Dhritarashtra's sons and their allies to Yamaloka. If roused, Krishna by
himself, Krishna who wields the bow made of horn, could subdue all the
world. Krishna, I ask you to kill Dhritarashtra's son, with all his men, even
as Indra did Vritra.
Pritha's son Arjuna is my brother, and my friend, and my guru; he is like
another Krishna. It is for this that men wish for a worthy son, and that a
guru seeks a pupil who would never contradict him. It is for this that the
time has come for that best of all tasks, difficult to perform.
I will baffle Duryodhana's volleys of weapons with my archery. I will
overpower them all on the field of battle. In my wrath, I will strike him
down with my fine shafts that are no less than snakes, poison and fire. And
with the keen edge of my sword, I will cut his head from his trunk, on the
battlefield.
After this, I will kill his followers, and annihilate all of Kuru's race. O
son of Rohini, let the followers of Bhima look at me with joy in their hearts,
when I wield my weapons on the field of war, when I slay all their best
warriors, just as fire consumes the worlds like bales of straw, when time
ends.
Kripa and Drona and Vikarna and Karna will not stand against
Pradyumna's fierce arrows. And I know the power of Arjuna's son – he is
like the son of Krishna in battle. Let Samba punish Dusasana; let him kill
Dusasana and his charioteer and destroy his ratha, for on the field of battle
Jamabavati's son is irresistible and nothing can withstand him. Why, when
he was a mere boy he routed the Asura Sambaras army; he slew
Asvachakra, whose thighs were like pillars, and whose muscular arms were
of great length.
Who can even approach Samba's chariot? Even as all mortals that are
born do not escape death, so, too, whoever meets Samba on the battlefield
will die.
As for Krishna, he will burn up the enemy troops with his astras of fire;
he will kill the maharathas Bhishma and Drona, and Somadatta surrounded
by all his sons. Who or what is there in all the world, including the gods,
that Krishna cannot vanquish in battle when he takes up arms?
Then let Aniruddha also take up his bow and sword, and let him cover
the earth with Dhritarashtra's sons, their heads hewn from their trunks, even
as a sacrificial vedi is strewn with blades of kusa grass.
And Gada and Ulmuka, and Bahuka and Bhanu and Nitha and the young
Nishatha, so valiant in battle, and Sarana, and Charudeshna, inexorable in
war – let them all perform feats that befit their race.
Let the united army of the Satwatas and Suras, together with the best
warriors of the Vrishnis, the Bhojas, and the Andhakas slay the sons of
Dhritarashtra upon the field of war, and swell their great fame throughout
the world.
Then let Abhimanyu rule the world as long as this best of virtuous men,
Yudhishtira, is away fulfilling the vow that he swore during the game of
dice. After that time expires, he will rule the world again, unchallenged, for
we would have slain all his enemies already. No son of Dhritarashtra will
remain on earth, neither the Sutaputra.
This is the vital mission before us, which we must accomplish without
delay."
Krishna says, "O scion of the race of Madhu, what you say is true and
we accept and honour your words, always valiant one! But this bull of the
Kurus would never accept 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 greed would Yudhishtira ever renounce Kshatriya dharma; and nor
would these two heroes, the maharathas Bhima and Arjuna; nor the twins,
and neither Drupada's daughter Krishnaa.
Vrikodara and Dhananjaya have no equals or rivals in battle throughout
the word. And why will this king not rule the whole world when he has
Madri's twin sons to fight for him?
The noble king of Panchala, together with the Kekaya king, and we
ourselves shall put forth our might, and at that time the enemies of
Yudhisthira shall be annihilated."
Yudhishtira says, "It is not strange that you should say this, Satyaki!
However, to me dharma must be the first consideration, above that of
sovereign power.
But only Krishna knows what I am, just as I alone know who he truly is.
Scion of Madhu, most valiant of Sini's race, when Krishna knows that the
time for war has come, he, Kesava of the beautiful hair, will also help
vanquish Suyodhana.
But today let the Dasarha heroes go back; they are my patrons and the
greatest of all men, who have visited me here. O you of immeasurable
strength, never fall away from the path of dharma, and I will see you again
and that shall be a joyful occasion."
Then, after exchanging mutual greetings and paying obeisance to their
elders, and having embraced the youthful, the Yadavas and the Pandavas
part. The Yadus return to their home, and the Pandavas continue their
tirthayatra.
Leaving Krishna, Yudhishtira, accompanied by his brothers and servants,
and also by Lomasa, goes to the sacred river Payoshni, with its fine landing-
ford that had been built by the king of Vidarbha. The Pandavas begin living
on the banks of the Payoshni, whose waters are mixed with Soma rasa.
There, Yudhishtira is greeted with praise and affection by very many
Brahmanas, who are delighted to see him in that place.
CANTO 121
omasa says, "Rajan, King Nriga performed a sacrifice here, he gratified

Indra Purandara with the offering of Soma rasa. Indra was refreshed and
very pleased. Here, Indra and the Devas and the protectors of all born
beings celebrated Mahayagnas of diverse kinds, and gave abundant wealth
to the ministering priests.
Here King Amurtarayasa, lord of the earth, gratified Indra Vajradhari,
also with Soma rasa, when that king performed seven aswamedha yagnas.
All things which in other sacrifices are made of wood and earth, were made
of gold at those seven horse sacrifices.
And he himself fashioned for all the rites seven sets of stakes, the rings
for the sacrificial stambas, the pots, the ladles, utensils, and spoons. On top
of each sacrificial stake, seven rings were fastened, and, O Yudhishtira,
Indra and the Devas themselves erected the stakes of shining gold which
had been prepared for that king's sacred rites.
In all the magnificent yagnas of Gaya, protector of the earth, he
delighted Indra by giving him Soma rasa to drink, and the ministering
priests were gratified with the untold wealth the king gave them. As no one
can count the sand-grains of the earth, or the stars in the sky, or rain-drops
when it rains, so, too, the wealth Gaya gave away was beyond calculation, it
was past anything given before, even during the seven aswamedhas.
And Viswakarman created golden images of Saraswati, Goddess of
speech, and Gaya gave these away to the Brahmanas who attended his
sacrifice, coming from all the directions and cardinal points.
Lord of men, when King Gaya, Mahatman, performed his sacrifices, he
erected sacrificial mounds at so many different places that but little space
was left upon the surface of the earth. Bhaarata, through this Mahayagna,
Gaya attained Devaloka, Indra's realm.
Whoever bathes in the river Payoshni goes to the realms which Gaya
attained, so, Rajadhiraja, prince of dharma, you and your brothers must
bathe in this river; and, O protector of the earth, you will be freed from all
sin.'
Purushottama, Yudhishtira and his brothers perform ablutions in the river
Payoshni, after which they journey on to the hill of sapphires and the great
river Narmada, where Lomasa names all the sacred tirthas for the Pandava
and all the holy shrines of the Devas, as they visit each of these, one after
the other, at their leisure.
At each of them, Brahmanas by thousands receive gifts from
Yudhishtira.
Lomasa says, 'Kaunteya, he who visits the Vaidurya Parvata, the
sapphire mountain, and immerses his body in the river Narmada, attains the
lokas of the Devas and the Rajarishis. This is the cusp of the Dwapara and
the Kali yugas; this is the time when a man rids himself of all his sins.
This is where Saryati performed sacrificial rites, at which Indra appeared
and drank Soma rasa, along with the Aswini Kumaras. And here Bhrigu's
son of great tapasya became angry with Mahendra, and the mighty
Chyavana paralysed Indra, and gained the princess Sukanya for his wife.'
Yudhishtira says, 'How did Chyavana paralyse the Deva of the six gunas,
the scourge of Paka? Why did the Maharishi become angry with Indra? And
how, O Brahmana, did Chyavana enable the Aswini Kumaras to drink the
Soma rasa? I beg you, tell me about all this exactly as it happened.'
CANTO 122
omasa says, "A son was born to the Maharishi Bhrigu, and he was
called Chyavana. He was respelendent and sat in tapasya on the banks
of the lake you see there. Pandava, Chyavana of great tejas sat in the
posture called Vira; he sat quiet and still as a post, for a very long time, in
the same place.
An anthill covered him, and creepers the hillock. Swarms of ants
enveloped him, and he looked just like a mound of earth, but he continued
his tapasya, lost to the world.
When a long time passed, King Saryati came to this fine lake for his
amusement. With him, came four thousand women, his wives all, O
Bhaarata! Also with him came his only daughter, Sukanya of the beautiful
brows.
She wore jewels fit for the Apsaras, was surrounded by her sakhis, and
while wandering here, came to the anthill inside which Bhrigu's son sat in
dhyana. She looked around her, enchanted by the beauty of the place, the
grand and lofty trees.
Ah, she was exquisite and in the prime of her youth. She was playful and
began to break the twigs of the forest trees bearing blossoms. Bhrigu's son
of awesome intelligence saw her roaming about bright like a streak of
lightning, now having left her maids behind, and wearing just a single cloth
and her ornaments.
The Muni was stricken with desire, and he called out to her in a low
voice, but she did not hear him. Then she saw his eyes shining through the
anthill, and not knowing what they were, and becoming curious, she pierced
those eyes with a twig of thorns. From that searing pain of being blinded
Chyavana in anger cursed Saryati and his party -freezing their bowels!
Unable to answer the calls of nature, the men suffered direly.
Seeing their agony, the knowing king asked, "Who has offended the
illustrious son of Bhrigu? He is old and always at tapasya, and he is
wrathful. Tell me quickly if you know who has wronged him."
His soldiers replied, "We do not know who has wronged the Rishi. We
ask you to inquire into this thing."
At which, using both menace and conciliation, Saryati asked his advisors
and friends about what had happened, but they did not know anything
either.
When Sukanya saw the distress of the army and her father aggrieved,
she said, "Roving in the forest, I lighted upon this anthill and saw
something shining inside it. Taking it for glowworms, I pierced the anthill
with thorns."
Saryati immediately came to the anthill, and there he saw Bhrigu's son,
old both in years and tapasya. With folded hands, the lord of the earth
begged the Sage, "My daughter did this atrocious thing in ignorance and
youth, it becomes you to forgive her."
Bhrigu's son Chyavana said, "Full of pride, she pierced my eyes. O
King, I will forgive you only on one condition – that you give me your
beautiful, ignorant and arrogant daughter for my wife."
Saryati never paused but bestowed Sukanya on Mahatama Chyavana.
Now the holy one was pleased with the king and withdrew his curse.
Having won the Rishi's grace, the king went home to his city, with his
troops.
Having become the Muni's wife, the lovely Sukanya quickly proved
herself to be dutiful – in tending to his needs, in keeping vows and
practising austerities herself, in observing dharma. She was graceful,
guileless and she worshipped her husband Chyanava, she looked after his
guests, whenever they came, and she kept the sacred fire burning."
CANTO 123
omasa says, "One day the Aswin twins saw Sukanya, when she had just
finished bathing and she was naked. They approached her, who was as
beautiful as the daughter of the king of the Devas, and they said, 'You of the
shapely thighs, whose daughter are you? And what are you doing in this
forest? Auspicious, most graceful one, tell us who you ae."
She replied shyly, "I am Saryati's daughter, and Chyavana's wife."
At which, the Aswins smiled, "Why, most fortunate one, has your father
given you to a man who is near death? Ah, timid girl, you shine like
lightning in this jungle. Why, not in Devaloka have we seen the likes of
you. Even wearing no ornament and neither any costly garment, you light
up this vana!
Still, faultless limbs, you cannot be as beautiful here as you would
decked in every ornament and wearing gorgeous apparel. Why, exquisite
one, do you serve a decrepit old husband, who is incapable of satisfying you
or even maintaing you, O luminous smiles? Divine beauty, leave Chyavana
and take one of us for your husband. You must not lay waste your youth."
Sukanya replied, "I am devoted to my husband, do not think for a
moment that I would betray him."
They said to her, we are the Aswins, the legendary physicians of heaven.
We will make your lord as young and handsome as ourselves, but then you
must choose one among us to be your lord. Swear you will do this and
having sworn go and fetch your husband here."
Rajan, Sukanya went and told Bhrigu's son what the Aswin Kumaras
proposed. Chyavana Muni said to her, "Do as they ask."
She went back with him to the Aswins and said, "Do what you said."
They said, "Let your husband enter into this lake."
Chyavana, who wanted beauty and youth, quickly walked into the water.
The twin Aswins also, O king, sank into the sheet of water. Next moment,
all three emerged with surpassingly beautiful forms, and young, and
wearing burnished earrings. But all three looked exactly alike,
indistinguishable from one another.
They said to Sukanya, "Fortunate one, choose one of us to be your lord,
whichever of us takes your fancy."
Finding all three of them identical, she deliberated; and at last her heart
discovered who her husband was, and she chose him for her lord.
Having become young and radiantly handsome, and his wife having
chosen him, as well, Chyavana of geat tejas was pleased and said to the
Aswini Kumaras, those nose-born twins, "You have given me youth and
beauty, and I will make you drink Soma rasa in the very presence of Indra.
This I solemnly swear."
The Aswins were delighted and flew up into Devaloka. Chyavana and
Sukanya passed their days in fine joy, even like a Deva and his wife.'
CANTO 124
omasa says, 'Now the news came to Saryati that Chyavana had been
turned into a youth. Well pleased, he went with his troops to the
hermitage of the son of Bhrigu. And he saw Chyavana and Sukanya, like
Devas' children, and his joy and that of his wife were as great as if the king
had conquered the whole world.
The Sage received the king and queen with honour. Saryati sat next to
the Rishi, and entered into a happy and auspicious conversation with him.
Bhrigu's son said, "O King, perform a yagna at which I shall be the
priest. Procure everything that we need for the sacrifice."
At which, Saryati was overjoyed and expressed whole-hearted approval.
On an auspicious day, Saryati ordered a most excellent sacrificial shrine to
be erected, provided with all that was needed for the yagna.
Chyavana, the son of Bhrigu, was the king's priest; and listen to the
wonderful events which unfolded there. Chyavana took up some Soma rasa
to offer it to the Aswini Kumaras, who are physicians to the Devas.
Even as the Rishi was doing this, Indra declared, "These Aswins have no
right to receive an offering of the Soma rasa. They are the physicians to the
Devas in heaven — their vocation does not permit them to drink the Soma."
Chyavana said, "These two are of mighty enterprise, possessed of
mighty souls, and endowed with uncommon beauty and grace. Besides,
Indra, they have given me eternal beauty, even as of a Deva. Why should
you and the other Devas have a right to drink the Soma juice, and not they?
Lord of the Devas, Puranadara, know that the Aswins are also Devas!"
At this, Indra said, "These two practise the healing arts, they are but
servants; assuming different forms at their pleasure they roam the world of
mortal beings. How can they justly claim the juice of the Soma?"
Indra spoke these words again and again, but setting him at naught,
Bhrigu's son still took up the offering he meant to make. As he was about to
offer a sizeable portion of Soma rasa to the Aswins, Indra said, "If you offer
the Soma to the Awins, I will burn you with my thunderbolt!"
But Chyavana only gave Indra a smile and took a a goodly portion of
Soma rasa to offer it to the Aswins. Indra began to cast the dreadful Vajra as
the Sage, but found his arm frozen by Bhrigu's son.
Chyavana continued to chant mantras and made his offerings into the
sacred fire. Through the Rishi's tapasakti, an evil spirit, an immense and
mighty demon called Mada sprang forth from the flames. So great was he
that neither the Devas nor the Asuras could measure his body.
His mouth was terrifying, chasmal, with rows of razor sharp teeth; one
of his jaws rested on earth while the other stretched up into heaven. Four
fangs he had, each a hundred yojanas, while his other teeth were ten yojanas
each and like the towers of a palace, all pointed and sharp as spears.
The demon's arms were like hills, both of equal bulk, stretching ten
thousand yojanas each. His two eyes resembled the sun and the moon; and
the fire of his face rivalled the conflagration at the dissolution of the
universe.
He licked his lips with his tongue like a gash of lightning, without pause;
his maw gaped wide, his gaze was frightful, and it seemed that he meant to
swallow the every earth.
This demon rushed at Indra of a thousand yagnas, and he meant to
devour that Deva. The world rang with the terrifying roars of the Asura."
CANTO 125
omasa says, "When Indra saw the Asura Mada, looking like Yama
himself, rushing at him, jaws agape, certainly meaning to devour Lhim,
whle the Deva's arms remained frozen, that god could only lick the corners
of his mouth in terror.
Frightened past endurance, Indra cried to Chyavana, "O Bhargava,
O Brahmana, I swear to you in the name of truth itself that from today
the Aswini Kumaras shall partake of the Soma rasa! Be merciful to me, for
I can never forswear myself.
May your yagna be fruitful; these Aswins shall drink Soma rasa from
now because you, most holy one, have entitled them to it. O Bhargava, I did
all this to spread the renown of your powers, my purpose being to provide
an occasion for their display. My other object was to spread the fame of
Sukanya's father Saryati.
So be merciful to me."
Mahatama Chyavana's wrath was quickly appeased and he freed Indra
from the spell that held the Deva frozen. As for the Asura Mada, whose
name means intoxication, the Rishi divided the demon and put his spirit into
drink, into women, into gambling, into field sport.
Having lessened Mada, Chyavana now gratified Indra with a draught of
Soma and helped Saryati worship the entire host of Devas, and now the
Aswins with them, equally, thereby truly covering the earth with the fame
of that king. His yagna complete, Bhrigu's son, best among those blessed
with speech, passed his days happily in the forest, in the company of
Sukanya, his loving wife.
This is his lake, shining before you, O Yudhishtira, and echoing with the
voices of birds. Here you and your brothers must offer tarpana to your Pitrs
and to the Devas.
Sovereign of the earth, scion of Bharata, you must go to Sikataksha, as
well, then to the Saindhava vana, where you will find a number of small
rivers and lakes. You must touch the waters of all these, while chanting
mantras to Lord Siva; and so you will find success in every endeavour of
yours.
For this is the conjunction of two yugas, the Dwapara and the Kali. It is
a time, O Kaunteya, in which a man's every sin can be destroyed.
Perform ablutions here, for this place can take all his sins from a man.
And yonder is the Archika hill, where men of evolved souls live; fruit of all
seasons grow here perennially and the streams run always full.
Why, this is a place fit for the Devas and indeed they have erected
various holy images of diverse forms, which you see. Look, Yudhishtira,
here the gods built the bathing tank of the Moon.
Rishis dwell here on every side, in the forest, as do the Balakhilyas and
the Pavakas, who live just on air. Here are three peaks and three springs;
you can walk around them in pradakshina, one by one; then you may bathe
at your leisure.
Santanu, and Sunaka, the sovereign of men, and both Nara and Narayana
attained everlasting realms from this place. Here the gods constantly come,
as also the manes, together with the greatest sages.
All of them have performed tapasya upon this Archika Parvata. Sacrifice
to them, Yudhishtira; here the Devas and the Rishis eat payasa.
And here is the Yamuna, her spring exhaustless; here Krishna sat in
tapasya. O Pandava, you who drag the dead bodies of your enemies across
the ground, the twins, Bhimasena, Panchali and all of us will come with you
to the river.
Lord of men, this is the holy spring that belongs to Indra. Here Varuna
Deva also rose up, and here they sat with faith, in dhyana. This sacred hill
welcomes kindly and honest folk. This is Yamuna of renown, frequented by
hosts of mighty sages, and the setting for diverse religious rituals; she is
most holy and destroys the fear of sin.
Here Mandhata himself, of the mighty bow, performed yagnas to the
gods; and so did Somaka, the son of Sahadeva, and a most munificent giver
of gifts."
CANTO 126
udhishtira says, "Great Brahmana, how was that tiger among kings,
Mandhata, Yuvanaswa's son, born, that best of monarchs, celebrated
across the three worlds? And how did he of unmeasured lustre attain the
very pinnacle of regal power, since all the three worlds were as much under
his subjection as they are under that of Vishnu of mighty soul?
I am eager to hear all about the life and achievements of that Rajarishi. I
would also like to hear how he was named Mandhata, he whose lustre
rivalled that of Indra himself. Tell me also how he was born, for you are a
master of narration."
Lomasa says, "Listen attentively, Rajan, to how the name of Mandhata,
of the great soul, came to be celebrated throughout all the worlds.
Yuvanaswa, ruler of the earth, was born into Ikshvaku's race. That protector
of the world performed many sacrifices, noted for their magnificent gifts.
A thousand times, that most virtuous of men performed the Aswamedha
yagna. He also performed other sacrifices of the highest order, wherein he
gave abundant daana. But that saintly king had no son; and he of mighty
soul and rigid vows made over the duties of the state to his ministers, and
went away to dwell in the forest.
There, he undertook a stern tapasya during which, once, he kept a fast.
Pangs of hunger tormented him and his very soul seemed parched with
thirst. In this state, he came to the asrama of Bhrigu. That same night, king
of kings, the Maharishi who was the joy of Bhrigu's race had overseen a
sacrifice devoted to a son being born to Saudyumni.
In the place where the rituals had been performed stood a great urn filled
with holy water, consecrated with mantras; and that water was imbued with
the virtue that when Saudyumni's wife drank it she would give birth to a
godlike son. Those great Sages had left the blessed water on the altar and
had gone to sleep, for they were exhausted after the nightlong ritual.
As Yuvanaswa passed by them, his mouth was dry, and he was in the
grip of an agony of thirst; ah, he was desperate for a drink of water. The
king entered that hermitage and asked for water, but his voice was feeble
with weakness, and coming from an arid throat the sound he made was like
the inarticulate cry of a bird. Nobody heard him.
Then the king saw the jar full of water and he ran to it, and drank deeply,
thirstily, emptying the vessel. The water was cool and appeased his thirst.
Then, the Rishis there awoke and found that the jar of water had been
disturbed from its place and it was empty.
They gathered together and asked who had drunk the water, at which
Yuvanaswa confessed that it had been he. The revered son of Bhrigu said to
him, 'It was not right. This water was infused with an occult siddhi and had
been placed there so that a son could be born to you. I invested the water
with the power of my tapasya.
Mighty Rajarishi, you would have had a son of great strength and valour,
why a prince who could have despatched even Indra to Yamaloka. So much
power had I infused into this water, and now look what you have done.
It is impossible to undo what has been done, and surely what you did
was fate's own fiat. Great king, you were thirsty and you drank the water
consecrated by my mantras of power and blessed with the punya of my
tapasya; there is only one course ahead – you must bring forth the splendid
child I have described from your own body!
We will perform a sacrifice to that end, of wonderful effect, and brave as
you are, you will bring forth a son as great as Indra. Nor will you
experience any pain of labour.'
When a hundred years passed, a son brilliant as Surya burst out from the
king's left side, and he was mighty indeed; and neither did Yuvanaswa die,
which was also strange.
Indra came to visit the child and the Devas asked great Indra, 'What will
this boy suck to feed?'
Indra put his own forefinger into the child's mouth and the Vajradhari
said, 'Mandhata – me he shall suckle on.'
The dwellers of heaven and Indra as well named the boy Mandhata. He
tasted Indra's forefinger and grew instantly to be thirteen yojanas, and he
was incomparably powerful. Rajan, the prince acquired all sacred
knowledge, all the Shastras, along with the holy science of arms, just
through the power of his thought and intuition, unassisted.
That same day, the renowned bow Ajagava and a host of arrows made of
horn, an impenetrable coat of armour, all these came magically into his
possession! Indra himself set Mandhata on the throne and that king
conquered the three worlds, always with dharma, even as Vishnu did with
his three strides.
Mandhata's chariot was inexorable on its course through the world; and
the greatest jewels came of their own accord into that Rajarishi's keep.
Lord of the earth, this is Mandhata's land; it abounds in wealth. Here he
performed a number of diverse yagnas, during which vast bounties were
given to the officiating priests.
Mandhata of immense power and measureless lustre erected sacred
shrines, performed countless deeds of untold piety, and he attained the
honour of sitting by Indra's side.
That wise king of dharma sent forth his command and just by its virtue
conquered the earth, together with the sea—source of gems—and all the
cities of the world. The yagnashalas that he made covered the very face of
Bhumi, on all sides.
That great sovereign gave ten thousand padmas of cows to Brahmanas.
Once, there came a drought of twelve years and Mandhata made it rain over
the parched earth, while Indra could not prevent it but only stared.
Mandhata slew the powerful Gandhara king, born into the House of the
Moon, who was dreadful like a thundercloud full of lightning and who
wounded Mandhata sore with arrows.
Rajan, he led a virtuous and austere life and with his untold might
protected the worlds from all evil, and nurtured the four varnas equally.
This is where, lustrous like the Sun, he sacrificed to God. Look at the place
– here it is, in the very midst of the field of the Kurus, holiest of holies!
Master of the world, I have told you how Mandhata was born,
extraordinarily, and also about his magnificent life."
Yudhishtira immediately asks Lomasa fresh questions, now about
Somaka.
CANTO 127
udhishtira says, "O best of masters, how strong and powerful was King
Somaka? I want to hear a detailed account of his might and his deeds."
Lomasa says, "Yudhishtira, Somaka was a most virtuous king. He had a
hundred wives, all chaste and noble, but he did not have a son by any of
them, for a long, long time.
Then one day, when he had become old, a son was born to him, and
called Jantu. All day long, the prince's hundred mothers would sit around
their child, every one giving him whatever he wanted or whetever they
thought would please him.
One day, an ant stung the boy on his leg and he screamed. His mothers
were so distressed that they stood around him and set up a chorus of cries of
their own – a tumult of shrieks.
That great outcry reached the ears of the king, where he sat in his court
among his ministers, with his family priest at his side. He sent forth to
discover what had caused the agitation. A royal guard brought him the news
of how his son had been bitten by an ant.
Somaka rose and, with his ministers, hurried to the antahpura, and there
he tenderly comforted his child, Parantapa.
When the prince grew quiet, the king came out from his harem and sat
again in his sabha with his family priest and his council of ministers.
Somaka said sombrely, 'Fie on having a single son! I had rather been a
sonless man, for if one thinks of how vulnerable to sickness all men are, to
have just one son is only a trouble and a heartache.
O Brahmana, I married a hundred wives so that I might have many sons.
But they gave me none, until at last this single boy was born, this prince
Jantu.
What grief can be greater than this? Dvijottama, I have grown old and so
have my wives; yet, this child is like our very prana, our life-breath. But,
tell me now, is there any yagna, performing which one can get a hundred
sons? Tell me if the sacrifice is great or small, easy to perform or difficult.'
The family priest, the kulaguru, said, "There is indeed a yagna by which
a man may get a hundred sons. If you can perform it, O Somaka, I will
explain it to you.'
Somaka said, 'Whether it be a good or an evil rite, take it that I have
already performed the yagna for a hundred sons. Explain it to me.'
The Brahmana said, 'I will begin a yagna and at it you must sacrifice
your son Jantu. Then, very soon, you will have a hundred splendid sons.
When Jantu's fat is offered into the fire to the gods, the queens must inhale
the smoke of the burning flesh and they will bring forth a hundred radiant
princes, brave and powerful. Why, and Jantu himself will be born again, of
himself, svaymbhuva, and upon his back there will be a golden mark.'
CANTO 128
omaka said, 'Brahmana, do whatever you must. I want to have many

sons and I will do as you say.'
The priest commenced the sacrifice at which Jantu was to be the
offering. But the hundred wailing mothers snatched at their son and tried to
save him.
'Ah, we are lost!' they cried, and held the boy's right arms, but the priest
snatched him back, while the queens screamed like female ospreys. The
Brahmana killed Jantu and offered his flesh as havis, the burnt offering into
the sacred agni.
Kurunandana, while the prince's fat burned, the agonised mothers
whiffed its smell and fell in a swoon all together. At once, all those women
became pregnant, and when ten months passed they delivered a hundred
sons to Somaka.
Lord of the earth, Jantu was also born again, to his own mother, and he
was the eldest of the hundred princes and the most beloved of all his
mothers; not so their own sons. And upon his back there was the mark of
gold, and of those hundred sons he was the superior one.
Somaka's kulaguru left this world after a time, and so did that king. After
they died, Somaka saw his priest being tortured with fire in a dreadful hell.
Somaka asked him, 'Why are you being roasted in this naraka?
In searing pain, the priest gasped, 'This is my punishment for performing
that sacrifice for you.'
Rajarishi Somaka said to Dharmaraja, who punishes dead sinners, 'Lord,
free my priest. I am to blame for the torment he suffers; burn me in the fire
instead.'
Dharmaraja replied, 'No one can suffer for another's sins or enjoy the
fruit of anyone else's good deeds. Look, here is the fruit of all the punya you
have done.'
Somaka said, 'Without this, I have no wish to go to the blessed realms. I
want to remain with this man, either in heaven or here in hell, for I have
done what he has and we should share an identical fate.'
Dharmaraja said, 'O King, if this is what you want, then taste the fruit of
his sin for the same time that he does. After that you will find the realms of
heaven.'
That lotus-eyed king did exactly that, and when his sins were paid for he
and his kulaguru were set free together. Fond as Somaka was of his priest,
he shared all the fruit of his punya, his great good deeds, with the
Brahmana.
This is his enchanting asrama, which is so lovely before your eyes.
Anyone who spends six nights here, with his passions controlled, will attain
the blessed realms of heaven. King of kings, let us rid ourselves of all
excitations, and spend six nights in this sacred place!'
CANTO 129
omasa says, 'O King, in this place Narayana himself performed a

sacrifice of old, the yagna called Ishtikrita, which lasted a thousand
years.
Nabhaga's son Ambarisha sacrificed near the Yamuna river; and he gave
away ten padmas of gold coins to the attendant priests; and he attained the
final felicity through sacrifices and austerities.
Kaunteya, this is the place Nahusha's son, Yayati, lord of all the world,
man of dharma, his power measureless, performed his sacrifice. He was as
mighty as Indra and performed his yagna here. Look how the ground is
strewn with fire pits of diverse kinds, and how the earth seems to subside
here under the weight of Yayati's pieties.
Look, here is the Sami tree, which has just one leaf, and look at this
sparkling lake. Why, behold all these lakes of Parasurama, and the asrama
of Narayana. Rajan, here is the path that Richaka's son of untold tejas trod,
who ranged over the world, and practised rites of yoga in the river Raupya.
Kurunandana, listen to what a Pisachi, who wore pestles for her
ornaments, said to a Brahmana woman, as I once sat here chanting the
timeless lineages.
Having eaten curd in Yugandhara, and stayed in Achutasthala, and also
bathed in Bhutalaya, you must remain here with your brothers. Having
passed one night here, if you stay another, what happens during the night
will be very different from the events of the day, O most righteous of
Bharata's race.
We will spend tonight here; this is the threshold of Kurukshetra, field of
the Kurus. In this very place did Nahusha's son Yayati perform a yagna and
gave gifts of a bounty of gemstones. Indra was pleased with those sacred
rites.
This is a most auspicious tirtha along the Yamuna, called Plakshava-
tarana, the descent of the banyan tree. Evolved men call it the entrance to
Swarga. Here the greatest Rishis performed the sacrificial rites of the
Saraswata king, using the sacrificial stake for their pestle, and when the
sacrifice ended they performed their ablutions in the river.
Rajan, King Bharata undertook his sacrifice here, sending forth the
sacrificial horse for his Aswamedha yagna, the animal which would be
sacrificed. Through dharma that king won sovereignty over the earth by
righteousness. The horses that he sent forth, many times, were mottled with
black.
Purushvyaghra, it was here that Samvarta, greatest among Rishis, helped
Marutta perform his renowned yagnas.
Bathing in this tirtha one can see into all the worlds, and is purified of all
one's sins. Therefore, you, too, must bathe here, Yudhishtira.'
Yudhishtira, best of Pandu's sons, bathes there with his brothers while
the mighty Munis chant his praises.
Yudhishtira says to Lomasa, 'O Rishi whose power is dharma, bathing
here I see all the worlds! Ah, from here I see Arjuna, who rides the white
charger!'
Lomasa says, 'Mahabaho, the greatest Rishis see all realms even so! This
is holy Saraswati, thronged by those that regard her as their sole refuge. You
have bathed here and you shall be free of all your sins.
Kaunteya, the Devarishis performed sacrifices for the Saswata king here,
as did the Rishis and Rajarishis. This is the Vedi of Brahma Prajapati,
extending five yojanas on every side. And this is the field of the
magnificent Kurus, who always undertake great yagnas.'
CANTO 130
omasa says, 'Bhaarata, if any of the mortals breathes their last here, they
find Swarga. Thousands upon thousands of men come to this place to
die. Daksha pronounced a blessing on this place, while he performed his
yagna here, saying, "Whoever dies in this place will win a place in Swarga."
Look at this beautful and sacred Saraswati full of crystalline water; and
here, lord of men, is Vinasana, where the Saraswati disappeared. Here is the
gate of the kingdom of the Nishadas and it is from hatred for them that the
Saraswati entered into the earth, so that the Nishadas might not see her.
Here, too, is the sacred land of Chamasodbheda, where the Saraswati
became visible to them again. And here she is joined by other sacred rivers
flowing seawards. Parantapa, here is the sacred Sindhu — where
Lopamudra accepted the Maharishi Agastya for her lord; and, you of
sunlike lustre, here is the holy tirtha Prabhasa, which Indra favours and
which removes all sins.
Yonder is Vishnupada, and here is the sacred river Vipasa. Grieftsricken
at the death of his sons, Maharishi Vasistha bound himsef hand and foot and
cast himself into this river. But he rose out of the waters and was unfettered.
Look, O king, with your brothers, at the sacred land of Kasmira,
frequented by holy sages. Here, O scion of Bharata, is the place where Agni
Deva and Maharishi Kasyapa conferred; and also Nahusha's son and the
sages of the north.
Yonder, Kshatriya, is the gateway to the Manasa-sarovara, where Sri
Rama opened a gap in the mountain with his astra. And there is the
renowned realm of Vatikhashanda, which, although adjacent to the gate of
Videha, lies to its north.
There is something else very remarkable about this place- that on the
waning of every yuga, the Lord Siva, who can assume any form at will, can
be seen here with Uma and his ganas.
In the holy lake, also, those wanting the weal of their familes worship
Siva Pinakin with sacrifices during the month of Chaitra. Devoted folk,
their passions restrained, who bathe in the Manasa-sarovara are freed from
their sins, and attain the holy realms.
And here is the tirtha called Ujjanaka, where the Maharishi Vasistha, his
wife Arundhati and also the Muni Yavakri found peace.
Yonder is the lake Kusava, where the lotuses called Kusesaya grow; and
here also is the sacred hermitage of Rukmini, where she attained mukti,
after conquering that evil passion, anger.
I think, O prince, that you have heard something about that mountain of
meditation, Bhrigutunga; look, that is the lofty peak. And there is Vitasta,
the sacred stream that absolves men from all sins; its water is cool and
limpid, and used mainly by the great sages.
Kshatriya, behold the holy rivers Jala and Upajala, on either side of the
Yamuna. By performing a sacrifice here, king Usinara surpassed Indra
himself in greatness; wanting to test Usinaras merit and also wanting to
bestow boons on him, Indra and Agni came to his yagnashala.
Indra took the form of a hawk, and Agni that of a pigeon, and they flew
to the king. In apparent fear of the hawk, the pigeon fell upon the king's
thigh, seeking his protection.'
CANTO 131
he hawk said, "The kings of the earth all say that you are a righteous
sovereign. Why, O Kshatriya, have you stooped to this adharma? I
am afflicted with hunger, do not keep me from my prey which God has
given me to be my food. You think that you serve dharma by this, while, in
fact, you forsake it."
The king said, "Best of avians, this pigeon is terrified of you and for its
life. It has flown to me to escape you, and to beg for its life. How do you
not see that my highest dharma is to give it my protection?
It trembles in fear and I would surely find sin if I abandon it. He that
slays a Brahmana, he that slaughters a cow—the common mother of all the
worlds—and he that forsakes one seeking protection are equally sinful."
The hawk replied, "O King, all beings live through food, which
nourishes and sustains them. A man can live long even after relinquishing
what is dearest to him, but he cannot live without food.
If you deprive me of my food, my life will leave this body and find
realms where such troubles are unknown. But at my death, pious king, my
mate and children will also surely perish, and by protecting this single
pigeon, you will take many lives.
The virtue that stands in the way of another virtue is certainly no virtue
at all, but in reality is sin. O King, whose prowess consists of truth, only the
dharma which does not conflict with a greater dharma is worthy of being
called dharma. Compare the conflicting costs in lives; you should not do
what you mean to. Take the course of the lesser evil."
The king said, "O best of birds, you speak words fraught with wisdom,
and I suspect that you are Suparna, monarch of birds. I have no hesitation in
declaring that you are fully conversant with the ways of dharma. You
disclose wonders about dharma so that I must believe there is nothing that
you do not know about it.
So, then, how can you say that abandoning a creature that seeks my
protection is dharma? Sky ranger, you are in quest of food; surely, you can
assuage your hunger with some other food, more copious than this pigeon. I
am willing to procure any kind of food for you, which is even more to your
taste, even if it be an ox, or a boar, or a deer, or a buffalo."
There hawk said, "Great king, I have have no wish to eat a boar or an ox
or any other animal; they are not my natural prey. So, O bull among
Kshatriyas, give me this pigeon that heaven has ordained to be my meal
today, for, that hawks will eat pigeons is the law of nature. Do not cling to a
plantain tree for support, O king; it is not strong enough to support you."
The king said, " Sky rover, I will give you this rich kingdom of my race,
or anything else you want; anything other than this pigeon, which has flown
to me for my protection. Ah, tell me what I should do to save this bird
because I do not mean to give him to you under any circumstance."
The hawk said, "Rajan, if you have such love for this pigeon, then cut
off some of your own flesh and weigh it upon a scale until it equals the
pigeon's weight. And when it does, give me that flesh and I will be
satisfied."
The king said, "I will do so gladly and consider this a favour to me.
The Rajarishi Usinara cut off some of his flesh and weighed it in a
balance against the pigeon. He found the pigeon heavier and cut off another
piece of his flesh, and still the bird weighed more. Portion after portion of
his flesh he cut and added but the scale remained tilted on the side of the
bird.
At last there was no flesh left upon Usinaras body and he mounted the
scale himself.
Now the hawk said, "King of dharma, I am Indra and the pigeon is Agni,
who bears the havis to the gods. We came to your yagnashala to test your
merit. You cut all the flesh from your body and your glory shall be
resplendent, and will surpass that of all others in the world.
As long as men speak of you, your glory will endure and you will dwell
in Swarga, in the holiest realms."
Saying this to the king, Indra flew up into Devaloka. And, after having
filled heaven and earth with the punya of his great and pious deeds, Usinara
also ascended into heaven in a radiant form.
Look, O King, at the asrama of that noblest-hearted sovereign. Here the
Devas and Maharishis come, along with the purest Brahmanas.'
CANTO 132
omasa says, 'And look here, lord of men, at the holy asrama of
Uddalaka's son Swetaketu, whose fame as an expert in the sacred
mantras is spread across earth. Coconut trees grace this hermitage. Here
Swetaketu saw the Goddess Saraswati in her human shape, and said to her,
"Bless me with the gift of speech!"
In that yuga, Swetaketu, the son of Uddalaka, and Ashtavakra, the son of
Kahoda, who were uncle and nephew, were the greatest masters of the
sacred lore. Those two Brahmanas, of matchless tejas, went to King
Janaka's yagnasala and bested Vandin in a debate.
Kaunteya, you and your brothers worship the holy asrama of him whose
grandson was Ashtavakra, who, even as a child, drowned Vandin in a river,
after having vanquished him in a metaphysical debate.'
Yudhishtira says, 'Tell me, O Lomasa, all about the power of this man,
who vanquished Vandin. Why was he born as Ashtavakra, crooked in eight
parts of his body?'
Lomasa says, 'The Rishi Uddalaka had a disciple named Kahoda, of
subdued passions, and entirely devoted to the service of his guru, who had
studied long. The Brahmana had served his master for many years, and
recognising his service, his preceptor gave him his own daughter, Sujata, in
marriage, as well as a mastery over the Shastras.
And she conceived a child, radiant as fire.
One night, while his father was reading the scriptures aloud, the child
spoke from his mother's womb, "Father, you have been reading all night but
it seems to me that not everything you recite is correct. Through your study,
I have become versed in the Shastras and the Vedas, and their Angas. I say
to you that what comes from your mouth is inaccurate."
Insulted in the presence of his disciples, the Maharishi cursed the child
in the womb in anger, "Because you speak even from the womb, you shall
be crooked in eight parts of your body!"
The child was born crooked, and he was known as Ashtavakra. Now, he
had an uncle named Swetaketu who was the same age as himself.
Anxious about the child growing in her, one day Sujata said to her
impoverished husband, "Maharishi, the tenth month of my pregnancy is
near. You have nothing to sustain us once our child is born."
Kahoda Muni went to King Janaka for wealth. In that Rajarishi's court,
Vandin, master of dialectics, defeated Kahoda in a debate and drowned him
in a river. Hearing of this, Uddalaka said to his daughter Sujata, "You must
keep this secret from Ashtavakra."
She did so, and when Ashtavakra was born, he heard nothing about the
matter; and he regarded Uddalaka as his father and Swetaketu as his
brother. One day, when Ashtavakra was in his twelfth year, Swetaketu saw
him sitting in Uddalaka's lap and pulled him roughly down.
Ashtavakra began to cry and Swetaketu said, "It isn't your father's lap!"
Ashtavakra was devastated. He went home and asked his mother,
"Where is my father?"
Sujata was stricken by his question and she was also afraid that he might
curse her; she told him what had happened.
At night Ashtavakra said to his uncle Swetaketu, "Let us go to the
sacrifice of King Janaka, where we might see many wonderful things. We
will listen to the debate between the Brahmanas and partake of excellent
food. Our knowledge will increase. The recitation of the sacred Vedas is
sweet to hear and is fraught with blessings."
Uncle and nephew went to Janaka's splendid sacrifice. Upon being
turned away from the entrance to the yagnasala, Ashtavakra spoke to the
great king inside.'
CANTO 133
shtavakra said, "Where no Brahmana is encountered, the right of way

belongs to the blind, the deaf, the women, carriers of burden, and the
king. But when a Brahmana is on the way, the path belongs to him alone.'
King Janaka said, "I give you the right to enter; go in by whichever
entrance you choose. No fire, be it ever so small, is to be slighted. Even
Indra bows to the Brahmanas."
Ashtavakra said, "Ruler of men, we have come to witness your sacrifice
and our curiosity is greát. Besides we have come here as guests, sadasyas;
we want your permission to enter. And, O son of Indradyumna, we have
come to meet King Janaka and to speak to him. But your gatekeeper
obstructs us and for this our anger burns us like fever."
The gatekeeper said, "We carry out the orders of Vandin. Listen to what I
have to say. Boys are not allowed to enter here, only learned old
Brahmanas."
Ashtavakra said. "If this is the condition, dwarapalaka, that the door is
open only to those that are old, then we have a right to enter. We are old and
we have observed sacred vratas and possess energy which comes from the
Vedas. We have served our elders and subdued our passions, and have
mastered the scriptures.
It is said that even boys are not to be slighted, for a fire, small though it
be, burns on being touched."
The gatekeeper replied, "Young Brahmana, I consider you a boy. But if
you are a gyani, then recite, if you know it, the mantra that demonstrates the
existence of the Supreme Being, the hymn adored by the Devarishis, which,
although composed of one letter, is yet multifarious. Make no vain boast,
learned men are really very rare."
Ashtavakra said, "True growth cannot be inferred from the mere
development of the body, even as the growth of the knots of the Salmali tree
cannot signify its age. That tree is full-grown, which although slender and
short, bears fruits, while the tree, however large, which does not bear fruit,
is not mature."
The gatekeeper said, "Boys receive instruction from the old and in time
they also grow old. Knowledge certainly cannot be attained in a short time.
Why, then, being a child, do you talk like an old man?"
Ashtavakra said, "One is not old because his head is grey. But the gods
regard him as old who, although a child in years, is yet possessed of
knowledge. The sages have not laid down that a man's merit consists in
years, or grey hair, or wealth, or friends. To us, he is great who is versed in
the Vedas.
I have come here, O gatekeeper, to see Vandin in the sabha. Go and
inform King Janaka, who has a garland of lotuses around his neck that I am
here. Today you will see me enter into dispute with all the learned men, and
defeat Vandin in a debate. And when the rest have been silenced, the
Brahmanas of mature learning and the king also, with his principal priests,
shall bear witness to the superior or the inferior quality of my attainments."
The dwarapalaka said, "You are just ten; how can you hope to enter this
yagnasala? Only great scholars can go in here. But I will try to let you in,
and you yourself also try."
Then Ashtavakra said to the king, "O Janaka, best of your race, you are
the greatest sovereign and all power reposes in you. In times of old, King
Yayati was the celebrator of sacrifices, and in this yuga you.
We have heard that the learned Vandin bests the most expert debators
and then has your loyal servats drown them. Hearing this, I have come to
these Brahmanas, to expound the doctrine of the unity of the Brahman.
Where is Vandin? Tell me so that I can face him, and eclipse him even as
the sun does the stars."
Janaka said, "Brahmana, you hope to defeat Vandin without knowing his
power of speech. None who knows his powers will dare say what you do.
The greatsest masters of the Veda have faced and been vanquished by him;
you only say what you do because you do not know how mighty he is.
So many Brahmanas have wilted before him even as the stars before the
sun. Countless scholars, arrogant of their learning, merely saw Vandin and
lost all their pride. They left my sabha, shamed, without uttering a word."
Ashtavakra said, "Vandin has never debated against a man like me; only
so does he look upon himself as a lion, and goes about roaring like one. But
meeting me today he will fall dead, even like a cart whose wheels have
come loose on a highway."
The king said, "Only he is a truly learned man who understands the
significance of the thing that has thirty divisions, twelve parts, twenty-four
joints, and three hundred and sixty spokes."
Ashtavakra said, "May that ever-moving wheel that has twenty-four
joints, six naves, twelve peripheries, and sixty spokes protect you!"1
The king said, "Who amongst the gods bears those two which go
together like two mares yoked to a chariot, and sweep like one hawk, and to
what also do they give birth?"
Ashtavakra said, "May God, O king, forfend the presence of these two2
in your house; yes, even in the house of your enemies. He who appears,
having the wind for his charioteer,3 begets them, and they also produce
him."
Thereupon the king said, "What does not close its eyes even while
sleeping; what is it that does not move, even when born; what is it that has
no heart; and what increases even in its own speed?"
Ashtavakra said, "It is a fish4 that does not shut its eye-lids while
sleeping; and it is an a egg5 that does not move when born; it is stone6that
hath no heart; and it is a river7 that increases in its own speed."
The king said, "It seems, O Tejasvin, that you are no human being. I do
not consider you a boy, but a matured man; there is no other man who can
compare with you in the art of speech. I therefore give you admittance.
There is Vandin." '
—————————
1 This wheel is the wheel of Time—i.e., measured according to the solar, lunar and astral revolutions.
The significance of Ashtavakra's reply is: May the meritorious deeds performed at proper times
during the revolution of this wheel of Time protect you.
2 Thunder and lightning or misery and death.
3 The male being that is ever conscious.
4 Cloud or the mind.
5 The mundane egg.
6 The soul that has renounced connection with the body.
7 The heart of a Yogi.
CANTO 134
shtavakra said, "O king, O leader of fierce legions, in this assembly of

monarchs of unrivalled power who have met together, I cannot
recognise Vandin, master of the controversialists. But I am searching for
him, even as one does for a swan on a vast expanse of water.
O Vandin, you regard yourself as the foremost of debators; yet, when
you debate against me you will hardly flow like the current of a river. I am
like a fire in full flame. Be silent before me, Vandin! Do not awaken a
sleeping tiger. Know that you will not escape unstung, after trampling on
the head of a venomous snake licking the corners of its mouth with its
tongue. That weak man who, in pride of strength, attempts to strike a blow
at a mountain, only gets his hands and nails broken, but no wound is left on
the mountain itself.
As the other mountains are inferior to the Mainaka, and as calves are
inferior to the ox, so are all other kings of the earth inferior to the lord of
Mithila. And as Indra is the foremost of Devas, and as the Ganga is the best
of rivers, so you alone are, O king, the greatest of monarchs. O king, have
Vandin brought into my presence."
O Yudhishtira, when Vandin stood forth, Ashtavakra thundered at him in
wrath, "You answer my questions, and I will answer yours!"
Vandin said, "Only one fire blazes forth in various shapes; only one sun
illumines this whole world; only one hero, Indra, the lord of the Devas,
destroys all enemies; and only one Yama is the sole lord of the Pitrs."1
Ashtavakra said, "The two friends, Indra and Agni, ever move together;
the two Devarishis are Narada and Parvata; the twins are the Aswini
kumaras; two is the number of the wheels of a chariot; and it is as a couple
that husband and wife live together, as ordained by God."2
Vandin said, "Three kinds of born beings are produced by acts; the three
Vedas together perform the Vajapeya; at three different times, the
Adhwaryas commence sacrificial rites; three is the number of worlds; and
three also are the divine lights."3
Ashtavakra said, "Four are the Asramas of the Brahmanas; the four
varnas perform sacrifices; four are the cardinal points; four is the number of
letters; and four also, as is ever known, are the legs of a cow."4
Vandin said, "Five is the number of fires; five are the feet of the metre
called Punki; five are the sacrifices; five locks, it is said in the Vedas, are on
the heads of the Apsaras; and five sacred rivers are known in the world."5
Ashtavakra said, "Some assert that six cows are given while first lighting
the sacred fire; six are the seasons belonging to the wheel of time; six is the
number of the senses; six stars constitute the constellation Kirtika; and six,
it is found in all the Vedas, is the number of the Sadyaska sacrifice."6
Vandin said, "Seven is the number of the domesticated animals; seven
are the wild animals; seven metres are used in completing a sacrifice; seven
are the Rishis; there are seven forms of paying homage in the world; and
seven, it is known, are the strings of the Vina."
Ashtavakra said, "Eight are the bags containing a hundred fold; eight are
the legs of the Sarabha, which preys upon lions; eight Vasus, as we hear, are
amongst the Devas; and eight are the angles of the yupastamba in all
sacrificial rites."7
Vandin said, "Nine is the number of the mantras used in kindling the fire
in sacrifices to the Pitrs; nine are the appointed functions in the processes of
creation; nine letters compose the foot of the metre, Brihati; and nine is also
always the number of the figures in calculation."8
Ashtavakra said, "Ten are the cardinal points, entering into the cognition
of men in this world; ten times hundred make up a thousand; ten is the
number of months of a woman's gestation; and ten are the teachers of true
knowledge, and ten, the haters thereof, and ten again are those capable of
learning it."9
Vandin said, "Eleven are the objects that beings can enjoy; eleven is the
number of the yupas; eleven are the changes of the natural state of those
that have life; and eleven are the Rudras among the gods in heaven."10
Ashtavakra said, "Twelve months compose the year; of twelve consists a
foot of the metre Jagati; twelve are the minor sacrifices; and twelve,
according to the learned, is the number of the Adityas."11
Vandin said, "Unaffected by happiness and misery, the Paramatman does
exist, but His existence is not susceptible of being proved, nor can the
ignorant ever perceive Him. Men attain that condition through these twelve
- virtue, truth, self-restraint, penance, good-will, modesty, forgiveness,
freedom from envy, sacrifice, charity, concentration and control over the
senses.
The thirteenth lunar day is considered the most auspicious; thirteen
islands exist on earth."12Saying this much, Vandin stopped; he could not go
on. Ashtavakra completed the sloka, "Thirteen sacrifices are presided over
by Kesi; and thirteen are devoured by Atichhandas, the longer metres, of
the Veda."13
And seeing Ashtavakra speaking and the Suta's son silent and pensive,
and with his head hung down, the assembly broke into a loud uproar.
Delighted, the Brahmanas at king Janaka's splendid sacrifice rose as a man,
and, with folded hands, paid Ashtavakra homage."
Ashtavakra said, "Before today, this man would best all Brahmanas in
debate and cast them into water. Let Vandin meet the same fate today. Seize
him and drown him in water!"
Vandin said, "O Janaka, I am the son of King Varuna. Simultaneously
with your sacrifice, there also began another twelve years' yagna. It was to
that sacrifice that I despatched the principal Brahmanas; they have gone to
witness Varuna's sacrifice.
Look! There they are returning. I pay homage to the worshipful
Ashtavakra, by whose grace today I shall join him who begot me."
Ashtavakra said, "Defeating the Brahmanas either with straight debate or
sophistry, Vandin had cast them into the waters of the sea. That Vedic truth
which he had suppressed by false arguments I rescued by dint of my
intellect today.
Now let honest men judge. As Agni, who knows the character of both
the good and the bad, leaves the bodies of those whose designs are honest,
untouched by his heat, and is thus partial to them, so, too, good men judge
the assertions of boys, and are favourably disposed towards them.
O Janaka, you listen to me as if you have been stupefied by eating the
fruit of the Sleshmataki tree; as if flattery has robbed you of your good
sense; and this seems why, although my words pierce as hooks do an
elephant, you do not heed them."
Janaka said, "Listening to you, I find your words extraordinary, more
than merely human. Your form is also superhuman. You have vanquished
Vandin in debate and I put him at your disposal."
Ashtavakra said, "O king, Vandin remaining alive will serve no purpose
of mine. If Varuna really is his father, let Vandin be drowned in the sea."
Vandin said, "I am King Varuna's son. I have no fear of being drowned.
Even at this moment, Ashtavakra shall see his long-lost sire, Kahoda."
Then all the dead Brahmanas appeared before Janaka, after having been
duly worshipped by the magnanimous Varuna.
Kahoda said, "It is for this, O Janaka, that men pray for sons, by
performing deeds of punya. That in which I failed has been achieved by my
son. Weak persons may have sons endowed with strength; fools can have
intelligent sons; and the illiterate may have learned sons."
Vandin said, "It is with your sharpened axe, O monarch, that even Yama
severs the heads of foes. May prosperity attend upon you! In this sacrifice
of King Janaka, the principal hymns of the Uktha rites are being chanted,
and the Soma rasa is also being amply quaffed. And the gods themselves
come to accept their sacred shares of the sacrifice, with joyful hearts."
When the dead Brahmanas rose up, their splendour enhanced, Vandin
took his leave of King Janaka and entered into the waters of the sea.
Then Ashtavakra worshipped his father, and he himself was worshipped
by the Brahmanas. And thus having defeated the Suta's son, Ashtavakra
returned to his own fine hermitage, and his uncle with him.
Then, in the presence of his mother, his father said to him, "Hurry, son,
and enter this river, Samanga."
Ashtavakra did so, and as he submerged himself beneath the water all his
crooked limbs were instantly made straight. And from that day
that river is called Samanga and she became invested with the virtue of
purifying. He that bathes in her is set free from his sins.
Therefore, O Yudhishtira, do you, with your brothers and wife, enter the
river and perform your ablutions in her. Kaunteya, scion of the race of
Ajamidha, we will remain here with the Brahmanas, and you will perform
other deeds of punya with me, for you are bent upon doing good.'
—————————
1 Ashtavakra comes to Janaka's sacrifice with the object of proving the unity of the Supreme Being.
Vandin avails himself of various System of Philosophy to combat his opponent. The iterative form of
the dialogue is unique in being that of enigmas, and the latent meaning is in a queer way hidden
under the appearance of puerile and heterogeneous combinations of things.
Vandin opens the debate by saying that as the number of each of these is one, so one only
intellect is the lord, leader and guide of the senses.
2 There is a Vedic revelation that two birds live together on a tree as friends—one of these eats the
fruits and the other looks at the former. From this it is manifest that these two are the lords, leaders
and guides of the senses. That there is a second faculty besides the intellect is also proved by the fact
that in sleep when the intellect is inactive that faculty continues in action, for if it were not so we
could not remember having slept, nor connect the state after awaking with that preceding sleep.
Accordingly by citing the number two Ashtavakra asserts that besides intellect there is another
faculty—conciousness, and that these two are jointly the lords, leaders and guides of the senses and
that they act together as Indra and Agni, etc.
3 By citing the number three Vandin means to say that as it is deeds that produce the three kinds of
born beings, etc., so deeds are supreme and that everything else be it intellect alone, or intellect and
conciousness together is subservient to Karma.
4 Ashtavakra here advances the thesis that even if Karma be supreme, still when the Fourth or
Supreme Being (Turiya) becomes manifest to the soul, it stands in no further need to act or perform
any karma.
5 By bringing in the quinquennial series, Vandin wants to assert that the five senses are competent to
cognise their respective objects and that besides these senses and their objects there is neither any
other sense to perceive nor any other object of perception. He also cites the authority of the Veda
according to which the Apsaras (or consciousnesses) have five locks on their heads—i.e., five objects
of perception.
6 Vandin admits the existence of the six senses but says that the soul experiences happiness and
misery through those as well as through the intellect.
7 Ashtavakra advances an eighth element, namely, the knowledge of these.
8 Each of the three qualities (existence, foulness and ignorance) of prakriti (the passive or material
cause of the world) mixing with each of the three corresponding qualities of pradhana (the active or
spiritual cause of the world) in various proportions produces the mundane order of things. Thus is
proved the eternity of prakriti or nature and so, also, established the doctrine of duality.
9 Prakriti does not really create. It is the Supreme Being who through the medium of illusion in
contact with the ten organs (the five locomotive organs and the five organs of sense) makes manifest
the System of things. Prakriti therefore has no real existence—her existence is only apparent in the
real existence of the soul.
10 Yupas (stakes) mean here, feelings, etc., which keep men bound to the world. Rudras are those
who makes others cry.
11 Vandin means to say that the soul is not essentially free from the fetters of happiness and misery
arising from the eleven objects of perception. In this world all men are subject to happiness and
misery. We also hear that there are Rudras in heaven.
12 According to some, endeavours to attain emancipation can be successful not in this world but in
the world of Brahma. Others say that to that end a special yoga is necessary. By bringing forward the
objects numbering thirteen, Vandin advances the opinion that, virtue, etc., are not sufficient to attain
moksha but that a suitable time and place are also essential.
13 Ashtavakra concludes by citing the same number thirteen. The soul, which is essentially
unaffected, becomes subject to happiness and misery through the thirteen: the ten organs of
locomotion and sense, and intellect, mind and egoism. But Atichhanadas, i.e., those that have
surmounted ignorance, namely, the twelve, virtue, etc., destroy those thirteen and that is
emancipation.
CANTO 135
omasa says, 'Here, of yore this Samanga was called Madhuvila, and
yonder is Kardamila, the bathing place of Bharata. When misery struck
Sachi's lord, after he killed Vritra, Indra bathed in this Samanga and was
freed from his sin.
Here, Purusharishabha, is where the Mainaka mountain sank his roots
into the earth, and so it is called Vinasana.
Once, it was here that Aditi cooked her offering of sacred food to the
Brahman, so that she might have sons. Climb this lofty hill, O you bulls
among men, and put an end to your inglorious, unreliable sorrow.
Here before you, O king, is the Kanakhala mountain range, a favourite
resort of sages. Yonder is the mighty Ganga. In ancient times, the Rishi
Sanatkumara found mukti by performing ablutions here in this river.
You will also be freed from all your sins, son of Kunti, if you and your
brothers touch the waters of this lake called Punya, and this mountain
Bhrigutunga and also the waters of these two rivers, called Ushniganga.
Look, here is the asrama of the Rishi Sthulasiras; here renounce your
anger and sense of self-importance. And there, Pandava, is Raibhya's
beautiful asrama, where Bharadwajas son, Yavakrita, profound in Vedic
lore, perished.'
Yudhishtira says, 'How did the mighty Yavakrita, son of Bharadwaja,
acquire profundity in the Vedas? And how also did he perish? I am eager to
hear all this, just as it happened. I find great delight in listening to the deeds
of such godlike men.'
Lomasa says, 'Bharadwaja and Raibhya were two friends. And they lived
here, ever taking the greatest pleasure in each other's company. Raibhya had
two sons, named Arvavasu and Paravasu, while Bharadwaja had an only
son, named Yavakrita. Raibhya and his two sons were versed in the Vedas,
while Bharadwaja practised tapasya. But, O Bhaarata, from their boyhood,
the friendship that existed between these two was unequalled.
Sinless, the highspirited Yavakrita found that brahmanas slighted his
father, who practised asceticism, while they revered Raibhya and his sons;
Yavakrita was overwhelmed with sorrow, and became sorely aggrieved. He
embarked upon severe austerities, in order to obtain knowledge of the
Vedas.
He exposed his body to fire. He made Indra anxious with his terrific
penance.
Indra went to him and said, "Why, O sage, do you sit in such a dreadful
tapasya?"
Yavakrita said, "O you whom the Devas adore, I sit in penance to gain
such gyana of the Vedas as no Brahmana has ever had before. O conqueror
of Paka, my tapasya is to have the Vedas manifest themselves in me; why, I
mean to acquire every manner of knowledge through my tapasya.
Lord, learnt through gurus, the Vedas take a long time to be known. I
perfom my austerities to have them in a short while."
Indra said, "Brahmana, the path you tread is not the proper way. Why do
you want to destroy yourself? Go and learn from the lips of a preceptor."
Saying this, Sakra went away and Yavakrita of immeasurable energy fell
once more to his tapasya. O king, I have heard that by continuing his stern
penance he greatly agitated Indra, who came again to that Maharishi and
forbade him, saying, "You strive so that the Veda manifests both in yourself
and in your father; but your exertions can never be fruitful, nor is this
tapasya of yours well-advised."
Yavakrita said, "Lord of the Devas, if you do not give me what I want, I
will perform even more stringent tapasya. Indra, if you do not grant me
what I want, I will cut off my limbs and offer them as a sacrifice into a
blazing fire."
Indra realised how determined the sage was and decided to use some
guile to dissuade him. Indra assumed the guise of an ascetic Brahmana,
hundreds of years old, and infirm, and suffering from consumption. And he
fell to throwing up a dam with sand, at the very place along the Bhagirathi
to which Yavakrita used to come to bathe.
Unceasingly, Sakra began to fill the Ganga with sand, and he attracted
Yavakrita's attention. When that bull among the sages saw Indra earnestly
building his dam, he broke into laughter, and said, 'What are you doing, O
Brahmana, and what is your object? Why do you undertake this mighty
endeavour for no good reason?"
Indra said, "My child, I am trying to dam the Ganga so that there may be
a commodious passage across the water. People experience considerable
difficulty in crossing and recrossing the river by boat."
Yavakrita said, "O you of ascetic wealth, you cannot dam this mighty
current. O Brahmana, desist from what is impracticable, and take up
something that you can achieve."
Indra said, "Rishi, I have imposed this weighty task upon myself just as
you have undertaken your tapasya, which can never be fruitful, in order to
know the Vedas."
Yavakrita said, "If, Lord of the Devas, my penance is doomed to fail, be
pleased to grant me something that I can achieve. Bless me with boons by
which I can excel other men."
Indra said, "The Vedas will be manifest in you, and in your father as
well; and all your other desires will also be fulfilled. Return home,
Yavakrita."
Having thus got the object of his desire, Yavakrita came to his father and
said, "Father, the Vedas will be manifest in you as well as myself, and I
have obtained boons whereby we shall excel against all men."
Bharadwaja said, "O my son, because you have obtained the objects of
your desire, you will become proud. And when you are puffed up with pride
and have also become uncharitable, destruction will soon overtake you.
There is a tale that the gods themselves tell. In ancient times, there lived
a sage named Baladhi, possessed of great energy. And in grief over the
death of a child, he practised the severest penance to have a child that
would be immortal; and he got a son even as he desired. But though they
were favourably disposed towards him, the gods did not yet make his son
immortal.
They said, 'No mortal can be deathless, without some condition by
which he can die.'
Baladhi said, 'O Devas, these mountains have always existed and are
invincible; let their destruction be the condition of my son's death.'
Baladhi's son was called Medhavi, and he was highly irascible. When he
learnt of the only way in which he could die, he grew haughty and began to
insult the sages of the earth. And he ranged over the world, doing mischief
to the Munis.
One day, he met the Maharishi Dhanushaksha of immense tejas and the
arrogant Medhavi insulted him. The Rishi cursed him, 'Be you ashes!'
But Medhavi was not reduced to ashes. Then Dhanushaksha had a vast
herd of buffaloes shatter the mountain, which stood as the condition of
Medhavi's immortality. The young man instantly died.
Taking his son's corpse in his arms, Medhavi's father began to bewail his
fate. Now listen, my child, to what the Rishis, who were masters of the
Vedas, chanted when they found the sage mourning: Never can a mortal
overcome what Fate ordains. Lo! Dhanushaksha shattered even the
mountain with a herd of buffaloes.
So do young ascetics, who are puffed up with the pride of the boons they
have received, swiftly perish. You do not want to be one of them.
This Raibhya, O my son, is possessed of great tejas, and his two sons are
like him. Therefore, be vigilant - never approach him. My child, Raibhya is
a Maharishi of short temper; if angered, he can do you harm.
Yavakrita said, "I will do as you say. Do not be anxious, father, for
Raibhya deserves my reverence even as you do.'
Yet, after placating his father with sweet words, Yavakrita, fearing
nothing and nobody, began to take his delight in wantonly offending other
munis.'"
CANTO 136
omasa says, 'One day in the month of Chaitra, while wandering

fearlessly, Yavakrita approached the asrama of Raibhya. In that
beautiful hermitage, adorned with trees rich with flowers, he saw the
daughter-in-law of Raibhya, sauntering about like a Kinnara woman.
Smitten by swift passion, deprived of his good sense, Yavakrita said
shamelessly to the bashful young woman, "Be mine!"
At which, knowing his nature, and afraid of a curse, and also thinking of
Raibhya's power, she said to him, "I will, wait for me here", promising him
everything and, tying him up with vines, sweetly, she went back into her
dwelling.
When Raibhya returned to his asrama, he found his daughter-in-law,
Paravasu's wife, in tears. Consoling her with soft words, he asked what was
the cause of her grief.
Thereupon, the beautiful girl told him what Yavakrita had said to her,
and also how she had adroitly kept him at bay.
Raibhya's mind flared up in wrath. He tore off a matted lock of his jata,
and with holy mantras offered it to the sacred fire. At this, a woman who
resembled his daughter-in-law in every particular, sprang out of the flames.
The Rishi plucked out another dreadlock from his head, and again
offered it to the fire. Now a terrible demon leapt forth from the flames, his
eyes fiery.
The two said to Raibhya, "What shall we do?"
The angry sage said to them, "Go and kill Yavakrita."
They said, "We shall!" and flew to do as he bid them.
Using her charms, the lovely woman spirit took Yavakrita's sacred
water-pot from him. Then, spear upraised, the demon flew at Yavakrita,
when he had been deprived of his water-pot and rendered unclean.
Yavakrita jumped up and fled towards a tank. He found it empty of water
and flew towards all the rivers, but found them dry too. Threatened
repeatedly by the Rakshasa with his spear, the terrified Yavakrita tried to
enter his father's Agnihotrasala. But there a blind Sudra seized and
prevented him.
Now the demon cast his spear at Yavakrita and struck him through the
heart, and Yavakrita fell dead. After killing Yavakrita, the Rakshasa went
back to Raibhya, and with the permission of that sage, began to live with
the female spirit.'
CANTO 137
omasa says, 'Kaunteya, Bharadwaja returned to his hermitage after

performing the nitya karma of the day and having collected wood for
the sacred fire of sacrifice. But since his son had been slain, the sacrificial
flames that came to welcome him every day, did not come forth to greet the
Rishi.
Seeing this change in the Agnihotra, the Mahamuni asked the blind
Sudra, "Why, O Sudra, do the fires not rejoice at sight of me? You, also, do
not welcome me gladly, as you usually do.
Is all well in my asrama? I hope my son of little sense did not go to
Raibhya. Answer me quickly, Sudra, my heart misgives me."
The Sudra said, "Your foolish son did go to the Rishi Raibhya, and that
is why he lies dead on the ground, slain by a mighty demon. Attacked by
the Rakshasa holding a spear, he tried to force his way into this room, and I
barred his way.
Then, wanting holy water while he was unclean and stood hopeless, he
was slain by the Rakshasa."
Bharadwaja, griefstricken, took his dead son in his arms and began to
lament. He cried, "O my son, you did tapasya for the weal of all
Brahmanas, so that the Vedas, which had not been studied by any Brahmana
at all, might become manifest in you.
You were always kindly and reverent towards any Brahmana, why
towards all creatures.* But, alas, you did lapse into arrogance and rudeness.
O my son, I warned you never to go to Raibhya's arama, but even there you
went like Yama himself.
Evil is that man, who, knowing that I am an old man, and also that
Yavakrita was my only son, gave way to wrath and killed my child. My son,
without you, the most precious thing in the world, I will give up my life as
well.
Yes, in grief at the death of my child I renounce my life; but this I say,
that Raibhya's eldest son will soon kill him, although he be innocent.
Blessed are those to whom children have never been born, for they lead
a happpy life, without having to experience this dreadful grief. Who in this
world can be more vile than they, who made senseless with sorrow at the
death of a child, curse even their dearest friend? Finding my son dead I
cursed my dearest friend.
Ah, which other man in this world has ever suffered such misfortune!"
After lamenting long, Bharadwaja cremated his son and then consigned
himself to a full-blazing fire.'
CANTO 138
omasa says, 'At this very time, the mighty king Brihadyumna, of great
fortune, who was the Yajamana of Raibhya, began a sacrifice. The two
sons of Raibhya, Arvavasu and Paravasu, were engaged by that wise
sovereign to assist him in the performance of the yagna.
Kaunteya, with their father's leave, the two went to the sacrifice, while
Raibhya remained in their asrama, with Paravasu's wife. One day, wanting
to see his wife, Paravasu returned home alone. He met his father in the
vana, wrapped in the skin of a black antelope. The night was far advanced
and dark; Paravasu, blinded by drowsiness in that deep forest, mistook his
father for a wild stag, and fearing for his own safety, killed his father.
Then, after performing the funeral rites for his father, he returned to the
sacrifice and said to his brother, "You will never be able to perform this task
unassisted. And I have killed our father, mistaking him for a deer. My
brother, keep a vrata of expiation for the sin of killing a Brahmana, and I, O
Muni, shall complete the yagna by myself."
Arvavasu said, "Do then fulfil this sacrifice of the gifted Brihadyumna;
and for you, bringing my senses under perfect control, I will observe the
vow to expiate the sin of a Brahmahatya."
Having kept the vrata for that sin, the Muni Arvavasu came back to the
sacrifice. Seeing his brother, Paravasu, in a voice choked with malice, cried
to Brihadyumna, "O king, see that this slayer of a Brahmana does not enter
your yagna, or even look upon it. Even by a glance, the killer of a
Brahmana can harm you immeasurably.'
The king ordered his attendants to turn Arvavasu out. As they drove him
out the king's men repeatedly cursed Arvavasu, crying, "Brahmana killer!"
More than once Arvavasu protested, "It is not I that have killed a
Brahmana!"
He said he had not kept the vrata for his own sake, but to free his brother
from the sin that Paravasu had committed.
Having said this in anger, and being reprimanded by the attendants, the
Brahmana sage of austere penance retired silently into the forest. There he
sat in fierce tapasya, worshipping the Sun. The Surya mantra was revealed
to him, and then Agni Deva, immortal god who has the first share of the
havis from any yagna, appeared, embodied, to the Rishi.
The Devas were well pleased with Arvavasu for what he had done; they
had him made chief priest at Brihadyumna's sacrifice, and Paravasu
dismissed from it.
Agni and the other celestials bestowed boons on Arvavasu, without his
asking. He prayed that his father might be restored to life. He prayed that
his brother might be absolved from his sin; that his father might have no
recollection of his having been slain; that Bharadwaja and Yavakrita might
both be restored to life; and that the solar revelation would find celebrity on
earth.
The god said, "Tathastu, so be it," and conferred other boons on him
also. Yudhishtira, all those who had died were restored to life.
Yavakrita now said to Agni and the other deities, "I gained knowledge of
all the Vedas, and also performed tapasya. How, then, did Raibhya manage
to kill me as he did, O best of the gods?"
The Devas said, "Yavakrita, never again do what you did. You could be
killed because you acquired the Vedas without studying them and without
learning from a guru. But Raibhya bore many trials, he satisfied his
preceptor with his conduct, and gained the Vedas through great exertion and
in a long time."
Having said this to Yavakrita, and having given life back to the dead, the
Devas with Indra at their head ascended into heaven.
Look, Yudhishtira, here is the sacred asrama of that sage, with trees that
bear flowers and fruit in all seasons. O tiger among kings, by staying here
for a while you will be exorcised of all your sins.'
CANTO 139
omasa says, 'O Bhaarata, O king, now you have crossed the mountains
Usirabija, Mainaka and Sweta, as well as the Kala hills, and look, O son
of Kunti, O Bharatarishabha, here before you flow the seven Gangas!
This is a most pure and holy place. Here Agni blazes forth without
pause. No son of Manu can see this wonder. So, Pandava, concentrate your
mind in dhyana so that you can behold all these tirthas.
Now you will see the playground of the gods, marked with their
footprints. Since we have passed the mountain Kala, we will now cilmb
Mandara, the white mountain, inhabited by the Yakshas, by Manibhadra,
and Kubera, lord of the Yakshas.
Rajan, here eighty thousand fleet Gandharvas, and four times as many
Kimpurushas and Yakshas of various shapes and forms, holding various
weapons, attend upon Manibhadra, king of the Yakshas. Great indeed is
their power in this realm, and their swiftness is like the very wind.
Why, they can unseat Indra himself from his throne. Protected by them,
and also watched over by the Rakshasas, these mountains are inaccessible.
Therefore, son of Pritha, fix your mind in dhyana for, besides these, Kubera
dwells here with his ministers and his Rakshasa kindred. We will have to
encounter them, so muster your energies.
O king, the mountain Kailasa is six yojanas high; upon it grows a
gigantic nyagrodha tree. Kaunteya, numberless Devas and Yakshas and
Rakshasas and Kinnaras and Nagas and Suparnas and Gandharvas pass this
way, going towards Kubera's palace. With my protection, as well as the
might of Bhimasena, and also the virtue of your own asceticism and self-
command, today you must mingle with them.
May Lord Varuna and Yama, conqueror of battles, and Ganga, and
Yamuna, and this mountain, and the Maruts and the twin Aswins, and all
rivers and lakes, vouchsafe your safety. And, O effulgent one, may you be
safe from all the Devas and the Asuras, and the Vasus.
Devi Ganga, I hear your roar from this golden mountain, sacred to Indra.
O Goddess of high fortune, in these mountains, protect this king,
worshipped by all of the race of Ajamidha. O daughter of Himalaya, this
king is about to enter into this realm; do you confer your protection upon
him.'
Having invoked the protection of the river, Lomasa says to Yudhishtira,
'Be careful.'
Yudhishtira says to his brothers, 'I have never seen Lomasa so anxious,
so watch carefully over Krishnaa, and do not be careless. Lomasa knows
this place is surely difficult of access. Therefore, observe utmost purity
here.'
He now says particularly to his brother Bhima, of vast prowess,
'Bhimasena, watch intently over Draupadi. Whether Arjuna be near or
away, in times of danger she always seeks only your protection.'
Then Yudhishtira goes to Nakula and Sahadeva, and after lovingly
sniffing the tops of their heads, and embracing them, he says with tears in
his eyes, 'Do not be afraid, yet go cautiously in this place.'
CANTO 140
udhishtira says, 'Vrikodara, there are mighty and powerful invisible

spirits in this place. We shall, however, pass safely through it with the
punya of tapasya and Agnihotra sacrifices. So, Kaunteya, restrain your
hunger and thirst by collecting your energies, and also, O Bhima, keep both
your strength and your wits at the ready.
You heard what Rishi Lomasa said about Mount Kailasa; so think how
Krishnaa will pass this place. Or, mighty Bhima of the large eyes, return
from here, taking Sahadeva with you, and all our charioteers, cooks,
servants, chariots, horses, and our Brahmanas worn out with travel; while
Nakula and I, together with Muni Lomasa of great tapasya go on, subsisting
on the lightest fare and observing vows.
You await my return at the source of the Ganga, protecting Draupadi till
I come back.'
Bhima replies, 'Bhaarata, although this blessed princess has been sorely
afflicted by toil and sorrow, yet she travels on easily in the hope of seeing
Arjuna of the white steeds. Your grief also is great at not seeing the noble
Arjuna, who never flees a battle.
It goes without sayng that your sorrow will only increase if you do not
see me, Sahadeva and Krishnaa, as well.
It is best that the Brahmanas turn back, with our servants, charioteers,
cooks, and whoever else you command. I will never leave you in these wild
and inaccessible mountain realms, infested by Rakshasas.
And, O tiger among men, this princess of great fortune, always devoted
to her lords, does not want to turn back without you. Sahadeva is ever
devoted to you; he too will never turn back, I know him well.
Rajan, we are all eager to see Arjuna, and so we will all go on together.
If we cannot pass over this mountain in our chariots, because it abounds in
defiles, we will go on foot. Do not worry, O King, I will carry Panchali
wherever she cannot walk.
This is what I have deceided, so do not be anxious or distracted. Over
impassable places, I will also carry our tender-bodied heroes, the twins, the
delight of their mother, wherever they cannot walk."
Yudhishtira says, 'May your strength increase, O Bhima, for what you
say, that you will carry the illustrious Panchali and these twins. Bless you!
No man is as brave as you are. May your strength, fame, merit and
reputation increase! O long-armed one, since you offer to carry Krishnaa
and the twins, exhaustion and defeat will never be yours.'
Now the enchanting Krishnaa says with a smile, 'O Bhaarata, I will be
able to go, so do not be anxious on my account.'
Lomasa says, 'Access to the Mountain Gandhamadana can only be
gained through asceticism. So, Kaunteya, we must all do tapasya; and then,
O King, Nakula, Sahadeva, Bhimasena, you and I will all see Arjuna
Swetavahana.'
Thus speaking together, journeying on, they see with delight the great
domains of Subahu, situated on the Himalayas, abounding in horses and
elephants, densely inhabited by the Kiratas and the Tanganas, crowded by
hundreds of Pulindas, frequented by the Devas, and rife with wonders.
King Subahu, the lord of the Pulindas, receives them joyfully at the
frontier of his realms, paying them proper respect. Being received with
honour, and dwelling in comfort in that place, they set out for the Himalaya,
when the sun shines brightly in the sky.
They entrust the care of all their servants—Indrasena and the others, and
the cooks and the stewards, and Draupadi's accoutrements, and everything
else those Maharathas, the mighty scions of the Kurus, and Krishnaa with
them, go forth from that land, cautiously, all of them glad at heart at the
prospect of seeing Arjuna.
Yudhishtira says, 'Bhimasena, Panchali, and you twins, listen to me. The
karma done in previous births does not perish, but surely produces its fruit,
sooner or later. Look how even we have become rangers of the wilderness!
Exhausted and distressed as we are, we have to support one another, and
pass through well-nigh impassable places, so that we might see Arjuna.
Kshatriya, I do not see Dhananjaya beside me and this burns me even as fire
does a heap of cotton.
I live in the forest with my younger brothers, anxious to see Arjuna
again. This thought, as also the memory of the grave insult to Yagnaseni,
consumes me.
O Vrikodara, I do not see the invincible Partha of the great bow and
incomparable energy, who is younger than you and older than Nakula. For
this, Bhima, I am miserable.
Just to see my Arjuna again, I have been wandering to various tirthas for
five years, passing through charmed jungles, passing lovely lakes; yet I do
not see him. For this, Vrikodara, I am miserable.
I do not see the long-armed Gudakesa, of the dark blue skin, and the
lion's gait. For this, Vrikodara, I am miserable. I do not see that
Kurusthama, master of weapons, most skilful in battle, and matchless
among bowmen. For this, Vrikodara, I am miserable.
I am distraught because I do not see Pritha's son Dhananjaya, born under
the nakshatra Phalguni, who goes amongst his enemies even like Yama
during the Pralaya; Partha who has the prowess of an elephant in musth,
with the juice of rut trickling down its temples; Arjuna of the leonine
shoulders; not inferior to Sakra himself in strength and energy; elder in
years to the twins; of white steeds; unrivalled in heroism; invincible; and
wielding an awesome bow. For this, O Vrikodara, I am miserable.
And he is always of a forgiving temper, even when insulted by the
meanest man; and he confers benefit and protection to the righteous; but to
a perfidious one who tries to do him harm with treachery, Dhananjaya is
like virulent poison, be not the one Sakra himself.
And the mighty Vibhatsu of immeasurable soul and strength shows
mercy and extends protection even to a foe, when fallen. He is the refuge of
us all and he crushes his enemies in battle. He owns the power to garner any
treasure whatever, and he ministers to our happiness.
It was through his prowess that I owned measureless precious jewels of
myriad kinds, which now Suyodhana has usurped. It was through his might,
O Kshatriya, that I owned the palatial Mayaa Sabha, embellished with every
manner of gemstone, and celebrated throughout the three worlds.
Pandava, in prowess Phalguni is like Krishna, and in battle he is
invincible and unrivalled, even like Kartavirya. Alas, I do not see him,
Bhima, Arjuna who in might is like Krishna and Balarama!
In strength of arms and spirit, he is like Purandara himself; in swiftness,
he is like the wind; in grace, like the moon, and in wrath he is like eternal
Yama.
Mahabaho, to see that warlike Purushavyaghra, tiger among men, we
will go to Gandhamadana, where the hermitage of Nara and Narayana is,
beneath the celebrated nyagrodha tree, the asrama inhabited by Yakshas.
We will see that best of mountains, and by doing stern tapasya, we shall
walk to Kubera's beautiful lake guarded by Rakshasas. That place cannot be
reached by chariots or carts, Vrikodara, and neither can cruel, greedy or
choleric men ever go there, Bhaarata.
Bhima, in order to see Arjuna, there shall we journey, in a company, with
Brahmanas of strict vows, girding on our swords, and wielding our bows.
Only those who are impure meet with flies, mosquitoes, tigers, lions, and
reptiles, but never the pure.
Therefore, controlling our diet, and restraining our senses, we shall go to
the Gandhamadana, to see Arjuna Dhananjaya.'
CANTO 141
omasa says, 'Pandavas, you have seen many a mountain, and river and
town and forest and beautiful tirtha; you have touched their sacral
waters with your hands.
Now this way leads to the devine Mount Mandara; therefore be you
attentive and composed. You will now climb to the dwelling place of Devas
and Devarishis of great punya. Here, O King, there flows the mighty and
lovely river Alakananda, of holy water adored by hosts of celestial ones and
sages, and we will trace its source to the great nyagrodha tree.
High-souled Vaihayasas, Balakhilyas and Gandharvas of mighty spirits
frequent this holiest asrama. Those unmatched singers of the Sama hymns,
the Rishis Marichi, Pulaha, Bhrigu and Angiras chanted them here.
Here the king of the Devas performs his nitya puja, along with the
Maruts; and the Sadhyas and the Aswins attend on him. The Sun, the Moon
and all the luminaries with the planets come to this river, alternately by day
and by night.
Most fortunate king, Mahadeva, protector of the world, the Bull his
emblem, received the descent of the Ganga from the sky here, where now
her source is.
My children, approach this Goddess of the six attributes and bow down
before her with your minds concentrated in dhyana.'
Having listened to the Maharishi Lomasa, the sons of Pandu
reverentially worship the Ganga, who flows through the firmament. And
after having adored her, the pious Pandavas resume their journey,
accompanied by the sages.
And in a while, those best of men behold at a distance a white massif of
vast proportions, even like Meru, and stretching on all sides.
Knowing the question in the hearts of Pandu's sons, Lomasa master of
speech, says, 'Listen, O sons of Pandu! Purushottamas, what you see before
you, vast as a mountain and beautiful as the cliffs of Kailasa, is a mound of
the bones of the mighty Daitya Naraka. Being heaped, they resemble a
mountain!
The Daitya was slain by that Paramatman, the eternal Lord Vishnu, to
help Indra, king of the Devas.
Wanting to usurp Indra's position, Narakasura, of the mighty mind,
acquired knowledge of the Vedas and performed a dread tapasya, which
lasted ten thousand years. And through this penance, as also by the force
and might of his arms he became invincible and forever harassed Indra.
Anagha, Sinless, knowing the might of the Demon and his great
penance, Indra became agitated and fear overwhelmed him. In his heart he
thought fervently of Vishnu, the eternal One. At which, the gracious Lord of
the universe, who is present everywhere, appeared and stood before Indra.
The Devas and Rishis began to sing hymns to Narayana, and to
propitiate him with prayers. In his presence even Agni of the six attributes
and of blazing beauty was overpowered by his effulgence, and was shorn of
radiance.
Seeing Mahavishnu before him, the king of the Devas, the Vajradhari
bowed his head low and told Narayana what the source of his fear was.
Vishnu said, "I know, O Sakra, that your fear is from Naraka, lord of the
Daityas. He aims for your throne through his tapasya. And so, to please
you, I will sever his soul from his body, despite his great tapasya. King of
the Devas, wait a moment."
Vishnu then struck Naraka with a blow of his hand; the Asura fell to the
ground even like the lord of mountains struck by cosmic thunder. So he
died, and his bones gathered in this place.
Another miracle of Vishnu's is also manifest here. Once, when all the
Earth was lost, having sunk into Patala, Narayana assumed the form of the
Varaha, a Boar with a single tusk, and raised her up.'
Yudhishtira says, 'Worshipful one, tell me in detail how Vishnu,
Devadeva, raised up the Earth which had sunk a hundred yojanas. How was
Bhumi Devi, of lofty fortune, support of all created things, who dispenses
blessings and brings forth all manner of grain, rendered stable?
Through whose power had she sunk a hundred yojanas? And how did
the Paramatman come to rescue her with this great exploit? Dvijottama, you
certainly know all about what transpired and I want to hear it all from you.'
Lomasa says, 'Yudhishtira, listen to that tale at length.
My child, in ancient days, there came a time of dread in the Krita Yuga,
when the eternal and primeval Deity assumed the dharma of Yama; and
when the God of gods began to do the work of Yama, not a creature died,
while the births were as usual.
Birds and beasts and kine, and sheep, and deer and all kinds of
carnivores multiplied, Parantapa, and the race of humans also swelled in
tide, in millions.
My son, when the population multiplied to a frightening extent, the
Earth, oppressed with her intolerable burden, sank a hundred yojanas.
Agony lanced through all her limbs, and barely conscious from the vast
pressure upon her, Bhumi Devi in great distress sought the protection of the
Lord Narayana, the foremost of the gods.
The Earth said, "It is through your grace, O possessor of the six
attributes, that I was able to remain so long in my position. But now I have
been overcome with burden which I cannot sustain any longer.
Most adorable One, relieve me of my burden. I seek your protection,
Lord, give me your favour."
Hearing her, the eternal Lord, possessor of the six attributes, Vishnu,
said calmly, his words distinct in their every syllable, "Do not fear, O
afflicted Bhumi devi, bearer of all treasures. I will relieve you of your
burden."
Thus consoling Bhumi, who has the mountains for her earrings, and then
sending her away, Vishnu suddenly turned into a refulgent boar with one
tusk. Striking terror with his glowing red eyes and his blazing lustre
smoking, fuming, he began to grow amazingly.
Kshatriya, then bearing the Earth upon his single radiant tusk, that Being
who pervades the Vedas raised her up a hundred yojanas. And while she
was being so raised, there was a terrific agitation and all the Devas, and all
the Rishis of great tapasya became distraught.
Heaven, and the sky, and the earth, as well, were filled with
exclamations of alarm and neither the gods nor men could find any peace.
Then countless celestials and sages went to Brahma, who sat blazing with
his own lustre.
Approaching Brahma, the lord of every celestial, and the witness of the
deeds of all beings, they said to him with folded hands, "Devadeva, all the
created are agitated and every being, mobile and immobile, are distraught.
Lord of the Devas, even the oceans are fraught and this whole world has
sunk a hundred yojanas. What is the cause of this ferment in the universe?
We are bewildered and dismayed; we beg you tell us what is happening."
Brahma replied, "Devas, do not be afraid of the Asuras, in any matter or
place. Listen, O celestials, to the reason for all this commotion. The
illustrious One, who is omnipresent, eternal and the never-pershiing Soul is
responsible for this agitation.
The Paramatman Vishnu has raised up Bhumi, who was submerged a
hundred yojanas; the great disturbance is in consequence of the Earth being
lifted up. Know this and dispel your doubts."
The Devas said, "Where is that Being who joyfully raises up the Earth?
O you who possess the six attributes, tell us where this is happening, so we
might go to that place."
Brahma said, "Go, and may good befall you! You will find him resting in
the gardens of Nandana. Look, there is the glorious and worshipful Garuda.
After having raised up the Earth, the God from whom the world became
manifest, flames forth in the shape of a boar, even like the all-consuming
apocalypse during the pralaya. Upon his breast the Srivatsa shines. Go and
behold that Being who knows no decay."
Setting Brahma, the Grandsire, at their head the Devas came to that
infinite Soul, and having sung his praises, bade him farewell, and went back
to where they had come from,' says Lomasa.
Having heard this story, all the Pandavas go with all haste towards the
place to which Lomasa pointed."
CANTO 142
aisampayana said, "O King, those foremost of bowmen, of

immeasurable prowess, holding bows strung tightly, carrying quivers
brimful of arrows, wearing fingerlets made of iguana-skin, and their swords
at their sides, go, with Panchali, towards the Gandhamadana, also taking
with them the best of their Brahmanas.
On their way, they see lakes and rivers and mountains and forests, and
trees of wide-spreading shade upon mountain summits; and places
abounding in trees bearing flowers and fruit in all seasons, and frequented
by Devas and Rishis.
Restraining their senses within the inner self, subsisting on fruit and
roots, the heroes pass through rugged realms, craggy and difficult of
passage, seeing diverse and numerous birds and beasts as they go.
Thus those high-souled ones enter the mountain of Rishis, Siddhas and
Devas, of Gandharvas, Kinnaras and Apsaras. And, O lord of men, as those
mighty Kshatriyas first set foot upon Gandhamadana, a violent wind blows
there, bringing a torrent of rain with it. Great clouds of dust, bearing dry
leaves, rise up, and all on a sudden cover earth, air and the firmament.
When the heavens are obscured by dust nothing can be seen, and neither
can the Pandavas speak to one another. Eyes full of darkness and stung by
the wind that carries rock particles, they cannot see one another.
Trees split open, cracking in the gale; towering trees crash down to the
ground with force of the wind.
Dismayed by the storm, they think, 'Are the heavens falling down or is
this mountain and the very earth cracking open?'
Terrified by the storm, they grope in the pitch darkness with arms
outstretched, and shelter under trees, inside large anthills, and in caves.
Holding his bow and supporting Krishnaa, the mighty Bhimasena stands
under a tree; Yudhishtira Dharmaraja, with Dhaumya, scurries into some
heavy woods; Sahedeva, carrying the sacred fire, takes shelter under a huge
rock. Nakula, with Lomasa and the other Brahmanas of great tapasya stand
trembling, each one under a tree.
Then when the wind abates and the dust subsides, the sky opens and
down comes a cascade of rain. The heavens shake with shocking batteries
of thunder, each like Indra's Vajra being cast; and quick-flashing lightning
begins to play vividly through the clouds. Without pause it rains, and
everything is a solid sheet of water, until rivers of hurtling water rush all
around, foam-crested and turbid with mud. These roaring cataracts uproot
the greatest trees and plunge them down the mountain like twigs.
As suddenly as it began, the storm ceases, and when the wind is still and
the air is clear, each of them comes out cautiously from their places of
hiding, and they met together again.
Again, those Kshatriyas and their party set foot upon Mount
Gandhamadana."
CANTO 143
aisampayana said, "When the noble sons of Pandu have gone a mere
two yojanas, Draupadi, unaccustomed to walking for long, cannot go
on. She is weary, Panchala's most delicate daughter, and faint, and the storm
has also terrified her.
The black-eyed Krishnaa supports herself with her graceful arms on her
thighs, clenched together, for just a moment, before she collapses trembling
onto the ground. Seeing her fall like a severed vine, Nakula runs forward
and holds her.
The distrait Nakula cries, 'O King, Panchali has fallen down from
tiredness. Tend to her, O Bhaarata. She deserves no such misery and has
borne long hardship; she is exhausted from our journey. Comfort her, O
mighty king.'
Hearing Nakula, Yudhishtira, and Bhima and Sahadeva, as well, rush to
Panchali in alarm. They see her pale and drained, and, taking her onto his
lap, Yudhishtira laments, 'Ah, accustomed to ease, used to sleeping in
luxurious chambers, on beds spread over with fine sheets, how does this
beautiful one lie on rough, bare ground now?
Alas! Only because of me, the soft feet and the lotus-like face of she
who deserves all the finest things in life are callused pale. O what have I
done!
Fool that I am, being addicted to dice, I have been wandering in forests
full of wild beasts, taking Krishnaa with me. Her father King Drupada gave
this doe-eyed one to me, trusting that his blessed child would be happy by
having the Pandavas for her husbands. But because I am a wretch, today she
lies on the rough earth, exhausted with every hardship, sorrow and
wearying travel.'
As Yudhishtira Dharmaraja laments, Dhaumya and all the other principal
Brahmanas come to him, and begin to console him and to honour him with
their blessings.
They recite mantras to keep Rakshasas away and also perform some
holy rites to restore Panchali's health and spirits. At this, and also at being
stroked soothingly by her husbands' palms, as well as by a cool, moist
breeze, she slowly recovers consciousness.
The sons of Pritha now lay her down upon a deerskin, and make her rest.
Taking her red-soled feet, bearing auspicious marks, the twins begin to
press them gently with their hands scarred by bowstrings. Yudhishtira,
foremost of the Kurus, also comforts her.
Dharmaraja says to Bhima, 'Bhima, before us lie so many rough and
rugged mountains, full of ice and snow, inaccessible. How, long-armed one,
will Krishnaa pass over these?'
Bhima says, 'Rajan, I will carry you, our princess, and these
Purusharishabhas the twins; so do not be anxious. Or, Anagha, at your
command, with your leave, Hidimba's son, the mighty Ghatotkacha, who is
as strong as I am and can fly through the sky, will carry us all to our
destination.'
With Yudhishtira's permission, Bhima thinks of his Rakshasa son; and in
an instant, the pious Ghatotkacha appears, salutes the Pandavas and the
Brahmanas, and stands before them with folded hands. And they also caress
him of the mighty arms.
Ghatotkacha says to his father, Bhimasena of dreadful prowess, 'You
thought of me and I came at once to serve you. Command me, O long-
armed, and I will do whatever you wish.'
Hearing this, Bhimasena hugs the Rakshasa to his breast.
CANTO 144
udhishtira says, 'Bhima, let this mighty and heroic Rakshasa lord, your
son, devoted to us, truthful and conversant with dharma, carry his
mother Draupadi without delay. Owner of dreadful prowess, depending on
the strength of your arms, I will reach the Gandhamadana unhurt, with
Panchala's daughter.'
Hearing his brother, that Purushavyaghra Bhimasena commands his son
Ghatotkacha Parantapa, 'Invincible son of Hidimba, this mother of yours is
exhausted. You are strong and can go wherever you wish. So, sky-ranger,
do you carry her.
May good fortune attend upon you! Carry her on your shoulders, and go
with us, flying not too high so that she is not frightened.'
Ghatotkacha says, 'Single-handed, I can bear Yudhishtira Dharmaraja,
and Dhaumya, and Krishnaa, and the twins. Then what wonder that today I
will carry them, where there are others to help me? And, O sinless one,
hundreds of other valiant Rakshasas, all of whom can fly, and assume any
shape they wish, will together carry you all, and all the Brahmanas.'
Saying this, Ghatotkacha picks up Krishnaa, and the other Rakshasas,
the Pandavas, while by virtue of his inherent power, Lomasa of
incomparable effulgence courses along the path of the Siddhas, even like a
second Sun. And at the command of the lord of the Rakshasas, the other
Rakshasas of terrific strength bear all the other Brahmanas.
Flying above enchanted forests, they fly towards the gigantic Nyagrodha
tree. Going at great speed, borne by the Rakshasas, the Kshatriyas pass over
long distances as if over a few steps.
On their way they see below them lands crowded with Mlechha tribes,
rich with mines of diverse gems. They see hills glittering with precious
metals, where Vidyadharas throng, and Vanaras and Kinnaras and
Kimpurushas and Gandharvas, and full of peacocks, and chamaras, and
monkeys, and rurus, and bears, and gavayas, and bison, latticed with
networks of rillets, full of countless species of bird and beast, handsome
with lordly elephants, the birds all full of rapture in their trees.
Passing over many lands and kingdoms, including that of the
Uttarakurus, they see that foremost of mountains, the Kailasa, replete with
all wonders, and beside it, they behold the hermitage of Nara and Narayana,
with unearthly trees hearing flowers and fruit in all seasons.
They also see the exquisite and mighty Nyagrodha, of the round trunk,
fresh and so alive, its shade wide and deep, its foliage thick, soft and sleek;
full of health; its boughs enormous and wide-spreading and of
incomparable lustre; and bearing full, delicious and holy fruit, dripping
nectar.
And this celestial tree is visited by hosts of mighty sages, and its
branches teem with birds maddened by spirits; it grows in a grove where no
mosquito or fly comes, a spot abundant with fruit, roots and sprakling
water, covered in velvet green grasses, where Devas and Gandharvas come.
Its trunk is smooth, cool, its bark delicate and lovely. Reaching that
ancestral tree, along with the Brahmanarishabhas, those mahatmans alight
from the shoulders of the Rakshasas, and they see the charmed, most holy
asrama of Nara-Narayana, where no sorrow comes, nor the rays of the Sun;
where no hunger, thirst, heat or cold venture; where all grief melts away;
where hosts of Maharishis throng; which hermitage is adorned by the grace
of the Vedas, Saman, Rik, and Yajus; asrama inaccessible to men who have
no devotion; asrama beautiful with offerings, and homas; and most sacred;
and well-swept and fragrant; and shining all around with offerings of
celestial blossoms; and spread over with altars of sacrificial fire, and holy
women and water-pots and urns of holy waters and baskets, this refuge of
all beings; and echoing with the chanting of the Vedas; and heavenly and
most worthy of being dwelt in; where all tiredness disappears; and
splendent and full of incomprehensible grace; and majestic, divine.
The Maharishis who live in that asrama subsist on fruit and roots, their
senses perfectly restrained; they wear black deer-skins; they are effulgent
like the Sun and Agni; their souls have been made great through tapasya
and they are intent on mukti, while they lead the lives of Vanaprasthas, in
communion with the Paramatman; and constantly the sound of Vedic hymns
fill that place.
Then, having purified himself, and restraining his senses, Dharmaputra
Yudhishtira of great tejas, together with his brothers, approaches those
Rishis. And knowing him, for they are all blessed with supernatural
knowledge, all the great sages receive him joyfully.
And those Munis, chanters of the Veda, themselves like fire, bless
Yudhishtira; they give him holy water and flowers and roots. And
Yudhishtira Dharmaraja receives these with reverence and joy.
Now, O sinless one, Pandu's son, along with Krishnaa and his brothers,
and thousands of Brahmanas versed in the Vedas and the Vendangas, enters
that most sacred asrama, which is like the abode of Sukra himself, and
which pleases the mind with scents of heaven, which resembles heaven
itself, so beautiful is it.
There Yudhishtira sees the hermitage of Nara and Narayana, made
enchanting by the Bhagirathi and worshipped by the Devas and the
Devarishis. Seeing that hermitage where Brahmarshis dwell, where fruits
dripping ambrosia grow all around, the Pandavas are filled with rare
delight.
Having reached that place, those high-souled Kshatriyas begin living
with the Brahmanas. There they see the holy lake Vinda, and the mountain
Mainaka, of golden summits, where so many species of birds live, and those
magnanimous ones live there happily.
The sons of Pandu and Krishnaa delight in ranging through charmed
woods and forests, bright with flowers of every season; exquisite on every
side with trees bearing full-blown blossoms, and bending with the weight of
fruits, and with countless male kokilas among their glossy leaves; and
growing thickly and their shade cool and lovely to behold.
They delight in coming upon diverse lakes of limpid water, shimmering
with lotuses and lilies. And there, O lord, the balmy mountain breeze blows,
bearing the purest fragrances, gladdening their hearts.
And hard by the gigantic nyagrodha, the mighty sons of Kunti see the
Bhagirathi falling down, crystalline, cool, bearing fresh lotuses, softly over
a gentle descent of steps made of ruby and coral, and graced on both sides
with celestial trees and her waters strewn with celestial flowers, and
enchanting the mind and heart.
In that place, frequented by Deva and Rishi, and so hard of access, they
make themselves pure and offer oblations to the manes, the gods and the
great sages in the sacred waters of the Bhagirathi.
Thus those bulls among men, the heroic Kurupraviravas, begin to dwell
there with the Brahmanas, making their offerings and practising dhyana.
The Purushavyaghras feel particularly joyful to watch the various
amusements of Draupadi."
CANTO 145
aisampayana said, "There, in purity, those tigers among men remain

for six nights, waiting to see Arjuna. One day, a gust of wind blows
from the north-east bringing a heavenly lotus of a thousand petals, effulgent
as the Sun. Panchali sees that bloom of unearthly fragrance, brought by the
wind and left on the ground; she picks it up and is enraptured.
She cries to Bhimasena, 'Look, Bhima, this unearthly flower has the
quintessential source of all redolence within it! Parantapa, it makes my
heart soar in joy.
I will give this bloom to Yudhishtira Dharmaraja, so you must fetch
some more for me, so that I can take them to our asrama in the Kamyaka. If,
O Pandava, you do love me, bring me many, many of these wondrous
flowers.'
Saying this, that chaste queen of the beautiful glances approaches
Yudhishtira with the flower. Bhima Purusharishabha, mightiest of all men,
sets out to satisfy her wish; intent upon bringing her the flowers, he goes
swiftly, facing the wind, in the direction from which the flower had come.
With his bow and mace inlaid with gold, with his arrows like venomous
serpents, he goes forth like an angry lion or an elephant in rut; and all
creatures on his way gaze at him with the powerful bow and arrows.
He felt no exhaustion, no languor, no fear or confusion, as that son of
Vayu and Pritha. Up the peak he climbs, with the strength of his arms, to
please Draupadi. That slayer of his foes ranges that finest mountain covered
with trees and creepers, its ground black rock; and frequented by Kinnaras;
and with all manner of mineral, plant, beast, and birds of various hues; and
appearing like an upraised arm of the Earth adorned with an entire set of
ornaments.
His eyes fixed on the slopes of Gandhamadana, fragrant mountain,
various thoughts swirling through his mind, his ears thrilling with the sweet
songs of male kokilas and the ubiqitous hum black bees, and his eyes
enchanted by the vivid colours of the profusion of flowers of all seasons, he
of unmatched prowess goes along even like an elephant in musth ranging
mad through a forest.
And fanned by the fresh breeze of the Gandhamadana, bearing the scents
of myriad blossoms and cooling like a father's touch, Bhima goes along
sniffing the bright and perfumed air. The hairs on his body stand on end
with delight, as he surveys all of that mountain for the flowers for which he
has come, Gandhmadana home to Yakshas and Gandharvas and Devas and
Brahmarshis.
Brushed by the leaves of Saptachchada tree, besmeared with fresh red,
black and white minerals, he looks as if decorated with lines of holy
unguenta drawn by uncanny fingers. With clouds stretching away at its
sides, the mountain seems as if it were dancing with outspread wings; with
its spring and streams flowing and sparkling, it seems to be decked with
necklaces of pearls.
Upon its slopes are romantic caves and groves and waterfalls; brilliant
peacocks dance to the chiming of the anklets and bangles of Apsaras; the
mountain's jagged surfaces have been worn smooth by the tusks of the
Diggajas; with the rivers cascading down, Gandhamadana looks as if its
clothes are being loosened.
Cheerfully, playfully, that graceful son of the wind-god hies on, forcing
his way through countless intertwined creepers. Great stags gaze curiously
at him, with lush grass in their mouths; never having known fear before,
they do not flee.
Determined to fulfil the wish of his love, Pandu's mighty and youthful
son, stalwart and of splendour like that of gold, his body strong as a lion's,
crashing along like a maddened elephant, and with the force of an elephant
in rut, and his eyes coppery like those of a musth-stirred elephant, and able
to stop the charge of a maddened elephant, ranges the enchanting
Gandhamadana with his beautiful and extraordinary eyes upraised -
presenting a most novel and unusual spectacle.
The wives of Yakshas and Gandharvas sitting invisible beside their
lords, stare at him, turning their faces as he storms past. Intent upon
gratifying Draupadi exiled into the forest, as he traverses wondrous
Gandhamada, Bhima remembers all the grief and pain that Duryodhana has
inflicted upon them.
Bhima thinks, 'What will Yudhishtira do now, with Arjuna not returned
from Devaloka and with me here looking for Draupadi's flowers? Surely,
out of love and uncertainty about their prowess he will not send Nakula and
Sahadeva to look for us. Ah, how can I find these flowers quickly?'
Worried, his mind and eyes fixed to the mountains lovely slopes, that
tiger among men goes along as swiftly as the lord of birds, as the wind, with
Draupadi's wish his provender, making the earth tremble with his tread, he
goes like the wind, even like a hurricane at the equinox; and frightening
herds of elephants and prides of lions and lone tigers, and deer; and
uprooting and smashing great trees and tearing up plants and creepers, he
goes like some wild tusker, climbing higher and higher towards the summit
of a mountain, and now roaring fiercely even like a cloud full of thunder.
Awakened by Bhima's dreadful roaring, tigers come out of their dens,
while other rangers of the forest hide. The coursers of the skies spring up
from their perches and wheel into the air. Deer herds run away in panic;
mighty lions awake from their slumber and forsake their caves. Huge bison
stand and stare. Terrified elephants, along with their mates, flee that forest
and lumber away to more open spaces below.
And the boars and the deer and the lions and the bison and the tigers and
the jackals and the gavayas of the forest wood all together set up a dismal
outcry of fear; and geese, and gallinules and ducks and karandavas and
piavas and parrots and kokilas and herons all fly frantically in every
direction.
Some haughty elephants, goaded by their mates, as also some enraged
lions fly at Bhimasena, but in their hearts they are afraid and they rush at
him spraying urine and dung, and trumpeting and roaring only to embolden
themselves.
The wind-god's lustrous and graceful son, the mighty Pandava, promptly
begins to kill them all, why he hefts one elephant and swinging it through
the air kills another with it; he does the same with some lions; while others
he despatches with mere slaps!
At being struck by Bhima, all the elephants, lions, tigers and leopards
that come yelp and scream in terror, and discharge more dung and urine.
Quickly, he kills them all, those that do not flee, and the majestic and
awesomely strong son of Pandu enters the jungle, now roaring and shouting
aloud himself, making the forest echo.
Then that long-armed one sees upon the slopes of the Gandhamadana a
beautiful and extraordinary grove of plantain trees, spreading over some
yojanas. Like some crazed lion, he rushes towards it trampling countless
plants on his way. That strongest of men begins to tear up the plaintain
trees, each as tall as many palmyras, and flings them all around him like so
many blades of grass. All the while his shouts and yells resound through the
forest.
Forging on, he encounters countless beasts of gigantic size, and stags,
and monkeys, and lions, and bison, and great fish in the streams; with the
cries of these, and the roars of Bhima, even animals and birds in the
remotest parts of the jungle all tremble and cry out.
At their cries, a great flock of waterfowl suddenly rise up into the sky on
wet wings. Seeing these, that bull of the Bhaaratas now goes towards them,
and he sees a great and lovely lake, rippled by soft breezes, fanned by the
golden leaves of the plantain tree which grew upon its banks.
Immediately plunging into the water, abounding in lotuses and lilies,
Bhima begins to sport lustily just like an elephant in rut. Having thus
pleased himself for a long while, the bright one climbs out again, to make
his way deeper into the thick jungle.
Filling his great lungs he blows a thunderous blast on his conch; striking
his arms with his hands, the mighty Bhima makes all the points of heaven
reverberate. Filled by the sounds of the shell, and by the shouts of
Bhimasena, and also with the reports of his striking his own arms, the caves
of the mountain seem as if they are roaring.
Hearing him smite his arms like thunderclaps, the lions asleep inside
those caves howl like terrified cats. Frightened by the lions, the elephants of
this deeper forest set up an awful trumpeting, which also echoes upon the
mountain.
Hearing those sounds, and also knowing that this was Bhimasena his
brother, the Vanara Hanuman, greatest of monkeys, wanting to meet and to
bless Bhima, lays himself across the Pandavas path. Not wanting Bhima to
go on, Hanuman lies squarely across the narrow way, flanked by plantain
trees, obstructing it to keep Bhima safe.
So that Bhima does not face curse or defeat by entering the plantain
forest, Hanuman lays his huge body down; he begins to yawn, and lashes
the earth with his great tail first, raising it even like a stambha raised to
Indra, and that sound is thunder. All around, the maintain caves echo those
great reports, like a cow lowing.
As the tail lashes and the mountain quakes, it also begins to crumble on
every side; the reverberations drown the trumpeting of frightened elephants
and spread across every slope of Gandhamadana.
Bhima hears the sounds and the fine hairs on his body stand on end; he
begins to range through that plantain wood in search of the source of the
crashes. Upon a raised rocky base, he sees Hanuman, whose body is as
brilliant as a streak of lightning and difficult to even look at; his fur is
coppery, like the lightning-flash; the whiplashes of his tail are like
lightning; the Vanara's waist seems slender for his shoulders are so vast; his
neck his thick and short.
Long hairs cover his tail, which is a little bent at the end, and raised like
some flag. Bhima sees Hanuman's coppery face, and his tongue between
small lips, his ears red, his eyes bright and brisk, and his white sharp teeth.
Hanuman's head glows like the full moon ashine; his mane is tousled
wild around it, like a pile of asoka flowers. Amidst the golden plantain
trees, that refulgent one lies like some blazing fire, his body radiant, at
times looking around him with eyes red as if with wine.
The most intelligent Bhima sees that mighty Vanara chieftain lying like
the Himalaya, obstructing the path of heaven. Seeing him alone in that
mighty forest, the dauntless Bhima approaches him with rapid strides, and
gives a loud shout like thunder.
Birds and beasts are alarmed by that shout and scatter, but the great
Hanuman only half opens his eyes, and looks at Bhima with disregard,
through his eyes red as if with intoxication.
Then, with a smile, Hanuman says, "I was sleeping sweetly. Why have
you awakened me? You have reason, surely, and you must show kindness to
all creatures. We belong to the animals and are ignorant of dharma, but
possessing reason, men show kindness towards creatures. Then why does a
reasonable man like you do things which contaminate body, speech and
heart, alike, and destroy virtue?
You do not know what dharma is and neither have you taken the counsel
of the wise. Is it that from ignorance, and childishness, that you kill the
animals?
Say, who are you, and for what have you come to this forest devoid of
humans? And, O foremost of men, tell me also, where you are going today.
You cannot go any further, for the hills ahead are inaccessible.
Shura, save the passage gained through tapasya there is no path to that
place. This is the path of the celestials; mortals can never go this way. Out
of kindness, O hero, I dissuade you. Listen to me, you cannot go on from
this place, so desist.
Lord of men, you are welcome here in every way; so rest here and
partake of fruits and roots, sweet as amrita and do not go on and have
yourself killed for no reason.'
CANTO 146
aisampayana said, "O Parantapa, hearing what the wise Vanara says,
Bhima asks, 'Who are you? And why have you assumed the form of a
monkey? It is a Kshatriya—one of the varna next to the Brahmanas—that
asks you; and he belongs to the Kuruvamsa and the House of the Moon, and
was borne by Kunti in her womb, and is one of the sons of Pandu, and is the
offspring of Vayu, and is known by the name of Bhimasena.
Hanuman smiles to listen to the Kurupravira; that Vayuputra says to the
other Vayuputra, his brother Bhimasena, 'I am a Vanara, and I will not allow
you the passage that you desire. It is best that you return; do not go on to
meet your death.'
Bhimasena replies, 'O Vanara, arise and let me pass; do not come to grief
at my hands.'
Hanuman says, 'I have not the strength to arise; I am ill and suffering. If
you must go on, step over me and do so.'
Bhima says, 'The Nirguna Paramatman pervades every body. I cannot
disrespect Him that is knowable only by gyana. So, I will not step over you.
If I had not known Him from whom all creatures manifest, I would have
leapt over you and even the mountain, even as Hanuman once leapt across
the ocean.'
At which, Hanuman says, 'Who is this Hanuman, who leapt across the
ocean? Best of men, tell me about him if you can.'
Bhima replies, 'He is even my brother, excellent with every perfection,
and endowed with intelligence and strength of both mind and body. He is
the most illustrious lord of monkeys, renowed in the Ramayana; and for
Rama's queen, that lord of the Vanaras crossed the ocean of over a hundred
yojanas with a single leap.
That mighty one is my brother. I am his equal in energy, strength, and
prowess, and also in battle. And I can chasten you, monkey; so get up.
Either give me passage or witness my might today. If you do not listen to
me, I will send you to halls of Yama.'
Realising that Bhima is intoxicated with his own strength, and full of
pride of the might of his arms, Hanuman chides him in his heart, and says,
'Relent, sinless one. I am so old and weary that I do not have the strength to
get up. Take pity on me; move my tail aside and pass.'
Bhima, proud and by now angry, believes Hanuman and thinks, I will
seize the weakling monkey by his tail and send him to Yamaloka!'
With a mocking smile, he takes hold of the tail with his left hand; but he
cannot move that monkey's tail. Bhima seizes the tail, straight and stiff like
a stambha erected for Indra, with both hands; he still cannot shift it at all.
Quickly, the Panadava's brows are knit, his face wrinkled with effort, his
eyes roll in their sockets, but he cannot budge the Vanara's tail.
Defeated, Bhimasena returns to the old monkey's side, and stands
crestfallen and ashamed. Folding his hands, bowing low, Bhima says in a
faltering voice, 'Relent, O Vanarottama, forgive me for the harsh words I
spoke to you! Are you a Siddha, a Deva, a Gandharva, or a Guhyaka? I ask
you out of curiosity. If it is not a secret and if I may hear it, tell me who you
are that have assumed the shape of monkey, O long-armed. I ask you even
as a disciple his master, and I, O Anagha, seek your protection!'
Hanuman says, 'O Parantapa, I will satisfy your curiosity fully, and tell
you all that you want to know. Listen, O son of Pandu!
Lotus-eyed one, I was begotten by Vayu Deva, life of the world, upon
the wife of Kesari. I am a Vanara and my name is Hanuman. All the greatest
monkey-kings, and monkey-chieftains once used to wait upon Surya's son
Sugriva and Indra's son Vali. Scourge of your enemies, Sugriva and I were
friends even as the wind and fire.
Driven out from their kingdom by his brother Vali, Sugriva lived for a
long time on Rishyamukha, and I with him. And the mighty son of
Dasaratha, the heroic Rama, who is Vishnu's own self in human form, was
born into the world.
His great bow in his hand, and his wife and his brother with him, Rama,
greatest among archers, began to dwell in the Dandaka vana, to preserve his
father's dharma.
From Janasthana, in that forest, the awesome Rakshasa King, the evil
Ravana carried Rama's queen away, deceiving, O sinless one, that
Purushottama through the agency of a demon, Maricha, who assumed the
form of a golden deer marked with gem-like spots.'
CANTO 147
anuman continues, 'After his wife was carried away, Rama, scion of
the Raghuvamsa, with his brother Lakshmana, searched for his queen
on that mountain, and there met Sugriva, lord of the Vanaras. He made a
pact of friendship with the noble Sugriva; Rama slew Vali and installed
Sugriva as king of the Vanaras.
Having the kingdom, Sugriva sent forth his monkeys, hundreds and
thousands of them, in search of Sita. I, too, with numberless monkeys, set
out towards the south in quest of Sita, O Mahabaho.
On our quest, a mighty vulture called Sampati informed us that Sita was
in the palace of Ravana. Then, to serve Rama, I leapt across the ocean of a
hundred yojanas, the abode of sharks and crocodiles.
In Lanka, I saw in Ravana's palace the daughter of king Janaka, Sita, like
the daughter of a Deva. I spoke with Vaidehi, Rama's beloved, and then I
burnt Lanka with its towers and ramparts and lofty gates, and proclaimed
my name there, and then I returned to Bharatavarsha.
I told Rama everything, and that lotus-eyed immediately set out to
rescue his wife. He created a bridge across the ocean for his army of
monkeys and we crossed over it. In Lanka, Rama slew the Rakshasas in
battle; he killed Ravana, oppressor of the worlds, and all his demons.
Having slain the king of the Rakshasas, his brother, his sons and other kin,
Rama crowned the pious and kindly Rakshasa lord Vibhishana as king.
Rama recovered his wife, even like the lost Vaidik revelation. Then
Raghu's scion and his devoted Sita returned to Ayodhya, inaccessible to
enemies; and that lord of men was crowned and began to rule from there.
Then, I asked a boon of the lotus-eyed Rama, saying, "Parantapa, Rama,
let me live for as long as the story of your deeds is told in the world!"
Rama said, "So be it."
Bhima, through the grace of Sita, also, in this place I have everything I
need or want, every rare luxury, as do all that dwell in this place. Rama
reigned for ten thousand and ten hundred years; and then he ascended to his
own abode. Ever since, Apsaras and Gandharvas delight me here, singing
the pure and mighty deeds of that hero.
Sinless one, Kurunandana, this path is impassable to mortals. For this, O
Bhaarata, and also to ensure that noone vanquishes you, or curses you, have
I obstructed your passage to this path that the immortals tread. For the
celestials, this is one of the paths to heaven; mortals cannot pass this way.
But the lake in search of which you have come lies in that direction.'"
CANTO 148
aisampayana continued, "The powerful Bhimasena Mahabaho bows

lovingly, and with a cheerful heart, to his brother Hanuman, the Vanara
lord, and says in the mildest voice, 'Noone is more fortunate than I am, now
that I have seen my elder brother! Fortune has been so kind to me, and I
cannot express my delight.
But now I have a wish that I pray you will fulfil. Shura, I want to see
that incomparable form you had when you leapt across the ocean full of
sharks and crocodiles, ocean of a hundred yojanas. If you show me that
form I will be satisfied, I will believe everything that you have said.'
The mighty Vanara replies with a smile, 'No one today can see that form
of mine, not you or anyone else. In that yuga, all things were different, not
as they are today, dwindled.
In the Krita yuga, the state of things was one; and in the Treta, another;
and in the Dwapara, still another. Diminution is sweeping through this age;
and I do not have that form now. Why, the earth, rivers, plants, and rocks,
and Siddhas, Devas and Devarishis conform to Time, according to the
yugas.
Therefore, do not wish to see my old form, O Kurupravira. I am bound
by the nature of this age; time is irresistible.'
Bhimasena says, 'Tell me about the duration of the different yugas, and
of the varied manners and customs and of dharma, kama and artha, and of
karma, of tejas, and of life and death in the different yugas.'
Hanuman says, 'Child, that yuga is called Krita when the one eternal
religion existed, the Sanatana Dharma. In that best of yugas, everyone
owned spiritual perfection and, therefore, there was no need for religious
deed or rituals. Dharma knew no deterioration, and neither did anyone die.
For this, that yuga is called Krita, the perfect.
But in time the Krita yuga has come to be considered as an inferior one.
In the Krita, there were neither Devas nor Asuras, nor Gandharvas, nor
Yakshas, nor Rakshasas, nor Nagas.
There was no commerce, no buying and selling. And the Sama, the Rik,
and the Yajus did not exist. And there was no manual labour. All the
necessaries of life were obtained merely by being thought of, and the only
punya lay in renouncing the world.
During that yuga, there was neither disease nor decay of the senses.
There was neither malice nor pride, nor hypocrisy, nor discord, nor ill-will,
nor cunning, nor fear, nor misery, nor envy, nor covetousness.
And for this, that prime refuge of Yogis, the Supreme Brahman, was
attainable to all. Narayana, wearing a white complexion, was the soul of all
creatures. In the Krita Yuga, the distinctive characteristics of Brahmanas,
Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras were natural and these always adhered to
their respective dharmas.
Brahman was the sole refuge, and their manners and customs were
naturally adapted to the attainment of Brahman; and the objects of their
knowledge was the sole Brahman, and all their karma also had reference to
Brahman. In this way, all the varnas attained punya.
One uniform Soul was the object of their meditation; and there was only
one mantra, the Pranava, AUM, and there was one law. And although they
had different natures, all of them followed a single Veda; and they had one
dharma, one religion.
And according to the divisions of time, they lived the four asramas,
without any desires, and so they attained moksha. The dharma which
comprises of identifying the Atman with the Brahman is the sign of the
Krita Yuga.
In the Krita Yuga, the dharma of the four varnas is universal, entire; thus
the Krita Yuga is devoid of the three gunas.
Now listen to the character of the Treta Yuga. In this age, sacrifices are
introduced, and dharma decreases by a fourth part. And Narayana, who is
the Soul of all creatures, assumes a red colour. And men practise truth, and
devote themselves to religion and religious rites; sacrifices and various
religious observances come into existence.
In the Treta Yuga, people begin to devise means for the attainment of
objects, for possession; and they attain it through karma and dana.
However, they never deviate from dharma, and they are devoted to
asceticism and to the giving of gifts.
The four varnas adhere to their respective swadharmas, and perform
rituals. Such are the men of the Treta Yuga.
In the Dwapara Yuga, the Sanatana Dharma decreases by one half. Now
Narayana wears yellow; and the Veda becomes divided into four parts. Now
some men retain the knowledge of the four Vedas, and some of three Vedas,
and some of one Veda, while others do not even know even the Riks.
Upon the Shastras becoming so divided, karma multiplies. And largely
influenced by passion, men still engage in tapasya and dana. But from their
incapacity to study the entire Veda, it becomes divided into several parts;
and in consequence of the intellect having decreased, few are established in
truth.
And when people fall away from the truth, they become subject to
myriad diseases; and then lust and natural calamities ensue. Afflicted by
these, some men perform penance, while others celebrate sacrifices, yagnas,
wishing to enjoy the good things of life, or to attain heaven.
Upon the coming of the Dwapara Yuga, men become degenerate, in
consequence of their impiety.
O son of Kunti, in the Kali Yuga only a quarter of dharma survives. And
in the beginning of this iron age, Narayana wears a black hue. And the
Vedas and the Shastras, and dharma, and yagans, and every religious
observance, all these fall into disuse.
Then Iti'1 reigns, and disease, and lassitude, and anger and deformities,
and natural calamities, and anguish, and fear of scarcity. As the yugas wane,
dharma dwindles, and all creatures degenerate. As creatures degenerate,
their natures deteriorate.
The religious rites performed at the waning of the yugas produce
contrary effects. And even those that live for several yugas conform to these
changes.
Parantapa, as for curiosity to know me, I say this —why should a wise
person be eager to know a superfluous thing? O long-armed, I have told you
in full what you asked me regarding the nature of the different yugas.
May good fortune befall you! Now return from where you came.'
——————————
1Iti: six pernicious things for crops: excessive rain, drought, vermin, locusts, birds, and a
neighbouring hostile king.
CANTO 149
himasena says, 'I will not leave without seeing your olden form.
If I have found favour with you, show me your pristine self.'
With a smile, the Vanara shows Bhima the form in which he, Hanuman,
once leapt across the sea. Wanting to gratify his brother, Hanuman assumes
a gigantic body of immeasurable effulgence; the Vanara stands there,
covering all the plantain grove, and as lofty as the Vindhya.
Great as a mountain, with coppery eyes and sharp teeth, and a face
marked by a dreadful frown, Hanuman stands covering all that grove and
lashing his long tail. Bhima sees that gigantic form of his brother, and his
hair stands on end in wonder.
Seeing the great monkey ablaze like the Sun, like golden Meru,
splendent as the sky, Bhima cannot look upon him and shuts his eyes.
Smiling again, Hanuman says to his brother, 'Anagha, you are able to see
my form to this extent. But I can grow on for as long as I wish. Bhima,
amidst enemies, my size increases through its own tejas.'
Seeing that wondrous and dreadful body of Hanuman, like the Vindhya
mountain, Bhima Vayuputra is bewildered.
Folding his hands, the Pandava says to Hanuman, 'Lord, I have seen the
immense dimensions of your body. Awesome one, I beg you make yourself
small again, for I cannot look at you, like the sun risen, of measureless
power, irrepressible, and resembling the Mountain Mainaka.
O Hero, great is the wonder in my heart today that with you by his side
Rama himself needed to encounter Ravana. With your might, you could
have annihilated Lanka and all its warriors in an instant, all its horses,
elephants and chariots.
Surely, O Vayuputra, there is nothing that you cannot achieve; and in
battle, I am certain that Ravana, together with all his Rakshasas, was no
match for you, by yourself.'
Hanuman replies in affectionate words, solemnly spoken, 'Mahabaho,
O Bhaarata, it is as you say; Bhimasena, that worst of Rakshasas was no
match for me. But if I had slain Ravana—that thorn of the worlds—the
glory of Raghu's son would have been obscured; and it is for this that I left
him alive.
By killing that lord of the Rakshasas and his demons, and bringing back
Sita unto his own city, Rama established his fame among men.
Now, O wise one, since you are intent on the welfare of your brothers,
and protected by Vayu, travel on a fortunate and auspicious path.
Kurusthama, this path will lead you to the Saugandhika forest.
You will see Kubera's gardens, guarded by Yakshas and Rakshasas. Do
not pluck the flowers there, for the gods deserve reverence, especially from
mortals. Only if they are worshipped with offerings, and homas, and
salutations, and the recitation of mantras, do the Devas confer their favour
upon men.
So, do not, my child, be rash; do not deviate from your svadharma. Be
faithful to your duty, understanding what the highest dharma is. Without
knowing your duty and serving the old, even great ones like Brihaspati
cannot understand artha and dharma.
One should ascertain with discrimination that circumstance in which
vice goes under the name of virtue, and virtue under the name of vice —
circumstances in which men who are without intelligence become
perplexed.
From religious observances merit ensues; and in merit are the Vedas
founded; and from the Vedas, sacrifices come into being; and through
sacrifice the gods are established. The Devas are maintained by yagnas
prescribed by the Vedas and the Shastras; while men maintain themselves
by following the ordinances of Brihaspati and Sukra; and also by these
avocations, by which the world is maintained — serving for wages;
receiving taxes; merchandise; agriculture and tending kine and sheep.
The world subsists through profession. The study of the three Vedas and
agriculture and trade and government constitutes, say the Rishis, the
professions of the twice-born; and each varna maintains itself by following
the profession prescribed for it. And when these callings are properly
pursued, the world itself is maintained with ease.
However, if the people do not lead righteous lives, the world becomes
lawless, in consequence of the lack of Vedic merit and government. If the
people do not follow their prescribed vocations, they perish; but by
regularly following the three professions, they bring about dharma.
The dharma of Brahmanas consists in the knowledge of the soul; and the
hue of only that varna is universally the same. The celebration of sacrifices,
and study and bestowal of gifts are well-known to be the three duties
common to all the orders.
Officiating at sacrifices, teaching and the acceptance of gifts are the
duties of a Brahmana. To rule is the dharma of the Kshatriya; and to tend
cattle, that of the Vaisya; while to serve the twice-born varnas is said to be
the duty of the Sudra.
The Sudras cannot beg alms, or perform homas, or keep vratas; and they
must dwell in the homes of their masters.
Your vocation, O son of Kunti, is that of the Kshatriya, which is to
protect. Perform your svadharma, with humility and restraining your senses.
That king alone can rule who takes the counsel of experienced men, and is
helped by honest, intelligent and learned ministers; a king who is addicted
to vices meets with defeat.
Only when the king justly punishes and confers favours is order secure
in the world. Therefore, it is needful to ascertain, through spies, the nature
of a hostile country, its fortified places and the allied forces of the enemy,
and their prosperity and decay and the way in which they retain the
adhesion of the powers they have drawn to their side.
Spies are among the important instruments of the king; and tact,
diplomacy, prowess, chastisement, favour and cleverness lead to success.
And success is to be attained through these, either in separation, or
combined - namely, conciliation, gifts, sowing dissensions, chastisement,
and might.
And, O Bhaarata, politics has for its root diplomacy; and diplomacy is
also the main qualification of spies. Politics, if well judged, confers success.
Therefore, in matters of polity the counsel of Brahmanas should be taken.
In secret affairs, these should not be consulted - namely, a woman, a
fool, a boy, a covetous person, a mean-minded individual, and one that
betrays signs of insanity. Wise men only should be consulted, and affairs
are to be despatched through officers that are able.
Policy must be executed through persons that are friendly; but fools
should be excluded from all affairs. In matters religious, pious men; and in
matters of gain, wise men; and in guarding families, eunuchs; and in all
crooked affairs, crooked men must be employed. The dharma or adharma of
the resolve of an enemy, as also his strength or weakness, must be gauged
through one's own as well as hostile spies.
Favour should be shown to honest persons who have prudently sought
protection; but lawless and disobedient individuals should be punished. And
when the king justly punishes and shows favour, the dignity of the law is
well maintained, O son of Pritha.
These are the hard duties of kings, difficult to comprehened. Observe
them with equanimity, even as they are prescribed for your Kshatriya varna.
Therefore, heroic Kaunteya, let your meeting with me not be fruitless.
As my brother, ask me for a boon. If you wish, I can go to Varanavrata,
even now, and kill all Dhritarashtra's insignificant sons. Or if you like I can
raze that entire city with rocks; I can bind Duryodhana and bring him before
you today, mighty one.'
Listening to that Mahatman, Bhima replies happily, 'Vanarottama, I will
think that you have already done all this! May every good fortune befall
you, Mahabaho. But what I ask of you is this - be well pleased with me.
Mighty one, upon your having become our protector, the Pandavas have
found help. Even through your prowess, we will conquer all our enemies.'
Hanuman says to Bhimasena, 'From brotherly love, I will do good to you
by diving into the army of your enemies armed with arrows and spears.
And, O Kshatriya, when you roar like a lion, I will lend force to your roars.
I will set myself on the flagstaff of Arjuna's chariot and give fierce yells
that will terrifry your enemies, so that you can kill them easily.'
Saying this to the Pandava, and also pointing the way ahead, Hanuman
vanishes before Bhima's eyes."
CANTO 151
aisampayana said, "When that greatest of Vanaras has gone, Bhima

treads the path across the mighty Gandhamadana. And as he goes
along, he thinks of Hanuman's vast body and splendour unrivalled on earth,
and also of the greatness and dignity of Dasaratha's son Rama.
Going on in quest of the place of the saugandhikas, Bhima sees
enchanting forests, groves, rivers, and lakes whose banks are graced with
trees, blossom-laden, and woods of countless flowers and colours.
Bhaarata, he sees herds of wild elephants smeared with mud, resembling
massed thunderheads. Graceful Bhima lopes ahead with speed, seeing
among the trees around him deer of quick glances, with their mates, and
long tufts of grass in their mouths.
Fearless because of his strength, as if invited by the breeze-shaken trees
of the forest always fragrant with flowers, bearing delicate coppery twigs,
Bhimasena plunges into mountain realms inhabited by bison, bear and
leopard.
And on his way, he passes lotus-lakes over which maddened black bees
swarm; on those waters it seemed as if the lotus buds were hands reverently
folded to him. His provender for his journey is what Draupadi said, and
Bhima speeds on, his mind and his gaze fixed upon the slopes of the
mountain abloom.
When the Sun passes his zenith, Bhima sees a mighty river in the deer-
filled jungle, a river full of fresh golden lotuses, a river crowded with hamsa
and karandava, and graced with chakravakas, river which looks like a
garland of fresh lotuses put on by the mountain.
In this river, that mighty Kshatriya found banks after banks of
Saugandhika lotuses, brilliant as the rising Sun, and absolutely delightful.
Seeing the flowers Bhima thinks that he has attained his objective, and in
his heart he thinks of Panchali and presents himself before her in his
thought, his beloved Krishnaa worn out by their exile."
CANTO 152
aisampayana said, "In that place, Bheema sees, near the Kailasa
massif, that beautiful lotus lake surrounded by lovely woods, and
guarded by Rakshasas. He sees that it is fed by waterfalls next to the abode
of Kubera. Great flowering trees shade its banks, and green water-lily pads
cover its surface.
This unearthly lake is filled with golden lotuses, and swarms with
diverse birds; its shallows are crystalline, with no mud at all. This lake is a
wonder of the world, health-giving and enchanting. Kunti's son sees that the
ambrosial water is cool, lucid, bright and fresh; the Pandava drinks thirstily,
profusely, from it.
The lake is covered over with celestial Saugandhika lotuses, and other
golden lotuses with stalks of sapphire. Swayed by swans and karandavas
brushing past them, the lotuses scatter fresh glimmering pollen.
This lake is where the great-souled Kubera, king of the Yakshas, comes
to sport; the Gandharvas, the Apsaras and the Devas hold it in high regard;
Devarishis, Yakshas, Kimpurushas, Rakshasas and Kinnaras frequent it.
And it is well-protected indeed by Kubera.
Feverish delight sweeps over Bhima as soon as he lays eyes on those
waters. Thousands of Rakshasas called Krodhavasas, armed with every kind
of weapon, guard that lake, by the command of their lord Kubera.
Bhima of awesome prowess, wearing deerskin, golden armlets, his
sword strapped to his side, plunges fearlessly ahead to gather the
Saugandhikas.
The Rakshasas see him and shout to one another, 'Let us ask why this
man has come here, wearing deerskin and carrying weapons!'
They approach the lustrous Vrikodara of mighty arms and ask, 'Who are
you? Answer us! We see you wearing a hermit's garb yet bearing weapons.
Intelligent one, tell us why you have come here.'
CANTO 153
hima says, I am the son of Pandu, and next by birth to Yudhishtira

Dharmaraja, and my name is Bhimasena. Rakshasas, I came with my
brothers to the Nyagrodha which is called Visala. There, Panchali saw a
most excellent Saugandhika, which, of a certainty, was borne thence by the
wind from this lake. She wishes to have the flowers in some abundance.
Know, Rakshasas, that I have come to fulfil the wish of my wife of faultless
features; I have come here to gather flowers for her.'
At which, the Rakshasas say, 'Purushottama, this place is dear to Kubera;
he comes to sport here. Mortal men cannot enjoy this place. Vrikodara, the
Devarishis and the Devas ask Kubera's leave before they drink this water or
swim in it. Pandava, the Gandharvas and the Apsaras also come to please
themselves in this lake.
The wicked man who, disregarding the lord of treasures, seeks to enjoy
himself here surely meets his death. With no regard for Kubera you seek to
take away the Saugandhikas from here by force. How then do you claim to
be the brother of Yudhishtira Dharmaraja?
First, seek the permission of the lord of Yakshas, only then drink and
pluck the lotuses. If you do not do this, you will not be able to have even a
single Saugandhika.'
Bhimasena says, 'Rakshasas, I do not see the lord of wealth here. And
even if I did see that Lokapala I would not beg him, for Kshatriyas never
beg. This is the eternal dharma, and I have no intention of abandoning
Kshatriya dharma.
Moreover, this lotus lake has been formed from the waterfalls of the
mountain; it has not been excavated in the palace of Kubera. And so, it
belongs as much to every creature as it does to Kubera Vaisravana. Who
goes to beg another for such a thing?'
With this, the impatient Bhima wades into the lotus lake.
The Rakshasas, forbid him, crying, 'Desist!' and abuse him roundly from
every side. Bhima ignores them, and continues wading into the water.
Their eyes rolling in anger, they arms upraised, they rush at him, roaring
variously, 'Seize him! Bind him! Hew him! We will cook this Bhima and eat
him!'
Bhima raises his great mace, inlaid with golden plates and like the mace
of Yama himself, and turning back to face them, roars, 'Stay!'
Brandishing lances and axes, and other weapons, they run at him. The
dreadful Krodhavasas surround Bhima. But he is Kunti's son begotten by
Vayu, and he is mighty beyond reckoning and heroic, the slayer of his foes,
and always devoted to dharma and satya, no one can vanquish him.
Swiftly, the great Bhima crushes those Rakshasas, beginning with their
leader, breaking their arms, killing more than a hundred on the banks of that
lake. When they see how strong he is, and that they cannot resist him, the
rest of those powerful Rakshasas run in all directions, in bands, so many of
them pierced and bleeding.
They fly through the air towards Mount Kailasa. Having beaten his
enemy, even as Indra did the armies of the Daityas and Danavas, Bhima
plunges into the lake again and begins to gather the golden lotuses as he
pleases.
And as he drinks the waters, like nectar, his energy and strength surge
back, and he falls to plucking and gathering the fragrant Saugandhikas.
Meanwhile, the Krodhavasas, driven away and terrified by Bhima's
onslaught, flee to Kubera, Lord of treasures, and tell him everything that
transpired at the lake and especially about Bhima's might.
The Deva smiles, then says, 'I already know what you have told me. Let
Bhima take as many lotuses as he likes for Krishnaa.'
Those Rakshasas return to the Pandava and see him alone, enjoying
himself in the lake of lotuses."
CANTO 154
aisampayana said, "Bhima gathers the rare, unearthly and fresh

flowers as he pleases, in abundance.
Now a high and violent wind begins to blow, blowing up sand and earth,
and portending battle. Ominous meteors fall from the sky, and thunder
echoes everywhere. Enveloped in darkness, the Sun grows pale, his rays
being obscured.
At Bhima displaying his prowess, dreadful explosions ring through the
sky; the earth trembles, and dust falls in showers. The cardinal points of the
heavens grow red, and beasts and birds begin to cry out in shrill tones.
All things are enfolded in darkness, and indistinguishable; other evil
omens appear there. Yudhishtira Dharmaputra sees the strange phenomena,
and says, 'Someone means to attack us. Arm yourselves Pandavas, and may
good fortune befall you! From what I see, I believe that the time has come
for us to show our strength.'
The king looks around and does not see Bhima. He turns to Panchali and
the twins, 'Panchali, has Bhima gone to perform some great feat, or has he
done so already? These omens surely portend some grave danger; they
foretell a great battle.'
To allay his anxiety, Krishnaa of the sweet smile says, 'Rajan, I showed
the Saugandhika which the wind blew here to Bhima. I said to him that if he
could find more for me he should bring back as many as he could. Pandava,
he must have gone looking for the golden lotuses for my sake. He must
have gone north-east.'
Hearing her, Yudhishtira says to the twins, 'Let us follow Vrikodara's
path. Let the Rakshasas carry those Brahmanas who are tired and weak.
Ghatotkacha, you carry Krishnaa.
I am convinced that Bhima has gone into the jungle, for it is long since
he has been gone. He travels as swiftly as the wind, or as Vinata's son, and
he will even leap into the sky and alight at his will. Rakshasas, we will
follow him through your prowess. He will not do any wrong to the Siddhas
in the forest, who are versed in the Vedas.'
Saying, 'So be it,' Hidimba's son and the other Rakshasas, who know the
lotus lake of Kubera, set out cheerfully with Lomasa, carrying the
Pandavas, and many of the Brahmanas.
Soon arriving at the lake, they see it covered with Saugandhika and other
lotuses and surrounded by ethereal woods. On its shores they see the noble
and fierce Bhima, as also the slaughtered Yakshas of large eyes, with their
bodies, arms and thighs smashed, and their heads crushed.
Upon seeing Bhima standing there like an angry lion, his eyes staring,
biting his lip, his mace upraised in both hands, even like Yama at the
Mahapralaya, Yudhishtira Dharmaraja runs to his brother and embraces him
repeatedly.
Gently Yudhishtira says, 'Kaunteya, what have you done? Ah, may good
fortune be with you, but if you love me and wish my welfare never again be
so rash, nor offend the Devas!'
Now those godlike ones all begin to sport in those waters and to pluck
the Saugandhikas as they please. Suddenly, the immense guardians of the
gardens, with rocks for their weapons, arrive there.
Seeing Yudhishtira Dharmaraja, Maharishi Lomasa, Nakula, Sahadeva
and the other great Brahmanas, those guardian Rakshasas bow down low in
humility.
Yudhishtira pacifies them, and they are gratified. Thus, with Kubera's
knowledge, for a short time, those Kurusthamas dwell there in those
gardens upon the slopes of the Gandhamadana, waiting for Arjuna," said
Vaisampayana to Raja Janamejaya.
End of Vana Parva (Part 1)

THE COMPLETE MAHABHARATA
Vana Parva (Part 2)
and
Virata Parva
Published by
Rupa Publications India Pvt. Ltd 2013
New Delhi 110002
Sales centres:
Kolkata Mumbai
Copyright © Jayashree Kumar 2013

No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any
form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the
prior permission of the publisher.
ISBN: 978-81-291-1959-9
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
The moral right of the author has been asserted.
Typeset in Adobe Garamond Pro 12/16.2

For Kumar, my husband and best friend
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
VANA PARVA (PART 2)
Canto 155 Tirthayatra Parva continued

Canto 156 Jatasura Vadha Parva
Canto 157–163 Yaksha Yuddha Parva
Canto 164–174 Nivatakavacha Yuddha Parva
Canto 175–180 Ajagara Parva
Canto 181–230 Markandeya Samasya Parva
Canto 231–233 Draupadi Satyabhama Samvada Parva
Canto 234–255 Ghosha Yatra Parva
Canto 256 Mrigaswapnodbhava Parva
Canto 257–259 Vrihidraunika Parva
Canto 260–269 Draupadi Harana Parva
Canto 270 Jayadratha Vimokshana Parva
Canto 271–290 Ramopakhyana Parva
Canto 291–297 Pativrata Mahatmya Parva
Canto 298–308 Kundala Harana Parva
Canto 309–313 Araneya Parva
VIRATA PARVA
Canto 1–12 Pandava Pravesha Parva

Canto 13 Samayapalana Parva
Canto 14–24 Kichaka Vadha Parva
Canto 25–69 Go Harana Parva
Canto 70–72 Vaivahika Parva

Indian.
supported by our publisher Rupa Publications India, undertook a line-by-
line retelling of the complete Mahabharata, for the contemporary and future
reader. Our aim has not been to write a scholarly translation of the Great
Epic, but an eminently readable one, without vitiating either the spirit or the
poetry of the original, and without reducing its length.
Ramesh Menon
Series Editor
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Ramesh Menon: he offered me this work; he believed in me even when I

did not. Thank you.
Katya Douglas: my friend and first editor; she taught me how to
appreciate the beauty and precision of the English language, that less is
often more, all this with kindness and generosity. Thank you.
My mother Kausalya: her long discussions with my grandmother and
aunt about the Mahabharata and its characters, as if they were familiar
people they knew personally, gave me valuable insights into the meaning of
honour, integrity and honesty; her joy in what I was doing encouraged me.
My aunt Radha: she shares my sense of devotion to the spirit of the epic
and faith in its essence, The Bhagavad Gita; she shared with me her
knowledge, gained from years of reading and re-reading this wonderful
work; we had some wonderful discussions.
My son Govind: he made none of the demands that a mother expects of
a son living on his own in a foreign country, but provided me with a haven
in which I did some of my best writing.
My daughter Anuradha: she upheld me and encouraged me, especially
at times when I despaired of being able to continue; made molehills of
mountains, as is her wont, and made the impossible seem within reach.
My friends in Kodai, particularly Lathika, Zai, Aruna, Minoo, Shezarin,
Saku, Radha, Khokon, Shewli, Philippe and Tiku: their broad shoulders,
that I often leaned on, their encouragement and their unconditional
friendship meant a lot to me whilst I worked on this volume.
VANA PARVA
(PART 2)
CANTO 155
TIRTHAYATRA PARVA CONTINUED
V aisampayana said, “In Gandhamadana, Yudhishtira says to Krishnaa,

his brother Bhima and the Brahmanas, ‘We have seen a succession
of sacred tirthas and enchanting forests, which until now only the Devas
and Devarishis have visited; and where Brahmanas have worshipped. We
performed pujas with our Brahmanas in many hallowed places and heard
them tell of the lives of great sages. In various tirthas, we performed
ablutions with the Brahmanas and heard them narrate many tales of ancient
Rishis and Rajarishis. We worshipped the Devas with water and flowers,
and the Pitrs with whatever fruit and roots we could find. With the exalted
ones, we performed ritual purification in the holy mountains, in the lakes
and in the sacred ocean. We bathed in the Ila, in the Saraswati and in the
Sindhu, in the Yamuna and in the Narmada, and in various other tirthas. As
we passed the source of the Ganga, we saw splendid mountains and the
Himalayas, inhabited by myriad species of birds, and also the yellow-
flowered badari tree Visala, where Nara and Narayana have their asrama.
And finally, we have set our eyes on this unearthly lake that is worshipped
by the Siddhas, the Devas and the Munis. In fact, we have seen one by one
all the most famed tirthas with the illustrious Lomasa.
Now, Bhima, how will we come to the sacred home of Vaisravana,
where the Siddhas live? Think of how you will take us there.’
When the king says this, an asariri, a heavenly voice, speaks, saying,
‘You will not be able to go to that inaccessible place. Return from this land
of Kubera to the place from which you came to Badari—Nara and
Narayana’s asrama. From there, Kaunteya, go to the hermitage of
Vrishaparva, abundant in flowers and fruit, where Siddhas and Charanas
dwell. Once you have passed that, go to the asrama of Arshtisena. From
there you will be able to see the home of Kubera.’
As this voice speaks, the breeze freshens—cool, redolent with joy and
an unearthly fragrance. Flowers rain from the sky at the sound of the
celestial voice, and all are amazed, especially the Rishis and the
Brahmanas.
The Brahmana Dhaumya says, ‘We must do as the voice tells us.’
Yudhishtira returns to the asrama of Nara and Narayana and lives there
in contentment, surrounded by Bhimasena, his other brothers, Panchali and
the Brahmanas.”
CANTO 156
JATASURA VADHA PARVA
V aisampayana continued, “There in the mountains, the Pandavas and

their Brahmanas live in contented expectation of Arjuna’s return.
All the Rakshasas have left with Bhima’s son when, one day while
Bhimasena is away, a Rakshasa suddenly carries off Yudhishtira, the twins
and Krishnaa. This demon has been living amongst the Pandavas in the
guise of a high Brahmana, claiming that he is an experienced advisor and
well-versed in the Shastras. He wants the bows, quivers, the other weapons
and belongings of the Pandavas, and has been waiting for an opportunity to
abduct Draupadi. He is the evil Jatasura.
Yudhishtira encouraged him, little knowing that he is like a fire hiding
under ashes. And one day when Bhima is out hunting, and seeing that
Ghatotkacha and his followers have gone and that those great Rishis of
austere tapasya—Lomasa and the others—have gone to bathe and collect
flowers for worship, the Rakshasa reveals a monstrous form. He gathers all
the weapons of the Pandavas, seizes Draupadi and the three Pandavas, and
flees.
Somehow, Sahadeva manages to struggle free and wrenches the sword
named Kausika from the Rakshasa. He calls out, running in the direction in
which his mighty brother Bhima went.
While being carried off, Yudhishtira Dharmaraja says to the Rakshasa,
‘Foolish one, you have lost all the punya you earned. You do not respect
dharma. Whether human or of a lower species, everyone is mindful of
dharma, particularly Rakshasas because they know virtue better than others.
You ought to live by dharma.
O Rakshasa, the Devas, the Pitrs, the Siddhas, the Rishis, the
Gandharvas, the animals and even the worms and ants depend for their lives
on men; and you do, too. If the human race prospers, your race will, also; if
humans suffer, so will you, and even the Devas. The gods thrive on the
offerings we make. Rakshasa, we are the guardians, rulers and guides of
kingdoms. If kingdoms are unprotected, how can prosperity and happiness
exist?
Unless a king offends him, a Rakshasa should not harm one. Cannibal,
we have committed no sin. We live on vighasa, the leftovers from oblations,
and serve the gods and others as best we can; we are always respectful of
our superiors and Brahmanas. A friend, a confidant, he whose food one has
shared, and he who has given one shelter, these should never be injured.
You have lived happily with us, been duly honoured and, evil one, shared
our food. How can you abduct us?
What you are doing is sinful; your maturity in years has given you so
little wisdom, and your nature is so evil that you deserve to die; and die you
shall today. You are a sinner, so give us back our weapons and fight us; and
bear Draupadi away if you win. However, if you are fool enough to do this
vile thing without a fair fight, you will reap only curses and infamy.
Rakshasa, abducting this woman is like shaking the pot to drink the last
drop of poison in it.’
Yudhishtira makes his body heavy, weighing the Rakshasa down, and
slowing his pace. To Draupadi and Nakula, and to Sahadeva, who has
turned back, Yudhishtira says, ‘Do not be afraid of the demon. The son of
the Wind is near, and he will be here shortly and the evil one will die.’
Staring at the Rakshasa, Sahadeva says, ‘There is nothing more
honourable for a Kshatriya than to fall in fight or to defeat an enemy.
Parantapa, we will fight; and either this Rakshasa will kill us or we shall kill
him. This is the place and the time, Rajan. You of limitless prowess, the
time has come for us to display our Kshatriya dharma. We shall either find
Swarga through victory, or death in defeat.
This I swear—if the Rakshasa is still alive at sunset, I will not call
myself a Kshatriya anymore. Rakshasa, I am Pandu’s son Sahadeva. Kill
me before you abduct our queen, or be killed and lie dead.’
Madri’s son Sahadeva is still speaking when Bhima appears with a
mace in his hand, like Vasava himself with his thunderbolt. He sees his two
brothers and, on the shoulders of the demon, chaste Draupadi. He hears
Sahadeva challenge the Rakshasa, and Jatasura hesitates, perplexed. Bhima
sees his brothers and Draupadi in the demon’s clutches and wrath surges in
him.
He says to the Rakshasa, ‘I already knew that you were an evil one
when I saw how you looked at our weapons. But I did not kill you because
you were no threat to me. You appeared to be a Brahmana, and you said
nothing harsh to us. Indeed, you seemed to like pleasing us, and did us no
wrong. Furthermore, you were our guest. How could I kill you, who were in
the guise of a Brahmana and innocent of offence? He who kills one like
this, even while knowing he is a Rakshasa, falls into hell. Besides, no one
dies before their time comes.
And for you it has come today—wondrous fate made you think of
abducting Krishnaa, and you have taken death’s bait. Hoping to live now is
as futile for you as for a fish whose mouth is already hooked. You will not
go where you intended but to the place where Baka and Hidimba have
gone.’
Listening to Bhima, the Rakshasa sets the other Pandavas and Draupadi
down and, compelled by inexorable fate, prepares to fight. His lips quiver in
anger as he says to Bhima, ‘Wretched Bhima, I slowed down for you.
Today I will offer your blood to all the Rakshasas you have killed.’
Bhima’s rage erupts and, like Yama at the time of the pralaya, wetting
the corners of his mouth and staring at Jatasura as he strikes his own arms
with his fists in challenge, he rushes at the Rakshasa, who also runs at him,
yawning wide his fanged maw, even as Mahabali once flew at Indra.
A dreadful battle begins, and when Madri’s twins rush forward in fury,
Vrikodara forbids them with a smile, ‘Watch me! I swear by my brothers,
myself, my punya, and my sacrifices, that I will kill this devil.’
The two grasp each other’s arms. Unforgiving, the battle between the
enraged Bhima and the red-eyed Rakshasa is like that between a Deva and
an Asura. They uproot trees and strike each other with them, roaring like
two cloud masses clashing against each other. Both are magnificently strong
and charge at each other ferociously, breaking tree after tree over their
thighs. The duel continues relentlessly, like the long-ago one between Vali
and Sugriva who fought over a woman. They pound each other with
massive boles, roaring all the while.
O Bhaarata, when all the trees in that place have been uprooted and
smashed to pulp, the two of unbridled strength take up rocks and continue
to fight. They are like a mountain and a mighty mass of clouds. Fiery is
their wrath, as they cast rocks that resemble brutal thunderbolts. They head-
butt each other and seize each other’s arms, like two elephants, each raining
thunderous blows on the other. They gnash their teeth, like thunder
crackling.
Then, with his clenched fist like a five-headed snake, Bhima delivers a
mighty blow to the Rakshasa’s neck, and Jatasura’s knees turn weak.
Bhimasena seizes his exhausted adversary.
The godlike son of Pandu lifts him high and smashes him onto the
ground, breaking all his limbs. He strikes the Rakshasa’s body with his
elbow and wrenches his head off, with its bloodied, bitten lips and rolling
eyes, like a fruit from its stem. Beheaded by Bhima Mahabaho, Jatasura
dies, spouting gore from his open neck.
Bhima presents himself before Yudhishtira, and all those best of
Brahmanas begin to praise him, even as the Maruts eulogised Vasava.”
CANTO 157
YAKSHA YUDDHA PARVA
V aisampayana continued, “After the Rakshasa’s death, Yudhishtira

returns to the hermitage of Narayana and lives there. One day,
thinking of his brother Arjuna, Yudhishtira calls all his brothers and
Draupadi together and says, ‘We have passed these four years peacefully,
wandering in these woods. Bibhatsu has said that in the fifth year he would
come to that king of mountains, Sweta, always festive with blossoming
plants, singing kokilas and humming black bees, peacocks and chatakas,
and inhabited by tigers, boars and buffaloes, gavayas, deer and other wild
animals. This sacred mountain is lovely with lotuses of a thousand and one
hundred petals, bright with lilies blooming and blue lotuses, and frequented
by Devas and Asuras.
In eager anticipation of meeting our brother, we, too, have decided to go
there. Partha of matchless strength said to me, “I will stay abroad for five
years and hone my skills at arms.” It will be in a place resembling Devaloka
that we will see the wielder of the Gandiva, when he returns with the
Devastras.’
The Pandava summons the Brahmanas, and the sons of Pritha walk
around these ascetics of unflinching austerity, in pradakshina. They tell
them their plan to meet Arjuna, to which the Brahmanas give their
approval, saying ‘You will prosper. Bhaaratottama, your troubled time will
have a happy ending. You will overcome your difficulties and regain the
Earth, and rule over her with Kshatriya dharma as your sceptre.’
Bowing to the ascetics, Yudhishtira, scourge of his enemies, sets out
with his brothers and the Brahmanas, followed by Ghatotkacha and his
Rakshasas, and protected by Rishi Lomasa. With his brothers, Yudhishtira
of the dazzling tejas and austere vratas goes on foot wherever he can, and
the Rakshasas carry him where he cannot.
The king overcomes every obstacle and travels north, where lions, tigers
and elephants roam; on the way, they see Mainaka parvata, the foothills of
Mount Gandhamadana, and Sweta, rocky massif. They also see crystal
rivulets as they climb to the higher reaches of the mountains, and on the
seventeenth day they reach the holy Himalayas.
Rajan, not far from Gandhamadana, on the sacred slopes of Himavan,
covered with trees and creepers, Pandu’s son sees the holy asrama of
Vrishaparva, surrounded by flowering trees that grow near waterfalls. And
when those Parantapas have rested and recovered from their tiredness, they
go to the Rajarishi Vrishaparva, and greet him. The royal sage receives
them as lovingly as if they are his own sons.
Those Kshatriyas spend seven nights here, and are treated with respect
and affection. On the eighth day, they take the exalted Vrishaparva’s leave
to resume their journey. One by one, they introduce all the Brahmanas, who
had stayed as friends under his protection in the hermitage. The sons of
Pandu entrust all their belongings to Vrishaparva—their sacrificial vessels,
their ornaments and jewels. The wise and devout sage, well versed in
dharma, and a trikalagyani who sees the future as clearly as he sees the past
and the present, advises the Pandavas and the Brahmanas as he would his
own sons.
Those heroes set out towards the north. Vrishparva goes a short distance
with them, giving the Brahmanas detailed directions of the route they must
take; he entrusts the Pandavas into their care and blesses them all before he
turns back to his asrama.
Then Yudhishtira of endless might and his brothers set off along the
mountain path alive with all kinds of animals. After four days of traversing
slopes dense with trees, the sons of Pandu, like a cloud mass, reach the
Sweta mountain that flows with countless streams and rich with an
abundance of gold and gems.
They follow the route Vrishaparva showed them and pass all the
landmarks he mentioned, one after the other. On the way, they see
mountains, they cross inaccessible peaks and impregnable caves.
In a group they walk—Dhaumya, Krishnaa, Lomasa and the sons of
Pritha—strangely tireless, and finally arrive at the sacred mountain which
echoes with the cries of birds and animals. Trees and creepers cover the
ground, monkeys are everywhere; enchanting lakes are covered over with
lotuses; marshes appear here and there; and the forests are vast.
Thus, their hair standing on end, the Pandavas see Mount
Gandhamadana, the home of Kimpurushas, where the Siddhas and
Charanas visit, where Vidyadharis and Kinnaras wander, where herds of
elephants roam freely, where lions and tigers and wild beasts throng, where
the roars of sarabhas fill the air. They enter the denseness of
Gandhamadana, as if it were the inviting Nandana grove that delights the
soul.
As the Kshatriyas, Draupadi and the Brahmanas enter, they hear bird-
song, indescribably sweet and graceful notes, broken only by the sound of
animals at play. They see trees heavy with fruit and bent by their weight,
and bright with flowers—mango, hog-plum, bhavya and pomegranate;
citron, jack, lakucha and plantain; water reed; parvatam, champaka and the
lovely kadamba; bilva, wood-apple, rose-apple and kasmari; jujube, fig and
cluster fig; banyan, aswattha, kshirika and bhalla; ataka, amalaka and
bibhitaka; inguda and karamarda and giant-fruited tinduka; and countless,
nameless others clustered with sweet, nectarine fruit, on the slopes of
Gandhamadana.
Besides fruit trees, they see champakas, asokas, ketakas and bakulas;
punnagas and saptaparnas; karnikaras and petals; beautiful kutajas and
mandaras; and lotuses; and parijatas; kovidaras and devadarudras; salas,
palmyra palms, tamalas and pippalas; salmalis and kinsukas; sinsapas and
saralas. And on these trees live chakoras, woodpeckers, chatakas and
various other birds, singing sweetly to please the green world.
They see lakes with water-birds flying overhead, surrounded by
kumudas, pundarikas, kokanadas and utpalas; and kalharas and kamalas,
and crowded on all sides with mandrakes and red geese; ospreys and gulls;
karandavas and plavas; swans; and cranes and cormorants and other aquatic
birds.
Those Naravyaghras, tigers among men, see these lakes adorned with
endless banks of lotuses, and ringing with the sweet hum of happy bees
intoxicated on their nectar and reddened with the pollen falling from lotus
cups. In the groves they see peacocks with their hens, driven mad with
monsoon lust by the trumpeting of the clouds; and drowsy with desire,
dancing with tails spread in iridescent glory, and crying in plaintive,
melodious voices. Some of the peacocks sport with their mates on kutaja
trees covered by creepers; some sit on the branches, spreading the gorgeous
fans that make the trees look as if they are wearing jewelled crowns.
In the glades they see graceful sindhuvaras looking like Kama’s arrows.
And on the peaks of the mountain they see karnikara trees in bloom, heavy
with their yellow flowers that look like golden eardrops. And in the forest
they see flowering kurubakas with their cupid’s-dart blossoms that strike
feverish desire and restlessness into a man. And they see tilakas that look
like the sacred mark painted on the forehead of the forest. They see mango
trees with their lacy blossoms, and humming black bees hovering over
them, and infusing desire.
On the mountain slopes are diverse flowering trees, wild bouquets of
blossoms—some golden, some flame orange, some red, some brown and
some still blue-green like lapis lazuli. There are rows and rows of sala and
tamala, patala and bakula trees—garlands adorning the peaks. They see on
the slopes of the mountain so many lotus-laden lakes, transparent like
crystal, swans gliding on them, their waters echoing with the cries of
cranes, and sensuous to the touch.
Everywhere are delicately fragrant flowers, luscious fruit, romantic
pools and rivers and captivating trees; and the Pandavas’ eyes widen in
wonder at the sights they see as they penetrate into the fastness. As they go,
breezes fan them, perfumed by kamalas and utpalas, and kalharas and
pundarikas.
A deeply moved Yudhishtira says in some rapture to Bhima, ‘Ah,
Bhima, beautiful indeed is this forest of the Gandhamadana. Look at these
celestial trees and creepers, decked with foliage and fruit; and every tree
bears flowers. On this Gandhamadana the leaves and fruit of all the trees
are so bright and glossy. And look! See how these lakes, filled with lotuses
unfurled and ringing with the hum of black bees, are churned by elephants
with their mates. Look at that lake ringed by rows of lotuses, like a second
Sri wearing garlands. Bhima, this is such a forest, rich with the heady scent
of flowers and the buzzing of black bees. Behold, all around you, the
playground of the Devas!
By coming here, we have attained an extra-human condition, and been
blessed. Son of Pritha, look how exquisitely flowery creepers embrace the
mighy trees. Listen, Bhima, to the notes of the peacocks calling to their
hens on the mountain slopes. Watch the birds—chakoras, satapatras, lust-
maddened kokilas, and parrots—alight gracefully on branches, where,
among the twigs are myriad jivajivakas of scarlet, yellow and red, looking
at one another; and the cranes in the green and reddish grass and beside the
waterfalls. Bhringarajas, upachakras, and herons pour forth their notes to
charm all creatures.
And look! With their mates, four-tusked elephants, pale as cream
lotuses, agitate that lake of the colour of lapis. See how torrents as high as
several palmyra palms placed one upon another cascade from the cliffs. Ah,
brilliant silvery minerals, shining like the Sun, and like autumnal clouds,
adorn this incomparable mountain. In some places, the minerals are as black
as kohl, in some they are like burnished gold, in others pale yellow, and in
some vermilion.
I see caves of red arsenic that look like dark, evening clouds, in some
places the caves of red chalk are the colour of the hare. There are places
where the minerals are like white and grey clouds; and in others, they are
radiant as the rising Sun.
My brother, it is all exactly as Vrishaparva said: Gandharvas and
Kimpurushas, with their lovers, are visible on the peaks. And listen, Bhima!
Hear the songs in myriad ragas and Vedic hymns that all creatures delight
in. Look at heaven’s river, the sacred and graceful Mahaganga, with swans
upon her, and visited by Rishis and Kinnaras. O Slayer of your foes, behold
this mountain with its mines, rivers, forests, beasts, Nagas of different
shapes and a hundred heads, Kinnaras, Gandharvas and Apsaras.’
The valiant Parantapas, who have attained a spiritually elevated state,
Draupadi and the peerless Brahmanas are enraptured, and cannot have their
fill of looking at that greatest of mountains.
Soon they come to the hermitage of the royal sage Arshtisena, and they
approach the skeletal form of this bare-bodied Rishi of great tapasya.”
CANTO 158
YAKSHA YUDDHA PARVA CONTINUED
V aisampayana continued, “On entering the presence of the venerable

one whose sins have been expiated by his penance, Yudhishtira
announces himself and joyfully greets the sage, bowing his head in
reverence. Krishnaa, Bhima and the twins do the same, and they all stand
around the Rajarishi. The priest of the Pandavas, the virtuous Dhaumya,
also approaches the sage who, with his all-seeing mind, already knows that
it is the Pandavas who stand before him.
This sage of lofty vows invites them to be seated and receives the king
of the Kurus with due respect. After Yudhishtira enquires about his well-
being, and the brothers are seated, the Muni says, ‘Do your minds turn
away from dharma, or are you inclined towards virtue? Kaunteya, has your
devotion to your parents decreased? Do you honour all your superiors, the
aged and those who know the Vedas? And, O Son of Pritha, do you lean
towards sinful deeds? Do you, best of the Kurus, perform spiritually
beneficial karma and avoid evil? Are you conceited? Do you gratify the
pious and honour them? And even while living in the forests, did you cling
to dharma?
Yudhishtira, does Dhaumya ever grieve at how you treat him? Do you
follow the customs of your ancestors, in charity and religious rites, in
asceticism, purity, truthfulness and forgiveness? And do you follow in the
footsteps of the Rajarishis of old? On the birth of a son in their lineage, the
Pitrs in their regions, laugh and cry at the same time, thinking Will the sins
of this son of our house harm us, or will his righteous deeds augment our
welfare?
He that pays homage to his father, his mother, his Guru, Agni and,
fifthly, the Atman, conquers both this world and the next.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Worshipful one, the duties you speak of are
exemplary and, to the best of my knowledge, I can say that I do discharge
them properly.’
Arshtisena says, ‘During the parvas, full moons, sages subsisting on air
and water come unto this best of mountains, flying through the sky. And on
the summit of the mountain one sees amorous Kimpurushas and their
lovers, entwined, as well as Gandharvas and Apsaras clothed in white silk,
and Vidyadharas wearing garlands, and mighty Nagas, and Suparnas, and
Uragas, and other wondrous beings.
And there on the summits, one hears the sounds of kettle-drums, tabors,
conch-shells and mridangas. Bhaaratottama, you will hear these from here;
do not be tempted to climb all the way there. In fact, it is impossible to go
any further. That place is the playground of the Devas and mortals do not
have access to it. Bhaarata, there all creatures are hostile to mortals, and
guardian Rakshasas punish humans that are presumptuous enough to
venture into that place. Beyond the summit of Kailasa is the path of the
Devarishis, the celestial sages. If anyone is impudent enough to go beyond
this, the Rakshasas will kill him with savage weapons.
There, my child, during the parvas, one can see Vaisravana, who is
always borne on the shoulders of Yakshas and Guhyakas, in all his pomp
and grandeur, surrounded by Apsaras. And when that lord of all the
Rakshasas is seated on the summit, all creatures see him as the rising Sun,
O Best of Bhaaratas. That peak is the home of the Devas, the Danavas, the
Siddhas, and of Kubera. During the parvas, full moons, the sweet notes of
Tumburu, as he entertains Kubera, the lord of treasures, are heard all over
Gandhamadana.
Child, Yudhishtira, here, when the moon is full, all creatures see and
hear marvels such as these. Pandavas, stay here until you meet Arjuna. Eat
luscious fruits and the food of the Munis. Child, having come here, do not
show any restlessness. Live here at ease, amusing yourself in any way you
choose. Eventually, having first conquered it by the strength of your arms,
you will rule the Earth.’ ”
CANTO 159
J anamejaya said, “How long did my great-grandfathers live on the

Gandhamadana mountain? What did those splendid Kshatriyas do?
What did they eat while they lived there? O excellent Vaisampayana, tell
me about these things. Describe Bhimasena’s valour and what that
Mahabaho did upon the Himalaya mountain. Surely, Brahmanottama, he
did not fight with the Yakshas again. Did my grandfathers meet Vaisravana?
As Arshtisena said, the lord of wealth must have gone there. Great tapasvin,
I want to hear all the details, for I have not had my fill, hearing of their
exploits.”
Vaisampayana continued, “When the Pandavas hear Arshtisena’s
peerless advice, they do as he says. They live on Mount Himavan, eating
the same food that the Munis do—delicious fruit, various kinds of pure
honey and the flesh of deer killed with venomless arrows. In this way they
pass the fifth year, listening to sacred legends that Rishi Lomasa narrates.
Rajan, Ghatotkacha has already left with the other Rakshasas, saying, ‘I
will return when you need me again.’
The princes pass many months in the asrama and see many wondrous
sights.
One day, as the Pandavas are amusing themselves, some devout and
stern ascetics and blessed Charanas of pure souls come to see them.
Yudhishtira speaks with them of things lofty and spiritual. A few days pass
in this way, when Garuda suddenly seizes a mighty Naga living in the lake
in his talons and bears it away. The mountain trembles, and gigantic trees
snap in the gale raised by Suparna’s awesome wings. The Pandavas and all
the creatures there witness the wonder that takes place.
From the crest of that mountain the wind blows in all kinds of fragrant
and lovely flowers, and the Pandavas and Krishnaa, with their companions,
see some other-worldly five-coloured blossoms.
Krishnaa says to Bhima, as he sits relaxed, ‘Best of the Bhaaratas, all
the creatures on this mountain see these five-hued flowers, carried by the
wind raised by Suparna, raining into the river Aswaratha. In the Khandava
vana, your brother Arjuna thwarted Gandharvas and Nagas and Vasava
himself and killed fierce Rakshasas, and obtained the Gandiva. You, too,
have unquenchable strength and the might of your arms is as irrepressible
as Sakra’s.
O Bhimasena, terrify all the Rakshasas with the might of your arms, so
that they leave the mountain and flee to the ten cardinal points. Only then
will we all be free from fear and see the sacred summit of this best of
mountains, adorned with the flowers of five hues. O Bhima, I have long
cherished the thought of seeing the summit, protected by the might of your
arms.’
Like a mettlesome bull wounded, Bhima is stung by what she says; he
cannot bear it. And that Pandava who has the gait of a lion, who is graceful
and generous, who blazes in golden splendour, who is intelligent and
strong, proud, sensitive and heroic, who has red eyes and broad shoulders,
who is gifted with the strength of an elephant in musth, who has leonine
teeth and a heavy neck, who is tall as a young sala tree, who is honourable,
who is handsome in every limb, whose neck has whorls like a shell, whose
arms are inexorable, takes up his bow inlaid with gold and his sword. He
who has never known fear charges towards the cliff.
All the mountain creatures see him with his bow and arrows, rushing at
them like a lion, like a maddened elephant. To Draupadi’s delight, Bhima,
mace in hand, runs towards that monarch of mountains. Neither exhaustion
nor fatigue, nor lethargy, nor the ill-will of others affects the son of Pritha
and Vayu as he goes.
He arrives at a rugged pass through which only one person can go. By
this narrow way, the irresistible Bhima climbs to the top of the mountain, as
high as countless palmyra palms set one on top of the other, and makes
Kinnaras, Nagas, Munis, Gandharvas and Rakshasas joyful.
From that summit he sees the home of Vaisravana adorned with gold,
and other crystal palaces encircled by golden walls inlaid with radiant
gems. So many gardens surround this place taller than a mountain peak,
splendid with ramparts and towers, gates and gateways, and row upon row
of fluttering flags. Graceful maidens dance while the pennants wave in the
breeze.
He leans against his bow and he gazes with wonder at the city of
Kubera Vaisravana, lord of treasures. A fine breeze blows gladness into the
hearts of all the creatures, wafting sweet perfumes everywhere. Unearthly
trees of many colours echo with mellifluous birdsong as the Pandava
surveys the palace of the lord of the Rakshasas, which is scattered with
piles of gemstones and where many-hued garlands hang in profusion. There
stands Bhima Mahabaho, his mind empty of mundane thoughts, steadfast as
a rock, with his mace, sword and bow.
Then he blows his conch-shell, making the hair on the bodies of his
enemies stand on end; he twangs his bow-string and slaps his arms with his
hands, striking terror into the hearts of one and all. Following the direction
of the tremendous sounds, the hairs on their bodies standing on end, the
infuriated Yakshas and Rakshasas rush at the Pandava. The maces and
clubs, swords, spears, javelins and axes in the hands of the Yakshas and
Rakshasas blaze and, O Bhaarata, the battle between the Rakshasas and
Bhima erupts.
Bhima uses his arrows to cut off the darts, javelins and axes hurled at
him by the Rakshasas, who are great mayavis, illusionists. Bhima pierces
the bodies of the screaming Rakshasas—those that fly in the sky and the
ones that stand on the Earth. Blood sprays from the bodies of Rakshasas
and Yakshas and soaks mighty Bhima. Their limbs and hands are struck
cleanly off by Bhima’s driving weapons.
All the creatures there see the regal Pandava surrounded by the
Rakshasas like the Sun darkened by clouds. And just as the Sun sheds his
rays over all the Earth, Bhima Mahabaho, of untold prowess, sends his
arrows in all directions, decimating his enemies. The Rakshasas still roar
menacingly, but Bhima prevails. The terrified Yakshas, their bodies
mangled, utter horrible cries and, in sheer dread, fling down their weapons
and flee southwards, leaving behind maces, spears, swords, clubs and axes.
Eventually, there is only one warrior left of the Rakshasas—mighty-
chested, mighty-armed Maniman, friend of Kubera, his weapons in his
hands. He is majestic as he calls out to the fleeing armies, ‘When you come
before Vaisravana, what will you say to the lord of wealth, when he asks
how so many of his warriors were defeated by a single mortal?’
And, truly like an angry elephant, he charges the Pandava, attacking
him with all his weapons. Bhimasena stabs his sides with three arrows, and
Maniman casts his mace at the human like a thunderbolt. Bhima catches
that baleful mace and throws it into the sky. It looks like a shield of
lightning and deflects the searing salvo of arrows with which Maniman
showers him. The Rakshasa launches an iron club with a golden arrowhead
at its tip. It spews flames and roars as it pierces Bhima’s arm, felling him.
Wounded sore, Kunti’s son takes up his own mace, his eyes now rolling
in his head from rage. Taking up his gold-inlaid mace, which terrorises his
enemies and crushes them, Bhima flings it surely at Maniman, who cries
out in pain at being struck. Roaring, Maniman draws a fiery astra and looses
it at Bhima. But Bhima breaks the shaft with a swing of his mace, and that
Pandava, best of all mace-fighters, rushes at the Rakshasa, as intent on
killing him as Garuda swooping down on a snake.
Then, suddenly, Bhima springs into the sky. He brandishes his mace
and, with a reverberant shout hurls it down on his enemy. Like a
thunderbolt cast by Indra, the mace flashes; it strikes the Rakshasa squarely
on his head, so it bursts apart, and Maniman falls dead. All the others see
how Bhima kills the Rakshasa, as a lion does a bull. The other Rakshasas
still left alive see their leader slain and run towards the east crying out in
fear.”
CANTO 160
V aisampayana said, “Below, Yudhishtira, Madri’s twins, Dhaumya,

Krishnaa, all the Brahmanas and other friends of the Pandavas hear
the caves around them echo with awful sounds; they do not see Bhima
anywhere and are worried. Leaving Draupadi in the charge of Arshtisena,
the maharathas climb the mountain, carrying their weapons.
On reaching the summit, they see Bhima and, all around, the great
Rakshasas whom he has felled lying unconscious. Holding his mace and
sword and bow, Bhima Mahabaho looks like Indra after he razed the
Danava hosts. In exultation, the other Pandavas run to embrace Bhima and
then sit on the mountain-top, making the peak look like swarga graced by
the Lokapalas.
Yudhishtira sees the abode of Kubera; he sees the slain Rakshasas on
the ground, and he says to his brother, ‘Either rashness or ignorance has
made you commit this sin. Kshatriya, this indiscriminate slaughter is
uncharacteristic of you, especially since you now lead the life of a sannyasi.
The wise, who know about dharma, say that one must never do anything to
provoke the displeasure of a king. But you have, O Bhimasena, you have
perpetrated a deed that will offend even the gods. The man who turns to sin,
ignoring artha and dharma, reaps the harvest of his wrongdoing. If you love
me, never do such a thing again.’
Saying this to his brother, the virtuous Yudhishtira, of the ineffable tejas
and unshakeable resolve, well-versed in every detail of artha, sinks into
thoughtful reflection.
In the meanwhile, the Rakshasas who survived Bhima’s assault have
fled to the abode of Kubera, and these swift beings quickly reach
Vaisravana’s palace, crying in distress, and trembling still in fear of Bhima.
Bereft of their weapons, exhausted, their armour streaked with blood
and hair dishevelled, they say to Kubera, ‘Lord, all your best Rakshasas
have been killed, though they fought with maces, clubs and swords, and
with lances and barbed arrows. O lord of treasures, a mere human scaled the
mountain, and single-handedly massacred all your Rakshasas of the
Krodhavasa clan. And, Lord, all the best of your Yakshas and other
Rakshasas are also dead. Only we few escaped, while even your friend
Maniman was slain. A mere mortal did all this, O Kubera. Now do what
you think is right.’
The lord of all the Yakshas and Rakshasas hears this and his eyes
redden. The enraged Kubera says, ‘Yoke my horses!’
At once, his attendants yoke the horses adorned with golden ornaments
to a chariot big as a hill and the colour of dark clouds. Yoked to the chariot,
his superb steeds, each endowed with every noble quality and the
auspicious ten curls of hair, of incredible strength and speed, decked with
various gems and looking splendid, impatient to be off and fly like the
wind, begin to neigh to each other as if they are already victorious.
And the king of the Yakshas rides forth, to the singing of his praises by
Devas and Gandharvas.
A thousand foremost Yakshas of huge bodies, red eyes and golden
lustre, gifted with enormous strength, strap on their swords and follow their
lord Kubera. So swift is the flight of those horses that when they arrive at
Gandhamadana it appears as if they have hauled the sky back with their
speed.
The hair on the bodies of the Pandavas stands on end when they see the
lord of wealth’s horses and then the graceful and lustrous Kubera
surrounded by the Yaksha host.
Kubera sees the sons of Pandu, maharathas armed with bows and
swords, and he, too, is delighted, eager to fulfil the task at hand. The
Yakshas, swift as the fastest birds, alight on the summit of the mountain and
stand before the Pandavas, with their Lord at their head.
Then, O Bhaarata, because their master is pleased to see the Pandavas,
the Yakshas and the Gandharvas stand there calmly. Knowing themselves to
be transgressors, the noble Pandavas bow their heads and stand surrounding
Kubera with folded hands.
The lord of treasures sits on the remarkable vimana, the elegant
Pushpaka, made by Viswakarman and colourfully painted. Thousands of
Yakshas and Rakshasas—some with gigantic bodies, some with pointed
ears—hundreds of Gandharvas and hosts of Apsaras sit around him, like the
Devas surrounding Indra, performer of a hundred sacrifices.
Kubera wears a golden garland around his neck, and has his paasa—his
divine noose, his sword and his bow in his hands. Bhima stands gazing at
the Lokapala and the sight of the god removes all the pain of the wounds
the Rakshasas inflicted on him.
He, who is carried on the shoulders of Yakshas, sees Bhima’s naturally
warlike stance and his battle-ready weapons, and says to Yudhishtira,
‘Kaunteya, all creatures know you as one who wants their welfare. You may
live on this summit with your brothers, without any fear. O Pandava, do not
be angry with Bhima. These Yakshas and Rakshasas were destined to die;
your brother was merely the instrument of their death. There is no need to
be ashamed of his impetuousness. The slaying of the Rakshasas was
foretold by the gods. I am not angry with Bhimasena. In fact, I am rather
pleased with him, Bhaaratottama. What Bhima did has made me happy!’
Now Kubera addresses Bhimasena, ‘Child, best of the Kurus, I do not
mind what you have done. Since you did it to please Krishnaa and because
you depended only on your own strength, even though you disregarded the
Devas and me, as well, when you did this reckless thing, I am pleased with
you. Vrikodara, today you have freed me from an old curse. The Maharishi
Agastya once cursed me in anger for an offence of mine; by what you did,
you have liberated me. Pandava, my disgrace at a mortal’s hands has long
been destined. No offence attaches to you in any way.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Divine one, why were you cursed by the exalted
Agastya? I am surprised that you were not consumed in an instant, along
with your armies and companions, by the Muni’s wrath.’
Kubera says, ‘At Kusavati, O King, once a conclave of the Devas was
held. I was on my way there with three hundred fierce Mahapadma
Yakshas, all carrying various weapons, when we came upon that best of
Rishis, Agastya Muni, engaged in severe tapasya on the banks of the
Yamuna, where birds sing and trees are full of flowers. We saw him, a mass
of blinding light, where he sat facing the Sun with his arms upraised. Out of
foolishness, ignorance and arrogance, my friend, the elegant Rakshasa lord
Maniman spat on the head of the Maharishi.
The sage’s anger blazed up as if to consume the Earth, and he said to
me, “Lord of treasures, your friend has insulted me in your presence. So,
he, together with your forces, will meet their deaths at the hands of a
mortal. And, evil one, you will grieve when they die, but shall be absolved
from this curse when you come face to face with that same mortal.
However, this curse will not affect the descendants of those of your people
who are obedient to you.”
This is how I was cursed by the Maharishi, and now, O great king, your
brother Bhima has freed me.’ ”
CANTO 161
“T he lord of treasures says, ‘Yudhishtira, five qualities lead to

success—patience, ability, awareness of the right time and the
right place, and resolve. O Bhaarata, in the Krita Yuga, men were steadfast
and skilled in their respective occupations, and they knew the laws that
dictated the wielding of power. And, foremost of Kshatriyas, only a king
who is blessed with patience, who understands the importance of place and
time, and who is well-acquainted with the laws of dharma, can rule the
world for any length of time. In any transaction, he who conducts himself
with dharma acquires fame in this world and a lofty place in the next. By
having displayed his prowess at the proper place and time, Sakra, with the
Vasus, gained sovereignty in Swarga.
He whose vision is clouded by anger and cannot see his coming fall, he
who is addicted to sin because of his evil nature, and he who does not know
the appropriateness of the time and place for action will meet with
destruction both in this world and the next. All the efforts of such a stupid
man are futile, because he does not know the when and where of his
actions, and he will not escape doom in this world and the next.
Evil and deceitful men, who commit rash deeds, aiming to gain mastery
over everything, are actually committing a sin. Bhimasena is fearless,
ignorant of his dharma, haughty, immature and impetuous. You must check
him.
Return to the asrama of the pious Arshtisena and stay there during the
dark fortnight, free of anxiety. Lord of men, at my command, all the
Gandharvas living in Alaka, as well as those living on this mountain, will
protect you and these good Brahmanas.
Rajan, upbraid Vrikodara for the rashness that led him here. Now on, O
King, beings living in the forest will come to you; they will wait upon you
and always watch over all of you. My servants will procure delicious meats
and drinks for you. Yudhishtira, my son, just as you were born of a Deva,
Arjuna was, too, entitling him to the protection of Indra. So, also, is
Vrikodara protected by Vayu and the powerful twins by the Aswins. In the
same way, now you are all entitled to my protection.
Phalguna, next in line to Bhimasena, and versed in artha and dharma, is
well in Devaloka. Dhanajaya was born with all the perfect attributes that are
recognised in the world as leading to Swarga. Self-restraint, generosity,
strength, intelligence, modesty, fortitude and boundless energy are all found
in this one man of the fathomless soul. Jishnu never commits any
dishonourable act, even through ignorance. No one can ever say that Partha
has uttered a lie.
And now, Bhaarata, honoured by the Devas, the Pitrs and the
Gandharvas, that enhancer of Kuru glory is learning the Astra Shastra, the
science of weapons, in Sakra’s abode. Santanu, who ruled so justly over all
the rulers of the Earth, that boundlessly powerful and wise king, your
father’s grandfather, dwells in Swargaloka and he is extremely gratified in
Arjuna, wielder of the Gandiva and the best of his clan.
Living in Indra’s celestial abode, your grandsire Santanu, emperor of
the unflinching vratas, who worshipped the Devas, the Pitrs and the
Brahmanas on the banks of the Yamuna by performing seven Aswamedha
yagnas, who has attained Swarga, asks after your welfare.’
The Pandavas are happy to hear Kubera. Bhima lowers his club and
mace, his sword and bow, and he bows down low before Kubera. Seeing
Bhima prostrate before him, the lord of treasures says, ‘May you be the
destroyer of the pride of your foes, and the enhancer of the delight of your
friends.
Parantapas, live in our beautiful country. The Yakshas will bring you
everything you need. Arjuna will return soon, after mastering the Astra
Shastra. Indra Maghavat will bid him farewell and Dhananjaya will join
you.’
After speaking to Yudhishtira, the lord of the Guhyakas vanishes from
the mountain-top. Thousands of Yakshas and Rakshasas follow him in
chariots spread with decorated cushions and ornamented with jewels. As the
swift horses fly towards Kubera’s abode, they are like flocks of birds
coursing across the sky. Indeed, these horses are so swift that it seems as if
they suck the sky and swallow it as they go.
At Kubera’s command, the corpses of the slain Rakshasas are removed
from the summit of the mountain. The curse of Maharishi Agastya has
ended and, having died in battle, the Rakshasas are freed. The Pandavas
remain there for many nights, honoured by the liberated Rakshasas.”
CANTO 162
V aisampayana continued, “O Parantapa, at sunrise Dhaumya finishes

his daily devotions and comes to the Pandavas with Arshtisena. The
sons of Pandu touch the feet of Dhaumya and Arshtisena, and pay homage
to all the Brahmanas.
Then, facing the east, Dhaumya takes Yudhishtira’s right hand in his
and says, ‘O Great King, Mandara, the king of mountains, is vast and spans
the earth right down to the ocean. Indra and Vaisravana protect this place
graced with airy woods, forests and mountains. My child, the wisest sages,
who know all about dharma, say that this realm is the abode of Indra and
Vaisravana. Dvijas versed in varna dharma, Siddhas, Sadhyas and the Devas
worship the Sun as he rises from here. Righteous Yama, lord of all living
beings, presides over that southern region where the souls of departed
beings go.
And this is Samyamanam, the abode of the lord of departed spirits,
sacred and wonderful to behold, and crowned with bliss. The all-knowing
ones have named this monarch of mountains Asta, and Surya arrives here,
always abiding by the truth. Lord Varuna, dwelling here on this king of
mountains as well as in the ocean, protects all living beings.
O blessed one, lighting up the northern point is the mighty mountain
Mahameru, auspicious and the refuge of those who have attained the
Brahman. That is where Brahma holds court, and from where Prajapati
created all moving and immobile things of the Earth. Meru is the blissful
abode of the seven mind-born sons of Brahma, of whom Daksha is the
seventh. Child, it is here that the seven divine Rishis, the Saptarishis with
Vasishta at their head, rise and set. Look at the matchless, radiant summit of
Meru, where the Pitamaha Brahma sits with the celestials absorbed in the
bliss of self-knowledge.
Next to Brahma’s dwelling, you can see the home of Narayana, from
whom all creation originated, and who has neither beginning nor end.
Rajan, that holy place is so concentrated with divine energy that even the
gods cannot look at it. By its very nature the abode of Vishnu Mahatman is
full of splendour more brilliant than the Sun or Fire, and no one can look at
it, not even the Devas or the Danavas. This place lies resplendent, to the
east of the Meru, and it is here that the Lord of all creatures, the self-created
Creator of the universe, in whom everything is manifested, dwells in a state
of illumined grace.
Neither Maharishis nor Brahmarishis have access to this place, only
Yatis do. Son of Pandu, in his presence here, the bodies of light cannot
shine, because He alone, who is beyond understanding, shines in supreme
transcendent lustre.
Here, by virtue of their tapasya and purified by their piety, the Yatis are
able to approach Narayana Hari. And, O Bhaarata, once they reach this
place and attain the eternal God of Gods, Hari the Self-creator, these
spiritual beings, who are free from ignorance and pride, and who have
attained perfection through yoga, never return to the mortal world.
Yudhishtira, this place is without a beginning, it does not decay, nor
does it end, for it is the very being of Vishnu Narayana. And, O sinless son
of the Kurus, the Sun and the Moon circumambulate Meru everyday in
pradakshina, in opposite directions. The other planets and bodies of light
also travel around this king of mountains.
The Sun God, who dispels darkness, revolves around Sumeru,
obscuring other light-giving bodies. The maker of day sets and passes the
evening, then takes a northerly course. Always mindful of the welfare of all
beings, he turns eastwards again as he nears Meru.
In the same way, the divine Moon goes round this mountain, with the
stars, and accurately divides the month into several cantos, marked by his
arrival at each parva, each full moon. Unerringly does he circumambulate
the mighty Meru and, nourishing all creatures, the Moon returns to
Mandara.
The divine Surya Deva, the destroyer of darkness, also moves
unfettered on his path, giving life to the universe. When he takes to the
south with the intention of causing the rain to fall, winter ensues. And then,
when he turns back towards the north, his rays draw out the energy from all
beings, mobile and rooted. He makes men perspire, making them tired,
lethargic and drowsy. All living things feel drowsy at this time. From here,
moving through the mysterious sky, the sacred Sun brings rain and revives
the Earth. Having nourished all beings with soothing showers, warmth and
winds, majestic Surya begins his course all over again. Kaunteya, with his
movements, the Sun unerringly turns the Kaalachakra, wheel of time, with
mastery over all created things. His course is unceasing; he never stops to
rest, O Pandava. He takes away energy and gives it back again and, dividing
time into day and night, kaala and kastha, that Lord, the Sun, gives life and
motion to all creation.’ ”
CANTO 163
V aisampayana continued, “The noble Pandavas live on this peerless

mountain, engaging in the most stringent vratas, enchanted by the
place, and diverting their minds while they wait impatiently to see Arjuna
again. Many Gandharvas and Maharishis visit these indefatigable ones, of
the pure hearts, of immense prowess: embodiments of truth and courage.
Those maharathas are delighted with this wonderful place so full of
flowering trees, as pleased as the Marutas were when they arrived in
Swarga. In great joy they live on these blossom-rich, colourful slopes that
resonate with the cries of peacocks and cranes.
On this peerless mountain, they see lotus-heavy lakes, their shores thick
with trees, and haunted at night by karandavas and swans. His luxuriant
leisure-grounds, glimmering with gems of many kinds, are enchanting
enough to captivate Lord Kubera himslf, and, roaming at will here, the
tapasvin Pandavas cannot fathom the awesome significance of the summit,
with gigantic trees growing under fleeting clouds.
Here, O Kshatriya, due to its innate magnificence and the brilliance of
its plants and trees, there is no difference between night and day. The Sun
does not leave this place; he sheds his rays of immeasurable energy over
everything, nurturing it all. Because they live on this mountain, where
Surya Deva always shines to nourish all things, moving and still, those
Kshatriyas see the Sun rise and set in the same place. The Pandavas are
inspired by the rising and setting points of the ever-beaming Surya and their
locations on the mountain, and the way the Sun’s rays fill every little
crevice as well as the expansive cardinal points, and all that lies between.
They await their brother, the supreme archer devoted to truth; they chant
the Vedas, faithfully perform their nitya karma, and fulfil their holy vratas.
They say, ‘Let us all be made joyful by our reunion with the mighty
Arjuna!’ and become absorbed in yoga. Although they are in charmed
forests, every day seems like a year to them, so intensely do they think of
him. From the moment when, with Dhaumya’s leave, virtuous Jishnu
matted his hair and left them to live in the forests, they have known no joy.
With thoughts of him filling their minds, how could they know happiness
even in this most blessed place?
They were overwhelmed by grief from the moment when, at
Yudhishtira’s command, Jishnu of the gait of an elephant left for the
Kamyaka vana. O Bhaarata, it is with difficulty that the sons of Pandu pass
the month on the mountain, thinking constantly of Arjuna Swetavahana,
who has gone to Vasava’s palace to master the art of weaponry.
Arjuna has now lived five years in the abode of thousand-eyed Indra,
and has obtained astras from all the Devas—Agni, Varuna, Soma, Vayu,
Vishnu, Indra, Pasupati, Brahma, Parameshti, Prajapati, Yama, Dhata,
Savita, Tvashta, and Vaisravana. He bows to Indra of the hundred sacrifices
and takes leave of him to come to Gandhamadana.”
CANTO 164
NIVATAKAVACHA YUDDHA PARVA
V aisampayana continued, “One day, as those mighty Kshatriyas are

thinking of Arjuna, they see Indra’s chariot, yoked to horses as
bright as lightning, suddenly arrive. Matali drives this vimana that lights up
the sky like a great flame, like a meteor flashing down through the clouds.
Wearing heaven’s garlands and sparkling ornaments, Arjuna Kiriti sits in it.
Dhananjaya, equal in prowess to Indra, alights from the chariot, and blazes
in beauty.
Wearing his crown, Arjuna bows down at the feet of Dhaumya and then
at the feet of Ajatasatru; he touches Vrikodara’s feet in respect, while the
twins bow to him. He greets Krishnaa, beside herself with joy, and then he
stands humbly before his elder brother. Great is the delight of the brothers
on being re-united with the resplendent Arjuna. He, too, rejoices at meeting
them and praises the king.
The sons of Pritha walk around that chariot, from which the slayer of
Namuchi annihilated seven divisions of Diti’s progeny, in pradakshina, and
honour Matali as if he is Indra himself. Yudhishtira enquires about the well-
being of all the Devas; Matali greets him and, having spoken words of
advice to them, as a father to sons, he climbs back into the supreme vimana
and flies back to the Lord of the Devas.
After Matali has left, Indra’s son, first among all Kshatriyas, the noble
destroyer of all foes, gives Krishnaa, the mother of Sutasoma, unearthly
precious gems and jewellery, that Indra has sent, and which dazzle like the
Sun. Then, sitting in the midst of those best of Kurus and Brahmanas, he
recounts all that has happened, and he is as bright as Fire or the Sun.
He says, ‘I acquired astras from Sakra, Vayu, and Siva himself; and all
the Devas were pleased with my humility and concentration.’ He tells them
of his stay in Devaloka, and that night Kiriti of the unblemished deeds
sleeps contentedly with the sons of Madri.”
CANTO 165
CONTINUED
V aisampayana said, “When day breaks, Dhananjaya and his brothers

pay homage to Yudhishtira Dharmaraja. As they do, O Bhaarata,
they hear resonant music from the sky, the rumbling of chariot-wheels and
the ringing of bells. All the wild beasts and birds echo a chorus in their own
voices. Hosts of Gandharvas and Apsaras appear in their vimanas from all
around and follow Indra, king of the Devas, in procession. That Lord of all
celestials, Purandara, flies down in his chariot decorated with gold and
yoked to incandescent horses, landing near the sons of Pritha. He of the
thousand eyes descends from his vimana, and as soon as Yudhishtira sees
the exalted one, with his brothers he comes before the king of the
immortals.
Magnanimous Yudhishtira worships Indra of the immeasurable soul
with ceremony that befits his pre-eminence. Then mighty Arjuna bows to
Purandara and stands humbly before him, like a servant. Seeing the pure
Dhananjaya of lofty punya, with his matted hair, stand in humility before
the Lord of gods, Yudhishtira of fearsome tejas sniffs the top of his
brother’s head in affection. He is overjoyed to see Phalguna like this, and
feels utterly glad as he worships Indra.
The Lord of the Devas says to Yudhishtira, ‘You shall rule the earth, O
Pandava; I bless you with prosperity. Return to Kamyaka Vana, O son of
Kunti. The learned man who leads a life of brahmacharya for a year, with
his senses under control and observing vratas, and keeping in mind this
meeting with me, will live in unalloyed happiness for a hundred years, with
no anxieties.’ ”
CANTO 166
CONTINUED
V aisampayana continued, “When Sakra has gone back to his own

dominion, Bibhatsu, with his brothers and Krishnaa, pays obeisance
to Yudhishtira, son of Dharma Deva, who lovingly sniffs the top of Arjuna’s
head.
Yudhishtira’s voice chokes with emotion as he says to Arjuna, ‘Oh, how
did you spend your time in Indraloka? How did you acquire the weapons,
and what did you do to please the Lord of the Devas? Pandava, have you
now gained a thorough knowledge of the astras? Did Indra and Rudra give
them to you gladly?
How did you see the divine Siva, the Pinakin? How did you get the
Devastras? How did you worship them? What service did you perform for
that worshipful one of a hundred sacrifices, that he said to you, You have
gratified me?
O radiant one, I want to hear about all this, as well as how you pleased
Mahadeva and Indra. Tell me, also, about the service you rendered to the
wielder of the thunderbolt. Dhananjaya, tell me everything.’
Arjuna says, ‘Mighty king, listen to how I saw him of a hundred
sacrifices and the divine Sankara too. O Parantapa, I acquired the Astra
Shastra that you instructed me to learn when I went into the forest to
perform tapasya. From Kamyaka I went to the Bhrigutunga and spent one
night there.
While I sat in dhyana the next day, I saw a Brahmana, who asked me,
“Son of Kunti, where will you go?” I told him everything that had happened
and he was pleased with me. He praised me and said, “Bhaarata, perform
your tapasya, and soon you will see the king of the Devas.”
I climbed to the top of Mount Saisiram in the Himalaya, where I began
my austerities. For the first month I ate fruit and roots; the second month, I
took only water; during the third, I fasted; and the fourth month, I stood
with upraised arms. I am amazed that I did not lose any strength.
Rajan, at the end of the first day of the fifth month, there appeared
before me a being in the form of a boar, digging the earth with his tusks,
stamping his feet and rubbing his belly on the ground, and running here and
there in a frightful way. Following him came a hunter, a Vetala with bow
and arrows and a sword, and he was surrounded by dark and beautiful
women, and the one at his side was especially so.
I took up my bow and my two inexhaustible quivers; and I shot that
terrible boar. Simultaneously, that hunter raised his bow and struck the beast
even more forcefully, making my heart tremble.
Rajan, he said to me, “Why have you broken the laws of hunting by
shooting a beast that was my quarry? I will crush your pride with my
arrows.”
That great black Vetala rushed at me with his bow stretched. He covered
me completely with his arrows, even as a cloud does a mountain with rain;
and I enveloped him with a shower of my own shafts. I recited mantras and
shot flame-tipped barbs, piercing him as Indra would cleave a mountain
with his Vajra.
The Vetala multiplied his body a hundred times, and a thousand times,
but I pierced them all with arrows. Then, again, all those forms merged into
one, O Bhaarata, and at once, I struck it. He began changing shapes—now,
a small body with a huge head, and now a huge body with a small head.
Finally, he took his original form and came at me ready to fight.
Invoking the potent Vayavyastra, weapon of the Wind God, I affixed it
to my bowstring. Amazingly, even this weapon had no effect on him. With
more vigour, I covered that hunter with a profusion of mighty astras. I
inundated him with the weapons of Sthunakarna, Varuna, Salabha and
Asmavarsha. But, Rajan, he swallowed them all.
When all those had been consumed, I loosed the Brahmastra at him.
Arrows of light and flames piled over him, he began to expand. The world
was in the grip of that weapon and all the points of the compass were lit up
by its brilliance; but that hunter frustrated even the Brahmastra. O Rajan,
when Brahma’s weapon was quelled, I became afraid.
I took up my bow and my two inexhaustible quivers and shot at him
again, but he devoured all those arrows as well. And when he had subdued
all my weapons, he and I wrestled. We fought with blows, but I could not
defeat him and fell bewildered and senseless on the ground.
That wonderful Vetala laughed delightedly and vanished before my
eyes, together with the woman; and my Gandiva and two quivers also
disappeared.
Now, that godlike hunter assumed another form, unearthly and wearing
shining raiment. He renounced the form of a hunter, that Devadeva, and
took his own divine Form, and that God stood there, with his Goddess
beside him. The Divine One—whose emblem is the Bull, who wields the
Pinaka, who wears coiled serpents for his ornaments, and who can assume
any form—appeared before me with Uma. Parantapa, he came towards me
while I was preparing to fight on, and the bearer of the trident, Trisulin,
said, “I am so pleased with you!”
The Divine One held up my bow and my pair of ever-filled quivers and
returned them to me, saying, “Ask for a boon, O son of Kunti. I am
delighted with you. Tell me, what shall I do for you? Kshatriya, tell me your
wish and I will grant it. Other than immortality, I can give you anything
your heart desires.”
I was intent on having the astras, so, I bowed down to Siva and said, “O
Divine One, if you are pleased with me, grant me this—I wish to acquire
mastery of all the weapons that the gods command, the Devastras.”
Lord Tryambaka of the three eyes said, “So it shall be. Pandava, my
own weapon, Raudra, will always await your call.” Now Mahadeva gave
me the greatest of all astras, his own Pasupata, and having bestowed it, said,
“This must never be used against mortals, for if it is loosed at one of small
strength it will consume the very universe. It should be used only in a
desperate predicament, when all your other weapons have failed you. Only
then may you use my Pasupatastra.”
When he that uses the insignia of the Bull had been gratified, there
appeared at my side the Devastra of the irresistible power, which can
consume all other weapons, kill any truly mighty enemy and raze hostile
armies; it is without equal, and even the Devas, Danavas and Rakshasas
cannot withstand it.
At Siva’s command, I sat down there and, even as I gazed at him, in
adoration, the God vanished.’ ”
CANTO 167
CONTINUED
“A rjuna says, ‘Bhaarata, by the grace of Devadeva, God of gods,

the Paramatman Siva, I spent the night in that place; and when
day broke and I had finished my morning rituals, I saw the Brahmana
whom I had seen before. I told him everything that had happened, about my
meeting with Mahadeva.
This pleased him, and he said, “Since you have seen the great God,
which no one else can do, you will soon meet Vaivaswata and the other
Lokapalas, and the Lord of the Devas, too; and Indra will also grant you
astras.”
He said this, O King, he embraced me again and again, and that radiant
Brahmana went away. Parantapa, that evening, a pure breeze began to blow
and seemed to renew the Earth. Near where I was, at the foothills of the
Himalaya, all at once fragrant, lovely flowers began to bloom. All around
me I could hear an enchanting chorus of hymns being sung in praise of
Indra. Hosts of Apsaras and Gandharvas sang to that Lord of celestial hosts.
The Maruts and the followers of Mahendra, and other Swargavasis, heaven-
dwellers, came in their divine vimanas.
Soon after, Indra Marutvan, accompanied by Sachi and all the
immortals appeared in chariots yoked with elegantly caparisoned horses.
He that is carried on the shoulders of men manifested himself in front of
me. I saw Yama seated in the south and Varuna and the Lord of the Devas in
their respective places.
They greeted me and said, “Savyasachi, look at us seated here. You
have been granted this vision of the Lokapalas so that you can perform a
task for us. Now receive our astras.”
Lord, I bowed to those foremost of the Devas in reverence and took
those divine weapons, upon which they accepted me as one of them. Then,
the gods went back to the place from which they had come.
The Lord of the immortals, the divine Maghavat, ascended his glorious
chariot and left, saying, “Phalguna, you must visit Devaloka. Even before
your arrival I knew that you would come here. I manifested myself to you,
O best of the Bhaaratas; and because you have purified yourself with
ablutions in many holy tirthas and strengthened yourself with unflinching
austerities, you will gain admittance to Devaloka. You will have to practise
severe penance again, for you will have to stay there for a time as a mortal.
I have told Matali to bring you to our world. All the Devas and great Rishis
have already granted you recognition.”
I said, “Divine one, look kindly on me. I wish to learn the Astra Shastra,
and beseech you to be my Guru.”
Indra replied, “My child, you will achieve terrible feats with the Astra
Shastra, but I will fulfil your desire to acquire this knowledge.”
To this I said, “O Lord, I will never use the Devastras against mortals
except when all my other weapons have been repulsed. Therefore, King of
gods, grant me the Devastras so that I may attain the realms reserved for
Kshatriyas.”
Indra said, “Dhananjaya, it is to test you that I said these words to you.
You are my son, and your reply becomes you. Go now, Bhaarata, to my
abode and learn all the weapons of Vayu, Agni, the Vasus, Varuna, the
Maruts, the Siddhas, Brahma, the Gandharvas, the Uragas, the Rakshasas,
Vishnu and the Nairitras. Learn to use all the astras that are mine, as well, O
perpetuator of the house of Kuru.”
Saying this, Sakra vanished from where he had stood. Then, Rajan, I
saw the fabled and sacred chariot of heaven arrive, drawn by unearthly
horses and driven by Matali.
When the Lokapalas had gone, Matali said to me. “O splendid one, the
king of the Devas wants to see you. Mighty-armed, achieve supreme
competence before you perform your task. Come and see the realms that
can only be attained through dharma; enter heaven in your human body.
Bhaarata, the thousand-eyed Lord of the celestials wishes to see you.”
I took my leave of the Himalaya by walking around the mountain in
pradakshina and climbed into the magnificent chariot. The generous Matali,
expert sarathy, drove these steeds gifted with the speed of thought or the
wind.
When the chariot began to move he saw that I sat steadily and, looking
at me in wonder, said, “I find it wonderfully strange that, although seated in
this divine vimana, you have not stirred even a little. Bhaaratottama, I have
seen that, at the first pull of my horses, the Lord of the Devas sways where
he sits. But you have sat unshaken all the while. In this, you are greater than
Sakra himself.”
Matali soared into the sky and showed me the realms of the Devas and
their palaces. The horse-driven chariot flew up, and the celestials and the
sages of heaven worshipped it. Manavottama, I saw whole worlds moving
anywhere at will; I saw the grandeur of the tejasvins—the Gandharvas,
Apsaras and the Devarishis. Sakra’s sarathy Matali showed me the Nandana
and other magical gardens and groves of the gods.
Then, I beheld Indra’s city, Amaravati, adorned with jewels and shining
kalpa-vrikshas, trees that bear any sort of fruit that one desires. There the
Sun is not hot; no one is affected by heat, cold or fatigue, Rajan. The gods
feel neither sorrow nor dispiritedness, nor weakness, nor apathy, Parantapa.
Those who live in that place have neither anger nor greed; all are perfectly
contented.
There, the leaves on the trees are always green, the branches laden with
flowers and fruit; the fragrance of lotuses pervades the numerous lakes.
There the breeze is cool and delicious, fragrant and pure, and invigorating.
The ground is strewn with all kinds of jewels and with divine blossoms.
There countless exotic beasts and birds live, none of our world.
I saw the Vasus, the Rudras, the Sadhyas with the Maruts, the Adityas
and the two Aswins, and I worshipped them. And they gave me their
blessings, granting me strength and prowess, energy and fame, skill at arms
and victory in battle.
Then, I entered that fabled city, so loved by Gandharvas and Devas, and
with joined hands I stood before the thousand-eyed Lord of the gods. Sakra,
ever generous, offered me half his throne; and Vasava put his hand on me in
affection.
Thus, Bhaarata, with the intention of acquiring astras and learning to
master them, I began to live in Indraloka, in the company of Devas and
Gandharvas of bountiful souls. Viswavasa’s son Chitrasena became my
friend, and he imparted the entire body of Gandharva gyana to me. I lived
happily in Sakra’s home, well cared for, having all my desires gratified,
learning about the astras, listening to divine songs and music, and watching
the most alluring Apsaras dance.
Without neglecting to study the arts, which I did carefully, I devoted my
attention to the acquisition of arms. And that Lord of a thousand eyes was
pleased with my sense of purpose. Living in Devaloka, O king, thus did I
pass my time.
When I had mastered the Devastras and gained the confidence of Indra,
whose mount is Uchchaisravas, one day he said, “Now even the gods
themselves cannot conquer you, let alone the mortals of the Earth. You have
become irrepressible in strength and invincible in battle.”
The hair on my body stood on end as Indra continued, “O Kshatriya,
you have no equal in battle. You are ever-vigilant, dexterous, truthful, and
have your senses under perfect control. You are the protector of Brahmanas;
you are a master of weapons, and warlike. Partha, you have obtained the
fifteen great Devastras, as well as the five ways of using them. You now
stand alone and without any peer. You have perfected the skill of releasing
these weapons and their withdrawal.
You have perfected the Prayaschitta, the revival of harmless beings
killed by these weapons, and also how to revive the astras themselves if
they are rendered ineffective. Now, Parantapa, the time has come for paying
the Gurudakshina. Promise to pay it and I will tell you what you have to
do.”
Rajan, I said to the king of the Devas, “If it is in my power to do what
you ask, consider it already done.”
At my words, Indra smiled and said, “There is nothing in the three
worlds that is beyond your power. My enemies, the Danavas called the
Nivatakavachas, live in the depths of the ocean. There are thirty million of
them; they are dishonourable, all identical to look at and equally strong and
splendid. Destroy them there, Kaunteya, and that will be your Gurudakshina
to me.”
Saying this, he gave me his resplendent vimana, with Matali driving it,
and cushioned with down as soft and lustrous as peacock-feathers. He set
this exquisite kirita, this crown, on my head and gave me glittering
ornaments like his own for my body. He gifted me an impenetrable armour
—the best of its kind and comfortable to wear. Then, he strung the Gandiva
with this everlasting bowstring.
I set out in that marvellous chariot from which, in days gone by, the
king of the Devas defeated Bali, the son of Virochana. O ruler of men,
startled by the rumbling of the ratha, all the celestial ones came out,
thinking that I was the Deva king. Seeing me, they asked, “O Phalguna,
what are you going to do?”
I told them everything, adding, “I will go into battle. Auspicious ones, I
am going forth to kill the Nivatakavachas. Give me your blessings.”
They began to praise me in the same way that they eulogised Purandara.
They said, “Riding this chariot, Maghavat conquered in battle Sambara, and
Namuchi, and Bala, and Vritra, and Prahlada, and Naraka. From this
vimana, Maghavat has vanquished thousands of millions of Daityas. O
Kaunteya, riding in this chariot even as Indra did long ago, you, too, shall
conquer the Nivatakavachas in battle.
Here is the best of all conches; Sakra used it to conquer the worlds, and
blowing on it you will also triumph.”
Saying this, the gods offered me this shell, the Devadatta, born in the
deep; and I took it for the sake of victory. The gods began to extol me then,
and impatient for battle, armed with my conch, my armour, my bow and
arrows, I flew towards the sinister home of the demonic Nivatakavachas.’ ”
CANTO 168
CONTINUED
“A rjuna continues, ‘I passed all the places that the Maharishis had
spoken highly of and, at last, saw the ocean of Devaloka—the
inexhaustible Lord of waters. I saw upon it swelling waves that looked like
mountains of water, crashing against each other and then rolling away. I
saw thousands of ships filled with gemstones. I saw those great, fabulous
fish, timingilas, and tortoises that looked like submerged stone hills. And
everywhere in the water were thousands of shells, like stars in a lightly
clouded night sky. Thousands upon thousands of jewels floated in clusters
and a violent wind whirled them about. O, this was rare and wonderful to
see.
As I looked upon the marvellous ocean of the mighty tides, I saw the
city of the Danavas, not too far away. Matali, expert sarathy, guided the
chariot, and it submerged, and all its embellishments smoothly slid under
water. But he sat firmly in his seat and drove the craft with force,
frightening all who heard its rumble.
The Danavas heard that sound like clouds rumbling in the sky, and,
thinking I was the Lord of the gods, were panic-stricken. They all stood
with their bows and arrows, javelins and axes, maces and clubs, terrified.
Quickly making arrangements for the defence of their city, the alarmed
Danavas clanged shut the gates, hiding everything inside.
I took up my conch, Devadatta of the deafening roars, and blew
gleefully on it many times. That sound filled the sky and rang everywhere.
Even the mightiest beings were terrified and hid. And then, O Bhaarata, all
the Daityas, the children of Diti, the Nivatakavachas shining with
ornaments, appeared in their thousands, wearing all kinds of armour, with
myriad weapons in their hands.
They had iron javelins, maces and clubs, hatchets, sabres and discs,
sataghnis and bhusundis, and colourfully streaked and bejewelled swords.
After thinking a moment about which way to go, Matali steered the vimana
on to level ground.
O best of the Bhaaratas, the horses were so swift that everything we
passed went by in a blur; I could see nothing, and I found this strange. Then
the Danavas began to play thousands of oddly-shaped musical instruments,
making a discordant, nerve-wracking cacophony. At the awful noise,
thousands of enormous fish, that were like hills, streaked away. The
stupendous force of demons flew at me, loosing hundreds of thousands of
arrows.
O Bhaarata, a savage battle followed between the Danavas and me; I
was ready to annihilate the Nivatakavachas. Devarishis, Danavarishis,
Brahmarishis and Siddhas came to witness the contention. Eager for my
victory, the Munis praised me with the same sweet speeches they had used
for Indra in the war of old fought over Tara.’ ”
CANTO 169
CONTINUED
“A rjuna continues, ‘Bhaarata, the Nivatakavachas, armed to their

teeth, rushed ferociously at me. They blocked the path of the
chariot and, roaring loudly, surrounded the chariot and covered me with
their arrows. Other demons flung darts and hatchets, spears and axes at me.
My chariot was enveloped in a blizzard of arrows, maces and clubs. Some
truly dreadful-looking Nivatakavachas, armed with bows and heavy arrows,
ran at me. I shot ten swift, sure shafts from my Gandiva into each of them,
driving them back with those stone-sharpened darts.
My horses, in the skilful hands of Matali, moved like the wind, with
incredible agility and speed, trampling the sons of Danu and Diti
everywhere. Although thousands of horses were yoked to my ratha,
Matali’s masterly chariotry made it seem they were only a few, so smoothly
did our chariot fly. Hundreds of Danavas fell dead by being trampled under
the horses’ hooves, by being run over by the chariot wheels, and by my
blistering arrows. There were others who, though dead, lay in their chariots
with their weapons still strapped on; and their charioteers slain, the horses
dragged the chariots chaotically here and there.
Now the greatest Danava warriors came to fight, using sorcerous
weapons to cover all sides and directions, and I was hard-pressed. I saw
Matali’s incredible prowess then, as he steered his fiery steeds, breaking
through the net of demon arrows with such ease. Heartened, I killed
hundreds of thousands of Danavas with my astras. Parantapa, seeing me
range the field and putting forth all my prowess, Sakra’s charioteer was
pleased.
Some Nivatakavachas were crushed to death by the horses and chariot,
some gave up the fight, but others battled on, shooting storms of arrows. I
began to kill them with the hundreds of thousands of weapons I could
command with mantras of the Brahmastra. Harried by me, enraged, those
Asuras attacked me with a torrent of clubs, arrows and swords.
Then, Bhaarata, I invoked Indra’s favourite weapon, supreme astra of
breathtaking urjas, and loosed it at the attacking Tomara horde, and
desiccated the swords and tridents they hurled. When I had destroyed their
weapons, I pierced each of them with ten arrows.
Arrows flew from the Gandiva like rows of black bees; and Matali was
jubilant. The Danavas showered me with dark shafts, but I deflected them.
The Nivatakavachas smothered me in a fog of arrows, and I contained them
again with superior astras, swift and fiery, which could baffle other astras;
and I killed thousands of demons more. Blood flowed from their torn
bodies, like a monsoon waterfall down a mountain slope. My arrows struck
them like Indra’s thunderbolt, and inflamed them. Their wounds bled
copiously; the power of their weapons was diminished; and the
Nivatakavachas began to use maya to fight me.’ ”
CANTO 170
CONTINUED
“A rjuna says, ‘A sudden shower of rocks big as trees rained down

on me, but I blasted those boulders with a volley from
Mahendra’s weapon, almost equal to his Vajra. When the rocks had been
powdered, a fire sprang up, and the dust fell like sparks.
A cataract of water now fell, each stream of it as thick as an axle-rod; its
massive torrents filled the sky in all the directions. Confusion gripped me at
the downpour and the howling of the wind and the roaring of the Daityas.
The water fell without pause, filling all the space between earth and sky,
and for a moment I stood rooted.
Recovering quickly, I discharged another Devastra I had received from
Indra, the Visoshana of fire, and all the water was instantly vapourised. O
Bhaarata, when the rocks had been pulverised and the water dried up, the
Danavas created illusions of fire and wind. I used a weapon of water to put
out the flames, and one that made a wall of stone to shield me from the
wind.
Now the Nivatakavachas besieged me with a myriad weapons, of stone,
water, fire and wind all together. All around, a thick, gloomy darkness
spread and, enveloped in that black night of the world, our horses reared,
whinnying in terror; Matali fell from his place, and the golden horsewhip
from his hands.
He cried, “Where are you? Where are you?” and dread gripped me as
well to see him panic.
Then, he said to me, “Partha, the Devas and Danavas once fought a
mighty war over the amrita, and I witnessed that battle. Again, when
Sambara was killed, there was a dreadful war; then, too, I was charioteer to
the king of the Devas. I was Indra’s sarathy when Vritrasura was killed. I
also saw the savage encounters with Virochana’s son Bali, Prahlada and the
rest. Oh, I saw all those fearful battles, Pandava, but never before did I lose
my senses. Pitamaha Brahma must have ordained the destruction of the
universe, for I can see no other purpose for this battle of battles.”
When I heard Matali, I made a great effort to calm myself and thought
of how I would dispel the illusions that beset us. I said to the frightened
charioteer, “Look at the strength of my arms, the power of my astras and of
my Gandiva. I will use magical weapons to dispel this turgid darkness and
the other sorceries of the Danavas. Fear not, sarathy; calm yourself.”
Fighting for the Devas, I made an illusion that could stupefy all beings.
This dispelled the Danavas’ maya, but some of their most powerful demons
attacked me with fresh spells, of different kinds. The world seemed to
disappear and appear in flashes; it seemed to be swallowed by darkness, or
submerged in water. When the world became visible again, Matali sat in his
seat in the chariot with the reins of the horses in his hand, and he began to
range across the field, like lightning, making everyone’s hair stand on end.
The ferocious Nivatakavachas still assailed me but, seizing every
opportunity I found, I sent them, one by one, to Yamaloka.
In the midst of the battle that raged, suddenly the Danavas vanished,
cloaked in maya.’ ”
CANTO 171
CONTINUED
“A rjuna continues, ‘Now the Daityas fought unseen, their weapons

unseen, while I battled on with weapons in plain sight. Wherever
I sensed they were, I sloughed off Asura heads with arrows from the
Gandiva. The Nivatakavachas withdrew their maya, and fled into their city.
When the Daityas fled and the world was visible again, I saw that the
dead numbered many hundreds of thousands. Near the slain demons lay
their splintered weapons, ornaments, armour and severed limbs. The field
was so crowded with bodies that our horses could not move freely, and they
took to the sky.
Some Nivatakavachas were still hidden from view, and these filled the
sky with rock masses. Bhaarata, other Danavas burrowed underground and
seized our horses’ legs and chariot-wheels. From above and below, they
cast down a barrage of rocks on the horses and attacked me and my chariot.
The rocks that lay around us and those that continued to fall hemmed me in
as if sealing me into a mountain cave.
Matali saw me oppressed by the rocks that fell and his horses being
crushed under their weight. He saw that I was afraid and said, “Arjuna, do
not be frightened. Loose the Vajra, Purushottama.”
I invoked Indra’s favourite weapon, the inexorable thousand-jointed
thunderbolt. Saying its mantra over the Gandiva, I aimed at the battery of
falling crags and loosed iron arrows that bore the Vajra. As they issued from
that astra, the iron shafts turned into individual thunderbolts. They pierced
the demons’ sorcery and struck the Nivatakavachas. From the sky, Danavas
big as cliffs fell to the earth, cloven by the fervid power of the Vajra. The
thunderbolts blasted the Danavas who had dragged our horses into the
entrails of the earth, and despatched them to Yama.
All that place was covered with the mountainous bodies of
Nivatakavachas—the dead, the wounded and the unconscious lay there like
scattered crags.
Strangely, neither I, nor the horses and chariot, nor Matali were in the
least injured. Matali smiled and said, “Not even in the Devas, Arjuna, have
I seen prowess such as yours.”
When the demon hosts had been destroyed, their women began to wail
in their city, like cranes in autumn. Matali and I entered that city, terrifying
the Nivatakavacha wives with the rumble of our chariot. The women fled in
crowds when they saw our ten thousand horses, lustrous as peacocks, and
the dazzling chariot, bright as the Sun. The women’s ornaments, falling as
they ran, made a sound like that of rocks tumbling down a mountain. The
panic-stricken wives of the Daityas fled into their golden palaces that were
adorned with countless jewels.
Seeing that incomparable city, even grander than the city of the gods, I
asked Matali, “Why do the Devas not live in a place like this? This city
seems to be superior to Purandara’s Amaravati.”
Matali replied, “In days gone by, O Partha, this was the city of our Lord
of the Devas. Later, the gods were driven from here by the Nivatakavachas.
The Nivatakavachas performed the most stringent tapasya and, when they
had pleased Brahma, they asked him for a boon—that they might live here,
invincible to the Devas.
Then Sakra addressed Brahma saying, O Lord, do what you consider
proper, but keep our welfare in mind. Then, O Bhaarata, the Lord
commanded Indra, saying, O slayer of foes, using another body, you will
become the nemesis of the Danavas. It was to make this possible that Sakra
gave you all the astras. The gods could not themselves slay the demons that
you have today. The time had come for you to kill them, and you have done
so. Foremost of men, Mahendra gave you these supremely potent Devastras
so that you could annihilate the Nivatakavachas.”
After killing the Danavas and subduing their city, I returned to
Amaravati with Matali.’ ”
CANTO 172
CONTINUED
“A rjuna says, ‘On my way back, I saw an unearthly city, moving at

will, radiant like Fire, or the Sun. In this city were trees made of
gems, and sweet-voiced birds of many colours. It had four gates, many
gateways and towers, and in that impregnable city lived Paulomas and
Kalakanjas. It was exquisitely wrought from all manner of jewels, and was
ethereal and wonderful to look at. The trees of jewels bore flowers and
fruit; extraordinary celestial birds sang from their branches. Blithe Asuras
wandered its streets and gardens, wearing garlands and carrying double-
edged swords, bows, arrows, maces and clubs.
Rajan, on seeing that city of Daityas, I asked Matali, “What is this place
that looks so marvellous?”
Matali replied, “Once, long ago, a Daitya’s daughter named Puloma,
and Kalaka, a mighty female of the Asura race, preformed tapasya for a
thousand celestial years. At the end of their penance, Brahma, the self-
created one, conferred boons on them—that their children would never
suffer misfortune; that they cannot be slain, even by the Devas, the
Rakshasas and the Pannagas; and that they be given a radiant and
incomparable aerial city, furnished with all kinds of gemstones, and
impregnable by the Devas, the Maharishis, the Yakshas, the Gandharvas,
the Pannagas, the Asuras and the Rakshasas.
Bhaaratottama, this is that flying city, devoid of Devas, which was
created by Brahma himself for the descendants of Kalaka—the Kalakeyas.
The city has everything one could ever want, and no illness or grief
enters here. It is filled with all things desirable, and disease and suffering
are unknown. This celebrated city is called Hiranyapura, peopled by the
Paulomas and the Kalakanjas, guarded by those mighty Asuras. And, O
King, since they cannot be killed by the Devas, they live happily, free from
anxiety and having all their desires fulfilled.
But Brahma has ordained their destruction by a mortal. O Partha, it is
you who must use the Vajra and destroy the very race of Kalakanjas.”
O lord of men, having found out that they could not be touched by the
Devas and the Asuras, I cheerfully said to Matali, “Fly into that city. I will
obliterate them that hate the king of the gods. I consider it my dharma to
kill any enemy of the Devas.”
Matali took me near Hiranyapura in the heavenly horse-driven chariot.
Seeing me, those sons of Diti, wearing diverse kinds of clothes, ornaments
and armour, charged at me in their chariots. They attacked me with arrows,
clubs and double-edged swords, with prowess that defies description.
Rajan, using my knowledge of the Astra Shastra, I resisted the great
volley of weapons with a wild shower of arrows, and all the Danavas,
attacking me from every side, were bemused. Confounded, they began to
attack one another. I struck off hundreds of heads with flaming arrows.
The sons of Diti fled into their city and, with their magical powers, flew
high into the sky. I barred their way with a vast web of arrows. However,
the Danavas stood firm in their city, which flew wherever they willed,
radiant as the Sun. The city plunged down to Earth; it took off again; it flew
in an arc; it went underwater.
Parantapa, I never paused my attack on that incredible city that was like
Amaravati to behold. I stormed Hiranyapura, and all the Daityas in it, with
legion Devastras. Broken by my volleys, the city of the Asuras fell to the
earth. Grievously wounded by my weapons of the speed and the sound of
thunder, demons wandered about in a daze, without will of their own, as if
moved only by destiny.
Matali flew our chariot of solar effulgence into the sky, and then down
to land on earth. O Bhaarata, surrounding me were sixty thousand war
chariots, with enraged Daityas in them, eager for battle with me, but I killed
them all with vulture-feathered arrows. Confident that a mortal could hardly
vanquish them, their attack swelled in a surging tide. I loosed the Devastras,
one by one. But those Maharathas restrained each one, and on the field I
saw hundreds and thousands of mighty demons moving about in their
chariots in diverse manoeuvres. They were splendid with the sheer variety
of their armour, their ornaments and their flags; they were a delight to the
eyes.
Set upon by the innumerable warriors, heavily armed and skilled in
battle, I was overwhelmed and fear gripped me. I invoked Rudra, the
supreme God and, saying, May welfare attend on all beings, I chanted the
mantra for the Raudrastra, scourge of all enemies.
At once, I saw a being with three heads, nine eyes, three faces, and six
arms. His hair blazed like Fire or the Sun and, O Parantapa, on his body he
wore huge snakes darting out their tongues. Seeing Rudra the Eternal before
me, my fear melted away and I set his weapon on the Gandiva, bowed to
the three-eyed One of the measureless tejas and released it, willing it to
consume the Danavas.
Lord of men, as soon as it was loosed, a multitude of forms were
manifested—deer, lions, tigers and bears; buffaloes, snakes and cows; and
sarabhas; and elephants, apes, bulls and boars; cats and dogs; ghosts; all the
Bhurundas; vultures and Garudas, Chamaras and leopards; mountains and
seas; Devas, Rishis and Gandharvas; Pisachas and Yakshas; Asuras,
Guhyakas and Nairitras; elephant-mouthed sharks; owls; creatures with the
forms of fish and horses, other macabre beings bearing swords and other
weapons; and Rakshasas brandishing maces and clubs.
When that weapon was loosed, the whole universe appeared, filled with
all these and other beings. These multifarious beings—some had pieces of
flesh, fat, bones and marrow sticking to them, others had three heads, or
four tusks, or four mouths, or four arms—attacked the Danavas again and
again, and held them at bay.
Then, my brother, in a single moment I slew all those Danavas with a
swarm of arrows imbued with the hardness of rocks, flaming like Agni or
Surya, and lethal as thunderbolts. I saw the Danavas, brought down by the
Gandiva, fall from the sky, and bowed once more to the Supreme God,
destroyer of the Asuras of Tripura.
The celestial sarathy Matali was delighted to see those Daityas, adorned
with ethereal ornaments, annihilated by the Raudrastra. Having witnessed
my feat, which even the celestials could not accomplish, Sakra’s charioteer
paid me homage.
With joined hands, he said, “The gods could not have done what you
have today. Indeed, not even the king of Devas himself could have
accomplished this. Hiranyapura was invincible, it could not be touched by
the Devas or Asuras, but you have destroyed it with your strength and the
power of your tapasya, O Kshatriya.”
When that ethereal city had been ruined and its demons slain, their
wives came streaming out, their hair dishevelled, and keening loudly, like
kurari birds. They wailed in grief for the loss of their sons, brothers and
fathers; they fell on the ground, crying hoarsely. They beat their breasts for
having been widowed, and their garlands and jewellery fell from them.
The golden city of the Danavas, which once looked like a Gandharva
city, resounded with lamentation and was denuded of beauty, like a lake
without elephants, or a forest stripped of trees. Deprived of its masters, it
lost its lustre, and it disintegrated, as if it had been made of clouds.
My task accomplished, Matali took me back to Amaravati, the deathless
abode of Indra. Having vanquished and killed the Nivatakavachas, and
destroyed Hiranyapura and its Kalakeyas, I came and stood, my head
bowed, before Indra. Matali described to him all that I had done, in detail. It
was with great delight that the Maruts heard about the destruction of
Hiranyapura, the undoing of the illusions and the slaughter of the
Nivatakavachas in battle.
Thousand-eyed Purandara was pleased no end, and cried, Well done!
and Indra and the Devas applauded, even cheered me for a long time.
Indra said, “You have achieved a feat that neither the Devas nor the
Asuras could. O Partha, by slaying my enemies, you have paid my
Gurudakshina. Therefore, Dhananjaya, I grant that in battle you will always
stay calm and discharge your weapons unerringly, and you will be
irresistible to Devas, Danavas, Rakshasas, Yakshas, Asuras, Gandharvas,
Pakshis and Nagas.
Through the might of your arms, Kunti’s son Yudhishtira will conquer
the Earth and rule it,” ’ says Arjuna.”
CANTO 173
CONTINUED
“A rjuna continues, ‘As I stood there, my wounds still bleeding,

Indra, king of the Devas, acknowledged me as his own, and said,
“Arjuna, all the Devastras are with you, and no man on earth will be able to
overpower you. My son, when you are on the battlefield, Bhishma, Drona,
Kripa, Karna and Sakuni, together with all the other Kshatriyas, will not be
equal even to a sixteenth part of what you are.”
The lord Maghavat gave me this golden garland and this conch-shell,
Devadatta of the mighty roars, and also his unearthly, impenetrable mail.
With his own hands, he set this crown on my head. Sakra presented me with
these heavenly garments and with rare ornaments of unearthly craft. Thus
was I honoured, Rajan, and I lived joyfully in Indra’s sacred abode with the
children of the Gandharvas. Sakra was pleased, as were the Devas. One day
he said to me, “O Arjuna, your brothers pine for you; the time has come for
you to leave.”
O king, this is how I spent my five years in Devaloka, thinking all the
while of the troubles that we now endure because of the gambling. Here I
am now, come to the foothills of the Gandhamadana and united again with
my brothers.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Dhananjaya, we are fortunate that you have acquired
the astras and that you have worshipped the king of the Devas. Parantapa, it
bodes well that the Lord Sthanu and his Goddess appeared before you and
that you gratified them in battle. You are fortunate to have met the
Lokapalas. Partha, we are lucky to have prospered and that you have come
back to us. Today I feel elated, as if Dhritarashtra’s sons have already been
quelled and the Earth, with all her cities, has already become ours.
Bhaarata, I am curious to see these Devastras with which you killed the
Nivatakavachas.’
Arjuna says, ‘Tomorrow morning, you will see all the divine weapons
with which I slew the fierce Nivatakavachas.’
Having thus related all that transpired before his return, Dhananjaya
passes the night with his brothers.”
CANTO 174
CONTINUED
V aisampayana continued, “When day breaks, Dharmaraja Yudhishtira

rises and, together with his brothers, performs the dawn rituals, then
says to Arjuna, the joy of his mother, ‘Kaunteya, show me the weapons
with which you slew the Danavas.’
Arjuna observes all the proper rites of purification and then displays the
Devastras that the gods gave him. Dhananjaya has the Earth for his chariot,
the mountain for its central pole, the base of the mountain for its axle and
the clump of elephant-bamboo for its socket-pole. He is resplendent in his
unearthly armour as he takes up the Gandiva and Devadatta, and invokes
the astras, one by one.
As each weapon is set on the bow, the Earth trembles under the weight
of Arjuna’s feet; trees shudder; rivers and the immense ocean churn; rocks
burst apart; the Sun stops shining; fires stop burning; Brahmanas stop
reciting the Vedas; and the very air is hushed.
O Janamejaya, the creatures that live under the earth’s crust rise to the
surface and surround the Pandava, their faces contorted and their hands
folded, quivering in fear. The astras scorch them and they pray to Arjuna to
spare their lives. The Brahmarishis, the Siddhas and the Maharishis, indeed,
all mobile beings arrive there. The foremost Devarishis, the Devas, the
Yakshas, the Rakshasas and the Gandharvas; the Garutmats and other
beings of the air also appear. The Pitamaha, the Lokapalas and the divine
Mahadeva come with their retinues. Then, O great king, Vayu, the Wind
God, comes bearing unearthly flowers and strews them over the Pandava.
The Gandharvas sing and Apsaras dance.
Then, Narada arrives and addresses Partha in gentle words, saying, ‘O
Arjuna, do not loose the Devastras. They should never be released without a
proper target; and even when there is one, they should not be used unless
every other weapon has failed you. O son of the Kurus, to discharge these
astras without legitimate cause is fraught with great evil. Dhananjaya,
keeping these weapons as you have been instructed will add to your
strength and happiness; but if they are not properly revered, they will
become the instruments of the destruction of the three worlds. So, Pandava,
never do this again. Yudhishtira, you will see these astras when Partha uses
them in battle to raze his adversaries.’
Having stopped Partha from what he was about to do, the immortals and
the others who came there go their separate ways. The Pandavas and
Krishnaa continue to live in that same forest, in joy and contentment.”
CANTO 175
AJAGARA PARVA
J anamejaya said, “When that best among Kshatriyas returned from

Indraloka, after having mastered the Devastras, how did the sons of
Pritha spend their time?”
Vaisampayana said, “Peerless among men and equal to Indra, those
Kshatriyas enjoy the pleasure gardens of the lord of treasures, spread over
the woods on that incomparable mountain. Kiriti, best among men, wanders
through charming glades, full of trees of all kinds, but with his bow in hand
and his mind always on the war ahead.
With Vaisravana’s generosity and favour, the princes live in that
beautiful place, their minds detached from material pleasures. Rather, they
enjoy the simple peace of their lives. Having Arjuna back with them makes
the time pass quickly; four years seem like one night. For the Pandavas, ten
years—these four years and the previous six—drift smoothly by.
One day, at the end of ten years of exile, the impetuous Bhima, son of
Vayu, sits with Jishnu and the godlike twins before Yudhishtira, and in
pleasing, earnest words says to him, ‘It is only to keep your word that we do
not leave the forest to kill Suyodhana and his followers. He has deprived us
of our happiness.
This is the eleventh year of our exile in the wilderness; it will be easy to
go undiscovered by that evil man. Led by you, we have wandered through
these jungles, giving no thought to our condition, and free from anxiety.
Suyodhana will not believe that we have left this place for a distant land.
Once we have lived there for a year, we can avenge ourselves on that
evil one and his followers. We will easily kill that most malignant of men,
and reclaim our kingdom.
O Dharmaraja, you must now return to the world below. If we stay on in
this heavenly place, we will forget our sorrows, and your fame will wither
away like a wilting flower’s fragrance and disappear. By gaining the
kingdom of the Kuru sires, you will attain glory and perform many yagnas.
What Kubera has given you here you can have on your own, Purushottama,
and at any time.
Now, O Bhaarata, it is time to concentrate on punishing the enemies
who wronged us grossly. Rajan, the wielder of the thunderbolt himself
cannot withstand your power. Arjuna has only universal welfare at heart. He
has Krishna, whose emblem is Suparna, for his friend, and Sini’s grandson
Satyaki as well. Arjuna feels no pain, ever, not even in battle against the
Devas. He has no equal in strength, and neither do I.
O Yudhishtira, I am as devoted to your good as Krishna and the
Yadavas. And the heroic twins are masters of war. When we meet the
enemy, we will extinguish him and ensure your return to wealth and
prosperity.’
When he hears the course of action they prefer, the bountiful and
peerless son of Dharma, who knows all about dharma and artha, whose
prowess is limitless, walks around Vaisravana in reverent pradakshina.
Dharmaraja Yudhishtira bids farewell to the palaces, rivers, lakes and all the
Rakshasas; and he faces the path they took to come here.
Yudhishtira Mahatman looks at the supreme mountain and says, ‘O lord
of mountains, grant that I, together with my friends, see you again after I
have killed my enemies and regained my kingdom; grant that I perform
tapasya here with my senses controlled.’
With his brothers and the Brahmanas, the king of the Kurus will return
by the same path that brought them to the holy mountain; and Ghatotkacha
and his companions will carry them over the mountain’s cascades. As they
are about to begin their journey, Rishi Lomasa advises them, as a father
would his sons, and he departs for Devaloka. Arshtisena, too, gives them
wise counsel, and the sons of Pritha begin their journey, and they see many
sacred tirthas, asramas and great lakes on the way.”
CANTO 176
AJAGARA PARVA CONTINUED
V aisampayana said, “When they leave their home in the mountain of

a thousand waterfalls, and birds, and eight-legged elephants, and
Kubera’s supernatural attendants, sadness goes with those best of the
Bhaaratas. When they have gone some distance, they see Kubera’s favourite
mountain, Kailasa, like a great white cloud in the sky; and their hearts surge
with elation.
Armed with swords and bows, they continue on their way, and they see
hills and narrow gorges, dens of lions and craggy pathways, more waterfalls
and the plains below. They see other great forests where deer, birds and
elephants throng in great numbers. They come upon blithe woods, turquoise
rivers, lakes and mountain caverns, which often become their home during
the day as well as at night.
After living in all kinds of inhospitable places and crossing Kailasa of
the untold majesty, they reach the asrama of Rajarishi Vrishaparva. He
receives them warmly and, shedding their fatigue, they tell him the story of
their sojourn in the mountains. They stay only one night in this sacred
hermitage, which Maharishis and Devas visit, then travel on to the great
badari tree Visala.
Here, at Badarikasrama where Narayana dwells, they remain happily for
a time, within sight of Kubera’s lake that Devas and Siddhas frequent. Just
as blemishless Brahmana Rishis attain bliss on reaching the gardens of
Nandana, so do the Pandavas shed all grief when they see that lake. The
Kshatriyas spend a happy month in Badari, and then resume their journey
towards the dominions of Subahu, king of the Kiratas, still treading the path
by which they came. They have to cross the difficult terrain of the
Himalayas, the countries of Pina, Tushara, Darada, pass through all the
provinces of Kulinda, rich in treasures, before they reach Subahu’s capital.
Subahu is excited when he hears of their arrival and comes out to meet
them. Yudhishtira greets him, and here the Pandavas are joined by all their
charioteers led by Visaka, their attendants, Indrasena and the others, their
personal servitors and kitchen servants. The company breaks journey here
for a night.
Then, giving Ghatotkacha and his followers leave to go, they take their
chariots and sarathys and head towards the king of mountains, near the
Yamuna River. The range of Himavan abounds in waterfalls, silvery against
grey slopes and snow-covered summits. The Pandavas find their way to the
great forest of Visakhayupa, which is like the forest of Chitraratha. Here,
where wild boars and a variety of deer and birds live, they decide to make
their home.
Hunting for their food, the sons of Pritha peacefully live in this forest
for one year.
In a cavern of the mountain, Vrikodara’s heart fills with grief and he
panics, when he comes upon a massive, fierce-looking snake, obviously
starving and looking like death itself. Yudhishtira, most virtuous of men, of
boundless strength, frees Bhima from the coils of the mighty serpent that
holds him fast, when he goes near it.
And so the twelfth year of their sojourn in the forests begins. The scions
of the Kuru, blazing in splendour, engaging in the most rigid tapasya,
devoted to their daily practice of archery, leave that forest—that is like the
Chaitra—and go to the edges of the desert, and from there to the river
Saraswati, on whose banks they want to live awhile.
From the Saraswati, they go to the lake in the Dwaita vana. The
inhabitants of the Dwaita vana are all ascetics of various religious orders,
who practise self-restraint, sitting in deep dhyana and, being toothless,
subsist on food ground with stone. On the arrival of the Pandavas, these
sadhus bring grass mats and water-pots, and come forward to greet them.
On the banks of nearby golden Saraswati grow myriad trees—the holy
pipal, the rudraksha, the rohitaka, the plaksha, the badari, the khadira, the
sirisha, the bilva, the inguda, the karira, the pilu and the sami. Wandering
contentedly about in the vicinity of the Saraswati, a home of the Devas and
the favourite resort of Yakshas, Gandharvas and Maharishis, the princes are
at some peace.”
CANTO 177
J anamejaya said, “How is it, wise one, that Bhima of the mighty
prowess, who was strong as ten thousand elephants, was stricken with
panic at the sight of that snake? You have described how he was horrified
and alarmed, this man who slew hundreds of Yakshas and Rakshasas by the
lotus-filled lakes of Kubera’s forests, and who, in arrogant defiance, dared
Kubera to fight him? I am curious and want to hear about this.”
Vaisampayana said, “Rajan, in Vrishaparva’s hermitage, those fearful
warriors live amidst enchanting glades. Roaming about carefree, bow and
sword in hand, Vrikodara comes upon an emerald forest, frequented by
Devas and Gandharvas. He sees secret places upon the Himalaya,
frequented by Devarishis and Siddhas, and inhabited by Apsaras.
These echo with the sweet warbling of birds—the chakora, the
chakravaka, the jivajivaka, the kokila and the bhringaraja—and are lush
with shady trees clothed in snow-soft leaves, which bear perennial fruits
and flowers. He sees mountain streams whose waters glisten like lapis
lazuli, with ten thousand perfectly white ducks and swans upon them, and
surrounded by forests of deodar trees that seem to form a net to trap the
clouds. He sees other trees—tunga and kaliyaka, interspersed with yellow
sandalwood trees. Measurelessly strong, he ranges these uninhabited forests
in pursuit of game, shooting animals with purified arrows.
Mighty Bhimasena, strong as a hundred elephants, kills huge wild boar
with his bare hands. Blessed with dreadful strength, like some lion or tiger,
he who can fight a hundred at once kills antelope and boar and bison and
many elephants whose strength is as his own. He uproots trees and breaks
them, filling the forests with noise. Ever youthful, proud and fearless,
Bhimasena happily rampages through the woods, bellowing his war-cry,
striking his arms and clapping his hands. Fierce lions and great tuskers flee
in terror at the sound of this boldest of men fearlessly prowling their home
in search of game. He penetrates into the depths of the vast forest and
terrifies all the animals with his shouts.
Snakes slither into caves for shelter. The godlike Bhimasena sees an
enormous Naga coiled in a cave, its gigantic body filling it entirely, so big
that it makes one’s hair stand on end. Its colossal body is like a yellow and
speckled hill; its cave-like mouth is red and has four fangs; its eyes bulge
and its forked tongue darts in and out, licking the corners of its mouth.
Looking like Yama, it strikes terror into all living creatures, as it hisses at
any intruder.
Seeing him approach, in a flash the infuriated snake seizes Bhimasena
in its coils. This serpent has a boon, which makes Bhimasena lose
consciousness in its clasp. Although Bhima is supremely strong, the Naga
overpowers him and he trembles feebly in its gargantuan coils. His
shoulders are like a lion’s, his strength is that of ten thousand elephants, but
Mahabaho Bhima is overpowered by the snake with the boon and, seized by
it, all his strength drains from him. He struggles desperately to extricate
himself, but cannot.”
CANTO 178
V aisampayana continued, “Bhima says to the prodigious snake, ‘O

Naga, tell me who you are. O foremost of reptiles, what are you
going to do with me? I am Bhima, the son of Pandu, and next by birth to
Dharmaraja Yudhishtira. I am as strong as ten thousand elephants; how
have you overpowered me? I have killed innumerable lions, tigers, bison
and elephants; mighty Rakshasas, Pisachas and Nagas cannot withstand the
force of my arms. Do you have magical powers, or have you been given a
boon, that although I put forth all my strength, you still hold me helpless?
Ah, the strength of men is nothing, for, O serpent, you have proved it so.’
When Bhima says this, the snake, which has coiled its body around him
and has him at its mercy, releases just his arms and says, ‘It is my lucky day
that the gods offer you to me as food to appease my hunger after a very long
time. Life is dear to all the living; so I will tell you how I came to have this
snake’s form. Hear, O strongest of men, how I fell into this plight from the
wrath of the Maharishis. I want to be rid of the curse, so I will tell you all
about it.
You must surely have heard of the Rajarishi Nahusha. He was the son of
Ayu, and an ancestor of yours. I am that very man. And today I am a sarpa
because Agastya Muni cursed me for, in my hubris, I once insulted the
Brahmanas of heaven.
You are my descendant and a joy to see, and I ought not to kill you.
Still, I will eat you today. You are fated to die. No creature that comes
within my reach at this time of day, be it a bison or an elephant, escapes. It
is no Naga that has taken you; I have this form only because of the Rishi’s
curse.
As I changed form and slid from Sakra’s throne, on which I once sat, I
said to the worshipful Agastya, “Free me from this curse!”
The compassionate Maharishi said to me, “O king, you will be free after
a long time has passed.”
I fell down to the Earth as a snake, but I did not lose the memory of my
former life. This happened a very long time ago, indeed, but I remember
everything that was said.
The Rishi said, “A man who has realised the relationship of his Atman
to the Brahman, and who can correctly answer the questions you put to him,
will deliver you from my curse. Taken by you, even creatures that are
stronger than you will immediately lose their strength.”
I heard these words of that kindly sage, who felt affection for me, and
immediately, all the Brahmanas vanished.
Having become a serpent, I have lived in hell for an age, waiting for the
time of my release to come.’
Bhimasena says to the snake, ‘I am not angry, mighty Sarpa, nor do I
blame myself. Men are not always in control of their own lives; at times,
they have the power to bring about joy or sorrow, and at others, not. There
is no point fretting over this. Who can divert destiny, even by the greatest
effort? Karma is supreme, and effort is useless. Struck by fate, I lost the
might of my arms today.
Look at me; for no apparent reason I have become helpless. However, I
am not as sorry for myself that I will die as for my brothers who have been
deprived of their kingdom and exiled into the forest.
The Himalaya is inaccessible and crawls with Yakshas and Rakshasas.
My brothers will be distracted from their purpose by their search for me. If
they know that I am dead, they will give up all their efforts, for, although
they are determined, in my desire to regain our kingdom, it is I who keep
their resolve alive by my insistent urging.
It may be that Arjuna alone will not grieve for me, because he is
intelligent, a great master of astras and cannot be vanquished by Devas,
Rakshasas or Gandharvas. By himself, that Mahabaho can defeat even a
Deva in battle.
What can I say of the deceitful gambler, the haughty and foolish son of
Dhritarashtra, the most detested of all men? I grieve for my poor mother,
who loves her sons, who is always eager that we should rise above our
enemies in fame. O Naga, all the hope that my sorrowing mother vested in
me will be dashed if you devour me.
My twin brothers, the manly Nakula and Sahadeva, follow me, their
elder brother, and rely on the strength of my arms for their protection. If I
die, they will be grief-stricken and lose their will to fight. This is what I
think.’
Such is Vrikodara’s heartfelt lament; caught in the coils of Nahusha the
snake, all his strength is sapped from his body.
In the meanwhile, Yudhishtira sees sinister omens and is alarmed. The
cardinal points blaze, weird jackals come to the hermitage and howl.
Horribly deformed vartikas, with one wing, one eye and one leg, face the
Sun and vomit blood. Dry winds blow and whip up stony eddies.
In the east, all the beasts and birds begin to cry out; behind him black
crows caw, Go! Go! Yudhishtira’s right arm, his chest and left leg twitch.
His left eye tics in spasms, auguring some great evil.
O Bhaarata, sensing some calamity, Yudhishtira asks Draupadi where
Bhima is. She replies that he has been gone for some time. Dharmaraja tells
Arjuna to watch over Draupadi, he tells Nakula and Sahadeva to protect the
Brahmanas, and sets out with Dhaumya. They leave the asrama and,
following Bhima’s wild, brash trail, look for him in the dense forest.
Going east, they come across the dead bodies of bull-elephants, leaders
of their herds, and see Bhima’s footprints on the ground. They see the
carcasses of thousands of deer and hundreds of lions, and they know they
are on Bhima’s trail. They see trees uprooted by him on his heedless way in
pursuit of deer.
The trail leads them to a desolate spot. Dry winds blow; the plants are
all leafless and thorny; the air is salty; there is no water anywhere; stones,
tree-stumps and scrub cover the rough, uneven ground; and a sharp sense of
danger invades them. And here, in a mountain cave, Yudhishtira sees his
younger brother, held fast by that most powerful of snakes.”
CANTO 179
V aisampayana continued, “Yudhishtira finds his beloved Bhima in the

coils of the serpent and says, ‘O Son of Kunti, how did this happen?
Who is this remarkable Naga, whose body is like a mountain?’
Bhimasena says, ‘My brother, this mighty serpent has caught me for his
food. He is the Rajarishi Nahusha cursed to be a Naga.’
Yudhishtira says to the snake, ‘Chiranjeevi, long-lived, free my brother
of the immeasurable strength. We will give you some other food to satisfy
your hunger.’
The serpent says, ‘This prince came to me of his own accord and
provided me with my meal. Go away. You should not stay for, if you do,
you will be my meal tomorrow. Mahabaho, this has been ordained—he who
comes to where I live becomes my food. You are in my dwelling. I have
waited a long time for the meal that is your younger brother. I will not let
him go, and I do not fancy any other food.’
Yudhishtira responds, ‘O Sarpa, tell me truly who you are—a Deva, an
Asura, an Uraga? I, Yudhishtira, ask this. Why have you taken Bhimasena?
What object or knowledge will satisfy you? And what food shall I get you,
O Snake? How can I secure my brother’s release?’
The serpent says, ‘O sinless, I am king Nahusha, your ancestor and the
son of Ayu, in the fifth generation of descent from Soma, the Moon. By
virtue of my tapasya, my yagnas, my spiritual discipline and steadfastness, I
earned dominion over the three worlds. But with this authority came
arrogance.
I engaged thousands of Brahmanas as my throne-bearers and,
intoxicated by power, I insulted them by kicking them with my feet and
crying sarpa, sarpa! Hurry, hurry! When my foot touched him, Agastya
Muni cursed me, You be a sarpa! and I fell down to the Earth in this form in
which you find me.
Even now, I cannot forget my past life. This evening, Agastya’s
goodwill brought your brother to me for my meal. I have no wish to set him
free, and I do not want to eat anything else. However, if you answer my
questions, I will let Vrikodara go.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘O Serpent, ask whatever you like. I will try to please
you with my answers. You have the knowledge of the truly learned.
Therefore, Nagaraja, king of snakes, ask and I will answer.’
The serpent says, ‘O Yudhishtira, tell me, who is a Brahmana and what
knowledge should he have? You speak so eloquently and I can tell that you
are highly intelligent. Tell me, who is a Brahmana and what is the final
object of all knowledge?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Foremost of serpents, the wise say that he in whom
we see truth, charity, forgiveness, good conduct, benevolence, observance
of his svadharma and mercy is a Brahmana. The object of knowledge is the
Supreme Brahman, the state devoid of joy and sorrow, attaining which frees
man from misery.’
The Naga says, ‘Yudhishtira, even in a Sudra we find truth, charity,
forgiveness, good conduct, benevolence, devoutness, kindness and
knowledge of the Veda that regulates the four varnas and provides guidance
in religious matters. As for what ought to be known, which you say is a
state of no pain or pleasure, it does not exist.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘The Sudra who has these qualities is not a Sudra, and
the Brahmana who lacks these is not a Brahmana. Sudras and Brahmanas
are not classified by birth alone. The wise say that anyone who has these
qualities is a Brahmana, and one who does not is a Sudra, even if he is born
a Brahmana. Your assertion that all things that exist must feel either misery
or happiness, because without both there is nothing, is erroneous. This is
only how it seems. Think of this—cold is the absence of heat; and heat is
the absence of cold. Therefore, can there not be a state in which both are
absent, and a similar state for joy and grief?’
The serpent says, ‘O king, if a man is recognised as a Brahmana
because he possesses these characteristics, caste distinctions become
relevant only in relation to these qualities.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Mighty and most intelligent serpent, in human
society it is difficult to ascertain a person’s caste because of
promiscuousness among the four varnas. This is my opinion. Men of all
castes have children by women of all castes. Four aspects of life that all
people have in common are language, sexual intercourse, birth and death.
Even Rishis have testified to the difficulty of distinguishing caste, by using
this sentence at beginning of every sacrifice—‘Whatever caste you may
belong to, we celebrate this sacrifice.’ The learned have asserted that
character is the only essential requisite for caste distinctions.
The birth ceremony of a male child is performed before the cutting of
the umbilical cord. The mother acts as Savitri and the father officiates as
priest. The child is considered a Sudra until he is initiated in the Vedas.
Because of doubts that have arisen on this point, O prince of serpents,
Swayambhuva Manu declared that the mixed castes are better than the
upper castes that do not live according to dharma even after undergoing the
rituals of purification. Any man who lives by the laws of dharma, I have
always considered a Brahmana.’
The serpent replies, ‘O Yudhishtira, you do indeed know what needs to
be known and, after having heard you speak, how can I eat your brother
Vrikodara?’ ”
CANTO 180
“Y udhishtira says, ‘In this world, you are most learned in the Vedas
and Vedangas; tell me what one should do to attain moksha.’
The serpent replies, ‘O scion of the Bhaaratas, I believe that the man
who gives alms to deserving people, the man that speaks kindly, the man
that tells the truth and the man that abstains from doing injury to any
creature attains salvation.’
Yudhishtira asks, ‘Which, O Naga, is the higher of the two—truth or
charity? Tell me also, which is more important—kindness or the avoidance
of doing harm.’
The snake replies, ‘The relative merits of the qualities of truth and
benevolence, kind words and abstention from harmful behaviour are
measured by their results. Truth is sometimes more praiseworthy than some
acts of charity; some daana is more laudable than speaking the truth.
Similarly, abstaining from causing injury can be more, or less, important
than kind speech. It all depends on the effect your actions have.
Ask me anything more you want, and I will clear your doubts.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Tell me, O Naga, how to understand the soul’s
transition to Swarga, about its enjoyment of the rewards it has gained and
how it perceives through the senses.’
The snake replies, ‘By dint of his own karma, a soul takes birth in one
of three conditions—as an animal, as a human, or as a heavenly being. Man
leaves his human life and attains Swarga by being diligent and
hardworking, by not harming any creature, by being charitable and virtuous.
Through the opposite conduct, Rajan, people are reborn as baser humans or
as animals. This is particularly true of one who is ruled by anger, lust, greed
and malice. This person leaves his human life and is reborn as an animal.
Animals can be transformed into the human state, too. The cow, the horse
and other beasts have been seen to attain even the divine condition.
My son, living beings transmigrate from one state to the other because
of their actions, but the wise man’s soul rests permanently in the
indestructible Brahman. The embodied spirit, bound by destiny, and reaping
the fruits of its karma, undergoes birth after birth; but he that is distanced
from his own actions is conscious of the destiny of all beings.’
Yudhishtira asks, ‘O Snake, tell me truly and clearly how the spirit that
is detached from the body recognises sound, touch, shape, smell and taste.
Does one perceive sensations simultaneously? Best of snakes, answer my
questions.’
The snake replies, ‘The spirit, called Atman, taking existence within a
physical body and, manifesting itself in the sense organs, enjoys the
perceptions of all objects. Bharatarishabha, the senses, the mind and the
intellect, which help the Atman in perception, are called karanas. The
eternal spirit leaves its proper place and, assisted by the mind and acting
through the senses, perceives all objects with sensory properties. The mind
of living creatures is the cause of all perception and, therefore, it cannot
recognise more than one thing at a time. This spirit, which resides in the
space between the eyebrows, directs the high and low intellect to different
objects. The knowledge that Yogis gain from constant use of the higher
intellect causes them to finally perceive the Atman.
Yudhishtira says, ‘Tell me the distinguishing characteristics of the mind
and the intellect. Gaining this knowledge is the chief aim of those who
meditate on Brahman, the Supreme Spirit.’
The snake replies, ‘Through improper understanding, the Soul becomes
subservient to the intellect, which, though inferior to the Soul, directs and
controls it. The intellect is moved by perception, but the Soul is
independent and exists by itself. The intellect does not cause sensation, such
as pain or pleasure, the mind does. This, my son, is the difference between
the mind and the intellect. You, too, are learned in this; what is your
opinion?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Most intelligent one, you have a superior intellect and
know all there is to be known. Why do you ask me this question? You are
all-knowing; you have performed wonderful deeds; and you have lived in
Swarga. How could illusion overpower you? I wonder greatly at this.’
The snake replies, ‘Prosperity intoxicates even wise and valiant men.
Those who indulge in luxurious lives lose their intellect. I, too, Yudhishtira,
was drunk and infatuated with prosperity, and fell from my height.
Having recovered my reason, I speak to you in this manner. O
Victorious, you have done me a favour. Conversing with one as virtuous as
you has lifted my painful curse.
In the days of old, when I used to live in heaven and ride in a celestial
chariot, I was swollen with pride and, unthinkingly, I would accept tribute
from Brahmarishis, Devas, Yakshas, Gandharvas, Rakshasas, Pannagas and
all who lived in the three worlds. Lord of Earth, such was the spell of my
eyes that I instantly destroyed the power of any creature on which I fixed
them.
I had thousands of Brahmarishis draw my carriage, and this sin caused
my fall. One day Agastya Muni was drawing my carriage when my feet
touched his body. He cursed me in anger, saying, “You will be ruined. You
will become a snake.”
At once, I lost my glory and fell from the chariot, watching myself turn
into a snake as I fell. I implored the Brahmana, “I beg you, remove this
curse, O divine one. Forgive my foolishness.”
Moved by pity as he watched me hurtling down from heaven, he said,
“The virtuous king Yudhishtira will release you from my curse. O Nahusha,
when you rid yourself of the sin of pride, you will attain redemption.”
I was wonderstruck to see the power of his tapasya. That is why I have
asked you these questions about the Brahman and Brahmanas, about truth
and charity, about self-restraint and penance, about not doing injury to any
creature and adhering to dharma. Rajan, it is these qualities, and not the
race or family into which he is born, by which a man may attain mukti. May
your brother, the mighty Bhimasena, enjoy good fortune; may you be
happy, O Dharmaraja. I must leave you now and return to Swarga.’
With these words, king Nahusha sheds his serpentine form and,
assuming his celestial one, ascends into heaven. Dharmatma Yudhishtira
returns to his asrama with Dhaumya and Bhima, and there he narrates all
that has transpired to the Brahmanas, his brothers and Draupadi. They are
ashamed when they hear how Bhima behaved. The Brahmanas, with the
welfare of the Pandavas in mind, admonish Bhima for his foolhardiness and
tell him never to be so rash.
The Pandavas are elated that Bhima has been saved from danger, and
they continue to live there happily.”
CANTO 181
MARKANDEYA SAMASYA PARVA
V aisampayana said, “While they live in that place, the monsoon sets
in. It cools the air, bringing delight to all the living. Dark clouds
rumble and cover the skies entirely, forming an opaque cupola; they pour
down rain day and night. The light of the Sun is replaced by the stainless
lustre of lightning. The Earth turns fecund and mellow—lush grass grows,
insects multiply and abound joyfully, and the world is washed clean and
spread over with serenity. Water covers the ground, so that the tallest trees
and entire hills are submerged and indistinguishable.
At summer’s end, swollen rivers augment the beauty of the forest,
looking like snakes as they hiss and turn along their courses. Boars, stags
and birds are drenched in the rain and chortle in delight, from within the
vana. Chatakas, peacocks, kokilas and frogs are all athrob with excitement.
The Pandavas enjoy the monsoon, in its seething richness, and the
sound of thunder above and the lashing rain below, while they live on the
higher reaches of the mountain.
Autumn sets in—its floor coverd over with thick new grass, the forest
teems with swans, ducks, geese and cranes; rivers flow lucid again and the
stars shine brightly in the sky. This is a blissful season for the sons of
Pandu, crowded as it is with bright and feral birds and beasts. They revel in
the clear night air, cooled by clouds, and the sky adorned by glowing
planets, stars and the radiant moon. They see cool rivers and ponds
ornamented with lilies and white lotuses.
They roam the river Saraswati’s majestic banks, thick with bamboo, and
dotted with sacral pools; and great is their exhilaration. Those Kshatriyas
are especially glad to gaze at the golden Saraswati, brimming with limpid
water, and they spend the holy night of Karthika Poornima beside her. The
sons of Pandu spend that auspicious day with pure and benevolent Rishis
devoted to tapasya and, as soon as the dark fortnight sets in immediately
after, they enter the Kamyaka vana, with their charioteers, cooks and the
rest of their entourage.”
CANTO 182
CONTINUED
V aisampayana said, “O Scion of Kuru, on arriving at the Kamyaka

vana, the Rishi of that jungle warmly receives them, and there they
live with Krishnaa. While the Pandavas dwell in safety here, many
Brahmanas come to visit them.
One of them says, ‘Arjuna’s beloved friend, Krishna of the lofty
intellect, mighty arms and perfect self-control, the Saurin, will come to this
asrama. Hari knows that you have arrived here; he always wishes for your
welfare and longs to see you. Markandeya, who has lived many ages, who
is devoted to profound study and tapasya, will also come to you.’
No sooner are the words spoken than they see Krishna coming towards
them in a chariot yoked with the horses Saibya and Sugriva. With
Satyabhama beside him, Devaki’s dark blue son is like Indra with
Pulaman’s daughter Sachi, as he comes to visit the Pandavas of dharma.
The omniscient Krishna alights from his ratha and prostrates before
Yudhishtira, and then before Bhimasena. He pays his respects to Dhaumya,
and the twins prostrate before him. He embraces Arjuna of the curly hair;
and speaks comfortingly to Drupada’s daughter. Again and again does
Krishna, son of the Dasarhas, the slayer of his foes, clasp Arjuna in his
arms; it is so long since he has seen his precious friend. Satyabhama
embraces Draupadi. The sons of Pandu, with their wife and priests, worship
Krishna, of the eyes like the white lotus, and crowd around him in
adoration.
Krishna glows at being re-united with Pritha’s son Arjuna, Dhananjaya
the winner of wealth; the terror of Asuras acquires the radiant beauty of
Siva, the magnanimous Lord of all creatures, when Mahadeva is united with
his son Kartikeya. Arjuna Kiriti tells Krishna all that has transpired in the
jungle, and asks after Subhadra and Abhimanyu. After he pays due
reverence to Yudhishtira and the Brahmanas, Krishna sits down and praises
Yudhishtira.
He says, ‘O King, dharma is superior to conquering kingdoms, because
it is acquired through tapasya. By your adherence to the truth, and with your
honesty, you have conquered this world and the next. Through study and
faultlessly performing your svadharma, you have mastered the Astra
Shastra. You have gained wealth in accordance to the dictates of Kshatriya
dharma, and correctly performed the ancient yagnas. You are not addicted
to sensual pleasures, nor do you act, Purushottama, from selfish motives.
You do not swerve from the path of dharma out of greed for wealth. You are
aptly called Dharmaraja, the righteous king.
Even though you have won wealth and kingdoms, you find your
greatest joy in charity, truth, penance, forbearance, meditation and patience.
When Krishnaa was humiliated in the Kuru sabha, in a shocking and
shameful manner, who but you could have silently borne it? You will soon
rule justly over men, and all your desires will be fulfilled. We are here and
ready to punish the Kurus, as soon as your obligation to them is completed.’
Krishna says to Dhaumya, Bhima, Yudhishtira, the twins and Krishnaa,
‘You are all blessed with good fortune to have Arjuna Kiriti, the crowned,
back with you after he has mastered the Astra Shastra in Devaloka.’
Krishna now turns to Yagnaseni, ‘How fortunate that you are united
again with Dhananjaya! Krishnaa, you have the most excellent sons. They
are diligent sishyas; they are well-behaved and emulate the conduct of their
virtuous friends. Although your father and brothers offered them their
kingdom to tempt them to stay with them there, they declined and preferred,
instead, to live with us in Anarta, where, in the city of the Vrishnis, they
study the Astra Shastra and live happily amongst our people. Subhadra
guides them in the same way that you or Kunti would, perhaps with even
more love and care.
Rukmini’s son Pradyumna, master to Aniruddha, Abhimanyu, Sunitha
and Bhanu, is your sons’ guru as well. As a good preceptor would, he gives
these valiant young lions lessons in the use of maces and swords, in astras,
in charioteering and riding horses. Pradyumna is delighted that his training
manifests itself in the brave deeds that your sons and Abhimanyu perform.
And when your sons go forth in pursuit of sport, chariots, horses and
elephants form their retinue.’
Krishna says to Yudhishtira, ‘The fighting men of the Dasarha clan, the
Kukuras and the Andhakas are at your command, to do whatever you wish.
Lord of men, the army of the Madhus, whose bows are as powerful as the
wind, led by Balarama, whose weapon is the halayudha, the plough, is
eminently prepared for battle. O Pandava, its cavalry and infantry, horses,
chariots and elephants are ready to do your bidding. Drive Dhritarashtra’s
son Duryodhana, the vilest of sinful men, his followers and friends down to
the path of the lord Yama, son of the Earth. You, Rajan, can keep the vow
you swore in the sabha, but let the city be prepared for your triumphant
return when the Dasarha forces have razed your enemies.
Live wherever you please, visit all the places you want to see, be rid of
your grief and wash away your sins; you will go to Hastinapura, and rule
from there.’
The noble king listens attentively to Krishna and, after some
deliberation, folds his hands in reverence and says ‘O Kesava, you are the
refuge of the sons of Pandu; in you we have our protector. When the time
comes, I am certain that you will do as you have said, and even more. We
have spent twelve desolate years in the forest, without breaking our oath.
We have yet to complete the thirteenth year, of ajnatavasa, and now we
place ourselves under your protection, as is right for those who are your
friends.
The sons of Pandu and Pritha do not swerve from the path of dharma.
We are charitable and pious, and we lay ourselves and our people, our
wives and our friends at your feet.’
Bhaarata, while Krishna of the Vrishnis and the pure-hearted
Yudhishtira talk, the venerable Rishi Markandeya arrives in their midst. He
is many thousands of years old, and has spent his life in the practice of
dharma and tapasya. His age is not visible on him and he is immortal. He
radiates the beauty of grace, goodness and benevolence, which make him
look like a young man of some twenty-five years. When the aged, ageless
Markandeya, who has seen thousands of yugas, arrives, all the Brahmanas
pay him deep homage, as do Krishna and Pandu’s sons.
Having been duly honoured, the Muni sits down, and Krishna says to
him, ‘The sons of Pandu, these Brahmanas, Draupadi, Satyabhama and I are
all anxious to listen to you speak, O Markandeya! Tell us the holy stories of
ancient times and the abiding laws of dharma which guide kings, women
and sages.’
When they had all taken their seats, Devarishi Narada arrives there. The
noble Kshatriyas receive him, washing his feet and offering him arghya.
The godlike Narada realises that Markandeya is about to speak and shows
his eagerness to do the same.
Immortal Krishna, who knows when the time is ripe for all things, says,
‘O Brahmarishi, tell us what you were about to say to the Pandavas.’
Markandeya replies, ‘Be patient and I will tell you many things.’
And Pandu’s sons and the Dvijas wait silently, watching the Rishi who
is as bright as the Sun at noon.”
Vaisampayana continued, “Pandu’s eldest son realises that the great
Markandeya is willing to speak, and begins to put questions to him.
Yudhishtira says, ‘You, who are venerable in age, know of the legendary
deeds of Devas and Asuras, those of exalted sages and kings. You are
worthy of worship, and long have we yearned to see you. We also have with
us Devakinandana Krishna. I look at myself, bereft of happiness from no
fault of mine; I think of Dhritarashtra’s evil sons revelling in my misery;
and it strikes me that man is the doer of all things, good or bad, and it is
man who reaps the fruit of his actions. I wonder, then, how God becomes an
agent.
Brahmanasreshta, how does a man’s karma affect him? Is it in this
world, or in some future existence? O Dvijottama, how is man connected to
his good and evil actions? Is it after death, or in this life? Is what we
experience in this lifetime the result of our deeds of this same life? Or will
the acts of this life bear fruit in lifetimes to come? Where do the actions of
one who is dead find their resting place?’
Markandeya answers, ‘Purushottama, this is a worthy question. You
know all there is to know; and you ask me this question for the sake of
edifying some others who are here. Listen attentively and I will explain how
a man experiences pleasure and pain in this lifetime and in those to come.
Prajapati, the Lord of all created beings, first created himself, and then,
for all embodied beings, created bodies which were blemishless and
virtuous. The men of ancient times had all their desires fulfilled, were given
to noble deeds, and were truthful, godly and pure. All were equal to the
Devas; they could rise to the heavens and come down again, and go
wherever they wanted to, at their pleasure.
They had control over life and death; they had but few sufferings and no
fear; their wishes were always fulfilled and they lived trouble-free lives.
They could visit the Devas and the Rishis; they were versed in all the
religious rites and laws; they were self-disciplined and free from envy. They
lived many thousand years and had many thousand sons.
In time, they were restricted to walking only on the surface of the Earth
and, overpowered by lust and anger, began to employ lies and deceit to
garner what they desired. Greed, envy and ignorance overwhelmed them.
Because of their evil deeds, when these men died they went to Naraka, to
hell. Again and again, they suffered birth and lived miserable lives in this
world.
Their desires remained unfulfilled, their aims unaccomplished, and their
knowledge was useless to them. Their minds were clouded by tamas; they
were full of fear; and they became the instruments of suffering. Their lives
were a series of evil deeds; they were born into despicable families; their
minds and bodies were diseased and in a constant state of terror. They did
not live long and, during their short lives, paid the price for their sins. They
coveted all they saw; and they became Godless and cynical, Kaunteya.
The fate of every being after death is determined by what he does in this
world. You have asked me where the repository of the karma of the wise
and ignorant is, and where they enjoy the fruit of their good and evil deeds.
Listen to the laws that govern this matter.
Man accumulates a great store of good and evil karma in his subtle
body, his sukshma sarira created by God. When he dies he leaves his sthula
sarira, his gross flesh, and is immediately born again into another order of
beings. He is never without a body, not for a single moment. Into this new
life, his karma follows him like a shadow, inexorably, making him happy or
miserable.
The wise man with spiritual insight knows that all beings are tied by the
Destroyer to an unchangeable destiny and that they cannot escape the
consequences of their good or evil karma. This, O Yudhishtira, is the fate of
all creatures that are steeped in spiritual ignorance.
I will tell you now of the perfection attained by men of spiritual
awareness. Such men have great tapasyashakti; they know about all things
sacred and are deeply liberal. They are unswerving in their religious duties
and devoted to the truth. They honour their Gurus and elders with
reverence; they practice yoga; they are forgiving, have their passions and
minds under firm control, and are men of extraordinary lustre, piety and
energy. In short, they are endowed with all the virtues. They have
conquered their passions and subdued their minds; by practising yoga they
are freed from disease, fear and sorrow; and their hearts are at peace.
While they are being born, be it premature or in full term, and while
they are still in the womb, they see, with the inner spiritual eye, the
relationship of the soul to Brahman, the Supreme Spirit. Those high-minded
Rishis who were gifted with intuitive knowledge passed through the world
of men and returned to Devaloka, home of the gods. O King, it is by destiny
or by their actions that men attain joy or sorrow. Do not think otherwise.
Yudhishtira, I consider this the highest truth.
Some attain happiness in this world, but not in the next; others do so in
the next, but not in this one. Some attain happiness in this as well as in the
next world, and others neither here nor in the next world. Those that have
vast wealth glitter in their rich ornaments. O slayer of mighty enemies,
these are addicted to pleasures of the flesh; they enjoy happiness only in
this world but not in the next.
Those who meditate and study the Vedas, who are firm in their
asceticism, who use all their energies in the performance of their duties,
who have their senses under perfect control, who refrain from killing
animals, those men, O Parantapa, attain bliss in the next world but not in
this one!
Those who first live a chaste life, then virtuously acquire wealth in due
time, and then marry and perform sacrifices find felicity both in this and the
next world. However, foolish men who do not acquire gyana, who do not
practice dhyana or daana, who do not marry and have children and who do
not enjoy the joys this world has to offer, do not attain joy either in this or
the next world.
All of you have great knowledge, awesome prowess and celestial
energy. You have come from the other world and taken birth in this one to
fulfil the purpose of the gods, to exterminate evil. You, who are so valiant,
who practice stern tapasya and exercises of self-control, who observe
dharma, who are tireless, who have pleased the Devas, the Pitrs and the
Maharishis by performing great deeds, will eventually attain rapture in
Swarga by virtue of your own actions.
O jewel of the Kurus, do not let your sufferings create any doubt about
this in your heart; your afflictions are for your own good.’ ”
CANTO 183
CONTINUED
V aisampayana continued, “The Pandavas say to Markandeya

Mahatman, ‘We are eager to hear of the greatness of the Brahmanas.
Tell us of it, O Mahamuni!’
Markandeya replies, ‘A strong, handsome young prince of the Haihaya
clan, a conqueror of hostile cities, once went hunting. While roaming in a
wilderness of great trees and thickets of tall grass he saw, not far from him,
a Muni wearing black antelope skin and, mistaking him for a deer, killed
him. When he realised what he had done, he was paralysed with horror and
grief. He went to the Haihaya elders and this lotus-eyed prince told them
what had happened.
Child, when they heard his story and saw the body of the sage who had
subsisted on fruit and roots, they were distraught. They all set out, enquiring
everywhere they went, whose son the Muni might be. They reached the
asrama of Arishtanemi, son of Kasyapa. They reverently greeted the great
sage, who sat in resolute tapasya, and remained standing while he received
them formally.
The Haihaya elders said to the illustrious Muni, “By a freak of fate, we
are no longer worthy of your welcome, because we have killed a
Brahmana!”
The illumined Rishi said to them, “How did you happen to kill a
Brahmana? Tell me where he is, and you will see the power of my tapasya!”
The Haihayas related everything to him, exactly as it had occurred.
They went back but did not find the body of the dead Rishi where they had
left it. They scoured the place, without success, and, ashamed and dazed,
returned to the Muni.
The son of Kasyapa said to them, “O Ksatriyas, could this be the
Brahmana that you killed? This Brahmana, who has acquired great power
from his tapasya, is my son.”
When they saw the Brahmana, they were astonished, and said, “This is
incredible! How has one who was dead come to life again? Is it the power
of his tapasya that has revived him? We are agog to hear this, O Rishi, if it
can be explained.”
The Rishi replied, “Death has no power over us. I will explain why this
is so. We perform our sacred dharma and so we have no fear of death; we
speak well of Brahmanas and never think ill of them and so death holds no
terror for us. We entertain our guests with food and drink, make sure our
dependants eat well and we, finally, eat what is left. Therefore, we are not
afraid of death. We lead strict and peaceful lives, we are charitable and
tolerant, we visit holy shrines and live in sacred places; thus, we have no
fear of death. We live amongst people of great spirituality and so death
holds no dread for us. This is only a brief explanation. Now return to your
home, without vanity and fear of sin.”
Saying Tathaastu, so be it, and saluting the great Muni, the princes
returned to their country, Bhaaratottama.’ ”
CANTO 184
CONTINUED
“M arkandeya continues, ‘I will tell you more about the glory of

the Brahmanas! The Rajarishi Vainya was once performing an
Aswamedha yagna, when Atri decided to go to him for alms. However,
later, Atri of shining tejas renounced his desire for wealth and wanted to
live in the forest.
He called his wife and sons together and said to them, “We will attain
perfect tranquillity and fulfilment if we live in the forest. I hope you will
agree to live like that and earn spiritual merit.”
His wife, a woman of dharma, said to him, “Go to Rajarishi Vainya and
beg him for wealth. The royal sage is performing the Aswamedha yagna,
and will give you what you ask. Once you have the wealth, you can
distribute it amongst your sons and those who serve you and then go
wherever you please. Men who are wise in matters of religion say that this
is the highest dharma.”
Atri replied, “Virtuous one, the exalted Gautama has told me that
Vainya is a pious man, devoted to Truth, but there are Brahmanas in his
asrama who are jealous of me. So I had better not go to Vainya. If, while I
am there, I speak pious words that promote spiritual liberation, they will
contradict me with arguments that have no substance or goodness. Yet, I see
the wisdom of what you say, and I will go to Vainya; he will give me cattle
and riches.”
Atri of great punya went straight to Vainya’s sacrifice and, reaching the
yagnasala, he paid obeisance to the king, praised him with eulogies and
said, “Blessings be upon you, O king! You are the best of the rulers of the
Earth. Sages admire you; there is no one who knows as much about dharma
as you.”
Rishi Gautama, lustrous tapasvin, indignantly responded, “Atri, you
seem to have lost your reason. In this world, Mahendra alone is the
foremost of all sovereigns!”
Atri said to Gautama, “Just as Indra, the lord of all creatures, controls
our destinies, so does this king! It is you whose mind has been clouded by
ignorance.”
Gautama replied, ‘I know that I am right and that you are mistaken. You
flatter the king in the presence of his courtiers only to please him. You have
no idea what the highest dharma is, nor do you feel the need for it. Despite
your great age you are like an ignorant child.”
While these two were arguing before the Munis who were conducting
the yagna, Vainya asked, “Why do they speak so fiercely?”
Kasyapa, irradiant in his piety and learned in all things religious,
approached the disputants and asked them what the problem was. Gautama
addressed that assembly of great Munis, “Listen, O Dvijottamas, to the
point of dispute between us. Atri says that Vainya is the ruler of our
destinies, and I doubt this greatly.”
The sages went to Sanatkumara, who was a master of dharma, to clear
their doubt. This sage, of fathomless spirit, heard about the dispute and, in
words laden with significance, said to those sages, “The power of a
Brahmana combined with that of a Kshatriya is as potent as the fire fanned
by wind, which burns down forests; it can consume all enemies. Like Indra,
the king is the giver of laws and the protector of his subjects; like Sukra, he
establishes the code of dharma; like Brihaspati, he is a counsellor.
Therefore, he is indeed the ruler of men’s destinies.
Is there a man who thinks he is above worshipping Prajapati—Creator
of all beings; or Virata—royal emperor; or Kshatriya—lord and protector of
the Earth, ruler of men?
Because he is the law-giver the king is the guardian of the order of the
varnas. He is the upholder of honour in battle and the keeper of peace; he is
the ever-vigilant, the contented, the sovereign, the guide to spiritual bliss,
the easily victorious, Vishnu-like, and of effective anger. He is the winner
of wars and the embodiment of devotion to sanatana dharma. The Rishis
entrusted Kshatriyas with temporal power because they were afraid of
committing sin.
Even as the Sun destroys evil in heaven, the king burns sin on this earth.
The king’s greatness is confirmed by the Shastras, and I must rule in favour
of those that give praise to the king.”
Greatly pleased, Vainya said to Atri, who had praised him, “O illumined
sage, you have declared me the greatest and most excellent of men, and
compared me to the gods. I will give you vast and varied wealth, for to me
you seem all-knowing. I will give you, O well-clad and well-adorned one, a
hundred million gold coins and ten bharas of gold.”
Thus feted, Atri of the stern tapasya and vast spiritual power humbly
accepted all the gifts and returned home. He gave the wealth to his sons and
went carefree to the forest to live the life of a sannyasi.’ ”
CANTO 185
CONTINUED
“M arkandeya continues, ‘O conqueror of hostile cities, listen to

what Saraswati said when the illumined Tarkshya asked her
about how a man may acquire punya through his actions.
Tarkshya asked, “Great Devi, what is the best thing for a man to do, and
how must he do so, that he may live a virtuous life? Tell me, most beautiful
one, so that I can live by your advice and not fall from the high path of
truth. When and how must one offer oblations to the sacred fire, and when
must one worship so that dharma remains intact? Tell me this, so that I can
live in this world, free of passion, craving and desire.”
Saraswati saw that Tarkshya was sincere, and also intelligent.
She said to him, “He who devotes himself to studying the Vedas and,
while in a state of purity and equanimity, sees the Brahman, attains the
supreme bliss of the immortals and attains Swarga. There, he sees that great
and sacred lakes abound, full of fish, flowers and golden lilies. They are
like shrines and to look at them suffices to remove all grief. Holy men live
in peace on their shores, worshipped by golden-skinned Apsaras.
He who gifts cows to Brahmanas attains the highest spiritual state; by
giving bullocks he reaches the solar regions; by giving clothes he goes to
the lunar world; and by giving gold he attains the world of the immortals.
He who gifts a beautiful cow with a fine calf, and plentiful in milk, and
which will not run away, will live in celestial realms for as many years as
there are hairs on the body of that animal.
He who gives a strong, powerful, young bullock that can pull a plough
and carry heavy burdens reaches the realms attained by men who give ten
cows. When a man bestows a well-caparisoned kapila cow with a bronze
milk-pail, along with gold, he will find that the cow will return to him,
because she is the giver of boons.
He who gives away cows reaps the rich harvest of his daana, which is
measured by the hairs on the body of the animal. He also saves his sons,
grandsons and his descendants for seven generations from damnation. He
who gives a Brahmana sesame seeds formed in the shape of a cow with
golden horns, with a bronze milk-pail, and gold as well, easily attains the
realm of the Vasus.
Through his own actions a man descends into the dark, lower regions,
infested by the evil spirits of his own passions, and lives in turmoil like a
ship tossed by a storm on the high seas; but the gift of cows to Brahmanas
saves him in the next world. He who gives his daughter in marriage to a
Brahmana, in Brahma vivaha, who bestows land on Brahmanas, and who
gives other gifts, goes to the world of Purandara. O Tarkshya, the virtuous
man who offers oblations to the sacred fire for seven years, without remit,
sanctifies seven generations above and below him by what he does.”
Tarkshya said, “Lovely Devi, tell me about the laws for keeping the
sacred fire lit, as dictated by the Vedas. I want to learn those timeless laws
from you.”
And the Mahadevi Saraswati expatiated on those laws from the Vedas,
in detail.’ ”
CANTO 186
CONTINUED
“Y udhishtira asks the Brahmana Markandeya, ‘Will you now tell us

the story of Vaivaswata Manu?’
Markandeya replies, ‘Rajan, there was a great Rishi named Manu. He
was the son of Vivaswan and was equal to Brahma in glory. He was
stronger, more powerful, wealthier and more spiritually disciplined than his
father and grandfather. Manu performed the most stringent tapasya in the
forest of badari trees known as Visala. There, with head bowed down, and
unblinking eyes, he sat in unflinching penance for ten thousand years.
One day, while he was at tapasya, wearing wet clothes and matted hair,
a fish swam up to the banks of the river Chirini and spoke to him. It said,
‘Rajarishi, I am a helpless little fish and afraid of the larger fish. Would you
be my protector, great and pious sage, since big fish devour smaller ones?
Will you save me from drowning in this river of terrors? I will repay you for
your help.”
Vaivaswata Manu was overcome by pity and he took the fish out of the
water with his hands and put it into a clay water-pot. The fish’s body
glistened as if it was the reflection of the moon he had taken from the river.
Manu reared it lovingly as if it was a child, and that fish grew apace. After a
time, it became so big that the water-pot could not contain it.
It spoke to Manu again, “O Rajarishi, please me find a bigger home.”
Manu took it out of the clay pot and put it into a large tank. There, too,
the fish continued to grow rapidly. Although the tank was two yojanas long
and one yojana wide, soon there was no room in it for the fish to swim and
frolic.
It saw Manu and spoke to him once more. It said, “Holy and adored
father, take me to the Ganga, the favourite wife of Sagara the Ocean, or take
me elsewhere, as you like. O Anagha, because of you I have grown so
much, and I will gladly go wherever you take me.”
Manu took the fish to the Ganga and slipped it into the river. There, O
desiccator of your enemies, the fish grew again and, after a very short time,
said to Manu, “Lord, my body is so big that I find the Ganga restricts me. I
beg you, take me to the sea!”
Son of Pritha, Manu took it out of the Ganga and had it borne to the sea.
Despite its great size, Manu moved it easily, and its touch and smell were
pleasant to him. When Manu cast it into the sea, it said to him, with a smile,
“Revered one, you have protected me with such love; listen while I tell you
what you should do in the future. O most blessed one, a Pralaya is at hand,
the dissolution of the world is near. What I am going to tell you is for your
weal.
Mobile and motionless creation faces doom. You must build a strong,
vast ship and tie a long rope to it. O Mahamuni, you and the Saptarishis
must take all the seeds that the Brahmanas of antiquity listed, preserve them
separately and carefully in this boat. In it, you must all wait for me and I
will appear to you as a horned creature. That is how you will know me. I
leave you now. Do as I tell you because, without my help, you cannot save
yourself from the Pralaya.”
Manu said to the fish, “I will do as you say, great one.”
They both went their separate ways. Manu procured all the different
seeds, as the fish said, and set sail in a most excellent ship on the billowing
sea. He thought of the fish. Knowing his thought, the fish appeared before
him, with horns on its head. Purushavyaghra, Manu saw the horned fish
rising from the ocean like a sculpted mountain and he lowered a noose
around its head. Yoked to the ship, the fish easly towed the craft through the
salt waters and took them across the roaring, heaving sea.
O Parantapa, tossed by the tempestuous ocean, the vessel reeled like a
drunken tramp. There was no land to be seen anywhere. There was only
water; it covered the sky and heaven too. And, O bull of the Bhaaratas,
when the world was inundated, none but Manu, the seven Rishis and the
fish were visible.
Rajan, the fish untiringly pulled the ship through the flood for countless
years and then it towed the vessel towards the highest peak of the Himavat
and told the Rishis to tie it to the summit. Obedient to the fish, they moored
the ship on the peak of the mountain. That peak, Kaunteya, is still called
Naubandhanam, or harbour.
The fish addressed the Rishis, “I am Brahman, the Lord of all creation;
there is none greater than I. Assuming the form of a matsya, I have saved
you from the Pralaya. Manu will create all beings again—Devas, Asuras
and Manavas; and all the animate and inanimate things of the universe. He
will find the power to do this through tapasya, and my blessing will protect
him. Maya will assail him but I will protect him from it.” So saying, the fish
vanished.
Vaivaswata Manu felt the urge to create the world. During this act of
creation, illusion affected him but he overcame it with his tapasyashakti and
resumed his task of creating all the beings of the world, in their proper
order.
This legend that I have just told you, which destroys sin, is the legend of
the Fish, the Matsya Avatara. The man who listens every day to this
primeval tale of Manu attains happiness and everything he wants, and then
Swarga.’ ”
CANTO 187
CONTINUED
“Y udhishtira humbly asks the illustrious Markandeya, ‘Mahamuni,

you have seen many thousands of yugas. Best of Mahatmas,
there is no one in this world who has lived as long as you, other than
Brahma of the fathomless mind, who lives in the holiest of realms.
Only you, O Brahmana, will worship Brahma at the time of the
dissolution of the universe, when this earth is without a sky and without
Devas and Danavas. And when that Pralaya ends and Narayana awakes,
you alone, O enlightened one, will see Brahma re-create the four orders of
beings after filling the void with air and restricting the endless waters with
shores.
You, Brahmanottama, have worshipped Brahma in his body, your soul
rapt in dhyana, and have been lost in him. You have often been witness to
the primeval acts of creation; you have surpassed the Prajapatis in the depth
of your tapasya; in the next world, you are revered as one who is nearest to
Narayana.
Long ago, you beheld Mahavishnu, not with your bodily eyes but in a
pure state of the Spirit, with your blemishless, lotus-like heart—the only
way in which the manifold Vishnu of universal knowledge can be seen!
This is why, most learned Rishi, God’s grace is upon you, and neither
Death the universal destroyer nor old age, the cause of bodily decay, has
any power over you.
When neither the Sun nor the Moon, nor Fire, nor Earth, nor Air, nor
Sky remains; when the world, on the brink of extinction, is one vast ocean,
Ekarnava; when the Devas and Asuras and the great Nagas are gone; and
when Brahma of the fathomless mind, Lord of all creatures, sleeps in a
lotus, you alone will remain to worship him.
Brahmanottama, you have seen all that has happened before. You alone
have seen many things with your mind’s eye. Indeed, there is nothing you
do not know, and I want to hear you explain why all things happen as they
do.’
Markandeya replies, ‘I am happy to tell you what you want to know.
First, I must worship the Svayambhuva, the self-existent, primordial Being,
who is undecaying, indestructible and inconceivable, and who is saguna and
nirguna, both possessed of and without attributes.
Janardana, who wears golden raiment, this Pitambara, is the creator and
mover of all things; he is within and outside all things, and he is the Lord of
all. He is also called the Great, the Incomprehensible, the Wonderful and
the Immaculate. He has no beginning or end; he pervades all the world; he
is constant, unchangeable and ageless. He is the creator of all, but is himself
Un-created; he is the source of all power. His knowledge is greater than that
of all the gods together.
O best of kings and men, after the dissolution of the universe, all this
wonderful creation again comes to life. The Krita yuga comes first, and
lasts for four thousand years of the Devas, including four hundred years of
rising and setting. The Treta yuga is next and lasts three thousand years of
the gods, three hundred being its rising and setting. Next is the Dwapara
yuga, which is for two thousand years; its rising and setting take two
hundred years. The next is the Kali yuga, which is one thousand years long,
and its rising and setting take one hundred years. After the Kali yuga is
over, the Krita yuga dawns again.
A yugachakra consists of twelve thousand years of the Devas. One
thousand such cycles constitute one day of Brahma. Naravyaghra, when the
universe is withdrawn into its home, which is the body of Brahma, that
withdrawal of all things is called Pralaya, the dissolution.
In the last and short Kali yuga, men become addicted to lying; yagnas,
gifts and vratas are performed by representatives rather than by the ones
who should be performing them. Brahmanas do work meant for Sudras, and
Sudras begin earning wealth. Kshatriyas conduct religious rites in the Kali
yuga, while Brahmanas abandon the performance of yagnas and Vedic
study; they give up their deer-skin, their staffs and begin eating meat. In the
Kali yuga, Brahmanas neglect their japa and dhyana, and Sudras undertake
to do them. Everything is lopsided in the world order, and this foreshadows
the apocalypse.
O lord of men, in that time, Mlechcha kings rule over the earth! Those
sinful monarchs reign using false precepts. The Andhras, the Sakas, the
Pulindas, the Yavanas, the Kambojas, the Bahlikas and the Abhiras become
bold sovereigns of the earth. This is the state of the world by the end of the
Kali yuga!
Not a single Brahmana adheres to his dharma; the Kshatriyas and the
Vaisyas also follow practices contrary to their svadharma. Men have short
lives, are weak, with little srength and small bodies, and are dishonest in the
extreme.
Human population dwindles, great tracts of the Earth become deserts,
and wild animals and beasts of prey roam everywhere. During this age, the
recitation of the Vedas is futile; Sudras address Brahmanas with a
disrespectful “Bho”, while the Brahmanas speak to the Sudras with respect.
At the end of the yuga, animals increase in vast numbers, perfumes do not
please the senses, and food lacks all taste.
Rajan, women have many children at each birth, and these are
physically small, coarse and ill-behaved. Men and women use their mouths
for sexual intercourse, famines ravage the country, women of vile character
haunt the roads, and all women are immodest and disobedient to their men.
In this Kali yuga cows give little milk; trees swarm with crows and do
not produce full yields of flowers and fruit. Dvijas tainted with the sin of
killing Brahmanas accept gifts from dishonourable kings. These Brahmanas
are greedy and ignorant and, wearing religious symbols, harass and threaten
the people while begging for alms.
Grihastas, householders, find the burden of taxes impossible to bear,
and resort to deception, and the basest Brahmanas don the garb of ascetics,
let their nails and hair grow long, but earn riches by trade. Narapumgava,
from their lust for wealth, so many Brahmanas become false Sannyasis.
At this time, men behave in ways that go against their svadharma. They
become addicted to intoxicating drinks and violate the beds of even their
gurus. Their desires are worldly, and they avidly pursue sensual pleasures.
Hermitages are full of sinful, insolent men who advocate a life of
dependence.
Indra does not send down rain in its season, and seeds that are sown do
not sprout, O Bhaarata. Men of unholy thoughts and deeds take pleasure in
indulging envy and malice. And, Anagha, all the earth is a hotbed of sin.
In the Kali yuga, the virtuous do not live long, and the Earth is amost
entirely bereft of dharma. Dishonest merchants and traders sell large
quantities of goods, using false scales and measures. The good do not
prosper; only the sinful succeed. Dharma has no value, while sin waxes day
by day. Men that are devoted to truth and virtue become poor and die
young; those that lead immoral lives prosper and live long.
Sin is seen everywhere, even in public places. Men use only evil means
to achieve their ends. Even small fortunes intoxicate them with pride. O
king, many appropriate wealth that has been left with them for safe-
keeping, and then deny that it was given to them at all.
Wild animals and birds of carrion live in public places and in temples.
Girls of seven and eight years of age conceive, and boys of ten or twelve
years become fathers. By the age of sixteen, men begin to age and soon die.
Living such short lives, boys act like old men, indeed bearing all their
characteristics. Women become immoral; they deceive even the best of
husbands and have sexual relations with servants, slaves and even animals.
Even the wives of Kshatriyas form friendships with other men and have
liaisons with them while their husbands still live.
Towards the end of the thousands of years that make up the four yugas,
and when the lives of men have become short, a drought comes that lasts
for many years. Men and creatures of little strength and vitality die of
hunger, in their millions.
And then, lord of men, seven blazing Suns appear in the sky and suck
up all the waters of the Earth—from the rivers and seas. All things made of
wood or grass—wet and dry—are reduced to ashes.
Fanned by high winds, the fire called Samvartaka flares up on an Earth
already dried by the seven Suns. In moments, Samvartaka rages through the
Earth and deep into it, terrorising the Devas, the Danavas and the Yakshas.
In a flash, the fire destroys everything upon and below the Earth’s surface.
Samvartaka, fanned by ill winds, consumes this world, all the hundreds
and thousands of yojanas. Lordly in its power, and blazing in brilliance, it
consumes the universe—all the Devas, the Asuras, the Gandharvas,
Yakshas, Nagas and Rakshasas.
Cloud masses like herds of elephants decked with garlands of lightning
fill the sky, and they are wonderful to see. Some are the hue of the blue
lotus, some pale like the water-lily, others resemble lotus stamens, yet
others are purple, or turmeric yellow, or crow’s-egg blue. Some are bright
as lotus petals, and some red as vermillion. Some look like the skylines of
palaces and cities, some like herds of elephants; some are shaped like
lizards, or crocodiles, or sharks. And, O King, these clouds are terrifying to
behold and, streaked with lightning, roar frightfully.
These rain-charged masses quickly cover all the sky and flood the Earth
—her mountains, forests and mines—with water. Impelled by the Supreme
Lord, the clouds inundate the entire surface of Bhumi with great downpours
and douse the raging fire.
The clouds bring rain without let for twelve years, flooding the Earth.
And then, Bhaarata, the Ocean breaks his shores, flashing over the
continents; the mountains shatter into fragments and the Earth sinks under
the Deluge.
A sudden mighty wind springs up, and the clouds scud swiftly across
the sky and disappear. The Self-created Lord, the origin of everything,
whose home is the Lotus, swallows that frightful wind and now falls into
sleep, O Bhaarata!
When the universe becomes one vast expanse of water, when all mobile
and motionless creatures have been destroyed, when the Devas and the
Asuras cease to be, when the Yakshas and the Rakshasas are no more, when
man is gone, when trees and beasts of prey have disappeared, when the
firmament itself has ceased to exist, I alone, O Lord of the Earth, wander in
affliction. And wandering over that dreadful expanse of water, my heart is
sore from not being able to see another living being.
I roam without stopping, for a long, long time, and become exhausted,
but find no resting place. Then, in that single unending expanse of waters, I
see a vast and spreading banyan tree, and a boy sitting on a cot overlaid
with celestial bedclothes and attached to a long branch of the tree. His face,
great king, is as fair as the lily, as radiant as the moon, and his eyes are as
large as petals of a fully-opened lotus blossom!
My heart fills with wonder at this sight, Rajan, and I ask myself, How
does this boy sit here when the world has been destroyed? Although I know
all there is to know about the past, the present and the future, I still cannot
understand this, even with deep meditation.
The boy glows with the lustre of the atasi flower and bears the hallowed
mark of the Srivatsa. He seems to embody the Devi Lakshmi. That boy with
the Srivatsa, of the lotus-petal eyes and dazzling radiance speaks to me with
sweet words.
He says, “Sire, I know that you are tired and need to rest. O
Markandeya of Bhrigu’s race, rest here as long as you wish. Best of Munis,
enter into me and rest there. I have assigned my body to be your home, for I
am pleased with you.”
When the boy speaks, I feel a complete disregard for my life as a man.
The boy opens his mouth and, powerless to stop myself, I enter into it.
I enter the boy’s belly and see the Earth there, all her cities and
kingdoms. And, Purushottama, while wandering through the belly of that
exalted One, I see the rivers Ganga, Satudru, Sita, Yamuna and Kausiki; the
Charmanwati, Vetravati, Chandrabhaga, Saraswati, Sindhu and Vipasa; the
Godavari, Vaswokasara, Nalini, Narmada and Tamra, the beautiful and
sacred Vena, the Suvena, the Krishnavena, the Irama and the Mahanadi; the
Vitasti, the great Kaveri, the Visalya and the Kimpuna I see.
I see all these and many other rivers that flow across the Earth. And,
Parantapa, I also see the Ocean, home of all waters, with its crocodiles and
sharks and its precious gems. I see the Sky, too, adorned with Sun and
Moon, and it blazes with the brilliance of fiery Surya.
And I see Bhumi as well, graced with woods and forests. I see many
Brahmanas busy with their yagnas, Kshatriyas fulfilling their
responsibilities to the other castes, Vaisyas farming, and Sudras devoted to
the service of the higher varnas.
Rajan, while wandering through the belly of the boy, that Mahatman, I
also see the mountains Himavat, Hemakunta, Nishada and silver-rich
Sweta. I see the mountains Gandhamadana, Mandara and the massive Nila;
golden Meru and Mahendra and the excellent Vindhyas; Malaya and
Pariyatra. These and many other mountains, all bejewelled, do I see within
the boy’s stomach.
While wandering through his belly, I see lions, tigers, boars and, indeed,
all the Earth’s other animals. Naravyaghra, as I roam I see the whole
pantheon of Devas, with their king Sakra; I see the Sadhyas, the Rudras, the
Adityas, the Guhyakas, the Pitrs, the Uragas and the Pannagas, all the
Garutmats of the air, the Vasus, the Aswins, the Gandharvas, the Apsaras,
the Yakshas, the Rishis, the hordes of Daityas and Danavas, and the Nagas.
I see the sons of Simhika and all the other enemies of the gods; I see
everything that exists on Bhumi, mobile and immobile.
I eat fruits and live inside the boy’s body for many centuries, but despite
wandering over the entire universe inside it, I cannot see how far it extends.
When I fail to measure the limits of that sacred body, I prayerfully invoke
the boon-bestowing Paramatman and bow to his preeminence. No sooner
have I done this than I am shot out of his mouth by a gust of wind.
And, Rajan, I find myself outside once more, looking at the branch of
the same banyan tree, at the same being, the boy of blinding tejas and with
the sacred mark of the Srivatsa, who has swallowed the universe. And that
boy of blinding radiance, clad in fulvid robes, enthralls me with what he
smilingly says.
“Markandeya, best of Munis, wandering inside my body has exhausted
you, but still, I will speak to you.”
At the very moment that he says this to me, I acquire a new sight, which
enables me to realise that I have gained true knowledge and been freed from
illusion. And, having witnessed the inexhaustible power of that Being of
energy beyond measure, I worship his hallowed, beautiful feet—their soles
bright as burnished copper, their reddish toes—by placing them carefully on
my head and joining my palms together in humility. Then I look up at him
with utmost reverence, that Divine Being who is the soul of all things and
whose eyes are like lotus petals.
With hands still folded, I address him, “O Divine One, I wish to know
you and this wondrous illusion. I saw the entire universe in your belly. The
Devas, the Danavas, the Rakshasas, the Yakshas, the Gandharvas and the
Nagas, indeed the whole universe of mobile and immobile creation, are all
within your body! Although I travelled all through your body at great speed,
by your grace, I have not forgotten anything I saw. And, Great Lord, I have
come out of your body because you willed it, not because I wanted to.
O lotus-leaf eyed, I want to know about you, who are perfect! Why do
you sit here in the form of a boy after having swallowed the universe? You
must explain it to me. Why, O Anagha, is all the universe inside you? How
long will you stay here? Lord of gods, my curiosity is not improper for a
Brahmana, and I would so like to hear all this from you, in detail and
exactly as it happens. What I have seen is wonderful and
incomprehensible!’
The Devadeva, of the refulgent splendour and ineffable beauty, that
most eloquent among of all speakers, pacified me with these words.’ ”
CANTO 188
CONTINUED
“M arkandeya continues, ‘The hallowed being said, “O Brahmana,

even the gods do not really know me! However, since I am
pleased with you, I will tell you how I created the universe. Regenerate
Rishi, not only are you devoted to your ancestors, you have also sought my
protection. You have, besides, seen me with your eyes, and your punya is
great.
In time before memory, I gave the waters the name Naara; and because
the waters have ever been my ayana, or home, I am called Narayana.
Brahmanottama, I am Narayana, the source of all things, the eternal,
unchangeable One. I am the creator of all things, as well as the destroyer of
all.
I am Vishnu, I am Brahma and I am Sakra the king of the Devas. I am
Vaisravana, and I am Yama the lord of the dead. I am Siva, I am Soma, and
I am Kasyapa the lord of the created. I am Dhatri, and also Vidhatri, and I
am Yagna embodied.
Fire is my mouth, the Earth my feet, and the Sun and the Moon are my
eyes; Heaven is the crown of my head, the Sky and the Cardinal Points are
my ears; the Waters are born of my sweat. Space is my body, and Air is my
mind.
I have performed many hundreds of yagnas at which I have given
bountiful gifts. I am always present at the sacrifices of the gods; and all
those who perform Vedic sacrifices make their offerings to me. On Earth, it
is me that the Kshatriyas and Vaisyas worship at the yagnas they perform to
attain Swarga, heavenly bliss.
Assuming the form of Sesha, I hold upon my head this Earth bounded
by the four seas and adorned by Meru and Mandara. O Dvija, long ago I
took the form of a Boar and raised this Bhumi that had sunk in the water. It
is I who, becoming the fire that spews out of the horse’s mouth, drain the
waters of the ocean and create them again.
It is from my vitality that Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras
sprang from my mouth, my arms, my thighs and my feet. It is from me that
the Rig, the Sama, the Yajur, and the Atharva Vedas arose, and it is into me
that they all merge when the time comes.
Brahmanas devoted to sannyasa, who value peace as the highest
attribute, who have their souls under complete control, who yearn for
knowledge, who have shed lust, anger and envy, who are detached from the
material things of the earth, whose sins have been washed away, who are
gentle and virtuous, who have no pride and who truly know the Self, they
worship me with profound dhyana.
Named Samvartaka, I am the Flame, the Fire, the Wind and the Sun.
Dvijottama, what you see and know as stars in the sky are the pores of my
skin. The gem-rich Ocean and the four Cardinal Points are my robes, my
bed, and my home. I have distributed them over the Earth in order to serve
the purposes of the gods.
Manavottama, lust, anger, joy, fear and confusion, which cloud the
intellect, are all different forms of me. I reward men for practising satya,
daana, tapasya, shanti and ahimsa towards all creatures, and for other
benign deeds. Men wander within my body, under my control, their senses
overwhelmed by me. They move not by their will but by mine.
Brahmanas who have thoroughly studied the Vedas, who have tranquil
minds, and who have subdued their anger earn great rewards through their
numerous sacrifices. These rewards, however, are unattainable by evil men
who are overtaken by covetousness, men with dark souls, unblessed and
impure.
Know, therefore, Brahmana, that the benefits obtained by men who have
disciplined their souls bear great merit, and they are out of the reach of the
ignorant and the foolish.
At the times in human history when dharma and truth wane and sin and
adharma rise, I incarnate myself in new forms. O Muni, when fierce and
malicious Daityas and Rakshasas, who cannot be slain by even the Devas,
are born on Earth I am born in human form into the families of virtuous
men and restore dharma by exterminating evil.
Powered by my own maya, I create Devas and Manavas, Gandharvas
and Rakshasas, and all unmoving things, and then destroy them all at the
appropriate time. For the preservation of righteousness and honour I assume
a human form, and keep that form until the time for deeds comes, when I
assume my incomprehensible, inconceivable Viswarupa.
In the Krita yuga I am white, in the Treta yuga I am golden-yellow, in
the Dwapara I am red and in the Kali yuga I become dark in hue. In the Kali
yuga, evil is four times as powerful as goodness. At the end of the yuga I
assume the form of Death and destroy the three worlds, with all their
moving and motionless things. With three steps I cover the entire universe.
I am the essence of the Universe; I am the source of all happiness; I am
the humbler of pride; I am omnipresent; I am infinite; I am lord of the
senses; and great is my power. O Brahmana, it is I that set the Kaalachakra,
the wheel of time, in motion. Foremost of Rishis, I am formless; I am the
Destroyer; and I am the impetus of any effort in all my creatures.
My spirit infuses all beings, but none know me. It is me that the pious
and the devout worship in all the worlds.
Sinless one, whatever pain you felt while inside my belly was for your
future happiness and good fortune. Whatever mobile and immobile objects
you have seen in the world, all that was ordained by my Soul, which is the
well-spring of all existence.
The progenitor of all creatures is half my body. I am called Narayana,
and I am bearer of the conch-shell, the discus and the mace. Great Rishi, for
a period equal to a thousand yugas, I, the universal Soul, sleep, drawing all
creatures into that same nidra. I remain here through all time in the form of
a boy, though I am the most ancient One, until Brahma awakes.
I am pleased with you and I, who am Brahman, have granted boons to
you who are worshipped by revered sages. You were struck by melancholy
when you saw the vast expanse of water and realised that all mobile and
immobile beings had been destroyed. I knew this, and I showed you the
universe within my body.
And while you were inside my body beholding all creation, you were
filled with a wonder that stabbed your senses. O Rishi, that is why I
expelled you through my breath.
I have now told you about the Soul which cannot be fathomed, even by
the Devas and the Asuras. And as long as that glorious tapasvin, holy
Brahma, remains asleep, you can live here in peace and bliss. When that
ancestor of all creatures awakens, I will then create all creatures with
physical bodies, the Sky, Earth, Light, Air, Water and, indeed, everything
else that you may see!”
My son, with these words, that wonderful, hallowed Being vanished
from my sight, and I then saw this varied and wondrous universe begin to
take birth. O best of the Bhaaratas, most virtuous among men, I witnessed
this wonder at the end of the yuga.
The Deity, of the eyes as large as lotus leaves, whom I saw so long ago,
is this tiger among men, this Janardana who has become your kinsman. It is
because of the boon he granted me that I remember everything clearly, and
also why my life is so long and death under my control.
That ancient and supreme Lord Hari of mysterious soul has been born
as Krishna of the Vrishnis. This Mahabaho seems to sport playfully in this
world. He is Dhatri and Vidhatri, the destroyer of the eternal, the bearer of
the Srivatsa mark on his breast, the Lord of the lord of all creatures, the
highest of the high, also called Govinda! Seeing him, this greatest of all
gods, this ever-victorious one clad in yellow robes, this lord of the Vrishnis,
my memory returns to me.
Krishna is the father and mother of all creatures. O bulls of the race of
Kuru, seek refuge in him, the Protector!’
The sons of Pritha, the twins and Draupadi bow deeply to Krishna; and
that tiger among men speaks words of great sweetness to them.”
CANTO 189
CONTINUED
V aisampayana said, “Yudhishtira repeats his question to Markandeya

about how the Earth will be ruled.
He says, ‘Most eloquent of all speakers, O Muni of Bhrigu’s race,
amazing indeed is what you have told us about the destruction and re-
creation of all things at the end of the yugas. Now I am eager to know what
will happen in the next age, the Kali yuga.
When dharma no longer exists, what will remain? What will men be
capable of in that yuga? What will people eat? How will they entertain
themselves? What will man’s longevity be at the end of the yuga? And how
long will the yuga last, after which another Krita yuga dawns?
Tell me as much as you can, O Muni; what you say is so fascinating.’
That best of sages begins his discourse again, much to the delight of the
tiger of the Vrishnis, and of the sons of Pandu as well. Markandeya says,
‘Listen, Rajan, and I will tell you all that I saw and heard; Yudhishtira,
listen to everything that, by the grace of God, I gained intuitive knowledge
of. Listen while I tell you the way the world will be during the Kali yuga.
The Krita yuga was free from deceit, guile, avarice and acquisitiveness;
dharma was a bull with four strong legs, and it walked among men. In the
Treta yuga, sin deprived the bull of dharma of one of its legs. In the
Dwapara yuga, evil and goodness reigned equally, and dharma was left to
limp on two legs. In the dark age, the Kali yuga, dharma is made of three
parts of evil and one part of goodness, and exists thus amongst men.
Dharma now depends on man as it cannot support itself on its one
remaining leg.
Man’s lifespan, his energy, his intellect and his strength dwindle with
each yuga. Pandava, in the Kali yuga, Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and
Sudras will make a hollow show of being virtuous, only to deceive the
world. Men with false reputations of being learned will constrict and hide
the truth.
The shortened lifespan of man will prevent him from gaining true
knowledge; and because he has little gyana, he will lack wisdom.
Covetousness and greed will overwhelm him. Under the sway of avarice,
wrath, lust and ignorance, men will hate and want to kill each other.
With their virtue reduced, and without austerity and truth, Brahmanas,
Kshatriyas and Vaisyas will be like Sudras. Men of the lowest varnas will
rise to displace those higher-born than themselves, who then sink to the
bottom of the social order. Yudhishtira, this will be the state of the world at
the end of the yuga.
Flax will be the best material for clothing, and koradusaka, wheat, the
best grain. In the Kali yuga man’s only friend will be his wife. The people
will live on fish and the milk of goats and sheep, for cows will be extinct.
Towards the end of the yuga, even those who observe religious rituals and
vows will only do so to gain material wealth.
Animosity will prevail between men and they will be filled with
murderous intent towards one another. Without yoga, communion, men will
become atheists and thieves. The land will lose its fertility and, in
desperation, men will dig the banks of streams with spades and sow seeds
there. But even those places will prove barren for them.
Even devout men who perform ceremonial rites to honour the Pitrs and
the Devas will become avaricious and take what belongs to others. The
father will enjoy what belongs to the son; and the son, what belongs to the
father. Men will take pleasure from things forbidden by the scriptures.
Brahmanas will speak contemptuously of the Vedas and will not keep any
vratas; their understanding will be clouded by disputation and dialectical
sophistry, and they will no longer perform yagnas or homas. Deceived by
false teachings, they will be attracted to all things base and low.
Men will till low-lands for cultivation and use cows and yearling calves
as beasts of burden and to draw the plough. Sons will kill fathers, and
fathers their sons, with impunity. They will revel in these killings, which
will frequently become the means of assuaging anxiety.
The whole world will be filled with the coarse ways of the Mlechchas,
their ideas, laws and rituals. Yagnas will no more be performed, and joy
will disappear. Men will steal from the weak, friendless and helpless, as
well as from the wise. Evil men will give gifts with contempt, which the
people of the Kali yuga will readily accept, reduced as they are in gyana
and tejas, and prone to greed, folly and sin. The kings of the earth, their
hearts in thrall to sin, ignorant while boasting of wisdom, will constantly
challenge one another from naked bloodlust.
At the end of the Kali yuga, Kshatriyas will become as thorns of the
Earth. They will be filled with greed and puffed up with pride and vanity.
Unable and unwilling to protect their subjects, they will revel in inflicting
savage punishments on them. The Kshatriyas of this age will repeatedly
attack the good and the honest and, pitiless even in the face of their grief-
stricken cries, they will forcibly seize their wives and their wealth.
No one will ask for or give a girl’s hand in marriage, but girls will
choose their own husbands, when the end of the yuga comes. And the kings
of the earth, their souls steeped in ignorance, and their hearts in discontent,
will rob their subjects in every way they can.
The whole world will be reduced to the level of the Mlechcha. When
the end of the yuga comes, the right hand will deceive the left, and the left,
the right. Vile men pretending to be learned will abbreviate Truth; the old
will exhibit youthful folly, and the young will not respect age. Cowards will
be known as brave men, and the courageous will be cast down as cowards.
Towards the end of the yuga men will stop trusting one another; the
greedy world will live on one kind of food; sin will increase and prosper,
while dharma will fade away; Brahmanas, Kshatriyas and Vaisyas will
disappear, leaving no trace of their castes; all men will become members of
one common order, without distinction; fathers will not forgive sons the
least folly, and sons will not forgive their fathers.
As the end draws near, wives will not wait upon and serve their
husbands; men will want to live in countries where wheat and barley form
the staple food; both men and women will become entirely licentious and
intolerant.
O Yudhishtira, all the world will be a Mlechcha universe. Men will no
longer please the gods by offerings of sraddhas; no one will listen to the
words of another because none will see another as his Guru. Ruler of men,
intellectual darkness will envelop the Earth; sixteen years will be man’s
span on earth, after which he will die. Five- and six-year old girls will give
birth, and boys of seven and eight will be fathers. Tiger among kings, when
the end of the yuga comes, wives will never be content with their husbands,
nor husbands with their wives.
Men will possess little; they will wear the marks of religion outwardly,
while their hearts are full of darkness; envy and malice will fill the world;
men will not give each other anything. Drought and famine will stalk the
land; lustful men and wanton women will wander the streets; and wives will
abhor their husbands.
All the people will adopt the ways of the Mlechchas—they will become
omnivorous without distinction; their actions will be infused with cruelty—
when the end of the Kali yuga comes.
Bhaaratottama, urged by avarice, men will be deceitful in trade and
commerce. Without any knowledge of the laws that govern rituals, men will
perform ceremonial rites and then behave in any way they please. When the
end of the yuga comes, the dispositions of men will be such that they will
tend naturally towards cruelty; they will speak ill of one another; and they
will fell trees and despoil gardens without a thought. Men will be constantly
anxious about their livelihood.
O King, greed will rule all of mankind and make men kill even
Brahmanas in order to have their possessions. The twice-born varnas,
oppressed by the Sudras, will wander in fear over the face of the earth,
unprotected and crying Oh! and Alas! When men begin to kill one another,
when they become utterly evil and violent, when they have no regard for
animal life, then the yuga’s end nears.
The best of high-born men will cry like crows and fly in terror when set
upon by robbers, and seek refuge beside rivers and on mountains and in
other inaccessible places. The first among the twice-born will, Bhumipala,
lose his fortitude and become a servant of Sudras, in those terrible times.
Sudras will interpret the scriptures, while Brahmanas wait upon them
and accept their duties as guided by these base interpretations. The low will
become the high, and everything will be the opposite of what should be.
Men will renounce the gods and will worship bones and other occult
relics in secret, inside their homes. At the end of the yuga, Sudras will not
wait on Brahmanas. In the asramas of great Rishis, in the gurukulas of
Brahmanas, in places sacred to the gods, in sacrificial compounds and in
holy tanks, the Earth will be disfigured with tombs, with pillars containing
skeletal relics, rather than graced with temples dedicated to the Devas.
All this will come to be at the end of the yuga, and they are the signs
that the yuga draws to a close.
When all men become vicious, destitute of virtue, carnivorous and
addicted to intoxicating drinks, the yuga comes to an end. O Monarch,
when flowers form within other flowers, and fruit within other fruit, then
will the yuga come to an end. The clouds will pour rain out of season as the
end of the yuga approaches.
The ceremonial rites of passage will not follow one after the other in the
proper order; Sudras will take up arms against Brahmanas as the end of the
yuga draws near.
The Earth will be full of Mlechchas, and Brahmanas will flee in all
directions to escape having to pay inordinate taxes. All men will conduct
themselves uniformly; and the people will flee into woods and forests, to
escape from the work assigned to them, and subsist on fruit and roots.
The world will be so diseased that honourable conduct will not be seen
anywhere. Sishyas will not value the teachings of their Acharyas, and even
try to harm them. And men will take no notice of true teachers, all of these
by now impoverished. Friends and relatives and kinsmen will offer false
friendship for the sake of the person’s wealth. When the end of the yuga
comes, everybody will be direly needy.
All the points of the horizon will be ablaze, the stars and constellations
will no longer shine, and the planets and all their movements will turn
inauspicious. Wild winds will blow chaotically, at all times, and countless
meteors will flash across the sky, foreboding the darkest evil.
Seven suns will appear in the sky. Bedlam and anarchy will be
everywhere, and fires will abound. And the Sun will be in eclipse from
dawn to dusk, in an unnatural, perennial night. And the god of the thousand
eyes will lash down unseasonable rains.
When the end of the Kali yuga comes, crops will be sparse. Women will
speak sharply; they will be hard-hearted, prone to weeping, and they will
disobey their husbands in all things. And at the end of the yuga, sons will
kill their fathers and mothers; women, living uncontrolled lives, will kill
their husbands and sons. And, O King, at the end of the yuga, Rahu will
swallow the Sun, causing eerie and untimely eclipses.
Fires will burn all around. Unable to find food, drink or shelter, even
when they ask for these, wayfarers will lay themselves down in resignation,
on roadsides, and ask for nothing anymore.
When the end of the yuga comes, crows, snakes, vultures, kites and
other animals and birds of prey and carrion will utter frightful cries. When
the end of the yuga comes, men will shun their friends, relatives and
followers. Men will leave the towns and cities where they live and work,
and go in search of new ones. And the people will wander over the Earth,
calling out heartrendingly to their loved ones whom they have lost.
When those terrible times are finally over, creation will begin anew.
Men will be created again and divided into the four varnas, beginning with
the Brahmanas. And, to make men prosper, Providence will smile on them.
When the Sun, the Moon and Brihaspati enter the same sign of the zodiac,
with the nakshatra Pushyami, the Krita yuga will begin again.
Once more, the clouds release their waters in proper season, and the
stars and their movements become auspicious. The planets revolve in their
true orbits, and turn gentle and benign. There will be prosperity and
plenitude, health and peace everywhere.
In time, a Brahmana named Kalki will be born. He will worship and
glorify Vishnu, and have untold energy, great intelligence and mighty
prowess. He will be born in the town of Sambhala, into a devout Brahmana
family. Chariots and weapons, warriors and arms, and coats of mail shall be
available to him as soon as he thinks of them.
By dint of his dharma, he will be a king of kings and ever-victorious.
He will restore peace and order to a world thronging with fell creatures and
plunged in chaos. Kalki of dazzling tejas will first destroy all things—he
will be the universal Destroyer, and only then will he inaugurate a new
yuga.
Surrounded by Brahmanas, he will seek out and kill all evil men and
women, wherever they may try to hide.’ ”
CANTO 190
CONTINUED
“M arkandeya continues, ‘Having annihilated thieves and bandits,

Kalki will, at a great horse-sacrifice, make a gift of the Earth to
the Brahmanas and, having established again the sanatana dharma ordained
by the Self-Created One, illustrious Kalki, of the sacred deeds, will retire
into a mystic forest.
The people of this world will emulate whatever he does and, when the
Brahmanas have finally rid the Earth of criminals and sinners, prosperity
will sprout everywhere. The countries of the Earth will be subjugated one
after the other, and then, that tiger among Brahmanas, Kalki, will shed his
deer-skins, lances and tridents, and roam the world, adored wherever he
goes by the greatest sages, showing his reverence for them, while doing
away with sinners of every kind. Kalki will kill the evil ones amid piteous
cries like Oh, father! Oh, mother! Oh, son!
Bhaarata, when sin has been rooted out and dharma re-established at the
beginning of the Krita yuga, men will begin to observe true religious rites
once more. In the second Krita yuga that sets in, lush gardens, ponds, large
tanks, temples, yagnasalas and centres of teaching devoted to the study of
Brahmanical lore, will reappear and flourish, everywhere.
Ceremonial rituals and sacrifices will be performed. Brahmanas will
return to the ways of goodness and honesty, and the Dvijas—the three
twice-born varnas—will once again devote themselves to austerities and
become true Munis. The asramas of Rishis, hitherto filled with vile men,
will become homes to men devoted to truth. All the people will begin to
live honourable lives in perfect dharma.
All seeds sown in the ground will sprout and every kind of crop will
grow all year round. Men will be charitable and observe stern vratas; and
the Brahmanas, devoting their lives to meditation and sacrifice, will be
pure-hearted and always happy.
The sovereigns of the earth will rule their kingdoms with dharma. In the
Krita yuga, Brahmanas will adhere to their six-fold duties—to study, teach,
perform sacrifices, officiate at sacrifices performed by others, and to give
and receive charity; Kshatriyas will devote themselves to acquiring strength
and performing feats of prowess; Vaisyas will till the land and engage in
honest trade, and Sudras will occupy themselves in serving the other three
castes.
These, O Yudhishtira, are the ways of the Krita, Treta, Dwapara and
Kali yugas. I have now told you everything about the yugas. I have also told
you, O Son of Pandu, the span of each of them. So, you know all that I do,
pertaining to the past and the future, as narrated by Vayu Deva in his
Purana, which is revered by the wisest sages. My immortality has allowed
me to see, many times, the birth, life and death of the world; and all that I
have seen and know I have shared with you.
Now, glorious one, with your brothers, listen to something else I have to
say, to clear any doubts you may have about dharma. You should always
focus your soul on virtue because, Rajan, a man of high principles attains
bliss in his lifetime and after.
Anagha, listen also to these other propitious words—never humiliate a
Brahmana, for an angry Brahmana can destroy the three worlds with a
curse.’
Hearing Markandeya’s words, the king of the Kurus, Yudhishtira of the
great intellect and radiant lustre, says to the illumined sage, ‘O Muni, by
what code should I live if I want to protect my subjects? And how should I
conduct myself so that I do not stray from the dharma of a Kshatriya?’
Markandeya says, ‘Be merciful to all creatures and devote yourself to
their welfare. Love all creatures and scorn none. Speak only the truth, be
humble, keep your senses under control and always concern yourself with
the protection of your people.
Be ethical, abjure sin, and worship your ancestors and the gods. If you
have been guilty of wrongdoing from ignorance or carelessness, give
charity to wash away your sins. Renounce arrogance and vanity; clasp
humility and goodness to you. Gain control over all the Earth; rejoice and
be happy. This is the virtuous life.
What I have told you was true in the past and holds good for the future.
There is nothing of the past or the future that you do not know. Therefore,
child, do not let your hardships shake you. The wise are never crushed by
time’s trials and persecutions. Mahabaho, even the Swargavasis, the
heaven-dwellers, are not impervious to time. Kaala afflicts all the created.
Sinless, do not doubt the truth of what I have told you; if you let doubt
enter your heart, your high-mindedness will be diminished.
Bharatarishabha, you are born into the illustrious family of the Kurus and
should do as I have told you, in thought, word and deed.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Brahmanasreshta, I will do as you command and live
by the wisdom that you have given me, in words so pleasing to hear.
Dvijottama, of avarice and lust I have none, and no fear, pride or vanity.
Lord, I shall keep dharma close and do whatever you have told me to.’
Having listened to the enlightened Markandeya, the Pandavas and
Krishna, wielder of the bow Saranga, all those bulls among Brahmanas, and
the others that are there, are filled with joy. Having heard hallowed words
of great antiquity from the Muni, they are full of wonder.”
CANTO 191
CONTINUED
J anamejaya said, “O Vaisampayana, mighty pauranika, I beg you, relate

in full the greatness of Brahmanas, just as Markandeya told it to
Pandu’s sons.”
Vaisampayana said, “The eldest son of Pandu asks Markandeya, ‘Tell us
more of the greatness of Brahmanas.’
Markandeya says, ‘Listen, O King, to how the Brahmanas conducted
themselves in ancient times.
In Ayodhya, there was once a king of the Ikshvaku dynasty named
Parikshit. One day, Parikshit went hunting and was in pursuit of a deer,
which led him deep into the forest, far from human habitation. Tired by the
long ride, hungry and thirsty, he saw a pool in the dark, dense jungle in
which he found himself. He led his horse to it and refreshed himself and his
mount. Then, he laid some lotus fibres and stems on the ground by the side
of the pool and sat down on them.
While he rested there, he heard melodious strains of music and
wondered where the music came from and who sang, as he had not seen any
evidence of people near the pool. The king then saw a most beautiful
maiden, gathering flowers and singing.
She came before him, and he asked her, ‘Blessed one, who are you, and
to whom do you belong?
She replied, ‘I am a kanya.’
And the king said, ‘Will you be mine?’
The maiden answered, ‘I will agree only if you promise me one thing.’
The king asked what it was, and the girl said, ‘Promise me that you will
never make me cast my eyes on water.’
The king agreed, saying, ‘So it shall be,’ and he married her and knew
her with profound rapture. Later, as he sat quietly with her, his soldiers
arrived in that place and, seeing their king, stood surrounding him. The king
was happy to see his men and, escorted by them, he rode home with his new
bride in a grand chariot.
On arriving at his capital, he secluded himself with her, completely
obsessed. Even those closest to the king could not get an audience with him,
or speak to him. His chief minister asked the women who attended on the
royal couple, “What goes on here?”
And the women replied, “The queen is a devi of unparalleled beauty.
The king married her with a promise that she would never look at water,
and he is joyful with her.”
On hearing this, the minister had a forest created, full of trees with a
profusion of flowers and fruits, and on one side of it, in a secluded place, he
had a large pond dug and filled with water as sweet as nectar. He had the
pool covered with a net of pearls.
One day he managed to see the king privately, and said to him, “There
is a fine vana with no water in it. Enjoy yourself there.”
The king took him at his word and went into the forest with his adored
wife, and they sported together in that delightful place. Tired and spent with
lovemaking, hungry and thirsty, the king went into an arbour of fragrant
Madhavi creepers that he saw nearby.
Entering that bower with his beloved, he saw a pond full of water that
was transparent and bright as nectar. The king sat on its bank with her and
encouraged her to bathe in that lovely pool. At his word, she plunged into
the water, but then she did not surface again. The frantic king dove in and
sought her under the water, but he found no trace of her.
He ordered the waters of the tank drained and, at the bottom, sitting at
the lip of a hole in the ground, was a frog. The king was furious when he
saw the frog, and issued a dreadful edict againt their species.
“Let every frog in my kingdom be killed! Anyone who wants an
audience with me must come with a tribute of dead frogs.”
When frogs began to be killed everywhere, the terrified creatures told
their king what had happened. The king of the frogs assumed the
appearance of a sadhu and came to Parikshit of Ayodhya.
He said, “O King, do not let anger rule you; instead, be inclined to
grace. It is not right that you kill innocent frogs.”
The king of the frogs, in sadhu’s guise, chanted in a low voice:
“Unfadingly glorious, slay not the frogs; pacify your wrath; the artha and
punya of ignorant souls will diminish. Swear you will renounce your wrath
against frogs. Why do you sin? Slaying these creatures serves no purpose.”
King Parikshit, who was broken-hearted because of the vanishment of
his wife, whom he had loved so dearly, answered the frog king, “I will not
forgive the frogs. I will kill them. The wretched frogs swallowed my wife,
and all frogs deserve death at my hand. Do not intercede on their behalf,
learned one.”
Hearing Parikshit’s words, the king of the frogs said in a voice filled
with pain, “Be gracious, O King. I am Ayu, the king of the frogs. Your wife
was my daughter, Susobhana. What she did to you was not dharma. She has
deceived many kings in the same way.”
The king said to him, “I desire her. Give her to me.”
The king of the frogs then bestowed his daughter on Parikshit with the
injunction that she wait upon and serve him. He said angrily to her, “You
have deceived many kings, and because of your sin your children will
disgrace themselves by being disrespectful to Brahmanas.”
Regaining her, Parikshit was so overwhelmed by infatuation that he felt
as if he had conquered the three worlds. He bowed down to the king of the
frogs and worshipped him. Crying for joy, he said, “Truly, have I been
blessed.”
The king of the frogs bid his daughter farewell and returned to where he
had come from. Time went by and king Parikshit and his queen had three
sons, whom they named Sala, Dala and Bala. In due course, the king
installed the eldest of them on the throne and, setting his heart on tapasya,
retired into the forest.
One day when Sala was out hunting he saw a deer and pursued it in his
chariot. The king urged his sarathy to go faster, but the charioteer said to his
king, “It is pointless chasing the deer; you cannot catch it. If your chariot
had been drawn by horses of the Vami breed, you could have overtaken it.”
The young king said, “On pain of death, tell me all about Vami horses.”
The charioteer became alarmed. He was afraid of the king but on the
other hand he was more frightened of Vamadeva’s curse and would not tell
the king anything. The king lifted his sword and said to him, “Tell me now,
or I will kill you.”
Fear overcame him, and the sarathy said, “The Vami horses belong to
Vamadeva; they are swift as the mind.”
Immediately, the king ordered him to take him to Vamadeva’s asrama,
and when they arrived there, he said to the Rishi, “Holy one, I am in pursuit
of a deer that I wounded. You must help me catch up with it by giving me a
pair of Vami horses.”
The Rishi replied, “I will give you my pair of Vami horses but, when
you have achieved your purpose, you must return my horses to me.”
The king took those horses and, taking his leave of the Rishi, pursued
the deer in his chariot now drawn by Vami steeds. After he left the
hermitage he said to his charioteer, “Brahmanas do not deserve to possess
such horses. We need not return these two to Vamadeva.”
He now easily overtook the deer, slew it and, returning to his capital,
stabled those horses in his palace.
Meanwhile, the Rishi reflected, “The prince is young. Having obtained
the two excellent steeds, he rides them happily and will not return them to
me. What a pity.”
After a month elapsed, he said to one of his disciples, “Go, Atreya, and
say to the king that if he has finished with the Vami steeds he should return
them to me.”
Atreya went to the king and spoke to him as he had been instructed; and
the king replied, “These horses, jewels of great value, deserve to be owned
by a Kshatriya, and not a Brahmana. What need do Brahmanas have of
horses? Return in peace.”
Atreya went back and told his Acharya what had happened, and
Vamadeva was enraged. He went himself to the king and demanded that his
horses be returned to him.
The king refused, and the Rishi Vamadeva said, “Bhumipala, give me
back my Vami horses. You have used them to accomplish a task which was
otherwise impossible for you. O Kshatriya, do not break both Brahmana
and Kshatriya dharma and invite death to yourself by Varuna’s curse.”
The king answered, “Vamadeva, this pair of excellent and docile bulls
are suitable animals for a Brahmana like you. O Rishi, you are great indeed.
Take them; you can ride them to any place you choose. What need do you
have of horses when the Vedas themselves would carry a saintly man like
you.”
Vamadeva said, “O king, the Vedas do, indeed, carry ones like us, but
that is in the hereafter. In this world, animals like my Vami horses carry me,
men like me, and others as well.”
The king said, “Let four donkeys carry you, or four mules of the best
kind, or even four horses that are as swift as the wind. Take any of these.
These Vami horses, however, deserve to be owned by a Kshatriya. Accept
that these are not for you.”
Vamadeva said, “O king, stern vows have been ordained for Brahmanas.
This I swear, that if I have lived in their observance, four dreadful
Rakshasas, their bodies like iron, will hunt and kill you, and bear you on
their lances, after cutting your body into four parts.”
The king said, “Vamadeva, these soldiers of mine, armed with bright
spears, know that you are a Brahmana who wants to take a king’s life. They
will bring you and your disciples to your knees before me.”
Vamadeva said, “O king, when you received my horses you swore you
would return them. You must give them back to me to save your life.”
The king said, “Hunting deer is not an occupation fit for Brahmanas, but
I will not punish you for straying from your svadharma. From this day, by
obeying all your commands, I will, O Brahmana, attain bliss in Swarga. But
the Vami horses remain with me.”
Vamadeva said, “A Brahmana cannot be punished in thought, word or
deed. The man who learns that a Brahmana has strayed from his dharma
does not achieve a lofty position in this world. But now meet your death.”
When Vamadeva said this, Rajan, four Rakshasas of horrible
appearance, with lances in their hands, set upon the king, to kill him.
The king cried out, “O Brahmana, even if all the descendants of the
Ikshvakus, my brother Dala, and all these Vaisyas tell me to, I will not yield
the Vami steeds to you, for then these men will be stripped of their
dharma.”
Even as these words came out of his mouth, the Rakshasas killed king
Sala, and the lord of the Earth lay on the ground. The Ikshvakus installed
Dala on the throne.
The Brahmana Vamadeva went to the court of the Ikshvakus and
addressed the new monarch, “O king, all the sacred books declare that men
should give freely to Brahmanas. If you fear sin, give me the Vami horses
without delay.”
Angrily did the king hear these words of Vamadeva’s, and he said to his
charioteer, “Bring me an arrow from my quiver, one which is beautiful to
look at and tipped with poison. Let it strike Vamadeva and let him fall down
in agony and be torn apart by our dogs.”
Vamadeva responded, “I know that you have a ten-year-old son named
Senajita, by your queen. My word can command your arrow to kill the
boy!” ’
Markandeya continues, ‘Rajan, the fierce arrow that the king shot flew
to the inner apartments of the palace and killed the prince playing there.
When Dala heard of this, he said, “People of the Ikshvaku race, I will
deliver you by killing this Brahmana and grinding him into the Earth. Bring
me another arrow of blazing energy. Lords of the world, witness my might.”
Vamadeva said, “This venomous arrow that you aim at me will not fly a
true path; why, you will not be able to release it from your bow.”
Now the king confessed, “O Ikshvakus, I find I cannot loose the arrow I
have in my hand, and I have failed to kill this Brahmana. Let Vamadeva live
and be blessed with a long life.”
Vamadeva said, “You may expiate your sin of trying to take the life of a
Brahmana by touching your queen with this arrow.”
King Dala did as he was told, and the queen then said to the Rishi, “O
Vamadeva, give me leave to teach this ignorant and foolish husband of mine
daily, and give him wisdom. O Dvija, let me always wait upon and serve
Brahmanas and thus acquire sacred realms after I die.”
Hearing the queen, Vamadeva said, “Beautiful-eyed one, you have
saved this royal race. Ask me for an exceptional boon, for I will grant
whatever you ask for. Faultless one, rule over your clan and this great
kingdom of the Ikshvakus!”
The queen said, “O lambent one, free my husband from his sin, and
direct your mind to the well-being of his son and kinsmen. This is the boon
I ask, Brahmanottama.”
The Muni said, “Tathaastu, so be it.”
King Dala was extremely glad and, bowing in reverence, gave the Muni
his Vami steeds,’ says Markandeya.”
CANTO 192
CONTINUED
V aisampayana said, “The Rishis, the Brahmanas and Yudhishtira then

ask Markandeya, ‘How did the Rishi Baka have such a long life?’
Markandeya says, ‘The Rajarishi Baka is a great tapasvin and was,
indeed, blessed with long life; but do not ask why.’
Hearing this, O Bhaarata, Yudhishtira Dharmaraja and his brothers say
to Markandeya, ‘We have heard that Baka, as well as Dalbhya, both
illumined souls, are immortal and that they, who are universally revered, are
dear to the king of the Devas. We would like to hear about the meeting of
Baka and Indra, the story that is, at once, sad and happy. Tell it to us in
brief.’
Markandeya says, ‘When the great war between the Devas and the
Asuras was over, Indra became sovereign of the three worlds. The clouds
brought plentiful rain and the people on Earth enjoyed rich harvests; they
became contented and lived virtuous, peaceful lives.
Everyone lived according to their svadharma, at peace with each other
and the world; and seeing serenity prevail, Indra, slayer of Bala, was filled
with joy.
Seated on his elephant Airavata, he of the hundred sacrifices surveyed
his subjects. He looked at the Rishis’ asramas, at the sacred rivers, at
prosperous towns and villages, at the plenitude of the countryside. He saw
kings, living by dharma, ruling justly over their subjects. He looked at tanks
and reservoirs, wells, lakes and ponds full of water, beside which devout
Brahmanas lived, keeping excellent vratas.
And Indra came down to the felicitous Earth, Rajan, and went to a
blessed asrama set in a charming grove on the eastern shore. There, in that
asrama, where many animals and birds lived, and trees grew in profusion,
Indra saw Baka. Overjoyed to see Indra, Baka received him worshipfully—
he washed his feet with water, offered him arghya, spread a carpet for him
to sit on and served him fruit and roots to eat.
When he was comfortably seated, the divine ruler of the immortals
asked Baka, ‘Sinless Muni, you have lived for a hundred years. Tell me, O
Brahmana, what are the sorrows of those that are immortal?’
Baka answered, saying, “Living with those one dislikes, separation from
loved ones and good men, living amongst the wicked—these are the evils
that the immortals have to bear. Among the worst sorrows they have to
endure is the death of sons, wives, relatives and friends; and the pain of
dependence on others. In my opinion, there is nothing more pitiful than a
poor man being insulted by a rich one.
Other iniquities that the immortals have to witness are the acquisition of
high status by those that do not have or deserve it; the loss of it by those
that do; disharmony and discord; how the wealthy gain all that they want
despite not having honour—those that live forever have to see all this, O
Lord of the hundred yagnas.
What can be sadder than the calamities and reverses experienced by
Devas, Asuras, Gandharvas, Manavas, Nagas and Rakshasas? Those of
noble birth suffer by becoming subjects of the low-born, the poor are
humiliated by the rich—these are distressing conditions.
The world is replete with such injustices. The foolish and the ignorant
are cheerful and glad while the learned and the wise endure misery. There is
so much sorrow and pain, and the deathless have to see it all and they
suffer.”
Indra said, “Blessed one, tell me, what are the joys that the immortals
enjoy, which are also enjoyed by the gods?”
Baka answered, “There is none happier than the man who cooks, even a
scanty meal, in the eighth or twelfth hour of the day, and the man who has
no evil friends. True happiness belongs to one who does not eat too much,
or voraciously, the man who cooks even a few meagre vegetables and fruit
that he has earned through his own effort and prepared in his own house.
Such a man is worthy of respect. A man who eats food in another’s
house, given to him in contempt, does a despicable thing, even if the fare is
rich. That is why the wise never touch the food of men that eat in another’s
house, like dogs or Rakshasas.
There is no better thing than for a good Brahmana to eat what remains
after feeding his guests and servants and offering food to his ancestors. No
food is sweeter or more sacred. There is nothing more delicious or more
sacred than food of which the first serving is given to a guest. Every
mouthful of rice that the Brahmana eats after having served his guest is as
blessed as giving away one hundred cows, and will wash away whatever
sins he committed in his youth. If a Brahmana sprinkles water over the one
who serves him such food, that person is cleansed of his sins.”
After speaking of these and other matters with Baka, the Lord of the
Devas returns to Indraloka.’ ”
CANTO 193
CONTINUED
V aisampayana said, “The sons of Pandu say to Markandeya, ‘You

have told us of the greatness of Brahmanas. Now we want to hear of
the glory of the royal caste, the Kshatriyas.’
Maharishi Markandeya says to them, ‘Listen while I tell you of the
eminence of the Kshatriyas.
A king named Suhotra, of the Kuru clan, went on a journey to visit the
great Rishis. As he was returning, he came upon king Sibi, the son of
Usinara, riding in his chariot. As they approached one other, each greeted
the other in a way he thought most fitting; but neither would give way to the
other’s chariot as each considered himself the other’s equal.
At this moment, the Devarishi Narada appeared there and, seeing them,
demanded, “Why are you both blocking each other’s way?”
The kings said to Narada, “Holy One, do not ask. The sages of old have
declared that the one who is superior or more able should have right of way.
We are equal to each other in every respect and neither of us can be judged
to be superior to the other.”
Hearing this, Narada recited three slokas—“O Kurunandana, the
arrogant man treats everyone, even humble folk, with cruelty; one who is
humble behaves with modesty and candour to all, even to those who are
unprincipled. He who is honest behaves honestly, even towards the
dishonest; why then would he not behave honestly with those who have
integrity? The honest man thinks of any service done to him as being a
hundredfold. Is this not how the gods are?
It is the royal son of Usinara who is a better man than you. One should
win over the mean-minded with charity, the untruthful with truth, the
wicked with forgiveness, and the dishonest with honesty.
You are both large-hearted. Keeping these slokas in mind, one of you
must give way to the other.”
Narada fell silent and, hearing what the Rishi said, the king of the Kurus
walked around Sibi in pradakshina, praised his many achievements and
allowed him to pass. Then he went on in his way. Narada uses this story to
illustrate the greatness of the Kshatriyas.’ ”
CANTO 194
CONTINUED
“M arkandeya continues, ‘Listen now to another story. One day, as

king Yayati, the son of Nahusha, was sitting on his throne,
surrounded by his people, there came to him a Brahmana begging for alms
on behalf of his guru.
He approached the king and said, “O king, because of my vow to him, I
beg for alms for my guru.”
The king said, “Holy one, tell me what your vow is.”
The man said, “O king, in this world, men are contemptuous of one who
begs them for alms. With what feelings will you give me what I ask for, on
which I have set my heart?”
The king replied, “Once I give something away, I never boast of it. I do
not entertain requests for things I cannot give, but I do hear requests for
those that I can; and giving them makes me glad. I will give you a thousand
cows. The Brahmana that asks me for a gift is always dear to me. I am
never angry with the man who begs alms of me and I am never sorry for
having given away anything!”
And the Brahmana then got one thousand cows from the king and went
away.’ ”
CANTO 195
CONTINUED
V aisampayana said, “The Pandavas address the Rishi once more and
say, ‘Tell us more about the honour of the Kshatriyas!’
And Markandeya says, ‘There were two kings, named Vrishadarbha and
Seduka, and both of them were learned in dharma and in the Astra Shastra,
and the ways of attack and defence. Seduka knew that Vrishadarbha had
sworn a silent vow in his childhood, to give no metal to Brahmanas other
than gold and silver.
One day, a Brahmana who had completed his Vedic studies came to
Seduka and, blessing him, begged him for alms for his guru, saying, “Give
me a thousand horses.”
Seduka said to him, “I cannot give your guru what you ask. Go to Raja
Vrishadarbha, O Brahmana. He is a virtuous king. If you ask him, he will
give you a thousand horses, for that is his vow.”
The Brahmana went to Vrishadarbha and begged him for a thousand
horses. The king responded by striking the Brahmana with a whip, at which
the Brahmana said, “Why do you attack an innocent man?”
The Brahmana was on the point of cursing him, when the king said, “O
Brahmana, do you curse the man who does not give you what you ask for?
Is this the dharma of a Brahmana?”
And the Brahmana said, “Rajadhiraja, king of kings, I came to beg from
you because Seduka sent me here.”
The king said, “I will give you whatever tribute I receive today. How
can I send away empty-handed the man I have whipped?”
And the king gave that Brahmana all the proceeds of the day, which was
more than the value of a thousand horses.’ ”
CANTO 196
CONTINUED
“M arkandeya says, ‘One day the gods decided to come down to

Earth and test the dharma of king Sibi, the son of Usinara. Agni
and Indra descended to Bhumi, and Agni took the form of a pigeon flying
away from Indra, who pursued him as a hawk. And the pigeon fell into
King Sibi’s lap while he sat on his throne.
The Rajapurohita, the royal priest, said to the king, “This pigeon is
afraid of the hawk and has come to you for refuge. Wise men say that a
pigeon falling on one’s lap is a bad omen and forewarns of some grave
danger. You are a king and understand signs; so, give the pigeon to the
hawk in charity and save yourself from the danger indicated.”
The pigeon spoke to the king, “I am afraid of the hawk and have come
to you to save my life. I am, actually, a Muni; I have taken the form of a
pigeon and come to you for protection. You hold my life in your hands.
I am learned in the Vedas, I am a brahmachari with self-control, and a
tapasvin. Further, I have never spoken disrespectfully to my guru, and I
possess every quality of the pure-hearted. I chant the Vedas; I know the
poetic form and metre of all their verses; I am letter-perfect in the Vedas.
And I am not a pigeon.
Oh, do not give me up to the hawk. Giving up a learned and chaste
Brahmana never makes a good gift.”
Now the hawk addressed the king, and said, “Creatures are not always
born on the Earth in the same form. In some former life you may have been
a child of this pigeon. It is not proper for you, O king, to interfere with my
procuring food by protecting the pigeon, even though he might have been
your father.”
The king said, “Has any one ever heard birds speak the pure language of
men? Hearing what the pigeon and hawk had to say, how can we tell what
is the right thing to do? He that surrenders a frightened creature, which
seeks his protection from its enemy, does not get protection when he
himself needs it. Indeed, the clouds do not send rain for him; the seeds he
sows do not sprout for him.
He that gives up an afflicted creature seeking protection from its
enemies will see his children die in their infancy. The ancestors of such a
man will never attain bliss in heaven. The gods do not accept the libations
of ghee that such a man pours into the sacred fire. He that gives up a
frightened creature which has come to him for refuge from its enemies is
struck by a thunderbolt cast by the gods, with Indra at their head.
The food he eats is unclean and he, of the small soul, falls from grace. O
hawk, let the people of the Sibi clan place before you a bull cooked with
rice, in place of this pigeon. And let them carry an abundance of meat to
your home, wherever you live.”
The hawk said, “O king, I do not ask for a bull or for any other meat,
nor do I ask for anything more than this pigeon, which the gods have given
me. The pigeon’s death has been ordained and it is my meal for today. So,
O Rajan, give it to me.”
The king replied, “My men will bring a live bull to your home.
Consider the bull the ransom for this terrified bird, and I will myself
supervise its being fetched to your dwelling. Don’t kill the pigeon. I will
surrender my own life before the pigeon’s.
Do you not see how like a sacrifice dabbed with Soma juice this pigeon
looks? Blessed one, do not be obstinate. I can in no way give the pigeon to
you.
Command me to do something else that pleases you and satisfies you,
something which I am able to do, of which the men of the Sibi clan will be
proud and praise me for. I promise to do what you ask.”
The hawk said, “Rajan, if you give me flesh cut from your right thigh,
that is equal to the weight of the pigeon, you can save him. This would
please me and be praiseworthy.”
The king agreed to this and, cutting a piece of flesh from his right thigh,
weighed it against the pigeon. But the pigeon was heavier. The king carved
out another piece of his flesh, but still the pigeon was heavier. Then the
king cut pieces of flesh from all parts of his body and placed them on the
scale, but the pigeon continued to weigh more than all of them. Finally, the
king, cheerfully and without a trace of regret, climbed bodily onto the
scales, and the hawk vanished from there, exclaiming, Saved!
The king said to the pigeon, “O pigeon, tell us who the hawk is. No one
other than the Lord of the universe could do as he did. Exalted one, answer
me.”
The pigeon said, “I am the smoke-bannered Agni, also called
Vaiswanara. The hawk is Sachi’s lord, the wielder of the thunderbolt. Son of
Suratha, you are a bull among men. We came to test you. These pieces of
flesh, Rajan, that you have cut from your body with your sword to save my
life, have made deep wounds. I will sanctify them; your scars will be the
colour of gold and fragrant. You will earn great fame and the gods will
honour you.
Long will you reign over your subjects, and you will father a son who
will be called Kapotaroma. O King, this child will be born from your body,
and you will see him become the best of the Surathas, a prince who will
blaze with fame, valour and beauty,” says Markandeya.’
CANTO 197
CONTINUED
V
kings.’
aisampayana said, “The son of Pandu addresses Markandeya once
again, saying, ‘Tell us more about the greatness of the royal caste of
And Markandeya says, ‘King Ashtaka, descendant of Viswamitra,

conducted an Aswamedha yagna, which many kings attended, including his
brothers, Pratardana and Vasumanas, and Usinara’s son Sibi. After the
sacrifice was completed Ashtaka was travelling in his chariot with his
brothers when they met Narada coming towards them. They greeted the
Devarishi and said to him, “Come; ride on our chariot with us.”
Narada agreed, saying, Tathaastu, and climbed into the chariot. After
paying their respects to Narada, one of the kings said to him, “O Illustrious,
I want to ask you something.”
The Rishi gave him permission and that king said, “All four of us are
blessed with long lives and every virtue. We shall, therefore, go to heaven
and live there for a long time. Which of us will be the first to fall?”
The Rishi Narada said, “Ashtaka will be the first to come down.”
And the king who had asked the question said, “For what reason?”
And the Rishi answered, “I lived for a few days in Ashtaka’s palace.
One day, he took me out of the city in his chariot and, there, I saw
thousands of cows, all of different colours. I asked him whose they were
and he told me that they were cattle he had given away, thus praising
himself. It is because of his answer that he will have to come down from
Swarga.”
One of the kings, again, asked Narada, “Of the three of us who remain
in heaven, who will be the first to fall to Bhumi?”
And the Rishi answered, “Pratardana”.
When asked why, the Rishi related this incident. He said, “I lived for
some days in Pratardana’s household. One day, when I was riding with him
in his chariot, a Brahmana stopped him and asked for a horse. Pratardana
said he would give him one when he returned home, and the Brahmana
urged him to do it soon. Because the Brahmana was impatient, the king
gave him the horse that was yoked to the right wheel of the chariot.
We met another Brahmana who, also, wanted a horse. The king said the
same thing to him and, in response to the Brahmana’s impatience, gave him
the horse that was yoked to his chariot’s left wheel. The king continued on
his way and soon came upon a third Brahmana, who asked him for a horse.
The king gave him one more of his horses, and we proceeded on our
journey. We met a fourth Brahmana who asked for a horse, and the king
gave him the one that was yoked to front left of his chariot. A fifth
Brahmana came to the king as we rode along and asked for a horse. This
time, the king said he would give him one as soon as he returned home.
But, because the Brahmana urged him to do this soon, the king gave him the
last horse, unyoking it, and leaving the chariot horseless. The king picked
up the yoke of his chariot himself and began to pull it along.
As he pulled his chariot, he said, “Now I have nothing to give
Brahmanas.” The king had, no doubt, given all his horses away, but his
charity was diminished somewhat by his less than wholehearted attitude.
Therefore, he is the next to come down from heaven.
Of the two kings who would remain in heaven, one asked, “Which of
the two of us will fall first from heaven?”
Narada said, “Vasumanas,” and when the king asked for the reason,
narrated another incident. He said, “In course of my roving, I arrived at the
home of Vasumanas, at the time when the Brahmanas were performing the
ceremony of Swativachana on a flower chariot. I came, unseen, into the
king’s presence and, after the Brahmanas had completed the ceremony,
made myself visible. When I praised the chariot, the king said to me, Holy
one, you have admired this chariot, so let it be yours.
Sometime later, when I needed another chariot, I went once more to
Vasumanas. Again, the king gave me the chariot I admired. I went to the
king a third time and admired one of his chariots. This time the king
showed the chariot to his Brahmanas and, looking at me, said, Sublime
Sage, you have been generous in your praise, but did not give me the
chariot. For this he will fall down from heaven.”
One of them said, “One of us will go with you to heaven. Of the two of
us, who will come down to earth, and who will continue to dwell in
Swarga?”
Narada answered, saying, “Sibi will be the one who stays in heaven,
and I the one who falls.” When asked the reason for this, Narada said, “I am
not the equal of Sibi. Hear why I say this. One day a Brahmana came to
Sibi and said, O Sibi, I come to you for food.
Sibi responded, Tell me what to do; I am yours to command.
The Brahmana answered, Kill your son, named Brihadgarbha, and cook
him for my meal.
I waited to see what would happen. Sibi killed his son and cooked his
flesh, then, putting the food into a serving dish, carried it on his head and
went in search of the Brahmana. While he was looking for him, someone
told him that the Brahmana he was searching for had gone to the city and,
in a frenzy of rage, was setting fire to his house, to his treasury and arsenal,
to the women’s apartments and to the elephants’ and horses’ stables. Sibi
heard all this, calmly.
He went into his city, found the Brahmana and said to him, Holy one,
the food is ready. The Brahmana became speechless with surprise and
lowered his gaze in discomfiture. Sibi, trying to please the Brahmana, said,
Holy one, here, eat this.
The Brahmana glanced at Sibi and said, Eat it yourself. Promptly, Sibi
took the serving dish from atop his head and was about to eat, when the
Brahmana caught hold of his hand and said, You have conquered anger.
There is nothing that you will not give a Brahmana.
Saying this, that Brahmana worshipped Sibi, and when Sibi looked up
he saw his son standing before him like a divine child, decked in ornaments,
and a heavenly fragrance emanating from his body. Finally, the Brahmana
revealed his true self; he was none other than Vidhata, who had come in that
guise to try the king.
When Vidhata had left, the king’s ministers said to Sibi, When you know
everything, why did you do all this?
And Sibi answered, It was not for fame, wealth or from the desire to
acquire material enjoyment that I did all this. What I did is not sinful,
therefore I did it. The path taken by the righteous is praiseworthy, and I
have always leaned towards the virtuous course of action. ‘” Narada said.
I know this instance of Sibi’s goodness, and I have narrated it,’ says
Markandeya.”
CANTO 198
CONTINUED
V aisampayana said, “The Pandavas and the Rishis then ask

Markandeya, ‘Is there anybody blessed with longer life than you?’
And Markandeya answers them, ‘There was a Rajarishi named
Indradyumna, whose virtue had diminished. He fell from heaven, crying,
“All that I have achieved is for nothing.”
He came to me and asked, “Do you recognise me?”
I said, “From our anxiety to acquire religious merit, we do not have
permanent homes. We stay for only one night in any village or town. People
like us, therefore, cannot possibly know who you are. The fasts and vows
we observe make us physically weak and unable to follow any worldly
pursuits.”
He then asked me, “Is there anyone who has a longer life than you?”
I answered him, “On Himavat Mountain there lived an owl by the name
of Pravarakarna. He is older than me; he may know you. The place on
Himavat where he lives is very far from here.”
At this, Indradyumna became a horse and carried me to where that owl
lived. And the king asked the owl, “Do you know me?”
The owl reflected for a moment and then said to the king, “No, I do not
know you.”
Indradyumna asked the owl, “Is there anyone who is older than you?”
And the owl answered, “There is a lake called Indradyumna, in which
there lives a crane named Nadijangha. He is older than me. Ask him.”
King Indradyumna took me and the owl to that lake where the crane
Nadijangha lived, and we asked, “Do you know Raja Indradyumna?”
The crane thought for a while and then said, “I do not know king
Indradyumna.”
We asked the crane, “Is there anyone who is older than you?”
And he answered, “There lives, in this very lake, a tortoise named
Akupara. He is older than me. He may know something of this king. Ask
Akupara.”
The crane spoke to the tortoise and said, “We want to ask you
something. Please come to where we are.”
Obligingly, the tortoise came out of the lake to the bank where we were,
and we asked him, “Do you know this king Indradyumna?”
The tortoise reflected for a moment. His heart was moved and his eyes
filled with tears; he trembled all over with powerful emotion and nearly lost
consciousness. He joined his hands and said, “Do I not know this king! He
has planted the sacrificial stake a thousand times for kindling the sacrificial
fire. It is the cows that this king gave to Brahmanas that were used to
excavate this lake. I have lived here ever since.”
No sooner had the tortoise said this, than a chariot flew down from
heaven and a voice spoke from the skies to Indradyumna, “Come! Take
your rightful place in heaven. Great are your achievements. Come joyfully
to your place in Swarga.”
Listen to these slokas—Reports of virtuous actions spread over the earth
and reach heaven. The doer of these actions stays in heaven for as long as
these reports last. The man whose evil deeds are talked about will descend
to the lowest regions and live there for as long as this talk goes on.
Therefore, a man who wants to go to Swarga should be honourable and
ethical. He should shun evil and seek refuge in goodness.
Hearing these words, the king said, “Let the chariot remain here and
take these old people back to where they came from.” Then, he took the owl
and me back to our homes and returned to his own place.
Because I have lived for so long, I saw all this,’ says Markandeya.
Markandeya tells these stories to the Pandavas and, when he has
finished, they say to him, ‘Blessings be upon you. You did the right thing to
make Indradyumna regain his rightful place in Swargaloka, from which he
had fallen.’
Markandeya says, ‘Similarly, Devaki’s son Krishna raised the Rajarishi
Nriga, who had sunk into Naraka, and restored him to Swarga.’ ”
CANTO 199
CONTINUED
V aisampayana said, “Yudhishtira hears the illustrious Markandeya’s

story of how the Rajarishi Indradyumna regained his place in
heaven, and he asks the Muni, ‘Mahamuni, how should a man practise
charity in order to gain admission into Indraloka? Is it by practising charity
while leading a domestic life, in boyhood, in youth, or in old age that he
goes to Indraloka? O, tell me what each is worth.’
Markandeya says, ‘There are four kinds of life that are useless. So too,
there are sixteen kinds of charity that are futile. These men live in vain—he
who has no son; he who is corrupt; he who lives on food made by others; he
who cooks but does not give first to the Devas, Pitrs and Sadasyas.
The first two kinds of gifts that are worthless are these—those given to
a sinful person; and those which have been earned wrongfully. The gift to
an adharmic Brahmana, to a thief, to a teacher who is false—these gifts are
worthless, too. Also worthless are gifts to a liar, to a sinner, to an ingrate, to
one who officiates at sacrifices performed by all classes of people in a
village, to one who teaches the Vedas for a fee, to a Brahmana who cooks
for a Sudra and to a Brahmana who does not follow the svadharma of a
Brahmana. The gift given to one who has married a girl after she has
attained puberty, to a female, to one who plays with snakes and to one who
is employed in a menial job, is also in vain. These sixteen kinds of charity
earn the giver no punya.
The distressed man who gives from fear or anger enjoys the merit of
such gifts while he is in the womb of his mother. The man who makes gifts
to Brahmanas, under circumstances other than those listed earlier, enjoys
the fruit of his charity in old age. Therefore, O king, the man who wishes to
pave his way to heaven should, under all circumstances, give everything he
wants to give away to Brahmanas.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘How do Brahmanas, accepting gifts from people of
all four castes, save others as well as themselves?’
Markandeya says, ‘They do this by japa, mantras, homa and the study
of the Vedas. With these as tools, the Brahmanas construct a Vedic boat in
which they rescue others and themselves from the sea of samsara. The gods
are pleased with the man who gratifies the Brahmanas, and a man may
attain Swarga at the command of a Brahmana.
You will, Rajan, certainly gain the place of everlasting bliss by virtue of
your worship of the Pitrs and Devas, and by your reverence for Brahmanas,
even though your body may be filled with contagious phlegm, and be dull
and lethargic!
He who wants to be virtuous and find Swarga should worship
Brahmanas. He should feed Brahmanas with care during sraddhas. On such
occasions, he should exclude those that are cursed or have lapsed in
dharmic ways; who are very fair or very dark; have dirty nails; are lepers;
are deceitful; have been born illegitimately to widows or married women;
and who live as mercenaries.
An impure sraddha consumes the performer like fire consuming fuel. If
blind, deaf or dumb people are to be employed at sraddhas, care should be
taken to employ them along with Brahmanas conversant with the Vedas.
Yudhishtira, listen now while I tell you who the deserving recipients of
your gifts are. He that knows all the Vedas should give only to a Brahmana
who has merited the ability to save himself and the giver, for only such a
man can be thought of as truly able. Son of Pritha, the attentive care of
Sadasyas gratifies the sacred fire more than does the pouring of ghee or
offering of flowers and sandalwood paste. Therefore, strive to look after
your guests. Rajan, they that give guests water to wash their feet, butter to
rub on their tired legs, light during the night, food and shelter, do not have
to face Yama.
The removal, after worship, of flowers offered to the gods; the removal
of the remnants of a Brahmana’s feast; waiting upon a Brahmana with
scented pastes; and the massaging of a Brahmana’s limbs are each more
deserving of merit than the gift of cows.
The gift of a Kapila cow saves the giver from sin. So, foremost among
kings, one should gift a Kapila cow decked with ornaments to Brahmanas.
Bhaarata, these are the kinds of people one should give to—a person of
good lineage who has knowledge of the Vedas; the poor; a grihasta, a
householder burdened with the care of a wife and children; a person that
worships the sacred fire every day; and a person who has not done you any
service. You should always give to such people, not to them that have
wealth, for there is no point in it, Bhaaratottama.
One cow must be given to one Brahmana, and not to be shared by many
because, if this shared cow is sold, the giver’s family will suffer for three
generations. Such a gift would definitely not save the giver or the recipient.
Giving eighty ratis of pure gold is as beneficial as giving a hundred
pieces of gold, into eternity. He that gives away a strong bull capable of
drawing the plough is rescued from all difficulties and finally goes to
Swarga. He that gives away land to a learned Brahmana has all his desires
fulfilled.
That man who, when asked by an exhausted traveller with tired legs and
dusty feet, tells him the name of a person who will feed him, gains as much
merit as the giver of food himself. Therefore, give food, rather than any
other gift. There is no better gift than food. The man, who, according to his
means, gives well-cooked and clean food to Brahmanas, earns the
companionship of Prajapati Brahma.
There is nothing superior to food. Thus, food is seen as the first and best
of all things to give away. It has been said that food is Brahma. Prajapati is
regarded as the year; and the year is yagna. Everything begins with
sacrifice, for it is from sacrifice that all creatures, animate and inanimate,
are created. That is why food is the foremost of all things.
They who give lakes, tanks, wells, shelter and food; they who speak
sweetly to everyone will not hear Yama’s accusing voice. Bhumi Devi, the
Earth, is pleased with him who gives wealth, earned by his labour, and rice
to pious Brahmanas; and She showers him with wealth. The giver of food
walks first, next the speaker of truth, and next the one who does not beg,
although all three go to the same place.’
Hearing all this, Yudhishtira and his brothers are curious and ask the
high-souled Markandeya, ‘Great Muni, how far is Yamaloka from Bhumi?
How large is it? How do men escape going there? O, tell us all this.’
Markandeya says, ‘O king, most virtuous of men, your question is
related to a great mystery. It is sacred and treasured by the Rishis. As it has
to do with dharma, I will tell you about it.
The distance of Yama’s world from the world of men is eighty-six
thousand yojanas. The way is over waterless space, and is terrible to behold.
Nowhere on that road is there the shade of a tree, any water, or any resting-
place for the weary traveller. Men, women and all beings that live on Earth
are forcibly led along this way by Yama’s messengers, his dutas.
Yama’s servitors and they that have given horses and other means of
transport to Brahmanas ride on horseback and on chariots. They that have
given parasols have parasols to protect them from the sun’s rays as they
walk to Yamaloka. They that have given food walk without hunger, while
they that have not go hungry. They that have given clothes go clothed,
while they that have not go naked. They that have given gold go cheerfully,
decked in ornaments; they that have given land proceed with all their needs
gratified; and they that have given grain go along the way without any
wants.
They that have given houses go on chariots; those men that have given
something to drink go cheerfully, unaffected by thirst; and they that have
given lights go happily, the way lit before them. They that have given cows
go in good cheer, freed from all their sins; they that have fasted for a month
go on a craft drawn by swans; and they that have fasted for six nights, ride
on blithe chariots drawn by peacocks. And, Pandava, he that has fasted
three days, on only one meal, goes to a realm free from disease and anxiety.
Water possesses the uncanny quality of creating happiness in Yamaloka,
and they that give water on earth find themselves by a river there, named
Pushpodaka. These people drink cool, ambrosial draughts from that stream,
while they that are evil only have recourse to flowing pus. That river serves
all purposes. Therefore, Rajan, show due reverence to the Brahmanas that
are with you.
His legs fatigued by the distance he has walked, his body covered in the
dust of the highway, the wayfarer asks for the name of the man who will
give him food and goes expectantly to his house. Attend to him reverently
because he is a guest and a Brahmana. Indra and the Devas walk behind
him and, if he is cared for, they are pleased. If he is not, the celestials and
their Lord are unhappy. Therefore, O best of kings, worship these
Brahmanas.
I have spoken on a hundred subjects. What else do you want to hear
from me?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Mahamuni, you know all there is to know about
dharma and punya. I do not want to stop listening to you speak of them.’
Markandeya says, ‘Rajan, I will now tell of another sacred subject of
eternal interest, which is capable of washing away all sins. Listen
attentively to me.
Bhaaratottama, merit equal to that of giving away a Kapila cow in the
tirtha called Jyeshtha-Pushkara accrues from washing the feet of
Brahmanas. As long as the earth is wet with water in which a Brahmana’s
feet have been washed, so long do the Pitrs drink water out of lotus-leaf
cups.
If a guest is welcomed, the deities of fire become glad; and if he is
offered a seat, it is the god of the hundred sacrifices who is gratified. If a
guest’s feet are washed, it is the Pitrs who are delighted; and if he is fed, it
is Prajapati who is pleased.
One should whole-heartedly give away a cow while she is giving birth,
when the feet and head of her calf are visible, and before her delivery is
complete. A cow with her calf in the air, in the course of falling from the
womb to the earth, is equal to the Bhumi Devi herself. The man who gives
away such a cow reaps the benefit of giving away the Earth. And he is
adored in Swarga for as many thousands of yugas as there are hairs on the
bodies of the cow and her young one together.
Bhaarata, the man who, having accepted a gift, gives it away
immediately to a good and honest person, gains great merit. Indeed, he
reaps the benefit of giving away all the earth with her oceans and seas,
caves and mountains, forests and woods.
A Brahmana who eats in silence, keeping his hands between his knees,
gains the ability to save others. A Brahmana who abstains from drink and is
regarded as faultless, and who reads the Samhitas everyday, also gains this
ability. Butter and food given to a Brahmana who is learned in the Vedas are
as beneficial as when they were poured into fire.
A Brahmana’s weapon is anger, not arms made of iron. A Brahmana can
kill a man with his anger as effectively as Indra slays Asuras with his
Vajra.’
Markandeya’s discourse on the twin themes of punya and dharma is
finished, and the Munis of the Naimisha vana are filled with joy on having
heard it. They are freed from grief and anger by listening to it, and also
purged of their sins and liberated from the cycle of birth and rebirth.
Yudhishtira asks, ‘What does a Brahmana have to do to become, and
remain, pure? I want to hear about this from you, most virtuous one.’
Markandeya answers, ‘There are three kinds of purity—purity of
speech, purity of action and purity achieved through the use of water. The
man who practises all three surely attains Swarga.
Brahmanas who adore the goddess Sandhya in the morning and
evening, and meditatively recite the sacred mantra of Gayatri, who is the
mother of the Vedas, are sanctified by her and freed from all their sins.
Even if they accept the very Earth and her oceans as gifts, they do not suffer
the least unhappiness. Inauspicious conjunctions of the Sun and other
planets become favourable, and auspicious conjunctions become even more
propitious to such Brahmanas, because of their conduct.
Fearsome Rakshasas, gigantic and savage, that subsist on the flesh of
animals, are unable to defeat the Brahmanas who practise these
purifications. These Brahmanas are like blazing fires. They do not acquire
the blemishes of teaching, of officiating at sacrifices, and of accepting gifts
from others.
Whether a Brahmana knows the Vedas or is ignorant of them, whether
his soul is pure or tainted, you should never insult him, for Brahmanas are
like fire. Just as the fire that burns on a funeral pyre is not considered
impure despite its function, so too is the Brahmana considered pure even if
he is ignorant. He is great and godlike.
Cities that are adorned with numerous walls, gates and palaces are
bereft of beauty if they have no Brahmanas in them. O king, only a city
where Brahmanas, accomplished in the Vedas, duly observing their dharmic
duties, and possessing learning and tapasya-shakti reside, is really a city.
Son of Pritha, any place where learned Brahmanas live, be it a forest or
pasture, is a city. Why, that place becomes a tirtha.
By going to a king who offers protection and to a Brahmana of ascetic
merit, and by offering worship to both, a man instantly gets rid of his sins.
Wise and learned men have said that bathing in the sacred tirthas, reciting
the names of the great Rishis, and talking with good and pure-hearted
people, are all acts worthy of praise. They that are virtuous and honest
consider themselves sanctified by the holiness of companionship of others
like themselves, satsangha, and by the holy water of pure and godly
conversation.
The carrying of three staffs, the vow of silence, matted hair, the shaving
of the head, the wearing of bark and deerskin, the practice of vows and
ablutions, the worship of fire, living in the forest, the emaciation of the
body—all these are useless if the heart is not pure. The indulgence of the
six senses is easy if purity is its aim. Abstinence, however, which is difficult
anyway, is even more so without purity of aim. Rajan, among the six senses
the mind is the most dangerous!
True tapasya is purity of heart and soul, thought, word and action, rather
than fasting and penances that result in a wasted body. He who has no
compassion for relatives cannot be freed from sin even if his body is pure.
His hard-heartedness is the enemy of his asceticism.
I say again, asceticism is not mere abstinence from worldly pleasures.
He that is always pure and decked with virtue, he that practises kindness all
his life, is a Muni even though he may lead a domestic life. Such a man is
purged of all his sins. Fasts and other penances cannot destroy the effect of
sin, however much they may weaken and dry up the body.
The man whose heart is without piety suffers torture by undergoing
penances in ignorance of their meaning. He is never freed from sin by such
hollow acts of reparation. The fire he worships does not consume his sins. It
is only piety and virtue that give men access to the hallowed regions, and
make fasts and vows effective.
Subsistence on fruit and roots, the vow of silence, living on mere air,
tonsuring the head, giving up a fixed home, wearing matted locks, sleeping
out in the open, daily fasts, the worship of fire, immersion in water and
lying on bare ground—these by themselves cannot produce results. Only
they that have true piety succeed, through knowledge and their actions, in
conquering disease, decrepitude and death, and acquire spiritual elevation.
Just as seeds that have been scorched by fire do not sprout, so
discomforts that have been burnt by knowledge cannot affect the soul. The
body is like a block of wood and, when destitute of a soul, is as
impermanent as foam in the ocean.
The man who catches a glimpse of the universality of his own soul by
reciting one or even half a line of the Vedas needs nothing more. Some
succeed in identifying themselves with Brahman, the Supreme Soul, from
just two letters, and some from hundreds and thousands of verses. The
knowledge of one’s identity with the Parabrahman is the route to salvation.
Men of ancient times, who were distinguished for their knowledge, have
said that a man who is plagued by doubt can never attain bliss, in this world
or the next. The belief of oneness with Brahman is the way to mukti. He
that knows the true meaning of the Vedas and understands their true
purpose fears mere Vedic ritual, like a man at the sight of a forest fire.
Give up dry debate, take up the study of sacred knowledge by way of
Sruti—recitations of sacred sounds, and Smriti—reading sacred texts; use
your intellect, and seek knowledge of the eternal Brahman. One’s search
becomes futile from lack of means. Therefore, one should carefully strive to
obtain that knowledge with the help of the Vedas. The Vedas are Brahman
—they are His body; they are the Truth. The soul that is restricted by its
bodily confines cannot know Him in whom all the Vedas merge; He can
only be known by the pure intellect.
The existence of the gods as taught in the Vedas, the power of action
and physical prowess are distinct in every yuga. One can gain freedom from
these by purifying the senses. So, the suspension of sensory function is true
fasting. One may attain Swarga through asceticism, one may obtain objects
of enjoyment by the practice of charity and one may purge himself of his
sins by bathing in hallowed tirthas, but it is knowledge alone that can confer
complete emancipation.’
When Markandeya has said this, Yudhishtira of great renown says, ‘O
illustrious one, I want to hear about the laws that govern charity, which
make it meritorious.’
Markandeya says, ‘Yudhishtira, I highly regard the laws of charity that
you wish to hear from me. Listen now to their mysteries, as expounded in
the Sruti and the Smritis.
A man who performs a sraddha in the place called Gajachaya, at a spot
fanned by the leaves of the aswattha tree, enjoys its rewards, Yudhishtira,
for a hundred thousand kalpas. He that establishes a dharmasala and
appoints a person to look after all who come there is crowned with the
benefits of all the sacrifices. He that gives away a horse at a tirtha where the
current of the stream runs in the opposite direction to the river’s course
gains unending merit.
The guest that comes to one’s house for food is none other than Indra
himself. If he is entertained with food, Indra bestows an excellent and
inexhaustible reward. Just as boats take men safely across the water, the
givers I have spoken of are saved from retribution for their sins. What is
given to Brahmanas produces, like a gift of curds, endless punya.
A gift given on particular phases of the Moon’s orbit results in twice the
reward as on other days; given in a certain season it is ten times as
powerful; and in a particular year its value is increased a hundredfold. The
rewards earned by a gift made on the last day of the last month of the year
never expire. The gift made on the days of the Sun’s solstice, one made on
the last day of the Sun’s path through the constellations of Thula, Mesha,
Mithuna, Kanya and Meena1, and the gift made during eclipses of the Moon
and the Sun reap limitless merit.
Learned men say that gifts given during the seasons produce merit that
is multiplied ten times, a hundred times if made during the cusp of the
seasons, and a thousand times if made when Rahu appears in the sky, and
greater than at any other time. The gift made on the last day of the Sun’s
course through Thula and Mesha produces merit that never decreases.
Rajan, one cannot enjoy owning land unless one gives away land, and
one cannot enjoy travelling in chariots and other vehicles unless one gives
these away. A person is reborn with the enjoyment of the goals he had in
mind at the time he gave a gift to a Brahmana.
Gold has sprung from Fire, the Earth from Vishnu and the cow from the
Sun. So, he that gives away gold, land and cows reaches the abodes of
Agni, Vishnu and Surya Deva. Nothing is as eternal as the act of giving a
gift. What can be more auspicious, in all the three worlds? That is why, O
king, those of fathomless intelligence say that there is nothing nobler or
greater in the three Lokas as a gift.’ ”
1. Libra, Aries, Gemini, Virgo and Pisces.

CANTO 200
CONTINUED
V aisampayana said, “Glorious king, Yudhishtira hears from

Markandeya the story of how Indradyumna attains heaven and asks
that magnificent, blemishless Muni, ‘Virtuous one, you know the entire
pantheon of the Devas, the Danavas and the Rakshasas. You can trace the
genealogies of kings and Rishis. Brahmanottama, there is nothing in this
world that you do not know! You also know, Mahamuni, many delightful
stories about Manavas, Nagas and Rakshasas; about Devas, Gandharvas and
Yakshas; and about Kinnaras and Apsaras. I long to hear these from you.
Why did Kuvalaswa, the unvanquished king of the Ikshvakus change
his name to Dhundhumara? Best of the descendants of Bhrigu, I want to
know in detail how and why the intelligent Kuvalaswa changed his name.’
The Maharishi Markandeya begins the tale of Dhundhumara.
Markandeya says, ‘Yudhishtira, listen and I will tell you everything you
wish to know. The story of Dhundhumara is a moral one, so listen to how
king Kuvalaswa of the Ikshvaku dynasty came to be known as
Dhundhumara.
Bhaarata, there was a well-known Rishi named Utanka, whose asrama
was set in a charming wilderness. Rishi Utanka performed a most severe
tapasya, and for countless years, with the aim of obtaining the favour of
Vishnu. Pleased with his tapasya the illustrious Lord Vishnu appeared
before Utanka. Beholding the Deity, the Rishi in all humility began to
glorify Him with hymns of adoration.
He said, “O Effulgent Lord, you have made all creatures - the Devas,
Asuras and Manavas, all things mobile or immobile, even Brahma himself,
the Vedas and all things that can be known. The Sky is your head, O Lord,
the Sun and the Moon are your eyes. You who know no decay, the Winds
are your breath and Fire your energy. The directions of the horizon are your
arms and the great Ocean your belly. The hills and mountains are your
thighs and the Air your hips, Madhusudana. The Earth makes up your feet,
and plants the hair on your body.
O Lord, Indra, Soma, Agni and Varuna, indeed all the Devas, Asuras
and great Nagas humbly wait upon you and sing hymns in adoration of you.
Lord of the Universe, you pervade all creation. The great Rishis of immense
tejas, endlessly plunged in dhyana, always worship you. When you are
gratified the Universe is at peace; when you are angry terror grips every
soul. You are the dispeller of fear.
You are the one, supreme Purusha. You are the cause of happiness of
gods and men. O Lord, you covered the three Lokas with three strides. It
was you that destroyed the Asuras when they were at the height of their
power; it is your prowess that brought peace and joy to the Devas; it was
your anger that destroyed hundreds of great Daitya lords. You are the Maker
and Destroyer of the world’s creatures. It is by worshiping you that the gods
attain felicity.”
Thus, Yudhishtira, the high-souled Utanka praised the Lord of the
senses. And Vishnu said to Utanka, “I am pleased with you. Ask for a
boon.”
Utanka said, “Seeing you before me is the greatest boon, Hari, Eternal
Being, Lord of the Universe.”
Vishnu said, “I am happy with your lack of desires and with your
devotion, Manavottama, best of men. But, Brahmana, you must let me give
you some boon.”
When Lord Vishnu insisted, Utanka said with folded hands, “O
illustrious, lotus-leaf eyed Lord, if you are pleased with me, then let my
heart always dwell on virtue, truth and contentment. And let my heart
always turn to you in bhakti.”
Hearing Utanka’s words, Vishnu said, “Brahmana, by my grace, I grant
all you have asked for. I also bestow on you yogic power, with which you
shall achieve a great thing for the Devas as well as for all the inhabitants of
Triloka. Even as I speak, a great Asura named Dhundhu is performing a
tapasya of fierce austerity with the object of destroying the three worlds.
Let me tell you who will kill that Asura. A king of invincible energy
and prowess will be born into the Ikshvaku line, and he will be known by
the name of Brihadaswa. He will have a son named Kuvalaswa, who will be
endowed with great piety, self-control and fame. This best of kings will be
blessed with yogic power that springs from me and, commanded by you, O
Rishi, that king will be the slayer of the Asura Dhundhu.”
Having spoken to the Brahmana, Vishnu vanished.’ ”
CANTO 201
CONTINUED
“M arkandeya says, ‘O king, after the death of this king of the

Ikshvakus, a king of great dharma named Sasada ascended the
throne of Ayodhya and ruled the earth. Sasada’s son was the powerful
Kakutstha, and Kakutstha’s son was Anenasa. Anenasa had a son named
Prithu, whose son was Viswagaswa, and from Viswagaswa was born Adri.
Adri’s son was Yuvanaswa, Sravastha was born to Yuvanaswa and it
was he who built the city of Sravasthi. Sravastha had a son named
Brihadaswa to whom Kuvalaswa was born. Kuvalaswa had twenty-one
thousand sons and all these sons were fierce and powerful, and mastered
every skill.
Kuvalaswa himself excelled his father in every way and, when the time
came, his father Brihadaswa installed the brave and exemplary prince on
the throne. Having handed over the throne to his son, king Brihadaswa
retired to a life of sannyasa in the forest.’
Markandeya continues, ‘When Rajarishi Brihadaswa was preparing to
retire into the vana, Utanka heard of it, and the sage of the dazzling tejas
and immeasurable soul came to see Brihadaswa, that best of Kshatriyas.
Rishi Utanka tried to persuade him to refrain from taking sannyasa.
Utanka said, “O king, it is your dharma to protect your people. Free us
from our anxieties by being our protector. Because you are a great soul, the
Earth will be safe under your guardianship. It is not right for you to take up
sannyasa in the forest. Great merit attaches to the karma of protecting the
people of this world, punya which you cannot have by living as a sannyasin.
Turn your heart away from this course.
Brihadaswa, the merit that the Rajarishis of old acquired was
incomparable. The king should always protect his subjects, and it is what
you should do. Bhumipala, I cannot perform my tapasya in peace these
days. Near my asrama there is a desert named Ujjalaka, which is flat and
arid and many yojanas in length and width. In it dwells Dhundhu, a Danava
chieftain, the son of Madhu and Kaitabha.
He is savage and powerful, and lives under the ground. You must first
kill him before taking to sannyasa.
The Asura is quiet now because he is engaged in the most fierce
tapasya; his aim is to rule over the Devas as well as the three worlds.
Because of a boon granted to him by the Pitamaha, the Grandsire of all
creatures, Dhundhu cannot be slain by Daityas, Rakshasas or Gandharvas.
Kill him, Rajan, and be blessed; set your heart firmly on this deed. By
killing the Asura you will achieve unequalled greatness and enjoy undying
fame.
When, at the end of every year, that malignant Asura, who lies covered
with sand, wakes up and begins to breathe, all the Earth with her mountains,
forests and woods begins to tremble. His breath blows up clouds of sand
and shrouds the Sun; for seven days without let does Bhumi Devi quake;
sparks and tongues of smoky flame are everywhere. O king, I have no peace
in my asrama. Kill Dhundhu for the good of the world. When that Asura
dies the three Lokas will have peace and joy again.
I believe that you have the power to kill this Asura. Vishnu will infuse
you with his energy, for long ago Vishnu swore that the king who killed this
great Demon would have Narayana’s own strength to use. Rajan, imbued
with Vishnu’s inexorable might, slay the savage Daitya. Dhundhu is so
powerful that no one who has any less prowess than the Lord’s own, can
destroy him, even if he were to try for a hundred years,” ’ says
Markandeya.”
CANTO 202
CONTINUED
“M arkandeya says, ‘Kurusthama, at Utanka’s words, that

unvanquished royal sage joined his palms and said to him,
“Your visit will not be in vain. Holy one, this is my son Kuvalaswa, who is
strong and steadfast. His prowess is unsurpassed on earth. He will
undoubtedly accomplish what you ask, with the help of his heroic sons
whose arms are like iron maces. Give me leave to go to sannyasa,
Brahmana, for I have given up my weapons.”
The Muni replied, saying, “Tathaastu, so be it.”
Rajarishi Brihadaswa commanded his son to fulfil Utanka’s plea and,
saying Do what needs to be done, he retired to the forest.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Holy one, who was this powerful Daitya? Whose son
and whose grandson was he? I have not heard of this mighty Daitya before.
I want to know everything, and in detail, O illumined Sage.’
Markandeya says, ‘Then listen to everything just as it happened, O ruler
of men!
When the world became one immense expanse of water and all the
mobile and immobile creatures were destroyed, when all creation ended,
Vishnu the Eternal, the Ever-lustrous, the Source of the universe, He whom
sages have named the Supreme Lord of the Universe, that sacred Being, lay
in Yoganidra, yogic sleep, upon the coils of the Naga Sesha. Vishnu of the
infinite tejas, that blessed and holy Hari, who knows no decay, lay on coils
that encircled the Earth and, as the Deity lay asleep on his serpentine bed, a
lotus of shimmering beauty, radiant as the Sun, sprang from his navel.
And from that sublime lotus emerged Pitamaha Brahma, the Lord of the
worlds, the embodiment of the four Vedas, four-formed and four-faced,
invincible by his own energy, mighty of strength and prowess. Lord Hari of
the wondrous body, lustrous, adorned with a crown and the Kaustubha
jewel and clad in fulvid silk, lay with his body stretched across many
yojanas on the superlative snake bed, protected by the hood of the snake
that extended wide and far, O king, ablaze with beauty, illustrious as a
thousand massed Suns.
When he had been in repose for some time, two mighty Danavas named
Madhu and Kaitabha saw him and, seeing Hari in that posture, and seeing
lotus-leaf-eyed Brahma sitting on the lotus, Madhu and Kaitabha were
excited. Brahma became terrified at their boisterousness and trembled on
his seat. The stalk of the lotus on which he sat began to quiver, waking the
sleeping Kesava.
Awakened from his slumber, Govinda saw those awesome Danavas and
said to them, “Welcome, mighty ones. I am pleased with you, and I will
grant you excellent boons!”
Rajan, the proud and mighty Danavas laughingly replied to Hrishikesa,
“You may ask boons of us, O Divine! Supreme God, we would like to grant
you a boon. In fact we will indeed grant a boon. Therefore, ask us for
anything that comes to your mind.”
Hari said, “Valiant ones, I will accept a boon from you. There is
something I want. Both of you have ineffable tejas. There is no man to
equal either of you. Submit yourselves to be killed by me—that is the boon
I ask for the good of the world.”
At this, Madhu and Kaitabha said, “We have never before told a lie,
even in jest, let alone seriously. Purushottama, we have always been
steadfast in the path of truth and morality. In strength, in physique, in
beauty, in virtue, in asceticism, in charity, in conduct, in goodness and in
self-control we have no equal. Kesava, we face grave danger; accomplish
what you have said.
No one can prevail over destiny but, Lord, there is one thing that we ask
you to do. Best and first of all Gods, you must kill us at a place that is
absolutely uncovered; and O Lotus-eyed, we also wish to be born as your
sons. This is the boon that we ask, O Devadeva! Do not break the promise
you first made to us.”
The Divine One replied, “I will do as you ask. Everything will be as you
wish.” ’
Markandeya continues, ‘Govinda searched in his mind for a suitable
place, but he could not think of any uncovered space. Failing to discover an
absolutely open place, he noticed that his thighs were uncovered and cut off
Madhu and Kaitabha’s heads on them with his Sudarshana Chakra.’ ”
CANTO 203
CONTINUED
“M arkandeya says, ‘Dhundhu was the son of Madhu and Kaitabha.

He was a Demon of immense energy and prowess, and he
performed austere tapasya. He stood on one leg and reduced his body to a
mass of only veins and arteries, and Brahma, gratified with him, gave him a
boon. The boon he asked of Prajapati was that no one would be able to kill
him, not the Devas, the Danavas, the Rakshasas, the Nagas or the
Gandharvas.
The Pitamaha granted him his wish and the Danava went his way, after
reverently worshipping Brahma by placing the God’s feet on his head. With
this boon in hand, Dhundhu hurried to Vishnu, thinking of how Vishnu had
killed his father. Wrathfully, he began wreaking havoc, first conquering the
Gandharvas and then the Devas with Vishnu at their head. Finally, O bull of
the Bhaaratas, that black-souled Asura arrived at the Ujjalaka desert and
began to violate Utanka’s asrama.
The fierce Dhundhu, son of Madhu and Kaitabha, lay in his cave under
the sands in dread tapasya with the object of destroying the three worlds. It
was during this time that the Rajarishi Kuvalaswa set out for that asrama
with his troops, accompanied by all his sons and by the Brahmana Utanka.
When Kuvalaswa embarked on his campaign with his twenty-one
thousand sons, Lord Vishnu filled him with his own energy, at the command
of Utanka and impelled by the desire to render a service to the three worlds.
As Kuvalaswa proceeded, a loud voice spoke from the sky, repeatedly
saying, “Blessed and unslayable, you will become the destroyer of
Dhundhu today.”
The gods showered divine flowers on him; and the celestial drums
began to sound reverberantly, although none played upon them; and during
the march, cool breezes began to blow; and the king of the gods sent down
gentle rain to moisten the dust on the roads; and, Yudhishtira, the chariots of
the celestial ones hovered high over Dhundhu’s subterranean cavern of
tapasya.
The Devas, Gandharvas and great Rishis, urged by curiosity, came there
to watch the encounter between Dhundhu and Kuvalaswa. Kuvalaswa,
bristling with Narayana’s urjas, and his sons with him, soon surrounded the
desert and ordered that it be excavated. After seven days of digging in the
sand, the king’s sons unearthed the mighty Asura Dhundhu, whose massive
body lay nestled, radiant with his own energy, like the Sun himself. He
covered the entire western quarter of the desert as he lay.
Kuvalaswa’s sons encircled him and attacked him with arrows and
maces, with short, heavy clubs and axes, with iron spikes and darts and with
glistening, keen-edged swords. The towering Danava rose in rage from his
supine position and began to swallow all the weapons that were hurled at
him, and then spat flames from his mouth, flames like those of the fire
called Samvartaka that burns at the end of the yuga. The Asura consumed
all the king’s sons in his flames, even like the Lord Kapila burnt the sons of
king Sagara long ago.
In a mere moment, the furious Asura engulfed the three worlds with the
flames that shot out of his mouth in endless tongues.
Bhaaratottama, when all those sons of Kuvalaswa were consumed by
the Asura’s angry fire, the king, filled with divine power, approached the
Danava, who confronted him, like mighty Kumbhakarna on waking from
his slumber.
From the body of the king a jet of water gushed, which quickly
extinguished the flames loosed by the Asura. The royal Kuvalaswa, filled
with yogic power, slew the Demon with the Brahmastra, which is invoked
to relieve Triloka of its fears. Once Rajarishi Kuvalaswa had killed the
immense Asura, that foe of the Devas and slayer of all his enemies, with the
exceptional weapon, he became like a second king of the three worlds. And
from then on the noble Kuvalaswa came to be known by the name of
Dhundhumara for having slain Asura Dhundhu, and came to be regarded as
being invincible in battle.
The Devas and the Rishis who had come to witness the encounter were
so delighted with him that they said to him, “Ask us for a boon.”
The king bowed to them and, filled with joy, said with hands joined in
reverence, “Let me always be able to give wealth to devout Brahmanas. Let
me be invincible to all my enemies. Let Vishnu always be my friend. Let
me love all creatures. Let my heart always turn towards dharma, and let me
live in Swarga forever.”
The Devas, the Rishis and the Brahmana Utanka were extremely
pleased and said, “It shall be as you wish.” O king, they bestowed many
other blessings on him, and the Devas and Maharishis went away to their
respective abodes.
Yudhishtira, after the slaughter of his sons, king Kuvalaswa had only
three sons left, and they were called Dridaswa, Kapilaswa and Chandraswa.
It is from them, Rajan, that the illustrious line of Ikshvaku kings, all of
immeasurable prowess, has sprung.
This was how the great Daitya Dhundhu, the son of Madhu and
Kaitabha, was killed by Kuvalaswa, and this was why that king came to be
known as Dhundhumara.
I have now told you all that you asked—about the One whose deeds
made the story of Dhundhu’s death famous. He that listens to this sacred
narrative of Vishnu’s glory becomes virtuous and is blessed with children.
By listening to this story on particular days of the month, one is blessed
with longevity and prosperity, and is freed from all anxiety and fear of
disease.’ ”
CANTO 204
CONTINUED
V aisampayana said, “Yudhishtira then asks the illustrious Markandeya

a difficult question about dharma.
He asks, ‘Holy one, I want to hear about the high and excellent virtue of
women. I want you to tell me, Brahmana, about the subtle truths of dharma.
By divine ordinance, the Sun, Moon, Wind, Earth, Fire, one’s father and
mother, and one’s guru appear to us as living embodiments of God. All
these are worthy of our reverence. So, too, is the woman who faithfully
adores one lord. The worship that chaste wives offer to their husbands
seems to be fraught with great difficulty.
Worshipful one, speak to us of the virtue of chaste wives, who have
their senses and hearts under perfect control and look on their husbands as
gods. This cannot be easy to do. The worship that sons offer to their parents
and that wives offer to their husbands seems difficult. I do not think there is
anything more formidable than the stern virtue of chaste women.
Brahmana, the dharma that good women discharge with care and the
conduct of good sons towards their parents must be the hardest to observe.
A woman who is devoted to only one lord, a woman who always speaks
the truth, a woman who carries a child in her womb for a full ten month
term - there can be no conduct more arduous, O Brahmana, than hers.
Women give birth to their children at great risk to themselves and with
intense pain, and then raise them with great love.
Even persons who invoke hatred in others because of their cruelty do
succeed in accomplishing their svadharma, which, in my opinion, is a
difficult thing. Dvija, tell me the true duties of Kshatriyas. It is not easy for
high-souled men to acquire virtue when their dharma obliges them to
perform inhuman acts. Holy one, you have the knowledge to answer all
questions; and I wish to hear you speak on these subjects. Best of Bhrigu’s
clan, you of the lofty vows, I wait respectfully to listen to what you say.’
Markandeya says, ‘Bhaaratottama, I will tell you all this, however
complex the answers to your questions may be. Listen well.
Some regard the mother as the superior parent, some the father. It is the
mother that gives birth to and rears the child, which is more demanding
than the father’s role. Fathers wish for children by observing vratas and by
tapasya, by worshipping the gods, by the reverence shown to them, by
bearing cold and heat, by mantras and by other means.
When they have children, after these painful observances, they, too, O
Kshatriya, are always anxious about their sons’ futures. Bhaarata, both
parents desire fame, success, prosperity, progeny and virtuousness for their
sons. The good son is he who realises these hopes of his parents. Great
king, that son with whom his father and mother are gratified achieves
eternal fame and everlasting virtue in this world and the next.
When it comes to women, neither yagnas, nor sraddhas, nor vratas are
of any use. The only way they can attain the bliss of Swarga is by serving
their husbands. Yudhishtira, bear this in mind while I tell you about the
chaste woman’s dharma.’ ”
CANTO 205
CONTINUED
“M arkandeya says, ‘There was, Bhaarata, a pious ascetic named

Kausika, who had great tapasyashakti and who was devoted to
the study of the Vedas. He was an excellent Brahmana, and studied all the
Vedas with the Angas and the Upanishads. One day as he sat reciting the
Vedas at the foot of a tree, a female crane that was on that tree sullied him
with her droppings. He looked at the crane in anger, and this was enough to
make the crane fall dead to the ground.
Seeing the fallen krauncha under the tree, the Brahmana was moved to
pity and began to lament the dead crane saying, “Alas, urged by anger and
malice, I have done a sinful thing!”
Having repeated this lament many times, that learned Brahmana went to
a village to beg for alms. Bharatarishabha, in course of making his rounds
of the houses of noble families, the Brahmana entered one such house that
he knew. As he entered the house he said, Give, and a woman from inside
answered, Wait.
Bhaaratottama, while the housewife was cleaning the vessel from which
alms are given, her husband suddenly came home and he was very hungry.
The chaste housewife saw her husband and, ignoring the Brahmana, gave
her lord water to wash his feet and face, and a seat. After that the black-
eyed lady served him savoury food and drink, and humbly stood beside him
in ready attendance.
Yudhishtira, that woman was an obedient and chaste wife. She always
ate the leftovers from her husband’s plate, she was ever respectful of her
lord’s wishes and commands, and she was devoted in her love for him. Her
conduct was always pious; she was skilful in all domestic duties, attentive
to all her relatives and always did what was pleasing and beneficial to her
husband. She was devout in the daily puja and heedfully saw to the wants of
guests and servants, as well as of her mother-in-law and father-in-law.
While this woman of the lovely eyes was busy waiting on her husband,
she noticed the Brahmana waiting for alms and remorsefully remembered
that she had asked him to wait. This lady, who was well known for her
chasteness, took something to give the Brahmana and went out to where he
stood.
When she came before him the Brahmana said, “Best of women,
blessed one, I am surprised at your behaviour. Having asked me to wait you
did not dismiss me, but kept me waiting!”
Lord of men, seeing the Brahmana blazing in anger, the chaste woman
tried to pacify him. She said, “O Learned one, it is proper for you to forgive
me. My husband is my supreme god. He came home hungry and tired, and I
was serving him.”
Hearing this, the Brahmana said, “You do not seem to consider that
Brahmanas deserve more respect. Do you dare to exalt your husband above
them? Are you so involved in your life as a wife that you disregard
Brahmanas? Indra himself bows down to them, let alone humans on Earth.
Proud woman, do you not know this? Have you never heard that Brahmanas
are like fire and can consume all the earth?”
The woman answered, “I am no she-crane, O Rishi! You that are
endowed with the wealth of tapasya, cast off your anger. Enraged as you
are, what can you do to me with your angry looks? I do not disrespect
Brahmanas; blessed with great souls, they are like gods. O Sinless, if I have
been remiss, you must forgive me.
I know the mental energy and pride of wise Brahmanas: their anger
made the waters of the ocean salty and undrinkable. I know also the power
of Munis whose souls are under complete control: they are aflame with
tapasyashakti. The fire of their wrath has still not been extinguished in the
forest of Dandaka.
It was because of his disrespect towards Brahmanas that the great
Asura, the evil Vatapi, was eaten by Agastya. I have heard that the powers
earned by high-souled Brahmanas are great indeed, but, O Brahmana, they
are as great in forgiveness as they are in anger. Therefore, O Anagha, it is
proper that you forgive me my offence.
I favour the punya that serving my husband, whom I consider the
highest god, gives me, and what you see is my worship of him and the
virtue that accrues from it. I know that you have scorched a she-crane with
your anger; Dvijottama, best of the twice-born, a man’s greatest enemy is
his anger.
The gods only consider a Brahmana the man who has shed his anger
and passion, who always speaks the truth, who always pleases his teacher
and who, though wounded by another, never retaliates. The gods consider a
Brahmana the man who has his senses under control, who is virtuous, pure
and devoted to the study of the Vedas, and who has mastered anger and lust.
The gods consider a Brahmana the man who knows dharma and is rich
in tejas of mind, who is devout, who looks upon all as his equals, who
studies and teaches others, who performs sacrifices himself and officiates at
the sacrifices of others, and who gives as much charity as his means allow.
The gods consider a bull among the Dvijas, a Brahmana who practices
brahmacharya, who has liberated his soul, who is devoted to the study of
the Vedas and who always begins his studies with a recitation of the ideals
of Brahmanas. The hearts of such men only ever find joy in truth, but never
in falsehood.
O Dvijottama, they say that the study of the Vedas, tranquillity of soul,
simplicity of living and repression of passion are the eternal duties of the
Brahmana. Those that know about dharma have said that truth and honesty
are the highest virtues, and that they are not easy to comprehend. Virtue is
eternal and is difficult to attain, but whatever kind it is, it is based on truth.
The ancients have declared that dharma, because it depends on Sruti, is of
many kinds and too subtle to understand. Holy one, you are virtuous, pure
and devoted to Vedic study. I think, however, that you do not know the real
essence of dharma.
Go to the city of Mithila, where a virtuous butcher lives, and ask him if
indeed you really understand true goodness. This butcher is truthful and
devoted to the service of his parents, and has his senses under complete
control. He will tell you about dharma. Go there if you like, O faultless one.
Forgive me if what I have said is distasteful, for those who are earnest about
acquiring dharma must never injure women.”
The Brahmana replied, “I am pleased with you; blessings be upon you.
My anger is gone, beautiful one. Your censure serves me well. I will go now
and do what is good for me.” ’
Markandeya continues, ‘Dismissed by her, Kausika, that best of
Brahmanas, left her house and, berating himself, returned home.’ ”
CANTO 206
CONTINUED
“M arkandeya says, ‘Reflecting upon that wonderful discourse of

the woman, Kausika began to reproach himself and, meditating
on the subtleties of dharma, felt guilty.
He said to himself, “I should respectfully accept what the good woman
said and go to Mithila. I am certain that there lives in that city the butcher
who has his soul under control and has fathomed the mysteries of dharma. I
will go there this very day and ask that great tapasvin about virtue.”
He was convinced by the chaste woman’s words because she knew
about the she-crane, and because of the import of her words. So, Kausika
set out for Mithila, humbly contemplating all that she had said, and filled
with curiosity. On the way he passed through forests, villages and towns,
and at last, reached Mithila, which was ruled by Janaka.
He saw the magnificent city adorned with the flags of various clans and
it echoed with the sounds of yagnas and festivities. There were splendid
gateways and palaces, many marvellous buildings, and it was protected by
walls on all sides.
The city was full of chariots on its many well laid roads and streets,
which were lined with a variety of shops. Warriors, horses and elephants
shared the roads with the chariots, and everywhere healthy, happy people
thronged the streets in festive mood. And there the Brahmana saw many
other things.
He enquired about the virtuous butcher and two Brahmanas directed
him to his house. He went there and the Brahmana saw the shaunika in his
yard, selling venison and buffalo meat. Because there was such a crowd of
people waiting to be served, Kausika waited at a distance, but the meat
vendor, realising that the Brahmana had come to see him, rose from his seat
and went to where the Brahmana stood.
He said, “Salutations, holy one! Welcome, O best of Brahmanas! I am
the butcher. Blessings be upon you. Tell me what I can do for you. I know
that the good lady told you to come to Mithila, and also why you have
come.”
The Brahmana was surprised at these words and thought, “O this is the
second wonder that I see!”
The butcher said to the Brahmana, “You are standing in a place that is
scarcely proper for you, Anagha. Come, let us go to my house.” ’
Markandeya continues, ‘Saying Tathaastu, so be it, the Brahmana
gladly walked ahead as the butcher led him to his home. Entering his
pleasant house, the butcher reverently offered his guest a seat and gave him
water to wash his feet and face, which the Brahmana accepted and then sat
at ease.
He said to the butcher, “Your profession does not seem fitting for you. I
feel sad that you practise such a cruel trade.”
The butcher said, “This is the profession of my family, which I have
inherited from my father and grandfather. Dvija, do not grieve; I am only
living by the dharma of my birth. By discharging the duties preordained for
me by the Creator, I serve my superiors and the elders. Brahmanottama, I
always speak the truth, I never envy others and I give to the best of my
ability. I live upon what remains after serving the gods, my guests and my
dependants; I never speak ill of any creature, big or small. Best of
Brahmanas, the actions of your former life always follow you into
subsequent lives. In this world there are three main professions—
agriculture, cattle-rearing and trade. In the other world the three Vedas,
knowledge and morality are important. Service to the three superior castes
is assigned to the Sudra, agriculture to the Vaisya, battle to the Kshatriyas,
and the practice of brahmacharya, celibacy, asceticism, recitation of mantras
and truthfulness to the Brahmanas.
The king should rule justly over his subjects who adhere to their proper
duties, and should return those that have fallen from their dharma to it. The
king must inspire fear, as he is the lord of his people. He checks his subjects
who neglect their dharma, just as he would stop a deer with his arrows.
O Rishi, Janaka is such a king; there is not one subject of his who does
not live according to the dharma of his birth. Best of Brahmanas, here all
four orders rigidly adhere to their respective duties. King Janaka punishes
evil, even if the criminal is his own son, but he never inflicts pain on the
virtuous. He uses reliable and good scouts and keeps an impartial eye on all.
Prosperity, dominion and the power to punish rest with Kshatriyas. A king
who is virtuous craves prosperity. The king is the protector of the four
varnas.
As for me, O Brahmana, I always sell pork and buffalo meat without
slaughtering the animals myself. I sell the meat of animals that have been
killed by others. I never eat meat myself; I never go to my wife except in
her season; I always fast during the day and eat at night. Even though the
actions expected of a man by his dharma are cruel, the man can be good. A
man can be virtuous, although he may be a slayer of animals by profession.
Virtue diminishes and evil prospers because of the sinful deeds of the
king; his subjects become corrupt, and they decline. It is then, O Brahmana,
that ugly monsters and dwarves, hunch-backed and huge-headed people,
men that are blind or deaf, those that are cross-eyed or impotent are born.
It is because of the sins of the king that his subjects suffer. But our king
Janaka virtuously watches over his subjects and is always compassionate.
On their part, his people always keep to their svadharma. As for me, I try to
please everyone, regardless of whether they speak well of me or not. The
king that lives in accordance to his dharma, who is always righteous and
honest, who has his soul under control and who is always prepared and
earnest need not depend on anyone for support.
There are certain attributes that find their place only in a man who
desires worldly detachment: giving of food to the extent that one can afford,
endurance of heat and cold, steadfastness in virtue and compassion for all
creatures. One should avoid telling lies and should do good deeds without
being asked.
One should never allow lust, anger or malice to get the better of virtue;
one should never give in to extremes of joy and sorrow in good times and
bad; one should never feel depressed or abandon the path of righteousness
when overtaken by poverty. One must never repeat a wrong; one should
always turn to conduct that benefits others; one should never repay wrong
with wrong, but behave honestly with those that have wronged him.
The wretch, who leans towards sin, destroys himself. By doing wrong,
one only imitates those that are evil, who abandon dharma and mock the
good and the pure in the belief that there is no goodness, and who,
therefore, will surely be destroyed. The sinful man bloats like a leather bag
puffed up with wind.
The thoughts of these vain and stupid ones are feeble and worthless.
The inner soul recognises his foolishness as easily as sunlight reveals
everything. The fool does not shine merely because he praises himself; the
learned man, however, even if he is not good-looking, shines by not
speaking ill of others and well of himself. However, there is no person in
this world who has all these attributes.
Repentance washes away the sin of the wrong-doer. The determination
never to repeat the sin saves him from future sin as surely as the methods
prescribed by the scriptures. This is the Sruti of virtue—the sacred, recited
strictures. The good man who commits a sin unknowingly can destroy the
sin, for his virtue cleanses him of the sin committed in ignorance.
After committing a sin, a man should no longer consider himself a man.
Man cannot conceal his sins: the gods and the man’s conscience see what he
does. The person, who, with piety and without hatred, conceals the errors of
honest and wise men, as he would hide the holes in his clothes, finds
salvation.
If a man seeks redemption after having committed a sin, he is purged of
all his sins; he looks bright, like the moon emerging from behind clouds. A
man who truly wants redemption is washed of all his sins, and, renewed,
shines again like the rising sun dispelling the darkness of the night.
O Dvijottama, it is temptation that is the basis of sin. Men that are
ignorant commit sin by giving in to temptation. Sinful men generally put on
a cloak of virtue, like a well whose mouth is hidden by grass. Outwardly
they seem to be self-controlled and devout; they preach virtue which,
coming from them, is meaningless. In fact, they are anything but virtuous.”
’
Markandeya continues, ‘At the butcher’s words, that wise Brahmana
asked, “How will I recognise true dharma? You are blessed, and I want to
hear this from you, best of virtuous men. Tell me what you know.”
The butcher replied, “Five sacred ingredients make up dharma: yagna—
sacrifice, daana—charity, tapasya—asceticism, the Vedas, and satyam—
truth. Having quelled lust and anger, pride, avarice and crookedness, they
that delight in dharma for dharma’s sake are the truly virtuous and
praiseworthy. Those who perform sacrifices and study the Vedas have no
other way of life other than dharma. They follow only righteousness, and
this is the second attribute of the virtuous.
Waiting upon superiors, truth, freedom from anger, and charity—these
four, O Brahmana, are integral to dharma. The only way a person can lead a
righteous life is by practising these four. The essence of the Vedas is Truth;
the essence of Truth is self-control; and the essence of self-control is
abstention from worldly pleasures. One sees all these in the conduct of a
good man.
They that follow fools who mock men’s virtue walk a sinful path and
are dragged down to perdition. They that are virtuous and conscientiously
observe vratas, who are devoted to the Srutis, who abstain from worldly
pleasures, who tread in virtue’s path and follow the true dharma; they that
are obedient to their gurus, and who contemplate the meaning of the
scriptures with patience and concentration, are the truly virtuous.
Brahmana, these qualities guide their intellect.
Avoid atheists and men that live on the edge; stay away from wicked
and sinful men; rather, acquire knowledge and revere good men. Lust and
temptation are like sharks in the river of life, whose waters are the five
senses. Cross to the other side of this river in the boat of patience, avoiding
the shoals of rebirth into this world.
The supreme dharma, consisting of the exercise of the higher intellect
and dhyana, when gradually added to virtuous conduct, becomes revealed
in beauty, like coloured dye on white fabric. Truthfulness and non-violence
are benign qualities. Of these, non-violence is a cardinal virtue, and based
in Truth. The mind works effectively when the foundation of its activity is
Truth, the noblest value. Pure conduct is the characteristic of all good men;
they that are distinguished for saintliness are men of dharma.
All creatures set principles for themselves based on their inherent
nature. The sinful man, who has no control over himself, acquires lust,
anger and other vices. It is an immortal truth that virtuous actions are those
that are founded on justice; also, sages have declared that all deviant
conduct is sin.
Those who are not swayed by anger, pride, haughtiness and envy, and
those who are quiet and straightforward, are naturally virtuous in conduct.
Those who are diligent in performing the rites prescribed in the three Vedas,
who are wise and of pure and good conduct; those who exercise self-
restraint and are attentive to the needs of their superiors, are men of dharma.
The ways of great men like these are difficult to emulate. Their sins are
washed away by the sanctity of their actions. This piety is wonderful; it is
ancient, immutable and eternal; and wise men who lead lives of dharma
attain Swarga. Men who believe in God, who have no false pride, who are
well-versed in the scriptures, and who respect Dvijas, the twice-born, find
heaven for themselves.
Among holy men, dharma is threefold—the supreme dharma that the
Vedas teach; the dharma that the Dharmashastras preach; and good conduct.
Good karma is the acquisition of knowledge, making pilgrimages to sacred
tirthas, truthfulness, forbearance, purity and honesty.
Virtuous men are always kind to all creatures and hold Brahmanas dear;
they practise ahimsa by abstaining from doing injury to any creature; and
they are always polite. Wise men who know the consequences of their good
and evil karma are held in high esteem by the sages. Those who are just and
good-natured, and blessed with virtue, who wish all creatures well, who
walk steadily on the path of righteousness, conquer Swargaloka.
Godly people praise those who are charitable, unselfish and of
unblemished character, who help the distressed, who are learned and
respected, who practise stern tapasya, and who are kind to all creatures.
The generous man earns prosperity in this world and bliss in the next;
so does the man who, when asked by good men, gives as much as he can,
even depriving his family and dependants. Good men act in this way,
thinking about dharma and their own welfare, and knowing the ways of the
world; and their goodness grows, endlessly.
The good, who are wedded to Truth, who try not to injure any creature,
who are honourable, who avoid evil, who are humble, modest and self-
restrained; they who are accepting of destiny, wise, free from malice and
lust: these are the witnesses of the world.
These three conditions are said to be the perfect way of dharma: a man
must not wrong another, he must bestow alms, and he must always be
truthful. High-souled men of honourable convictions and righteous conduct,
who are kind to all and full of compassion, leave this world with
contentment.
Freedom from malice, patience, peace of mind, contentment, pleasant
speech, renunciation of desire and anger, conduct and actions disciplined by
the dictates of the scriptures, make for pure goodness. Those who are steady
in virtue follow these ways and, having reached the pinnacle of knowledge,
and having learnt how to distinguish good from bad, escape putting their
souls in grave danger.
O Great Brahmana, I have told you about dharma, as I know it and as I
have heard,” said the butcher,’ says Markandeya.”
CANTO 207
CONTINUED
“M arkandeya continues, ‘Yudhishtira, the pious butcher then said

to the Brahmana, “My actions are cruel but, Brahmana, destiny
is powerful and it is difficult to evade the consequences of your past
actions. This is karmic evil arising out of sins I committed in a previous
life. O Brahmana, I am always punctilious in avoiding evil.
God takes away life; the executioner is merely an instrument; and we,
too, are karmic agents. The animals whose meat I sell also acquire karma,
because they give pleasure to gods, guests and servants when they are
served as well-prepared dishes, thereby propitiating the spirits of their
ancestors.
It is said authoritatively that herbs and vegetables, deer, birds and wild
animals are the food of all creatures. King Sibi, the son of Usinara, of great
forbearance, reached heaven, which is not easy, by giving away his own
flesh.
In olden times, two thousand cows and two thousand other animals
were slaughtered every day in King Rantideva’s kitchen, and he acquired
unrivalled fame by distributing food with meat, daily. Animals have to be
sacrificed for the performance of the quarterly rites. The saying that the
sacred fire is fond of animal flesh has come down to us from ages past. At
yagnas, animals are invariably killed by Brahmanas, and these animals,
purged of sin by the chanting of mantras, find Swarga. O Dvija, if the
sacred fire had not been so fond of animal flesh in ancient times, meat could
not have become a part of our diet.
As regards meat, this rule has been laid down by sages: whoever
partakes of animal food after having first offered it respectfully to the Devas
and the Pitrs, is not polluted by what he does, and such a man is not
considered to have partaken of the meat in the same way that a
brahmacharin who has intercourse with his wife during her menstrual
period is nevertheless considered to be a good Brahmana. This law has been
declared after deliberations on its propriety, Dvijottama.
King Sudasa, when suffering from a curse, often used to prey upon
men; what is your opinion of this? And, good Brahmana, I know that my
life is a consequence of my own karma, and I obtain my livelihood from
this profession. To forsake one’s inherent occupation is considered a sin;
whereas pursuing one’s svadharma is, definitely, meritorious.
The karma of a former life is inescapable, and in determining the
consequences of one’s karma, the Creator has maintained this law. A person
living out the results of his evil karma must always think about how he can
atone and extricate himself from doom. The karma that follows evil can be
expiated in many ways. Accordingly, Brahmanasreshta, I am charitable,
truthful, and assiduously do I serve my superiors; I am respectful and
devoted to Brahmanas, and do not indulge in pride or idle gossip.
Farming is considered a praiseworthy occupation, but it is well-known
that even there, great harm is done to animal life because, in the process of
ploughing the earth, numberless small creatures living underground are
killed. Do you not agree? O Brahmana, vrihi and other types of rice are all
living organisms. What is your opinion?
Men hunt wild animals, kill them and eat their meat; they cut down
trees and herbs; but, Brahmana, there are countless living things in trees, in
fruits and in water. Do you not think so?
All creation, Dvija, is full of animal life, sustaining itself with food
derived from living organisms. Have you not noticed that fish prey upon
fish, that animals prey upon other species, and that other species eat their
own kind? While walking, men trample and kill uncountable living
creatures. Even wise and enlightened men destroy life in various ways,
while sleeping or resting. What do you say to this? The earth and the air
swarm with living creatures, which are unknowingly killed by men. Is this
not so?
The injunction that people should not harm any creature was ordained
long ago by men who were ignorant of the true facts. Brahmana, there is not
a man on the face of this earth who is innocent of injuring living creatures. I
have thought deeply about this and have come to this conclusion. Even the
Rishi, good Brahmana, whose vow is to do no harm to any creature, inflicts
injury on animal life, except that the harm is less.
Kshatriyas of great qualities defiantly do evil, of which they are not
ashamed. Good men acting in an exemplary way are not praised by other
good men; nor are bad men acting in evil ways praised by their evil peers;
friends are not pleasant to friends, despite their noble qualities; and foolish
pedants denigrate the virtues of their teachers. This reversal of the natural
order of things, O excellent Brahmana, is common. What do you think
about all this?
There is much that one can say about the integrity or vileness of our
actions. All said and done, whoever adheres to his dharma surely acquires
renown,” says Markandeya.’ ”
CANTO 208
CONTINUED
“M arkandeya continues, ‘O Yudhishtira, the good and

compassionate butcher then said to the Brahmana, “Our elders
have handed down to us, by word of mouth, the wisdom of the Sruti, which
says that the ways of dharma are subtle, diverse and infinite.
When life is at stake and in the matter of marriage, one is permitted to
tell an untruth. Untruth sometimes leads to the triumph of truth but,
conversely, truth can also maintain lies. Whichever is most conducive to the
good of all creatures is considered the truth. Dharma is thus perverted; mark
its subtle ways.
Man’s actions are either good or bad, and he surely reaps their fruits.
The ignorant man, having reached a miserable state, abuses the gods, not
knowing that his condition is the consequence of his own evil karma. The
foolish, the scheming and the fickle, good Brahmana, always attain the
opposite of happiness; they find misery. Neither learning nor morals, nor
personal exertion can save them. If the fruits of our efforts were not
dependent on anything else, people would gain the object of their desire
merely by striving for it.
Able, intelligent and diligent persons are frustrated in their efforts and
do not obtain the fruits of their actions. On the other hand, those who live
by deception, and who harm others, thrive. There are some who achieve
prosperity without trying too hard; and there are others, who, even with the
utmost effort, are unable to achieve their ends.
Misers worship the gods and practise severe austerities with the object
of having sons, and those healthy sons, born in full term, turn out to be a
disgrace to their family; whereas others born under the same circumstances
live decent and comfortable lives, enjoying the wealth passed down to them
by their ancestors.
The diseases that a man suffers from are undoubtedly the result of his
own karma, which traps him, like a small deer in a hunter’s hands; and he
suffers agony. And, O Brahmana, just as a hunter cuts off the flight of his
quarry, skilful physicians check the progress of the disease with their
medicines.
The most devout and knowledgeable men say that those who have the
wherewithal to enjoy the good things that life has to offer are prevented
from doing so because of chronic bowel disorders; they say that many that
are strong and powerful suffer and have great difficulty earning a
livelihood; they say that every man is helpless, overcome by sorrow and
illusion, and repeatedly tossed about and dragged under by the powerful
current of his own actions, his karma.
If there were absolute freedom of action, no creature would die, none
would decay, none would have to await his doom, and every man would
attain the object of his desire. Everyone wants to outdistance his neighbours
in the race of life, and men strive to the utmost of their power to this end;
but the result is unpredictable.
Many are born under the influence of the same star and the same
astrological concatenations; but there is great diversity in the maturity of
their actions. Dvijottama, no person can be the dispenser of his own lot. The
actions done in a previous existence bear fruit in our present life. The soul
is eternal and everlasting, but the physical body is impermanent and is
destroyed in this world. So, when life is extinguished it is only the body that
is destroyed; the soul, bonded to its actions, lives on to take birth in another
body.”
The Brahmana replied, “O learned one, you have grasped the mysteries
of karma, and are expert at discourse. I want to know how the soul becomes
immortal.”
The butcher replied, “The spirit does not die, it only rehouses itself.
Those who foolishly say that all creatures die are mistaken. The soul fits
itself to another frame, and its change of home is called death. In the world
of men, no man lives the consequences of another man’s karma; he reaps
the consequences of what he does.
The consequences of actions, once done, cannot be avoided. The
virtuous become endowed with great virtues, and sinful men become the
perpetrators of evil deeds. Men’s karma follows them and influences the
conditions of their rebirth.”
The Brahmana asked, “Why does the spirit take its birth, and how does
it become sinful or virtuous? And how, excellent one, does it come to
belong to a sinful or virtuous man?”
The butcher replied, “This mystery has to do with procreation. I shall
briefly describe to you, Brahmanottama, how the soul is born again with its
accumulated load of karma, the righteous soul in the virtuous and the evil
soul in the sinful. Through the performance of virtuous actions it reaches
the state of the celestials, and by a combination of good and evil it acquires
the human condition; by indulging in sensual and base ways it is born into
the lower species of animals; and by outright sin it goes to naraka, to hell.
Afflicted with the miseries of birth, death and old age, man is fated to
rot from the consequences of his own actions. Passing through thousands of
births, and through naraka, our spirits wander, bound by ropes of their own
karma.
Animate beings become miserable in the next world because of their
own actions, and as a result of those miseries, they assume lower births and
go on to accumulate new karma. They suffer again, like sickly men eating
unwholesome food; and although they are thus afflicted, they think they are
happy and at ease, and consequently their fetters remain in place and more
fresh karma builds. Suffering from all kinds of grief, they spin about dizzily
in this world like a loose wheel.
If they shrug off their bonds and purify themselves by their actions, and
if they practise penance and tapasya, then, O Brahmanottama, they attain
mukti. By casting off their karmic fetters and through purifying deeds, men
reach that blissful state where misery is unknown. The sinful man, who is
addicted to vice, never stops being iniquitous. So, must we strive to do what
is good and desist from doing what is wrong.
The person who, with whole-hearted gratitude and free from malice,
strives to do good attains the four purusharthas: dharma, artha, kama and
moksha. Those who are purified of sins, wise, forbearing, steadfast in
dharma and self-restrained enjoy uninterrupted well-being in this world and
the next. Man must live by the standards of the good and emulate the
righteous: there are many learned and virtuous men who are versed in the
Shastras. It is man’s dharma to follow his own inherent vocation, his
svadharma, which prevents confusion.
The wise man delights in virtue and lives by righteousness.
Brahmanottama, such a man, with his acquired wealth of righteousness,
waters the root of the particular plant of dharma in which he finds the most
virtue. Thus does the godly man calm and still his mind. He is pleased with
his friends in this world and also attains happiness in the next. Virtuous
persons, excellent one, acquire authority and enjoy the pleasures of beauty,
flavour, sound and touch as they wish. These are the rewards of dharma.
However, excellent Brahmana, the enlightened man is not satisfied with
reaping the fruits of righteousness. Not content with that, and with the light
of spiritual wisdom that resides in him, he becomes indifferent to pain and
pleasure; and he is unaffected by evil. He chooses to give up worldly
pursuits, but he does not forsake dharma.
Realising that everything in the world is transient, he attempts to
renounce it all. He does not rely on chance, but designs the means of
attaining his salvation. So, renouncing all worldly pleasures and avoiding
sin, he becomes pure and, at last, attains moksha.
Spiritual wisdom is the main requirement for man to attain salvation,
and surrender and patience are its roots. By this means he achieves all that
he desires. By subduing the senses and by a life of truthfulness and
fortitude, he attains, O Brahmana, the supreme state of Brahman.”
The Brahmana asked, “O most devout of men, what are these senses
you speak of, and how are they subdued? What does one gain by subduing
the senses, and how does one get the benefits of it? I want to know about
these things,” ’ says Markandeya.”
CANTO 209
CONTINUED
“M arkandeya continues, ‘Hear, O Yudhishtira, what the virtuous

butcher said when the Brahmana questioned him.
He said, “Men begin by bending their minds to the acquisition of
knowledge. Once that end is met, they work on great tasks and then indulge
their desires and the pleasures of the senses—beauty, taste, and so on.
Dharma, artha and kama.
Attachment follows, then envy, then avarice, and the light of spirituality
is extinguished. When men are influenced by avarice, and overcome by
envy and attachment, dharma no longer guides their minds, and their lives
become a mockery of virtue. Practising dharma with hypocrisy, they are
content to acquire wealth dishonourably and, with this ill-gotten wealth,
their minds become enamoured of evil ways, and they are filled with a
desire to sin. And, good Brahmana, when their friends and wise men try to
dissuade them, they answer with sophistry, neither sound nor convincing.
Their addiction to evil makes them sin in thought, word and deed, and
kills all their good qualities, and these evil men cultivate other evil ones as
friends. They suffer misery in this world as well as in the next. This is the
sinful man’s nature.
Now hear about the man of virtue. He discerns evil with spiritual
insight, and is able to discriminate between joy and grief; he is respectfully
attentive to men of wisdom and from practising virtue, his soul leans
towards dharma.”
The Brahmana said, “You have explained dharma to me in a way that no
one else could. Your spiritual power is great; you seem to be a great sage.”
The butcher replied, “We worship the great Brahmanas with the same
honour that we give our ancestors, and we always propitiate them, before
anyone else, with offerings of food. In this world, wise men put their hearts
into doing what pleases them. I will now describe to you what pleases them.
But first I will bow in reverence to Brahmanas as a varna. Learn the
Brahmana dharma from me.
This whole Universe is unconquerable in its totality and is made of the
panchamahabhutas, the five great elements; it is Brahman, and there is
nothing higher. The Earth, Air, Water, Fire and Sky are the mahabhutas; and
form, odour, sound, touch and taste are their characteristic properties. These
properties, too, have their own properties.
Three qualities characterise each property and, of them, consciousness,
also called the mind, is the most important. In seventh place is intelligence
and after that comes egoism; then come the five senses, then the soul, then
the moral gunas—sattva, rajas and tamas. These seventeen are the abstract,
or incomprehensible, qualities.
Now that I have described all this to you, is there anything else you
want to know?” said the vendor of meat.’ ”
CANTO 210
CONTINUED
“M arkandeya continues, ‘O Bhaarata, the Brahmana, who found

the meat-seller’s discourse so pleasing, said, “Devout one, you
said that there are five great elements; do describe fully all the lakshanas or
properties of any one of the five.”
The butcher replied, “Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Sky all have properties
that overlap each other. I will describe them to you. Earth, O Brahmana, has
five qualities; Water has four, Fire three and Air and Sky together have
three. Sound, touch, shape, smell and taste are the five lakshanas of Earth;
sound, touch, shape and taste belong to Water; sound, touch and shape are
the three properties of Fire; Air has two properties—sound and touch; and
sound alone is the Sky’s.
O Brahmana, these fifteen properties that are inherent in the five
elements exist in everything of which this Universe is made. They are not
opposed to one another, but co-exist in combinations. When the Universe is
cast into chaos, then every physical being, in its proper time, assumes a new
physical body. Each of these bodily receptacles come to life and die in their
due order.
There are five elementary substances of which all the mobile and
immobile world is composed. Whatever the senses can perceive is called
vyakta, knowable or comprehensible, and whatever is beyond the reach of
the senses and can only be perceived by the imagination is known as
avyakta.
When a person sets out on the quest for Atma gyana, knowledge of the
Self, after having subdued the senses, which have their own roles to play in
relation to the external world, then he sees his own soul pervading the
Universe, and the Universe reflected in himself. The man who is bound to
his previous karma, though learned in the highest spiritual wisdom, can
only know his soul’s objective existence; but he whose soul is unaffected by
the conditions around him is never subject to sorrow, because his soul has
absorbed the spirit of Brahman.
When a man has overcome the influence of illusion, his human virtues,
consisting of the essence of spiritual wisdom, turn to spiritual
enlightenment, which illumines the minds of all beings. The omnipotent
Spirit regards such a man as one who is without beginning or end, who is
self-existent, unchangeable, without material form, and incomparable.
This, O Brahmana, is the result of self-discipline; and this self-
discipline can only be acquired by subduing the senses. It cannot be
otherwise, because heaven and hell are both dependent on our senses. When
subdued they lead to Swarga; when indulged in they lead to ruin. This
subjugation of the senses is the highest path to spiritual enlightenment.
Our senses are at the root of our spiritual advancement as well as of our
spiritual downfall. By indulging them, a man becomes addicted to vice, and
by subduing them, he attains salvation. The self-restrained person who
acquires mastery over the six senses is never tainted with sin, and evil has
no power over him.
Man’s physical body has been compared to a chariot, his soul to a
charioteer and his senses to horses. A dexterous man drives about without
confusion, like a confident charioteer with well-broken horses. That man
who knows how to wield the reins of spirited horses—the six senses
inherent in our nature—is an excellent charioteer.
When our senses become uncontrollable, like swift horses given their
heads on the open road, we must patiently rein them in for, with patience,
we can bring them under control. When a man’s mind is overpowered by
any one of the senses, running wild, he loses his reason and becomes like a
ship tossed by storms on the high seas.
Men allow illusion to deceive them, with the hope of reaping the fruit of
those six senses. The effects of these six are studied by men of spiritual
insight, and they are the ones who reap the rewards of their clear
perception,” said the meat vendor.’ ”
CANTO 211
CONTINUED
“M arkandeya continued, ‘Bhaarata, the Brahmana listened

attentively to the meat-seller’s discourse and asked him,
“Describe the qualities of sattva, rajas and tamas to me.”
The butcher replied, “I will describe each of their characteristics
separately. Listen.
Tamas is characterised by spiritual delusion; rajas incites men to action;
sattva is of great splendour and the greatest of the three.
He who is spiritually ignorant, foolish and a dreamer, who is idle,
apathetic and swayed by anger and arrogance, is under the influence of
tamas. The man who speaks pleasantly, who is thoughtful and free from
envy, and who is industrious because he wishes to benefit from his hard
work, and who is compassionate, is influenced by rajas. He who is resolute
and patient, who has no anger, who is free from malice, and who is wise
and forbearing, who does not work out of a desire to benefit from his work,
is said to be under the influence of sattva.
When a sattvic man allows himself to be influenced by worldliness he is
unhappy; but he shuns it when he realises its significance. Then, he begins
to feel indifferent to worldly matters; his pride decreases, and righteousness
increases; and he reconciles the values that are in conflict within him.
Conscious self-restraint becomes unnecessary. A man may be born a Sudra,
but if he has sattva, he can attain the level of a Vaisya or of a Kshatriya; and
if he is steadfast in dharma, he can become equal to a Brahmana.
I have described the gunas to you; is there anything else you wish to
know?” said the meat vendor.’
CANTO 212
CONTINUED
‘T he Brahmana asked, “How does Fire, the vital force, combine with
Earth, matter, to become the physical body which houses living
spirits? And how does prana, the life-force, give the parts of the body in
which it resides impetus to act?”
The butcher replied, “Prana, the vital spirit, manifesting itself in the seat
of consciousness, sparks the body into action. It is the soul, which is present
in both, that acts. The past, the present and the future are inseparable from
the soul, and it is the highest aspect of any being. It is the essence of the
Supreme Spirit, and we adore it. It is the life-giving principle of all
creatures, and it is the eternal spirit—Purusha. It is splendid.
It is the intelligence and the ego; it is the seat of all elements. It is
sustained by that subtle life-force, prana, while it inhabits a corporeal
frame, in all its internal and external interactions with mind or matter.
Each being, however, goes its own way by the action of another subtle
force called samana. Samana transforms itself into apana, or air, and,
supported by the top of the stomach, carries the body’s waste to the kidneys
and intestines.
This same force is present in the three elements—effort, exertion and
power—and men learned in science have named it udana. When it
manifests itself at the energy centres of the human system it is known as
vyana. Vyana disperses heat into the tissues and muscles of the body to
transform food and fluids into energy. Vyana combines with prana and the
other forces to produce heat, the body’s internal energy, which causes
digestion.
The energy produced by the combination of prana and apana reacts
within samana and udana to generate the physical growth of the body that
consists of the seven substances—bones, muscles and the rest.
Apana is that portion of its seat extending as far as the rectum; from
there, arteries spread in the five forces, of which prana is one. Heat acts on
prana, which strikes the extremity of the apana region and recoils, to react
on the heat.
Above the navel is the region of undigested food and below it the area
of digestion. Prana and all the other forces of the body are seated in the
navel. The arteries coming from the heart run upwards, downwards and
obliquely, carrying the essence of our food. The arteries are controlled by
the ten pranic forces.
Yogis, who have overcome every obstacle, and who view all things
objectively and impartially, whose souls are in their intellect, find the
Supreme Spirit.
Prana and apana are present in beings. The soul or atman is clothed in
corporeal disguise, and is present in the eleven elemental physical aspects
of life forms. Although eternal and undying, its normal state is altered by its
habitat, just as fire burns in a fireplace, constant, yet taking the shape of its
container.
The soul, which is divine, is related to the body in which it lives in the
same way as a drop of water that rolls on the sleek surface of a lotus leaf.
Sattva, rajas and tamas are the attributes of all life; life is the attribute of
the soul; and the soul is an attribute of the Supreme Brahman. This living
principle, which is active in itself and induces activity in its attributes of
sattva, rajas and tamas, is anchored in inert matter. It is that Brahman by
which the seven worlds are incited to action and is called the most high by
men of spiritual insight.
In all these elements, the eternal spirit does not show itself, but can be
known by those who are learned in Atma gyana, who have extraordinary
vision. A pure-minded man, by purifying his heart, can destroy the good
and evil karmic effects of his actions and attain eternal bliss by the
enlightenment of his inner spirit. That state of peace is compared to the
sound sleep of an innocent, happy person, or the steady light of a lamp
trimmed by a skilful hand.
A pure man, living on a frugal diet, perceives the Supreme Spirit in his
own soul, and by meditating in the evening and the small hours of the night,
he sees the Nirguna Paramatman, the Supreme Spirit, by the light of his
heart, shining like a bright lamp, and so he attains moksha.
Greed and anger must somehow be subdued, because self-restraint is
the most sacred virtue that a man can practise. It is considered the means by
which a man can cross the sea of misery. A man must protect his
righteousness from being swallowed by the evil consequences of anger; he
must safeguard his virtues from his pride; he must protect his learning from
vanity, and his own spirit from illusion.
Liberality is the best of virtues, and forbearance is the most powerful;
the knowledge of our inner spiritual nature is the best of all knowledge, and
truthfulness the best of all religious duties. Speaking the truth is good and
so is the knowledge of truth, but the greatest good of all creatures is brought
about by what we know as the Highest Truth.
He whose actions are not performed for the sake of reward or blessing,
he who has sacrificed everything to achieve renunciation—this man is a real
Sannyasin and is truly wise. No one can teach a man to commune with
Brahman, not even his spiritual Guru. To solve the eternal mystery the Guru
can only set us on the path, which is to renounce the material world through
yoga.
We must not harm any creature and must live in peace and friendship
with all. In our present existence, we must not avenge ourselves on any
creature. Self-denial, peace of mind, renunciation of hope, and equanimity
are the ways by which enlightenment can be reached. The knowledge of the
Self is the highest knowledge.
In this world as well as hereafter, a man must fulfil his dharma by
renouncing all worldly desires and developing an attitude of stoicism and
detachment, by which suffering is stilled.
The Muni who wants to have Moksha, salvation, which is so difficult to
attain, must observe constant austerities, patience and self-restraint; he must
give up attachment, which binds him to people and material things. These
practices are the attributes of the Brahman. The gunas that we are conscious
of reduce themselves to agunas, non-attributes, in Him, the Supreme Spirit.
He is not bound by anything, and is seen only by the development of
spiritual vision. As soon as the illusion caused by ignorance is dispelled,
supreme unalloyed joy is attained. By giving up the objects of pleasure and
pain, and by severing the bonds to the things of this earth, a man may attain
Brahman, and Moksha.
Brahmanottama, I have explained this to you in brief, as I have heard it.
What else do you wish to know?” said the meat-seller.’ ”
CANTO 213
CONTINUED
“M arkandeya says, ‘Yudhishtira, when the Brahmana heard the

explanation of this subtle mystery of Mukti he was overjoyed,
and he said to the butcher, “All that you have explained is sound, and it
seems to me that there is nothing you do not know about the mysteries of
true religion.”
The butcher replied, “Good and great Brahmana, you will see for
yourself the truth of all that I have told you, because of which I have
attained this blissful state. Come into the inner apartment of my home; you
should meet my parents.”
The Brahmana went in and saw a fine, beautiful mansion. It was a
magnificent house divided into four suites of rooms. The Devas had
admired this house and indeed it looked like one of their own palaces. It
was furnished with fine chairs and beds, and sweet perfumes hung in the air.
The meat-seller’s parents, clad in white robes, had finished their meal and
were seated at ease. The butcher prostrated himself before them and
touched his head to their feet.
His elderly parents said to him, “Rise, O pious one; may dharma shield
you. We are always pleased with your goodness; may you be blessed with a
long life, knowledge and keen intelligence; may all your desires be fulfilled.
You are a good and dutiful son, and you look after us so well. Indeed, you
do not worship any god as you do us.
By constantly controlling yourself, you have gained the discipline and
power of a Brahmana. Your ancestors are gratified by your self-restraint and
by the way you worship us. In thought, word and action, your attention to
us never flags and it seems that you never have any thought in your mind
except how to please us. Son, you work as hard to please us as Rama, the
son of Jamadagni, did to please his old parents, even more.”
Then the butcher introduced the Brahmana to his parents, and they
received him with the customary salutation of welcome. The Brahmana,
accepting their welcome humbly, enquired if they, their children and
servants were in good health, and happy.
The aged couple replied, “O Brahmana, we are all well. Were you able
to reach this place without much difficulty?”
The Brahmana replied that he had. Now the meat vendor said to the
Brahmana, “Worshipful one, my parents are the idols that I worship;
whatever is due to the gods, I do for them. Just as men worship the thirty-
three Devas with Indra at their head, I worship my aged parents. Just as
Brahmanas strive to procure offerings to make to their gods, I work
diligently to make offerings to these two deities of mine.
My father and my mother, O Brahmana, are my supreme gods, and I
want to please them always, with offerings of flowers, fruit and jewels. To
me they are like the three sacred Agnis that learned men speak of, like the
Yagnas, or the four Vedas.
My five pranas, my wife, children and friends are all dedicated to their
service. With my wife and children, I always attend on them.
Brahmanottama, with my own hands I assist in their bathing; I wash their
feet and give them food; and I speak to them only of pleasant matters and
never what is unpleasant. I consider pleasing them to be my highest
dharma, even if what that entails might not be justifiable. And I am always
diligent in serving them.
One’s parents, the sacred fire, the soul and the spiritual Guru—these
five, good Brahmana, are worthy of the highest reverence by a person who
seeks prosperity. By serving them properly, one acquires the punya of
perpetually keeping the sacred fire burning. It is the eternal duty of all
grihastas,” said the vendor of meat.’
CANTO 214
CONTINUED
“M arkandeya continues, ‘Having introduced his parents to the

Brahmana as his highest gurus, the butcher said, “Now you see
the power of my dharma, which has enhanced my inner spiritual vision. It is
for this purpose that the lady, who is self-restrained, truthful and devoted to
her husband, told you to come to Mithila to meet the butcher who would
explain the mysteries of religion to you.”
The Brahmana said, “Pious one, so steadfast in fulfilling your dharma, I
remember what that chaste devi said, and I am convinced that you are truly
endowed with every fine quality.”
The butcher replied, “I have no doubt that the good woman explained
all this to you. Now listen to me and I will tell you what will benefit you.
Brahmana of impeachable character, you have wronged your father and
mother by leaving home without their permission, in order to study the
Vedas. You have not acted properly in this matter, because your sannyasin
parents are old and have been blinded by their grief at losing you. Return
home to console them, and may this always stand you in good stead. You
have a noble mind and great tapasyashakti, and you are devout; but these
qualities have not benefitted you. Go back immediately and comfort your
parents.
Take my advice seriously, because what I say is for your weal.
Brahmana, go home today.”
The Brahmana said, “Surely, you speak the truth. May you prosper,
pious one; I am pleased with you.”
The butcher said, “Brahmana, your perseverance in the practice of the
divine and ancient sanatana dharma, which even the pure-minded find so
difficult to attain, makes you seem like a god. Return to your parents’ side
and waste no time in adoring them. I do not know of any higher dharma
than this.”
The Brahmana said, “It is my singular good fortune that has brought me
here, and I am lucky to have met you. It is very difficult to find, in our
midst, one who can explain the mysteries of dharma; there is hardly even
one man in a thousand who is so knowledgeable about dharma.
I am glad, O great one, to have your friendship. May you prosper. You
have pulled me back from the brink of hell. I know this is my destiny
because of the manner in which you came into my life.
You have saved me just as his grandsons saved the fallen king Yayati. I
will follow your advice and honour my father and mother. I know you are
pure-hearted because no man whose heart is sullied could unravel these
subtle intricacies of dharma. It is difficult indeed for a Sudra to understand
these profound and complex concepts; and this puzzles me. You must have
been born a Sudra because of your past karma. Most generous one, I am
eager to know the truth about this. Tell me about it, as you see fit.”
The butcher replied, “Good Brahmana, I revere Brahmanas. Listen,
sinless one, to the story of my previous life. In my last life, I was a
Brahmana, well-read in the Vedas, and an accomplished student of the
Vedangas. It is my own fault that I have been degraded to my present
condition.
A king, a skilled archer who was accomplished in dhanurveda, the
science of archery, was my friend; and from being his companion, O
Brahmana, I, too became a good archer. One day, the king, with his
ministers and best warriors, went hunting. He killed a large number of deer
near a hermitage.
I, too, good Brahmana, shot a swift, fierce arrow, which wounded a
Rishi while his head was bent in prayer. He fell down on the ground,
screaming, and he cried, ‘I have done no harm to anyone. What sinful man
has done this to me?’
My lord, I assumed I had shot a deer and went up, only to find the
Rishi, his body pierced by my arrow. I was dismayed by the evil thing I had
done, and said to that sage of great punya, who lay wailing on the ground, ‘I
did this unwittingly, O Rishi. You must forgive me my sin.’
But, O Brahmana, the Rishi said to me, ‘You will be born as a cruel
butcher in the Sudra caste,’ ” said the meat-seller.’
CANTO 215
CONTINUED
‘T he butcher continued, “Cursed by the Muni, I tried to pacify him,

‘Forgive me, O Muni, I did not do this on purpose. Worshipful
one, do not be angry.’
The Rishi replied, ‘I cannot withdraw the curse I have pronounced, but
out of compassion for you I will do you a favour. Though born in the Sudra
varna, you will be a pious man and worship your parents. And, by
worshipping them, you will attain great punya. You will remember your
past life, and you will go to Swargaloka. When you have been redeemed
from this curse, you will become a Brahmana once more.’
Manavottama, thus did the powerful Rishi curse me and thus did I atone
for my sin and placate him.
Then, excellent Brahmana, I drew out the arrow from his body and took
him into the asrama; he was alive and he recovered. This is what happened
to me long ago, in my last life, and I have told you how I will find heaven
in the hereafter.”
The Brahmana said, “O knowing one, do not grieve, for all men are
subject to joy and sorrow. It is in keeping with your dharma that you
slaughter animals and sell their meat, but you are always devoted to the
path of virtue and learned in the mysterious ways of the world. What you do
is your duty, and the taint of evil karma will not attach to you. After a short
time, you will regain your Brahmanic status. In fact, I consider you a
Brahmana even now. I have no doubt about this.
The Brahmana who is vain and haughty, who is addicted to vice and
wedded to evil, shameful practices, is like a Sudra. On the other hand, a
Sudra who wears virtue, self-restraint and truth like ornaments is like a
Brahmana. A man becomes a Brahmana by dint of his character; and by his
own evil karma, a man invites doom. I believe that your sin has now been
wiped away. You must not grieve, for men like you, who are so good, and
learned in the subtleties of philosophy and the ways of the world, can have
no cause for grief.”
The butcher replied, “Physical illnesses should be cured with medicines,
and mental ones with spiritual wisdom. This is the power of knowledge.
Knowing this, wise men should not behave like callow boys. Only men of
little intelligence are overpowered by grief when something unpleasant
happens to them, or when something desirable does not.
All beings are subject to feelings of grief or joy; it is not unique to any
single species of creature or class of men. Knowing that this is so, people
quickly change their ways; and if they recognise it early, they can cure
themselves of it altogether.
Men who worry about this make themselves unhappy. Wise men, whose
knowledge has made them contented, and who are indifferent to sorrow and
joy alike, are truly happy. The wise are always contented and the foolish
always discontented. There is no end to discontentment; contentment is the
highest form of happiness. People who have found the perfect path do not
grieve; they are aware of the final destiny of all creatures.
One must not give way to discontent. It is a noxious poison: it kills
those who have not developed their intellect, like a snake kills a child. The
man who lacks wisdom, and who is confused when he finds himself in a
situation where he has to exercise his intellect, is hardly a man.
All our actions have their consequences. The man who lives a life of
passive indifference to what happens around him achieves nothing. Instead
of merely grumbling, one must try to find the way to gain freedom form
spiritual bondage; and when the means to salvation are found, he must free
himself from his dependence on the senses.
The man who has attained a high state of spiritual knowledge is always
conscious of the impermanence of all phenomena. He keeps the final
destruction of everything in mind and never grieves. I, too, O sage one, do
not grieve; I am biding my time while I live out this present life.
Purushottama, that is why I am not plagued by uncertainty.”
The Brahmana said, “You are wise and evolved; great is your intellect.
You, who know the sacred scriptures, are content with your spiritual
wisdom. I can see no faults in you. Farewell, O best of the pious; may you
prosper; may righteousness be your armour; and may you be constant in
dharma.” ’
Markandeya continues, ‘The butcher said to the Brahmana, “Tathaastu,
so be it.”
The Brahmana walked around the meat-seller in pradakshina and left.
The Brahmana went back home and was conscientious in his attention to
his elderly parents.
This story I have told you, and which you wanted to hear, Yudhishtira
my son, is replete with wisdom: the virtues of women’s devotion to their
husbands and of filial worship.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Mahamuni, you have narrated this wonderful story
and, listening to you made the hours pass as if they were a mere moment.
But, I am not yet satiated with listening to your discourse.’ ”
CANTO 216
CONTINUED
V aisampayana continued, “The noble Yudhishtira listens to this

superb religious discourse, and he says to Rishi Markandeya, ‘Why
did Agni Deva, the Fire God, hide himself in water, and why did the
splendid Angirasa become Agni to convey the oblations when Agni had
disappeared into the water? Fire is one, but it seems to divide itself and
become many. Worshipful one, I want to know about this and other things,
as well.
How was Kumara born? How did he come to be known as the son of
Agni? How was he born to Rudra, Ganga and Krittika? Holy
Bhrigunandana, I am eager to learn how these things happened. Great
Muni, I am curious about all this.’
Markandeya replies, ‘There is an ancient tale told, about how Agni
Deva, the conveyor of oblations, went in a temper to the forest in order to
perform a penance. Angirasa transformed himself into Agni and freed the
world from darkness and anguish with his warmth.
Long, long ago, Mahabaho, the great Angirasa performed a wonderful
tapasya in his asrama. He was more splendid than the bearer of oblations,
Agni Deva, and lit up the Universe. Agni was performing a penance at the
same time and was annoyed by Angirasa’s brilliance. Depressed and not
knowing what to do, that god thought to himself, “Brahma has created
another Agni for the world. Because I have been at tapasya, my services as
the Deity of fire have been dispensed with.”
He thought about how he could re-establish himself as the god of fire.
He saw the great Muni Angirasa warming the whole Universe, as fire does,
and approached him slowly and fearfully.
Angirasa said to him, “Re-establish yourself quickly as the life-giving
fire of the Universe. Everyone in Triloka knows that you were created by
Brahma to dispel the primeval darkness. O Destroyer of darkness, occupy
your proper place.”
Agni replied, “My reputation is tarnished now, and you have become
the Fire God. People will know you, and not me, as Agni. I have
relinquished my status of being Fire God. You be the primeval fire, and I
shall officiate as the second, or Prajapatyaka Agni.”
Angirasa said, “You must re-instate yourself as the God of fire and the
Destroyer of darkness, and resume your duty of ensuring that the people
have a clear path to Swarga. Lord, make me have your first child.” ’
Markandeya continues, ‘Hearing Angirasa’s words, Agni complied and
Angirasa had a son named Brihaspati. The Devas knew that he was
Angirasa’s first son, born of Agni, and, O Bhaarata, they came to probe the
mystery; and they accepted Angirasa’s explanation of how this had
happened.
Now I will name and describe all the different types of fire, as the
Brahmanas know them, and their uses.’ ”
CANTO 217
CONTINUED
“M arkandeya continues, “O gem of the Kurus, Angirasa was the

third son of Brahma and he had a wife named Subha. Hear
about the children he had by her. Rajan, his son Brihaspati’s fame was
legend; he was generous and powerful. His intelligence and learning were
profound, and he had a great reputation as a counsellor.
Angirasa’s eldest daughter was Bhanumati; she was the most beautiful
of all his children. His second daughter was called Raga, so named because
she was loved by all creatures. Sinivali was his third daughter; her body
was so slender that she was visible from certain angles and invisible from
others; and for this reason she was compared to Rudra’s daughter.
Archishmati was his fourth daughter, and she was so named because of her
radiance. His fifth daughter was Havishmati, so named because she
accepted havis, oblations. The sixth daughter of Angirasa was called
Mahishmati, and she was very devout. The intelligent Mahamati was his
seventh daughter; she is always present at sacrifices of great grandeur. This
revered daughter of Angirasa, who is known to be without rival, and about
whom people utter the words kuhu kuhu, is also known as Kuhu Kuhu.’ ”
CANTO 218
CONTINUED
“M arkandeya continues, ‘Brihaspati had a wife named Tara, who

was from the Moon. She had six of his sons, born of six
different fires, and one daughter.
Brihaspati’s son Sanju was a great tapasvin; he is the fire in whose
honour ghee is offered at the Paurnamasya yagna and other sacrifices. At
the Chaturmasya yagna and Aswamedha yagna, animals are offered in his
honour, and we know him by the way he manifests himself in multiple
flames. Sanju’s wife was called Satya; she was of matchless beauty and was
born from Dharma, to embody truth. Sanju’s son was the whole, blazing
fire, and he had three deeply religious daughters.
The fire which is honoured with the first oblations at all sacrifices is his
first son, named Bharadwaja. Sanju’s second son is called Bharata, in
whose honour ghee is offered with the sacrificial ladle, the sruk, at all the
full-moon—Paurnamasya—sacrifices. Beside these, there were other sons
of whom Bharata was the eldest; and he had a daughter called Bharati.
Bharata is the son of Prajapati Bharata Agni. And, Bhaaratottama,
because of the honour accorded to him, he is also called “Great”.
Vira is Bharadwaja’s wife; and her son is also named Vira. The
Brahmanas say that he is worshipped with the same hymns as Soma is, and
with offerings of ghee. Joined with Soma during the second round of ghee
oblation, he is also called Rathaprabhu, Rathadhwana and Kumbhareta. He
had a son named Siddhi by his wife Sarayu, who outshone the Sun in
splendour. As the presiding deity of the fire sacrifice, he is always named in
the hymns of praise to Fire.
The fire named Nischayavana only praises the Earth; his good name,
splendour and prosperity never wane. The sinless fire, named Satya, blazing
with pure energy, is Nischayavana’s son. He is free from all impurities and
is not defiled by sin; he is the regulator of time. This fire has another name,
Nishkriti, because he brought about the Nishkriti, redemption, of all
creatures. When properly worshipped, he guarantees good fortune. His son
is Swana, the generator of all diseases; he inflicts intense suffering, making
his victims cry out aloud. He lives in the intelligence of the Universe.
Brihaspati’s third son is called Viswajit by men of spiritual wisdom. The
fire that manifests as the internal heat of the body, which digests the food of
all creatures, is the fourth son of Brihaspati, known throughout all the
worlds, O Bhaarata, as Viswabhug. He is self-restrained, of great dharma,
and a brahmacharin; Brahmanas worship him at the Paka yagna. The sacred
river Gomati is Viswabhug’s wife, and all pious men perform their sacred
rites on her banks.
That apocalyptic water-drinking sea fire called Badava is Brihaspati’s
fifth son. This Brahmic agni has a tendency to move upwards and is,
therefore, called Urdhvabhaga. Its home is the vital air, the life force called
Prana. The sixth son is Svishtakrit; through him oblations became svishta,
or properly offered. The udagdhara oblation is always made in his honour.
The fire called Manyuti becomes enraged when the Earth’s beings become
peaceful.
The inexorable and most volatile fire is Brihaspati’s daughter, and is
known as Swaha; she is present in all matter. Swaha had three sons by the
three gunas, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. By Sattva she had a son whose
beauty had no equal in Devaloka. The gods named him Kama Agni. By
Rajas she had a son named Amogha, the invincible fire, the destroyer of his
enemies in battle. He is sure of victory, and so, he curbs his anger. He is
armed with a bow and sits adorned with flower garlands on a chariot.
By Tamas also Swaha had a son, the great Uktha, the means to
salvation, who is praised by the three Ukthas. He is the originator of the
sacred words of the Veda, and is, therefore, Samaswasam, or the means to
Moksha,’ says Markandeya.”
CANTO 219
CONTINUED
“M arkandeya continues, ‘Uktha performed a severe penance

lasting for many years, with the aim of having a son as pious as
a Brahmana. He invoked, with Vyahriti hymns, the five sacred fires—
Kasyapa, Vasistha, Prana, Angirasa’s son Chyavana, and Shuvarchaka.
The flames emitted a form of bright and vivacious energy in five
different colours. The head of this form was the colour of a raging fire; its
arms dazzled like the Sun; its skin and eyes were tawny gold; and its feet
were black, O Bhaarata. The five who were invoked were of great
tapasyashakti and gave the form its five colours, and that is why the
celestial being that emerged from the fire is described as being one with
these five. This being, Tapa, is the progenitor of the five tribes.
The penance continued for ten thousand years and an awesome,
dreadful fire blazed forth, that was born of the Pitrs in order to begin the
work of creation. From his head and mouth he created day and night—
Brihad and Rathantara—who are the thieves of life. He created Siva from
his navel, Indra from his strength, Vayu and Agni from his soul, and from
his two arms the hymns Udatta and Anudatta. He produced the mind, and
the five senses, and everything else as well.
Next, he created the five sons of the Pitrs: Pranidhi was the son of
Brihadratha, who was Kasyapa’s son. Bhanu was the grandson of
Chyavana; Saubhara was Suvarchaka’s son; and Anudatta was the son of
Prana. He is said to have created these twenty-five beings.
Tapa created fifteen other gods who obstruct sacrifices. They are
Subhima, Atibhima, Bhima, Bhimabala and Abala, Sumitra, Mitravanta,
Mitragna, Mitravardhana, Mitradharma and Surapravira, Vira and Suresha,
Suvarchasa and Surahantara. These are divided into three classes of five
each and, living in this world, they destroy the sacrifices of the Devas in
Devaloka. They frustrate their goals and spoil their oblations of ghee. They
do this only to spite the sacred fires that convey these offerings to the gods.
If the officiating priests are watchful, they place oblations in honour of
these despoilers outside the sacrificial altar, and this prevents them from
entering the place where the sacred fire is lit. They convey the oblations on
wings. When appeased with hymns, they do not spoil the sacrificial rites.
Brihadukta, one of Tapa’s sons, belongs to the Earth. He is worshipped
here in this world by pious men performing Agnihotra sacrifices. Another
son, Rathantara, accepts oblations on behalf of Mitravinda. The renowned
Tapa was very happy with his sons.’ ”
CANTO 220
CONTINUED
“M arkandeya continues, ‘The fire named Bharata was governed by

strict laws of tapasya. He is also called Pushtimati because,
when he is propitiated satisfactorily, he guarantees Pushti, prosperity. He is
called Bharata because he nurtures all creatures.
The other fire is named Siva because he is devoted to the worship of
Shakti, the feminine energy of the forces of Nature; and because he always
alleviates the sorrows of all creatures that are troubled, he is called Siva, the
giver of weal.
When Tapa had acquired great ascetic wealth by his tapasya, he had an
intellectually brilliant son named Purandara, to inherit this wealth. He had
another son named Ushma, who is the fire that is present in matter when it
vaporises. A third son was Manu, who officiated as Prajapati. Brahmanas
who are learned in the Vedas speak of the exploits of his sons, the fires
Sambhu and the effulgent Avasathya.
Thus did Tapa give birth to five Urjaskara agnis, all bright as gold, that
take the Soma rasa during sacrifices.
The great Sun God, when tired after his day’s labours, is the fire known
as Prasanta. He created the Asuras and other terrible creatures. Angirasa
created Prajapati Bhanu, one of Tapa’s sons. Brahmanas learned in the
Vedas refer to this son as Brihadbhanu, the great Bhanu. Bhanu married
Supraja, the daughter of Surya Deva. She and Brihadbhanu gave birth to six
sons. Let me describe their children for you.
There is the fire who gives strength to the weak, and he is called Balada,
the giver of strength. He is the first son of Bhanu. Then there is the fire that
looks dreadful when the world is in a state of tranquillity. He is called
Manjuman, and he is the second son of Bhanu. Next is the fire in whose
honour oblations of ghee are poured during the Darsa and Paurnamasya
yagnas, who is known to the people of the world as Vishnu. He is the third
of Bhanu’s sons, and he has two names, Angirasa and Dhritiman.
Then there is the fire to whom, with Indra, the Agrayana oblation is
given. He is named Agrayana, and he is Bhanu’s fourth son. The fifth son of
Bhanu is Agraha, from whom the daily oblations made for the performance
of the Chaturmasya yagna are taken. And Stubha is the sixth son of Bhanu.
Nisa was another wife of Manu’s, and she, too, is named Bhanu. She
had one daughter, two Agnishomas, and also five other agnis, fire gods. The
effulgent Fire God who is honoured with the first offerings, along with
Indra, god of the clouds, is Vaiswanara. The second son of Manu and Bhanu
is the agni called Viswapati, the lord of all the worlds. The daughter of
Manu is called Svishtakrit, because one earns great punya by offering
oblations to her. Rohini is her other name, and though she was the daughter
of Hiranyakasipu, she became his wife because of her evil deeds. She is,
however, one of the Prajapatis.
And that other fire which inhabits the life-breaths of all creatures, and
which gives them life, is called Sannihita. He makes our senses recognise
sound and shape. Then comes the divine spirit, whose path is stained with
black and white marks, who fans fire, and who, though sinless, is
responsible for evil karma. The wise regard him, the fire Kapila, as a great
Rishi. Kapila is the propounder of the system of Yoga called Sankhya.
The fire through which the elemental spirits always receive Agra, or
offerings, which people make at the performance of all special rites, is
called Agrani.
There are the bright fires, known the world over, which were created for
the rectification of the Agnihotra rites when they were marred by any
defects. If fires overlap because of the wind, they must be set right by
performing Ashtakapala puja in honour of the fire Suchi.
If the southern fire comes in contact with the two other fires, then the
rectifying Ashtakapala rites must be performed in honour of the agni Viti. If
the fires called Nivesa, burning in its allotted place, comes into contact with
the fire called Devagni, then the Ashtakapala rites must be performed in
honour of the fire Suchi.
If the constant fire is touched by a woman during her menstrual period,
then the Ashtakapala rites must be performed in honour of the agni called
Vasuman. If, during the performance of Agnihotra pujas, anyone speaks of
the death of any creature, or if an animal dies, the rites can be purified by
means of the Ashtakapala rites in honour of the Surabhiman agni.
The Brahmana who, because he is ill, is unable to offer oblations to the
sacred fire for three nights, must make amends by performing the
Ashtakapala rites in honour of the northern fire. He who has performed the
Darsa and the Paurnamasya rites must make any necessary rectifications
with the performance of the Ashtakapala rites in honour of the Patikrit fire.
If the fire of a birthing room comes in contact with the undying sacred
fire, it must be purified by performing Ashtakapala rites in honour of the
Agniman agni,’ says Markandeya.”
CANTO 221
CONTINUED
“M arkandeya continues, ‘Mudita was the favourite wife of the fire

Saha. She used to live in water. And Saha, who was the lord of
earth and sky, had a son, the sacred fire named Adbhuta, with her. Learned
Brahmanas believe that this fire is the ruler and inner soul of all creatures.
He is worthy of worship, resplendent, and the lord of all the mahabhutas,
the elements. And this fire, also called Grihapati, is worshipped at all
sacrifices and is the instrument by which all oblations made in this world
are conveyed to the gods.
This son of Saha, Adbhuta, the great fire, is the soul of the waters; he is
the prince and ruler of the sky and the lord of everything great. His son, the
Bharatagni, consumes the dead bodies of all creatures. His first offering,
Kratu, is known as Niyata at the performance of the Agnishtoma yagna.
That mighty elemental fire, Saha, is always missed by the Devas because
when he sees Niyata approaching him he hides in the sea from fear of
contamination.
On one occasion, the Devas searched for him everywhere but could not
find him.
The fire saw Atharva and said to him, “Valiant being, perform the
oblations for the Devas. I am disabled and weak. Take the form of the red-
eyed fire and do me this favour!”
Having made this request of Atharvan, the fire went away to hide. But
the fish revealed his hiding place and the furious fire cursed them in anger,
saying, “You shall be the food of all creatures in various ways.”
Then that fire, Saha, the conveyor of oblations, spoke to Atharva again
and made the same request. The Devas pleaded with him, but he refused to
bring them their havis. He lost consciousness and died.
Leaving his material body, he entered the bowels of the earth, and
wherever he met the earth, he created different metals. Energy emanated
from him: earthly perfumes were created from his pus; the deodar, the
cedar, sprang from his bones; glass emerged from his phlegm; the emerald
came from his bile, and iron from his liver. Ever since, the Earth has been
enriched with these three substances, wood, stone and metal. The clouds
were made from his nails, and corals from his veins. And various other
metals were produced from his body, O king.
After shedding his physical body, he remained absorbed in dhyana.
When Bhrigu and Angirasa performed their penance, they succeeded in
waking him and, gratified by their tapasya, he burned with intensity. But as
soon as he saw Rishi Atharva, he dove into his watery hideout again.
At this extinguishing of the fire, the whole world was frightened, and
sought the protection of Atharva. The Devas and other beings began to
worship him. Atharva searched the sea while those anxious beings looked
on in eager anticipation. He found the fire and began the work of creation.
This is the story of how the fire was destroyed and then called back to life
by the venerable Atharva. Now he carries the offerings of all creatures; and,
living in the sea and always on the move, produced the various fires
mentioned in the Vedas.
The mothers of the fires are the rivers: Sindhu, and the five rivers;
Devika and Saraswati; Ganga, Satakumbha, Sarayu, and Gandaki;
Charmanwati, Mahi, Medha and Medhatithi; the three, Tamravati, Vetravati,
and Kausiki; Tamasa, Narmada and Godavari; Vena, Upavena, Bhima and
Vadava, O Bhaarata; Bharati, Suprayoga, Kaveri and Murmura; Tungavena,
Krishnavena, Kapila and Sona: these rivers are said to be the mothers of the
fires.
The Adbhuta agni had a wife called Priya, and Vibhu was the eldest of
his sons by her.
There are as many kinds of Soma yagnas as the number of fires. All this
race of fires, first born of the spirit of Brahma, also sprang from Atri. Atri
conceived them as his sons, in his own mind, out of a desire to enhance
creation. By this act, the agnis emerged from his Brahmic body.
I have told you the story of the origin of these fires. They are great,
glorious and unrivalled in power; they are the dispellers of darkness. The
powers of these fires are equal to that of the Adbhuta, as the Vedas tell us,
because all these fires are one and the same. The adored and exalted being,
the first Agni, must be thought of as the unity of all fires because, like the
Jyotishtoma yagna, he issued from Angirasa’s body in myriad forms.
This, that I have narrated to you, is the history of the great race of Agni
who, when worshipped with various hymns, carries the offerings of all
creatures to the gods.’ ”
CANTO 222
CONTINUED
“M arkandeya continues, ‘Sinless scion of the Kurus, I have given

you a detailed history of the many branches of the Agni clan,
and I will now tell you the story of the birth of Kartikeya of the great
intelligence. I will tell you about that wonderful and illustrious tejasvin, the
son of the Adbhuta agni, born to the wives of the Brahmarishis.
In ancient times, the Devas and Asuras were always at war, and the
terrible demons always defeated the gods. Indra saw how the Asuras
decimated his armies and made up his mind to identify a leader for the
armies of Devaloka.
He thought to himself, “I must find a powerful one who can rally and
lead Swarga’s army that has been devastated by the Danavas.”
He went to the Manasa mountains and was absorbed in thought when he
heard the heartrending cries of a woman, who said, “May someone come
and save me by finding me a husband, or let him be my husband himself.”
Purandara said to her, “Have no fear, devi,” and, at once, he saw a
Kesin, an Asura, wearing a crown and holding a mace in his hand, standing
by her, and her hand in his rough grip. And he looked like a distant hill clad
in metallic armour.
Indra addressed the Asura, saying, “Why do you behave so insolently
towards this lady? Be aware that I am the god who wields the thunderbolt.
Desist from doing her any violence.”
Kesin replied, “You leave her alone, Sakra; I want her for myself. Do
you really think, O Slayer of Paka, that you will return home alive today?”
And he hurled his mace at Indra. Vasava dissected it in flight with his
thunderbolt. Kesin, furious, flung a huge rock at him, which he of the
hundred sacrifices shattered with his Vajra. A large piece of the rock fell on
Kesin and, grievously injured, he fled, leaving the woman.
When the Asura had gone Indra said to the woman, “Who are you, and
whose wife are you, beautiful one? What brings you here?”
CANTO 223
CONTINUED
T he woman replied, “I am a daughter of Prajapati Brahma, Lord of all

creatures, and my name is Devasena. My sister Daityasena has been
ravished by Kesin. We sisters would both take our father’s permission and
come regularly, with our sakhis, to these Manasa mountains.
The Asura Kesin used to court us every day. My sister Daityasena
succumbed to him, but I did not. He took her away, but you have rescued
me with your might. And now, Lord of Devas, I want you to find an
invincible husband for me.”
Indra replied, “You are my cousin—your mother and my mother
Dakshayani are sisters. Tell me about your strengths.”
The woman replied, “Mahabaho, I am Abala, weak, and so my husband
must be powerful. The strength of my father’s boons will ensure that Devas
and Asuras will respect him.”
Indra said, “Faultless creature, tell me, what sort of power do you want
your husband to have?”
The devi said, “My husband must be a manly and celebrated one, who
is devoted to Brahma, and who is able to conquer all the Devas, Asuras,
Yakshas, Kinnaras, Uragas, Rakshasas and evil Daityas, and subdue all the
worlds with you.” ’
Markandeya continues, ‘Indra was troubled when he heard this, and he
thought, “There is no one who fits this description, to be this woman’s
husband.”
Just then Indra, resplendent as the Sun, saw Surya Deva rising on the
Udaya mountain and radiant Soma Deva merging into him. It was the day
of the new moon, and the inauspicious moment of Raudra. He of the
hundred sacrifices, Satakratu, saw the Asuras and Devas battling for
dominance on the Udaya Mountain.
He noticed that the dawn was tinged with red clouds, and saw that
Varuna’s oceanic abode had turned the hue of blood. He saw Agni entering
the orb of the Sun, conveying the oblations that Bhrigu, Angirasa and others
had offered, to the accompaniment of hymns.
He also saw the twenty-four parvas, the hours adorning Surya Deva,
and the fearsome Soma also present in the Sun.
Sakra looked at the awesome union of the Sun and the Moon and he
thought, “This terrible conjunction of Soma and Surya forebodes a fearful
battle tomorrow. The river Sindhu flows with fresh blood, and red-faced
jackals drink her waters and howl to the Sun.
This conjunction of Sun, Moon and Agni is as dreadful and powerful as
it is wondrous. If Soma gives birth to a son now, that child can become a
suitable husband for this woman. Agni has a lineage similar to Soma’s, and
he, too, is a Deva. If these two have a son together, that boy can surely
become this woman’s husband.”
Thinking thus, Indra took Devasena with him and went to Brahma. He
greeted the Pitamaha and said to him, “Find an illustrious warrior to be this
woman’s husband.”
Brahma replied, “Danavasudana, slayer of Danavas, it shall be as you
wish. The children born of such a marriage will be mighty and ever-
victorious. Her husband will be joint leader of your forces with you.”
Indra and Devasena bowed to Brahma and went, then, to where those
great Brahmanas, the powerful Devarishis, Vasistha and the others, lived.
Other Devas followed Indra to the Rishis’ asramas, where they were
conducting their yagnas, to have a share of the Soma rasa that would be
offered. Those exalted Maharishis performed the yagna with towering fires
and offered the burnt offerings to the gods.
They invoked Adbhuta, the agni that carries the havis, with mantras.
That great fire emerged from the Sun and silently appeared at the yagna.
Bhaaratottama, Adbhuta entered the sacrificial flames that the Rishis had
lit, and into which they had poured various offerings to the chanting of
hymns, and he took these offerings to the Swargavasis, the dwellers of
heaven.
On his return, he saw the wives of those Devarishis sleeping peacefully
on their beds. These finest of women had skins that shone like altars of
gold, and the blemishless radiance of moonbeams. They sparkled like fiery
stars. Adbhuta looked at the wives of the illustrious Brahmanas with lustful
eyes; his mind became agitated, and their beauty stabbed him with desire.
Considering it improper for him to be in such turmoil, he quieted his
heart, saying to himself, “The wives of these great Brahmanas are chaste
and faithful, and beyond the reach of other men’s desires. I long to possess
them, but since I cannot look at them in this way or touch them, I will
become their household fire, Grihapatya and gratify myself by being able to
see them every day.” ’
Markandeya continues, ‘Adbhuta transformed himself into a household
fire, and was glad indeed, seeing those gold-complexioned women and
touching them with his flames. In thrall to their beauty, he lived there for a
long time, filled with intense love for them and giving them his heart.
Eventually, unable to win the hearts of those Brahmanastris, his own heart
tortured by love, he made his way to a forest with the intention of killing
himself.
Just before this, Swaha, the daughter of Daksha, had lost her heart to
him, and she waited to catch him in a weak moment. She could not find any
chink in the cool and apparently passionless Agni.
But now that the god had gone into the forest, tormented by pangs of
love, she thought, “I am in an anguish of love; I will assume the guise of the
wives of the Saptarishis and, in that guise, go to the Fire God who is so
smitten with their charms. He will be gratified, and my desire, too, will be
slaked,” ’ says Markandeya.”
CANTO 224
CONTINUED
“M arkandeya continues, ‘Lord of Men, the beautiful Sivaa was the

wife of Angirasa, one of the Saptarishis, and she had a virtuous,
unblemished character.
Swaha disguised herself as Sivaa and went to Agni and said, “O Agni, I
am tortured with love for you. You must satisfy my passion. If you do not, I
will kill myself. I am Sivaa, the wife of Angirasa, and I have come here on
the advice of the wives of the other Rishis, who have sent me to you after
much thought.”
Agni replied, “How did you know that I was suffering with love, and
how could the others, the beloved wives of the seven Rishis, know this?”
Swaha replied, “You are a favourite with us, but we are in awe of you.
The other wives guessed what was in your heart and sent me to you. I have
come here to satisfy my desire. Make me happy quickly; my sisters-in-law
are waiting for me to return.” ’
Markandeya continues, ‘Filled with delight, Agni and the disguised
Swaha made rapturous love together. While having intercourse, she caught
and held some of his seed in her hand. To avoid bringing disgrace to the
Brahmana women and Agni if she was seen in that disguise while she
walked back through the forest, she turned herself into a bird and flew
through the forest.
She came to Sweta, the White Mountain. Here the land was covered
with grass, shrubs, plants and trees, and the mountain was guarded by
strange seven-headed, venomous serpents. There were Rakshasas, male and
female Pisachas, dreadful spirits and all kinds of birds and animals. Swaha
quickly climbed a peak and dropped Agni’s seed into a golden lake.
After this, she took the form of each of the wives of the illustrious
Saptarishis, one by one, and had intercourse with Agni. The only one she
could not disguise herself as was Arundhati, whose devotion to her
husband, Vasistha, protected her. O Kurusthama, on days of the new moon,
the Devi Swaha cast Agni’s semen six times into the golden lake, and a boy
child of great prowess was born from it. Because the Rishis considered him
as “cast off”, this baby was named Skanda.
The child had six faces, twelve ears, eyes, hands and feet, one neck and
one stomach. On the second day after the semen was thrown into the water,
it took the form of a baby; he grew into a boy on the third; and Skanda’s
limbs developed on the fourth day. Red clouds flashed with lightning over
the lake and the boy shone like the Sun rising in the midst of a mass of red
clouds.
He grasped the wonderful, immense bow that Siva, Destroyer of the
Tripura, used to destroy the enemies of the Devas, and that mighty being
uttered such a terrible roar that the three worlds, with their animate and
inanimate beings, were struck with terror.
The great Nagas, Chitra and Airavata, heard the sound that was like the
thundering of massed thunderheads, and trembled with fear. Seeing how
distraught they were, the radiant, sun-like boy held them in two of his
hands. In one hand he held a spear and in another a sturdy, red-crested
rooster, and with these the mighty-armed son of Agni romped noisily.
Holding a beautiful conch in two of his hands, that mighty one blew on
it, terrorising even the most powerful creatures. He swatted the air with two
hands and played on the hilltop, and Mahasena of unmatched prowess
looked as if he was about to devour the three worlds. He shone like Surya
Deva at his zenith in the sky.
This wonderful, incomparably strong being sat on the top of the
mountain and, with each of his many faces pointing in different directions,
roared again and again. All kinds of creatures heard those roars and fell to
the ground in fear and, terrified, they begged for protection. All those of
different castes, who asked this great god for refuge, and who followed him,
became Brahmanas.
The God rose from his seat and reassured all of them; then, he drew his
bow and shot his arrows in the direction of the White Mountain. The arrows
split Krauncha Hill, the son of Himavat, in two, making the swans and
vultures that lived there fly away to the Sumeru Mountains.
Sorely wounded, the Krauncha fell, groaning fearfully in agony. Seeing
him fall, the other hills began to scream, and that mighty being of unrivalled
prowess heard the groans of the wounded hills but was unmoved. Instead,
he lifted his mace and, with a war cry, hurled the lustrous weapon at the
White Mountain and cleaved one of its peaks.
The Sweta, pierced by him, became frightened and, with other
mountains, uprooted himself from the earth and fled. The wounded earth
gaped, bereft of her ornaments and, in her distress, went to Skanda, who
granted that the mountains may return without fear.
Once more Bhumi Devi shone in splendour, and the mountains bowed
to Skanda and returned to take their old places. Since then, all creatures
celebrate the worship of Skanda on the fifth day of the lunar month.’ ”
CANTO 225
CONTINUED
“M arkandeya continues, ‘When great Skanda was born all kinds of

strange phenomena were seen. There was an uncanny reversal
in nature: of male and female, of heat and cold, and of other pairs of
opposites. The Planets, the Cardinal Points and the Sky shone with light,
and the Earth began to rumble. The Rishis, always working for the world’s
welfare, saw these signs and were worried. Anxiously, they began to restore
equilibrium.
Those who lived in the Chitraratha vana were convinced that the
unnatural conditions were the consequence of Agni’s intercourse with the
six wives of the Saptarishis. Others, who had seen the goddess as a bird,
said that the evils were the work of the bird. No one imagined that Swaha
was the author of that mischief.
Swaha heard that the child was hers, and she went to Skanda and told
him that she was his mother. The seven Rishis heard that a son of great
power had been born to them, and they abandoned their wives, except the
adored Arundhati, because all the forest-dwellers said that these six women
had been instrumental in the birth of the child.
O king, Swaha protested that this was not so, and tried, repeatedly, to
convince the seven Rishis that the child was hers and not their wives’.
Earlier, when the seven Rishis had concluded their yagnas, the great
sage Viswamitra had followed the god of fire, unknown to him, and had
seen how he had been roiled by lust. So, he knew everything, just as it had
happened, and he was the first to seek the protection of Skanda Mahasena.
He offered divine prayers to Mahasena and performed all the thirteen
rites of passage, such as the Jatakarma, for him. For the good of the world
he proclaimed the virtues of the six-headed Skanda and performed
ceremonies in honour of the rooster, the Devi Shakti and Skanda’s first
followers. For this reason, Viswamitra became a great favourite of the
divine youth.
Viswamitra told the seven Rishis how Swaha had transformed herself
and declared the innocence of their wives; nonetheless, the Rishis
abandoned their spouses unconditionally.’
Markandeya continues, ‘The Devas heard of Skanda’s might and said to
Vasava, “O Sakra, Skanda’s prowess is unbearable; you must kill him
immediately. If you do not, he will conquer the three worlds and us; he will
overpower you and make himself king of the Devas.”
Sakra said to them, “This child is endowed with unmatched prowess; he
can defeat the Creator himself in battle. I dare not fight him.”
The Devas said, “You are cowardly, Sakra! Let the Mothers of the
Universe go to Skanda. They can summon endless shakti at will. Let them
kill this terrible child.”
The mothers agreed and left; but when they saw the incomparable boy,
they were disheartened. Convinced that he was invincible, they asked for
his protection, “Mighty One, become our son. We love you and want to
suckle you. See how the milk flows from our breasts.”
Hearing this, Mahasena Skanda wanted to feed at their breasts and,
receiving them with respect, drank. Then, he saw his father Agni coming
towards him. Along with his mothers, Skanda honoured him who is the
doer of all that is good; and Agni Deva and the mothers remained by their
son’s side to look after him.
The devi who, amongst the Matrikas, was born of Anger, watched over
Skanda with a spear in her hand, just as a mother would guard her own
child. And that moody, red-hued daughter of the Sea, who lived on blood,
hugged Mahasena to her breast and nursed him, tenderly as a mother would.
Agni transformed himself into a goat-faced teacher of the Vedas and,
followed by many children, delighted his son with marvellous toys, in their
mountain home,’ says Markandeya.”
CANTO 226
CONTINUED
“M arkandeya continues, ‘The Planets with their satellites, the

Rishis and the Matrikas, Agni and numerous other brilliant
courtiers, and many other fearsome looking Swargavasis waited on
Mahasena, along with his mothers. Indra, Lord of the gods wanted to
vanquish Skanda. But, being unsure of victory, he mounted his elephant
Airavata and, accompanied by the other Devas, he advanced cautiously
towards Skanda.
The mighty Indra, followed by all the Devas, and armed with his Vajra,
wanted to kill Mahasena. He marched with the splendid celestial army,
flying a variety of standards and sounding a shrill war cry. The warriors
wore armour of different kinds; they were armed with bows and rode many
different mounts.
When Mahasena saw the gloriously decked Sakra, wearing his best
raiment, coming to kill him, he went forward to meet the king of the Devas.
O Kaunteya, the mighty Vasava shouted to exhort his warriors. He now
rode swiftly with his forces, death to Agni’s son on his mind; all this to the
praises of the Tridasas and the great Rishis.
At last, he reached the home of Kartikeya, and he and the other gods
shouted out to him. In response Guha roared deeply like the roaring of the
sea. On hearing that sound, the Deva army became agitated, like a churning
ocean, and stood stunned and rooted.
The son of the Fire God saw the Devas coming to kill him and was
filled with rage. He breathed flames from his mouth onto the celestial
legions, leaving them writhing on the ground. Their heads, their bodies,
their arms and the animals they rode were all consumed by that fiery breath,
flaring briefly like stars removed from their proper places. The gods
abandoned Indra and took refuge with Skanda, instead, and peace was
restored.
Forsaken by his Devas, Sakra hurled his thunderbolt at Skanda. It
pierced him in his right side, Rajan, and passed through his body. From
where the Vajra struck, there sprang from Skanda’s body another being—a
youth with a club in his hand, and adorned with a divine amulet.
Because he was born from the piercing of the thunderbolt, he was
named Visakha. When Indra saw that another being, as fierce as the God of
Fire, had been created, he was afraid and, with his hands joined together in
worship, asked Skanda for refuge. Skanda told him to cast off his fear, and
all the gods were joyful.’ ”
CANTO 227
CONTINUED
“M arkandeya continues, ‘Now hear about those macabre and

grotesque followers of Skanda. Skanda gave birth to a number
of male progeny when Indra’s thunderbolt struck him, horrific creatures that
spirit away little children, whether born, or still in their mother’s womb.
Skanda had a great many incredibly strong daughters, too. These children
adopted Visakha as their father.
The agile, goat-faced Bhadrasakha was surrounded by all his sons and
daughters, whom he protected carefully, along with their mothers. It is this
quality of his that earned Skanda the name Kumarapitra, or father of
children. Those who want to have a son worship Rudra, in his form of Agni,
and Uma, in her form of Swaha. This ensures the birth of a son to them.
The daughters, who were born to Tapa, also named Hutasana, went to
Skanda, who asked what he could do for them.
Those girls replied, “Bless us so that we may become good and
respected mothers of the world.”
The generous one replied, “Tathaastu, so be it,” and repeatedly said,
“You shall be divided into Sivas and Asivas, good and evil.”
The mothers left after establishing Skanda as their son. They were seven
mothers—Kaki, Halima, Malini, Brihata, Arya, Palala and Vaimitra—who
gave birth to Sisu through Skanda’s blessings. Sisu was red-eyed, fearful
looking and volatile. He is known as the eighth hero born of the mothers of
Skanda, but he is sometimes considered the ninth when the Goat-faced is
counted as one.
Skanda’s sixth face was that of a goat. That face, O king, is in the
middle of the six, and his mother looks at it constantly. That head, by which
Bhadrasakha created divine energy, is meant to be the best of all his heads.
Rajan, these great and wonderful events occurred on the fifth day of the
bright half of the lunar month and, on the sixth, a fierce and terrific battle
was fought in the same place.’2
2There are many stories about the birth of Skanda. One of the most popular is that he was born to kill
Tarakasura, who had a boon that only a son born to Siva (who has lost Sati and not yet married
Parvati) could kill him. So the Devas persuade Sati to be born as Himavan’s daughter.
CANTO 228
CONTINUED
“M arkandeya continues, ‘Skanda was adorned with a golden

amulet and wreath; his forelock and crown were of gold; his
eyes were golden-hued; his teeth were sharp; and he wore a red garment.
He was handsome and cut the most splendid figure. Endowed with all the
noblest qualities, he was the favourite of the three worlds. He granted boons
to anyone who asked; he was brave, youthful, and wore bright earrings.
One day, when he was resting, the goddess of wealth, Sri, looking like a
lotus and taking a human form, came to him and gave herself to him. On
possessing the Devi, the slender Skanda glowed with the beauty of the full
moon.
Exalted Brahmanas worshipped him, and Maharishis said, “O you born
of the golden seed, may you prosper, and may you be the instrument of the
welfare of the Universe. Devottama, best of gods, although you were born
only six days ago, the Universe has already come under your dominion, and
you have removed its fear. Therefore, you have become the Indra of the
three worlds, and they have no cause to be afraid anymore.”
Skanda replied, “Mighty Tapasvins, what does Indra do with the three
worlds? How does the king of the Devas constantly protect all the other
gods?”
The Rishis replied, “Indra is the giver of strength, power, children and
happiness to all creatures and, when propitiated, bestows his devotees with
all they wish for. He destroys the wicked and fulfils the desires of the
righteous; the slayer of Bala allots their svadharma to all creatures; he acts
as Sun and Moon in places where they are absent; and when the occasion
demands it, he even assumes the roles of Fire, Air, Earth, and Water. These
are Indra’s tasks, and great are his capabilities. You, too, are mighty.
Therefore, Sreshta, great one, become our Indra.”
Sakra said to Skanda, “Mighty one, make us glad by becoming our
king. You are worthy of that honour and we will anoint you today.”
Skanda replied, “You must continue to rule over the three worlds with
equanimity and with your heart set on conquest. I will remain your humble
servant; I do not want sovereignty.”
Sakra replied, “Your prowess is unrivalled; O heroic one, defeat the
enemies of the Devas. People are wonderstruck by your strength, especially
since you vanquished me and stripped me of my power. If I were to be
Indra now, I will not command the respect of all creatures, and they would
split their loyalties between us and causing dissent. When they have formed
themselves into two factions, they will have war between them. And in that
war, you would undoubtedly defeat me easily and become the Lord of all
worlds.”
Skanda said, “Sakra, you are my lord, as well as Lord of the three
worlds. May you prosper. Command me and I will obey.”
Indra replied, “At your behest, I will continue as Indra. If your purpose
is true and what you said is in earnest, I will tell you how you can fulfil
your wish to serve me. Mighty one, be the Senapati of the armies of
Devaloka.”
Skanda replied, “Install me as Senapati, for the demolition of the
Danavas, the welfare of the Devas, and for the well-being of Brahmanas
and sacred cows.” ’
Markandeya continues, ‘Skanda was anointed by Indra and all the other
Devas; the Maharishis honoured him, and he looked splendid. The golden
parasol that was held over his head looked like a halo of fire. The lustrous
Indra, the conqueror of the three worlds, fastened the celestial garland of
gold, created by Viswakarman, around his neck.
Conqueror of your enemies, Mahadeva Vrishadhwaja—the one with the
emblem of the Bull—arrived with his consort, Parvati, and honoured
Skanda with a jubilant heart.
The Fire God is also called Rudra, and, therefore, Skanda is called the
son of Rudra. The White Mountain was formed from Rudra’s semen, and
the sexual indulgences of the Fire God with the Krittikas took place on that
same Sweta parvata; all the dwellers of heaven saw Rudra heaping honours
on Skanda. For these reasons he was known as the son of Rudra.
The child Skanda was born by Rudra entering into the being of the Fire
God, and this is also why Skanda is known as the son of Rudra. And,
Bhaarata, because Skanda was born of the union between Rudra and Swaha
and the six wives of the seven Rishis, he is known as the son of Rudra.
This son of Agni was clad in red cloth and looked resplendent, like the
Sun emerging from behind a mass of red clouds. The Fire God assigned the
red rooster as his mascot, and perched on the top of his chariot, it blazed
like the fire of the Pralaya. His vanguard was the embodiment of the power
that is invested in the Devas to give them victory, which is the impetus of
all creatures, and which is their glory, their support and their refuge.
A mysterious enchantment entered into his very being, whose prowess
is manifested in battle. Beauty, righteousness, strength, vigour, might,
radiance, truthfulness, rectitude, devotion to Brahmanas, freedom from
illusion, absence of perplexity, protection of his followers, destruction of his
foes, and care of all creatures—these, great lord of men, are the intrinsic
qualities of Skanda.
Anointed by all the gods, he looked pleased and contented; grandly
attired, he was as beautiful as the radiant full moon. The sacred incantation
of Vedic hymns, the music of the celestial musicians and the songs of the
Devas and Gandharvas filled the air.
The son of Agni, surrounded by Apsaras, many joyful Pisachas and
hosts of gods, shone in splendour. Mahasena, anointed as Senapati of the
Devas, looked like the Sun rising to extinguish darkness. The forces of
Swarga, looking upon him as their leader, surrounded him in their
thousands. All creatures followed him in adulation, eager to obey his
commands, praising and worshipping him, and he responded with
encouraging words.
The performer of a thousand sacrifices then remembered Devasena,
whom he had rescued earlier and, considering Skanda as destined by
Brahma himself to be the husband of this devi, summoned her to come
there, wearing her best ornaments. Indra said to Skanda, “Best of Gods,
even before you were born, Brahma ordained that this devi was to be your
bride. Accept her lotus-like right hand with the invocation of the marriage
mantras.”
Accordingly Skanda married Devasena, and the learned Brihaspati
performed the necessary prayers and oblations. She, who is named Shashti,
Lakshmi, Asha, Sukhaprada, Sinivali, Kuhu, Sadvritti and Aparajita, is
Devasena, the wife of Skanda. Then Skanda was united with Devasena by
the indissoluble bonds of matrimony, and the goddess of prosperity
faithfully served him, embodied in her own form.
Because Skanda’s anointing occured on the fifth day of the moon, that
day is called Sripanchami, the auspicious fifth day, and because he obtained
his goal on the sixth day, that lunar day is considered to be entirely
auspicious.’ ”
CANTO 229
CONTINUED
“M arkandeya continues, ‘The six wives of the Saptarishis went to

Skanda’s abode as soon as they heard about his good fortune
and that he had been made General of the celestial armies. These virtuous
women of great punya had been disowned by the Rishis and they lost no
time in calling on Mahasena, the Senapati of the divine forces.
They said to him, “Son, we have been unjustly cast out by our godlike
husbands. Some persons spread the rumour that we had given birth to you
and, believing this, they were angry and banished us from our rightful
places. Now you must redeem us from our disgrace. We want to adopt you
as our son and secure eternal bliss. You must do this for us.”
Skanda replied, “Good Devis of unblemished character, I hereby declare
that you are my mothers. I am your son and you shall attain all that you
desire.” ’
Markandeya continues, ‘Sakra indicated that he wanted to say
something to Skanda and, when Skanda asked what it was, Vasava said,
“Devi Abhijit, the younger sister of Rohini, was jealous of her elder sister
and has gone into the forest to perform tapasya. I cannot find a substitute
for my fallen star.
Skanda, ask Brahma about how we can fill the empty space created by
the absence of this nakshatra. Brahma created Dhanishta and the other
asterisms, and Rohini used to be one of them, making their number
complete.”
Accordingly, Skanda sent Krittika to a place in the heavens, and there
she shines with Agni’s grace as if she has seven faces.
Vinata said to Skanda, “To me you are the son who performs the funeral
rites. I want to live with you always, my son.”
Skanda replied, “So be it. I honour you as my mother. Guide me with a
mother’s love and, honoured by your daughter-in-law, you shall always live
with me.” ’
Markandeya continues, ‘The great Matrikas said to Skanda, “Learned
men have described us as the mothers of all creatures. However, what we
want really is to be your mothers. Do us the honour of accepting us.”
Skanda replied, “You are all mothers to me, and I am your son. Tell me
what I can do to please you.”
The Matrikas said, “In days of old, the Devis Brahmi, Maheswari and
others were appointed as universal mothers. Sreshta, we want them to be
removed from that position and for us to have their places; we want to be
worshipped in their stead by the world. Restore those children of ours that
they made you deprive us of.”
Skanda said, “I cannot take back what I have given away, but I can give
you other children, if you wish.”
The mothers said, “We want to live with you and we want to be able to
assume different shapes and to devour the children of those mothers as well
as their guardians. Grant us this.”
Skanda said, “I can grant you progeny, but I am pained by what you
ask. May you be prosperous! I honour you, Devis, and promise to protect
your children. I leave them in your care.
The mothers declared, “We shall protect them, Skanda, as you want.
May you prosper! Still, we want to live with you, always, mighty one.”
Skanda said, “Until human children are sixteen years old, you shall be
able to afflict them in your various forms. I hereby confer on you a fierce
and inexhaustible energy, with which you shall live happily, worshipped by
all.”
And from Skanda’s body emerged a powerful, fiery being whose
purpose was to devour the children of mortals. This being fell on the
ground, unconscious and hungry. Skanda gave the evil force a horrific form,
known by Brahmanottamas as Skandapasmara.
Vinata takes the form known as Sakuni Graha, or evil spirit. She, who
the learned Brahmanas know as Putana Rakshasi, is the evil force Putana.
The fierce and hideous Rakshasa is the pisacha form, Sita Putana. That
terrible spirit causes abortions in women. Aditi takes the form known as
Revati, and her evil spirit is called Raivata; she is a dreadful Graha that
afflicts children. Diti, the mother of the Daityas, is the form called
Mukhamandika; and this terrible creature is partial to the flesh of little
children.
O Kuru, male and female children, who are said to have been fathered
by Skanda, are spirits of evil, and they kill the foetus in the womb. They,
the Kumaras, are the husbands of these devis, and children are caught
unawares by these evil spirits. Rajan, the wise say that Surabhi, the cow
mother, has the evil spirit Sakuni as her rider; and the two of them together
devour children on this Earth. Sarama, the dog mother, habitually kills
human beings while they are still in the womb.
She who is the tree mother, who lives in a Karanja tree, grants boons;
she has a pleasant face and is always kind to all creatures. They that want to
have children bow down to her.
These eighteen evil spirits are fond of meat and wine, and haunt
birthing rooms for ten days. Kadru introduces herself in a sukshma rupa
into the body of a pregnant woman and there she destroys the foetus and
makes the mother give birth to a Naga instead. The mother of the
Gandharvas takes away the foetus, and that is how women have abortions.
The mother of the Apsaras removes the foetus from the womb, and such
conceptions are said to be still-born.
The daughter of the goddess of blood is said to have nursed Skanda, and
she is worshipped as Lohitayani, on kadamba trees. The role of this
goddess, Arya, is the same for women as Rudra’s is for men. She is the
mother of all children and is especially worshipped for their well-being.
These that I have described are the evil spirits presiding over the
destinies of young children and, until children reach their sixteenth year,
these spirits wield their dark powers, but after that their influence works for
the good.
All the male and female spirits that I have described are always counted
as the spirits of Skanda. One propitiates them with burnt offerings,
ablutions, salves, and sacrifices and other offerings, and by worshipping
Skanda. O king, when one reverently honours and worships them they
bestow on men whatever is good for them, as well as courage and long life.
I bow now to Maheswara, before I describe the nature of those spirits
that affect the destinies of men after they are sixteen years old.
The man who sees gods, whether while asleep or awake, loses his
sanity, and the spirit who is responsible for these hallucinations is called the
Deva bhuta. When a person sees his dead ancestors while he is seated at
ease, or lying in his bed, he loses his mind, and the spirit which causes this
illusion is called the ancestral or Pitr bhuta.
The man who shows disrespect to the Siddhas, and who is cursed by
them in return, soon goes mad; the evil force which makes this happen is
called the Siddha bhuta. The spirit which makes a man smell a sweet scent
and recognise various tastes is a tortured spirit called the Rakshasa bhuta.
And that spirit, which gives Gandharvas, the minstrels of heaven, the
ability to insinuate themselves into the bodies of human beings, is called the
Gandharva bhuta. The evil spirit, in the form of a Pisacha that torments men
is called the Paisacha bhuta. The Yaksha spirit, that accidentally enters a
human being, making him lose his mind, is known as the Yaksha bhuta.
The man, who loses his senses on account of a demoralising addiction
to vices, becomes quickly insane, and his illness must be remedied
according to methods prescribed in the Shastras. Men also turn mad from
confusion, from irrational fear and from having seen ghastly sights. The
cure for them lies in quieting their minds.
There are three classes of spirits: some are playful, some are greedy and
some sensual. Until men attain the age of seventy, these evil spirits have the
power to plague them, and after that, fever is the only evil spirit that afflicts
them. These evil spirits always avoid those who have subdued their senses,
who are self-restrained, who have good habits, who are god-fearing, and
who are free from sloth and the touch of evil.
I have now described to you the evil spirits that mould the destinies of
men. Rajan, you who are ever devoted to Maheswara, are immune to them.’
”
CANTO 230
CONTINUED
“M arkandeya continues, ‘When Skanda had bestowed these

powers, Swaha appeared to him and said, “You are my natural
son and I want you to grant me great happiness.”
Skanda replied, “What kind of happiness do you wish to enjoy?”
Swaha said, “I am Daksha’s favourite daughter Swaha. From the time I
was young, I have been in love with Hutasana, the Fire God, but, my son,
he does not know of my feelings. I want to live with him as his wife,
forever.”
Skanda said, “From this day, Devi, all offerings that good men, who
adhere to the path of dharma, make to the Devas or the Pitrs to the
accompaniment of purifying mantras chanted by Brahmanas will be made
jointly to Agni and Swaha. In this way, Devi, you always live with Agni
Hutasana.” ’
Markandeya continues, ‘Swaha was immensely pleased with the boon
that Skanda had given her, and with her husband Pavaka, the Fire God, she
worshipped Skanda in return.
Then Brahma, the Lord of all creatures, said to Mahasena, “Go and visit
your father Mahadeva, the conqueror of Tripura. Rudra, Agni, Uma and
Swaha have worked together for the welfare of all creatures and made you
invincible. The hiranyaretas of Rudra, the highest, cast into Uma’s yoni,
was cast back onto this hill, and the twins, Minjika and Minjika came into
being. A portion of it fell into the Sea of blood, another fell into the rays of
the Sun, another fell upon the Earth, and thus it was distributed in five
portions. These fierce-looking followers of yours, who live on the flesh of
animals, were born from that golden semen.”
Saying, “It shall be done”, Mahasena worshipped his father Siva with a
son’s affection.’
Markandeya continues, ‘Men who want to acquire wealth and those
who wish to alleviate illness should worship these five kinds of spirits, born
from Mahadeva, with offerings of the sunflower. Those that desire the well-
being of their children should worship the twins, Minjika and Minjika, also
fathered by Rudra; and those who want children born to them must always
worship the female spirits that live in trees, eating human flesh. All
Pisachas are divided into innumerable types.
And now, O king, listen and I will tell you how the banners and bells of
Skanda came into being. Indra’s elephant Airavata had two bells, both
named Vaijayanti. The clever Sakra had them brought to him, and
personally gave them to Guha. Visakha took one of those bells and Skanda
Kartikeya the other. Both standards, Kartikeya’s and Visakha’s, were red.
Mahasena was pleased with what the gods had given him. Surrounded by
hosts of Devas and Pisachas, and seated on the Golden Mountain, he was
radiant in the splendour of his prosperity.
The mountain was covered with lush forests and, like Mandara with its
abundance of caves, shone in the rays of the Sun. This mountain’s lustrous
beauty was enhanced by Mahasena’s presence. The White Mountain,
Sweta, was adorned with vast woodlands and covered with blossoming
santanaka trees, forests of karavira, parijata, papa, asoka and kadamba trees.
Herds of unworldly deer roamed its hillsides, and flocks of celestial birds
flew overhead. The rumble of clouds sounded like musical instruments, like
the soft murmur of the sea, and to this the Gandharvas and Apsaras danced.
A joyous sound of merriment rose from the creatures there.
The whole world, with Indra himself, seemed to have moved to the
White Mountain. Everyone was satisfied and none tired of looking at
Skanda.’
Markandeya continues, ‘After installing the lambent son of Agni as the
leader of heaven’s army, joyous Siva, shining like the Sun, rode with
Parvati on his chariot and went to Bhadravata. Kala was his charioteer and
thousands of lions drew it. They flew swiftly through akasa, as if they
would devour the sky. Striking terror into the hearts of all the animate
beings of the worlds they passed, the maned beasts growled ferociously.
Mahadeva, Lord of all creatures, sat in that chariot with Uma, like a flare of
lightning flashing in a mass of clouds arched over by the rainbow, the
Indradhanush.
Before him went the venerable Lord of wealth, riding on the backs of
his human bearers, with his attendant Guhyakas riding in his exquisite
vimana, the Pushpaka. Bringing up the rear was Sakra, the granter of boons,
on his elephant Airavata, accompanied by the Devas and marching at the
head of his celestial army. On Mahadeva’s right flank was the great Yaksha,
Amogha, with his attendants, the Jambhaka Yakshas, and accompanied by
Rakshasas wearing flower garlands. Also on the right flank were many
Devas of wonderful battle prowess, along with the Vasus and the Rudras.
Beside him marched the terrible Yama, with his companion, Mrityu,
death, followed by hundreds of dreadful diseases. Behind Mahadeva, the
sharp-pointed, adorned Vijaya, Siva’s trisula, was borne; and Varuna, Lord
of the waters, marched slowly alongside the Vijaya, carrying his own
weapon, the Paasa, and surrounded by his aquatic subjects. Immediately to
the rear of the trident, Rudra’s other weapon, the Pattisa, was carried,
guarded by maces, marvellous cudgels and other weapons. Following the
Pattisa was Rudra’s brilliant parasol and his Kamandalu with their attendant
Maharishis, and with Bhrigu, Angirasa and others. Behind all these rode
Rudra in his white chariot, providing heartening cheer with a display of his
powers.
In his train were the rivers, lakes and seas; Apsaras, Rishis, Devas,
Gandharvas and Nagas; the stars and planets; the children of the gods; and
many women. The women scattered flowers around them as they walked;
and the clouds bowed in obeisance to Mahadeva, who was armed with his
bow, the Pinaka. Some of the clouds held a white parasol over his head; and
Agni and Vayu waved feathery chamaras.
Mahadeva, the God with the Bull for his emblem, was followed by the
glorious Indra, accompanied by the Rajarishis singing his praises. Gauri,
Vidya, Gandhari, Kesini, Mitra and Savitri made up Parvati’s train, along
with all the Vidyas—the deities of all the branches of knowledge.
Advancing ahead of the whole formation was the standard-bearer, the
Rakshasa spirit that delivers, to all the different aksauhinis, commands that
Indra and the other Devas implicitly obey.
And skipping merrily, in and out and through the procession, was that
best of Rakshasas, Pingala, who is Rudra’s friend, always busy in smasanas,
crematoria, and charming to everyone.
Good deeds are the offerings with which mortals worship Rudra, who is
also called Siva. He is the omnipotent Deity, the wielder of the bow Pinaka;
he is worshipped in his many forms; he is Maheswara.
Mahasena, the son of Krittika, the Senapati of the Deva army, who
reveres Brahmanas, followed the Lord of gods, surrounded by the deva
legions. Mahadeva said to Mahasena, gravely, “Command the seventh
aksauhini of the army with careful attention.”
Skanda replied, “My lord, I will command the seventh legion. Is there
anything else you would have me do?”
Rudra said, “You will always find me in the field of war. You will gain
great punya by looking up to me and serving me with devotion.”
Then Maheswara embraced him and gave him leave to go. Rajan, after
Skanda left, the Devas were shaken by many fell omens. The sky and its
stars blazed with fire, and all the Universe was plunged in chaos. The Earth
quaked and rumbled, and darkness covered the whole world. Seeing these
terrible phenomena, Sankara, the blessed Uma, the Devas and the great
Maharishis were distressed.
While they were bewildered, there appeared before them a savage host
of mighty Danavas, armed with a myriad of weapons and looking like a
mass of thunderheads and hills. Those Demons could not be counted and
spoke legion languages. They moved purposefully to where Sankara stood
with the Devas, and into the ranks of the army of Swarga they shot flights
of arrows in all directions, masses of rock, maces, sataghnis, prasas and
parighas.
The onslaught threw heaven’s army into disarray and their ranks
wavered. The Danavas fetched havoc by hewing down soldiers, horses,
elephants, chariots and weapons. The disheartened troops of the gods
seemed as if they were about to turn their backs upon the enemy. Vast
numbers of them fell, slain by the Asuras, like large trees burnt down in a
forest fire. The Swargavasis fell with their heads separated from their
bodies. There was no one to lead them in that fearful battle, and they were
mown down by the enemy.
Indra, the slayer of Bala, saw his forces besieged and tried to rally them.
He said, “Do not be afraid, O Heroes. May success reward your efforts!
Take up your weapons and keep your courage. You will not face any further
misfortune. Crush these evil ones. Come, let us attack the Danavas together
and may we find success!”
The dwellers of heaven were reassured and, under Indra’s lead, rushed
against the Danavas. Thirty-three thousand gods, all the powerful Maruts
and Sadhyas, and all the Vasus returned to battle. They loosed arrows that
drew blood from the Daityas, their horses and their elephants. The sharp
shafts penetrated their bodies and fell on the ground, looking like snakes
dropping down the hillside. Pierced by those arrows, the Daityas fell on all
sides, and they looked like many small banks of clouds. The Danava host
was panic-stricken at the charge of the Devas; they withered before that
attack.
Their weapons still at the ready, the gods gave loud vent to their
exhilaration; and the heavenly bands struck up joyful music.
The encounter took a dreadful toll on both sides. The battlefield was
covered over with blood and strewn with the bodies of Devas and Asuras.
The victory of the Devas was short-lived, because the Danavas rallied and
flew back into battle, bringing bloody havoc to the forces of Devaloka. This
time, the Asuras beat their drums, blew ringing blasts on their bugles and
roared their nerve-shattering war cry: Boomba! Boomba!
Now a mighty demon, the greatest of them, seized a great crag in his
hands and rushed out of that dreadful Daitya army, looking like the Sun
flaring out from behind dark clouds. The Devas saw that he was about to
hurl that enormous rock at them and fled. The Danava, Mahisha, pursued
them and flung the crag at them. Lord of the world, ten thousand warriors
of the Deva army were crushed under that immense stone. So Mahisha
struck terror into the hearts of the Devas and, with his Danavas, he fell upon
them like a lion at a herd of deer.
When Indra and the other gods saw Mahishasura leading the charge
against them they abandoned their banners and their weapons and fled.
Mahisha, full of wrath swiftly caught up with Rudra’s chariot and seized its
central pole with both his hands.
When he had seized Rudra’s chariot, the Earth began to groan and the
great Rishis fell unconscious. Massive Daityas, like thunderheads, became
boisterous with joy, thinking that victory was theirs. Although Rudra,
highest of the high, was in that plight, he did not think it worthwhile to kill
Mahisha, for he remembered that Skanda would deal that deathblow.
Meantime, the fiery Mahisha, contemplating his prize of Rudra’s chariot
with satisfaction, sounded his war-cry, terrorising the Devas but filling the
Daityas with joy.
The Devas were in this plight when the mighty Mahasena, burning with
anger, and ablaze with Sun-like splendour, came to battle. He wore fiery red
and was bedecked with a wreath of red flowers. Encased in golden armour,
he rode in a golden chariot, bright as the Sun and drawn by glossy chestnut
horses. At the sight of him, the Daityas army grew instantly dispirited.
Skanda discharged one blinding shakti at Mahisha, which beheaded the
Demon, and he fell dead. His massive head, as big as a small hill, fell to the
earth and, extending sixteen yojanas in length, barred the entrance to the
country of the Northern Kurus. Now, however, people of that country pass
easily by that way, for flesh and gristle have long since turned to bones, and
Earth has covered them.
The Devas and the Danavas saw Skanda hurl his shakti again and again
on the field of battle, and it returned to his hands after killing thousands of
the enemy’s forces. The wise Mahasena’s arrows brought down numbers of
Danavas beyond count, and they were seized by panic. Skanda’s followers
killed them, then drank their blood and ate their flesh. Joyfully, they
exterminated the Danavas in a short time, just as quickly as the sunrise does
darkness, or as a great fire consumes a forest, or as the wind drives away
clouds.
Thus did the illustrious Skanda slaughter all his enemies. The Devas
eulogised him and he, in turn, paid his respects to Siva Maheswara. And
Krittika’s son shone in glory, like Surya Deva at his zenith.
When Skanda had completely annihilated the enemy and when
Maheswara had left the battlefield, Purandara embraced Mahasena and said
to him, “You have slain Mahisha, who was made invincible by the grace of
Brahma. First of warriors, to him the Devas were as easy to mow down as
blades of grass. Mahabaho, you have removed a thorn from the flesh of the
gods.
You have killed hundreds of Danavas, all equal in valour to Mahisha, all
hostile to us and who always harassed us. And your followers have
devoured hundreds of them. You are, O mighty one, invincible in battle,
even like Uma’s lord; this victory will be celebrated as your first
achievement. Your fame will last forever in the three worlds; all the Devas
will pledge their fealty to you.”
Saying this to Mahasena, the husband of Sachi left, accompanied by his
Devas, and with the leave of Siva, the three-eyed Devadeva. Rudra returned
to Bhadravata and all the celestial ones to their respective homes.
Rudra addressed the gods, saying, “You must give your allegiance to
Skanda just as you do to me.”
The son of Pavaka the Fire God slaughtered the Danavas and conquered
the three worlds in a single day; and the greatest Rishis worship him. The
Brahmana who reads this story of Skanda’s birth gains untold prosperity in
this world and the companionship of Skanda in the next,’ says Markandeya.
Yudhishtira says, ‘O most venerable Brahmana, I want to know the
different names of this loftiest of gods, by which he is celebrated through
the three worlds.’ ”
Vaisampayana continued, “Thus addressed by the Pandava in that
conclave of Rishis, the worshipful Markandeya of great tapasyashakti
responds by listing the sacred names of Kartikeya.
He says, ‘Agneya, son of Agni; Skanda, the cast off; Diptakirti, of
blazing fame; Anamaya, always healthy; Mayuraketu, the one with the
peacock banner; Dharmatma, the one with the noble soul; Bhutesa, Lord of
all beings; Mahishardana, slayer of Mahisha; Kamajit, one who has
conquered desire; Kamada, fulfiller of desires; Kanta, the handsome one;
Satyavak, speaker of truth; Bhuvaneswara, Lord of the jungle of the world;
Sisu, child; Sighra, the swift; Suchi, the pure; Chanda, the fiery;
Diptavarna, the bright-complexioned; Subhanana, the beautiful; Amogha,
who cannot be baffled; Anagha, sinless; Rudra, the terrible; Priya, the
loved; Chandranana, of the face like the moon; Diptasakti, wielder of the
burning shakti; Prasantatma, tranquil-souled; Bhadrakrit, doer of good;
Kutamohana, holder of even the wicked; Shashthipriya, the favourite of
Shashthi; Pavitra, holy; Matrvatsala, one who adores his mother;
Kanyabharta, protector of virgins; Vibhakta, diffused over the universe;
Swaheya, son of Swaha; Revatisuta, child of Revati; Prabhu, the Lord;
Neta, the leader; Visakha, raised by Visakha; Naigameya, born of the Veda;
Suduschara, difficult to propitiate; Suvrata, of excellent vows; Lalita, the
beautiful; Balakridanakapriya, fond of toys; Khachari, ranger of the skies;
Brahmacharin, chaste; Shura, the hero; Saravanodbhava, born in a clump of
reeds; Viswamitrapriya, the favourite of Viswamitra; Devasenapriya, the
lover of Devasena; Vasudevapriya, beloved of Vasudeva; and Priyakrit, doer
of pleasing deeds.
These are the divine names of Kartikeya. Whoever repeats them will
secure fame, wealth and salvation.’
Markandeya continues, ‘Valiant son of the Kurus, listen to me sing the
other names of the mighty, six-faced, valiant Guha, who has no rival, whom
Devas and Rishis venerate. Listen well to my stuti.
O devoted to Brahman, born from Brahman, learned in the mysteries of
Brahman, Brahmesaya, foremost of those in whom Brahman resides, fond
of Brahman, austere like the Brahmanas, knowledgeable in the great
mystery of Brahma, leader of Brahmanas! You are Swaha; you are Swadha;
you are the holiest of the holy. O invoked in mantras, celebrated as the six-
flamed Fire.
You are the year, the six seasons, the months, the fornights, the solar
declinations and the cardinal points of space. O Lotus-eyed, O Lotus-faced,
O thousand-faced, thousand-armed, Ruler of the Universe, great oblation,
life-giving soul of the Devas and Asuras, mighty Leader of armies;
Prachanda—furious, Lord, master and conqueror of your enemies;
Sahasrabhutva—of many forms; Sahasratushti—content a thousand-fold;
Sahasrabhuk—devourer of everything; and Sahasrapad—thousand-legged.
You are the very Earth; you are the one of infinite forms, of one
thousand heads and of awesome strength. You can appear, at will, as
Ganga’s son, as Swaha, as Mahi, or as Krittika. O Six-faced God, your
playmate and mount is the rooster; you can assume different forms at will.
You are Daksha, Soma, Maruta, Dharma, Vayu, the prince of
mountains, and Indra, for all time. O most eternal of all the eternal ones, O
Lord of all lords, you are the mainspring of Truth, the destroyer of Diti’s
progeny, and the great conqueror of the enemies of the gods; you are the
personification of dharma; you are, at once, vast and minute; you know the
highest and the lowest of virtuous actions; the mysteries of Brahma reside
in you.
O first among Gods, O exalted Lord of the Universe, your tejas
pervades creation.
With this prayer, made as best I can, I salute you of the twelve eyes and
many hands. All the rest of your attributes defy the scope of my intellect.’
The Brahmana who reads this story of Skanda’s birth, or narrates it to
Brahmanas, or hears it being told by twice-born men, gains wealth, long
life, fame, children, victory, prosperity, contentment and the companionship
of Skanda,’ says Markandeya,” said Vaisampayana.
CANTO 231
DRAUPADI SATYABHAMA SAMVADA PARVA
V aisampayana continued, “When the Brahmanas and the noble sons

of Pandu are seated, Draupadi and Satyabhama enter the hermitage.
Their hearts filled with rare bliss, the two princesses laugh merrily and sit
together at their ease. Rajan, these devis, who always speak sweetly to each
other, are meeting after a long time and begin to exchange many heroic and
delightful tales of the Kurus and the Yadus.
The slender-waisted Satyabhama, favourite wife of Krishna, and
daughter of Satrajit, speaks privately to Draupadi and says, ‘Daughter of
Drupada, how do you manage to rule the sons of Pandu, the strong and
handsome Kshatriyas who are like lords of the Earth? Lovely one, how are
they so obedient to you and never angry with you? Pandu’s sons are always
submissive to you and ever eager to do your bidding. Tell me how this is so.
Do you practise vratas, or tapasya; do you chant mantras or take secret
herbs during your menstrual period; is there something that you do; or is it
the effect of your youthfulness? Do you chant hermetic incantations and
bewitchments, or perform special homas, or use medicated salves and
potions? Tell me, princess of Panchala, what auspicious means I can use to
make Krishna ever obedient to me?’
Chaste Draupadi says to the illustrious Satyabhama, ‘You asked me,
Satyabhama, about the means that base women use. How can I tell you
what these are? It is not fitting, devi, to answer these questions or for you to
doubt me, because you are intelligent and Krishna’s favourite wife. The
husband who discovers that his wife uses incantations and intoxicating
physics begins to be in dread of her, as if she were a serpent hiding in his
bedchamber. How can a man who is beset with fear have peace, and how
can one who has no peace have happiness? A wife can never ensure her
husband’s obedience by chanting mantras.
We hear of painful diseases being transmitted by our enemies. Indeed,
they that want to kill others send poison disguised as gifts, so that the man
who imbibes the drug so sent, by tongue or skin, soon dies. Women have
been known to cause the body to bloat through the retention of fluids,
leprosy, anaemia, impotence, insanity, blindness and deafness in men by
administering drugs to them. These evil and sinful women sometimes
disable their husbands for good. The wife should never do the least injury to
her lord.
But listen now to the way I conduct myself with the great-souled sons
of Pandu. I set aside vanity and, controlling desire and anger, I serve them
with devotion. I control my envy and, with deep, heartfelt love, and without
feeling that the duties I perform are degrading in any way, I wait upon
them. I never say anything that is evil or false, I am careful never to sit or
look or walk with impropriety; I am always careful never to let my eyes
reveal what is in my heart. This is how I serve Pandu’s sons, my Kshatriya
husbands who are like the Sun or Fire; they are radiant as the Moon, and
they are endowed with fierce energy and prowess and can kill their enemies
with a mere look.
My heart does not turn towards any other, be he Deva, Manava or
Gandharva; whether he is young or decked with ornaments, wealthy or
handsome. I never bathe or eat or sleep before my husbands have, in fact,
not until after our attendants have done so. Wherever they may be returning
from, be it field, forest or town, I quickly get up and greet my husband with
water to wash and a seat to rest on.
I always keep the house and all the things in it, and the food, tidy and
clean. I am careful in preparing the rice and serve them food at the proper
time. I never use angry words or sulk, and I never imitate women that are
wicked. Setting aside sloth, I always do what pleases them. I never laugh
falsely, but only at something genuinely amusing, and I never loiter by the
gate. I never stay long in the bathing room or in the gardens attached to the
house. I always refrain from laughing too loudly; I never indulge in
uncontrolled passion; I avoid everything that may offend.
Satyabhama, I am in constant attendance on my lords. I am never happy
when apart from them. When my husband leaves home to see a relative, I
renounce flowers and perfumes and keep vratas. Whatever my husband
does not drink or eat, or enjoy, I do not either. Beautiful princess decked in
ornaments, guided constantly by the instruction imparted to me by my
elders, I devotedly seek the welfare of my lords.
My mother-in-law Kunti told me of my duties with regard to many
aspects of married life: with regard to relatives, alms-giving, offering
worship to the gods, oblations to the diseased, boiling food in pots on
auspicious days to offer to ancestors and guests. She taught me about
reverence and service to those that deserve our attention. These and all else
that I know about, I observe and practice conscientiously, day and night.
Fixing my heart on humility and the lawful path of dharma, I serve my
gentle, truthful and virtuous husbands, thinking of them as snakes that can
flare up in anger at the least provocation.
The wife’s virtue is based on her devotion to her husband. The husband
is the wife’s god and her refuge. Indeed, there is no other refuge for her.
Under these circumstances, how could a wife hurt her lord, even in the
smallest way?
I never act against the wishes of my husband, in sleeping or eating or in
the way I adorn myself; I am always guided by them and never speak ill of
my mother-in-law. Blessed one, my husbands have become obedient to me
because of my diligence, my alertness, and because of the humility with
which I serve my betters.
Every day, I myself serve Kunti, revered and truthful mother of these
Kshatriyas, with food and drink, and fetch her clothes for her and help her
dress. Never do I indulge in my own preferences over hers in food or in
dress; never do I reprove that princess who is as forgiving as the Earth
herself.
Yudhishtira used to feed eight thousand Brahmanas every day in the
palace, on golden plates. He used to care for eighty thousand Snataka
Brahmanas leading the lives of grihastas, with thirty serving-maids assigned
to each. Besides these, he used to send sattvic food, in plates of gold, to ten
thousand celibate Yatis. I would worship all these Brahmanas who recited
the Vedas, with food, drink and clothing, taken from our stores after
dedicating a portion to the Viswadeva.
The illustrious son of Kunti had a hundred thousand finely attired
personal serving-maids, wearing lambent bracelets and golden necklaces,
colourful garlands and a profusion of resonant jewellery, and anointed with
sandalwood paste. The gold-bedecked maids were all skilled in singing and
dancing. I knew their names and recognised them all; I knew who they were
and what their duties were. Kunti’s most inelligent and brilliant son also had
a hundred thousand maid servants to take care of feeding his guests, with
plates of gold in their hands.
While Yudhishtira lived in Indraprastha a hundred thousand horses and
as many elephants would follow him in his entourage. These were the
possessions of Yudhishtira when he ruled the world.
It was I, princess, who regulated their number and framed the rules by
which they lived. I listened to any complaints about them. I knew
everything that the maid-servants of the palace did or did not do, and about
the other servitors, including the royal cowherds and shepherds. Blessed
and noble one, I alone kept the accounts of the king’s income and
expenditure and the sum of his wealth. Those bulls among the Bhaaratas
gave me the responsibility of looking after all their dependants, who paid
me their respects.
This burden, which was heavy and could not be borne by someone with
an evil heart, I shouldered day and night, sacrificing my own ease and
remaining lovingly devoted to my husbands all the while. And while my
husbands were engaged in the pursuit of dharma, I managed their treasury
that was as inexhaustible as Varuna’s ever-brimming ocean.
Often knowing hunger and thirst, all day and night I would serve the
Kuru princes, and I knew no difference between night and day. I was the
first to awake and the last to sleep. This, O Satyabhama, is the charm I used
to make my husbands obedient to me. This is what I know. Never have I
resorted to the spells or intoxicants of wicked women, nor do I ever wish to
use them.’
Quickly contrite now, Satyabhama says, ‘O Panchali, among friends,
light-hearted conversations happen naturally and without forethought. Yet, I
am to blame. Yagnaseni, forgive me!’ ”
CANTO 232
CONTINUED
“D raupadi says, ‘I will teach you how to capture your husband’s

heart without deceit. Beloved friend, if you do as I say, you will
draw your lord away from other women.
In all the worlds, including Devaloka, there is no god equal to one’s
husband. When he is pleased with you he will grant you all your wishes, but
when he is angry you will lose them all. It is the husband that gives the wife
her children, and he gives her the things that she enjoys. He gives soft beds
and comfortable chairs, clothes and garlands, perfumes, great fame, and
heaven itself in the hereafter.
As a wife, it is not easy to find happiness. Indeed, the chaste woman
always gains happiness through hardship. Always adore Krishna by offering
him your friendship and love, and by cheerfully accepting physical
hardship. Make him sit comfortably in a well-wrought seat, bring him the
best garlands and perfumes, serve him promptly, and by this he will devote
himself to you, realising that you love him truly.
As soon as you hear your lord’s voice at the gate, rise from your chair
and stand in readiness in your chamber; and as soon as you see him enter,
worship him by leading him to a soft chair and fetching him water to wash
his feet. Even when he commands a maidservant to do something, get up
and do it yourself. Let Krishna understand your mind and know that you
love him with all your heart.
Satyabhama, do not talk to others of anything your lord says to you,
even if it is nothing that needs to be kept secret, for if any of the other wives
were to speak of it to him, he might become annoyed with you. Do
whatever is in your power to make those he loves happy, and always work
for his benefit. Take care to stay away from those who oppose him, who
want to hurt him and from deceitful persons in general.
Remain composed and alert at all times, without showing any emotion,
in the presence of men. Mask your feelings with silence; do not stay alone,
or have private conversations with any man, not even your sons Pradyumna
and Samba. You should cultivate friendships only with women that are of
noble birth and pure hearts, who are devoted to their lords; shun women
that are bad-tempered, addicted to wine, gluttonous, who are prone to
stealing, or wicked and fickle.
Such conduct is reputable and augurs prosperity. It can allay hostility,
and it leads to Swarga. So, deck yourself in garlands and ornaments, rub
unguents and perfumes on your body, and worship your husband.’ ”
CANTO 233
CONTINUED
V aisampayana said, “By this time, having spoken of many pleasant

matters with the noble Pandavas and the Brahmanas with
Markandeya at their head, and having bid them farewell, Krishna mounts
his chariot and calls for Satyabhama.
Satyabhama embraces Draupadi lovingly and says to her, ‘Krishnaa, let
there be no anxiety or grief for you! You have no reason to spend sleepless
nights, because you will surely regain the Earth that your godlike husbands
will subdue. O black-eyed one, women who have your character and the
auspicious marks that you do, can never suffer misfortune for long. I have
heard it said that you and your husbands will surely enjoy this Earth, in
peace and freed from all troubles!
Draupadi, you will see Yudhishtira ruling the world after he has slain
the sons of Dhritarashtra and avenged their cowardly deeds. You will soon
see those Kuru wives, who laughed shamelessly at you when you were
going into exile, reduced to helpless despair. Be aware, Krishnaa, that all
those that hurt you in any way while you were in that miserable condition
have already died.
Your valiant sons, Yudhishtira’s Prativindhya, Bhima’s Sutasoma,
Arjuna’s Srutakarma, Nakula’s Satanika and Sahadeva’s Srutasena are well
and have become skilled warriors. Like Abhimanyu they all live happily in
delightful Dwaravati. Subhadra cares for them with all her heart and
rejoices in them even as you do. She grieves when they are sad and she is
joyful when they are. Pradyumna’s mother, too, loves them dearly.
Krishna and his son Bhanu, and all the others, watch over them with
special affection. My mother-in-law Devaki does not spare any effort in
feeding and clothing them; the Andhakas and Vrishnis, including Rama and
others, have great fondness for them. Lovely one, all these love your sons
as much as they love Pradyumna.’
Having spoken thus, with warm sincerity, Satyabhama makes her way
to Krishna’s chariot. She first walks around the Queen of the Pandavas in
pradakshina and then climbs into the wonderful ratha. The greatest of the
Yadavas comforts Draupadi with a smile and, bidding the Pandavas to
return to their house, sets out for his own city, in his chariot yoked to swift
horses.”
CANTO 234
GHOSHA YATRA PARVA
J anamejaya said, “After they reached the lake in Dwaita vana, how do
those best of men, Pritha’s sons, pass their days in that forest, exposed
to the inclement winter and summer, and to the Wind and the Sun, O
Brahmana?”
Vaisampayana said, “When the sons of Pandu arrive at that lake, they
choose a place to set up their dwelling far from human habitation. They
explore the delightful woods, pristine mountains and picturesque river
valleys. Once they have established their dwelling, many venerable Rishis,
learned in Vedic lore, visit them regularly. Those Purushottamas always
receive these Rishis with the utmost reverence.
One day, there comes to the home of the Kaurava princes a certain
Brahmana who is known for his eloquence. He converses with the Pandavas
for a while, and then, leaves them and goes to the court of the Dhritarashtra,
son of Vichitravirya. The old king of the Kurus receives him with respect,
and when the Brahmana is seated, asks him about the sons of Dharma, Vayu
and Indra, and about the twins, sons of the Aswins.
The Brahmana tells him of their pitiful state, emaciated from their
hardships and by the wind and Sun. The Brahmana also tells the king about
Krishnaa, how intense her suffering is, and says that she is bereft of
protection although she has those splendid Kshatriyas for husbands.
When he hears what the Brahmana says Dhritarashtra’s soul contracts in
grief at the thought of those royal princes drowning in a river of sorrow.
Trembling and sighing, he calms himself with great effort, and remembers
that he himself is responsible for their plight.
Dhritarashstra says, ‘O, how does Yudhishtira, the eldest of our sons,
who is truthful and pious, who is righteous in all that he does, Ajatasatru
who has not a single enemy, who is accustomed to sleeping on beds made
of soft Ranku skins, sleep now on bare ground? O, he who used to be
woken every morning by the melodious sound of sutas and magadhas
singing his praises, that prince of the Kurus who is like Indra himself: he
now rises from his rough bed, woken in the small hours by the harsh-
throated birds of night.
How does Vrikodara, reduced by exposure to the elements, and full of
rage, sleep on the floor in the presence of the princess of Panchala? He
should not suffer so. Perhaps, the intelligent Arjuna does not sleep at night
although he is one who can bear any pain, and who, though obedient to
Yudhishtira, is pierced to the core by the memory of his elder brother’s
mistakes. I am certain that, seeing the twins and Krishnaa and Yudhishtira
and Bhima plunged in misery, Arjuna sighs deeply, like a fierce serpent, and
that his anger keeps him awake through the night.
The twins, too, who are like a pair of gods, and who deserve great
happiness, are plunged in woe and pass their nights in restless wakefulness,
only prevented by dharma and satya from avenging the wrongs done to
them. The mighty son of Vayu, who is equal to his father in strength, no
doubt sighs like a serpent as well, and restrains his fury, held fast by his
elder brother with bonds of truth. The mightiest of warriors in battle, he
now lies quietly on the ground, though fury roils his tameless heart.
Burning to kill my children, he bides his time.
The cruel words that Dussasana spoke after Yudhishtira was deceitfully
beaten at dice have sunk deep into Vrikodara’s heart and consume him, as a
bundle of straw set alight engulfs a faggot of dry wood.
Dharmaputra never acts sinfully, and Dhananjaya always obeys him; but
Bhima’s wrath, stoked by his life in exile, flares up like flames fanned by
the wind. That Kshatriya wrings his hands and breathes hot, fierce breath,
as if to consume my sons and grandsons with them.
When they are angry, Arjuna and Vrikodara are like Yama and Kaala.
They loose their swift arrows like so many thunderbolts, in all directions
and raze their enemies in battle. Sadly, when Duryodhana, Sakuni, the
Suta’s son and evil Dussasana robbed the Pandavas of their kingdom by
cheating at dice, they saw only the honey on the tree and not the terrible
ruin what they did would inexorably bring.
Man knows that his actions, good and evil, will bear their different fruit,
but he is sometimes confouded by fate. How, then, can man, find salvation?
Even if the earth is well tilled and the seed sown in it, and even if Indra
sends his showers at the right time, the crop may still not grow. This is what
we often hear. How could this saying be true unless, as I have come to
realise, Destiny is the ultimate master?
The gambler Sakuni cheated the son of Pandu, who is always honest;
and out of blind affection for my sinful sons, I, too, was guilty of vile
deceit. It is for this that the Kurus now face their hour of nemesis. Or,
perhaps, the inevitable must come to pass, for it is fated and more myterious
than we can know. The wind blows, whether made to or not; the woman
that conceives will have a child; darkness will be dispelled at dawn; and
daylight vanishes at dusk!
When the time comes, whatever material wealth we earn, whether it is
spent or saved, brings us misery. Why, then, are men so anxious to garner
wealth? If what we acquire is the result of fate, do we need to safeguard it
from being divided, or from being frittered away, or from being spent all at
once? If left unprotected, it may dwindle into a hundred portions. But
whatever the nature of our possessions, our actions in the world are never
lost.
Think of the power of Arjuna, who went to Indraloka from the forest.
Having mastered the four kinds of Devastras, he has come back into this
world. What man is there who, having gone to Indra’s world in his human
form, wishes to come back? He has returned because he sees that the
destruction of the Kurus is imminent. Destiny’s instrument is Arjuna, the
ambidextrous archer. His bow is the Gandiva, which has no equal, besides
which he now has other unearthly weapons. Who is there that can withstand
the might of these three?’
After listening to the king, Subala’s son goes to Duryodhana, who is
sitting with Karna, and tells them all that he has heard. And even the
heedless Duryodhana is filled with grief.”
CANTO 235
GHOSHA YATRA PARVA CONTINUED
V aisampayana said, “After hearing what Dhritarashtra says, Sakuni

waits for his opportunity and, advised and abetted by Karna, speaks
to Duryodhana.
He says, “You have, with your power, sent the heroic Pandavas into
exile. Bhaarata, you rule this earth unchallenged, just as the slayer of
Sambara rules Devaloka. The kings of the East, the South and the West pay
tribute to you. Prosperity once paid court to Pandu’s sons, but now she is
the vassal of you and your brothers. My king, not so long ago, with heavy
hearts we saw Prosperity sitting beside Yudhishtira in Indraprastha, but
today she is yours. You have snatched her away from Yudhishtira by dint of
your intelligence. All the kings of the earth are now your subjects and at
your command, even as they were previously Yudhishtira’s and waited on
his word.
Boundless Bhumi Devi, girdled by her seas, adorned by her mountains
and forests, her towns, cities and mines, and decked with woodlands and
hills, is now yours!
Brahmanas adore you; kings worship you; and you blaze, Rajan, with
the splendour of your prowess, like the Sun among the Devas. Surrounded
by the Kurus, like Yama by the Rudras, or like Vasava by the Maruts, you
shine, like the radiant Moon among the stars. Suyodhana, let us go and look
at the sons of Pandu, who never obeyed anyone’s commands and who never
owed you subjection, who are now divested of their prosperity.
We have heard that the Pandavas are living on the shore of the lake in
Dwaita vana, with many Brahmanas; the wilderness is their home. Go there,
vested in great fortune, and scorch the sons of Pandu with the brilliance of
your glory, just as the Sun burns everything with his hot rays. Enjoy the
sight of yourself as a king and of them stripped of their sovereignty; of
yourself in opulence and of them divested of it; of yourself with wealth and
of them in poverty. Let Pandu’s sons see you, looking like Yayati, the son of
Nahusha, accompanied by a multitude of followers and enjoying great bliss.
O king, true prosperity is that which both friends and foes see. What
jubilation can be more complete than that which a man enjoys when he
himself is prosperous while his enemies are plunged in adversity? It is like
the man, who from his position on the mountain-top, looks down on the
man that grovels on the plain below. Tiger among kings, the exhilaration
that a man derives from seeing his enemies in grief is greater than what he
does from acquiring wealth or dominion.
How euphoric is he who looks upon Dhananjaya wearing tree-bark and
deer-skin, while he himself is cloaked in robes of richness. Let your wife,
grandly attired, go and see the woeful Krishnaa clad in bark, and add to
Draupadi’s sorrow. Let Drupada’s impoverished daughter be filled with
regret, seeing your wife decked in priceless ornaments, grief far greater than
what she felt in the sabha when Dussasana dragged her there.’
Having spoken thus to Duryodhana, Karna and Sakuni both fall silent,
O Janamejaya, their counsel ended.”
CANTO 236
V aisampayana said, “Duryodhana is delighted with what Karna says.

But quickly, he becomes melancholy again and says, ‘O Karna, I
have been thinking about what you said, but I will not be allowed to go
where the Pandavas live. Dhritarashtra grieves for those Kshatriyas. Indeed,
he thinks the sons of Pandu have become more powerful than before
because of their austere lives and their tapasya. Even if the king understands
my motives, he will think of future consequences, and never grant me leave.
He will know that we have no other business in that forest than the
humiliation of the exiled Pandavas.
You know what Kshatta Vidura said to me, to you and to Subala’s son
Sakuni during the game of dice. Bearing his words in mind, as well as the
lamentations that he and others indulged in then, I am doubtful about
whether or not to go and ask the king. I shall most certainly be gratified to
see Bhima and Phalguna living in misery with Krishnaa in the jungle. The
joy that I will feel in gaining sovereignty of the whole world is nothing
compared to the rapture that will be mine on seeing Pandu’s sons wearing
tree-bark and deer-skin. Is there a greater joy than will be mine, Karna, on
seeing Draupadi in the wilderness, dressed in rags?
Only when Yudhishtira and Bhima see how I am graced with vast
wealth, will my life’s ambition be fulfilled. Yet, I do not see a way in which
I can convince the king to let me go to the forest.
You, Subala’s son and Dussasana must devise a clever plan by which
we can go. I, too, will decide today, whether or not I should go, and see the
king tomorrow. When I am sitting with Kurusattama Bhishma, it is then that
you and Sakuni must propose the plan you have concocted. I will listen to
what the king and Bhishma have to say and settle the matter by pleading
with our grandfather for permission.’
Saying So be it, they all go away to their respective mansions.
In the morning, Karna comes to Duryodhana and, with a smile, says to
him, ‘I have a plan. Listen to it, O lord of men. Our herds of cattle are in the
woods that fringe Dwaita vana. I am sure that we can go there under the
pretext of inspecting the herds, for it is fitting for kings to go frequently to
their cattle stations. If you give this as a reason, your father will surely give
you leave to go.’
Sakuni says to them, ‘This is the simple, cunning plan that I, too, had in
mind. The king will definitely give his approval for our visit to Dwaita
vana. Our herds all wait there, expecting you. We will surely be able to go
to the cattle station, on the pretext of inspecting our herds and counting
their numbers.’
The three men laugh in glee and clasp each others’ hands. Having
decided on this plan, they go to meet the king of the Kurus.”
CANTO 237
V aisampayana said, “Janamejaya, as planned, they go to see king

Dhritarashtra, and when they are in his presence they ask
solicitously about his welfare. In return, he asks after theirs. The three
connivers have enlisted the services of a cowherd named Samagna to help
them and, as instructed, Samagna approaches the king and tells him about
the cattle, and that they need to be counted.
At this point, Karna and Sakuni say to Dhritarashtra, ‘O Kaurava, our
herds are kept in a most pleasant place. This is the time for branding the
calves; it is also an excellent time for the prince to go hunting. You must
give him leave to go.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘A deer hunt and an inspection of our cattle are
excellent ideas, my child; it is not wise to trust the herdsmen completely.
But we have heard that those Purushavyaghras, the Pandavas, now live in
the vicinity of our herds. I think it is best that you do not go on your own.
The Pandavas live in the forest because they were defeated deceitfully
at dice, and they suffer greatly. Karna, they are mighty warriors and they
have devoted themselves to severe tapasya. Yudhishtira will not allow his
anger to flare, but Bhimasena is naturally volatile and Yagnaseni is fire
personified. You are proud and foolhardy, and are bound to offend them.
She will burn you with the power of her tapasyashakti, and make ashes of
even armed Kshatriyas.
I am also of the opinion that injuring them using a large force of
warriors is sinful, besides I do not think you will succeed. Arjuna has
returned to join them in the forest. Even before he had acquired mastery of
the divine Astra Shastra, he subdued the earth. Mighty Kshatriya that he is,
and now a master of the Devastras, will he not slay you all?
Even if, in obedience to my words, you conduct yourselves carefully
while you are there, you will have no peace of mind because you will be
constantly watchful. Or, some soldier of yours may, even unwittingly, do
some harm to Yudhishtira, for which you will be held responsible.
No, let some of our trusted men go for the inspection and see to the
branding of the calves. Bhaarata, you must not go there yourself.’
Sakuni says, ‘Pandu’s eldest son is well-versed in dharma. He made a
pledge, which our entire sabha witnessed, that he would live for twelve
years in the forest; and the other sons of Pandu are obedient to Yudhishtira.
Yudhishtira will never be angry with us. We want, very much, to go hunting
and we will use that opportunity to supervise the counting of our cattle.
We have no intention of seeing the Pandavas. We will be careful not to
go near their dwelling; there will be no misdemeanour on our part.’
Now Dhritarashtra gives his consent, albeit unwillingly, for Duryodhana
and his companions to go to the forest. Permission gained, the son of
Gandhari sets out, accompanied by Karna and a large army. Also with him
are Dussasana, many of his other brothers, Subala’s son, the clever Sakuni,
and thousands of princesses.
And as this prince of the mighty arms sets out for Dwaita vana, the
citizens of Hastinapura, accompanied by their wives, follow him. Eight
thousand chariots, thirty thousand elephants, nine thousand horses and
many thousands of foot-soldiers are in his train, as well as moving shops
and pavilions, traders, bards and hundreds of thousands of trained hunters.
As Duryodhana begins his journey followed by this massive entourage
the uproar they make resembles the roaring of stormy monsoon winds.
When they reach the forest, Duryodhana, with his followers, his chariots
and laden carts, makes camp four miles from the lake in Dwaita vana.”
CANTO 238
V aisampayana said, “Duryodhana passes through different parts of

that forest and finally arrives at the cattle station and settles his
troops there. His attendants select a familiar and pleasant wood that has
plentiful water and is lush with trees, a place convenient for constructing
living quarters for the king. Not too far from the royal residence, they also
erect separate dwellings for Karna, Sakuni and the king’s brothers.
The king sees his cattle, hundreds and thousands of them; he examines
their legs and their identifying marks, and supervises their counting. He
supervises the branding of the calves and makes a note of those animals that
need to be broken in; and he counts those cows whose calves have not yet
been weaned.
Once he has marked and counted every calf less than three years old,
the Kuru prince, surrounded by the cowherds, begins to amuse himself in
the forest. His people and his soldiers enjoy themselves, even like the
Devas, doing as they please. The herdsmen, who are skilled in singing,
dancing and playing instruments, and young maidens decked in ornaments
pander to the pleasures of Dhritarashtra’s son, who, surrounded by the
women of the royal household, cheerfully distributes wealth, food and drink
amongst those who minister to him.
The king and his followers hunt and kill hyena, bison, deer, ox, bear and
wild boar. The king shoots thousands of those animals in the deep forest,
and he snares deer in the more light woods. Bhaarata, drinking milk and
enjoying all kinds of delicious food, and travelling through many charming
groves and woods swarming with bees drunk on the honey of flowers and
echoing with the cries of the peacock, Duryodhana eventually reaches the
sacred lake of Dwaita vana.
The place where the king arrives is full of bees inebriated with
pushpamrita, flower nectar, and resounds with the sweet notes of the blue
jay; the glade is shaded by saptacchadas and punnagas and bakulas. The
King, mantled in his bounty, enters that place looking like Indra, the wielder
of the Vajra and king of the Devas.
O Kurusattama, Yudhishtira Dharmaraja, of the mighty intellect, is at
the time living close to that lake and is, with his wife Draupadi, celebrating
the daily sacrifice called Rajarishi in accordance with the precepts laid
down for Devas and forest dwellers.
Duryodhana arrives near this very spot and commands his men, ‘Build
pleasure palaces here without delay.’
The king’s loyal servants say Tathaastu and come to the lake’s shore to
build the edifices that the king wants. As these hand-picked soldiers reach
the shore of the lake and are about to enter the forest, a number of
Gandharvas, led by their lord, appear before them and bar their way.
Rajan, the Gandharva with his followers has already come here from
Kubera’s kingdom; and, accompanied by the several tribes of Apsaras and
by the sons of the Devas, he has come for his own entertainment. He has
occupied the vana and closed it to all others.
The attendants of the Kuru king, finding that the Gandharva king has
barred entry to the lake, go back to Duryodhana. Haughty Duryodhana
hears what they say and despatches a troop of his best warriors, difficult to
defeat, and commands them to drive the Gandharvas away.
These warriors, who form the vanguard of the Kuru army, come to the
lake and say to the Gandharvas, ‘The mighty king Duryodhana, son of
Dhritarashtra, is coming here. Make way for him.’
The Gandharvas laugh in their faces and reply roughly, ‘Your evil king
must have lost his mind. Why else would he command Swargavasis, as if
we were his servants? How foolish of you to rush here at his word to meet
your deaths; you are impetuous fools to dare to bring us his message.
Return at once to the king of the Kurus, or else go even now to Yamaloka.’
Frightened by the majesty and brilliance of the Gandharvas, that force
flees back to where Dhritarashtra’s son Duryodhana waits impatiently.”
CANTO 239
V
furious.
aisampayana said, “Rajan, those soldiers return to Duryodhana and
tell him what the Gandharvas said. Dhritarashtra’s powerful son is
He growls, ‘Even if they have come to sport with all the Devas and with
him of the hundred sacrifices, kill the impudent Gandharvas.’
Dhritarashtra’s sons and the commanders of his army—mighty warriors
all—and thousands of foot-soldiers arm for battle. They fill the air in the ten
directions with loud roars and, rushing at the Gandharvas who guard the
entrance, enter the vana. Even as the Kuru soldiers step into the forest, the
fallen guards are replaced by other Gandharvas, who appear as if by magic
and forbid them to advance.
Although the Gandharvas speak politely, the Kuru soldiers disregard
them and begin to make their way into that deep vana.
When the sky-rangers find that Dhritarashtra’s warriors and their king
cannot be stopped by words they go to their king Chitrasena and tell him
what has happened. In rage, Chitrasena commands his followers, ‘Punish
these wretches!’
The Gandharvas take up their weapons and charge Dhritarashtra’s
troops. Seeing the celestial elves rushing towards them, weapons raised, the
Kuru warriors flee in all directions, even as Duryodhana looks on. Only
Karna remains, undeterred, while all the others turn their backs on the
enemy and fly from the field.
Karna stops the Gandharva force with a perfect storm of arrows. With
amazing lightness of hand, the Sutaputra strikes hundreds of Gandharvas
with kshurapra arrows, bhallas and weapons made of bone and iron. In no
time, mighty Karna makes the heads of many Gandharvas roll, and
Chitrasena’s forces begin to scream in anguish, in their musical voices.
They are slaughtered in great numbers by Karna of the great intellect,
but the Gandharvas return in hundreds of thousands. Swarms of
Chitrasena’s warriors, rushing headlong into battle, soon cover the field,
and the Earth itself seems to be filled by the unearthly host.
Then, led by Karna, prince Duryodhana, Sakuni, Dussasana, Vikarna
and the other sons of Dhritarashtra, riding chariots, the clamour of whose
wheels is like the raucous cries of Garuda, attack the elves and begin to raze
the Gandharva host. Eagerly behind Karna, these princes assault the
Gandharva army with a great force of chariots and cavalry.
Now all the Gandharva forces come to the fight against the Kauravas,
and the encounter that takes place between the opposing armies is so fierce
that it makes one’s hair stand on end.
At last, afflicted by the arrows of the Kuru army, the Gandharvas appear
to be exhausted, and seeing how spent the enemy is, the Kauravas send up a
loud cheer.
Chitrasena sees his host yielding to fear, and angrily leaps up,
determined to annihilate the Kuru army. Using his sublime mastery at arms
and his powers of maya, he continues the battle. The Kaurava warriors are
bewildered by the illusions that Chitrasena invokes, which, Bhaarata, makes
them believe that they are being attacked by ten Gandharvas each.
The Kuru host is struck by panic, and all those who want to live, run
from the field. While the entire Kaurava army breaks up and flees, Karna,
son of Surya Deva, stands resolute, as immovable as a hill.
Duryodhana, Karna and Sakuni also fight the Gandharvas, although
every one of them has been sorely wounded. The Gandharvas rush in one
massed force of hundreds of thousands against Karna, bent on killing him.
They surround the Sutaputra and assail him with swords, battle-axes
and spears. Some dissever the yoke of his chariot, some bring down his
flagstaff, some his ratha’s shaft, some cut down his horses and some strike
his sarathy.
Some fell his regal parasol, some pulverise the wooden fender around
his chariot, and some its joints. Thousands of Gandharvas attack his ratha in
unison and smash it into little pieces. With his sword and shield, Karna
leaps out of that ruined ratha, mounts Vikarna’s chariot and lashes the
horses away to save himself.”
CANTO 240
V aisampayana said, “O king, when the Gandharvas succeed in

chasing great Karna from field, the Kuru army scatters in panic, in
the very sight of Dhritarashtra’s son. Although he sees his troops fleeing the
battle, their backs to the enemy, Duryodhana stands his ground. He sees the
mighty Gandharva warriors rushing towards him and showers them with a
deluge of arrows. But the Gandharvas unconcernedly brush off his shafts
and surround his chariot.
With their own arrows, they chop its yoke into pieces; they shatter the
shaft, the fenders, the flagstaff, the triple bamboo poles and the axle of his
ratha; and they kill his charioteer and horses.
Chitrasena sees Duryodhana flung from his ruined chariot onto the
ground. The Gandharva king rushes at him and seizes him with such
violence as if to wring life out of him. The Kuru king taken, the Gandharvas
surround Dussasana and capture him. Some Gandharvas seize Vivimsati,
some take Vinda and Anuvinda, while others take all the Kuru princesses
and women of the royal household.
Duryodhana’s personal guard quickly joins the men who have already
fled the battle, and together they hasten to the Pandavas, who are living
nearby. After Duryodhana’s capture by the Gandharvas, his men who are
left alive place the Kuru chariots, mobile shops, pavilions, carriages and
draught animals under the protection of the Pandavas.
The Kaurava soldiers sob, ‘The handsome, mighty-armed son of
Dhritarashtra has been taken captive by the Gandharvas. The Gandharvas
are hauling away Dussasana, Durvisha, Durmukha and Durjaya in chains,
and taking all the royal Kuru women as well. O sons of Pritha, rescue
them!’
Wailing, Duryodhana’s attendants go to Yudhishtira and beg him to save
their king.
Bhima says to Duryodhana’s men, who are bowed with grief, ‘The
Gandharvas have done our work for us. They have done what we should
have done. The Kurus came here with some other vile purpose in mind but
have been thwarted by circumstances they did not foresee. This is the result
of the evil intention of a deceitful king.
It is said that the enemy of a powerless man is overthrown by others.
The Gandharvas have, in an extraordinary way, illustrated the truth of this
adage before our eyes. It appears that someone in this world still wants our
welfare, and has assumed that pleasant responsibility, though we sit doing
nothing.
The wretch came here to gloat over us—he wallowing in prosperity, and
we sunk in poverty and emaciated by our austere life and the harsh
elements. Those who behave like the evil-souled and wretched Kaurava are
now witness to his disgrace. And he who persuaded Duryodhana to come
also sinned. I say to you, it is not the sons of Kunti who are evil or sinful.’
Yudhishtira says sharply to Bhima, ‘This is not the time for such cruel
words.’ ”
CANTO 241
“Y udhishtira says to his wild brother, ‘Child, why do you speak so

harshly to the frightened Kurus, who are now in adversity and
who have come to us for protection? Vrikodara, dissent and dispute often
happen between blood relatives; hostilities such as these do go on, but the
honour of the family must never suffer.
If a stranger insults the honour of a family, good men do not tolerate it.
The king of the Gandharvas knows that we have been living here for some
time. Yet, he chooses to ignore us and does something that we abhor. My
brother, Duryodhana’s capture and the insult to the women of our house by
a stranger have tarnished our family honour.
Tigers among men, rise and arm yourselves without delay, we must
rescue our kin, who ask for our protection, and protect the honour of our
kula. Purushavyaghra, Arjuna, the twins and you, all valiant and
undefeated, must free Duryodhana who has been taken prisoner.
These grand chariots, equipped with golden flagpoles and with weapons
of all kinds that belong to Dhritarashtra’s sons are here. Take them, and use
Indrasena and the other skilled sarathys to drive them; use all your might to
quell the Gandharvas and rescue Duryodhana.
Even an ordinary Kshatriya would do his utmost to protect one who
comes to him for refuge; Vrikodara, from you I can expect no less. Who
amongst us is so ignoble as to ignore the plea of even our enemy when we
find him begging for help with joined hands? The bestowal of a boon,
sovereignty and the birth of a son are sources of great joy. But, Pandavas,
rescuing an enemy from peril is equal to all three put together.
What can be a source of greater joy to you than Duryodhana, plunged in
distress, depending on your prowess for his life? Vrikodara, if the tapasya
that I am now engaged in had been complete, I would have rushed to help
him myself. Do your very best, O Bhaarata, to rescue Duryodhana by
placating the Gandharvas. If, however, the king of the Gandharvas spurns
your efforts at conciliation, then you must free Suyodhana by means of a
small fight. If the lord of the Gandharvas does not release the Kurus even
then, you must rescue them by crushing the enemy by any means at your
disposal.
Bhima, I cannot say anymore, for my tapasya has begun and has not
ended yet.’ ”
Hearing Ajatasatru, out of reverence for his elder brother, Arjuna
instantly swears to liberate the Kauravas. He says, ‘If the Gandharvas do
not free the sons of Dhritarashtra peacefully, the Earth will drink the blood
of their king today!’
When the Kauravas hear Arjuna, they regain their composure.”
CANTO 242
V aisampayana said, “Listening to Yudhishtira, those bulls among

men, led by Bhimasena, arise, their faces beaming. Those mighty
warriors put on impenetrable armour inlaid with gold, and arm themselves
with unearthly weapons of all kinds. The Pandavas mount the Kaurava
chariots with their flagstaffs, and with their bows and arrows they blaze in
fiery splendour.
Riding those chariots drawn by the swiftest steeds, those tigers among
warriors ride forth. Seeing the Pandavas riding to rescue Duryodhana, the
Kuru army lets out a great cheer.
Soon, the Gandharvas, the sky-rangers flushed with victory, see the sons
of Pandu coming after them fearlessly through the forest. The Gandharvas
see the four sons of Pandu riding to battle on their chariots, and they turn
back to face the Kshatriyas. The residents of Gandhamadana see the
Pandavas like the radiant Lokapalas, guardians of the world, inflamed and
eager for a fight.
O Bhaarata, in obedience to the wise Yudhishtira’s command, the first
encounter is a mere skirmish. Arjuna Parantapa realises that it has not
succeeded. He says to the Gandharvas in a conciliatory tone, ‘Release my
brother Suyodhana.’
The Gandharvas laugh aloud and reply, ‘Young man, there is only one
lord whose orders we obey, and under his rule we pass our days happily.
Bhaarata, we do only what he says, and none can command us except him.’
Arjuna says to them, ‘Contact with other men’s wives and a fight with
mortal men are reprehensible in a king of Gandharvas. Release the mighty
sons of Dhritarashtra. Set the women free as well, as Yudhishtira
Dharmaraja commands. If you Gandharvas do not release the sons of
Dhritarashtra peacefully, I will use all my prowess to rescue Suyodhana and
his people.’
With that the ambidextrous Arjuna unleashes a shower of arrows on the
Gandharvas. The Gandharvas respond with an equal torrent of shafts, and
the Pandavas retaliate in return.
Bhaarata, fierce is the battle that rages between the agile and
effervescent Gandharvas and the now impetuous sons of Pandu.”
CANTO 243
V aisampayana said, “Decked in golden garlands, and masters of the

astra of heaven, the Gandharvas blaze their arrows at the Pandavas
from every side. Since the sons of Pandu number only four and the
Gandharvas are thousands, the battle that ensues is extraordinary. The
Gandharvas try to shatter the chariots of the four Pandavas as they did the
Kauravas’. But these tigers among men easily resist the hosts of elves who
rush at them.
Those formidable rangers of skies are arrested on all sides and cannot
come near the Pandavas.
Arjuna, provoked, prepares to loose his Devastras at the enraged and
frustrated Gandharvas. His Agneyastra sends a hundred thousand
Gandharvas to Yamaloka. Bhima, foremost of all warriors in battle, kills
hundreds of elves with razorlike arrows. And the powerful sons of Madri,
battling with scarcely credible energy, encounter hundreds of Gandharvas,
O king, and kill them all.
As the Gandharvas are razed by the Pandavas with divine astras, they
fly up into the sky, taking the sons of Dhritarashtra with them. But seeing
them go, Arjuna shrouds them with a net of magic arrows, trapping them
like birds in a cage. In fury, they cast maces, spears and swords down at
Arjuna, but he, the master of astras, easily repels the attack; Dhananjaya
retaliates, mangling Gandharva limbs with his crescent-tipped barbs.
Heads, legs and arms begin to fall from the sky in a cascade, and the
sight strikes the enemy with panic. The Gandharvas now rain a downpour
of shafts on Arjuna, who stands on the ground. That Kshatriya stills the
elven shower of arrows with his own, also gravely wounding the
Gandharvas.
Arjuna summons all his famed astras: Sthunakarna, Indrajala, Saura,
Agneya and Saumya. The Gandharvas are consumed by the fiery weapons
of Kunti’s son and suffer great losses even as the sons of Diti did when they
were torched by Sakra’s thunderbolt. When they attack Arjuna from above,
his thick mesh of arrows contains theirs; when they attack him from all
sides on the ground, his crescent-tipped arrows hold theirs off.
Chitrasena sees that the Gandharvas are terrified by Kunti’s son and,
Bhaarata, rushes at Dhananjaya with his mace.
As the king of the Gandharvas hurtles down on Arjuna from above,
mace in hand, Arjuna splits that mace into seven pieces with his immaculate
archery. Chitrasena resorts to maya and continues the fight, now invisible to
the Pandava. Arjuna uses many a Devastra to repel all the unworldly
weapons that the Gandharva casts at him and, when Chitrasena, mantled in
maya, now appearing, now disappearing, sees that the son of Kunti still
confounds him, the Gandharva vanishes entirely.
Seeing the lord of the Gandharvas vanish, Arjuna, chanting the proper
mantras, invokes an astra to rend Chitrasena’s cloak of invisibility.
Dhananjaya of the many forms, full of rage, fetches the Gandharva lord
back into plain sight with the weapon Sabdaveda.
Assailed by the illustrious Arjuna, his beloved friend Chitrasena reveals
himself and says, ‘Behold, it is your friend who fights you!’
Arjuna sees that Chitrasena is tired and withdraws his astras. Seeing
this, the other Pandavas hold their wind-swift horses and check their
weapons, and put away their bows.
Chitrasena, Bhima, Arjuna and the twins sit on their chariots and
solicitously enquire about one another’s welfare.”
CANTO 244
V aisampayana said, “Arjuna smiles and says to Chitrasena who now

stands in the midst of his Gandharva host, ‘My friend, what do you
achieve by punishing the Kauravas? Why do you chastise Suyodhana and
his wives?’
Chitrasena replies, ‘Dhananjaya, long before I arrived here, I knew why
the evil Duryodhana and the wretched Karna were coming here. They knew
that you are exiles in the forest and that you suffer, as if you had no one to
protect you. These vile men wanted to enjoy the sight of your adversity
while they themselves are flush with prosperity. They came here to mock
you and the chaste Draupadi.
The Lord Indra divined their purpose, too, and he said to me, “Go and
bring Duryodhana to me in chains, along with his confederates. Always
protect Dhananjaya and his brothers in battle, for Arjuna is your dear friend
and disciple.”
At the behest of the king of the Devas I came here at once. I have the
unscrupulous prince in chains, and I will take this sinner now to Devaloka,
to Devendra.’
Arjuna says, ‘O Chitrasena, if you want to please me, set Suyodhana
free, for this is the wish of my brother Yudhishtira Dharmaraja.’
Chitrasena says, ‘This sinner is always full of vanity. He does not
deserve to be released. Arjuna, he has deceived and wronged both
Yudhishtira and Krishnaa. The Dharmaraja does not know why this wretch
came here. Let the king do as he likes, but only after he knows everything.’
All of them go to Yudhishtira Dharmaraja and tell him about
Duryodhana. Ajatasatru hears everything that the Gandharvas say and asks
them to set the Kauravas free.
He says, ‘How fortunate we are that you did not kill the son of
Dhritarashtra and all his advisors and kin, though, with your powers you
could easily have done so. O Gandharvas, you have done me a great
kindness; you will restore the honour of my clan by releasing this evil man.
I am happy to see you. Command me; tell me what I can do for you.
You can return to your home on high once you have what you wish.’
The Gandharvas are pleased with what the wise Pandava says and
Chitrasena leads his Gandharvas and Apsaras home. The Lord of the Devas
comes there and revives the Gandharvas that the Kauravas killed in battle
by sprinkling divine amrita over them.
The Pandavas are gratified that they have freed their cousins, their other
relatives and the women of the royal household. Those awesome Kshatriyas
glow in splendour, like fires blazing in a yagnasala, as the Kurus, their
wives and sons pay homage to them.
Yudhishtira then addresses Duryodhana in the midst of his brothers,
saying affectionately, ‘Child, never do such an imprudent thing again.
Bhaarata, a rash man never achieves happiness. Kurunandana, may you and
your brothers be blessed! Go back to your capital whenever you wish,
without sorrow or despair.’
When the son of Pandu gives him leave to go, Duryodhana salutes
Yudhishtira Dharmaraja and, his heart torn with shame, sets out woodenly
for Hastinapura, like one whose very life has left him. After the Kaurava
prince has gone, the Brahmanas adulate the noble Yudhishtira and his
heroic brothers, even like the Devas worship Sakra; and surrounded by
those Brahmanas rich in tapasyashakti, Yudhishtira passes his days
contentedly in Dwaita vana.”
CANTO 245
J anamejaya said, “After his defeat and capture by the Gandharvas, and
his rescue by the illustrious sons of Pandu, it seems to me that the
entry into Hastinapura of the proud, evil, vicious, insolent Duryodhana,
who so enjoyed insulting the Pandavas and bragging about his own
superiority, must have been difficult. Describe it to me in detail, O
Vaisampayana. How did that prince enter his city, overwhelmed as he was
with shame and unmanned by grief?”
Vaisampayana said, “Dismissed by Yudhishtira Dharmaraja,
Dhritarashtra’s son Suyodhana bends his head in shame and, tormented by
shame and melancholy, sets out slowly. He rides towards his city,
accompanied by his four forces, his heart ruptured by sorrow and his mind
filled with the memory of his defeat.
Along the way, in a place lush with grass and plentiful water, the king
makes camp, with his elephants, horses, foot-soldiers and chariots.
Duryodhana is seated on a raised bedstead that is as magnificent as a
burning fire, looking like the eclipsed moon, when, towards the small hours
of the morning, Karna arrives there and says to him, ‘Son of Gandhari, it is
fortunate indeed that you are alive, and fortunate, too, that we meet again. It
is by great fortune that you vanquished the Gandharvas, who can assume
any form at will. And, Kurunandana, it is by good fortune alone that I see
that your mighty brothers have vanquished their foes and emerged
victorious.
As for myself, assailed by the Gandharvas, I fled before your very eyes
and could not rally our terrified forces. My body mangled by enemy arrows,
I sought safety. Bhaarata, I marvel at seeing all of you emerge safe and
sound, with your wives, troops and chariots, out of that superhuman
encounter.
No other man in this world could do what you, O king, with your
brothers, have achieved in battle today.’
But Duryodhana replies to the king of the Angas in a voice choked with
tears.”
CANTO 246
“D uryodhana says, ‘O Radheya, you do not know what happened

and so I am not upset by what you say. You think that it is with
my prowess that I killed the hostile Gandharvas. Mahabaho, my brothers
and I did indeed engage in a long battle with the sky-rangers. Both sides
suffered heavy casualties. But when the Gandharvas took to the air with
their magical powers and began to fight us from there, our contention
became unequal. We were defeated and taken captive.
The Gandharvas took us, snared like animals in a net and in agony; they
carried away our troops, our chariots, our wives and our children through
the skies. It was then that some of our bold men went in despair to the sons
of Pandu, those Kshatriyas that never refuse help to those that ask for it.
They said to the Pandavas, “Duryodhana, the son of Dhritarashtra, with
his younger brothers, his friends and wives, has been captured and is being
borne away through the sky by Gandharvas. Blessings be upon you!
Liberate the king and the women of the royal household. Do not allow the
royal ladies to be insulted.”
When they said this, Pandu’s eldest son, that virtuous soul, pacified his
brothers and commanded them to free us. Those four bulls among men
overtook the Gandharvas and asked them gently to release us, although they
could have easily secured our freedom with their prodigious strength.
Though addressed in conciliatory words, the Gandharvas refused to
release us. Then Arjuna, Bhima and the twins shot arrows at the sky-
rangers, who abandoned the fight and fled through the sky, gleefully
dragging us behind them in our stricken state. Immediately, we saw
Dhananjaya spread a net of arrows all around and, at the same time, loose
his Devastras at the enemy. Seeing all the horizon covered by Arjuna’s
arrowy net, Arjuna’s friend, the Gandharva king, revealed himself.
Chitrasena and Arjuna embraced each other and enquired after each
other’s welfare. The other sons of Pandu also embraced the lord of the
Gandharvas and were embraced by him in return, and warm and courteous
civilities passed between them as well. The Gandharvas threw down their
weapons and armour and mingled in friendship with the Pandavas. And
Chitrasena and Dhananjaya lovingly worshipped each other.’ ”
CANTO 247
“D uryodhana says, ‘Arjuna smilingly said to Chitrasena, “Best of

Gandharvas, you must release my brothers. They will not be
humiliated as long as the sons of Pandu live.”
O Karna, the lord of the Gandharvas then disclosed our reason for
having gone there: that we went there to feast our eyes on the plight of the
Pandavas and their wife.
When the Gandharva exposed us, I was so ashamed that I wished the
earth would open and swallow me. The Gandharvas and the Pandavas went
to Yudhishtira and, after telling him why we had gone there, handed us over
to him. What greater sorrow could be mine than that I should be offered as a
tribute to Yudhishtira in the very sight of the women of our household,
bound in chains and miserable, a prisoner of my enemies. They that I have
always maligned and tormented, to whom I have always been an enemy,
released me and, wretch that I am, I owe them my life. It would have been
far better to have died in battle than for my life to have been spared in this
way. If the Gandharvas had killed me, my fame would have spread across
the Earth and I would have attained eternal bliss in Indraloka.
Listen, O Manavarishabhas, to what I intend to do next. I will remain
here, not eating, while you return home. Let all my brothers also go to
Hastinapura; let all our friends, including Karna, and all our relatives led
now by Dussasana return to the city of the elephant.
My enemies have shamed me, and I will not go to Hastinapura. I, who
stripped my adversaries of honour, who always enhanced the esteem of my
friends, have now become a source of shame to my own and one of joy to
my enemies.
What will I say to the king if I go to Hastinapura? What will Bhishma,
Drona, Kripa, Drona’s son, Vidura, Sanjaya, Bahuka, Somadatta and other
revered elders say to me? What will the elders of the other varnas and the
prominent men of independent professions say to me, and how will I
answer them?
Until now, I have stood over the heads of my enemies and planted my
feet on their breasts, but now I have fallen. How can I ever face or speak to
them? Insolent men who become prosperous and gain knowledge and
affluence are rarely blessed for long, even like me who was puffed up with
vanity. Alas, folly led me to a vile path, and because of my foolishness, I
have sunk to these depths.
And so, I will starve myself to death for my life has become unbearable.
What man wants to drag out his days after he has been saved by his enemy?
Proud as I am, my enemy stripped me of my dignity and laughed at me. The
Pandavas have seen me plunged in wretchedness.’
Now Duryodhana turns to Dussasana, ‘O Dussasana, listen to me.
Bhaarata, be king in my place. Rule the earth, protected by Karna and
Subala’s son. Just as Indra looks after the Maruts, take care of your brothers
in such a way that they will rest their faith and confidence in you. Let our
friends and relatives depend on you, like the gods depend on him of the
hundred yagnas.
Always bestow wealth on Brahmanas, promptly, and always be the
refuge of your friends and family. As Vishnu looks after the Devas, you
must look after all your relatives. You must always cherish your gurus. Go,
rule the earth; gladden your friends and chastise your foes.’
And embracing Dussasana, Duryodhana says, ‘Go!’
Dussasana is overwhelmed by sorrow when he hears this; his voice
choked and with hands joined prayerfully, he bows his head and says to his
elder brother, ‘Relent.’
His heart so heavy, he falls on the ground; in searing grief, that tiger
among men sheds tears on his brother’s feet and says, ‘Never! This will
never be. The Earth may split, the vault of the Sky may shatter, the Sun may
cast off his splendour, the Moon abandon his coolness, the Wind forsake his
speed, Himavat may move from his place, the waters of the Ocean may dry
up and Fire renounce his heat; but I, O king, will not rule the earth without
you.’
Repeatedly saying, ‘Relent, Rajan, you alone shall be king of our race
for a hundred years’, Dussasana weeps at the feet of his elder brother,
whom he adores, O Bhaarata.
Seeing Dussasana and Duryodhana sobbing, Karna says to them, ‘O
Kuru princes, why do you give in to sorrow like children, like ordinary
men? Crying can never ease a man’s grief; what do you gain by giving way
to sorrow? Summon patience; do not give your enemies cause to be joyful.
Suyodhana, the Pandavas only did their duty by freeing you. The
subjects of a king must always do what is pleasing to the king. The
Pandavas are living happily in your kingdom and under your protection. It
is not fitting for you to indulge your anguish, like any common man. Look,
how despondent your brothers are to hear that you want to put an end to
your life. May you be blessed! Arise! Return to your city and console your
brothers.’
CANTO 248
“K arna says, ‘O king, your conduct is immature. Kshatriya, what is

so surprising in the Pandavas saving you when you were
defeated by the enemy? Those that live in the dominions of a king,
especially those who are warriors, must always do what is good for the
king, whether their monarch knows them or not.
Often, Kshatriyas who raze the ranks of an enemy are finally
vanquished by them, and are then rescued by their own troops. Warriors
living in a king’s realm should always unite and do their utmost for their
king.
If the Pandavas, who live in your kingdom, freed you, why should you
grieve? Indeed, that the Pandavas did not follow you when you went into
battle is unforgivable. They live under your authority and have become your
slaves. They are honour-bound to help you, who are brave and strong and
never turn away from the field of battle.
You now own the Pandavas’ wealth. They are still alive; they have not
resolved to fast to their deaths!
Rise up, my king. It is not fitting for you to indulge in such despair for
long. It is the bounden duty of everyone in the kingdom to do what is in the
king’s best interest. Where is the cause for distress in what happened?
If you do not do as I say, I will remain here by your side, worshipping
your feet. Purusharishabha, I have no wish to live without you. If you
decide to kill yourself by fasting, you will only become the laughing-stock
of other kings.’
Even after hearing what Karna says, Duryodhana remains unmoved and
does not stir from where he sits.”
CANTO 249
V aisampayana said, “Normally incapable of tolerating an insult,

Duryodhana sits resolutely determined to fast to death, and seeing
this, Subala’s son Sakuni consoles him.
Sakuni says, ‘Scion of the Kurus, you heard what Karna said. He speaks
wisely. Why would you so foolishly throw away the enormous wealth I won
for you by giving up your life today, Rajan, through this silliness?
It seems to me that you have never paid heed to what wise old men say.
He who cannot control sudden occurrences of joy or sorrow is lost even
though he may have prospered, even like an unfired earthen vessel filled
with water. Subjects seldom respect the king who is destitute of courage,
who has no spark of manliness, who is the slave of procrastination, who is
indiscreet, or who is addicted to sensual pleasures.
With all the good fortune you enjoy, where does this unreasonable grief
of yours spring from? Do not negate this graciousness of Pritha’s sons by
indulging your grief. Why do you grieve, and reward the Pandavas, when
you should be joyful? Ah, your behaviour is inconsistent. Be cheerful; do
not throw your life away; instead, remember with a grateful heart the favour
they have done you.
Return their kingdom to Pritha’s sons, and thereby win honour and
fame. In that way, you can show your gratitude. Establish brotherly
relations with the Pandavas, in friendship, and give them back their father’s
kingdom. Then you will be happy!’
Hearing what Sakuni says, and seeing the valiant Dussasana lying
prostrate before him, and overcome by fraternal love, the king raises
Dussasana up and, clasping him in his mighty arms, sniffs his head in
affection. Karna and Saubala’s words move Duryodhana to shame, and utter
dejection grips his soul.
Sorrowfully, he responds to his friends, ‘I have no more need of virtue,
wealth, friendship, affluence, sovereignty or pleasure. Do not try to move
me; leave me, all of you. I am firmly resolved to fast to my death. Return to
Hastina and pay your respects to our elders.’
They reply to that grinder of his foes, ‘Whatever course you take, we
shall, too, Bhaarata. How can we enter the city without you?’
Whatever his friends and advisors say to him, the king does not waver
in his determination. Dhritarashtra’s son spreads kusa grass on the ground,
purifies himself with water and sits down. He casts away his royal robes,
covers himself in rags and grass, and vows to observe Atikatora, the most
difficult tapasya. Falling silent, that tiger among kings, his mind focused on
Swarga, begins to pray, shutting out the outside world.
Meanwhile, the fierce Daityas and Danavas, whom the Devas defeated
long ago, and who live in Patala, the nether realms, find out about
Duryodhana’s vow and, knowing that if he dies they will be immeasurably
weakened, begin a yagna with fire, to fetch Duryodhana into their presence.
Demons, masters of dark mantras, using the methods declared by
Brihaspati and Usanas, conduct rites prescribed in the Atharva Veda and the
Upanishads. Brahmana Asuras of rigid vows, versed in the Vedas and their
many branches, prayerfully pour libations of ghee and milk into the fire
whilst chanting mantras. After those rituals have been completed, O king, a
macabre and dreadful female spirit, with a yawning maw, rises from the
sacrificial fire and asks to be commanded.
The Daityas command her, ‘Bring the royal son of Dhritarashtra here
from where he keeps a fast to end his life.’ She vanishes, saying, So be it.
She goes in an instant to where Suyodhana sits, picks the king up bodily
and carries him back to Patala, to the great Danavas. The Danavas see the
king, who is brought into their midst in the night, and together they address
Duryodhana with flattery, their hearts full of hope and their eyes wide with
delight.”
CANTO 250
“T he Danavas say, ‘O Suyodhana, great king, perpetuator of the

Bhaaratas, you are living in the company of heroic and illustrious
men. Why have you sworn this harsh vow of fasting to the death? The man
that commits suicide sinks into hell and everyone speaks ill of him.
Intelligent men like you never commit such sins, which are contrary to their
own interests and that strike at the very root of their purpose. Set aside your
resolve: it is against dharma, destroys profit, happiness, fame, prowess and
energy, and enhances the joy of your enemies.
Rajan, realise the truth of the divine origin of your soul and your body;
summon patience to your aid.
Long ago, Maheswara gave you to us as a reward for our tapasya.
Anagha, your upper body is composed entirely of thunder, Vajra, and is
invulnerable to any weapon. The lower part of your body, which can
captivate a woman’s heart by its physical beauty, was made of flowers by
Mahadeva’s wife, the Devi herself. Best of kings, your body is the creation
of Maheswara and his consort. Purushavyaghra, you are not of human
origin, but celestial.
Other brave Kshatriyas of mighty energy, headed by Bhagadatta, all of
whom have knowledge of Devastras, will kill your enemies. Let this grief
of yours end now. You have no need to be afraid. There are countless heroic
Danavas who have been born into the world with the sole purpose of
helping you.
Other Asuras will insinuate themselves into the atmas of Bhishma,
Drona, Karna and the rest. Possessed by them, these heroes will shed their
dharma and fight your enemies. When the Danavas enter their hearts and
possess them completely they will cast aside their compassion and,
becoming savage and cruel, these warriors will strike down everybody who
stands against them, not even sparing sons, brothers, fathers, friends,
disciples, relatives, nor even children and old men. As destined by Brahma,
ignorance and rage will drive these tigers among men. Their hearts steeped
in sin, they will, O Kurusattama, depopulate the earth with all kinds of
weapons, with manly prowess and strength, all the while boasting to their
victims, You will not escape me with your life.
These are the men that the Pandavas, who are just five, will face. Vested
with uncanny strength and favoured by Destiny, the Danavas will entirely
destroy the sons of Pandu. Rajan, many Daityas and Rakshasas have been
born as Kshatriyas, and they, too, will fight your enemies, with arrows,
maces, swords, spears and astras as well.
As for the fear that rests in your heart because of Arjuna, we have
already decided how to kill him. The atma of the slain Narakasura has
assumed the form of Karna. In this form, he will remember his ancient
hatred and he will kill both Krishna and Arjuna. This Maharatha and best of
all warriors, who is proud of his ability, will vanquish Arjuna and all your
enemies in battle.
Knowing all this and wanting to save Arjuna, Indra, the wielder of the
Vajra, will disguise himself as a Brahmana and take from him Karna’s
kavacha and kundala, the golden armour and earrings that make Karna
invincible.
Also, to this end we have sent hundreds of thousands of Daityas and
Rakshasas into the world. They shall be known as Samsaptakas, and these
inexorable warriors will slay the heroic Arjuna.
Therefore, Rajan, grieve not. You will rule the earth without a rival. Do
not yield to despondency; it does not suit you. If you die, all our kind will
be weakened. Come, Kshatriya, do not even think of anything other that
annihilating your enemies. You are our refuge, in the same way that the
Pandavas are the refuge of the Devas.’
The Daityas embrace that best of kings, and the Danavarishabhas, bulls
among Danavas, cheer that irrepressible hero as if he is a son. Bhaarata,
they steady his mind with soft words of deep enchantment and then allow
him to leave, saying, ‘Go and be victorious!’
The female spirit bears Duryodhana back to the place where he sat. She
sets the Kshatriya down and pays him homage. Then she vanishes.
Bhaarata, when she has gone, Duryodhana reflects on all that has
happened, as if it were a dream. He says within himself, ‘I shall defeat the
Pandavas in battle,’ and convinced that Karna and the Samsaptaka legions
will kill Arjuna, Dhritarashtra’s evil son becomes strong with hope.
At this very hour, Karna is possessed by the soul of Narakasura and his
heart hardens further in determination to kill Arjuna. The Samsaptakas,
their souls taken by the Daityas, and under the control of fell influences,
also become intent on slaying Phalguna. Bhishma, Drona and Kripa, they
too possessed by the Danavas, lose their fondness for the Pandavas. And
Suyodhana does not reveal what he now knows to anyone.
When the night has passed Suryaputra Karna says Duryodhana, with his
palms folded in respect, ‘A dead man never conquered his enemies. It is
only alive that he achieves anything. Of what use is a dead man? O
Kaurava, where is his victory? I say to you, this is no time for grief, or fear,
or death.’
He embraces his beloved friend, ‘Arise, O king! Why do you lie down?
Why do you grieve, Parantapa? Having afflicted your adversaries with your
strength, why do you wish for death? Does fear grip you at the sight of
Arjuna? I promise you this: I will slay Dhananjaya in battle. Lord of men, I
swear by my sacred bow that before the thirteen years are over, I will bring
the sons of Pritha to their knees before you.’
When he hears what Karna says, he remembers the words of the
Daityas, as well as the pleas of his brothers, and Suyodhana rises. The
Demons’ words have given this Purushavyaghra strength of resolve. He
arrays his army, of vast numbers of horses, elephants, chariots and foot-
soldiers. With great, royal white parasols, flags and white chamara whisks,
with chariots, elephants and foot-soldiers, that army moves like the majestic
Ganga, looking as glorious as the sky after the monsoon, when the clouds
have dispersed and autumn has signalled its arrival.
Rajadhiraja, king of kings, Brahmanas bless Suyodhana to be victorious
and sing his praises. Dhritarashtra’s son leads his army, receiving the
honour of uncountable hands joined in homage to him, flaming in splendour
and flanked by Karna and that gambler Sakuni. All his brothers with
Dussasana at their head, and Bhurisrava, and Somadatta, and the dauntless
king Bahlika follow that lion among kings as he marches with a multitude
of chariots, horses and the strongest, most massive elephants. Best of kings,
shortly the Kauravas enter Hastinapura.”
CANTO 251
J anamejaya said, “What did sons of Dhritarashtra, those best of men,

superb archers, do while the Pandavas lived in the forest? And how
did Karna, Sakuni, Bhishma, Drona and Kripa occupy themselves during
that time? Tell me all this.”
Vaisampayana said, “O Maharajan, after the Pandavas have freed him,
Suyodhana goes to Hastinapura, where Bhishma says to him in the Kuru
sabha, ‘Child, I told you when you were determined to go to the forest that I
was not happy with your plan. You went anyway and you were taken
captive by the Gandharvas and then rescued by the honourable Pandavas.
Still, you are not ashamed.
O son of Gandhari, you saw how the Suta’s son panicked and fled from
the Gandharvas with your army. In your distress, you saw for yourself the
prowess of the noble Pandavas, and also that of Karna, the sinful Sutaputra.
Karna cannot measure up to a quarter of even one Pandava, be it in the
Astra Shastra, in courage, or in dharma. For the weal of this house of Kuru,
it is best you make peace with the Pandavas.’
Dhritarashtra’s son laughs impudently at Bhishma and abruptly walks
out with Sakuni. His brothers, mighty bowmen all, with Karna and
Dussasana at their head follow Duryodhana, not knowing where he goes.
Pitamaha Bhishma, the grandsire of the Kurus, hangs his head and retires
sadly to his apartments.
After Bhishma has left, Dhritarashtra’s son returns to the sabha and
consults his advisors. He says, ‘What is the best course for me to adopt? Is
there something else I should do? Let us discuss how we can achieve what
is best for us.’
Karna says, ‘Duryodhana, take to heart what I am going to say.
Bhishma always blames us and praises the Pandavas because he dislikes
you. He hates me as well; he always insults me in your presence. I will
never forget what Bhishma said to you, when he extolled the Pandavas and
berated you, Parantapa. My king, give me command of your men, your
armies and your chariots, and I will conquer the Earth with her mountains,
woods and forests. It took four powerful Pandavas to subdue Bhumi, but I
will do it single-handedly.
Let that dreg of the Kuru race, the evil-minded Bhishma, who reproves
the innocent and praises the undeserving, witness my might and feel
ashamed of himself. O Rajan, only command me; and victory will surely be
yours. This I swear to you by my bow.’
Listening to Karna, Duryodhana is delighted and says to him, ‘I am
blessed with the wealth of your friendship! You are endowed with
unrivalled strength and devoted to me. My life has borne fruit today. Go, O
valiant one, and vanquish all my enemies as you intend. May good fortune
follow you! Command me; what shall I do for you?’
Karna loses no time in gathering all that he needs for his expedition.
Then, on a good day of the lunar calendar, at an opportune moment, and
under the influence of a nakshatra presided over by an auspicious deity, he
sets out. The Dvijas honour him, the Brahmanas pour auspicious and holy
water over him in blessing, and all who are gathered sing his praises as he
goes forward, filling the three worlds, its mobile and immovable beings,
with the rumble of his chariot wheels.”
CANTO 252
V aisampayana continued, “With a teeming army, Karna besieges

Drupada’s beautiful city. After a hard-fought battle, Karna quells
Drupada, makes him surrender his gold, silver and jewels, and also makes
him pay a tribute to Duryodhana. Once he has defeated Drupada, he goes on
to subdue the vassal kings and extracts tribute from them as well.
He turns northwards and brings those kings under his sway. After
defeating the unvanquished Bhagadatta, Radheya Karna climbs to the top of
the colossal Himavat, crushing all whom he encounters on the way. He
conquers all the kings living on the Himavat Mountain and makes them all
pay him rich tributes.
Descending from the mountain and moving to the east, he subdues the
Angas, and the Vangas, the Kalingas and the Shundikas, the Magadhas and
the Karkakhandas, Avasiras, Yodhyas and the Ahikshatras. Having
conquered all the east, Karna goes on to subdue Vatsabhumi, Kevala,
Mrittikavati and Mohana; and Pattana, Tripura and Kosala, and forces
tribute from them, as well.
He turns his attention to the south, where he vanquishes the Maharathas
of those kingdoms. There, the Sutaputra encounters Rukmi.
After a dreadful battle, Rukmi says to Karna, ‘Rajendra, foremost of
kings, I am impressed by your strength. I will do you no wrong; I have only
fulfilled Kshatriya dharma. I will gladly give you as many gold coins as you
wish.’
Karna proceeds, then, to the Pandya kingdom and to the Mountain Sri.
Defeating king Nila of Kerala, Venudari’s son and other mighty kings of the
southern kingdoms, he extracts tribute from all of them. The Sutaputra goes
on to crush Sisupala’s son, and brings all the neighbouring rulers under his
dominion.
Bharatarishabha, he subjugates the Avantis and makes peace with them;
he defeats the Vrishnis and conquers the west. He goes to the sea kingdoms
of Varuna and makes the Yavana and Barbara kings pay him tribute.
Thus, the peerless Karna conquers all the kingdoms of the north, south,
east and west. That hero single-handedly subdues all the Mlechcha nations,
the mountain kingdoms, the Bhadras, the Rohitakas, the Agreyas and the
Malavas. He defeats the mightiest chariot-warriors and the Sasakas and the
Yavanas.
Having conquered the whole world, this Maharatha, Purushavyaghra
Karna returns to Hastinapura.
Dhritarashtra’s son, with his father and his brothers and friends, comes
out of his gates and greets Karna; and he pays homage to the warrior
crowned with victory. The king proclaims his feats and says, ‘You have
given me what no one else has, not even Bhishma, Drona, Kripa or Bahlika.
May God bless you!
What need is there for lengthy speeches, when in you, Karna,
Janeswara, god among men, I have my refuge? Mahabaho, Narapumgava,
neither all the Pandavas nor any of the other prosperous kings measures up
to a sixteenth of you. Karna, look on Dhritarashtra and the illustrious
Gandhari as the Vajradhari does upon Aditi.’
A great uproar rises in the city of Hastinapura; a great clamour and cries
of both Oh! and Alas! fill the air. Some of the kings praise Karna, while
others censure him, and some say nothing.
In such short time, Karna has conquered the Earth, replete with her
mountains, forests and skies, her oceans and islands, her fields, highlands
and lowlands, and her cities. Lord of Earth, he has brought kings under his
control and garnered endless wealth. Thus does the Suta’s son present
himself to the king and, entering the palace, the hero stands before
Dhritarashtra and Gandhari. Karna, learned in dharma, takes Dhritarashtra’s
feet in his hands, as a son would; and Dhritarashtra embraces him
affectionately before allowing him to leave.
From then on, Rajan, king Duryodhana and Subala’s son Sakuni
consider that Pritha’s sons have already been defeated and slain by Karna.”
CANTO 253
V aisampayana said, “Lord of men, the Suta’s son, slayer of hostile

Kshatriyas, says to Duryodhana, ‘Suyodhana, keep the words that I
now say to you close to your heart, because, Parantapa, after having heard
me, you must do as I say. I have rid the Earth of your enemies. Now rule
her as Sakra does Devaloka after destroying his enemies.’
The king replies, ‘Nothing is unattainable to him who has you at his
side, to whom you are devoted and whose welfare you have at heart. I have
a plan which I want you to hear. Listen.
Ever since I saw the Pandavas performing the wonderful Rajasuya
yagna, I have wanted to celebrate that very yagna. You must make this wish
come true.’
Karna says to the king, ‘Now that you have conquered all the rulers of
the Earth, you may summon the chief Brahmanas and, procuring whatever
you need for the sacrifice, undertake it in glory, O Best of Kurus. Let the
Ritwiks celebrate the Rajasuya yagna in accordance with the rules laid
down in the Vedas. Begin your great yagna, Bharatarishabha; let it be grand,
abounding in meat and drink, and indeed an abundance of all things rare
and desirable.’
Duryodhana summons the priest and says to him, ‘I want you to
celebrate that greatest of sacrifices, the Rajasuya yagna, with abundant
gifts.’
The Brahmanottama says to the king, ‘Lord of the Kauravas, as long as
Yudhishtira lives, this sacrifice cannot be performed in your clan.
Furthermore, your father, too, is still living. Rajottama, you cannot
undertake this yagna.
There is another great sacrifice that is similar, even equal to the
Rajasuya. Perform that yagna, Rajan. Listen to me.
All the rulers of the Earth who have become your vassals will pay you
tribute in gold, in various degrees of purity. Use that gold to make the
sacrificial plough and, Bhaarata, plough the site for the yagnashala with it.
There, with the proper rituals, and undisturbed, begin your sacrifice,
Rajadhiraja. Sanctify it with mantras and serve all manner of delicious food
in plenty.
This sacrifice, worthy of the most virtuous men, is called the Vaishnava.
No one other than the ancient Vishnu himself has ever performed it before.
This wondrous sacrifice compares with the Rajasuya. Moreover, it will
prove most beneficial to you. You can celebrate it without any obstacles,
and your desire will be fulfilled.’
When the Brahmanas say this, Dhritarashtra’s son says to Karna, his
brothers and Sakuni says, ‘I like what the Brahmana says. Tell me if you
also approve.’
They all say, ‘Tathaastu, so be it’.
Duryodhana appoints his people, one by one, to various tasks; he
arranges for artisans to make the sacrificial plough; and all that needs to be
done is gradually accomplished.”
CANTO 254
V aisampayana said, “All the sculptors, the chief advisors and the wise
Vidura approach Dhritarashtra’s son and say to him, ‘The
preparations for the great sacrifice are complete; the time is right, Bhaarata.
The precious golden plough is ready.’
Duryodhana commands the commencement of that mahayagna. The
Vaishnava yagna begins, sanctified by mantras, and with an abundance of
food being served. The son of Gandhari is initiated as the sacrificer; and
Vidura, Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, Karna and Gandhari are happy indeed.
Duryodhana sends swift messengers to invite Kshatriyas and Brahmanas
from across Bharatavarsha and they go forth on fleet chariots with the
king’s invitation.
Then, to one of the messengers about to set out, Dussasana says, ‘Go to
Dwaita vana and invite the Brahmanas and the black-hearted Pandavas.’
That man comes to the hermitage beside the lake and, bowing to the
Pandavas, says, ‘Having acquired immense wealth through his prowess, the
Kuru prince Duryodhana is performing a yagna. Kings and Brahmanas from
all over the holy land will attend his great sacrifice. The noble Duryodhana
has sent me to invite you. You must come to his Vaishnava mahayagna.’
Having heard the messenger out, that tiger among kings, Yudhishtira,
says, ‘It is fortunate that Suyodhana, the enhancer of his ancestors’ glory, is
performing this best of sacrifices. We would surely have come but we are
bound by our vow for thirteen years.’
Bhima adds, ‘Yudhishtira Dharmaraja will go there only when he can
cast Duryodhana into the sacred fire that is kindled by weapons. Go and tell
Suyodhana that when the thirteenth year is complete, that lord of men, the
son of Pandu, will pour his anger as a libation over the sons of Dhritarashtra
at the yagna of war. I will also come to that sacrifice in blood.”
The other Pandavas, Rajan, say nothing unpleasant and, on his return,
the messenger reports everything to Dhritarashtra’s son.
Many lords of men, kings of countless countries and great and pure
Brahmanas come to Dhritarashtra’s city. All of them are pleased with the
reception they receive in Hastinapura, with due ceremony. Dhritarashtra is
surrounded by all the Kauravas and is at the pinnacle of his joy.
He says to Vidura, ‘Kshatta, make haste and serve everyone who has
come with food and delicacies, to their heart’s content.’
The learned, honourable Vidura cheerfully entertains all the different
people from various ranks in society with meat, rice and drink, after
welcoming them with fragrant garlands and a variety of clothing. Opulent
pavilions have already been raised to accommodate them. Duryodhana
entertains thousands of his Sadasyas and Brahmanas and gives them all
kinds of rich gifts, before he takes his leave of them and enters Hastinapura,
surrounded by his brothers, and with Karna and Sakuni.”
CANTO 255
V aisampayana said, “Duryodhana enters his city to the sound of

eulogies being sung to his endless strength, his might as an archer
and his fame as the greatest of kings. The citizens fling fried paddy over
him, sprinkle him with sandalwood paste, and say, ‘O king, it is by good
fortune that you completed your sacrifice without facing any obstacles.’
Some that are bolder, more reckless and caring little for the
consequences, say, ‘Your sacrifice cannot be compared with Yudhishtira’s;
indeed, it does not measure up to a sixteenth part of that Rajasuya.’
His friends, however, say, ‘Your yagna has surpassed all others. Yayati,
Nahusha, Mandhata and Bharata, all performed this very yagna; they were
purified and have all found Swarga.’
Hearing his friends’ pleasing words, the king happily enters the city and
goes to his palace, Bharatarishabha. There he worships the feet of his father
and mother, and of others, like Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, and the wise Vidura.
In turn, his younger brothers pay their reverences to him, and that giver of
joy to his bothers sits on his throne, surrounded by them.
Karna stands and says, ‘With good fortune, Bhaaratottama, you have
completed your great yagna. I will honour you once again, as I do today,
when you have killed Pritha’s sons in battle and have performed the
Rajasuya yagna.’
Dhritarashtra’s mighty son replies, ‘Well said, O Purushottama! When I
have killed the lowly Pandavas, and when I celebrate the Rajasuya yagna,
you shall, indeed, O Hero, honour me again.’
Saying this, the Kaurava embraces Karna and begins to dream about
performing the Rajasuya, best of all yagnas. He declares to the assembled
Kurus, ‘Kauravas, when I have slain all the Pandavas, I shall celebrate that
foremost of yagnas, the Rajasuya!’
Now Karna says to him, ‘I vow, O most majestic of kings, that until I
have killed Arjuna I will allow no one to wash my feet, nor will I eat meat. I
will observe the Asura vrata: I swear that I will never refuse anything to
anyone who asks.’
When Karna makes his vow to kill Arjuna in battle, those Maharathas
and virile bowmen, the sons of Dhritarashtra, set up a loud cheer, almost as
if that the Pandavas have already been killed. The magnificent Duryodhana
leaves the others and goes to his apartment, like the Lord Kubera entering
the garden of Chitraratha. Bhaarata, all the rest also return to their
apartments.
Meanwhile, the Pandavas are distressed by what the messenger said.
Then, some spies come and tell them of Karna’s vow to kill Arjuna, and
Yudhishtira is deeply troubled. Thinking of Karna of the impenetrable mail
and of his superb prowess, he knows no peace. The Dharmaraja is full of
anxiety and makes up his mind to leave Dwaita vana, emerald forest that
teems with game and other creatures of the wild.
Meanwhile, Dhritarashtra’s royal son rules the world with his brothers,
and with Bhishma, Drona and Kripa, all with the support of Karna crowned
in martial glory. Duryodhana bends his mind to the welfare of the kings of
the earth. He worships Brahmanas by celebrating sacrifices and giving
bountiful gifts; and occupies himself with promoting his brothers’ welfare,
in the firm conviction that the best use of wealth, its true joy, lies in sharing
it.”
CANTO 256
MRIGASWAPNODBHAVA PARVA
J anamejaya said, “After saving Duryodhana’s life, what did Pandu’s

mighty sons do in the forest? Tell me about them.”
Vaisampayana said, “Once, as Yudhishtira lies asleep at night in the
Dwaita vana, some deer, their voices choked with tears, appear in his
dream. Their bodies tremble as they stand before him with their forelegs
reverently folded.
Yudhishtira says to them, ‘What do you want to say? Who are you? Tell
me what you want.’
Those deer, which are the ones that remained after the herd had been
slaughtered, reply, ‘O Bhaarata, we are the deer left alive after the rest of
our herd was killed. Soon, we will all be dead. We want you to move to
another part of the forest. Great king, all your brothers are Kshatriyas, and
skilled archers. They have thinned the ranks of our herd of forest-dwellers.
The few remaining of us are left like seed, mighty one. By your grace and
favour we can increase again.’
Seeing these deer, which remain like seed stock after a crop has been
harvested, shaking in fear, Yudhishtira is grief-stricken. Always mindful of
the welfare of all creatures, the king says to them, ‘I will do as you say,’ and
wakes from his dream.
Moved to pity, he says to his brothers, ‘The deer that remain alive after
our slaughter of their herd came to me in my dream and told me that the
few who remained were like the seed of a new herd. They blessed me and
begged me to be compassionate to them. What they say is true. We ought to
take pity on the animals of the forest. We have been feeding on them for a
year and eight months.
Let us move to the charming Kamyaka vana, that most beautiful forest
at the head of the desert near the lake Trinabindu. It has plenty of game and
we can live there for the remainder of our exile, until we go into ajnatavasa
for its final year.’
The Pandavas gather their spare belongings and, accompanied by the
Brahmanas and all the others who live with them, with Indrasena and their
other retainers following behind, they move the very next day. They go
along roads where excellent corn and clear water are available to travellers,
and at length see the sacred asrama of Kamyaka, steeped in the aura of
tapasya. Surrounded by their excellent Brahmanas, the sons of Pandu enter
the Kamyaka vana, much as pious men enter Swarga.”
CANTO 257
VRIHIDRAUNIKA PARVA
V aisampayana continued, “The noble Pandavas live in the forests for

eleven years, in poverty, Bharatarishabha. Although they deserve
happiness, they pass their days in some misery, brooding on the
circumstances that have overtaken them, and living on fruit and roots.
Rajarishi Yudhishtira thinks about the suffering his brothers endure, and
remembering that all this is a result of his gambling, he cannot sleep. He
feels as if his heart has been pierced with a lance. He remembers the harsh
words of the Suta’s son, and repressing the venom of his wrath, he passes
his time, outwardly calm, but in anguish all the time.
Arjuna, the twins, Draupadi and that strongest of all men, Bhima, are
wracked with heartache when they look at Yudhishtira. Knowing that only a
short time remains of their exile, and sustained by rage and hope, those
bulls among men submit their bodies to the most rigorous and exacting
discipline.
Some time elapses, and one day the great tapasvin, Satyavati’s son
Vyasa, comes to the Pandavas. Seeing him approach, Yudhishtira goes to
receive the Mahamuni reverentially. He bows down to Vyasa, pleasing him;
and after the Rishi is seated, the self-retrained Yudhishtira sits down,
waiting for the sage to speak. At the sight of his grandson emaciated and
living on the wild produce of the forest, the Maharishi is moved to pity.
His voice choking, he says, ‘Yudhishtira Dharmaraja, those who do not
perform rigorous tapasya do not attain happiness. Joy and sorrow come in
turns; no man enjoys uninterrupted happiness. A wise man, knowing that
life has its ups and downs, neither overly celebrates nor grieves. When
happiness comes one should enjoy it and when misfortune comes, one
should endure it, in much the same way as the farmer lives by the seasons.
Nothing is superior to tapasya; with tapasya one gains great rewards.
Bhaarata, there is nothing that asceticism cannot achieve. Truth, sincerity,
freedom from anger, justice, self-control, restraint of the mind, avoidance of
malice, innocence, sanctity, and subduing of the senses: these purify a man
whose deeds are pure.
Foolish ones addicted to vice and bestial ways merit birth as animals in
the next life, and they are never happy. The fruit of what one does in this
world is reaped in the next. Even so, one must discipline oneself by
performing tapasya and keeping vratas.
Cheerfully and without ulterior motives, a man must give gifts that he
can afford, after humbly paying his respects to the recipient. The man who
always tells the truth gains a trouble free life; the man who has no anger
attains sincerity; and one who is free from malice acquires supreme
contentment.
The man who has subdued his senses and controls his mind never
knows tribulation, nor does he feel envy or sorrow at another’s prosperity.
The man who gives everyone his due, and who bestows boons, attains
felicity and possesses every object of enjoyment; the man free from envy
reaps the reward of perfect health.
He who gives honour to one to whom it is due attains birth in an
illustrious house; and he who has subdued his senses never sees misfortune.
The man whose mind is inclined to good, after paying his debt to nature, is
born again with a righteous mind.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘O mighty Sage, which has greater benefits in the next
world - giving gifts or performing tapasya? And which is more difficult?
Vyasa says, ‘Child, there is nothing harder than giving charity. Men
thirst for wealth, which is not easy to earn. Magnanimous one, brave men
renounce comfort and go deep into the sea or the forest in order to acquire
wealth. Some take to farming and cattle-rearing, and some become the
servants of others. It is difficult to part with wealth that is obtained with
such difficulty. Since nothing is harder to practise than charity; I think that
bestowing a boon is superior to everything.
Especially bear in mind that hard-earned wealth should, in the proper
time and place, be given away to pious men; but that the giving away of ill-
gotten riches can never liberate the giver from the evil of rebirth.
It has been said, Yudhishtira, that by giving even a small gift in a spirit
of pure-mindedness to a deserving person a man gains inexhaustible
rewards in the next world. There is a story in this connection, about how
Mudgala was rewarded for having given a bucket of vrihi, corn.’ ”
CANTO 258
VRIHIDRAUNIKA PARVA CONTINUED
“Y udhishtira says, ‘Why did that Brahmana give away a drona of

vrihi? To whom and how did he give it? Tell me all this. I think
of the life of a virtuous man as being worthwhile, whose conduct pleases
Him of the six attributes who sees and knows everything.’
Vyasa says, ‘Rajan, there lived in Kurukshetra a man of dharma named
Mudgala. He was truthful, free from malice and had subdued his senses. He
lived by the dictates of sila and unchha. Although he lived a life of pigeon-
like frugality, that Mahatapasvin entertained his guests, celebrated the
sacrifice called Ishtikrita and performed other rituals.
This sage, his wife and son ate during one fortnight and spent the next
fortnight collecting a drona of corn, like a pigeon would. This innocent and
guileless Rishi celebrated the Darsa and Paurnamasya yagnas and passed
his days by taking the food that remained after the Devas and his guests had
eaten.
On auspicious lunar days, Trilokapati Indra, accompanied by the
celestials, would partake of the food offered at this sage’s yagnas. And so,
great king, this man lived the life of a Muni and cheerfully entertained his
guests on such days. As that pure man happily gave away his food, what
remained of the drona of corn increased with the arrival of each new guest!
By dint of the purity of soul with which Mudgala gave food, it increased
so much that he fed hundreds of learned Brahmanas with it.
O king, it came to pass that Durvasa Muni heard of the virtuous, vrata-
observing Mudgala. The half-naked sage, looking like a madman in his
sparse, ragged clothing, his head hairless, came to Mudgala’s kutila,
Pandava, muttering all kinds of insults.
The Muni said rudely to the Brahmana, “Best of Brahmanas, I have
come here in search of food!”
Mudgala said to the sage, “Welcome!” and offered the hunger-crazed
ascetic water to wash his mouth and feet and, accustomed as he was to
feeding his guests, placed excellent food before Durvasa.
The hungry Rishi frantically ate the food. Mudgala then gave him more
and, having again eaten it all, Durvasa smeared his body with the unclean
scraps and went away as abruptly as he had come.
He came again, in the same way, during the next season, and again ate
all the food that Mudgala gave him. After Durvasa left, Mudgala, without
having eaten anything himself, gathered corn, as prescribed by the unchcha
vrata. Hunger did not shake his equanimity, nor did anger or guile; nor did a
sense of degradation or agitation enter into the heart of that Brahmanottama
who, with his son and wife, led the unchha way of life.
Durvasa appeared six times at Mudgala’s asrama. Never was he able to
detect even the slightest distress in Mudgala’s heart; instead, he saw only
joy.
Extremely pleased, the Muni said to Mudgala “There is not another
being on earth as pure-hearted and charitable as you. Pangs of hunger drive
away dharma and rob men of patience. The tongue, which loves delicacies,
lures men towards them. Life is sustained by food and the mind is fickle
and hard to control.
Dhyana consists of concentrating the mind and the senses. To renounce
in a pure spirit something painfully earned is difficult indeed. Yet, pious
one, you have achieved this.
In your company we feel grateful and happy. You possess self-restraint,
fortitude, justice, control of body and mind, mercy and virtue. By what you
have done, you have conquered all the worlds and gained admission into
realms of beatitude. Even the Swargavasis proclaim the greatness of your
daana. Most holy one, you will go to heaven in your own body.”
Whilst the Muni Durvasa was speaking, a Devaduta appeared before
Mudgala on a vimana yoked with swans and cranes, hung with a network of
bells, scented with an unearthly fragrance and colourfully painted; and it
had the power of going anywhere at will.
The divine messenger said to the Brahmana, “O Rishi, climb onto this
chariot; you have earned the right by your deeds. You have attained the
reward of your tapasya.”
The sage said, “Devaduta, please describe to me the attributes of those
who live in Swarga. What are their austerities, and to what end do they
practice them? What constitutes happiness in heaven? What sorrows are
there? High-born men have declared that one has friendship with the pious
by merely walking seven paces with them. Lord, I ask you these things in
the spirit of that friendship. Tell me the truth, without hesitation. And tell
me what is good for me. After I hear what you say, I will decide what to
do,” ’ says Vyasa.”
CANTO 259
VRIHIDRAUNIKA PARVA CONTINUED
“V yasa continues, ‘The messenger of the gods said, “Maha Muni,

you are a simple man. Having been offered heavenly bliss,
which brings great honour, you still deliberate like a person of little
wisdom. The realms known as Swarga exist above. They tower high and
have excellent paths that the chariots of the Devas traverse. Atheists,
dishonest people, those that have not practised tapasya and those that have
not performed great yagnas cannot go there. Only men of pure souls and
subdued minds, who have their bodies and senses under control, who are
free from malice, who are intent on the practice of charity, heroes and men
with battle scars who have, with subdued minds and senses, performed the
most worthy rites, attain these realms, O Brahmana, which are gained only
by dharmic deeds, and where only the pious live.
Mudgala, in Swarga are myriads of exotic, resplendent worlds that
bestow everything one can want, what the celestial beings—the Devas, the
Sadhyas, the Viswas, the Maharishis, Yama, the Dharmas, the Gandharvas
and the Apsaras—have. There is that monarch of mountains, golden Meru,
extending over thirty-three thousand yojanas.
Mudgala, there are the sacred gardens of the Devas, Nandana the best of
them, where the deserving enjoy themselves.
There is no hunger, no thirst, no weariness, no fear, or anything
unpleasant or inauspicious in Swargaloka. Delightful perfumes pervade,
delicious breezes waft and captivating sounds are everywhere, enchanting
the heart. There is no grief, no old age, no effort and no regret. One attains
this world as a reward for one’s actions. People go there by virtue of their
good deeds.
Everyone who lives there shines in splendour, and this, too, is because
of their own karma, not because of anything their fathers or mothers have
done. Here, there is neither sweat, nor any excrement nor urine, O Muni.
There is no dust to soil one’s garments; garlands, redolent with divine
fragrance, never fade; and all their vimanas are like this one that I have
brought.
Mighty sage, devoid of envy, grief, fatigue, ignorance and malice, men
who have reached heaven live there in perfect happiness.
O bull among Munis, above this realm are others with superior celestial
qualities. Of these, the beautiful and glorious realms of Brahma are the best.
Brahmana, that is where Rishis go, who have been sanctified by the most
meritorious deeds.
Beings named Ribhus live there; they are the gods of the gods. Their
realms are supremely blessed and adored even by the Devas. These beings
shine with their own lustre and bestow every object of desire. They do not
suffer from the pangs that women might cause; they do not possess material
wealth; and they are free from guile. Unlike the Devas, the Ribhus do not
live on havis or amrita, yet their forms are so divine that they cannot be
perceived by the senses.
These eternal gods of the Devas have no desire for happiness for
happiness’ sake, nor do they change at the completion of a revolution of a
Kalpa. Indeed, they suffer no changes of age or decay. They feel neither
happiness nor sorrow. Then how could they be affected by anger or hatred?
Mudgala, the gods covet their state of supreme, blissful freedom, Moksha,
that beings who have desires can never achieve.
There are thirty-three Ribhus. To their realms wise men go, after having
observed the most excellent vratas or given charity according to the laws of
dharma. You have succeeded in acquiring this state by your acts of charity;
enjoy the glory of your merit.
Such, O Brahmana, is the bliss of Swarga, with all its worlds. I have
described the blessings of heaven. Now let me tell you some of its
drawbacks. While living in Swarga and enjoying the fruits of his good
deeds, a man cannot perform more actions with a view to increasing his
punya. He must first enjoy all the benefits that he has already accrued, until
they are exhausted. The great shortcoming of Devaloka is that once a man’s
punya has run out, he will fall from there.
The fall of a person whose mind is soaked in bliss has to be counted as
the greatest defect of Swarga. The discontent and sadness that result from a
life less blissful than one has lived in the bright and blessed kingdom will
be hard to bear. Those who are about to descend from Swarga have stunned
minds and agitated emotions. As the garlands they wear are about to fade,
fear begins to invade their hearts. These are terrible experiences, Mudgala,
and extend even to Brahmaloka.
In Swarga, men who have earned their places there are godlike; their
virtues cannot be counted. O Muni, yet when their punya karma is
exhausted, they are born again as human beings. And in that form, they can
acquire much fortune and happiness. However, if they are unable to acquire
knowledge here, they devolve to bestial states.
The consequences of karma done in this world are felt in the next. This
world has been ordained to be one of deeds; the other is one of fruit.
Mudgala, I have described everything to you. Now, if it pleases you, we
must go quickly.” ’
Vyasa continues, ‘Mudgala began to think about everything the
Devaduta had said. After some thought that best of Munis said to the divine
messenger, “O Devaduta, I bow to you. Venerable one, depart in peace. I do
not want to have anything to do with Swarga, which has great bliss from
which one must inevitably fall. Those that enjoy heaven are doomed to
suffer the deprivation of its joys.
I do not desire Swarga. I will strive for that enduring realm where you
do not have to lament, or be troubled or agitated ever again, when you are
there. You have told me of the great defect of Swarga. Now describe to me
a realm that has none.”
To that the divine messenger said, “Above the abode of Brahma, there is
the supreme seat of Vishnu, pure, eternal and luminous, known as
Parabrahman. It is not possible for those attached to material things to go
there; nor can those who are arrogant, greedy and ignorant, or those who
feel anger or envy. This place is only for those that are free from
attachment, pride and conflicting emotions; those that have restrained their
senses; and for those given to dhyana and yoga.”
Hearing this, the Muni bade farewell to the Devaduta, and that sage
continued living by the unchha code and, in time became perfectly content.
Praise and disapproval became equal to him; a brick, a stone and gold were
equal in his eyes. With pure Gyana yoga, the Brahmana began to meditate,
setting his soul on the path to Brahman. He gained the power of knowledge
and understanding and did attain that supreme state of emancipation,
Moksha, which is eternal.
Therefore, son of Kunti, you must not grieve. By your stern tapasya you
will regain your flourishing kingdom. Sorrow and joy revolve around a
man, like the points on a wheel turning on its axle. When the thirteenth year
of your exile has ended, you will get back the kingdom that was yours, and
your father’s and grandfather’s before that. So, cool the fever of your heart.’
Saying this to Yudhishtira, the Muni Vyasa returns to his asrama and to
his relentless tapasya.”
CANTO 260
DRAUPADI HARANA PARVA
J anamejaya said, “While the Pandavas live in the forest, enjoying the
company of the Munis, sharing the ambrosial food they got from the
Sun’s platter and various kinds of venison with the Brahmanas and others
who came to them for food all day until it was time for Krishnaa’s meal,
what did Duryodhana and his sinful brothers, advised by Dussasana, Karna
and Sakuni, have to do with them? Worshipful one, tell me about this.”
Vaisampayana said, “Great king, when Duryodhana hears that the
Pandavas are living as happily in the vana as in a city, he, Karna, Dussasana
and the others long to do them harm. While those malignant men hatch evil
schemes, the celebrated Durvasa arrives in Hastinapura with ten thousand
sishyas. Duryodhana and his brothers welcome the choleric sage with great
humility, self-abasement and gentleness, and Duryodhana personally waits
upon the Rishi, as a servant would. The illustrious Muni stays there for a
few days and, fearing his curses, Duryodhana attends on him day and night.
At times, Durvasa says, ‘I am hungry, O king; give me food at once.’ At
others, he goes for a bath, returns late, says, ‘I do not want to eat anything
today; I am not hungry,’ and vanishes. Sometimes he appears suddenly and
asks for food. At others, he wakes at midnight and demands fresh food to be
prepared at that hour; then he complains about it and does not touch it. In
this way, he tries the prince and, finding that Duryodhana does not get
angry or annoyed, he turns kindly towards him.
Then, Bhaarata, the intractable Durvasa says to Duryodhana, ‘I have the
power to grant you boons. Ask me for whatever is closest to your heart.
May you be blessed! I am pleased with you, and I will give you anything I
can, as long as I don’t break dharma.’
Hearing the great ascetic, Suyodhana’s spirit fills with new vigour.
Karna, Dussasana and he have already decided what boon he should ask for
if the Muni is sufficiently pleased to grant him one.
The evil prince says to Durvasa, ‘Yudhishtira is the eldest and the best
of our clan. That dharmatma now lives in the forest with his brothers. You
must go there with your disciples, as a guest, as you came here to us. The
favour I ask is that you arrive when their lovely wife, the famed Panchali,
lies down to rest after having served the Brahmanas and her husbands, and
after she has eaten her own meal.’
The Rishi replies, ‘I will do as you wish,’ and goes away in much the
same way as he came.
Suyodhana thinks that he has achieved what he wanted; and happily he
clasps Karna’s hand.
Karna, too, is pleased and says to the king, who is with his brothers, ‘By
singular good fortune, you have got all that you wanted. It is fortunate, too,
that your enemies, struggling to stay afloat on a sea of danger, have to face
the fire of Durvasa’s anger. They have fallen into a dark abyss.’
Rajan, Duryodhana and others return to their respective homes, full of
vile delight.”
CANTO 261
DRAUPADI HARANA PARVA CONTINUED
V aisampayana said, “One day, having made sure that the Pandavas are
all lounging relaxed and that Krishnaa is resting after her meal, the
Maharishi Durvasa, with ten thousand sishyas, arrives in that forest and the
Pandavas’ asrama. The noble Yudhishtira sees that a guest has come and
goes with his brothers to receive him. Joining his hands together in worship
and offering the sage a comfortable seat, he welcomes him respectfully.
The king says to the sage, ‘Venerable one, perform your nitya karma
and come back soon, while we prepare a meal for you.’
With his disciples, the Muni goes to bathe in the nearby river,
wondering how the king will be able to provide food for them all.
Meanwhile, Rajan, the lovely Draupadi, ever devoted to her husbands, is
stricken by fear; she has eaten and does not know how she will feed the
Munis. She knows that there is no earthly way in which she can provide
Durvasa and his sishyas with a feast, and she prays in her mind to Krishna,
the slayer of Kamsa. The princess says, ‘Krishna, Krishna, Mahabaho,
Devakinandana, whose power is inexhaustible; Vasudeva, Lord of the
Universe, who wipes away the tribulations of those that worship you; you
are the soul, the creator and the destroyer of the Universe. O Lord, you are
eternal; you are the saviour of the afflicted.
You are the preserver of the Universe and of all created beings; you are
the guardian of cows. You are the highest of the high, and the wellspring of
the mind’s activities—akuti and chitti. O supreme and infinite One, giver of
all good, you are the refuge of the helpless. Primordial Being, you cannot
be perceived by the soul, the mind, or in any other way. You are the ruler of
all and the Lord of all. I seek your protection.
Mahaprabhu, you are always compassionate to those that take refuge in
you. Be kind to me, take care of me. You, of the complexion as dark as the
leaves of the blue lotus, and of eyes as red as the corolla of the lily;
Pitambara, clad in yellow, adorned with the bright jewel Kaustubha—you
are the beginning and the end of creation, and the sanctuary of all.
You are the supreme light and essence of the Universe. Your face is
turned in all directions at once. You are called the supreme seed and the
storehouse of all treasures. With your grace, O Devadeva, all evils lose
their terror. You protected me before from Dussasana; save me now from
this terror.’
Thus adored by Panchali, Krishna of the mysterious ways, who is always

kind to his bhaktas, leaves Rukmini’s side, and instantly appears before the
Pandavas’ queen. Draupadi gasps, bows down to him in great joy and tells
him about the arrival of Durvasa.
Krishna says to her, ‘I am very hungry. Give me some food, and then
carry on with your chores.’
Draupadi replies, ‘The vessel that Surya Deva gave me remains full
until I finish my meal. But I have already eaten, and it is empty now.’
The lotus-eyed Avatara says to her, ‘Krishnaa, I am starving. Bring the
Sun’s vessel and show it to me.’
Krishnaa doubtfully brings the vessel to him, and he sees in it a shred of
rice and vegetable, stuck to the rim. He swallows that morsel and says to
her, ‘May the Lord Hari, the soul of the Universe, that God that shares in
every sacrifice, be satiated with this!’
Krishna, remover of misery, turns to Bhimasena, ‘Hurry, call the sages
to dinner.’
Rajan, Bhimasena sets out for the cool, transparent river where Durvasa
and the others have gone to perform their ablutions. These ascetics have
entered the river and, as they scrub their bodies, they suddenly find that
their stomachs feel full to bursting. Coming out of the lucid water, they look
at one another. They turn to Durvasa and say, ‘We have come here for our
baths, having told the king to prepare a meal for us. But, O Dvijottama, we
cannot eat a thing now because our bellies are full. The feast that has been
prepared will go waste. What shall we do?’
Durvasa says, ‘By arriving unannounced and making him prepare food
that will be not be eaten, we have done a great wrong to Rajarishi
Yudhishtira. The Pandavas might well burn us with the fire from their eyes.
I know that Yudhishtira has immense tapasyashakti. Brahmanas, I am afraid
of men that are devoted to Hari. The noble Pandavas all devout men,
learned, warlike, diligent in tapasya and every religious observance, all of
them devoted to Vasudeva. They follow dharma punctiliously. If provoked,
they can consume us with their anger, as fire would a bale of cotton. My
sishyas, you must all flee from here without returning to their asrama.’
The disciples waste no time but run in all directions, and Durvasa with
them.
Not finding the sages in the river, Bhima searches for them everywhere,
at all the landings. He discovers from other ascetics in the forest that they
have fled, and he goes back and informs Yudhishtira. The Pandavas, of the
subdued senses, continue to wait for a while, expecting the sages to return.
Then, Yudhishtira says, ‘The Rishis will trick us by coming in the
middle of the night. What is our way out of this plight fate has landed us
in?’
While they are absorbed in such dismal thoughts and sighing frequently
with long, deep breaths, Krishna suddenly appears before them and says
with a smile, ‘Sons of Pritha, Draupadi knew of the danger you were in
from the possible wrath of the Rishi and called me in her mind. So, here I
am, speedily arrived.
Now you have no need to fear Rishi Durvasa. Afraid of your ascetic
powers, he made himself scarce some time ago. Good men never suffer. I
beg your leave to let me return home. May you always prosper!’
His words reassure Pritha’s sons and Draupadi, and their fever of
anxiety leaves them. They say to him, ‘Just as people who are drowning in
the ocean reach the safety of the shore in a ship, we have, Lord Govinda,
escaped from our danger through you. Go in peace, and may prosperity be
yours.’
Krishna goes back to Dwaraka, and the Pandavas, wandering from
forest to forest, pass their days happily with Draupadi. Rajan, this is the
story you asked me to tell you, and this is how the evil plot of
Dhritarashtra’s son fails.”
CANTO 262
V aisampayana said, “Those great Kuru warriors wander about and

hunt, like Devas, in the deer-rich forest of Kamyaka, gratified by the
sights of deep and vast wilderness and broad swathes of woodland resonant
with flowers in bloom. The sons of Pandu, each like an Indra, and each the
terror of his enemies, remain in that vana for some time.
One day, when they go out in search of game, they leave Draupadi alone
in the asrama, with the permission of Maharishi Trinabindu, resplendent
with tapasyashakti, and of their spiritual mentor Dhaumya.
At this very time, the king of Sindhu, the son of Vriddhakshatra is on
his way to the kingdom of Salva, to be married. He wears his best princely
attire and is accompanied by many princes. He stops in the Kamyaka vana,
and in that secluded hermitage, comes upon the beautiful Draupadi,
standing at the threshold of the Pandavas’ asrama.
She is splendid in her beauty and seems to light up the woodland with
lustre, as lightning illuminates dark clouds. Those who see her ask
themselves, ‘Is this an Apsara, or a daughter of the Devas, or some other
divine spirit?’ and gaze at her perfect and faultless beauty, their hands
joined in stunned reverence.
Jayadratha, the king of Sindhu, is struck through by her beauty, and lust
ingites in his mind. Inflamed with desire, he says to the prince Kotika,
‘Whose is this perfect woman? Is she human? I have no need of my
marriage if I can have this lovely creature. I will take her back home with
me. O, find out who she is and where she comes from, and also why this
exquisite, most delicate one is in this forest.
Will this ornament of womankind, this beauty with the slender waist,
who has lovely teeth and big eyes, take me for her lord? I will think of my
life as being complete in every way if I win the hand of this devi. Go,
Kotika, and ask who her husband is.’
Kotika, wearing one kundala, jumps down from his chariot and goes up
to Panchali, just as a jackal approaches a tigress, and speaks to her.”
CANTO 263
“K otika says, ‘Most beautiful one, who are you, standing alone in
this hermitage, leaning against a kadamba tree and holding onto
one of its branches, and blazing like a night fire fanned by the wind? O
incomparable one, how is it that you are not afraid to be in the forest?
Surely, you are a Devi, a Yakshi, a Danavi, an Apsara or the wife of a
Daitya, a daughter of the Naga king or a Rakshasi, the wife of Varuna or
Yama or Soma or Kubera. You must have taken human form to wander in
these forests. Or, have you come from the heavenly palace of Dhatri,
Vidhatri, Savitri, Vibhu or Sakra?
You do not ask us who we are, nor do we know who protects you here.
Respectfully we ask you, devi, who is your father, and tell us the names of
your husband, your clan and your family. Tell us also what you are doing
here.
I am king Suratha’s son and my name is Kotika. That man, with eyes as
large as lotus petals, sitting on the golden chariot, and looking like
sacrificial fire on an altar, is the warrior Kshemankara, king of Trigarta. The
man who stands behind him and gazes at you is the famous son of the king
of Kulinda. He is armed with a mighty bow, has large eyes and is adorned
with flower garlands. He always lives in the mountains. The dark and
handsome young man, the scourge of his enemies, standing at the edge of
that tank, is the son of Subala of the Ikshvaku dynasty.
And if, devi, you have ever heard the name of Jayadratha, king of
Sauviras, he is here, leading six thousand chariots, horses, elephants and
footsoldiers, and followed by twelve Sauvira princes as his standard-
bearers, whose names are Angaraka, Kunjara, Guptaka, Satrunjaya,
Sanjaya, Supravriddha, Bhayankara, Bhramara, Ravi, Sura, Pratapa and
Kuhana. They are all mounted on chariots drawn by chestnut steeds, and all
of them blaze in splendour, like sacrificial fires.
The brothers of the king, the mighty Balahaka, Anika, Vidarana and
others, are among his followers. These noble youths are the flowers of the
Sauvira chivalry. The king travels among his friends, like Indra surrounded
by the Maruts.
O you of the beautiful hair, who was unknowing of this, tell us whose
wife and daughter you are.’ ”
CANTO 264
V aisampayana said, “Thus addressed by that ornament of Sibi’s race,

the princess Panchali looked at him gently and, letting go of the
kadamba branch and arranging her apparel, says, ‘I am aware, O prince,
that it is not proper for one like me to speak to you, but there is no other
man or woman here just now to convey my words. I will speak, respected
one, but understand that I am aware that, being alone, I do remember the
proper way for a woman to conduct herself and that I should not talk to you.
Prince of the Sibis, I know now that you are Suratha’s son Kotika. So, I
will tell you of my lineage and my kin. I am the daughter of king Drupada,
and my name is Krishnaa. I have five men for my husbands, of whom you
might have heard while they were living at Khandavaprastha. Those
Manavottamas are Yudhishtira, Bhimasena, Arjuna and the two sons of
Madri.
They have left me here and gone hunting, each in a different direction.
The king has gone to the east, Bhimasena south, Arjuna to the west and
Nakula and Sahadeva towards the north.
Dismiss your carriages; wait here until they come back so that they can
welcome you properly. Yudhishtira Dharmaputra likes having guests and
will be happy to see you.’
And Draupadi, of the face as radiant as the moon, goes into her kutila,
thinking fondly of her husband’s hospitable nature.”
CANTO 265
V aisampayana said, “O Bhaarata, Kotika tells the other waiting

princes of his conversation with Krishnaa.
Jayadratha hears this and says to the Sibi hero, ‘I have only heard what
she said and already my heart is full of love for this jewel among women.
Why have you returned without carrying out your mission? Mahabaho, now
that I have seen her, other women seem like monkeys. She has captured my
heart. Tell me, Saibya, is this woman a human being?’
Kotika replies, ‘She is the famed princess Krishnaa, the daughter of
Drupada, and the celebrated wife of the five sons of Pandu. She is the
greatly respected, beloved and chaste wife of Kunti’s sons. Take her away
with you to Sauvira.’
The evil Jayadratha, king of Sindhu, Sauvira and other lands, needs no
further encouragement, and saying, ‘I must see Draupadi,’ enters the asrama
with six of his men, like a wolf going into a lion’s den.
He says to Krishnaa, ‘Greetings, devi. Are your husbands well, whose
well-being you always wish for?’
Draupadi replies, ‘Kaunteya Yudhishtira of the Kurus, his brothers, I,
and all those you ask about, are well. Is all well with your kingdom, your
treasury and your army? Do you, as king, rule justly over Saibya, Sibi,
Sindhu and your other dominions? O Kshatriya, accept this water to wash
your feet, and this seat. Accept these fifty animals for your entourage’s
breakfast. In addition, Kuntiputra Yudhishtira will give you tusked deer,
nanku deer, doe and antelope, sarabhas and rabbits, rurus, bear, sambara and
gayal. He will give you wild boar, buffalo and other four-legged animals as
well.’
Jayadratha says, ‘All is well with me. Your offer of food is as good as
having eaten it already. Come! Ride in my chariot and be perfectly happy. It
is not fitting that you should still bear any love for the miserable sons of
Pritha. They live in the jungle; they are powerless and impotent; they have
lost their kingdom; and they are at the lowest ebb of their lives.
A sensible woman does not attach herself to an impoverished, destitute
husband. She should follow her lord when he is prosperous but leave him in
adversity. The sons of Pandu have lost their prosperity for ever. There is no
need for you to share their hardships.
O you of the flaring hips, leave Pandu’s sons; be my wife and share the
kingdoms of Sindhu and Sauvira with me.’
Hearing the king of Sindhu, Krishnaa turns away, her eyes troubled.
Contemptuously ignoring his lustful offer, she of the slender waist rebukes
the king of Sindhu. ‘Do not dare to speak to me like that again. Are you not
ashamed? Be careful.’
And Krishnaa of the blemishless character, anxiously awaiting her
husbands’ return, begins to speak at length in order to keep Jayadratha at
bay.”
CANTO 266
V aisampayana continued, “Drupadi’s lovely face is flushed in anger.

Her eyes are inflamed and her brows contract in fury as she speaks
to the lord of Sauvira.
She says, ‘Are you not ashamed, fool, to speak so insultingly of those
Kshatriyas, each of whom is like Indra himself, who are all true to their
dharma, and who never waver in battle even if it be against hosts of
Yakshas and Rakshasas? O Sauvira, good men never speak ill of the
learned, who are devoted to austerities and blessed with wisdom, regardless
of whether they live in forest huts or in great palaces, but only sinful
wretches like you.
I do not think there is anyone among the Kshatriyas here who can save
you from falling into the pit you dig for yourself under your very feet. You
have as much hope of vanquishing Yudhishtira Dharmaraja as of separating
from his herd a mammoth leader of elephants in the Himalayas, the juice of
musth trickling from his temples, with a stick in your hand. Childish folly
prods you to awaken a mighty sleeping lion to pluck the whiskers from his
face.
You will run when you see Bhimasena in a rage. Courting a fight with
the furious Jishnu will be like kicking a powerful, ferocious lion asleep in a
mountain cave and waking him. Contention with the two superb youths, the
youngest Pandavas, is the act of the fool who knowingly stamps on the tails
of two venomous black, fork-tongued cobras. The bamboo, the reed and the
plantain bear fruit once and die. The crab, too, conceives young ones whose
birth destroys her. So do you dare try to lay your hands on me, whom these
great Kshatriyas protect.’
Jayadratha says, ‘I know all this, Krishnaa, and I am aware of the
prowess of those princes, but you cannot frighten me with your threats. We,
too, are born into the seventeen noble clans and are endowed with the six
royal qualities. In fact, we look down on the Pandavas as our inferiors! So,
Draupadi, do not waste time, but ride this elephant or this chariot; mere
words cannot stop us from taking you. Talk less boastfully and throw
yourself at the mercy of the king of the Sauviras.’
Draupadi says, ‘Why does the king of the Sauviras not take my power
seriously? I do will not demean myself before you, out of fear. Even Indra
himself cannot abduct her who is protected by Krishna and Arjuna, who
would follow her together in the same chariot. What more can I say of a
mere man’s chances!
When Arjuna Kiriti cleaves your legions in his chariot, he will strike
terror into every heart and consume everything around him like fire burning
a stack of dry grass in summer. The warlike Andhaka and Vrishni princes,
with Janardana at their head, and the mighty Kaikeya bowmen will follow
me tirelessly. Dhananjaya’s fearsome arrows, shot from the Gandiva and
propelled by his powerful arms, will fly at you, roaring like thunder.
When you face Arjuna shooting dense locust-swarms of arrows from his
Gandiva, you will repent this folly of yours. Imagine how you will feel
when, armed with the Gandiva and blowing his conch, his gloved hands
making his bowstring thrum, he pierces your breast again and again with his
arrows. When Bhima rushes at you with his mace, and the two sons of
Madri range in all directions, spewing the venom of their wrath, you will
feel pangs of untold regret for daring to accost me like this.
I vow by my faithfulness to my husbands that I will have the pleasure of
seeing Pritha’s sons crush you in battle and drag you along the ground.
Cruel as you are, you cannot frighten me by forcefully seizing me, because
those Kuru warriors will bring me back to the Kamyaka vana as soon as
they see me.’
Then the devi of the large eyes, realising that they are about to seize her,
cries, ‘Do not sully me with your touch!’ In panic, she calls out to
Dhaumya.
Darting forward, Jayadratha seizes her upper garment, but she pushes
him away violently, so that sinner falls to the ground, like a tree severed
from its roots. But he takes hold of her once again, while she pants in fear.
Even as she clings to Dhaumya’s feet, Jayadratha drags Krishnaa on to his
chariot.
Dhaumya says, ‘Jayadratha, take heed of the ancient dharma of the
Kshatriya. You cannot carry her off without first defeating her husbands in
battle. You will reap the painful fruit of your despicable deed when you
meet the sons of Pandu with Yudhishtira Dharmaraja at their head.’
Dhaumya says this and, entering into the massed ranks of Jayadratha’s
footsoldiers, follows the princess as she is borne away by her abductor.”
CANTO 267
V aisampayana said, “Meanwhile, having gone in separate directions,

and each having killed many deer, bear and buffalo, the Pandavas
meet in that same mighty forest, crowded with deer, which suddenly echoes
with the ominous calls of birds and the cries of other wild creatures, as if
some great danger threatens.
Yudhishtira says to his brothers, ‘These birds that fly into the sunlight
shriek harshly and the other wild beasts seem agitated. I feel certain that
there are hostile intruders in the jungle. We must not waste a moment but
find them. We have enough game.
My heart clenches in fear and my soul wants to fly out of my body. The
Kamyaka vana seems strangely bereft, almost like the lake which Garuda
rid of the snake that lived in it, like a pot that thirsty men have drained of
water, like a kingdom that has lost its king and prosperity.’
Those Kshatriyas ride towards their asrama in their chariots drawn by
hurricane-swift Saindharva horses. As they fly back they see a jackal
howling hideously to their left.
Yudhishtira looks intently at it and says to Bhima and Dhananjaya,
‘This jackal belongs to a lowly species. It is an evil omen that it is on our
left, and howling. Ah, the Kaurava sinners are surely here and bent on
doing us some great harm.’
The sons of Pandu enter the grove where their asrama is situated. Here
they find their beloved’s maid Dhatreyika sobbing piteously.
Indrasena leaps down from the chariot and anxiously questions her,
‘Why are you lying on the groung and crying? Why is your face so sad and
pale? I pray that no evil has befallen princess Draupadi, who is the very
soul of the Pandavas? Dharmaputra is so distraught that if the princess has
entered the bowels of the earth or flown into heaven, or dived to the bottom
of the ocean, he and his brothers will follow her there.
What fool would dare abduct that priceless jewel of these Parantapas, to
whom her life is as dear as their own? Who would think of carrying away
this princess who has such awesome protectors, and who is like an
embodiment of the Pandavas’ hearts? The breast of the man that has done
this will be pierced by dreadful arrows today.
Do not weep for her, timid girl; Krishnaa will return this very day, and
the sons of Pritha will again be united with Yagnaseni after killing their
enemies!’
Dhatreyika wipes her face and says to the sarathy Indrasena, ‘With no
regard for the five Indra-like sons of Pandu, Jayadratha has carried
Krishnaa away. The traces of his tracks have not yet been covered over,
because the tree branches he broke on his wild way have not yet dried. Turn
your chariots around and follow her; the princess cannot have gone far.
O Kshatriyas mighty as Indra, arm yourselves with your glorious bows,
take up your quivers and hurry after her, before, overpowered by threats or
violence and losing heart and courage, she gives herself up to an
undeserving sinner as wastefully as sanctified libations poured onto a pile
of ashes.
O, see that the ghee is not poured into paddy husks that will not catch;
see that the vanamala is not cast away in a cemetery. O, take care that the
Soma rasa of a yagna is not licked up by a dog through the carelessness of
the officiating priests; let not the lily be recklessly torn up by a jackal
searching for its prey in the thick forest. O, let no man, like a dog licking
the ghee in the sacrificial pot, touch with his lips the perfect face of your
wife, who is as lovely as moonbeams. Oh, go swiftly after her and do not let
time steal a march on you!’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Go away, woman; control your tongue. Do not speak
thus before us. King or prince, whoever he is, drunk with power, will come
to grief.’
And they go forth, following the trail pointed out to them, frequently
giving vent to deep sighs that sound like the hissing of snakes, and
twanging the strings of their great bows. In time, they see a cloud of dust
that the horses of Jayadratha’s army raise; and they see Dhaumya in the
midst of the abductor’s footsoldiers, crying out to Bhima to ride more
swiftly.
The exhilarated Pandavas tell Dhaumya to take heart and return to the
asrama. They charge the enemy in fury, like hawks swooping down on their
prey. And they, who are like Indra himself, are filled with rage at the insult
to Draupadi, and the sight of Jayadratha sitting smugly in his chariot with
their beloved queen fans the flames of their fury.
And those mighty bowmen—Bhima, Dhananjaya, the twins and the
king—roar at Jayadratha to stop; the enemy legions are panic-stricken.”
CANTO 268
V aisampayana said, “Enraged at the sight of Bhimasena and Arjuna,

the enemy Kshatriyas roar aloud in the forest. The evil Jayadratha
sees the flags of those bulls of the Kurus and says to Yagnaseni, ‘Krishnaa,
I believe these five great warriors that come towards us are your husbands.
You know the sons of Pandu well, so, O you of the lovely tresses, describe
them one by one and point out which one rides each chariot.
Draupadi replies, ‘Having done me such violence that is sure to shorten
your life, of what use is it to you now to know who is who? Foolish man,
my husbands have come, and none of you will be left alive. But since you
are about to die, I will tell you about them. I see Yudhishtira Dharmaraja
and his younger brothers and I am not afraid any longer.
That warrior, on whose flagstaff are two beautiful and melodious
mridangams called Nanda and Upananda, that sound constantly, is one who
knows his svadharma well. God and successful men always walk in his
footsteps. With golden skin, a prominent nose and large eyes, that slim man
is my husband Yudhishtira, the son of Dharma. He is the best of the Kurus,
and grants life to the enemy who surrenders. So, foolish one, throw down
your weapons, fold your hands to him and surrender yourself into his
protection.
That other man you see, long-armed and as tall as a full-grown sala tree,
who sits on his chariot, biting his lips and frowning, is my husband
Vrikodara. Steeds of the noblest pedigree, powerfully built and well-trained,
draw his chariot. His feats are superhuman, and he is known as Bhima.
Anyone who offends him does not live. He never forgets an enemy and, on
some pretext, he will exact bloody vengeance, and remain dissatisfied even
after.
That greatest of bowmen you see there, of great intelligence and fame,
who has his senses under complete control, who worships his elder brother
Yudhishtira, and is his disciple, is my husband Arjuna. He never forsakes
dharma, not from lust, not from fear or anger. He is never cruel. His energy
is like fire, and he can withstand every enemy. That parantapa is also
Kunti’s son.
The youth you see, who is versed in every aspect of dharma and artha,
who dispels the fear of the frightened, who is wise, and who is the most
handsome of all men on earth, is utterly devoted to his brothers. Dearer to
them than their own lives, the other sons of Pandu protect him. He is my
husband Nakula. This intelligent and wise man, whose twin is Sahadeva, is
dexterous with his sword, and you, foolish one, will see his skills in battle.
He will be among you like Indra among the Daityas.
And that fifth Kshatriya, a master of the Astra Shastra, also brilliant and
wise, always intent on pleasing Yudhishtira Dharmaputra in all that he does,
the youngest of the Pandavas and their favourite, is my husband Sahadeva.
Heroic, brilliant, sagacious and quick-tempered, there is not another man as
intelligent or as eloquent as he is. He is dearer to Kunti than her own soul;
he is always conscious of Kshatriya dharma; and he would sooner jump into
a fire or sacrifice his own life than say or do anything that is dishonourable
or sinful.
When the sons of Pandu have killed your warriors in battle, you will see
your army in the same plight as a ship laden with a cargo of jewels wrecked
at sea by a whale. You have acted rashly with little regard for the prowess
of the Pandavas. If you escape from them alive, you will indeed have been
blessed.’
The five sons of Pritha, each like Indra, are filled with rage. Sparing the
panic-stricken infantry who beg them for mercy, they charge the
charioteers, attacking them from all sides and darkening the air with
barrages of arrows.”
CANTO 269
V aisampayana continued, “The king of Sindhu issues commands to

the princes who are with him, crying Halt! Strike! and so on. When
they see Bhima, Arjuna and the twins with Yudhishtira, the soldiers send up
a loud clamour on the field of battle, and the Sibi, Sauvira and Sindhu
warriors quail at the sight of these Kshatriyas who look like ferocious
tigers.
Armed with a mace made entirely of Saikya iron and embossed with
gold, Bhimasena rushes towards the doomed Sindhu king. But Kotikasya
deftly surrounds Vrikodara with a formation of Maharathas, effectively
separating him from his quarry. Bhima is assailed with countless spears,
clubs and arrows but he does not waver for a moment. Instead, with his
mace, he kills an elephant, its mahout and fourteen foot-soldiers in front of
Jayadratha’s chariot.
Arjuna, too, eager to capture the Sauvira king, slays five hundred bold
Maharathas from the mountains, the vanguard of the army, fighting in the
front. Yudhishtira kills a hundred of the best Sauvira fighters, in the
twinkling of an eye. Nakula, sword in hand, leaps down from his chariot
and, like a tiller sowing seeds, scatters heads of the soldiers in the rear.
From his chariot, Sahadeva brings down so many elephant-mounted
warriors with his iron shafts, and they drop from their lofty seats like birds
from the trees.
Bow in hand, the king of the Trigartas leaps down from his great chariot
and kills Yudhishtira’s four horses with his mace. But seeing the enemy
closing in and fighting on foot, the Dharmaraja pierces his chest with a
crescent-tipped arrow, so that he vomits blood and falls at his feet, like an
uprooted tree. Yudhishtira, his horses slain, takes this opportunity to leave
his chariot and climb with Indrasena into Sahadeva’s.
Kshemankara and Mahamukha attack Nakula from both sides, like two
great clouds, with telling showers of the sharpest arrows, but the son of
Madri swiftly kills both. Suratha, king of the Trigartas, an expert in fighting
from an elephant’s back, lumbers upto Nakula’s chariot and makes his
elephant seize it with is trunk and drag it about here and there. A little
daunted by this, Suratha jumps off his ratha, and then, sword and shield in
his hands, stands immovable as a mountain.
Suratha wants to kill Nakula immediately, and he prods his mammoth,
excited elephant towards him. When the great beast is near enough, Nakula
severs its head, trunk and tusks from its body, and the mail-clad elephant
gives a dreadful wail and falls, crushing its riders to crimson pulp. Madri’s
son quickly climbs into Bhima’s chariot and has some respite.
Bhima sees Kotikasya rush into the fray and cuts off his sarathy’s head
with a horseshoe-shaped arrow, so swiftly that the prince does not even
realise his charioteer has been killed, and his driverless horses careen
chaotically across the field. Seeing the driverless prince retreating, Bhima
storms up to him and kills him with a feathered arrow.
Dhananjaya uses razor-sharp, crescent-tipped arrows and cuts off the
heads of all the twelve Sauvira heroes; Maharatha Arjuna kills the Ikshvaku
leaders and great numbers of Sibis, Trigartas and Saindhavas. He fells
banner-bearing elephants and flag-adorned chariots. Heads and headless
bodies lie on the field, covering it entirely. Dogs, herons, ravens, crows,
falcons, vultures and jackals feast on the flesh and blood of the dead.
When Jayadratha, king of the Sindhus, sees his soldiers all slain, he is
terrified, and eager to be rid of Krishnaa and flee. In the general bedlam, the
wretched man quickly leaves Draupadi and runs for his life, following the
same forest path by which he came.
Yudhishtira sees Draupadi walking with Dhaumya before her, and lifts
her onto the chariot of Madri’s valiant son Sahadeva.
A great slaughter follows Jayadratha’s unseemly flight. As they run
away, Bhima mows down all Jayadratha’s men with iron shafts, calling out
their names as he strikes them down, one by one.
Arjuna sees that Jayadratha has fled and asks his wild brother to refrain
from killing the rest of the Saindhava army. He says, ‘Jayadratha is to
blame for all this, and he does not seem to be here anymore. It is him you
must seek out and I will pray for your success. What is the point of
slaughtering his soldiers? Why are you bent on this useless bloodshed?’
Admonished by the wise Arjuna, Bhima turns to Yudhishtira and says,
‘We have killed a great many enemy warriors, and the rest run. My brother,
take Draupadi, the twins and Dhaumya with you, and comfort the princess
when you return to the asrama. I will hunt down the witless Jayadratha,
even if he hides in Patala, or is protected by Indra himself.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Mahabaho, even if the king of Sindhu is evil, for the
sake of our sister Dussala, his wife, and the pious Gandhari you must not
kill him.’
Draupadi becomes very agitated when she hears this, and bashfully, but
in anger, says to her two husbands, Bhima and Arjuna, ‘If you want to do
what pleases me, you must kill that despicable man. The enemy who
abducts a wife or takes a kingdom should never be forgiven in battle, even
if they beg for mercy.’
Bhima and Arjuna, admonished, fly in search of the Saindhava king,
and Yudhishtira takes Krishnaa and Dhaumya back to the asrama. On
entering the hermitage, he finds it covered with darbhasanas for sadhus, and
crowded with their disciples. Markandeya and other Brahmanas grace the
asrama, and the Brahmanas are lamenting what has befallen Draupadi when
the ineffably wise Yudhishtira and his brothers arrive.
Great is the joy of all who are there for the Saindhavas and the Sauviras
have been vanquished, and Panchali rescued. The king sits among the
sages, while Krishnaa goes into their kutila with the twin brothers.
Meanwhile, Bhima and Arjuna see Jayadratha fleeing some two krosas
ahead of them and urge their horses to greater speed. Effortlessly, Arjuna
shoots down Jayadratha’s horses from that distance with astras which
weave their way through intervening trees and surely find their target.
Bhima and Arjuna rush on towards the terrified king of Sindhu, who
finds himself alone and bewildered, and also gripped by sorrow to see his
horses killed before his eyes. Seeing Arjuna’s unearthly archery, Jayadratha
decides to run, and takes the same track that brought him through the forest.
Phalguna overtakes the petrified Saindhava king and says, ‘What a petty
man you are! How did you dare abduct a queen? Turn around, Kshatriya; it
is not right that you flee. How can you run like this, leaving your men to
face the enemy?’
The king of Sindhu does not look back at all. Bhima impatiently
overtakes him, but the compassionate Arjuna begs him not to kill the black-
hearted fellow.”
CANTO 270
JAYADRATHA VIMOKSHANA PARVA
V aisampayana said, “Jayadratha still runs headlong from the terrible

brothers who come at him with weapons raised and ready to strike.
The furious Bhimasena jumps down from his chariot and runs after him. He
seizes him by his hair and, hefting him aloft, slams him down on the
ground. He holds the prince’s head and rains blows on him, until Jayadratha
faints.
When the Saindhava recovers consciousness, he groans aloud and
attempts to get up, but Bhima Mahabaho kicks his head, felling him. He
kneels squarely on Jayadratha’s chest and rains dreaful blows on his face,
and that prince faints again.
Arjuna now intervenes and persuades the enraged Bhimasena to stop
punishing Jayadratha anymore; he reminds his brother of what Yudhishtira
has said about their sister Dussala.
Bhima says, ‘This wretch has done great injury to the blameless
Krishnaa. He deserves to die! Ah, but I am helpless because our brother
overflows with mercy and you, too, from a misplaced sense of dharma,
constantly stop me from having a Kshatriya’s just revenge.’
With his crescented arrow, Vrikodara shaves Jayadratha’s head, leaving
five symbolic tufts of hair. Silently Jayadratha submits to this and Bhima
says to him, ‘If you want to live, listen to me, fool, and I will tell you how
you can save your worthless life. In public meetings and in open sabhas you
must declare for all to hear, I am the slave of the Pandavas! On this
condition, I spare your life. This is the dharma of victory in battle.’
Jayadratha, in a swoon, trembling, and covered in dust, says meekly to
that ferocious one, ‘So be it.’
Arjuna and Vrikodara bind him with rope and bundle him into their
chariot. Bhima mounts the chariot and, with Arjuna, rides to the asrama. He
comes to Yudhishtira and shoves Jayadratha down to the ground before his
elder brother.
The Dharmaraja smilingly tells him to set the Sindhu prince free, and
Bhima says to the king, ‘Tell Draupadi that this dog is now the slave of the
Pandavas.’
His brother says affectionately, ‘If you have any regard for me, you will
set this man free.’
And now Draupadi, too, urges Bhima to do so. She says, ‘Let him go.
He has become the king’s slave and you have disfigured him by shaving his
head and leaving five tufts of hair on it.’
Now at liberty, Jayadratha approaches Yudhishtira and bows low to him.
He bows to all the Munis. Seeing the abject Jayadratha, so weak that Arjuna
has to support him, the compassionate Yudhishtira says, ‘I release you; you
are a free man now. Go, and be careful never to commit such folly again. It
is shameful that you meant to take a woman by force; no man less vile
would think of such a thing.’
Yudhishtira looks with some pity at the Sindhu king and says, ‘May
your heart grow in dharma, so that such a base thought never enters it again.
Go in peace now with your charioteers, cavalry and footsoldiers.’
O Bhaarata, when Yudhishtira says this, Jayadratha is overcome with
shame and, bending his head, he silently and sadly makes his way to
Gangadvaram, the place from where the Ganga comes down to the plains.
He implores Trilochana, Uma’s consort, for protection and does severe
penance. Siva, the three-eyed One, is so pleased with Jayadratha’s tapasya
that he comes down to the Earth to accept his offering of penance and tells
him to ask for a boon.
Listen, Rajan, to the boon that Jayadratha asks Mahadeva for. The
Saindhava says, ‘Grant that I am able to defeat all the five sons of Pandu,
mounted on their chariots, in battle!’
Lord Siva tells him this is not possible. ‘None can slay or conquer them
in battle. However, except for Arjuna, I grant that you will be able to
contain them, but only once, on the battlefield. Arjuna is Nara, and Vishnu’s
own Avatara. He performed an impossibly austere tapasya in the Badari
vana, and Lord Narayana supports him, so that even the Devas cannot
defeat him. I myself have given him the divine astra called Pasupata. The
Lokapalas have given him the Vajra and other Devastras.
Vishnu Devadeva, Hyanantatma the Infinite Spirit, Suraguru Prabhu the
Lord Preceptor of all the Devas, Pradhana Purusha the Supreme Being
without attributes, Viswatma the Soul of the Universe, Viswamurtiman is
embodied in all creation. At the end of a great cycle of time, he assumed the
form of the all-consuming Fire and devoured the Universe, with its
mountains and seas, islands, hills, woods and forests. After he destroyed the
subterranean Naga world as well, huge, many-hued clouds, clashing and
flashing with thunder and lightning, spread over the sky and poured water
in torrents as thick as chariot axles, filling space and dousing the raging
apocalypse.
This happened at the end of four thousand yugas, when the Earth was
flooded with water and had become one vast sea, the ekarnava. All was
hushed: mobile creatures were dead; the Sun, the Moon and the winds were
all gone; and the Akhanda was without stars and planets. It was then that
the Paramatman Narayana, unperceivable by the senses, Sahastraksha
Sahastrapata—thousand-headed and thousand-limbed—wanted to rest. The
serpent Sesha, awesome with his thousand hoods and shining with the
splendour of ten thousand suns; white as the Kunda flower, or the Moon, or
pearls, or the white lotus, or milk or the fibres of a lotus stalk, served as his
couch. That adorable and omnipotent God slept on lap of the fathomless
Ocean, enveloping all space with the blackness of night.
When, finally, the urge to create stirred in him he awoke and found the
Universe empty. There is, in this connection, a sloka that describes and
explains the word Narayana: Nara created water and it formed his body,
therefore, it is called Nara. It was his Ayana, or resting place, and, therefore
he is known as Narayana. As soon as that Eternal Being began to meditate
in order to create the Universe again, a lotus sprang spontaneously from his
navel, and the four-faced Brahma emerged from that lotus. Brahma
Lokapitamaha, the ancestor of all creatures, sat on that flower and, finding
that all the Universe was a void, created in his own likeness, and from his
mind, the nine great Rishis—Marichi and others.
These nine also became creators and brought Yakshas, Rakshasas,
Pisachas, reptiles, men and all mobile and immobile creatures into being.
Brahman, the Supreme Spirit, exists in three states: in the form of
Brahma he is the Creator; as Vishnu he is the Preserver; and as Siva he is
the Destroyer of the Universe.
O king of Sindhu, have you not heard of the wondrous achievements of
Vishnu, which the Munis and the Brahmanas who know the Vedas
describe?
When the world was reduced to one vast Sea with only the heavens
above, the Lord, like a firefly on a monsoon night, searching hither and
thither for a patch of stable ground from where he could begin the act of
creation, decided to raise the submerged Earth out of the water for his
purpose. He wondered what shape he should take to rescue Bhumi Devi
from the flood and, after some contemplation, he chose the form of a wild
boar, sporting in the water. He assumed the shape of a sacrificial boar,
radiant and aglow with intuitive knowledge of the Vedas. The Varaha was
ten yojanas long; it had sharp tusks and was cloud dark. Its body was as
massive as a mountain and, roaring like tumultuous rain-clouds clashing, it
dove deep and lifted up the Earth with one of its tusks and set Bhumi back
in her proper place.
At another time, the Mahatman assumed the marvellous form of a half-
man, half-lion—Narasimha, the Manticore. Joining his hands together in
supplication, he went to the court of the king of the Daityas. That progenitor
of the Daityas, the son of Diti, was the enemy of the Devas, and flared up in
rage when he saw this peculiar beast. Eyes inflamed, adorned with garlands
and looking like a mass of black thunderheads, this warlike son of Diti,
Hiranyakasipu took up his trident and, roaring like thunderclouds, rushed at
the Manticore. The Narasimha leapt into the air and tore the Daitya apart
with his claws.
Having slain the Daitya king for the sake of the well-being of all
creatures, the radiant, lotus-eyed Lord of great effulgence, was born again
from the womb of Aditi as the son of Kasyapa.
At the end of a thousand years she delivered him, a Being of
superhuman conception, short, dark-skinned, and bright eyed. He held a
Rishi’s staff and kamandalu in his hands, and the mystic birthmark of
Srivatsa, shaped like a curl of hair, on his chest. He had tangeld locks of jata
and wore the sacrificial thread across his chest; he was strongly built and
handsome, and shone with lustre.
Arriving at the yagnasala of Bali, king of the Danavas, Vamana the
dwarf entered the assembly with the help of Brihaspati.
Bali was pleased to see him and said, “I am happy to see you, O
Brahmana. What can I do for you?”
The dwarf replied with a smile, “Lord of Danavas, give me land to
cover three paces of my legs,” and Bali consented happily to give the
Brahmana what he wanted.
As he was measuring the three paces, Hari the dwarf assumed his
Viswarupa, and with just three steps, covered the Earth; and then immortal
Vishnu gifted it to Indra.
What I have just told you is the famous story of the Vamana Avatara,
the incarnation of the dwarf. From him all the gods were created, and from
this incarnation onwards, the world is said to be Vaishnava, or pervaded by
Vishnu. Vishnu has now been born into the world again, in the race of the
Yadavas, to destroy evil and preserve dharma. In this Avatara he is called
Krishna.
Saindhava, these are the achievements of the Brahman, whom all the
worlds worship and whom the learned describe as without beginning or
end, as un-born and divine. They call him Yamahurajitam ‒ the
unconquerable; Sankachakragadhadharam—who holds the conch-shell,
discus and mace in his hands; Srivatsadharinam Devam ‒ the Lord who is
marked with the mystic Srivatsa; Pitakausheyavasasam ‒ attired in yellow
silk, and who is the best of all who are skilled in the Astra Shastra.
It is this same Krishna who protects Arjuna. That glorious and lotus-
eyed One of infinite power, that slayer of hostile heroes, rides in Partha’s
chariot and defends him. Thus, Arjuna is invincible. The gods cannot resist
him, to say nothing of a mere mortal being able to vanquish Partha in battle.
Therefore, O king, Arjuna you must leave well alone. You shall,
however, be able to quell, for a single day only, the rest of Yudhishtira’s
forces, as well as your enemies, the other four sons of Pandu!’
Having spoken thus to Jayadratha, the Divine Hara, Sarvapaapa Haro
Hara—the destroyer of all sins, Umapati—the consort of Uma, Pasupati—
the Lord of wild beasts, Yagnaha—the despoiler of Daksha’s sacrifice,
Tripurardana—He who destroyed the Tripura, He that plucked out the eyes
of Bhaga, He who is surrounded by his dwarfish, hunchbacked and dreadful
entourage of ganas that have frightful eyes and ears and uplifted arms ‒
Siva vanishes from that place, O Narashardula, with his beloved Uma.
Jayadratha returns home and the sons of Pandu continue to live in the
Kamyaka vana.”
CANTO 271
RAMOPAKHYANA PARVA
J anamejaya asked, “What did those Naravyaghras, the Pandavas, do

after the trial of Draupadi’s abduction?”
Vaisampayana said, “After he has defeated Jayadratha and rescued
Krishnaa, Dharmaraja Yudhishtira sits down with that Brahmanottama
Markandeya. Hearing the words of sympathy that all the Rishis express,
Yudhishtira says to Markandeya, ‘Worshipful one, you are known amongst
the gods and the ascetics to have the fullest knowledge of the past and the
future. I have a doubt that I would like you to clear.
This devi is the daughter of Drupada; she was born from the sacrificial
fire and not from a woman’s womb; she is highly blessed and is the
daughter-in-law of the illustrious Pandu. I know that all creatures are
subject to the influences of kaala and kalpa—time and destiny—that were
established by Brahman, and to the karma of one’s actions. If this is true,
how could such misfortune afflict this wife of ours who is so faithful and
pure, even like an honest man being falsely accused of theft?
Draupadi has never committed any sin. Indeed, she has never done
anything that is not praiseworthy; she has treated Brahmanas with the
utmost dharma. Yet, Jayadratha carried her away by force; and as a
consequence, he and his allies were defeated in battle, and he had his head
shaved.
No doubt, we slaughtered the Sindhu troops and rescued her, but we are
tainted by the disgrace of our wife being abducted because of our
carelessness. This life in the wilderness is full of sorrow. We live by hunting
and we are forced to kill the animals with whom we share the vana as a
home. This exile that we suffer is because of deceitful kinsmen. Is there
anyone who is more unfortunate than I am? Have you ever seen or heard of
such a man?’ ”
CANTO 272
RAMOPAKHYANA PARVA CONTINUED
“M arkandeya says, ‘Bharatarishabha, even Rama suffered

unequalled torment because of the evil Rakshasa king Ravana,
who used maya and, overpowering the vulture Jatayu, forcibly carried away
Rama’s wife Sita from their asrama in the forest. With Sugriva’s help, Rama
brought her back by building a bridge across the sea and burning down
Lanka with his fiery arrows.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘In what dynasty was Rama born, and how great was
he? Whose son was Ravana, and what quarrel did he have with Rama? O
Illustrious, tell me all this in detail, for I long to hear the story of Rama of
the great deeds.’
Markandeya says, ‘Listen, prince of the Bhaaratas, to this ancient
Itihasa, exactly as it happened. I will tell you about the suffering that Rama
and his wife endured.
There was a great king named Aja in the Ikshvaku dynasty. He had a
son named Dasaratha, who was devoted to the study of the Vedas and was
pure of heart and mind. Dasaratha had four sons, who were knowledgeable
about dharma and artha; they were Rama, Lakshmana, Satrughna, and the
mighty Bharata. Rama’s mother was Kausalya, Bharata’s was Kaikeyi, and
those twin scourges of their enemies, Lakshmana and Satrughna, were the
sons of Sumitra.
Janaka was the king of Videha, and Sita was his daughter. Tvashta
himself created Sita with the intention of making her the beloved wife of
Rama. This was the lineage of Rama and Sita; and now listen to how
Ravana was born.
That Lord of all creatures and the Creator of the Universe—
Sarvalokanam Prabhu Swayambhu Prajapati, that Rishi-like Deva, was the
grandfather of Ravana. He had a beloved son named Pulastya who, in turn,
had a mighty son called Vaisravana, who was born of a cow. But Vaisravana
left his father and went to live with his grandfather. Rajan, his furious father
created another exactly like himself to take revenge on his son Vaisravana,
and he called this one Visrava.
Pleased with his grandson Vaisravana, the Pitamaha Brahma gave him
these gifts: immortality, the ownership of all the wealth in the Universe, the
guardianship of one of the cardinal points, the friendship of Isana Siva, and
a son named Nalakubara. He gave him Lanka for his capital, which was
guarded by legion Rakshasas; a chariot called Pushpaka that could go
everywhere, at the will of he who sat in it; and kingship over the Yakshas,
and sovereignty over other kings.’ ”
CANTO 273
“M arkandeya continues, ‘The Muni named Visrava, replicated in a

moment of rage from the soul of Pulastya, began to look at
Vaisravana with great anger. But Kubera Vaisravana, king of the Rakshasas,
knew that his father was angry with him and always tried to please him.
Bhaaratottama, that Rajarajan who lived in Lanka sent three Rakshasa
women, borne on men’s shoulders, to wait on his father. Their names were
Pushpotkata, Raka and Malini; they were accomplished singers and
dancers, and attentive to that Mahataman Rishi. Those slender Rakshasis
vied with one another in making the Rishi happy, and that worshipful being
was pleased with them. He granted them boons, and to every one of them
he gave princely sons according to their wishes.
Pushpotkata had two sons, both most magnificent Rakshasas and
unequalled in prowess. They were Kumbhakarna and Dasagriva Ravana.
Malini had a son named Vibhishana, and Raka had twin children named
Khara and Surpanakha. Vibhishana was the most handsome of them all. He
was pious and conscientiously performed every religious rite.
The first of Rakshasas, Dasagriva the ten-headed, the eldest, was
devout, vivacious and strong beyond belief. Kumbhakarna was the most
powerful in battle, for he was a fierce and terrible warrior and a master of
maya. Khara was a skilled archer; he hated Brahmanas and lived on human
flesh. And the fierce Surpanakha was a constant bane to tapasvins in the
vana.
And learned in the Vedas and diligent in ceremonial rites, all these lived
with their father on the Gandhamadana mountain. There they saw
Vaisravana, owner of great wealth, always borne on men’s shoulders, with
their father. Gripped by envy, they decided to perform the most severe
tapasya to please Brahma.
Dasagriva, subsisting on air alone and surrounded by the five sacred
fires, meditated while standing on one leg for a thousand years.
Kumbhakarna performed his tapasya with bowed head and hardly ate at all.
The wise and magnanimous Vibhishana, undertaking fasts and subsisting
only on dry leaves, also sat in dhyana and practised severe tapasya for a
long time. Khara and Surpanakha cheerfully protected and attended on them
while these others were at their penance.
At the end of a thousand years, the invincible Dasagriva cut off nine of
his heads and offered them to Agni. Brahma, Lord of the Universe, was
pleased and, appearing to the Rakshasa tapasvins, told them to stop their
tapasya and promised to grant boons to each of them.
Brahma said, “I am pleased with you, my children. Stop your tapasya
and ask me for boons. I will give you anything you ask for, except
immortality. Ravana, your heads, which you offered to me in the great fire,
will adorn your body as before, in whatever way you like. Your body will
not be disfigured; you will be able to assume any form at will, and conquer
your enemies in battle. This is my promise.”
Ravana said, “May I never be defeated by a Gandharva, a Deva, a
Kinnara, an Asura, a Yaksha, a Rakshasa, a Naga or any other creature!”
Brahma said, “You will never have cause to fear any of those you have
named, except man. May good fortune attend you! This is my command.”
Ten-headed Ravana was jubilant, for, being an eater of men, he
dismissed humans as being of no consequence. The Pitamaha spoke to
Kumbhakarna in the same way, and being dull-witted, Kumbhakarna asked
for the boon of long sleep, which Brahma granted. Then Brahma addressed
Vibhishana and told him to ask for any boon he wanted, as he was pleased
with him.
Vibhishana replied, “Lord, grant that even when I am in grave danger, I
never swerve from the path of dharma and, that being ignorant, I may be
enlightened by the light of divine knowledge!”
Brahma replied, “Parantapa, although you are born a Rakshasa, your
soul does not lean towards adharma. And so, I grant you immortality.”
Markandeya continues, ‘Having obtained his boon, the ten-headed
Rakshasa defeated his half-brother Kubera Vaisravana in battle and wrested
the kingdom of Lanka from him. The noble Kubera left Lanka and,
followed by his Gandharvas, Yakshas, Rakshasas and Kinnaras, went to live
on the Gandhamadana mountain.
Ravana forcibly took the Pushpaka vimana from him, and for this,
Kubera cursed him, saying, “This chariot shall never carry you; it will bear
the man who will kill you in battle. And because you have insulted me,
your elder brother, you will soon die!”
Rajan, the devout and splendid Vibhishana, who always walked the path
of dharma, followed Kubera. That divine Lord of wealth was pleased with
his younger brother and gave him command of the Yaksha and Rakshasa
armies.
In the meantime, the mighty and man-eating Rakshasas and Pisachas
came together and made Dasagriva their king. He could take any form at
will and his powers were terrifying. Able to fly through the air, he attacked
the Devas and the Daityas and took their most valuable possessions from
them. Because he terrified all creatures, he was called Ravana; and with the
power to muster as much strength as he wanted, without limit, he struck
terror into the hearts of the Devas,’ says Markandeya.”
CANTO 274
“M arkandeya says, ‘When terror gripped the worlds, the

Brahmarishis, the Siddhas and the Devarishis, with Havyavaha
as their spokesman, asked Brahma for protection.
Agni said, “Dasagriva, the powerful son of Visrava, cannot be killed
because of your boon. Endowed with limitless strength, he oppresses the
earth’s creatures. Protect us, Bhagavan. We have no other refuge but you.”
Brahma said, “Vibhavasu, neither the Devas nor the Asuras can conquer
him in battle. I have already ordained the means of his death, and that is
imminent. At my command, the four-headed Deva has already incarnated
for this. Vishnu Mahatman will accomplish what you want.”
The Pitamaha said to Sakra, “You and all the Devas must be born on
Earth in amsa as sons born of monkeys and bears: heroic, powerful beings
who can take any form at will, who will be Vishnu’s allies.”
At his word, the Devas, the Gandharvas and the Danavas quickly
assembled to decide how they should each be born on Earth. Brahma
commanded a Gandharvi named Dundubhi to go to the Earth and
accomplish his task. Dundubhi was born in the world of men as the
hunchbacked Manthara. All the chief Devas, including Sakra and others,
sired children on the wives of the best of vanaras and reekshas. And these
sons equalled their fathers in strength and glory.
They could split mountain peaks, and their weapons were rocks and sala
and tala trees. They were wonderfully strong and their bodies were hard as
diamonds; they were accomplished in battle and could call on unlimited
energy whenever they wished. They were each equal to a thousand
elephants in might, and they were as swift as the wind. Some of them lived
anywhere, while others lived in forests.
Having contrived all this, Brahma Prajapati instructed Manthara about
what she must do. Manthara of the mind quick as lightning understood
immediately and, from then on, went here and there, busying herself with
creating and fanning quarrels,’ says Markandeya.”
CANTO 275
“Y udhishtira says, ‘O luminous one, you have told me about the

birth of Rama and the others in detail. I want to know the reason
for Rama’s exile. Brahmana, tell me why the sons of Dasaratha, the brothers
Rama and Lakshmana, went to the forest with the renowned Maithili,
princess of Mithila.’
Markandeya says, ‘The pious king Dasaratha, who was always attentive
to the needs of his elders, and devout in performing religious kriyas, was
joyful when his sons were born. They grew up, strong and learned in the
Vedas and their mysteries, and in the Astra Shastra. After they had
completed their Brahmacharya vows, the princes were married; and
Dasaratha’s cup of joy overflowed.
The intelligent Rama, the eldest son, became his father’s favourite, and
delighted the people with his charming nature. Then, Bhaarata, the wise
king thought that he was getting old, and consulted his ministers and his
kulaguru Vasishta about installing Rama as Yuvaraja of the kingdom. All
those devoted men agreed that the time was ripe for this. Dasaratha looked
at his splendid son Rama, the enhancer of Kausalya’s joy, of the red eyes
and sinewy arms, of the gait like an elephant’s, of the long arms and curly
black hair, who was courageous and glowed in splendour, and equal to
Indra himself in battle, who was versed in the Shastras, as wise as
Brihaspati, and a master of all the arts and sciences. Everybody loved him.
Rama’s senses were under complete control, and even his enemies felt
happy to see him. He was the terror of the unrighteous and protector of the
good. With a sparkling mind, he was irresistible; he was ever-victorious and
undefeated. O Kurunandana, Dasaratha looked at his son who flooded
Kausalya with joy, and was gratified.
Thinking about Rama’s qualities, the mighty king said to the Purohita,
“Blessed Brahmana, tonight the Pushya nakshatra will rise in a most
auspicious conjunction. Have preparations made for the coronation and call
Rama. This auspicious time lasts until tomorrow. My ministers and I will
invest Rama as Yuvaraja of all my subjects.”
Manthara, Queen Kaikeyi’s maid, heard the king, went to her mistress
and slyly said to her, “Kaikeyi, today the king has made a proclamation that
does not augur well for you. Unlucky one, it is better that you are bitten by
an angry and fiercely venomous snake. But Kausalya is fortunate, for it is
her son who is to become Yuvaraja. Where is good fortune when your own
son does not inherit the kingdom?”
The slender-waisted Kaikeyi put on all her ornaments and sought out
her husband in private. Lovingly and with alluring smiles she said to him,
“Rajan, you are always true to your word. You swore, once, to give me
something I desired. I ask you to keep that oath now and save yourself from
the sin of breaking your sacred word.”
The king said, “I will give you what you ask for. Ask for anything you
like. What man, undeserving though he may be of death, shall I kill today?
What man that deserves to die shall I set free? Who shall I give wealth,
whose wealth shall I confiscate? Whatever wealth there is in this world,
except that which belongs to Brahmanas, is mine. I am the king of kings
and the protector of the four varnas. Tell me quickly, blessed devi, what
does your heart desire?”
Kaikeyi heard the king and knew that she had bound him to his pledge,
and that her power over him was strong. She said, “I want Bharata be made
Yuvaraja, and Rama to be sent into exile for fourteen years in the Dandaka
aranya, wearing matted jata on his head and clad in rags and deerskin.”
Bhaaratottama, the king heard her words like daggers and was
speechless with grief. But learning of his father’s pledge and Kaikeyi’s
demand, the noble Rama went into the jungle so that his father’s dharma
was preserved. His wife Sita, the princess of Videha and daughter of
Janaka, and Lakshmana, that best of archers, followed Rama into the forest.
After Rama left, king Dasaratha died, as was destined. Queen Kaikeyi
called her own son Bharata to her and said, “Dasaratha has departed for
Swarga, and both Rama and Lakshmana are in the forest. Take this vast
kingdom that has no rivals to disturb its peace.”
But noble Bharata cried, “You have done an evil thing by killing your
husband and having Rama sent into exile. From lust for wealth and power,
mother, O accursed woman, you have piled sin on my head.”
And the prince wept bitterly. He proved his innocence before all the
subjects of the kingdom and set out after Rama, to bring him back. With
Kausalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi in chariots going before his retinue, and
with a heavy heart, he set out with his brother Satrughna.
Accompanying him were the Rishis Vasishtha, Vamadeva and
thousands of other Brahmanas, and the people of the cities and the
provinces, all wanting to bring Rama back.
On the Chitrakuta mountain, Bharata saw Rama and Lakshmana,
dressed like sadhus, with bows in hand. Rama, however, was determined to
keep his father’s word and dismissed Bharata. Bharata returned and ruled
from Nandigrama, keeping his brother’s wooden sandals in front of him
always. Rama was afraid that the people of Ayodhya would come again to
Chitrakuta, and made his way through the dense vana to the asrama of Rishi
Sarabhanga.
There he paid homage to Sarabhanga and, entering the forest of
Dandaka, set up his dwelling on the banks of the Godavari. While he lived
there, through the wiles of Surpanakha, Rama was forced to fight Khara,
who lived in nearby Janasthana. That righteous son of the Raghuvamsa
killed fourteen thousand Rakshasas in order to protect the Rishis at their
tapasya, whom the demons preyed on and ate.
By killing mighty Rakshasas like Khara and Dushana, the wise Rama
restored the peace of that sacred forest.
After these Rakshasas had been slain, Surpanakha, her nose and lips
mutilated by Laksmana, flew to Lanka, to her brother Ravana. When the
Rakshasa woman, demented with grief, and dried blood staining her face,
saw Ravana she fell at his feet. He was overpowered by anger at seeing how
horribly she had been disfigured and, grinding his teeth, sprang up from his
throne.
He dismissed his ministers, and when they were alone he asked his
sister, “Who has done this to you, forgetting that you are my sister? Who is
he that calls my vengeance and his death so ardently to him? Who is he that
sleeps happily with a fire lit so near his head? Who is he that steps on a
vicious serpent? Who is he that stands with his hand thrust into the mouth
of a lion?”
Flames of fury burst from his body, as a night fire spews out of the
hollows in a dry tree.
His sister told him about Rama’s prowess and about the defeat of the
Rakshasas with Khara and Dushana at their head. Impelled by destiny and
the slaughter of his kinsmen, Ravana thought of using Maricha to kill
Rama. He resolved on the course he would follow and arranged for Lanka
to be ruled by his ministers while he was away.
After consoling Surpanakha as best as he could, he set out on a journey
across the sky. He crossed the Trikuta and the Kala mountains and saw the
vast ocean of unplumbed waters—the home of makaras.
Crossing the ocean, ten-headed Ravana reached Gokarna, the favoured
place of the illustrious Deva armed with the Trisula. And there Ravana met
his old friend Maricha who, out of fear of Rama, had become a sannyasin.’
CANTO 276
V aisampayana continued, “Markandeya says, ‘Maricha received

Ravana with a respectful welcome and offered him fruit and roots.
When Ravana was seated and at ease, the eloquent Maricha sat beside
him and said to Ravana, “Your skin looks unnaturally pale. Is all well in
your kingdom, O king of Rakshasas? What brings you here? Are your
subjects as loyal to you as ever? Whatever it is that has brought you here,
consider it already done, even if it be difficult to accomplish.”
Ravana, his heart in turmoil from anger and humiliation, told him about
what Rama had done and that he, Ravana, wanted the prince dead.
An alarmed Maricha said, “You must not provoke Rama; I know his
prowess. No one can withstand his arrows. That great one is the reason for
my taking sannyasa. What evil creature has instigated you to follow a
course that will surely bring ruin upon you?”
Ravana replied simply, “If you do not do as I say, you will die.”
Maricha thought within himself, “Since death is inevitable, I will do as
he says, because it is better to die at the hands of Rama, who is superior.”
And he says to Ravana, “I will do whatever I can to help you.”
Dasagriva Ravana said to him, “Take the shape of a deer with golden
skin and antlers of gold, and go and enchant Sita. When she sees you she
will send Rama to hunt you, and then she will be mine to carry away.
Losing his wife, the villainous Rama will die of grief. This is what you
must do to help me.”
Maricha performed his own funeral rites in anticipation of his death and
unhappily followed Ravana. They reached Rama’s asrama and both did as
planned. Ravana took the guise of a sadhu, with a shaven head and carrying
a kamandalu and a three-pronged staff.
Maricha took the form of a golden deer. He appeared before Sita and,
spurred by her own destiny, she sent Rama after the deer.
Eager to please her, Rama took up his bow, left Lakshmana to protect
Sita, and set off in pursuit of the deer. Armed with bow and arrows and his
sword, his fingers cased in lizard-skin gloves, Rama went after that deer,
even as Rudra followed the astral deer as told in the Purana.
Ravana lured Rama a great distance away by appearing and
disappearing from sight, and leading him on. Finally, when Rama realised
that the deer was a Rakshasa, the illustrious scion of Raghu shot the golden
creature with an unerring arrow. Struck with Rama’s arrow, the Rakshasa
Maricha cried out in agony, pefectly mimicking Rama’s voice and calling
out to Sita and Lakshmana. Vaidehi heard the cry and told Lakshmana to
hurry to the spot from where the cry came.
Lakshmana said, “Gentle princess, have no fear. Who can harm Rama?
O Sita of the sweet smiles, you will see your husband Rama return any
moment now.”
When Lakshmana said this, the chaste, naturally timid Sita was
suspicious of the innocent Lakshmana’s motives and began to cry.
She, who was devoted and faithful to her husband, scolded Lakshmana,
“Foolish one, what you secretly yearn for can never be yours. I would rather
kill myself with a weapon or throw myself from the top of a hill or walk
into a blazing fire than forsake my Rama and live with a sorry wretch like
you, like a tigress with a jackal.”
The good-natured Lakshmana, who was devoted to his brother, covered
his ears in anguish and set off on the path that Rama had taken, without a
single look at that devi with lips as soft and red as the bimba fruit.
Now Ravana, wearing a gentle guise that hid the great evil that he was,
like ashes covering a smouldering fire, came to the asrama. He came in the
form of a hermit to carry away that princess of the blemishless character.
Sita saw him and welcomed him with fruit and roots, and offered him a
seat. Ignoring these that tiger among Rakshasas showed his own form.
He said, “O Sita, I am Ravana, king of all Rakshasas. My peerless city,
Lanka, lies across the great ocean. There, among lovely women, you will
live with me and be radiantly happy. O you with the beautiful lips, leave
your ascetic Rama and be my wife!”
Janaka’s daughter shut her ears and cried, “O do not speak like this. The
vault of heaven with all its stars may fall down, the earth may shatter into
fragments, fire may change its nature and become cold, but I could never
leave Raghunandana. How can a she-elephant who has lived with the
mighty leader of a herd, with rent temples, forsake him and live with a pig?
Having once tasted the sweet wine prepared from honey or flowers, how
can a woman relish coarse arrack made from rice?”
Saying this, she went inside her hut, her lips quivering and her arms
trembling with rage. Ravana followed her inside and he seized her by her
hair, took her in his arms and flew into the air with her.
A great and noble vulture, Jatayu, who lived on a mountain peak, saw
that helpless devi in the Demon’s grasp and heard her wailing out to Rama
in anguish as she was carried away by Ravana.’ ”
CANTO 277
“M arkandeya says, ‘Jatayu, heroic king of the vultures, whose

brother was Sampati and whose father was Arjuna, was a friend
of Dasaratha’s. Seeing his friend’s daughter-in-law on Ravana’s lap, that
sky-ranger attacked the Rakshasa in fury.
He cried, “Leave the princess of Mithila! Rakshasa, how can you ravish
her when I am alive? If you do not release my daughter, you shall not
escape from me with your life.”
And Jatayu began to tear at the king of the Rakshasas with his talons.
He lacerated Ravana with a hundred wounds by striking him with his wings
and beak. Blood flowed from Ravana’s body, as freely as water from a
mountain spring. Attacked by this vulture who fought for Rama’s sake,
Ravana drew his sword and hacked away Jatayu’s two wings and, as the
immense avian fell to the earth below, the Rakshasa soared into the air,
shooting out above the clouds with Sita in his grasp.
As they flew, whenever Vaidehi saw an asrama of Rishis, a lake, a river,
or a tank, she threw down one of her ornaments. She saw five great
monkeys on a mountain-top, and that intelligent princess threw down a
piece of shimmering cloth torn from her garment. That strip of yellow cloth
fell, fluttering through the air and flashing like lightning from the clouds,
amongst those five foremost of vanaras.
With dazzling speed, the Rakshasa flew a long way through the sky like
a great swift bird, and soon he saw his enchanting city of the many gates,
which was enclosed on all sides by lofty walls, and built by Viswakrit
himself. And the king of the Rakshasas entered Lanka, with Sita.
Whilst Sita was being abducted, Rama was walking back to the asrama
after killing the deer, when he met his brother Lakshmana. Rama scolded
him, “How could you leave Vaidehi alone in this Rakshasa-infested forest?”
He realised that he had been purposefully lured away a great distance by
the deer, which was a Rakshasa in disguise, and his heart misgave him
sharply when he saw his brother and knew that Sita was alone.
Rama breathed, “Ah Lakshmana, is the princess of Videha still alive? I
fear I shall never see her again.”
Lakshmana told him everything that Sita had said, especially the harsh
words with which she had rebuked him. His heart on fire, Rama and
Lakshmana ran back towards the asrama. On the way they saw the vulture,
big as a hill, lying on the ground in the throes of death. Suspecting that he
was a Rakshasa, Rama and Lakshmana rushed at him, drawing their bows
into circles.
The mighty vulture, however, addressed them, “Be blessed! I am Jatayu,
king of vultures, and a friend of Dasaratha.”
Rama and his brother lowered their great bows and wondered who it
was that spoke their father’s name in the wilderness. They saw that the
speaker was the vulture, who had lost his wings and how blood spouted
from his wounds. That hulking bird told them how Ravana had seized Sita
and how the Rakshasa had cut off his wings.
Rama asked Jatayu which way Ravana had taken, and the vulture
indicated the direction with his grandly crested head, and then Jatayu was
dead.
Rama understood that Ravana had gone south. Rama paid his respects
to his father’s friend and performed his funeral rites. Then those Parantapas,
Rama and Lakshmana, filled with grief, took a southern course through the
Dandaka aranya.
On their way they saw many uninhabited asramas, with kusa grass
cushions scattered about, and leaf umbrellas and broken water-pots, and
overrun by jackals. In the depths of that forest Rama and Saumitra saw
herds of deer roaming at will. They heard the terrible voices of many
predators and other fell beings, and they sounded like a roaring fire
devouring the forest.
Shortly, they saw a hideous, headless Rakshasa, dark as rain-clouds and
big as a mountain, his shoulders broad as a sala tree, and his arms long and
massive. On the creature’s chest was a pair of staring eyes, and his mouth
was on his bloated belly.
In a trice the headless Rakshasa seized Lakshmana in a giant hand,
holding him helpless and, O Bhaarata, the son of Sumitra was confounded.
His eyes on Rama, the headless Rakshasa began to slowly draw Lakshmana
towards the yawning maw on his belly.
Lakshmana said to Rama in dismay, “Look at my fate! I cannot bear it:
your losing your kingdom, the death of our father, then the abduction of
Sita and now this. O, I am sure I will not see you return with Vaidehi to
Kosala and sitting on our ancestral throne as sovereign of the Earth. Only
the very fortunate will see your face, radiant as the moon emerging from
behind clouds, after your ritual coronation bath and sanctification with kusa
grass, fried paddy and black peas.”
The sensitive Lakshmana gave vent to his anguish and lamented in this
way for a time.
However, Rama, always unperturbed in the face of danger, said,
“Narapumgava, do not give way to grief. What is this creature, when I am
here? You cut off his right arm and I will his left.”
Even as he spoke, Rama hewed off the Rakshasa’s left arm with his
sword, as if it was a stalk of corn. The mighty Saumitra did the same to the
Rakshasa’s right arm, and then struck him time and again in his belly, blows
like thunder, and the headless monster fell dead, making the ground shake.
Then, as if in a dream, the brothers saw a divine being rising from the
dead Rakshasa’s body and hovering in the air, shimmering like the Sun in
the sky.
The eloquent Rama asked him, “Who are you? Tell me, what miracle is
this? How can such a thing happen? I am struck with wonder!”
That being said, “O Kshatriya, I am a Gandharva and my name is
Viswavasu. A Brahmana cursed me and I became a Rakshasa both in
appearance and nature. Rama, Sita has been taken by king Ravana of
Lanka. Go to Sugriva; he will be your friend. His lives on the mountain
peak of Rishyamuka, by lake Pampa of the sacred water, where cranes
flock. Sugriva, the brother of the Vanara king Vali, adorned with a golden
garland, lives there with four of his counsellors. Go to him and tell him the
reason for your grief; he is in a similar plight and will help you. That is all I
can say. You will surely see Janaki, because the king of the Vanaras knows
Ravana and the others.”
With these words, the radiant, divine being vanished, leaving Rama and
Lakshmana marvelling at what had happened.’ ”
CANTO 278
“M arkandeya says, ‘In a torment of grief at Sita’s abduction, Rama

hurried to Pampa, which was only a short distance away. The
lake was lush with lotuses of different kinds, and cool, fragrant breezes
fanned the woodland air. Rama remembered his wife, O king, and was
suddenly overwhelmed by utter sadness, and he wept.
Lakshmana said to him, “You, who are always respectful to those that
deserve it, you should not have to suffer such anguish. Suffering should stay
away from you, like illness does from the man who leads a disciplined life.
You have found out about Ravana and Vaidehi. Rescue her now, using your
intelligence and might.
Let us approach Vanarottama Sugriva, who is on the mountain peak. Be
strong and cheerful; I, your disciple, slave and friend, am here.”
Rama regained his composure at what his brother said, and turned his
mind to what he needed to do. The brothers Rama and Lakshmana bathed in
the waters of Lake Pampa and offered oblations to their ancestors; then they
set out for Rishyamuka. On arriving there, they saw on the summit of the
mountain, whose slopes were adorned with bounties of trees, fruits and
roots, five monkeys.
Seeing them approach, Sugriva sent his advisor, the wise Hanuman,
large like Himavat, to receive them. The brothers exchanged greetings with
Hanuman, who then took them to Sugriva. Rajan, Rama immediately struck
up a friendship with the good Vanara. When Rama told Sugriva about Sita,
Sugriva showed him the piece of cloth that she had dropped while Ravana
was carrying her away.
Rama received this token of faith from Sugriva and installed him as
king of all the monkeys on Earth. Rama also vowed to kill Vali. With this
compact, and with utmost confidence in each other, they made their way to
Kishkindha, to do battle with Vali. Sugriva announced his arrival in
Kishkindha with a roar as thunderous as the sound of a towering waterfall.
Vali could not abide this challenge, and was about to rush out, when his
wife Tara stood in his way. Wise Tara pleaded, “From the sound of
Sugriva’s confident roars, I feel sure that he has found a great ally. Do not
go out, my lord.”
The Vanara king, the eloquent Vali, wearing a golden garland, said to
Tara of the face as bright as the moon, “You recognise the voice and
language of every creature from afar. Listen carefully and tell me who helps
this brother of mine, brother in name only.”
Tara said, “Listen, O Kapiswara, and I will tell you. Dasaratha’s son
Rama, greatest of arhcers, mightiest of Kshatriyas, whose wife has been
abducted, has made a pact of friendship with Sugriva. Rama’s brother, the
intelligent Lakshmana, also mighty-armed, the unvanquished son of
Sumitra, stands beside him to ensure Sugriva’s success. Mainda, Dwivida,
Hanuman the son of Pavana, and Jambavan the king of bears are Sugriva’s
ministers; they, too, stand by his side. All these illustrious ones are blessed
with vast strength and intellect, and they all want you dead. So do not
venture out, my lord.”
But the king of the monkeys ignored her advice. He suspected that she
had lost her heart to Sugriva, and was filled with raging envy. He upbraided
her harshly and came out of his palatial cave to face Sugriva, who stood on
the slope of the Malyavat mountain.
Vali said to Sugriva, “Often have I defeated you and, because life is so
precious to you and because we are brothers, I have spared you each time.
What makes you wish for death again?”
Sugriva answered Vali in such a way as to inform Rama of all that had
transpired between him and his brother. He said gravely, “You have robbed
me of my wife and my kingdom. What need have I of life? I have come to
you in search of death.”
The Vanara brothers spat venom with vicious words, then flew at each
other in wrath. Fighting with sala and tala trees, and stones, they struck
each other down; they leapt high into the air; they struck with their fists;
they raked each other with nails and bit with long sharp fangs. Covered in
blood, the two heroes shone like a pair of red-blossomed kinsuka trees.
As they fought, they looked identical and no one could tell them apart.
Now Hanuman draped an elephant-flower mala around Sugriva’s neck, and
that Vanara shone with it, like the Malaya mountain with its circlet of
clouds.
Rama could now identify Sugriva by the gajapushpi garland. He raised
his best of bows, and aimed his arrow at Vali. The twang of Rama’s bow
was deafening as his arrow pierced Vali’s breast. Vali trembled in fear and,
his heart pierced, began to vomit blood. He saw Rama standing before him,
Lakshmana at his side. He chastised that prince, for having taken his life
without just cause, and fell dead to the ground. And Tara saw him lying on
the bare earth, her lord who was as radiant as the Sun.
After Vali was killed, Sugriva regained possession of Kishkindha, and
along with it, also of the widowed Tara, of the face as lovely as the moon.
Rama of the sparkling intellect lived on the lush Malyavat hill for four
months, with Sugriva in worshipful attendance.
Meanwhile, the lust-driven Ravana reached Lanka and ensconced Sita
in an asrama-like arbour, in a wood of asoka trees as lovely as the Nandana
vana. Sita put on valkala and passed her days in distress, living on fruit and
roots, practising tapasya and keeping vratas, and wasting away day by day,
pining for her Rama.
The king of the Rakshasas appointed some Rakshasa women armed
with bearded spears and swords, lances and battle-axes, maces and flaming
brands, to guard her. Some of these had two eyes and some three; some had
eyes on their foreheads; some had long tongues lolling down to their
throats, and some had none. Some had three breasts and some only one leg;
some had three matted braids on their heads; some had only one eye. There
were those who had blazing eyes and hair as stiff as the camel’s; and they
all stood watchfully, surrounding Sita night and day.
And those fearsome Pisacha women with dreadful voices always spoke
savagely to her. “Let us eat her, a dainty morsel she will make; let us
mangle her and tear her into little pieces. This woman has no regard for our
master.”
Filled with grief at being separated from Rama, Sita sighed and said to
the Rakshasa women, “Devour me at once, good women. I have no desire
to live without my husband who has eyes like lotus leaves and wavy blue-
black hair. Else, I will go without food and become emaciated, like a she-
snake hibernating in a tala tree; I have no will to live. Know for certain: I
will never live with any man other than Raghava, the descendant of Raghu.
And knowing this, do what you like with me.”
Hearing her, those raucous-voiced Rakshasis went to the king of the
Rakshasas and reported what she had said. When the Rakshasis were
speaking to Ravana, one of them, Trijata, kind-hearted and pleasantly-
spoken, consoled the princess of Videha.
She said, “Listen, O Sita, to what I tell you, for I believe completely in
what I am about to say. O you of the lovely hips, cast away your fear and
listen. There is an intelligent and old chieftain of the Rakshasas known as
Avindhya. He always wishes Rama well and he said this to me.
‘Reassure and console Sita. Tell her that her husband the mighty Rama
is well and that Lakshmana serves him faithfully. Raghunandana has struck
up a friendship with Sugriva, the king of monkeys, and is ready to come to
your rescue. Timid one, have no fear of Ravana, whom the world despises.
O Daughter, Nalakubara’s curse will keep you safe from him. Brahma
cursed Ravana once for having ravished his daughter-in-law Rambha, and
the Rakshasa’s ten heads will blow apart in shreds if he ever forced himself
on another woman.
Sita, your husband will come soon, with Sugriva and Lakshmana, and
he will take you away from here.
Devi, I have had a terrible dream of evil omen, in which I saw the death
of this wretch of Pulastya’s race. Vicious and brutal is this night-ranger. His
evil nature and ways inspire terror in one and all. Fate has taken good sense
away from him, and makes him defy the gods and dharma. In my dream I
saw omens that portend his end.
I saw Dasagriva, the ten-headed, with his head shaved, his body
smeared with oil and covered in filth, dancing on a chariot drawn by
donkeys. I saw Kumbhakarna and other Rakshasas, stark naked and also
with shaven heads, and smeared all over with blood and excrement, running
southwards.
Vibhishana was alone, with a royal white parasol unfurled over his
head, and wearing a turban; his body was adorned in white garlands and his
skin anointed with the finest unguents; and I saw him climb to the summit
of the Mountain Sweta. I also saw four of Vibhishana’s ministers, similarly
adorned, ascending the summit of that hill along with him.
These signs mean that only these five will survive the impending
holocaust. Bhumi with her oceans and seas will be enveloped by Rama’s
arrows. Princess, your husband’s fame will fill the earth. In my dream I saw
Lakshmana’s arrows devouring everything, in all directions; I saw him
climbing onto a pile of bones and drinking rice and honey boiled in milk.
And I saw you running northwards, weeping and covered in blood, and
protected by a tiger. O Vaidehi, very soon you will be united with your lord
Raghava and his brother.”
The princess with eyes of the gazelle heard what Trijata said and hope
woke again in her heart of seeing Rama again. And when the Pisacha
women came back, they saw her sitting with Trijata, just as they had left
her.’ ”
CANTO 279
“M arkandeya says, ‘The chaste Sita languished in Lanka, sunk in

melancholy and filled with grief for her husband, wearing
ragged clothes, with only a single jewel on the marital thread on her wrist,
weeping constantly as she sat on a rock, and waited upon by Rakshasis.
While she was in this state, Ravana, tormented by desire, came to her.
Inflamed by lust, clad in divine attire, decked with jewelled earrings,
and wearing a beautiful garland and crown, that virile conqueror of the
Devas, Danavas, Gandharvas, Yakshas and Kimpurushas, arrived in the
asoka vana, like an embodiment of spring. Ravana had dressed with care
and looked like the kalpa-vriksha in Indra’s garden. But though he adorned
himself with every embellishment, she saw him only as an evil spectre, like
a glorious banyan tree in a cemetery.
The night-ranger came near the slender-waisted Devi, like Saturn
approaching Rohini. Pierced by the arrows of the god of the flower emblem
he accosted that woman of the perfect hips, startling her like some helpless
doe.
He said to her, “O Sita, you have shown your devotion to your husband
for long enough. Delicate-limbed one, take pity on me. Let these
maidservants of mine bathe and adorn you now, and take me for your lord.
Put on rich clothes and ornaments, and be the first among all my women.
Many daughters of Devas and Gandharvas are mine. I am lord of countless
lovely Danava and Daitya women.
One hundred and forty million Pisachas, twice as many man-eating
Rakshasas of terrible deeds, and three times as many Yakshas are at my
command. Only some of these are ruled by my brother Kubera, who is the
lord of all treasures. In my drinking hall, lovely one of the beautiful thighs,
Gandharvas and Apsaras wait on me and my brother.
I am the son of that Brahmanottama, Rishi Visravasa, of the immense
tapasya. I am celebrated as the fifth Lokapala. Beautiful one, I enjoy the
finest food and drink in all the worlds; why, I have as much wealth as the
Devadeva himself. Let me put an end to your life of misery in the forest. O
you of the fair hips, be my queen, equal to Mandodari.”
The exquisite Vaidehi turned away, dismissively, as if he was as
insignificant as a piece of straw, and replied to that night wanderer. The
princess of Videha, who considered her husband her god, her deep, firm
breasts drenched by her unending tears, said to that degenerate Demon, “It
is my misfortune, O king of Rakshasas, that I am forced to listen to such
noxious words. Blessings be yours, Rakshasa, lover of sensual pleasures.
But turn your mind away from me; I am the wife of another and am faithful
to my husband. You can never possess me. In this helpless state, I am not a
fit wife for you. What joy will you find by forcing yourself on an unwilling
woman?
Your father is a wise Brahmana, born of Brahma and equal to Prajapati.
Being a Lokapala, why do you not live by dharma? How can you feel no
shame for having disgraced your brother, the worshipful Lord of the
Yakshas and the nine treasures, Kubera who is the friend of Maheswara
himself?”
And Sita began to weep, her breasts trembling in agitation, and she
covered her neck and face with her garment. Her long, black, glossy braid
tumbled from her head, like a black snake.
Having heard Sita’s sharp admonition, Ravana said sadly, “Devi, let the
Deva who has a makara for his emblem burn me if I come near you, when
you are unwilling. What can I do to you, who still adore Rama, a mere
man?”
Saying this to that princess of blemishless character, the Rakshasa king
made himself invisible and went away to a favoured spot, alone, to console
himself. And Sita, surrounded by the Rakshasa women, and treated with
gentleness by Trijata, continued to live there in sorrow.’ ”
CANTO 280
“M arkandeya continues, ‘Meanwhile, Rama and Lakshmana

continued to live under the clear blue sky, on the hillside of the
Malyavat mountain. One night, while gazing from the mountain-top at the
bright moon surrounded by planets and stars in the cloudless sky, cool
breezes, redolent with the scent of lilies, lotuses and other lily-like flowers
blew, and Rama was reminded sharply of Sita.
Dejected at the thought of Sita in the home of the Rakshasa, Rama
spoke to the heroic Lakshmana in the morning. “Go, Lakshmana, to
Kishkindha and find that ungrateful king of the Vanaras, that selfish and
licentious wretch, whom I set upon the throne of Kishkinda to rule over all
apes, monkeys and bears. Mahabaho, look for that ingrate, for whose sake I
killed Vali. Lakshmana, that worst of Vanaras has forgotten me in my time
of anguish.
I think he will not fulfil his pledge, and out of foolishness, he disregards
the one who has done him these favours. If you find him apathetic and
indulging himself in pleasure, you must send him on the same path that we
did Vali. It will be for the good of all creatures.
If, on the other hand, you find that he happily espouses our cause, bring
him here at once. Hurry now and return quickly.”
At once, the ever obedient Lakshmana, always mindful of his elders, set
off, taking his beautiful bow and arrows with him. He entered the gates of
the city of Kishkindha unchallenged. The Vanara king Sugriva came out to
meet him, realising that he had come in anger. He and his wife received
Lakshmana in honour and with genuine humility. The heroic Saumitra then
repeated Rama’s words to him.
Great king, after hearing everything, Sugriva reverently folded his
hands and, joined by his wife and servants, said joyfully to that most valiant
Kshatriya, “Lakshmana, I am neither wicked, nor ungrateful, nor destitute
of dharma. Let me tell you what efforts I have made to discover where Sita
is being held captive. I have despatched intelligent monkeys in all
directions and instructed them to return within a month. They will search
the entire Earth—her forests, hills and seas, and her villages, towns, cities
and deep mines. In five days, that month will end, and Rama and you will
hear happy news.”
Noble Lakshmana was pacified and he, in turn, paid his respects to the
king of the Vanaras. They both went back to Malyavat, where Rama waited,
and Lakshmana told him that the mission to rescue Sita had already begun.
Soon, having meticulously sought Sita, thousands of monkey lords began to
return from the three quarters of the earth—the north, the east and the west;
only the ones that had gone south were yet to return.
Those that came back reported that although they had searched
everywhere—on earth as well as across the seas, they had not found any
trace of Vaidehi or Ravana. By now in an anguish of despair, Rama pinned
his hopes on the monkeys that had gone south, and somehow eked out the
days.
Two months went by, when several monkeys hurried to Sugriva and, in
urgent voices said to him, “O king, Pavana’s son and Vali’s son Angada,
along with the other great Vanaras that you sent to the south, have returned
and are wrecking your madhuvanam, the vineyard that first Vali and then
you nurtured so lovingly.”
Sugriva, hearing this, knew that they had succeeded in their mission, for
success often leads to such exuberance. Vanarottama Sugriva shared his
thought with Rama. Rama, too, felt that Sita had been found. Then, rested
and refreshed, Hanuman and the other monkeys came to their king, who
was with Rama and Lakshmana. Bhaarata, Rama saw Hanuman’s bearing
and the colour of his face, and he was sure that this Vanara had actually
seen Sita. Those successful monkeys, with Hanuman at their head, bowed
low to Rama, Lakshmana and Sugriva.
Rama took up his bow and quiver of arrows and said to the monkeys
who stood before him, “Have you accomplished your mission? Are you
going to breathe life into me again? Are you going to enable me to reign in
Ayodhya after killing my enemy in battle and rescuing Janaki? As long as
Vaidehi is a captive, and as long as Ravana remains alive, I do not care to
live, robbed of both my wife and my honour.”
The son of Vayu said to Rama, “I bring you good news, O Rama: I have
seen Janaka’s daughter! After searching all the lands of the south for a long
time, its hills, forests and mines, we became weary. At last, we saw a great
tunnel, many yojanas in length, and went into it. It was dark and deep,
overgrown with tree-roots and infested with worms.
We went deep into the tunnel and suddenly emerged into sunshine, and
we saw a beautiful palace. Raghava, it was the home of the Daitya Mayaa.
There we saw a female Muni named Prabhavati at tapasya. She gave us
food and drink and, refreshed, we continued our journey along the way she
pointed to us.
At long last, we came out of the interminable tunnel and heard ocean
waves; and we saw the Sahya, the Malaya and the great Dardura mountains.
We climbed the mountains of Malaya and saw the vast ocean below us.
In pain and tormented by hunger, despairing of ever returning alive, we lost
heart at the sight of it. Scanning the great ocean that extended over many
hundreds of yojanas, that abounded in whales, crocodiles and other marine
creatures, we grew dejected and grieved at our failure. We sat together and
decided to starve ourselves to death.
In the course of conversation, we happened to speak of the vulture
Jatayu, and just then we saw a bird, as big as a hill, so frightful so as to
strike terror into every heart, and like a second son of Garuda Vinata.
Swooping down to devour us, the enormous avian said, ‘Who are you
that speak of my brother Jatayu? I am his elder brother Sampati, and I am
the king of birds. Once, long ago, we both flew in a race towards the sun.
My wings were burnt, but not Jatayu’s. That was the last time I saw my
beloved brother, the king of vultures! With my wings burnt, I fell onto this
great mountain, and here I still am.’
We told him briefly of the heroic death of his brother and told him, also,
of the calamity that struck you. Rajan, the mighty Sampati grieved and said,
‘Who is this Rama, and why was Sita carried away, and how was Jatayu
slain? O best of monkeys, I want to hear everything in detail.’
We told him everything, about what had befallen you and the reason for
our vow of starvation. The king of birds then persuaded us to abandon our
vow. He said, ‘I know Ravana. The city of Lanka is his home. I saw it on
the other side of the sea in a valley of the Trikuta hills. Vaidehi must be
there, I am sure of it.’
Parantapa, we arose and excitedly began to discuss how we could cross
the ocean. None dared to cross it, but I invoked the power of my father
Vayu and crossed the ocean, which is a hundred yojanas wide. I slew some
Rakshasis on the way, and finally I saw the chaste Sita in Ravana’s asoka
vana. She was at tapasya, and yearning for her lord; her hair was matted;
her thin body was covered with dirt; and she sat there broken-hearted and
hopeless.
I recognised her as Sita by these unusual signs and, after waiting for a
moment when she was alone, I approached that worshipful Devi and said,
‘O Sita, I am Rama’s messenger; I am a Vanara and Pavana’s son. I have
flown through the sky to find you, and here I am. The Kshatriya brothers
Rama and Lakshmana live in safety, protected and cared for by Sugriva, the
king of monkeys. Rama and Saumitra are anxious about you, as is their
good friend Sugriva. Your husband will soon be here with an army of
Vanaras. Trust me, precious Devi; I am a monkey and not a Rakshasa.’
Sita seemed to meditate for a moment and then replied, ‘From what
Avindhya told me, I know that you are Hanuman. Mahabaho, Avindhya is
an old and respected Rakshasa. He told me that Sugriva is surrounded by
faithful advisors like you. You may leave now.’
And she gave me this jewel as a token of proof that I had met her;
indeed, this jewel helped the blemishless Sita muster the strength to live.
As further proof, Janaki told me that you once used mantras and turned
a blade of grass into a deadly astra, with which you shot a crow, which was
no crow but Indra’s son, while you lived on Chitrakuta. She said this would
confirm that I had really met her and that she truly was Vaidehi herself.
I then allowed myself to be seized by Ravana’s soldiers, and I set fire to
the city of Lanka,” said Hanuman,’ says Markandeya.”
CANTO 281
“M arkandeya says, ‘At Sugriva’s command, all the best of

monkeys and the Vanara chieftains assembled on the
mountainside where Rama sat.
Vali’s father-in-law, the illustrious Sushena, accompanied by a thousand
crores of powerful jungle-folk, came there; those two foremost of monkeys,
Gavaya and Gaja, each accompanied by a hundred crores of monkeys, came
there. Rajan, the fearsome Gavakshya, with the tail of a bull, came with
sixty thousand crores of monkeys; the renowned Gandhamadana, who lived
on the mountain of the same name, came, bringing a hundred thousand
crores of monkeys; the intelligent and mighty Panasa mustered fifty-two
crores of monkeys, and came to Rishyamuka; that best and most illustrious
of monkeys, Dadhimukha of the unquenchable energy gathered a large
army of powerful monkeys, and came; Jambavan came, with a hundred
thousand crores of ferocious black bears with tilaka marks on their
foreheads.
All these and countless other great monkey chieftains came there, O
king, to help Rama in his mission. With bodies like mountains, roaring like
lions and leaping about everywhere in excitement, these monkeys set up a
deafening commotion. Some of the Vanaras looked like mountain peaks;
some looked like buffaloes; some were as dark as autumnal clouds; and
some had faces as bright red as vermillion. Monkeys swarmed in from all
directions, some leaping about, some falling down, and some scattering the
dust as they came. And that monkey army, vast as the sea at full tide,
camped there at Sugriva’s command.
Once the force of monkeys had gathered, Rama and Sugriva chose a
good day, when the stars were in auspicious conjunctions, and led forth that
massive host, eager for battle, their minds set on destroying the very world.
Hanuman, the son of Vayu, went in front, while the rear was guarded by
the fearless son of Sumitra. Surrounded by the monkey lords, the two
princes of Raghukula, with their fingers in lizard-skin gloves, shone as they
rode out; and they were like the Sun and the Moon in the midst of the
planets.
The monkey host, armed with rocks, and sala and tala trees, was like a
vast cornfield under the morning sun. And that mighty army, protected by
Nala and Nila, by Angada and Kratha, and by Mainda and Dwivida,
marched to accomplish Raghava’s purpose. The army made many peaceful
overnight camps on their way, in wide, lush fields and valleys rich with
fruit, roots and honey, where there was plentiful water and meat. Finally, the
Vanara legions reached the shores of the ocean, and looking a sea itself, the
jungle army brilliant with countless colours, camped there.
The noble son of Dasaratha called Sugriva to him alone and said, “This
army is vast, and the ocean is, as well. How shall we cross the endless
waves?”
At this, many vain monkeys said confidently that they could easily cross
the ocean. But this was not of much use as they could not all cross on their
own. Some of the monkeys proposed that they cross in ships, some in boats
and some on rafts of various kinds.
However, appeasing them all, Rama said, “The sea here is a full
hundred yojanas wide. O heroes, all the Vanaras will not be able to cross it.
Besides, we do not have enough boats to carry across all the troops. It is not
dharma for us to interfere with trade by commandeering merchant ships, or
fishing boats or rafts.
Our army is immense, and the enemy will use any little weakness to
wreak havoc on us. I do not recommend crossing the sea in ships, boats and
rafts. I will pray to the Lord of the waters to show us the way. I will fast and
lie on this shore. He will certainly show himself to me. If he does not, I will
punish him with astras that blaze brighter than fire and are unquenchable.”
Both Rama and Lakshmana touched the water in ritual purification and
lay down on a bed of kusa grass, spread upon on the sand. The divine
Sagara, the lord of all rivers, surrounded by his aquatic creatures, appeared
to Rama in a vision.
The Ocean, surrounded by innumerable gem-filled mines, spoke sweet
words to Rama. He said, “O Son of Kausalya, Manavarishabha, tell me how
I can help you. I, too, am from the Ikshvaku dynasty, and your kinsman.”
Rama said, “O Lord of male and female rivers, I want you to create a
pathway for my troops, using which, I can reach Lanka and kill Dasagriva
Ravana, that dreg of the Pulastyas. If you do not make me the way I ask of
you, I will dry you up with my divine astras.”
Hearing what Rama said, the Ocean joined his hands in respect and said
in distress, “I do not want to put any obstacles in your way. I am no enemy.
Listen, Rama, to what I say and then do what is fitting. If I give your army
passage at your command, others will threaten me with their weapons and
order me to do the same.
In your army there is a monkey named Nala, who has boundless
strength and skills. He is the son of Tashtri, the architect of the Devas.
Whatever he throws into my waters, be it wood, grass or stone, I will hold it
up on the surface, and you will have a bridge to cross on.” Saying this,
Sagara disappeared.
Rama arose, called Nala to him and said, “Build a bridge across the sea.
You are the only one who can.”
It was thus that Rama, scion of the Kakutsthas, had a bridge built, which
was ten yojanas wide and a hundred yojanas long. And to this day that
bridge remains famed and is known as Nalasetu, Nala’s bridge. Only when
the bridge was completed did Nala, of the mountainous body, come out of
the water, at Rama’s command.
While Rama was still on this side of the ocean, the virtuous Vibhishana,
brother of the king of Rakshasas, accompanied by four of his ministers,
came to him. The noble Rama welcomed him with affection. Sugriva,
however, feared that he might be a spy, but Rama was convinced of his
good intentions because of his transparent sincerity and demeanour, and he
honoured the good Rakshasa. He installed Vibhishana as the sovereign of
all the Rakshasas and made him his own counsellor and a friend of
Lakshmana’s. It was under Vibhishana’s guidance, Rajan, that Rama and his
troops crossed the great ocean by means of that bridge; and it took them a
month.
As soon as they arrived in Lanka, Rama ordered the monkey army to
wreck the numerous and expansive gardens. While Rama’s troops were thus
engaged, Vibhishana captured two of Ravana’s ministers and spies, Suka
and Sarana, who had disguised themselves as monkeys and come among
the Vanaras. When those night-rangers assumed their real forms, Rama
showed them around his troops and dismissed them quietly. Then, after
creating camps for his legions in the gardens of that verdant island, he sent
the wise Angada as his envoy to Ravana.’ ”
CANTO 282
“M arkandeya says, ‘He settled his army in Lanka’s groves,

abundant in food and water, fruit and roots; and Rama,
descendant of the Kakutsthas, took loving care of them.
Ravana’s city was magnificent and fortified, with many contrivances
built to prevent the entry of enemies. Impregnable with formidable ramparts
and gateways, it was circled by seven deep moats that were full of fish,
sharks and crocodiles; into these moats pointed stakes of khadira wood had
been driven.
The ramparts, heaped with stones for the great catapults that were used
to protect them, were unassailable. The warriors who guarded the walls
were armed with earthen pots filled with venomous snakes and toxic
powders of many kinds; they also had fire-brands, arrows, lances, swords
and battle-axes; and satagnis and sturdy maces covered in wax so they
could be set alight.
At all the lofty gates of the city were both mobile and fixed
encampments manned by large numbers of infantry, supported by countless
elephants and horses.
Angada reached one of the gates of the city and announced himself to
the Rakshasas. He entered the town without suspicion or fear and,
surrounded by Rakshasas, that handsome Vanara prince looked like the Sun
amidst dark clouds. He approached that scion of Pulastya’s race, who sat in
the midst of his counsellors, and saluting Ravana, the eloquent Angada
delivered Rama’s message.
He said, “O king, Rama, the descendant of Raghu, who rules in Kosala,
and whose fame has spread throughout the world, says these words to you:
Kingdoms are corrupted by sinful kings who cannot control their souls
and are ruined by their sins. You have attacked me by abducting Sita, and
you will cause the death of many innocent people. Inflated with power and
pride, you have killed numberless Rishis living in the jungle and you have
insulted the Devas. You have killed great kings and sorrowing women.
Retribution for those vicious sins is about to overtake you, for I will kill you
and all your advisors.
Fight! Show me your valour. O wanderer of the night, although I am a
mere mortal, behold the power of my bow. Release Janaka’s daughter Sita.
If you do not set her free, I will rid the Earth of all her Rakshasas with my
arrows.”
The defiant message was intolerable to Ravana, and he became
incoherent with rage. Four Rakshasas, adept at reading every nuance of
their master’s body and face, seized Angada, like four eagles taking a tiger.
Held fast in the grip of those four, Angada sprang up and landed on the
terrace of the palace with such velocity that the Rakshasas lost their hold on
him and fell down to the flagstones below, bruised and their ribs broken.
From the golden terrace on which he had alighted Angada leapt down, and
out over the walls of Lanka, and flew to his comrades.
He went to Rama and, after relating all that had happened, and with
Rama’s permission, Angada of the magnificent tejas retired to rest before
battle.
Then Rama used all those monkeys, who were as swift as the wind, in a
single action, and stormed the walls of the city, bringing them crashing
down. With Vibhishana and Jambavan, king of bears, marching ahead of
him, Lakshmana blasted down the southern gate of the city that was once
impregnable. Rama attacked Lanka with a hundred thousand crores of
monkeys, skilled warriors all, and ruddy-skinned like young camels. Crores
of grey bears with long limbs and huge paws also rushed forward to support
the Vanara forces. The monkeys leapt up and down everywhere, and raised
such a pall of dust that the bright orb of the Sun was invisible.
The people of Lanka saw their city-walls turn a tawny colour, covered
as it was by monkeys, some as golden as stalks of ripe paddy, some grey as
shirisha flowers, some red as the rising Sun, and some pale like bleached
flax or hemp. The Rakshasas, with their wives and elders, marvelled at that
wondrous sight.
The monkey warriors pulled down pillars made of precious stones, and
wrecked the terraces and roofs of palatial mansions. They shattered the
catapults and their missiles into fragments and scattered them everywhere.
They flung the sataghnis, the discs, clubs and stones down into the city,
with great violence and explosions. The Rakshasas that had been stationed
on the walls as guards took to their heels and fled, in their thousands.
Hundreds of thousands of dreadful Rakshasas, who could assume any
form at will, came to battle at the command of the king. With a barrage of
arrows they drove the forest-dwellers away and the demons stood on the
ramparts in a display of strength. Those massive Rakshasas forced the
monkeys off the walls and, struck by enemy lances, many monkey
chieftains fell from the ramparts. Crushed by falling columns and gateposts,
many Rakshasas, too, fell to their deaths.
The monkeys and the dreadful Rakshasas, who began to eat them,
locked in a bloody struggle. They seized one another by the hair and tore
each other apart with their claws and fangs. The roars of Vanaras and
Rakshasas filled the air, and so many on both sides fell to rise no more.
Neither side was willing to yield.
All this time, Rama poured a thick stream of arrows on Lanka, like
clouds do rain, and his arrows inundated the city, killing innumerable
Rakshasas. The mighty Saumitra, Lakshmana, untiring in battle, picked
particularly strong Rakshasas on the ramparts and killed them one by one
with narachas, iron arrows ablaze. And when the monkey army had pulled
down the fortifications of the city of Lanka, making easy targets of
everything within, Rama called a halt and commanded his simian forces to
desist.’ ”
CANTO 283
“M arkandeya said, ‘While the withdrawn troops were resting,

many small Rakshasas and Pisachas, loyal to Ravana,
insinuated themselves invisibly amongst them. Among these infiltrators
were Parvana, Patana, Jambha, Khara, Krodhavasa, Hari, Praruja, Aruja and
Praghasa. But Vibhishana knew them and undid the maya which made them
invisible; the Vanaras leapt on them and killed them all. Ravana could not
bear this, and he marched out at the head of his troops.
Ravana, who was as expert in the art of warfare as Usana, marched out,
surrounded by his fearsome army of Rakshasas and Pisachas in a vyuha
known as Usana, and fell on the monkeys. Seeing Ravana come, with his
army arrayed in that formation, Rama deployed his jungle legions in the
apposite counter formation recommended by Brihaspati. And the battle
between Rama and Ravana began.
Lakshmana faced Indrajit; Sugriva fought Virupakshya; Nikharvata
fought Tara; Nala fought against Tunda, and Patusa engaged Panasa. Each
warrior on the battlefield fought against one that he considered a match for
him. That encounter, so frightful to the timid, became unbearably fierce,
like that between the Devas and the Asuras in the days of old.
Ravana covered Rama with a storm of arrows, lances and swords; and
Rama tormented Ravana with stone-whetted iron arrows. Lakshmana struck
Indrajit with arrows that would penetrate the body’s most vital organs; and
Indrajit responded with an arrowy deluge. Vibhishana showered arrows on
Prahasta, who countered with a like shower, both fighting recklessly with
winged arrows sharpened to deadly points.
And then, between those mighty warriors there followed a duel with
awesome Devastras, and the three worlds with their mobile and immobile
creatures were terror-stricken.’ ”
CANTO 284
“M arkandeya says, ‘Prahasta suddenly rushed against Vibhishana

and, with a roar, fetched him a staggering blow with his mace.
Despite being struck with such force, the mighty-armed and wise
Vibhishana held his ground and stood firm, like the Himavat mountain. He
took up a javelin adorned with a hundred bells and, investing it with the
power of mantras, hurled it at Prahasta’s head. Like a thunderbolt, that
weapon sloughed off Prahasta’s head, and he looked like a mighty tree
felled by the wind.
When he saw Prahasta killed, Dhumraksha charged the Vanara host in
fury. And when the monkey leaders saw Dhumraksha’s soldiers flying
towards them like swift, dark storm-clouds, they broke ranks and fled. And
when that tiger among Vanaras, Pavana’s son Hanuman, saw those best of
monkey warriors lose heart, he came forward to take up the fight. And,
Rajan, when the retreating jungle warriors saw how fearlessly Pavana’s son
stood on the battlefield they turned back at once to support him.
Fearful was the din that arose from Rama and Ravana’s forces clashing;
the field was soon a quagmire of blood.
Leading the demon onrush, Dhumraksha attacked the monkey host with
volleys of winged shafts; then Hanuman confronted him. Fierce was the
contention between the Vanara and the Rakshasa heroes, like the one of
long ago between Indra and Prahlada.
The Rakshasa struck the Vanara with maces and spiked clubs, and the
monkey struck the demon with uprooted trees. Finally, the enraged
Hanuman slew the Rakshasa along with his charioteer and horses, and
smashed his chariot into little pieces.
Seeing Dhumraksha killed inspired the monkeys with courage, and
abandoning all fear, they charged the Rakshasa army, with whoops and
roars. They slaughtered countless Rakshasas, and the remaining fled back
into Lanka. The remnants of the Rakshasa host came to their kng and told
Ravana of everything that had happened. When he heard how Prahasta and
Dhumraksha had been killed and their armies destroyed, Ravana sighed
deeply and rose from his throne.
“The time has come for Kumbhakarna to come to battle,” he said, and
awoke his brother from his long, deep slumber with noisy instruments being
blown into that monster’s jug-like ears. In an anguish of anxiety, Ravana
said to Kumbhakarna, now awake and sitting relaxed on his bed, “How
fortunate, my brother, that you can enjoy profound and undisturbed sleep,
unknowing of the calamity that has overtaken us. Rama and his monkey
army have crossed the ocean by a bridge and, with scant regard for our
might, wage a terrible battle against us.
I stole his wife Sita from him, and he has come to rescue her. He has
already killed our kinsmen Prahasta and some others. Parantapa, there is no
one alive, other than you, who can vanquish Rama. O bravest of all, put on
your armour and go at once to dispatch Rama and his followers. Dushana’s
two younger brothers, Vajravega and Pramathina, will join you with their
forces.”
After Kumbhakarna, the Rakshasa king gave Vajravega and Pramathina
their orders; and the warrior brothers marched out of the city behind
Kumbhakarna.’ ”
CANTO 285
“M arkandeya says, ‘Kumbhakarna set out from the city with his
legion, and soon saw before him the victorious monkey troops.
He scrutinized the monkey army, looking for Rama, and saw Sumitra’s son
Lakshmana standing at his post, bow in hand.
Seeing the titanic Kumbhakarna, the Vanara warriors rushed at him and,
surrounding him, cast great trees at him. Fearlessly, many began to tear at
his body with their nails, while other monkeys fought in more conventional
ways. They mantled that lord of the Rakshasas with a shower of myriad
weapons, but Kumbhakarna only laughed and began to devour them. He ate
those best of the monkey-folk—Chala, Chandabala and Vajrabahu.
The other monkeys saw this and they howled long and loud with fear.
Hearing the screams of the monkey chieftans, Sugriva, the noble king of the
Vanaras, charged Kumbhakarna and struck the Rakshasa a stunning blow on
his head with the trunk of a sala tree. The agile Sugriva broke the tree on
Kumbhakarna’s head, but it made no impression on the gigantic demon.
Indeed, as if roused from his torpor by that blow, Kumbhakarna stretched
his arms and seized Sugriva, and dragged him away towards the city.
Seeing Sugriva being hauled away, Lakshmana, the heroic son of
Sumitra, the giver of joy to his friends, and the slayer of hostile heroes ran
at Kumbhakarna and shot an astra embellished with golden wings at him.
The arrow pierced the Rakshasa’s coat of mail and passed cleanly through
his body, and embedded itself in the earth, stained with his blood.
Kumbhakarna, his chest bored through, released Sugriva and, picking up a
great boulder, charged at Lakshamana.
As the Rakshasa rushed towards him, Lakshmana cut off his upraised
arms with two shafts whose tips were like razors. As soon as the Rakshasa’s
two arms were severed, twice that number of arms appeared on his body.
The hands on every arm scooped up huge rocks, but Lakshmana, masterly
bowman, cut them off, as well.
That Rakshasa assumed a stupendous form with many heads, arms and
legs; but Saumitra sent forth a Brahmastra and blew the mountainous body
apart.
Struck by that divine weapon, the Rakshasa fell on the field of battle,
like a huge tree with spreading branches struck by a thunderbolt from
heaven. The Rakshasa warriors saw the mountainous Kumbhakarna of the
dazzling tejas, who was like Asura Vritra, lying lifeless on the field and ran
in terror.
Seeing the Rakshasa warriors flee, the younger brothers of Dushana,
rallied them and rushed at Saumitra in fury. However, with a roar,
Lakshmana easily deflected the winged arrows with which the enraged
Vajravega and Pramathina attacked him.
O Prithaputra, fercious was the battle that ensued between Dushana’s
brothers and the sparkling Lakshmana, and it made the hairs of the
onlookers stand on end. Lakshmana shrouded the two Rakshasas with
arrows, and the two enraged Rakshasa heroes covered Lakshmana with a
storm of stinging shafts.
That encounter between Vajravega and Pramathina and Mahabaho
Lakshmana lasted only a short while, when Pavanaputra Hanuman, an
entire mountain peak in his hand, ran at Vajravega and flattened him with it;
and the mighty Nala crushed Dushana’s younger brother Pramathina, also
with a massive crag.
Still, the deadly struggle between Rama and Ravana’s soldiers raged
unabated. The Vanaras killed hundreds of Rakshasas, and just as many of
them were slain, as well. However, the Rakshasa lives that were lost far
outnumbered the number of simian dead.’ ”
CANTO 286
“M arkandeya says, ‘Ravana learned of the deaths of Kumbhakarna

and his followers; he heard that the great Prahasta and
Dhumraksha had been killed, and he said to his son, the heroic Indrajit, “O
Parantapa, you must go to battle against Rama, Lakshmana and Sugriva,
and kill them all. My son, I had fame because you vanquished the wielder
of the Vajra, the thousand-eyed husband of Sachi. My son, use maya to
become invisible, use the divine astras you received as a boon from the
Devas and annilhilate my enemies, O best of warriors.
Not Rama, Lakshmana or Sugriva will withstand even a mere touch of
your weapons, let alone their followers. Let the victory that eluded Prahasta
and Kumbhakarna be yours, Mahabaho. Raze, burn my enemies and their
jungle legions and enhance my joy, my son, just as you did once by
humiliating Indra.”
Indrajit put on his armour, mounted his chariot and drove to the
battlefield, O king. That Rakshasa loudly announced himself and
challenged Lakshmana, the bearer of auspicious marks, to single combat.
Lakshmana rose and rushed at that Rakshasa with his bow and arrows,
striking fear into his opponent by twanging his bow-string against the
leathern glove of his left hand. Awesome and dreadful was the duel between
those warriors, both masters of the Devastras, each defying the other to
match his prowess, and both desperate to win.
When Ravana’s son found that his arrows did not harm Lakshmana,
Indrajit summoned his vast energy and hurled countless spears at him with
blinding force. The son of Sumitra effortlessly clove the lances with his
arrows, and the shredded weapons fell impotent to the ground.
Then the handsome Angada, the son of Vali, pulled up a huge tree and
charged Indrajit, and struck him on his head with the bole. Undaunted,
Indrajit cast a lance of sorcery at Angada but Lakshmana shattered that
weapon.
Undeterred, Indrajit struck Angada, who stood close to him, on his left
side with a mace. Warding off the blow, the enraged and vigorous son of
Vali flung a massive sala tree at Indrajit. O son of Pritha, pitched with
vicious force, the tree smashed Indrajit’s chariot and slew his horses and
charioteer.
Ravana’s son leapt down from his ruined chariot and, using maya,
vanished. When Rama saw the Rakshasa, that illusionist, vanish so
suddenly, he ran forward to protect his troops. The invisible Indrajit, using
Devastras, now freely pierced Rama and Lakshmana all over their bodies;
but the brothers were never gravely injured; they fought on against
Ravana’s son cloaked in maya.
The raging Indrajit besieged those Narapumgavas with thousands of
razor-tipped shafts; the Vanara troops, armed with rocks, swarmed around,
seeeking the invisible warrior who scorched them with an endless firestorm
of arrows, even as he continued to attack the Kosala brothers. Pierced all
over with fell arrows, Rama and Lakshmana suddenly fell, like the Sun and
the Moon fallen from the sky.’ ”
CANTO 287
“M arkandeya says, ‘Seeing Rama and Lakshmana lying unmoving

on the ground, Ravana’s son created a mesh of subtle astras and
encased them inside it. Snared in Indrajit’s arrowy net, those Naravyaghras
looked like caged hawks. Sugriva and his Vanaras surrounded the brothers,
who lay wounded and captive on the ground. The king of the jungle stood
there, stunned, with Sushena and Mainda, Dwivida, Kumuda and Angada,
Hanuman, Nila, Tara and Nala.
Meanwhile, Vibhishana, who had secured victory in another part of the
field, arrived there and, using an astra called prajna, awakened the brothers
from their swoon. Carefully, Sugriva drew Indrajit’s arrows from their
bodies and applied the miraculous herb Visalya to their wounds, while
chanting divine mantras. The Kshatriya brothers arose, their pain gone, and
full of vitality again.
Prithaputra, seeing that Rama of the Ikshvakus was quite restored,
Vibhishana joined his palms together and said, “O Parantapa, Kubera, king
of the Guhyakas, has sent one of his people to you from the Sweta
mountains; and with him he has sent a gift of water from his enchanted
gardens. Rajan, if you, or anyone you choose to give it to, wash your eyes
with the water, you will be able to see anyone who has become invisible.”
Saying Tathaastu, Rama took that sacred water and washed his own
eyes with it; and the noble Lakshmana did the same. Then Sugriva and
Jambavan, Hanuman and Angada, Mainda, Dwivida and Nila, and many
other important Vanaras cleared their eyes with that water.
Exactly as Vibhishana had said, O Yudhishtira, now they could all see
much that they could not before: worlds and beings hidden to ordinary
sight.
Meanwhile, flushed with his success, Indrajit went to his father and,
after telling Ravana of his feats, quickly returned to the field of battle and
placed himself at the van of his army. Then, urged by Vibhishana,
Lakshmana ran towards Ravana’s choleric son, who had returned lusting for
battle.
Incensed by what had transpired earlier, Lakshmana came to kill the
arrogant Indrajit who had not completed his nityakarma, and struck the
conqueror of Indra with a torrent of arrows.
The duel between those two, both intent on killing the other, was like
the long ago battle between Indra and Prahlada; it defied the imagination.
Indrajit struck Sumitra’s son with shafts that pierecd deep into his body, and
Sumitra’s son retaliated with his own fiery arrows. Wounded by
Lakshmana, Ravana’s son was beside himself and shot Lakshmana with
vicious, venom-tipped barbs.
Now listen, Yudhishtira, to how the heroic Saumitra took his
adversary’s life with three final arrows, burning with energy. With the first
one, he severed from Indrajit’s body the arm with which the demon prince
grasped his bow. With the second arrow he hewed away the other arm,
which held arrows, and it fell to the ground. With the third, the last one, a
bright and crescent-tipped shaft, he cut off Indrajit’s haughty, handsome
head with its fine nose and glittering earrings.
Shorn of arms and head, Indrajit’s torso was frightful to look at. Thus,
Lakshmana killed his greatest adversary and then, that mightiest of mighty
men easily dispatched Indrajit’s sarathy. The dead prince’s horses galloped
back to Lanka, dragging an empty chariot behind them.
Ravana saw the chariot without his son on it, and when he heard that his
son had been killed his heart was gripped by a pang of intolerable grief. In
his anguish, the lord of all Rakshasas wanted to kill the princess of Mithila.
Seizing up a sword, Ravana ran to asoka vana, where Sita pined for her
husband.
Avindhya saw what Ravana intended to do and tried to pacify him.
Listen, Yudhishtira, to the ways in which Avindhya tried to stop Ravana
from the murder he was bent on. The wise Rakshasa said, “You sit on the
glorious throne of an empire, and it is not fitting for you to kill a woman.
Besides, being your prisoner, this woman is as good as dead. Destroying her
body will not kill her spirit; kill her husband and she, too, will die broken.
Not even Indra of the hundred sacrifices is your equal. In battle you have
often chased away the gods with Indra at their head, as if they were a pack
of jackals.”
Seaking eloquently, and at some length, Avindhya succeeded in
pacifying the seething Ravana, who grew calmer and abandoned his mad
resolve. The Rakshasa king sheathed his sword and ordered his chariot to be
readied for battle against Rama and his army of the wilds.’ ”
CANTO 288
“M arkandeya says, ‘Smouldering with rage and grief at the death

of Indrajit, the ten-headed Ravana climbed into his chariot,
inlaid with gold and priceless gemstones. The most terrible Rakshasas,
bearing all kinds of weapons, followed him, as the Rakshasa king steamed
towards Rama, at whose side the monkey generals fought.
Seeing Ravana flying in high dudgeon towards Rama and the Vanara
army, Mainda, Nila, Nala, Angada, Hanuman and Jambavan surrounded
him with all their troops. Those foremost of monkeys and bears pounded
Ravana’s soldiers with tree-trunks, mashing them before their king’s eyes.
And seeing the enemy slaughtering his troops, Ravana, unparalleled master
of sorcery, began to use dark spells against the forest warriors.
He extruded hundreds and thousands of Rakshasas from his body, all
armed with spears and double-edged swords. Rama killed all those demons
in a flash with Devastras, at which, O Bhaarata, the king of the Rakshasas
resorted to more fell wizardry.
Now thousands of dire warriors, all replicas of Rama and Lakshamana,
all armed with bows and arrows, sprang forth from his body, and rushed at
the brothers from Ayodhya. Lakshmana cried out to Rama to raze that
sinister legion. And Rama killed them all.
Now Indra’s sarathy Matali came to Rama on the battlefield in a chariot
that dazzled like the Sun, and was yoked with tawny horses. He said, “Son
of the Kakutsthas, this victorious ratha drawn by this team of chestnuts
belongs to the Lord of the Devas. Purushavyaghra, it is from this chariot
that Indra killed hundreds of Daityas and Danavas. Rama, climb into my
chariot, and kill Ravana.”
But Rama did not believe Matali; he suspected that this was also
Ravana’s sorcery. Vibhishana said to him, “Narapumgava, this is no maya
of Ravana. Climb into the chariot, for it is indeed Indra’s.”
Rama did so and flew at Ravana, who also flashed forward to meet him.
All the Earth’s creatures howled loudly, and in Devaloka the gods roared to
the beating of drums. And the battle between the ten-headed Rakshasa and
the prince of Ayodhya began.
So fierce was it that the like had never been seen before. The Rakshasa
hurled a sizzling javelin at Rama, which resembled Indra’s thunderbolt, and
was powerful as the potent curse of a Brahmana. In a blink, Rama cut that
javelin into shards with his arrows. Seeing this, fear lanced briefly through
Ravana.
The ten-headed one began to storm Rama with tens of thousands of
weapons of all kinds—spears, maces, battle-axes, darts, sataghnis and
stone-whetted arrows. With maya, the Rakshasa created monstrous
illusions, and the monkeys fled in terror.
Then, from his quiver, Rama took a wonderful arrow, flighted with
wings and golden feathers, and with a bright and beautiful head. He fitted it
to his bowstring and invoked the Brahmastra. Seeing Rama chant mantras
to transform the arrow into the Brahmastra, the Devas, the Gandharvas and
the Kinnaras, with Indra at their head, rejoiced, knowing that the Rakshasa
was as good as dead.
Rama invoked Ravana’s death and loosed that weapon of unrivalled
ferocity. Bhaarata, the instant the arrow left the bow, drawn almost into a
circle, and found its mark, the Rakshasa, his ratha, his sarathy and horses
erupted in fire and were consumed in a flash. The Devas, the Gandharvas,
the Charanas and all the other celestial ones were celebrant.
The five vital elements of life left Ravana; the Brahmastra deprived him
of earthly dominion and incinerated him. His body was reduced to
nothingness, not even his ashes could be seen.’ ”
CANTO 289
“M arkandeya says, ‘Having killed sinister Ravana, king of the

Rakshasas and enemy of the Devas, Rama, Lakshmana and
their jungle army rejoiced. The Devas with the Rishis at their head paid
homage to Rama Mahabaho. They blessed him fervently and shouted Jaya!
The Devas, the Gandharvas and the Swargavasis delighted the lotus-leaf-
eyed Rama with hymns in his praise and showered him with unearthly
flowers. After worshipping him so, those ones of light returned to
Devaloka, while the sky looked as if a great and joyous festival was being
celebrated in its vaults.
Having killed Ravana, Rama of universal fame, conqueror of hostile
cities, bestowed Lanka on Vibhishana. Then Ravana’s wise old minister
Avindhya, walking behind Vibhishana and with Sita before him, came out
of the magnificent city.
Humbly, Avindhya said to Rama, “O illustrious one, take this Devi,
Janaka’s daughter of the unblemished character, to yourself.”
Rama of the Ikshvakus alighted from the shining chariot and saw the
tear-drenched Sita. Seeing that faultless one crushed by grief, her hair
matted, her body covered in dirt, and wearing unwashed clothes, Rama
seemed to quiver in fear: that her virtue had been lost.
He said harshly to her, “Vaidehi, you may go wherever you wish, for
you are a free woman now. I have done my duty: I killed the Rakshasa
because you are my wife, and he kept you forcibly in his home. But
knowing dharma as I do, how, for even a moment, can I take back a woman
who has been enjoyed by another? Maithili, whether you are chaste or
impure, I dare not touch you; you are like sacrificial butter that has been
licked by a dog.”
Hearing these heartless words, the princess swooned in grief, like an
uprooted plantain tree. The colour that had suffused her face in joy
disappeared, as quickly as breath that mists a mirror. The monkeys and
Lakshmana, too, grew very still, as if in death, when they heard Rama.
Then, all at once, the Deva who is the embodiment of purity, Brahma of
the four faces, Prajapati who sprang from a lotus, flew down on his
heavenly Swan before Rama. Sakra, Agni and Vayu; Yama and Varuna;
Kubera, Lord of the Yakshas, the holy Rishis and king Dasaratha, radiant in
their divine forms, appeared as well, in a chariot drawn by swans. The sky
was luminous, crowded with Devas and Gandharvas, as if the brightest in it
had drawn near the Earth.
Sita arose from where she had fallen and, in the midst of all those who
were there, said to the broad-chested Rama, “O Kshatriya, I do not blame
you; you know dharma well, and how to conduct yourself with both men
and women. But listen now to what I have to say.
Ever-moving Prana lives in the hearts of all creatures. If I have sinned,
let my life-breath leave my body. O, if I have sinned, let the other four
mahabhutas—fire, water, earth and ether—also forsake my body. All this
while in Lanka, I have thought of none other than you, even in my dreams.
Therefore, be my lord as God has ordained.”
When Sita spoke, a sacred voice, resounding throughout the Earth, was
heard speaking from the skies, bringing untold joy to the Vanaras. Vayu
Deva said, “Sita speaks the truth, Rama. I am the Wind God, the witness of
all things. The princess of Mithila is sinless. Therefore, O king, be united
with your wife.”
Now Agni Deva said, “Raghava, I dwell within the bodies of all
creatures. Maithili is not guilty of the smallest transgression.”
Varuna Deva said, “Rama, every creature’s breath originates in me, and
I tell you to take Maithili back.”
Then, Brahma himself said, “Scion of Kakutstha, my son, I do not find
this conduct of yours strange, knowing as I do how honest and pure you are,
and how well you know the dharma of a Rajarishi. Yet, listen to what I have
to say. You killed the invincible Rakshasa, enemy of the Devas, the
Gandharvas, the Nagas, the Yakshas, the Danavas and the great Rishis. It
was because of my boon to him that, until now, none could kill him; and
because, though he was evil, he was also so very great, I let him live a long
life. But his abducting Sita was the sign that his end was near.
As for Sita, I protected her through the curse of Nalakubara, who said
that if ever Ravana ravished an unwilling woman, his head would shatter in
a hundred pieces. Rama, you have no need to be suspicious. Glorious one,
take your wife back to yourself. You have achieved a mighty feat that
benefits the Devas, radiant one.”
Finally, Dasaratha said, “I am pleased with you, my child; bless you. I
am your father Dasaratha. I command you to take back your wife and rule
your kingdom, O Maryadapurusha.”
Rama replied, “If you really are my father, I salute you with reverence,
Rajarajan! At your command, I will return to wonderful Ayodhya.”
Bhaaratarishabha, pleased with Rama, the corner of whose eyes were
red, his father said, “Return to Ayodhya and rule your kingdom. My
splendid son, your fourteen years of exile have ended.”
Rama bowed to the gods, and with his friends’ felicitations, was united
again with his wife. And they looked like Mahendra, the Lord of the Devas,
and Puloma’s daughter. That chastiser of his enemies gave a boon to
Avindhya; and he bestowed riches and honours on the Rakshasi Trijata.
Brahma, with all the Devas led by Indra, said to Rama, “Son of
Kausalya, what boons does your heart desire that we can grant you?”
Rama prayed to him to grant him devotion to dharma, victory over his
enemies, and the restoration to life of all the Vanaras that the Rakshasas had
killed. Brahma did as he asked, and all the jungle-folk killed in battle came
to life again and stood up on the battlefield, as if they awoke from a dream.
Sita granted Hanuman a boon, saying, “May you live for as long as the
fame of Rama’s achievements does, O Hanuman of the golden eyes; by my
grace, may you always enjoy divine food and drink.”
Then, even as the warriors of the immaculate deeds looked on, the
Devas with Indra at their head disappeared. Seeing Rama united with
Janaki, Sakra’s sarathy Matali was delighted and addressed Rama as he
stood in the midst of his friends.
Matali said, “Invincible Rama, you have dispelled the sorrow of the
Devas, the Gandharvas, the Yakshas, the Asuras, the Nagas and Manavas.
As long as the Earth remains, so long will all creatures—Devas, Asuras,
Gandharvas, Yakshas, Rakshasas and Punnagas—sing your praises.”
Matali worshipped Raghava, the scion of Raghu; then, with his leave,
climbed onto that chariot of Sun-like brilliance and flashed away.
With Saumitra and Vibhishana, accompanied by all the monkeys of
Sugriva, Rama set Sita before all the rest and, after making arrangements
for Lanka’s security, crossed the ocean, home of the crocodiles, over the
same bridge they had built. Rama rode in the flying vimana, Pushpaka,
which could go anywhere at the will of he who rode in it. Rama, of the
controlled senses, surrounded by his counsellors, in their order of
importance, arrived at the same part of the seashore where he had earlier
lain down in prayopavesa; and there, with the Vanaras in attendance, the
virtuous king halted.
Raghunandana brought the monkeys before him, one by one, and
venerated them all, giving them gifts of jewels and magical gemstones, and
then sent them home. When the monkey lords, the bears and the bull-tailed
apes had left, Rama went back to Kishkindha with Sugriva and Vibhishana,
riding in the Pushpaka, and showing Vaidehi the sights of the forests in
which they had been, as they flew over them.
When they arrived at Kishkindha, Rama, that best of warriors, installed
the victorious Angada as Yuvaraja of the kingdom. Then, accompanied by
the same friends, Sita and Lakshmana, taking them along the same path by
which he had come, Rama flew back towards the city of his fathers.
On reaching Ayodhya, he despatched Hanuman as an envoy to Bharata.
After careful observation, Hanuman made certain of Bharata’s loyalty to
Rama and then gave him the good news of his brother’s return.
Rama went to Nandigrama, where he saw Bharata covered in dirt and
clad in rags, seated with his brother’s sandals before, him, talking to them
even as if to Rama. O Bull of the Bhaaratas, indescribable was Rama and
Lakshmana’s joy at being united with Bharata and Satrughna; and great,
too, was Bharata and Satrughna’s rapture at being united with their brothers
and at seeing Sita again.
Bharata worshipped his brother and gladly returned the kingdom that he
had held as a sacred trust into Rama’s hands. At the auspicious eighth hour
of the day, under the Sravana nakshatra, Vasishtha and Vamadeva together
crowned Rama as king of Ayodhya.
After his investiture, Rama gave leave to Sugriva, the Vanara king, and
all his followers, as well as to Vibhishana of the Pulastyas, to return to their
own kingdoms. Having paid homage to them with gifts and due rituals, it
was with tears in his eyes and a heavy heart that Rama bid them farewell.
He worshipped the Pushpaka Vimana, and sent it home to Vaisravana.
Later, assisted by Devarishi Vasishtha, Rama performed on the banks of
the Gomati ten Aswamedha yagnas, with no hindrances of any kind, and
with three times as many gifts to Brahmanas as before.’ ”
CANTO 290
“M arkandeya says, ‘Mahabaho, that was how Rama of the

ineffable tejas suffered during his exile in the forest. O Tiger
among men, do not grieve; you are a Kshatriya, a slayer of your enemies.
You walk the same path of dharma, dependent on the strength of your arms,
which is sure to lead to success. You are sinless.
Even the Devas, with Indra at their head, and the Asuras will follow you
in dharma. It was after similar tribulations that Indra, with the help of the
Maruts, slew Asura Vritra, the invincible Namuchi and Dirghajihva, the
Rakshasi with the long tongue. The man who has support fulfils all his
goals.
What obstacle is there that cannot be overcome in battle by him who
has Dhananjaya for his brother? Bhima of the awesome prowess is the
strongest of the strong, and the young sons of Madri are mighty bowmen.
With brothers like these, why do you despair, Parantapa? They can
vanquish the combined armies of the Vajradhari and the Maruts.
Having such brothers, Bharatarishabha, you are sure to conquer all your
enemies.
Look how these Kshatriyas performed incredible feats of valour to bring
back Drupada’s daughter Krishnaa, whom the sinful, arrogant Saindhava
abducted. They overpowered Jayadratha, who then lay helpless and pitiful
at your feet. Rama had only an army of Vanaras and Reekshas, when he
rescued Vaidehi by killing Ravana in battle.
Rajan, bear all this in mind, and do not grieve. Noble souls like you
never give in to sorrow, Parantapa.’
So Markandeya comforts the king, and that Kshatriya Mahatman shrugs
off his melancholy and speaks once more to Markandeya.”
CANTO 291
PATIVRATA MAHATMYA PARVA
“Y udhishtira says, ‘Mighty sage, I do not so much grieve for

myself, for my brothers or for the loss of my kingdom as I do for
Draupadi. When our evil cousins tormented us at the game of dice, it was
Krishnaa who saved us; and it is she that Jayadratha carried off from our
forest asrama. Have you seen or do you know of any woman as faithful and
devoted as this beloved daughter of Drupada?’
Markandeya says, ‘Listen, Yudhishtira, to the story of the princess
Savitri and how she attained the highest faithfulness. There was once a
pious and virtuous king of Madra, who was devoted in his care of
Brahmanas, who was pure-souled and true to his word, who was devout in
performing yagnas, and who had his senses under firm control. He was the
most generous of men and everyone loved him, in towns and villages alike.
This lord of the Earth, ever committed to universal welfare, was called
Aswapati.
This king, of the honest, self-controlled and forgiving nature, had no
children. When he grew old, he was sorrowed over this. With the object of
having children, he observed rigid vows and began to live frugally and with
his senses subdued, like a brahmachari. Every day, this best of kings offered
ten thousand oblations to the fire, recited mantras in honour of the Devi
Savitri, and ate a small meal at the sixth hour of the day. He lived in this
way for eighteen years.
After eighteen years of his life of austerity, the Devi Savitri was pleased
with him and appeared in her physical form before him, from the fire.
The Goddess said to him, “I am pleased, O king, with your
brahmacharya, your purity and self-restraint, your observance of vratas, and
with all your penance and worship. Mighty king Aswapati, ask for the boon
that you desire, bearing dharma in mind.”
Aswapati said, “It is to attain dharma that I have striven all these years.
O Devi, grant that I will have many sons worthy of my race. If you are
pleased with me, grant me this boon. The Dvijas have told me that having
children brings great punya.”
Savitri replied, “O king, I knew what you wanted and I have spoken to
the Pitamaha about your wanting sons. By the grace of Brahma, you will
soon have a daughter of vibrant tejas. Brahma told me to give you this glad
news, to which you need make no reply.” ’
Markandeya continues, ‘The king accepted Savitri’s boon, and when he
had worshipped her and said, “May this happen soon,” she vanished.
The king went back to his city, and ruled his subjects justly. Some time
elapsed, and the eldest queen of Aswapati became pregnant with his child.
Bhaaratarishabha, the embryo in the womb of that princess of Malava grew
like the Moon in the night sky during the waxing fortnight; and when the
time came, she gave birth to a lotus-eyed daughter.
Aswapati joyfully performed the life-passage rituals for her, and
because Devi Savitri had rewarded his offerings by blessing him with this
child, he and the Brahmanas of his court named her Savitri.
The princess grew in the likeness of Devi Sri herself in an earthly,
human form and, in the course of time, attained puberty. Seeing that
graceful maiden, of the slender waist and flaring hips, who looked like a
living golden statue, the people thought she was a goddess. Intimidated by
her blazing energy, none could marry this lotus-leaf-eyed girl who pulsated
with splendour.
One day, on the occasion of a parva, Savitri, having fasted and washed
her hair, came before the family deity and had the Brahmanas offer the
havis and other oblations to Agni. She took the flowers that had been
offered to the sacred fire and, looking as beautiful as Lakshmi, went to her
noble father.
She paid reverence at her father’s feet and offered him the flowers she
had brought, and that lovely maiden joined her hands together and stood
beside the king. The king was sad to see that although his divinely beautiful
daughter had attained puberty, she had no suitors.
He said, “My child, the time has come to give you in marriage, yet none
asks for your hand. Therefore, you must select a husband whose qualities
match your own and inform me of your choice. Choose anyone you wish
for your husband, and I will, after deliberation, give you to him.
O blest one, listen to what I have heard Brahmanas quote from the
Shastras. The father that does not give his daughter in marriage faces
disgrace. The husband that does not enjoy his wife in her fertile season
faces disgrace. The son that does not look after his widowed mother faces
disgrace.
Take heed of what I say and find a husband. Ensure by your actions that
the Devas have no cause to chastise us.”
Having spoken thus to his daughter in the presence of his faithful
ministers, the king instructed his attendants to make preparations to
accompany her wherever she chose to go. Bashfully bowing down to touch
her father’s feet, the gentle girl set out without hesitation, to do her father’s
will.
In her golden chariot, and accompanied by her father’s aged
counsellors, she visited the delightful asramas of Rishis and the splendid
palaces of Rajarishis. Everywhere, my son, she worshipped the feet of the
venerable sages, and she travelled through all the forests one by one,
distributing wealth in all the sacred tirthas where Dvijottamas lived.’ ”
CANTO 292
PATIVRATA MAHATMYA PARVA CONTINUED
“M arkandeya continues, ‘Bhaarata, one day the king of the Madras

was seated in the midst of his courtiers, conversing with
Narada, when, accompanied by his ministers, Savitri returned after visiting
various tirthas and asramas. Seeing her father with Narada, she worshipped
both of them by bowing her head down to their feet.
Narada said, “Where has your daughter been, Rajan, and from where
has she come now? Why do you not give her in marriage, now that she has
attained puberty?”
Aswapati answered, “It was on this very quest that I sent her, and from
which she returns now. Devarishi, let us hear whom she has chosen as her
husband.”
Savitri took her father’s command to be a divine request, and the
blessed girl related in detail all that had happened, and at last she said,
“There was, amongst the Salvas, a virtuous Kshatriya king named
Dyumatsena, who was blind. This wise king had only one infant son, and an
old enemy took advantage of the king’s disability and seized his kingdom.
With his wife and their infant held to her breast, he went to live in the
forest, where he observed rigid vratas and practised austere tapasya. His
son, though born in the city, grew up in an asrama. That youth Satyavan is
the right husband for me, and I have given my heart to him.”
Narada said, “Ah, Rajan, Savitri has erred gravely, she has made an
ignorant choice. Satyavan, to whom she has give her heart, does have
excellent qualities. It is because his parents are both so truthful that the
Brahmanas gave him his name. When he was a child he loved horses and
used to sculpt steeds out of clay and paint pictures of horses. For this, he is
sometimes called Chitraswa.”
Raja Aswapati then asked, “Is prince Satyavan, who is devoted to his
father, endowed with tejas, wisdom, a forgiving nature and courage?”
Narada replied, “In energy Satyavan is like the Sun; in wisdom he is
like Brihaspati; in courage he is like the Lord of the Devas; and in
forgiveness he is like Bhumi Devi, the Earth herself.”
Aswapati then said, “And is prince Satyavan devoted and generous to
Brahmanas? Is he handsome and charitable, and pleasant?”
Narada said, “In generosity within his means the mighty son of
Dyumatsena is like Sankriti’s son Rantideva; in truthfulness of speech and
devotion to Brahmanas he is like Sibi, the son of Usinara; in magnanimity
he is like Yayati; in beauty of face he is like the Moon; and in beauty of
form he is like the twin Aswins. He has his senses under control; he is
gentle, brave and honest. He is self-restrained, faithful to his friends, free
from malice, modest and patient. In short, the exalted sages of tapasyashakti
say that his conduct is impeccable in its dharma, and he wears honour like a
crown.”
Hearing this, Aswapati said, “Lord, you have described him as one who
has every noble virtue. Tell me now of his defects, if he has any.”
Narada said, “He has only one, and it overwhelms all his virtues. He,
who cannot be conquered by any means, has only one defect, and no other.
Within a year from today, Satyavan, granted with a short life, will cast off
his mortal body.”
Hearing these words of the Muni, the king said, “Come, Savitri, choose
another for your lord, my lovely child. The single great blemish that this
young man has eclipses all his virtues. The illustrious Narada, whom even
the Devas honour, says that Satyavan will leave this earthly life in exactly a
year from today.”
Savitri said, “A die can be cast but once; a daughter can be given away
but once in marriage; and only once can a person say, I give. These three
things can happen only once. Whether he lives long or dies young, whether
he is virtuous or bereft of virtue, I have chosen and will not choose a second
time. A decision is first made in the mind, then it is declared and, finally,
executed in action. Let my decision be proof of this.”
Narada said, “Aswapati, your daughter is firm in her resolve and will
not swerve from the path of dharma. No one else has Satyavan’s goodness. I
give my approval to this union.”
The king said, “Your words must be obeyed, illustrious one, for you
speak the truth. You are my Guru, and I shall do as you say.”
Narada said, “May peace reign over the bestowal of your daughter
Savitri. I leave you now with my blessings.”
Saying this, Narada rose into the sky and went to Devaloka, and on
Earth, king Aswapati began to make preparations for his daughter’s
wedding.’ ”
CANTO 293
“M arkandeya continues, “With Narada’s words echoing in his

mind, the king began to make preparations for the wedding. He
summoned all the old Brahmanas, the Ritvijas and the other priests, and set
out with his daughter on an auspicious day. On arriving at Dyumatsena’s
asrama in the sacred forest, he approached the Rajarishi on foot,
accompanied by his Brahmanas.
He saw the blind monarch of great wisdom seated on a cushion of kusa
grass under a sala tree. After paying his homage in proper fashion, king
Aswapati humbly introduced himself, and in response the blind king
welcomed him with arghya, a darbhasana to sit on and the gift of a cow.
Then he asked his royal guest the reason for his visit. The king told him
why he had come.
Aswapati said, “Rajarishi, this beautiful girl is my daughter Savitri. I
ask that you, who are learned in dharma, accept her as your daughter-in-law
in accordance with Kshatriya custom.”
Dyumatsena said, “Deprived of my kingdom, and living in the forest,
we live the disciplined life of tapasvins. Your daughter is not used to this
life of hardship, nor does she deserve it. How will she cope?”
Aswapati replied, “My daughter knows, as well as I do, that joy and
sorrow are both fleeting; so, do not speak to me of these things. I have come
here with my mind made up. I have greeted you in friendship, and you
should not crush my hope. It is love that has brought me here and you ought
not to refuse me. We are equals in lineage and an alliance between us is
fitting. Accept my daughter as your daughter-in-law and the wife of prince
Satyavan.”
Dyumatsena said, “For many years, I wanted such an alliance with you,
but I hesitated to ask after I lost my kingdom. Let my long-cherished wish
be fulfilled today. You are very welcome, indeed.”
The two kings summoned all the Dvijas who lived in the asramas of that
forest, and he solemnised the marriage with the traditional rites. Having
bestowed his daughter, with rich clothes and ornaments, Aswapati went
back in great joy.
Having gained a wife graced with every noble quality and
accomplishment, Satyavan was happy indeed, and Savitri, too, rejoiced at
having got the husband of her heart’s desire.
When her father left, she took off all her ornaments and put on valkala
and clothes dyed red. By her service and virtue, her affection and
selflessness, and by the care she gave so willingly to all, she was a source of
delight to all.
She pleased her mother-in-law by attending to her comforts and by
adorning her in fine clothes and ornaments. She gratified her father-in-law
by worshipping him as a god and controlling her speech before him. She
made her husband happy by speaking sweetly to him, by her skill in all
kinds of work, by her sweet nature and by demonstrations of her love in
private.
They continued to live in the forest asrama, practising tapasya, but
Narada’s words were never far from the mind of the inwardly sorrowful
Savitri.’ ”
CANTO 294
“M arkandeya says, ‘O king, a year flitted by and the time of

Satyavan’s death arrived. Ever conscious of what Narada had
said, Savitri had been counting the days as they passed. On a day when she
knew that only four days remained for her husband to live, she fasted day
and night in observance of the Triratra vrata. Hearing of the vow she kept,
the king was grieved and went to console Savitri.
He said, “Princess, this vrata that you have taken, to fast three nights in
a row, is harsh and trying.”
Savitri said, “Father, do not be sorry; I can keep the vow. I have
undertaken it with firm resolve, and determination brings success.”
Dyumatsena said, “I should not ask you to break your vrata. On the
contrary, I ought to encourage you to fulfil it.” And he said no more to
dissuade her.
Savitri continued to fast and began to look wan and thin, like a wooden
doll. And, Bharatarishabha, convinced that her husband would die the next
morning, the griefstricken Savitri spent the night in anguish while she
fasted. When the Sun had risen about two hands into the sky, Savitri,
thinking that Satyavan’s end was at hand, finished her morning rites and
offered oblations to the fire.
She bowed down to the elderly Brahmanas and to her father- and
mother-in-law, and she stood humbly before them with joined hands. All
the Munis living in that asrama blessed her that she would never suffer
widowhood. Savitri, immersed in dhyana, accepted the words of the
tapasvins in her mind, silently saying, Tathaastu, so be it.
The princess reflected on Narada’s words and sat still, in expectation of
the hour and the dreaded moment.
Then, Bhaaratottama, her father- and mother-in-law said to the princess,
“You have completed the vrata successfully, and it is time for you to break
your fast. You must do what is proper.”
Savitri said, “Now that I have completed the vow, I will eat when the
Sun goes down. This is my resolve and the vow of my heart.” ’
Markandeya continues, ‘When Savitri spoke thus of her first meal,
Satyavan hefted his axe onto his shoulders and was about to go into the
forest for wood and fruit, when Savitri said to her husband, “It is not proper
for you to go alone. Let me come with you; I cannot bear to be apart from
you.”
Satyavan said, “You have never gone into the forest before. My love,
the paths are rough and you are weak from your fast. How will you be able
to walk?”
Savitri said, “I feel neither weak nor tired from fasting. I have decided
to go, and you must not stop me.”
Satyavan said, “If you wish to come with me, I will not prevent you, but
take my parents’ leave so that I will not be held responsible.”
Savitri bowed to her father- and mother-in-law and said to them, “My
husband is going into the forest to gather fruit. With your permission,
revered father and mother, I will go with him, for I cannot bear to be
separated from him today.
Your son is going to the forest for wood to feed the sacrificial fire and
fruit to feed his elders, and you must not stop him. Indeed, he might have
been persuaded not to go had it been on some other errand. Do not stop me
either; I will go into the forest with him. It is almost a year since I have
been outside the asrama. I am so looking forward to seeing the forest in
bloom.”
Dyumatsena said, “From the time that her father gave Savitri to me as
my daughter-in-law, I do not remember her asking for anything. Let her
have her wish. My daughter, do not in anyway distract Satyavan from his
work.”
Having received the permission of her husband’s parents, the illustrious
Savitri went with her husband, smiling on the outside in seeming happiness,
but her heart torn in grief. As that princess of large eyes went along, she
passed through picturesque and charmed glades inhabited by swarms of
peacocks, but did not notice them.
Satyavan said sweetly to Savitri, “Look at these rivers of sacred waters
and these lovely flower-decked trees.”
Looking only at him, the blemishless Savitri continued to watch her lord
in all his moods, and remembering Devarishi Narada’s words, thought of
her husband as already dead. Her heart breaking, she followed him,
responding softly to all he said, dreading the final hour.’ ”
CANTO 295
“M arkandeya says, ‘With Savitri helping him, the mighty

Satyavan plucked fruits and filled his bag with them. Then he
began to cut branches from trees, and as he did so, he began to sweat
profusely and his head ached from the exertion.
Exhausted, he came to Savitri and said to her, “The work has made my
head ache; my body trembles strangely and my limbs and my heart also
hurt. Mithibhashini, you of restrained speech, I feel unwell; oh, my head
feels as if it has been pierced by a hundred arrows. I want to sleep, Savitri,
for I am too weak to stand.”
Savitri quickly went to him, sat on the forest floor, and took his head on
her lap. Narada’s words still clear in her mind, she began to calculate the
arrival of the moment of his death, by the day, the hour and the minute. The
next instant, she saw a great being, clad in red, with a crown on his head.
He was huge and shone like the Sun. He was dark-skinned, had red eyes,
and held a noose in his hand. And he was altogether dreadful to behold.
He stood beside Satyavan, gazing steadily at him. Savitri gently placed
her husband’s head on the ground. She got up and, her heart trembling, said
in an anguished voice, “From your appearance, you must be a Deva. If it
pleases you, tell me, great one, who you are and what you intend.”
Yama Deva, the Lord of Death, replied, “Savitri, you are devoted to
your husband and blessed with tapasyashakti. That is why you see me and
why I am talking to you. Blessed one, I am Yama. Prince Satyavan’s time to
live has ended, and I must bind him in my noose and take him away. This is
why I have come.”
Savitri said, “I have heard that your emissaries come to take away
mortals, O worshipful one. Why then, have you come in person?”
The great lord of Pitrs found himself captivated by her purity, and
wanting to oblige her with a reply. Yama said, “This prince is endowed with
dharma and physical beauty. He is a sea of accomplishments and he does
not deserve to be taken away by mere dutas. That is why I have come.”
Saying this, Yama drew a thumb-sized Satyavan out of his body and
bound him firmly in his noose. His linga sarira removed, Satyavan’s body,
deprived of life-breath, shorn of lustre and motionless, was unsightly. And
binding Satyavan’s pranatma, Yama went away in a southerly direction.
Overwhelmed by grief, the chaste Savitri, ever devoted to her lord and
crowned with the success of her vratas, followed Yama.
Yama said, “Stop, Savitri. Go back and perform your husband’s funeral
rites. You are freed from all your wifely duties. You have come as far as
you may.”
Savitri said, “Wherever my husband is taken, or wherever he goes of his
own will, I will follow him. This is the eternal dharma. By my
tapasyashakti, out of my respect for my elders, from my love for my
husband, by the strength of my vratas, and with your favour, my course is
clear. Wise men learned in truth have declared that by walking just seven
paces with another, one makes a compact of friendship with that person. As
your friend now, I will say something to you, to which you must listen.
They that have their souls under control do not acquire punya by merely
following the four varnasramas—brahmacharya, grihasta, vanaprastha and
sannyasa. Spiritual merit is said to consist of true knowledge. And all the
greatest sages have said that it is punya and not the passage of the four
stages of life that is important.
By discharging the duties of just one of these four, Grihastasrama, we
attain true punya and do not need the two that come after. It is for this that
the wise have declared the punya gained in domesticity to be the highest of
all.”
Yama said, “What you say is true, Savitri, and I am pleased with you.
Ask for any boon except the life of your husband, perfect one, and I will
give you whatever you ask.”
Savitri said, “Deprived of his kingdom and bereft of sight, my father-in-
law leads a hermit’s life in our asrama. Give that king back his vision and
let him be as powerful as Agni or Surya.”
Yama said, “Faultless one, I grant you this boon. It will be as you have
said. You seem to be tired by your journey. Stop following me and turn
back. Do not exhaust yourself any more.”
Savitri said, “What weariness can I feel when I am with my husband?
My husband’s lot is mine too. Wherever you carry my husband, there I will
also go. Best of Devas, hear what I have to say. Even a single conversation
with one like you is a great blessing; friendship with such a one is greater
still, and always fruitful. Therefore, one should live in the company of the
righteous.”
Yama said, “Your words, so full of import, delight the heart and enhance
the wisdom of even the learned. Savitri, ask for a second boon, anything
other than the life of Satyavan.”
Savitri said, “My wise and intelligent father-in-law was deprived of his
kingdom. May he regain it, and may he always adhere to his svadharma.”
Yama said, “The king will regain his kingdom, and never will he
abandon his dharma. Princess, I have fulfilled your second wish. Now you
must return. Do not trouble yourself anymore.”
Savitri said, “You control all creatures by your laws, and it is by your
laws that you take them away, not according to your whims. That is why,
Lord, you are called Yama, or the one who upholds the law. I beg you, listen
to me.
The eternal duty of the righteous towards all creatures is never to injure
them in thought, word or deed, but to show them love and give them their
due. For me now everything in this world is like my husband ‒ lifeless.
Good men show mercy even to their enemies when these seek their
protection.”
Yama said, “Your words are like water to a thirsty soul. Beautiful one,
ask for one more boon, anything but the life of Satyavan.”
Savitri replied, “My father Aswapati has no sons. Grant that he may
have a hundred natural sons, so that his line is perpetuated. This is the third
boon I ask of you.”
Yama said, “Your father will have a hundred illustrious sons, who will
perpetuate and increase their father’s line. Now, princess, you have your
wish. Turn back now, you have come far enough.”
Savitri said, “Because I walk close to my husband, I am not conscious
of how far I have come. Indeed, my mind travels a greater distance. Please
listen, as we walk, to what I have to say.
You are the powerful son of Vivaswata, and the wise call you
Vaivaswata. Lord, you dispense justice impartially to all beings, and so you
are Dharma, the Lord of justice. People do not have as much faith in
themselves as they do in those that are righteous. That is why all men aspire
for close contact with men of dharma. It is purity of heart alone that inspires
the confidence of all beings, and that is why they rely on those that live by
dharma.”
Yama said, “I have never heard anyone speak as you do, devi. I am so
pleased with what you say. Other than the life of Satyavan, ask for a fourth
boon, and then go your way.”
Savitri said, “I wish for a hundred strong and powerful sons born to me
of Satyavan, who will perpetuate our line. This is the fourth boon that I ask
of you.”
Yama replied, “Devi, you shall have a hundred sons, strong and
powerful, and the cause of your delight. Princess, do not tire yourself any
more. Stop now. You have already come too far.”
Savitri said, “They that are righteous always practise eternal dharma.
The communion of the pious with the pious is always fruitful. There is
never any danger to the righteous from those that are righteous. It is the
righteous who by their truth make the Sun move in sky, it is the righteous
that support the Earth with their austerities, and, O Lord, it is the righteous
upon whom both the past and the future depend. Therefore, they that are
righteous are always happy in the company of the righteous. Knowing this
to be the sanatana dharma, they that are righteous do good to others without
expecting any benefit in return.
A good deed is never wasted on the virtuous, and such actions never
injure honour or welfare. Since good conduct attaches to the righteous, they
often become the protectors of all.”
Yama said, “The more you speak to me with words of deep meaning, in
language so sweet to hear, the more I am taken with you. O you who are so
devoted to your lord, ask me for some incomparable boon.”
Savitri said, “Bestower of honour, the boon you have already given me
cannot be fulfilled without with my husband being alive. So, I ask that you
restore Satyavan to life. Without my husband, I am as good as dead;
without my husband, I have no desire for happiness; without my husband, I
do not wish for Swarga itself; without my husband, I do not want
prosperity; without my Satyavan, I have no wish to live. You yourself
granted me the boon of a hundred sons fathered by him, yet you are taking
my husband away from me.
I ask for this boon: let Satyavan be restored to life, because only by that
can your boon prove true.”
Defeated, saying So be it, Vivaswata’s son Yama, the dispenser of
justice, untied his noose and said to Savitri, “Auspicious and chaste devi, I
set your husband free. You may take him back whole and healthy. He will
achieve great success and he will live with you for four hundred years. He
will perform great yagnas and achieve unmatched fame in this world.
Satyavan will give you one hundred sons. And these Kshatriyas with
their sons and grandsons will all be kings, and will always bring honour to
your name.
Your father, too, will have a hundred sons with your mother Malavi.
Known as Malavas, your godlike Kshatriya brothers will be renowned, as
will be their sons and daughters.”
Having bestowed these boons on Savitri, Yama left for his abode. After
the Lord of death had gone, Savitri went back to the place where her
husband’s grey corpse lay. She went to him, sat down on the ground and
took his head onto her lap. Satyavan awoke and gazed long and lovingly at
her, like one who has come home after a long journey through an alien land.
He said to her, “I have slept long. Why did you not wake me? And
where is that dark being who was dragging me away?”
Savitri said, “Manavarishabha, you have been asleep on my lap for a
very long time. That ruler of the destiny of all beings, Yama Deva, has gone
away. You are refreshed now and awake, O Prince. If you feel able, rise.
Look, night is upon us.”
Having awoken, Satyavan got up as if he had enjoyed a refreshing sleep
and, seeing that they were in a thick forest, said, “My slender-waisted one, I
came here with you to collect fruit. While I was cutting wood I felt a pain in
my head and could not stand anymore. So I lay on your lap and slept. I
remember all this, Savitri. Then, in your embrace, as sleep stole my senses,
I saw that it was dark all around. In the darkness I saw a being of
incandescent radiance.
If you know what happened, tell me whether what I saw was only a
dream or if it was real.”
Savitri said to him, “The night deepens. I will tell you everything
tomorrow. Rise now, and may God bless you always. You of the excellent
vows, come and see your parents! The Sun set a while ago and night
advances. Creatures with fell voices are out. I hear the sounds of predators,
rustling through the woods; and the awful howls of jackals that come from
the south and east make me tremble in fear.”
Satyavan said, “In this absolute darkness the forest is dreadful to see.
You will not be able to see the path, and we cannot go now.”
Savitri said, “A fire burned in the forest earlier today, and there is a
withered tree that still burns. I see its flames every time the wind fans them.
Let me fetch some twigs from there and light a fire here. Do not be anxious;
I can do this even if you are too tired. You are still weak and will not be
able to find your way through the blackness that cloaks the forest.
Tomorrow, when we can see our way clearly, we will leave this place.
Anagha, tonight let us stay here.”
Satyavan said, “The pain in my head has gone and my limbs feel
stronger. I want to see my father and mother. I have never returned late to
the asrama; my mother keeps me within its enclosure before dusk. Even
when I go out during the day my parents become anxious about me, and my
father and other asramavasis come in search of me. Often, in their anxiety,
my parents have rebuked me for going home late. How they must worry
now because of me; they will surely be distraught.
One night, the old couple, who love me dearly, wept from deep sorrow
and said to me, ‘Without you, son, we cannot live for even a moment. We
will live only as long as you do. You are our staff; without you we are blind.
The continuance of our race, our funeral oblations, our fame and our
descendants, all depend on you.’
My mother and father are old, and I am their crutch. If they do not see
me return at night, what will their plight be? I blame myself for having
slept, and causing my parents agony. I cannot bear to live without my father
and mother. I am certain that by now my blind father, his mind crazed with
grief, is asking everyone who lives in the hermitage about me. I am not
worried for myself, but for my father and for my feeble mother who
depends on him. Ah, they must surely be demented with anxiety about me. I
will live as long they live, and live for them. I know that I must take care of
them and do only what pleases them.”
The virtuous Satyavan, who loved and revered his parents, began to
weep with his arms raised in a paroxysm of grief. Savitri wiped the tears
from his eyes and said, “By the virtue of my tapasya, because of whatever I
have done that is charitable and my sacrifices, may this night be a benign
and peaceful one for my father-in-law, mother-in-law and husband. I do not
remember ever having told a single lie, even in jest. Let my father-in-law
and mother-in-law remain alive tonight by my truthfulness.”
Satyavan said, “I long for the sight of my father and mother. Savitri, let
us go immediately. Beautiful one, I swear on my own self that if I find any
evil to have befallen my father and mother, I will not live. If you care about
dharma, if you want me to live, if it is your dharma to do what pleases me,
then go with me now to the asrama.”
The lovely Savitri got up, knotted her hair and helped her husband up.
Satyavan stood and rubbed his arms and legs briskly with his hands. As he
looked about he noticed his bag, and Savitri said to him, “You can gather
fruit tomorrow, and I will help you now by carrying your axe.”
She hung the bag on the branch of a tree and, picking up the axe, went
to her husband. The princess of the shapely thighs placed her husband’s left
arm on her left shoulder, and holding him with her right, she set out, with
the swaying gait of an elephant.
Satyavan said, “Timid one, I know the forest paths well, for I use them
regularly. I can also see them by the moonlight that shines from between the
trees. We have reached the same path that we took this morning. Blessed
girl, go by the way we came, rather than by some uncertain way. Near that
glade of palasa trees the path forks. Take the path that goes north. I feel well
and strong again, and eager to see my parents.”
Saying this, Satyavan hurried towards the asrama.’ ”
CANTO 296
“M arkandeya says, ‘Meanwhile, the mighty Dyumatsena had

regained his vision and could see everything around him.
Bharatarishabha, he took his wife Saibya with him and went to all the
neighbouring asramas in search of their son, becoming increasingly
distressed by the moment.
The old couple searched in asramas, by rivers and lakes, and in the
woods. Whenever they heard any sound, they stood with their heads raised,
anxiously anticipating the return of their son, and saying, O here come
Satyavan and Savitri. Soon, they rushed from place to place in a frenzy,
their feet torn and bleeding, and pierced with thorns and sharp kusa blades.
All the Brahmanas living in their hermitage came to them and,
surrounding them, comforted them and brought them back to their own
asrama. There the old sadhus diverted Dyumatsena and his wife with stories
of kings of the olden days. Although that aged couple yearned for their son,
they were consoled, but grew disconsolate again when they began to think
of his childhood.
They began to cry heartrendingly, “Ah, Satyavan my son, O chaste
Savitri, where are you?”
A pious Brahmana named Suvarcha said to them, “Considering the
austerities, self-restraint and purity of Savitri, there can be no doubt that
Satyavan is alive.”
Another mighty Brahmana, Gautama, said, “I have studied all the Vedas
and their many angas, and I have acquired great punya. I have led a celibate
life as a brahmachari, and I have pleased Agni and my superiors. With
disciplined soul I have observed all the vows, living at times on air alone.
By the strength of my tapasya, I know what everyone is doing. I tell you
that I am certain Satyavan lives.”
His sishya said, “The words that my Guru has spoken can never be
false. Satyavan is definitely alive.”
And the Rishi said, “His wife Savitri has auspicious marks on her body
that show she will never be widowed. There is no doubt that Satyavan
lives.”
Bharadwaja said, “Savitri’s conduct, self-restraint and tapasyashakti
convince me that Satyavan is alive.”
Dalbhya said, “Because you have regained your sight, and because
Savitri completed her vow of fasting before she left, I am certain that
Satyavan lives.”
Apastamba said, “We hear birds and wild animals all around us in the
stillness; miraculously you have got your vision back, and can involve
yourself again in worldly matters. These are indications that Satyavan
lives.”
Dhaumya said, “Your son is graced with every noble quality and is
loved by one and all; he has the marks that indicate a long life. I, too, am in
no doubt that Satyavan lives.”
At what those knowing sages said, Dyumatsena’s heartache eased a
little. A short while later that night, Savitri and Satyavan reached the
hermitage and entered it joyfully.
The Brahmanas said, “Lord of the Earth, greetings to you on being
united with your son and on regaining your vision. Being able now to see
your son and your daughter-in-law make your blessing manifold. What we
have said must come to pass; there can be no doubt of this. From now on,
your good fortune will grow rapidly.”
Partha, the Dvijas lit a fire and sat down before Dyumatsena, after
which, Saibya, Satyavan and Savitri, who stood apart, sat with their
permission, their hearts light. Then all the forest-dwellers who sat with the
king, prompted by curiosity, asked Satyavan, “Illustrious prince, why did
you not return sooner with your wife? Why have you come so late in the
night? What kept you? We want to know why you alarmed us and your
parents so. Tell us what happened.”
Satyavan said, “Savitri and I went into the forest with my father’s
permission. There, as I was chopping wood, I felt a sharp pain in my head,
which made me fall into a deep sleep. This is all I remember. I have never
slept so long before, and I have come home so late at night so that you will
not worry about me anymore. There is no other reason.”
Gautama said with a smile, “Then you do not know about your father’s
vision having returned? I think Savitri should tell us about that. I want to
hear about it from you, for you know all the subtleties of dharma.
Savitri, you are like the Goddess Savitri herself in splendour. You must
know how this happened. So, tell us truly; if it is no secret, tell us
everything.”
Savitri said, “I have no secret to keep, so listen to the truth of what
transpired. Devarishi Narada predicted the early death of my husband, and
today was the appointed day and I could not bear to be separated from him.
After he had fallen asleep, Yama came and, tying my husband in his noose,
began to take him away towards the abode of the Pitrs.
I followed that Deva and began to eulogise him, and he granted me five
boons, of which I will tell you.
For my father-in-law I obtained two boons: the restoration of his sight
and his kingdom. For my father I asked for a hundred sons. For myself I
asked for a hundred sons and a life of four hundred years for my husband
Satyavan. It was for my husband’s life that I kept that vrata.
I have told you in detail how my enormous misfortune turned into great
joy.”
The Rishis said, “Chaste and gentle devi of the stern vows, graced with
every noble quality and born of a noble line, you have rescued this best of
dynasties, which was overwhelmed by adversity and sinking into an ocean
of darkness.”
The Rishis applauded her and paid their respects to that holy woman,
and taking leave of the king and his son, they left for their homes, with
peace and good cheer in their hearts.’ ”
CANTO 297
“M arkandeya says, ‘When the night passed and the Sun rose in the
sky, the tapasvins performed their morning rites and
congregated at Dyumatsena’s asrama. However much those mighty sages
talked with Dyumatsena of Savitri’s greatness and good fortune, they were
never satisfied.
And it happened, O king, that there came to that hermitage a large group
of people from Salva. They brought news that Dyumatsena’s enemy had
been killed by his own minister: how the minister had slain the usurper and
all his friends and allies; how all the enemy’s people had fled and how all
the subjects were unanimous that their legitimate king be restored to the
throne.
The emissaries from Salva said, “We have been sent to you with that
message. This chariot and this army consisting of four kinds of forces have
arrived for you. May God bless you, O king. Come! Your accession has
been proclaimed in the city. Occupy forever the throne that belonged to
your father and grandfather.”
Seeing the king with his vision restored and looking strong, they bowed
their heads and their eyes were round with wonder. After worshipping the
elderly and the Brahmanas living in the hermitage, and being honoured by
them in return, the king set out for his capital. With a force of soldiers
protecting them, Saibya rode with Savitri in a golden palanquin, spread with
splendid sheets and borne on the shoulders of men.
Arriving in the city, the priests joyfully installed Dyumatsena on the
throne, also crowning Satyavan as Yuvaraja. In time, Savitri gave birth to a
hundred sons, all warlike and steadfast in battle, who enhanced the fame of
the Salvas. She also had one hundred powerful brothers, born to Malavi by
Aswapati, the lord of the Madras.
This is the story, Yudhishtira, of how Savitri emerged from a desperate
plight and took herself, her father and mother, her father-in-law and mother-
in-law, as well as the dynasty of her husband to lofty heights. Like the
gentle Savitri, the auspicious Draupadi, graced with a noble character, will
save you all,’ says Markandeya.”
Vaisampayana said, “Encouraged by what the Mahatman Rishi says, the
son of Pandu continues to live, now without anxiety, in the Kamyaka vana.
The man who listens reverently to the blessed story of Savitri attains
happiness, success in all his endeavours, and is never touched by misery.”
CANTO 298
KUNDALA HARANA PARVA
J anamejaya said, “O Brahmana, why was Yudhishtira so afraid of

Karna that Rishi Lomasa conveyed a message to the son of Pandu
from Indra, who promised to remove that fear after Dhananjaya had left?
And, Sreshta, why was it that the noble Yudhishtira never spoke of his fear
to anyone?”
Vaisampayana said, “Rajashardulam, tiger among kings, listen and I
will tell you.
After twelve years of their exile have passed and the thirteenth year has
begun, Sakra, who is always a friend of the Pandavas, decides to ask Karna
to give him his earrings. Vibhavasu, the Sun God, whose wealth is his light,
finds out what Indra intends, great king, and goes to see Karna. Best of
kings, one night, when that hero, devoted to Brahmanas and truthful in
speech, is sleeping peacefully on his luxurious bed, covered by a silken
sheet, the radiant Deva, moved by compassion and a father’s love, comes to
him in a dream.
He assumes the form of a handsome Brahmana, learned in the Vedas.
Surya says sweetly to Karna, ‘O best of truthful men, Mahabaho, listen to
what I say now for I speak from affection and for your good. Karna, with
the welfare of Pandu’s sons in mind, Sakra wants to have your kundalas. He
will come to you disguised as a Brahmana. He knows, as all the world does,
of your vow that you will always give away anything the pious ask you for
but never demand a thing in return. My son, you give Brahmanas wealth or
whatever they ask; indeed, you never refuse anyone. Indra is well aware of
your oath and will come to beg you for your kavacha and kundala, as alms.
When he asks for the kundalas, you must not give them away, but
instead appease him as best you can, for your own good. When he begs for
them you must deflect him with many excuses, cite various precedents and
refuse him the earrings; instead, offer Purandara other kinds of wealth,
gems, women and cattle.
Karna, if you give away your golden earrings, which you were born
with, your life will be shortened and you will soon meet your death.
Wearing your kavacha and kundala, you are invincible to your enemies in
battle. Take what I say to heart. Both your armour and earrings were made
from the Amrita of immortality, and you must guard and keep them, if you
value your life.’
Karna says, ‘Who are you that tells me this and shows me such
kindness? Please tell me, O lustrous one, who you truly are, in the guise of
a Brahmana.’
The Brahmana says, ‘Son, I am the Deva of the thousand rays. I say
what I do out of love. Do as I say because it is to save your life that I have
come to you.’
Karna replies, ‘I am fortunate that the god of splendour is considerate of
my welfare, and speaks to me. But listen to what I say; for I, too, speak
from love. If you love me, you should not dissuade me from keeping my
vow. O Vibhavasu, you are rich with the wealth of effulgence. The whole
world knows that I have solemnly sworn to give anything, even my life, to a
chaste Brahmana who comes to me for alms.
If Sakra comes disguised as a Brahmana, to beg so he can benefit the
sons of Pandu, I will give him my kavacha and kundala, so that my fame,
which has spread across the three worlds, does not diminish. It is not
honourable for me to save my life by breaking my sworn oath; rather, it is
my dharma to die earning the praises of the world. And so, I will give Indra
my earrings and armour.
Besides, if the slayer of Bala and Vritra comes to ask for the kundala to
help the Pandavas, it will enhance my fame and, also, put Indra to shame.
Glorious Surya Deva, I wish for fame and honour in this world, even if it is
to be bought with my life, because those who have fame enjoy Swarga,
while those who have none are lost.
Renown keeps men alive in this world even as a mother does, while
dishonour kills them even though they be physically healthy. Lord of the
worlds, greatness is the very life of man, as is told in an ancient sloka that
Prajapati Brahma himself sang: In the next world his fame supports a man,
and in this world it lengthens life.
So, by giving away my earrings and mail, both of which I was born
with, to a Brahmana, according to the laws that govern the giving of gifts;
by offering up my body as a gift to the gods in the sacrifice of war; by
doing what is hard to do and conquering my enemies in battle, I will acquire
nothing but renown. By sparing frightened warriors who beg for their lives,
and by dispelling the fears of old men, young boys and Brahmanas, I will
win the highest fame and attain the loftiest heaven. I will guard my honour
even with my life. This I swear.
By giving away such a valuable gift to Indra Maghavat, I will become a
legend in this world.’ ”
CANTO 299
KUNDALA HARANA PARVA CONTINUED
“S urya says, ‘Karna, never do anything that is harmful to yourself,

your friends, your sons, your wives, your father or your mother. O
best of this Earth’s creatures, men wish for renown in this world and for
lasting fame in heaven, but without having to sacrifice themselves. But you
want undying fame at the expense of your very life, and fame will snatch
your life from you.
Purusharishabha, in this world the father, the mother, the son and other
kin are useful only to the man who is alive. A king’s power is useful to him
only as long as he lives. Don’t you understand this?
O splendid warrior, fame benefits only those that are alive to enjoy it.
Of what use is fame to the dead, whose bodies have been burnt to ashes? A
dead man cannot enjoy his renown, but only while he lives. The fame of a
dead man is like a garland of flowers draped around the neck of a corpse.
Because you worship me daily, I tell you this for your good, for I
always protect those that worship me. Mahabaho, your worship is profound
and inspires my love for you. Do not doubt me, but do as I say. Besides,
there is a deep mystery attached to all this, ordained by fate, which is also
why I say this to you. You must trust me. O bull among men, you cannot be
told this secret, which even the gods do not know. I cannot reveal it to you
now, but you will understand it in time.
I repeat what I have already said, Radheya. Take my words to your
heart. When the wielder of the Vajra asks for them, do not give him your
kundala. Ah, with your shimmering earrings you look so radiant, like the
Moon himself in the clear sky, amidst the stars of the Visakha nakshatra.
You know that fame helps only he that is living. When the king of the
Devas asks for the earrings you should refuse him, my son. Repeat, over
and over, different explanations for your refusing him and, in that way,
Anagha, you will be rid of Indra’s eagerness to have the kundala. Using
pleasant and subtle arguments, Karna, remove his desire with reasoning of
grave import.
O tiger among men, you always taunt and challenge the ambidextrous
Savyasachi, and you will undoubtedly meet him in battle. As long as you
wear your kundala Arjuna can never vanquish you, even if Indra himself
comes to help him. Karna, if you want to kill Arjuna, you must never give
these exquisite earrings of yours to Sakra.’ ”
CANTO 300
“K arna says, ‘Lord of splendour, knowing me as one who worships

you, you also know that there is nothing I would not give away
as daana in charity. Not my wives, not my friends, not my sons or my own
self are as dear to me as you, because of the adoration I have for you. You
know, maker of light, that exalted beings love their worshippers dearly.
Thinking, Karna is my faithful devotee and is dear to me; and he knows no
other God in heaven, you have told me what you think is good for me.
Effulgent one, again I beseech you with bended head, once more I place
myself in your hands, and I repeat the response I have already given you. I
beg you, forgive me for refusing to do what you ask.
Death itself is not fraught with such terror for me as to break my vow.
Especially when it comes to Brahmanas, I do not hesitate to give even my
life for them. O Deva, I understand what you have said to me about
Phalguna. Shed your anxiety about him; I will conquer Arjuna in battle.
Jamadagni and Drona have both given me weapons of great power.
Permit me now, Devottama, to adhere to my vrata, so that to him of the
Vajra coming to beg of me, I may give even my life.’
Surya says, ‘If, my son of the mighty strength, you give your kundala to
the Vajradhari, to ensure victory you must tell him of the hundred sacrifices
that you will give him the earrings on a condition. Remember that with
these earrings you are invincible to one and all. It is to see you killed in
battle by Arjuna that the enemy of the Danavas wishes to take your earrings
away from you.
Adulate Indra with truthful words, praise Purandara who has irresistible
weapons, and plead with him, saying, “Give me an infallible astra which
can slay any enemy and I will, O thousand-eyed Lord, give you my kavacha
and kundala.”
Only on this condition should you give the earrings to Sakra. With that
astra, Karna, you will slay your enemies in battle. Mahabaho, that singular
weapon of the Lord of Devas does not return to the hand that casts it
without killing enemies by the hundreds and thousands.’
The Lord of the thousand rays vanishes. The next day, after his prayers,
Karna relates his dream to Surya Deva and tells him all that passed between
them in the night. After hearing everything, that enemy of Svarbhanu, the
resplendent and divine Surya, says to Karna, with a smile, ‘That is so.’
And Radha’s son, the slayer of hostile heroes, knowing his dream to be
true, and wanting to have Indra’s astra, waits for Vasava.”
CANTO 301
J anamejaya said, “What was the secret that the lord of the fiery rays
would not tell Karna? What were the kavacha and kundala like? From
where did the armour and those earrings come? I want to hear all this, O
you of the mighty austerities, tell me everything.”
Vaisampayana said, “Rajan, I will tell you the secret which the lord of
the wealth of radiance does not reveal. I will also describe to you that coat
of mail and those earrings.
A long time ago, there appeared before Kuntibhoja a Brahmana of
fierce tejas. He was tall, with a beard and matted locks, and he carried a
staff in his hand. He was handsome; his form was perfect and blazed in
splendour. He had honey-coloured, yellowish-blue skin and his voice was
melodious. He shone with tapasyashakti and Vedagyana.
This person said to Kuntibhoja, ‘O you who are free of pride, I would
live as a guest in your house, eating food that you give me as alms. Neither
you nor your people must ever displease or anger me. If, Anagha, this suits
you, I will live in your house in this way. I will come and go as I wish, and
no one should disturb me when I am eating or sleeping.’
Kuntibhoja cheerfully agreed and said, “Tathaastu; so be it, and even
more. Wise one, I have an illustrious daughter named Pritha. She has an
excellent character, she observes vows, is chaste, and of subdued senses.
She will attend on you and take care of you with all reverence. You will be
pleased with her disposition.’
Having said this to that Brahmana and paid him homage, the king went
to his daughter Pritha of the large eyes and said to her, ‘My daughter, this
eminent Brahmana wishes to live in our house. I have agreed, my child, and
I count on your skills in caring for Brahmanas. You must look after him
with honour and reverence, to keep my word. Be prompt in giving this
venerable one, who is engaged in the deep study of the Vedas, whatever he
may want. Cheerfully give him everything he asks for.
A Brahmana is the embodiment of the highest tejas and also of the
highest punya. It is because of the tapasya of Brahmanas that the Sun shines
in the heavens. It is because of their cruelty and disrespect to Brahmanas
that the Asuras Vatapi and Talajangha were killed by the curses of the holy
ones.
And now, my child, I am entrusting the care of a most virtuous
Brahmana to you. You must always attend on him with the utmost care.
Daughter, I know that since your childhood you have always been attentive
to Brahmanas, elders, relatives, servants and friends, and to your mother
and me. I know how exemplary your conduct is, how you give due respect
to all the deserving. My faultless one, because of your gentleness, there is
not one person in the antahpuram of my palace, or even one among the
servants, who is displeased with you. That is why I saw fit to have you wait
upon the short-tempered Brahmana.
Pritha, you are still a girl; and you are my adopted daughter. You were
born in the House of the Vrishnis, and you were Sura’s favourite daughter.
Your father himself gladly gave you to me because I had no child of my
own. You are the natural sister of Vasudeva, and by adoption, the first of my
daughters.
Your father promised me his firstborn child, and gave you to me when
you were just a baby; and now you are my daughter. Born into a noble line
and raised in one, you have come from one royal house to another, like a
lotus taken from one lake to another.
My beautiful child, despite being disciplined with difficulty, low-born
women develop perverted characters because their hearts are immature. But
you are born in a royal race and you are extraordinarily lovely. You are
graced with every accomplishment. Renounce pride, hauteur and self-
importance, and worshipfully wait upon the boon-giving Brahmana; and
you will be blessed, Pritha, and surely attain the realms of bliss. If,
however, you provoke the anger of the Dvijottama, he will destroy my
entire race.’ ”
CANTO 302
“K unti said, ‘Father, I will keep your promise and serve the
Brahmana with devotion. Foremost of kings, these are not empty
words. It is my nature to worship Brahmanas, and because in this case my
doing so will please you, it will surely lead me to good fortune. Whether
that worshipful one comes in the morning, evening, or at night, even at
midnight, I will not give him cause for anger.
I both benefit and derive joy from serving the twice-born ones, and
obeying all your commands. Dispel your anxiety; you can rely on me.
Truly, that best of Brahmanas shall never have cause for dissatisfaction
while living in your house. I will pay particular attention to what pleases the
Brahmana, and also to what will bring punya and his blessings upon you.
Anagha, I know full well that, when pleased, such eminent Brahmanas
bestow even moskha, but when offended they can destroy the one who
offends them. I will take great care to please this best among Brahmanas.
You will not come to grief from him through any fault of mine. The
hubris of kings resulted in Brahmanas bringing about their downfall. This is
what happened with Chyavana as a result of what Sukanya did. Father, as
you wish, I will diligently serve the Brahmanottama.’
After she had spoken at length to reassure the king, he embraced her,
and gave her detailed instructions about her duties towards the Brahmana.
And the king said, ‘You will conduct yourself in this way, gentle one,
without fear, for my good as well as your own, and for the good of our
dynasty, my perfect-limbed child.’
Saying this, the noble Kuntibhoja, who was devoted to Brahmanas,
brought Pritha to that Brahmana and said, ‘This is my daughter, O Dvija.
She is very young and accustomed to luxury. Make allowances for her if
she makes any mistakes. Great Brahmanas are never angry with old men,
children and ascetics, even if these frequently err. Even a serious
wrongdoing deserves forgiveness from a Brahmana. Brahmanottama, you
must aceept the best worship and service that my child is able to offer you.”
The Brahmana said, ‘So be it,’ and the happy king showed him to his
apartments, that were bright and white, like swan down, or moonbeams. In
the yagnasala the king placed a grand throne that had been especially made
for the Brahmana. The food and everything else that he provided were
equally excellent. And casting aside idleness and self-importance, the
princess devoted herself with all goodwill to serving the Brahmana.
And the chaste Kunti, of the pure character, moved to these apartments
to wait upon the sage. Serving him faithfully, as if he was a Deva, she made
him happy indeed.”
CANTO 303
V aisampayana continued, “That young princess of the rigid vows

succeeded in pleasing the Brahmana by serving him devotedly.
Foremost of kings, sometimes, saying he would be back in the morning, he
would return in the evening or at night. Regardless, the girl worshipped him
at all hours with offerings of delicious food and drink, and a comfortably
made bed.
Days passed, and her attention to his needs only grew instead of
diminishing. Even when the Brahmana reproved her, finding fault with any
of her arrangements, at times speaking harshly, Pritha never showed any
displeasure or did anything that was disagreeable to him.
On many occasions, the Brahmana came after the appointed hour had
long passed; and on others, in the dead of night, when it was difficult to
serve him food, he would demand a meal. At all those times, Pritha would
give him whatever he asked for. Like a sishya, daughter or young sister, that
blemishless jewel of a girl devotedly served that Brahmana, who was
pleased with her conduct and her caring attention, and he valued her service
highly.
Bhaarata, every morning her father asked her if the Brahmana was
happy with her ministrations, and every day the girl replied that he was.
And at that, the noble Kuntibhoja was delighted.
A whole year went by without that Muni being able to find any fault
with Pritha. One day, he said to her, ‘Gentle maiden, I am pleased with you.
O lovely girl, blessed one, ask me for boons that are difficult for people of
this world to obtain, which will make you more famous than all the women
on Earth.’
Kunti said, ‘I have everything I want because I have made you, who are
learned in the Vedas, happy; and my father is pleased with me. I consider
every boon I could wish for as having already been given to me, O
Brahmana.’
The Brahmana said, ‘Susheela of the sweet smiles, if you do not want
any boon from me, let me give you this mantra to invoke the Devas. Any of
the gods whom you call by chanting this mantra will appear before you and
do as you tell them. Willing or not, by virtue of this mantra, the particular
deity will become your meek and obedient slave, under your control.’
That faultless princess could not, for fear of incurring a curse, refuse the
Brahmana a second time. O king, the Brahmana taught the girl of the tender
limbs the invocations that are recited in the beginning of the Atharva Veda.
Then he said to Kuntibhoja, ‘Rajan, I have lived happily in your house,
always worshipped and lovingly cared for by your daughter. I am going
now.’
And saying this, he vanished from where he stood, leaving the king
amazed. Kuntibhoja praised his daughter Pritha and looked on her with
even more affection.”
CANTO 304
V aisampayana said, “One day, after that great Brahmana had gone,
the young Kunti began to think about the efficacy of mantras she
had learnt, and she said to herself, ‘I wonder what the mantras that the
Mahatman taught me can achieve. Let me chant them now and discover for
myself.’
Even as she thought this, she noticed the signs in her body that signalled
the onset of puberty; she saw that she was menstruating. She was in her
room sitting on her luxurious bed, and she saw the Sun rising in the eastern
sky. Her eyes and her mind were riveted on Surya pulsing with light, and
the slender girl gazed at him in fascination and could not tear her eyes away
from the beauty of the Sun at dawn. Hardly aware of what she did, she
mumrmured the mantra the Brahmana had taught her.
Suddenly, a celestial vision appeared within her and she saw, with her
inner eye, the Sun embodied in a divine form, wearing blazing kavacha and
kundala.
At the sight of Surya Deva, her curiosity to test the mantra was aroused,
and she decided to try it on him. First she went through her pranayama and
then invoked the Maker of Day. Instantly, he presented himself before her.
His skin was golden like honey; his arms were powerful; his neck was
marked with lines as on a conch-shell; he wore glittering bracelets on his
arms and a crown on his head.
And he came to her, smiling and lighting up the chamber with his
brilliance. With his yogic power he divided himself, setting to one side his
burning half, and the other part of him standing before her.
He addressed Kunti in sweet words. The Deva said, ‘Gentle one, I am
bound by your mantra, and I have come to you in obedience. I am yours, to
do whatever you command, princess. Tell me what you would have me do.’
Kunti said nervously, ‘Worshipful one, you may go back to where you
came from. It is only from curiosity that I invoked you. Forgive me, Lord.’
Surya said, ‘O slender-waisted, I will return to where I have come from,
as you command. However, you may not invoke a Deva in vain. Graceful
one, your heart’s intention was to have a son from Surya, a splendid son,
born with kavacha and kundala, and with incomparable prowess. Give
yourself to me, maiden with the swaying gait of a she-elephant. You shall
have a son, just as you wished for.
Gentle girl of the sweet smiles, I will go back only after enjoying you. If
you do not gratify me today, I will curse you in anger and your father and
that Brahmana, as well. I will consume them all, and you will be to blame. I
will exact retribution from your foolish father, who knows nothing of your
wrongdoing, and from that Brahmana, who bestowed mantras on you
without knowing your true character.
Purandara and all the Devas are watching me, and they laugh at me for
having been deceived by you. Look, you can see them with your celestial
vision, which I gave you so that you would be able to see me.’
The virgin princess saw the Devas standing in the heavens, each in his
proper place, and in front of her was the resplendent Suryadeva of the
blinding rays. The girl was frightened when she saw them all, and she
blushed in mortification.
She said to Surya, ‘O Lord of Light, please return to your own place. I
am horrified at the outrage you propose, for I am still a maiden. Only a
father, a mother and other elders can give their daughter’s body away. I will
not sacrifice my virtue; chastity is a woman’s highest dharma. O splendid
one, I called you because I was childishly eager to test the mantras.
Consider that this is the act of a girl of tender years; you must forgive me,
Lord.’
Surya said, ‘Kunti, it is only because you are a young girl that I am
speaking so gently to you. I would not make such concession to any one
else. Surrender, Kunti; you will be happy. Because you have summoned me
with mantras, perfect-limbed one, I cannot leave without achieving my
purpose, for if I do, I will be the laughing-stock of the world and ridiculed
by the Devas. Give in to me; you will have a son in my image, and you will
be praised by the whole world.’ ”
CANTO 305
V aisampayana said, “Try as she might, speaking sweetly, the princess

could not dissuade the Deva of the thousand rays. Afraid of a curse,
she began to reflect on what she ought to do.
She thought, ‘How can my innocent father and that Brahmana be saved
from the angry Vibhavasu’s curse, for which I am to blame. Although tejas
and tapasya can destroy sins, even honest people should avoid them,
particularly if they are young. Because of my youthful folly, I am in a
terrible predicament. I have put myself in the hands of this Deva. Yet, how
can I do what is wrong by giving in to him?’
Wracked by the fear of his curse, and by her own anxiety, a languid
torpor crept over her. She was so confused that she did not know what to
do. Afraid, on the one hand, Rajan, of the reproach of her loved ones if she
yielded to the deity and, on the other, of his curse if she did not, at last the
girl said to the Deva, in a voice trembling and shy, ‘O Lord, as my father
and mother and my friends are still living, I cannot violate my dharma. If I
commit this sin with you, I will sacrifice the honour of this family. If, O
first among heat-givers, you consider this union to be worthy, I will give
myself to you, even though my family has not bestowed me. By the truth
that every being’s virtue, reputation, fame and life are established in you,
may I remain chaste after having surrendered my body to you.’
Surya replied, ‘Neither your father nor your mother, nor any of your
elders has the right to give you away. Blessings be upon you, beautiful girl.
Listen to me:
The word kanya is derived from the root kama, which means desire, and
it is used to denote a virgin because she desires everyone. Therefore, lovely-
hipped one of the finest complexion, a virgin is free to do as she pleases.
You will not, in any way, be committing a sin by giving what I ask. Would
I, who am devoted to the well-being of all creatures, ever do anything that
violates dharma?
Nature’s law dictates that men and women should not be bound by any
restraints. Anything to the contrary is a perversion of nature.
You shall remain a virgin even after having gratified me, and your son
shall be illustrious.’
Kunti said, ‘If, O destroyer of darkness, I have a son from you, grant
that he is born with kavacha and kundala, and that he is mighty-armed and
great.’
Surya answered, ‘Gentle princess, your son shall indeed be mighty-
armed, and decked with divine kavacha and kundala. His armour will be
invulnerable and his earrings made of Amrita.’
Kunti said, ‘If the armour and earrings of the son you will have with me
are truly made of Amrita, then fulfil your desire, O Deva! May my son be
powerful, strong, vigorous and beautiful, like you, and may he be blessed
with virtue.’
Surya said, ‘Noble girl, these kundala were a gift to me from Aditi.
Timid one, I will bestow them and this wonderful armour on your son.’
Kunti then acquiesced, ‘O Lord of light, if I have such a son, I will do
as you say and satisfy your desire.’
Surya Deva said, ‘Tathaastu,’ and that sky ranger, the enemy of
Svarbhanu, with his soul absorbed in yoga, entered into Kunti and touched
her on her navel. Immediately, she lost consciousness and fell onto her bed.
Surya said to her, ‘I leave you now, you of the graceful hips. You shall
give birth to a son who will become the best of all warriors; and you shall
remain a virgin.’
Then, Rajarajan, as the blazing Deva was about to leave, the girl
bashfully whispered to him in her swoon, ‘So be it.’
It was thus that the daughter of king Kuntibhoja, having invoked Surya
and then asked for a son, fell down in a stupor on her bed, like a broken
creeper. And it was thus that, after stupefying her, the god of fierce rays
entered into her through the power of his yoga and impregnated her without
breaking her virginal seal and dishonouring her.
When Surya had gone, the young girl regained consciousness.”
CANTO 306
V aisampayana said, “Lord of the Earth, Pritha’s son was conceived on

the first day of the bright fortnight, in the tenth month of the year.
Carrying a child as radiant as the lord of the stars, the maiden of the shapely
hips hid her pregnancy from fear of disapproval, and no one knew of her
condition. Living as she did in a virgin princess’ apartments, and using all
her guile to carefully conceal her condition, only her nursemaid knew the
truth.
In due time and by the grace of Surya Deva, the young Kunti gave birth
to a godlike son. The baby was clad, like his father, in a coat of mail and
adorned with glittering earrings. His eyes were tawny, like a lion’s; and his
shoulders were broad, like a bull’s.
As soon as he was born, with the help of her nurse, Kunti placed the
infant in a spacious and smooth wicker basket cushioned with silk sheets
and a soft pillow. They coated it with wax, so it would not sink, and
wrapped it in a rich cover. Then, with tears in her eyes, Kunti carried her
baby to the river Aswa and set the basket upon the current.
She knew that an unwed girl should not have a child, yet she wept
piteously, as her son was about to be borne away by the river. Listen to what
she said, as she surrendered the precious basket to the Aswa.
‘My child, may all who live on this Earth—on land, in water, in the sky
and in the heavens—do good to you. May all your paths be blessed. May
you face no obstacles. My son, may all whom you meet be your friends and
bear you no enmity.
May that Lord of all waters, Varuna, protect you in the water. May the
Deva that wanders the skies protect you in the sky. May Surya Deva, first of
heat-givers, your father who gave you to me through destiny, protect you
everywhere. May the Adityas and the Vasus, the Rudras and the Sadhyas,
the Viswas, the Devas and the Maruts, the Cardinal Points with the great
Indra and their guardians presiding over them, and all the heavenly ones
protect you!
Wherever you may be, I will recognise you by your kavacha and
kundala. Your father, the glorious Surya Deva, is fortunate indeed, for, with
his celestial vision, he will watch over you as you float down the river.
Blessed also is that woman who will, O Devaputra, take you for her son,
and who will give you her breast when you are hungry. What a dream she
has dreamed, that woman who adopts you who are as splendid as the Sun,
who wear divine armour and earrings, with your lotus eyes and skin as
lustrous as burnished copper, your lofty, powerful brow and hair ending in
silken curls. Lucky is the woman who will see you crawl on the ground,
covered in mud and uttering the sweetest inarticulate words of infancy.
Blessed is she who will see you reach manhood like a maned Himalayan
lion.’
Rajan, Pritha cried over the basket for a long time before she set it
afloat down the Aswa, in the dead of night, with only her nursemaid beside
her. Though she longed to keep standing there forever, she was afraid that
her father might discover what had happened, and she returned to the
palace. Meanwhile, the basket floated down the Aswa to the river
Charmanwati, and from the Charmanwati into the Yamuna, and then on to
the Ganga. Borne by the Ganga, the basket came at dawn to the city of
Champa, which was ruled by a Suta, a charioteer.
The wonderful coat of mail and earrings, made of Amrita, and destiny,
kept the child safe and alive.”
CANTO 307
V aisampayana said, “It happened that at this time a Suta named

Adhiratha, who was a friend of Dhritarashtra, came to the river
Ganga along with his wife Radha of great beauty. Parantapa, that otherwise
blessed woman had done all she could to have a child, but without success.
Coming that day to the Ganga, she saw a large wicker basket drifting on
Jahnavi’s current. It veered towards the bank where she stood, as if moved
by some unseen hand, and the woman bent to arrest it. She called her
husband Adhiratha the Suta, and he lifted the basket out of the water and
prised it open.
Inside, he saw a boy, dazzling like the morning Sun. The infant wore
golden armour, as if it was his very skin, and his stunningly beautiful face
was adorned with earrings. The Suta and his wife were wonder-struck.
Taking the baby onto his lap, Adhiratha said to his wife, ‘I have never in
my life seen anything so wonderful. This child must be of divine birth.
Surely, seeing us childless, the gods have taken pity on us and sent him to
me.’
Saying this, O Bhumipala, he gave the infant into Radha’s eager arms.
And in accordance with divine law, Radha adopted the child of unearthly
origin and form, who shimmered like lotus-stamens and was handsome past
describing. She lavished him with all her love and care and, naturally
endowed with more than human strength, the child grew apace.
After adopting Karna, Adhiratha had other natural children, and seeing
the child adorned with shining mail and golden earrings, the Brahmanas
named him Vasusena. That is how this resplendent Suryaputra of
immeasurable prowess became the son of a sarathy, and came to be known
as Vasusena and Vrisha.
Pritha discovered through some spies that her child was growing up
amongst the Angas as the eldest son of the sarathy Adhiratha.
When the boy grew into a youth, Adhiratha sent him to Hastinapura.
There, Karna lived with Drona, to learn the Astra Shastra, and the powerful
youth befriended Duryodhana. He acquired all the four kinds of astras from
Drona, Kripa and Parasurama, and achieved renown throughout the world
as a mighty bowman. His friendship with Duryodhana ignited in him a
hatred of the sons of Pritha, his brothers, though he did not know they were
that, and he became obsessed with fighting the noble Phalguna.
O king, from the first time they met, Karna and Arjuna always
challenged each other.
That Karna, born to Kunti of Surya Deva, was being brought up as a
Sutaputra was Surya Deva’s secret. Seeing Karna with his kavacha and
kundala, Yudhishtira was troubled by the thought that he would be
invincible. When, after bathing, Karna worshipped the irradiant Deva at
high noon, Brahmanas came to beg alms of him, and, at that time of his
fervent prayers, there was nothing that he would not give away to them.
And so, one day at that hour, assuming the guise of a Brahmana, Indra
appears before Karna, and says, ‘Give me alms,’ to which Radha’s son
replies, ‘You are welcome.’ ”
CANTO 308
V aisampayana said, “Karna first sees Indra as just another Brahmana

and welcomes him. Adhiratha’s son says to the Brahmana, ‘What
shall I give you—a necklace of gold, beautiful damsels, cattle-rich
villages?’
The Brahmana replies, ‘I do not want you to give me either a golden
necklace or pretty girls, or any other such thing. Give those to men that ask
for them. If you are true to your vow, cut the golden kavacha and kundala
you were born with from your body, and give them to me. Parantapa, I want
you to do this at once; for me this one gift is better than all others.’
Karna says, ‘O Brahmana, I will give you land for a house, beautiful
virgins, cattle and fields; but I cannot give you my kavacha and kundala.’
Despite Karna trying to deflect him in so many ways, that Brahmana
does not want anything else. Although Karna tries his best to placate him
and though he pays him much homage, that Brahmanottama refuses to
compromise on what he wants.
When that Dvijottama refuses to accept anything else, Radha’s son says,
‘Dvijottama, I was born with this kavacha as part of my body, and my
kundala were created from Amrita. They make me invincible in this world,
and I cannot part with them. Brahmanarishabha, let me give you the entire
kingdom of the Earth, with no enemies, and full of prosperity, but not my
kavacha and kundala. Without them, I can be killed by my enemies.’
When the illustrious Brahmana refuses to take any other gift, Karna
says, now with a smile, ‘Devadeva, I have recognised you already. O Lord
Sakra, it is not right that I give you a gift which will bring ignominy upon
you.
You are the king of the Devas, and it is you who should be bestowing
boons on me. If I give you my kavacha and kundala, I will surely meet my
end, and you will as surely be ridiculed. Therefore, O Sakra, take my mail
and my earrings but give me something in return, so that you are not
demeaned. Otherwise, I will not give the kavacha and kundala to you.’
Sakra replies, ‘Even before I came, Surya Deva knew what I intended
and told you about it. Karna, let it be as you wish. Except for the Vajra, tell
me what it is you wish to have.’
Indra’s words fill Karna with delight; his purpose is about to be
accomplished. Intent upon procuring an inexorable astra, he says to Indra,
‘O Vasava, in exchange for my kavacha and kundala earrings, give me a
weapon that cannot be defied, one which will devour enemy armies in battle
array.’
Concentrating his mind to summon that weapon, Indra says to Karna,
‘Give me your kavacha that is your skin, and your kundala, and take this
shakti, but on one condition. When I meet Daityas in battle and loose this
invincible astra, it annihilates the mightiest enemies in their thousands and
flies back to my hand after it has achieved its task. In your hand, however,
Sutaputra, this shakti will slay only one enemy of yours, and having done
so, it will return to me, roaring and ablaze.’
Karna says, ‘There is only one enemy that I wish to slay in battle; he
burns bright and fierce, like a fire, and I am afraid of him.’
Indra says, ‘You shall indeed slay such an enemy in battle, but the one
you wish to kill is protected by an exalted One. Those that are learned in the
Vedas call this One “Invincible Varaha” and “Incomprehensible Narayana”.
Krishna himself protects your sworn enemy.’
Karna says, ‘Even if this is so, O Illustrious, give me the weapon that
will destroy only one powerful enemy, and I will cut the kavacha and
kundala from my body and give them to you. However, grant that my body,
thus wounded, will not be scarred or ugly to behold.’
Indra says, ‘Karna, because you are devoted to the truth, your body will
not be disfigured, and it will not have any scars. O Karna, finest among the
eloquent, you shall be graced with the brilliance and prowess of your father.
Here is my Vasavi shakti; and remember that if you loose this astra in a fit
of anger, while there are still other weapons available to you and your life is
not in immediate danger, it will turn on you.’
Karna says, ‘O Sakra, I will use this Vasavi astra only when I my life is
in imminent peril. This I swear.’
Rajan, Karna accepts the smouldering weapon, and he begins to peel
away the natural kavacha that coats his body. And the entire host of Devas
and Danavas roar aloud to see him paring his own skin. Karna’s face does
not betray his pain, instead he still smiles. Celestial kettle-drums begin to
beat, and heavenly flowers rain down on him.
Karna cuts his golden kavacha from his body and gives it, still dripping
blood, to Indra. From his ears, he cuts his beautiful kundala and gives them,
too, to the Deva king. And for this deed of his, he is called Karna.
Thus tricking Karna, but so giving him immortal fame, Indra is pleased
that he has accomplished the Pandavas’ goal, and he ascends into Devaloka.
Hearing that Karna had been deceived, Dhritarashtra’s sons are dismayed.
On the other hand, learning of what has happened to the Sutaputra, Pritha’s
princes are filled with joy.”
Janamejaya said, “Where were those Kshatriyas, the sons of Pandu, at
that time? Who gave them this welcome news? And what did they do when
the twelfth year of their exile was over? O Illustrious one, tell me all this.”
Vaisampayana said, “By this time, the heroic Pandavas have defeated
the Saindhava king and rescued Krishnaa. They have lived out the entire
term of their painful exile in the jungle; they have heard ancient legends
about Devas and Rishis from Markandeya.
Now those heroes return from their asrama in Kamyaka vana to the
sacred Dwaita vana. With them are all their chariots, their sarathys, their
followers, citizens of their kingdom and their cattle.”
CANTO 309
ARANEYA PARVA
J anamejaya said, “What did the Pandavas do after they had endured
such anguish on the kidnapping of Krishnaa, and after rescuing her?
Vaisampayana said, “After their difficult time, when Krishnaa was
abducted, the ever-glorious Yudhishtira and his brothers leave the Kamyaka
vana and return to the lush Dwaita vana. The sons of Pandu live there with
their wife, frugally, eating fruit, and engaged in their vratas. During their
stay in Dwaita vana, Yudhishtira, Bhimasena, Arjuna and Madri’s sons
undergo a great trial for the sake of a Brahmana. However, their troubles
turn out to be the very means to their future weal. I will tell you of the
strange difficulty that those foremost of Kurus face while living in those
woods, which in the end brings them good fortune. Listen.
Once, as a deer is frolicking about, it happens that two arani sticks,
which a devout Brahmana used to light his daily fire, and his churning-staff
become entangled in its antlers. In alarm, the stag runs out of the asrama,
swiftly and with long leaps, with the sticks and staff still caught on his head.
Kurusthama, the Brahmana sees his most precious possessions, which
he uses to light his sacred fire, being carried away and, utterly distraught,
comes running to the Pandavas.
He goes to Ajatasatru, who is sitting in the forest with his brothers, and
cries, ‘A deer was playing near my asrama, O king, and my fire-sticks and
churning-staff, which I had tied to a tree, got caught in its antlers. That swift
creature fled with great leaps, taking my sticks and staff. Pandavas, you
must follow its tracks and retrieve them for me, so that my agnihotra does
not pause.’
Yudhishtira is concerned. He takes up his bow, and the son of Kunti sets
out at once. His brothers pick up their bows and follow him in search of the
deer, all of them eager to help the Brahmana. The Maharathas spot the deer
quite close by and shoot it with arrows, but, however they try, they cannot
wound the animal at all, and it runs from them.
As they go after it, a long way, the fine stag suddenly vanishes.
Dispirited at having lost their quarry, tired, thirsty and hungry, the Pandavas
sit down in the shade of a banyan tree deep in the forest.
Here, Nakula, who is both disheartened and impatient, says to
Yudhishtira, ‘In our clan, Rajan, we never abandon our dharma, nor do we
ever lose our wealth from idleness. We never refuse or fail anyone who asks
for our help, least of all a Brahmana. Why then have we met this fate
today?’ ”
CANTO 310
ARANEYA PARVA CONTINUED
“Y udhishtira says, ‘There is no limit to troubles, nor is it possible to

determine their final outcome. The Lord Dharma is solely
responsible for giving out the fruits of both punya and paapa.’
Bhima growls, ‘This is the bitter fruit of my not having killed the
Pratikamin on the spot, when he dragged Krishnaa into the Kuru sabha like
a slave.’
Arjuna says softly, ‘We have met with this failure today because I did
nothing to answer the vicious words of the Sutaputra, words that pierced me
to my bones.’
Sahadeva says, ‘Surely, Bhaarata, this calamity has befallen us because
I did not kill Sakuni when he cheated you at dice.’
Yudhishtira says to Nakula, ‘Climb this tree and look around at the ten
points of the horizon. Can you see water or water-plants anywhere near us?
Child, your brothers are tired and thirsty.’
Nakula quickly climbs the tree and, after looking all around, says,
‘Rajan, I see many trees that grow beside some large body of water, and I
hear the cries of cranes. There must surely be water somewhere near.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Handsome one, go and fetch water in these quivers.’
At his elder brother’s command, Nakula hurries towards the trees he
saw, and soon sees a lake of crystallline water, on whose banks cranes live,
and he wants to drink from it. Just then he hears a voice from the sky, which
says, ‘O child, do not drink, for this lake belongs to me. Son of Madri, you
must first answer my questions, and then you may drink to your heart’s
content and also take as much water as you need with you.’
Nakula, however, is parched with thirst and, ignoring the asariri from
the sky, he kneels and drinks the cool water. Immediately he keels over,
dead.
Parantapa, seeing that Nakula is late, Yudhishtira says to Sahadeva,
‘Our brother has been gone a long time. Go and bring your twin back, and
fetch the water, too.’
Sahadeva sets out in the same direction, and soon he comes to the lake
where his brother lies dead on its bank. In shock, and in an agony of thirst,
he goes towards the water, when he hears a voice saying, ‘O child, do not
drink, this lake belongs to me. First answer my questions and then you may
drink and take away as much water as you want.’
But Sahadeva is also parched and, disregarding the disembodied voice,
drinks the water; and immediately he also falls dead.
When Sahadeva does not return, Yudhishtira says to Arjuna, ‘It is a long
time since your brothers went, Bibhatsu. Go and bring them back, as well as
water. You are the one we always turn to when we are in trouble.’
Accordingly, Arjuna takes his bow and arrows, as well as his
unsheathed sword, and goes towards the lake. Arriving, Svetavahana sees
his two younger brothers who had come to fetch water, lying dead. Seeing
them, that lion among men is heartbroken. He raises his bow and looks
around but sees no one in the thick forest that surrounds the lake. He, too, is
tired and goes towards the water.
As he nears it, he hears a voice speaking from the sky, ‘Why are you
going to the water? I am a Yaksha and this lake is mine. I forbid you to
drink from it. O Kaunteya, if you can answer the riddles I will ask you, only
then may you drink and take away as much water as you want.’
Arjuna says, ‘Show yourself and then try to stop me. When my arrows
pierce you, you will never speak again.’ And he sprays his mantra-invoked
arrows all around, displaying his expertise at shabdavedi: shooting an
invisible target, tracking it only by sound. Annoyed by thirst and fatigue, he
looses a towering fountain of countless arrows into the sky.
Then, the invisible Yaksha says, ‘Why do you go through all this
trouble, Partha? You need only answer my questions to drink from the lake.
However, if you drink without doing so, you will also die.’
Arjuna ignores the asariri and helps himself to the water. Immediately,
he drops dead.
On not seeing Arjuna return, Yudhishtira says to Bhimasena,
‘Parantapa, it is such a long time since Nakula, Sahadeva and Bibhatsu
went to fetch water, and they have not yet come back. Bhaarata, bless you,
go and bring them back, and the water, too.’
Bhima sets out at once for the lake where those tigers among men, his
brothers, lie dead. And seeing them, Bhima, afflicted though he is with
thirst, is horrified. The mighty-armed hero thinks that this must be the work
of some Yaksha or Rakshasa. Vrikodara thinks, ‘I will surely have to fight
today. So let me first quench my thirst.’ And he goes quickly towards the
lake to drink the water.
The unseen Yaksha says, ‘O child, do not drink; this lake belongs to me.
First answer my questions, then drink and take away as much water as you
like.’
Bhima does not bother to reply, but bends and drinks from the lake; and
as soon as he does so, he also falls dead.
Yudhishtira waits a little longer, saying to himself, ‘Why are the two
sons of Madri so late? Why does the wielder of the Gandiva delay? And
what keeps mighty Bhima away so long? Ah, I will go and search for
them.’
Tiredly, Yudhishtira gets up, his body burning with thirst and his mind
with some dismay.
Yudhishtira thinks, ‘Is this forest enchanted by some evil spell, or is it
infested by deadly predators? Have they all vanished because they have
disregarded some mighty being? Perhaps they did not find water where they
went and are scouring the forest in search of some? Why have those bulls
among men not returned?’ Thinking these thoughts, the illustrious
Yudhishtira, foremost of monarchs, enters the thick forest where no human
sound is heard, where deer, bears and birds live, where bright green trees
grow like ornaments, where black bees hum and birds warble sweetly.
He comes upon the lovely lake, which looks as if it has been created by
Brahma himself. It is adorned with golden-hued flowers, lotuses and
sindhuvaras, and encircled by dense woods of ketaka, karavira and pipala
trees. The exhausted Yudhishtira sees the lake and is speechless with
wonder.”
CANTO 311
V aisampayana said, “Yudhishtira sees his brothers, all as glorious as

Indra, lying dead, as if they are the Lokpalas fallen from their places
at the end of a yuga. He sees Arjuna’s body, his bows and arrows strewn on
the ground; he sees Bhimasena and the twins lying still; and the king sighs
deeply and tears of sorrow bathe his face.
Dharmaputra, his heart torn in grief, mourns his dead brothers, sobbing,
‘Noble Vrikodara, you swore to smash Duryodhana’s thighs with your mace
in battle. O Mahabaho, you who enhance the glory of the Kurus, your death
has made everything meaningless. The promises that men make may be
futile, but why has the word of God been rendered impotent?
Arjuna, when you were born, while our mother was still in labour, the
gods said to her that you would be the equal of the Deva of the thousand
eyes. And all the beings in the northern Pariyatra mountains sang your
praises, saying that you would be the one who restored their prosperity,
which had been stolen by their enemies. They said that you are invincible in
battle. Why then has the mighty Jishnu succumbed to death? O, why does
Dhananjaya, on whom we pinned our hopes and thus endured all our
misery, lie lifeless on the ground, shattering my faith?
Why have the heroic and mighty sons of Kunti—Bhimasena and
Dhananjaya—who always killed their adversaries and who are irresistible in
battle been overpowered by an enemy?
This vile heart of mine must be made of stone that it does not burst
when I see these twins lying on the forest floor. You bulls among men, who
are versed in the Shastras and learned in the proprieties of time and place,
who are rich in the wealth of tapasya, who are devout in the performance of
all sacred rites, why do you lie so still and not speak to me as you ought?
Ah, undefeated one, how do you lie insensible on the earth although your
bodies are whole and show no injury or wound?’
Looking at his brothers, seeming as if there are in their usual blissful
sleep on the hillside, that king is heartbroken. Sunk in a bottomless well of
grief, he begins to think about what caused their deaths. Although the
virtuous and mighty-armed king, who is learned in the laws that govern
time and place, thinks long and hard, he can come to no conclusion about
what he should do.
After lamenting a long time, Yudhishtira restrains his sorrow and thinks
about who might be responsible for the deaths of his brothers.
He says, ‘There are no marks of weapons on them, nor are there any
footprints on the ground. Whoever has killed my brothers must be powerful
indeed. I will think about this seriously, but first let me drink some water
before I try to discover what happened.
Perhaps the evil Duryodhana arranged for this lake to be created here by
the king of the Gandharvas. No sensible man would trust that vile and
vicious man who sees no distinction between good and evil. Or perhaps, his
own agents have done this awful thing.’
The king reflects in this manner, his mind flying in different directions.
Yudhishtira does not believe that the water is poisoned because he sees that
the bodies have no grey pallor and that the faces are still bright, as if with
life, though they do not breathe.
The king continues his reflections, ‘Each of these Manavottamas is as
potent as a great waterfall. Who but Yama himself, who destroys all things
when their time comes, could have laid my brothers low?’
Coming to this conclusion, he begins to perform his ritual ablutions in
the lake.
As he steps into the water, he hears a voice in the sky, saying, ‘I am a
crane, living on tiny fish. It is I who have brought your brothers under the
reign of the Lord of departed spirits. O Kshatriya, if you do not answer the
questions I ask, you will become the fifth corpse. Do not do anything rash.
This lake belongs to me. Answer my questions first, Kuntiputra, then drink
and take away as much water as you like.’
Hearing this, Yudhishtira says, ‘Are you the Lord of the Rudras, or of
the Vasus, or of the Maruts? Which Deva are you? This could not have been
done by a bird! Who are you that have conquered the four mighty
mountains—Himavat, Pariyatra, Vindhya and Malaya? Great is your feat, O
strongest of the strong. You have killed my brothers whom the Devas,
Gandharvas, Asuras and Rakshasas feared. What you have done is hard to
believe.
I do not know what your intentions are, and I am curious but also
frightened that you have possessed me. My mind is roiled and my head
aches. I ask you, therefore, worshipful one, who are you that live here?’
The voice says, ‘I am a Yaksha, not a krauncha. It is I who killed all
your brothers.’
Hearing these wretched words spoken in a harsh voice, Yudhishtira
approaches the Yaksha and stands before him. That Bharatarishabha sees
the Yaksha—he has strange eyes and a huge body with a tail as big as a
palmyra tree; he blazes like the Sun, like Fire; he is as indomitable as an
immense mountain. He stands on a tree and growls as loudly and deeply as
black clouds.
The Yaksha says, ‘O king, your brothers ignored my warning and drank
from my lake. That is why I killed them. He who wants to live should not
drink this water. Prithaputra, be warned again. This lake belongs to me.
First answer my questions and then take as much water as you want.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘O Yaksha, I do not want what you own. Virtuous
persons do not approve of a man who praises himself. Therefore, humbly,
and to the best of my knowledge, I will answer your questions. Ask me.’
The Yaksha says, ‘What makes the Sun rise? Who stays by him? Who
makes him set? And in who is he established?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Brahma makes the Sun rise; the Devas keep him
company; Dharma makes him set; and he is established in Truth.’
The Yaksha says, ‘How does one become learned? How does one attain
greatness? How can one have a second self? And, O king, how can one
acquire wisdom?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘It is by the study of the Srutis that a person becomes
learned; it is by tapasya that one acquires greatness; it is by intelligence that
a person can have a second self; and it is by serving the old that one
becomes wise.’
The Yaksha says, ‘What is the divine attribute of Brahmanas? What
practices of theirs are pious? What is the human attribute of the
Brahmanas? And what practices of theirs are sinful?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘The study of the Vedas is their divine attribute; their
tapasya is their pious behaviour; their vulnerability to death is their human
attribute; and slander is their inherent tendency to sin.’
The Yaksha says, ‘What is the divine quality of Kshatriyas? What
conduct of theirs is pious? What is their human attribute? What practices of
theirs are sinful?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Arrows and weapons form their divine aspect;
celebration of yagnas is their piety; fear is their human attribute; and a
refusal to give protection is their sin.’
The Yaksha says, ‘What does sacrificial Sama consist of? What makes
the sacrificial Yaju? What is the last resort and essential element of a
yagna?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Life is the Sama of the yagna; the mind is the Yaju;
the Rik is the essential element, which the sacrifice cannot do without.’
The Yaksha says, ‘What is of most value to one that cultivates crops?
What is of most value to the one who sows? What is of most value to one
who desires prosperity in this world? And what is of most value to those
that give birth?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Rain is of most value to those that cultivate; seeds are
of most value to those that sow; the cow is of most value to those that desire
prosperity; and a child is of most value to those that give birth.’
The Yaksha says, ‘Is there a person, who is intelligent, who has the
respect and affection of the world, who enjoys sensual pleasures, and who
though he breathes, is not alive?
Yudhishtira says, ‘The man who makes no offerings to Devas, guests,
servants, Pitrs and to himself, does not live, although he breathes.’
The Yaksha says, ‘What is heavier than Bhumi herself? What is higher
than the Swarga? What is swifter than Vayu? And what is more numerous
than grass?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘The mother is weightier than the Earth; the father is
higher than heaven; the mind is swifter than the wind; and our thoughts are
more numerous than grass.’
The Yaksha says, ‘What does not close its eyes when asleep? What does
not move after being born? What has no heart? And what swells with its
own power?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘A fish does not close its eyes when it sleeps; an egg
does not move after being laid; a stone has no heart; and a river swells with
its own power.’
The Yaksha says, ‘Who is the friend of the exiled? Who is the friend of
the householder? Who is the friend of the ailing? And who is the friend of
one about to die?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘The friend of the exile in a distant land is his
companion; the friend of the householder is his wife; the friend of one who
is ill is the physician; and the friend of one who is about to die is his
charity.’
The Yaksha says, ‘Who is the guest of all creatures? What is the eternal
dharma? What, O king of kings, is Amrita? And what is this entire
Universe?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Agni is the guest of all creatures; cow’s milk is
Amrita; oblation of Amrita is the eternal dharma; and this Universe is just
space.’
The Yaksha says, ‘What is that which journeys alone? What is that
which renews its birth? What is the antidote for cold? And what is the
largest field?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘The Sun journeys alone; the Moon takes birth anew;
Fire is the remedy against cold; and the Earth is the largest field.’
The Yaksha says, ‘What is the highest sanctuary of dharma? What of
fame? What of Swarga? What of happiness?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Liberality is the highest sanctuary of virtue; a gift, of
fame; truth is the sanctuary of heaven; and a good character that of
happiness.’
The Yaksha says, ‘What is the soul of a man? Who is the friend
bestowed on him by the Devas? What is a man’s chief support? And what is
his chief refuge?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘The son is a man’s soul; the wife is the friend
bestowed on man by the gods; the clouds are his chief support; and charity
is his chief refuge.’
The Yaksha says, ‘What is the best of all that is praiseworthy? What is
the most valuable of all possessions? What is the best of all gains? And
what is the best of all the kinds of happiness?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘The best of all praiseworthy things is skill; the best of
all possessions is knowledge; the best of all gains is health; and
contentment is the best of all the kinds of happiness.’
The Yaksha says, ‘What is the greatest dharma in the world? What
virtue always bears fruit? What is that which, if controlled, does not lead to
regret? And who are they with whom a friendship cannot break?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘The greatest dharma is non-violence; the rituals
ordained in the three Vedas always bear fruit; the mind, if controlled, does
not lead to regret; and friendship with the good never breaks.’
The Yaksha says, ‘What, if renounced, makes one likeable? What, if
renounced, causes no regret? What, if renounced, makes one wealthy? And
what, if renounced, makes one happy?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Pride, if renounced, makes one likeable; anger, if
renounced, causes no regret; desire, if renounced, makes one wealthy; and
avarice, if renounced, makes one happy.’
The Yaksha says, ‘Why does one give to Brahmanas? Why to players
and dancers? Why to servants? And why to a king?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘It is for punya that one gives to Brahmanas; it is for
fame that one gives to players and dancers; it is to support them that one
gives to servants; and it is for relief from fear that one gives to kings.’
The Yaksha says, ‘What is the world wrapped in? What prevents a thing
from showing itself? Why are friends forsaken? And why does one fail to
attain heaven?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘The world is enveloped in darkness; darkness does
not permit a thing to show itself; it is from avarice that friends are forsaken;
and it is attachment to the world that prevents one from finding Swarga.’
The Yaksha says, ‘When is a person considered dead? When is a
kingdom considered dead? When is a sraddha considered dead? And when
is a sacrifice considered dead?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘A man without wealth may be regarded as dead; a
kingdom without a king may be regarded as dead; a sraddha performed
without a learned priest may be regarded as dead; and a sacrifice without
gifts to Brahmanas may be regarded as dead.’
The Yaksha says, ‘What is the way? What is water? What is food? And
what is poison? Tell me also what the proper time is for a sraddha; and then
you may drink and take away as much water as you like.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘The virtuous are the way; the sky is water; the cow is
food; and a request is poison. The availability of a Brahmana is regarded as
the proper time for a sraddha. What do you think of all this, O Yaksha?’
The Yaksha says, ‘What is the sign of asceticism? What is true
restraint? What is forgiveness? And what is shame?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Faithfulness to one’s dharma is asceticism; the
restraint of the mind is true restraint; forgiveness is the ability to endure an
enemy; and shame is refraining from evil actions.’
The Yaksha says, ‘O king, what is knowledge? What is tranquillity?
What is mercy? And what is simplicity?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘True knowledge is knowledge of divinity; true
tranquillity is that of the heart; true mercy is the desire for universal
happiness; and true simplicity is equanimity.’
The Yaksha says, ‘What enemy is invincible? What is an incurable
disease for man? What sort of man is honest; and what man is dishonest?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Anger is the invincible enemy; covetousness is the
incurable disease; the honest man is the one who wants the well-being of all
creatures; and the dishonest man is one who has no compassion.’
The Yaksha says, ‘O king, what is ignorance? What is pride? What is
idleness? And what is grief?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Ignorance is not knowing one’s svadharma; pride is
having a high opinion of oneself; idleness is not doing one’s duty; and grief
is ignorance.’
The Yaksha says, ‘What do the Rishis refer to as steadfastness? What do
they consider patience to be? What do they think of as a proper ablution?
And what do they say is charity?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Rishis say that steadfastness is adherence to one’s
own religion; patience is subduing the senses; washing the mind clean of
impurities is the proper bath; and protecting all creatures is charity.’
The Yaksha says, ‘Who is a learned man? Who is an atheist? Who is an
ignorant man? What is desire and where does it spring from? And what is
envy?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘He that knows his dharma is learned; he that is
ignorant is an atheist, and the atheist is ignorant, too; desire springs from
possessions; and envy is nothing but grief.’
The Yaksha says, ‘What is pride? What is hypocrisy? What is the grace
of the gods, and what is wickedness?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Stolid ignorance is pride. Hypocrisy is to wave the
banner of religion; the grace of the gods is the fruit of one’s charity; and
wickedness is speaking ill of others.’
The Yaksha says, ‘Dharma, artha and kama are opposed to one another.
How can these exist together?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘When a man’s wife and his dharma do not oppose
each other, then all the three you mention can exist together.’
The Yaksha says, ‘O Bharatarishabha, what man is condemned to
everlasting naraka? Tell me this quickly.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘He who calls a poor Brahmana with the promise of a
gift and then tells him there is none lives in hell forever. He who gives false
meaning to the words of the Vedas, of the Dharma Shastras, of Brahmana’s
and of Devas, and of rituals that honour the Pitrs also goes to hell
everlasting. He that is wealthy but never gives any charity, nor enjoys his
possessions because of miserliness and greed, saying he has none, also lives
in eternal hell.’
The Yaksha says, ‘O king, how does a person become a Brahmana—by
birth, by conduct, by learning or by study? Tell me this with certainty.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Listen, O Yaksha, it is neither birth, nor study, nor
learning that makes a Brahmana. Without doubt, it is good character that
makes one a Brahmana. Good conduct should always be maintained,
especially by a Brahmana. One who is constant in good conduct is always
strong. Masters and disciples, and all who study the scriptures, are
considered illiterate if they have bad habits. The truly learned man is one
who performs his duties faithfully. Even the man who has studied the four
Vedas is regarded as vile and wretched, scarcely distinguishable from a
Sudra, if his behaviour is unbecoming. Only he who performs the agnihotra
and has his senses under control is a Brahmana.’
The Yaksha says, ‘What does the man who speaks pleasantly gain?
What does the man who acts judiciously gain? What does the man who has
many friends gain? And what does he who is devoted to dharma gain?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘He who speaks pleasantly is liked by all; he who acts
judiciously gets whatever he wants; he who has many friends lives happily;
and he who is devoted to dharma gains bliss in the next world.’
The Yaksha says, ‘Who is truly happy? What is most wonderful? What
is the path? And what are the perennial tidings? Answer these four
questions of mine and your dead brothers will return to life.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘O amphibious one, a man who cooks in his own
house during the fifth or the sixth part of the day, with few vegetables, who
is not in debt and who does not leave home, is truly happy. Day after day,
countless creatures go to Yamaloka, yet those that remain behind believe
they are immortal. What can be more wonderful than this? Argument never
to any certain conclusion; the Srutis are all different; there is no Rishi
whose opinion everybody accepts; the truth about dharma is hidden in
caves; therefore, that is the path that the great have taken. This world, full
of ignorance, is like a pot; the Sun is fire, the days and nights are fuel; the
months and the seasons make up the wooden ladle; time is the cook that
stirs all creatures in that pot. These are unchanging tidings.’
The Yaksha says, ‘Parantapa, you have answered all my questions, and
correctly. Tell me now, who is truly a man; and what man truly possesses
every kind of wealth?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Reports of one’s good deeds reach Swarga and spread
across Bhumi. As long as these reports are alive, so long does a man, to
whom persons pleasant or otherwise, happiness and sorrow, past and future
are the same, possess every kind of wealth.’
The Yaksha says, ‘O king, since you have correctly told me who is a
man and what man has every kind of wealth, one of your brothers may live
again.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Let this dark-skinned one, whose eyes are red, who is
tall like a large Sala tree, whose chest is broad and arms long, let Nakula, O
Yaksha, rise and live.’
The Yaksha says, ‘Bhimasena is very dear to you, and Arjuna is the one
on whom you all depend. Why, then, do you wish to give life to a half-
brother? How can you forsake Bhima, who is as strong as ten thousand
elephants, for Nakula? Everyone says that you love Bhima dearly. Then
why do you ask for Nakula’s life? Why do you sacrifice Arjuna, of the
mighty arms, whom all the Pandavas idolise, for Nakula’s sake?
Yudhishtira says, ‘If dharma is sacrificed, he that sacrifices it is lost;
virtue cherishes the man who cherishes it. So I am careful that dharma, by
being sacrificed, does not sacrifice us. I never abandon dharma. Abstention
from doing injury is the highest dharma, even higher than the most valuable
object. I try to practise that virtue. Therefore, revive Nakula, O Yaksha. Let
men know that the king is always virtuous. I will never deviate from
dharma. Let Nakula, therefore, live.
My father had two wives, Kunti and Madri. Let both of them have
living children. This is what I wish. Madri is as much a mother to me as
Kunti; I make no difference between them. I wish to act equally towards my
mothers. Therefore, let Nakula live.’
The Yaksha says, ‘Since you consider non-violence to be more
important than artha and kama, I will restore the lives of all your brothers,
O bull among the Bhaaratas.’ ”
CANTO 312
V aisampayana said, “At the Yaksha’s words, the Pandavas awake and
get up, as if from a deep slumber. They are no longer hungry or
thirsty.
Yudhishtira says, ‘What Deva are you, invincible one, who stands on
one leg in a lake? I cannot believe that you are a Yaksha. Are you a chief of
the Vasus or of the Rudras, or the Lord of the Maruts? Or are you the Lord
of the Devas, the wielder of the Vajra? Each of my brothers is capable of
fighting like a hundred thousand warriors, and I do not see a warrior who
could kill them all. They have woken up refreshed, as if from a pleasant
sleep. Are you a friend of ours, or our father himself?’
The Yaksha says, ‘Child, I am your father Dharma Deva.
Bharatarishabha, I came here from a desire to see you. Fame, truth, self-
restraint, purity, candour, modesty, steadfastness, charity, tapasya and
brahmacharya are my physical body. Non-violence, impartiality, peace,
penance, sanctity and freedom from malice are the doors through which I
can be reached. You are always dear to me. Fortunately, you are devoted to
the practice of the five virtues—equanimity of mind, self-control,
abstinence from sensual indulgence, forgiveness and yoga. Fortunately, too,
you have conquered the afflictions of hunger, thirst, sorrow, delusion,
decrepitude and death. Of the six, the first two manifest themselves in the
first part of life, the second two in the middle and the last two at the end in
order to send men to the next world.
I bless you, my son! I am Dharma, the Lord of Justice. I came here to
test you, and I am pleased to see your spirit of compassion. Anagha, I will
grant you boons. Rajarajan, ask what you wish for and I will grant it. Those
that are devoted to me never suffer.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘A deer carried away a Brahmana’s fire-sticks; so the
first boon I ask is that the Brahmana’s worship of Agni is not interrupted.’
The Yaksha says, ‘Kuntiputra, it was I in the form of a deer who carried
away the Brahmana’s fire-sticks, to test you.’ That Deva says, ‘I grant you
the boon you ask, and I bless you again. Godlike, ask for another boon.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘We have spent the past twelve years in jungles and
are now in the thirteenth year of our exile. Grant that no one will recognise
us, wherever we choose to spend this year.’
The Deva says, ‘I grant this boon,’ and reassuring Kunti’s son whose
strength is truth, he says, ‘Bhaarata, I grant that even if you range all the
Earth in your own forms none in the three worlds shall recognise you. You
perpetuators of the Kuru line, by my grace, you will spend this thirteenth
year disguised and unrecognised in Virata’s kingdom. You will all be able,
at will, to assume any form you like. Now give the Brahmana his fire-
sticks. It was only to test you that I carried them away as a deer.
Noble Yudhishtira, ask for another boon of your choice, and I will give
it to you. I have not had my fill of giving you boons. Take a third boon that
is great and incomparable. Rajan, you are my son, and Vidura is an amsa of
me.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Eternal Devadeva, it is enough that I have seen you in
your physical form. Father, I will gladly accept whatever boon you give me.
May I always conquer greed, folly and anger, and may my mind be always
devoted to daana, satya and tapasya.’
Dharmadeva says, ‘Pandava, you are naturally endowed with these
qualities, because you are dharma embodied. However, since you ask, I give
you what you ask for.’
With these words, Dharma, on whom all the worlds meditate, vanishes.
The noble Pandavas are united with each other after their plumbless sleep.
No longer tired, the Kshatriyas return to the asrama and restore his fire-
sticks to the Brahmana.
The man who listens to this great and fame-enhancing story of how the
Pandavas are revived, and of the meeting of father and son, earns perfect
tranquillity of mind, and he gets sons and grandsons, as well as a long life
of more than a hundred years. The mind of the man who takes this story to
heart never delights in adharma, in discord among friends, in theft, in taking
other men’s wives, or in evil thoughts.”
CANTO 313
V aisampayana said, “In obedience to Dharma’s bidding to spend their

thirteenth year, the one of ajnatavasa, in disguise, the Pandavas,
observant of vows and with truth as their strength, sit with the learned
Munis who, out of love, share their exile in the forest. With their hands
joined in reverence, they speak to the tapasvins to have their blessings to
spend the thirteenth year in this way.
They say, ‘You all know that the sons of Dhritarashtra deceitfully
deprived us of our kingdom and wronged us in many other ways. We have
passed twelve years of privation in the forest. The thirteenth year, which we
have to spend undiscovered, still remains. We ask your permission to spend
this year in hiding. If they discover us, Suyodhana, Karna and Subala’s vile
son will make our friends and our people pay dearly. So, we must part ways
here, O adored Djivas, for when our ajnatavasa ends, must we not establish
ourselves in our own kingdom again?’
That pure-hearted son of Dharma is overwhelmed with grief at the
thought of parting from the loyal Brahmanas and, breaking into loud sobs,
he faints. The Brahmanas and his brothers revive him and try to cheer him.
Then, Dhaumya says with some gravity, ‘Rajan, you are learned,
capable of withstanding great privation, firm in promise, and of subdued
senses. Men like you do not crumble in the face of misfortune. The very
Devas have wandered the worlds in disguise so they might prevail over
their enemies.
Indra lived disguised in the Giriprastha’s asrama in the Nishada
kingdom and achieved his goal. Before he was born from Aditi, Vishnu
spent a long time disguised as Hayagriva, the horse-headed, in order to
vanquish the Daityas. You know that He disguised himself as a dwarf and
deprived Mahabali of his kingdom. And you have heard how Hutasana
went into the water and remained hidden in order to achieve a purpose of
the gods.
O Dharmatma, you have heard that, wishing to vanquish his enemies,
Vishnu entered Sakra’s Vajra and lay hidden there. You have heard of the
task that the Rishi Aurva once performed for the gods, by staying concealed
in his mother’s womb. Living hidden in every part of the Earth, Vivaswata
used his energy and consumed his enemies with fire. And living disguised
in the home of Dasaratha, Vishnu of the dreadful deeds slew Ravana
Dasagriva in battle.
Many exalted ones have conquered their enemies by going for some
time disguised, and so you will you.’
Encouraged by Dhaumya’s words, Yudhishtira, relying on his own
wisdom and knowledge gleaned from the scriptures, recovers his
composure.
Now Mahabaho Bhimasena, that strongest of the strong, boosts the
king’s spirits.
He says, ‘The wielder of the Gandiva looks to you for permission to
have our revenge and, duty-bound, he has not done anything impulsive.
Although Nakula and Sahadeva of the fearful prowess can raze our
enemies, I have restrained them from doing so. We shall never swerve from
our obedience to your will. Tell us what we should do. We shall conquer our
enemies very soon.’
When Bhimasena says this, the Brahmanas bless the Bhaaratas, take
leave of them and return to their homes. All those foremost of Yatis and
Munis, versed in the Vedas, go back, but in excited expectation of seeing
the Pandavas return to the home of their sires. The five Pandavas, equipped
with their bows, and accompanied by Dhaumya, set out with Krishnaa.
Each of them is accomplished in a different shastra; all of them are
proficient in mantras and know when to make peace and when to wage war.
Those Purushavyaghras, who are about to start living in disguise the next
day, go a krosa from their asrama and sit down to seek one another’s
counsel,” said Vaisampayana.
The End of Vana Parva
Virata Parva
CANTO 1
PANDAVA PRAVESHA PARVA
A UM! Having bowed down to Narayana and Nara, foremost of

Purushas, and to the Devi Saraswati, I invoke the spirit of Jaya!
Janamejaya said, “Brahmana, how did my great-grandfathers live
undiscovered in the city of Virata, fearful as they were of Duryodhana?
How did their devoted wife, the most blessed Draupadi, unswerving in her
faith in God, and in the grip of misery, spend her days without being
recognised?”
Vaisampayana said, “Hear, O lord of men, how your great-grandfathers
pass the period of their exile in King Virata’s city without being discovered.
Having obtained boons from Dharma Deva, Yudhishtira returns to the
asrama and tells the Brahmanas all that has befallen them. Then, to the
Brahmana who followed him, he restores the fire sticks and the churning
staff that he had lost.
After that, O Bhaarata, Yudhishtira Dharmaputra calls together all his
younger brothers and says, ‘We have passed twelve years in exile from our
kingdom. This, our thirteenth and most difficult year has come. Arjuna, you
choose a suitable place where we can spend our days undetected by our
enemies.’
Arjuna says, ‘Lord of men, Dharma Deva’s boon will enable us to go
where we please and yet escape discovery. Still, I will suggest some
pleasant and secluded places where we can live and you can choose one of
them.
Surrounding the kingdom of the Kurus are many beautiful and bountiful
lands such as Panchala, Chedi, Matsya, Surasena, Pattachchara, Dasarna,
Navarashtra, Malla, Salva, Yugandhara, Saurashtra, Avanti, and the
expansive Kuntirashtra. Which of these would you choose, Rajan? Where
shall we spend this year?’
Yudhishtira says to his brothers, ‘Mahabahos, whatever the Lord of all
creatures has decreed must come to pass. Even so, after consulting together
we must choose an agreeable and auspicious place where we can live free
from fear. The aged Virata, king of the Matsyas, is virtuous, powerful and
charitable. All men like him, and he is fond of us Pandavas. In his city then,
let us spend this year and enter his service. Tell me, sons of Kuru, in what
guises will you each present yourselves before king Virata of the Matsyas?’
Arjuna says, ‘God among men, what service will you perform in
Virata’s kingdom? In what role will you live in the city of Virata? You are
mild and kind-hearted, modest and virtuous, and a man of honour. Rajan, in
your present adversity, what will you do? A king has to face troubles just
like everyone else. How will you rise above yours?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Purusharishabhas, hear what I will do when I appear
before king Virata. I will present myself as Kanka, a Brahmana skilled in
the game of dice who enjoys playing, and become a courtier in Virata’s
sabha. I will entertain the king, his courtiers and his friends by astute moves
of ivory chessmen—blue and yellow, red and white—on chessboards, and
by clever throws of the black and red dice. Nobody will succeed in
discovering me. And should the monarch be curious about me, I will say
that I used to be a close friend of Yudhishtira’s. This is how I intend to pass
my days.
What work will you do, Vrikodara, in the city of Virata?’ ”
CANTO 2
PANDAVA PRAVESHA PARVA CONTINUED
“B hima says, ‘I will present myself before lord Virata as Ballava, a

cook. I am skilled in the culinary arts; I will prepare food for the
king that is better than anything his best cooks have ever set before him and
thus charm him. I will carry mighty loads of wood and, seeing that amazing
feat, the king will be pleased. O Bhaarata, the servants of the royal
household will honour me when they see my superhuman abilility, and I
will gain control of the royal storerooms.
I will be commanded to subdue powerful elephants and mighty bulls,
which I will do. I will entertain the king by defeating anyone who
challenges me in combat. However, I shall not take a life; I will only bring
the man down without killing him. And if I am asked about my past, I will
say that I was a wrestler and cook in Yudhishtira’s court. Rajan, that is how
I will spend our thirteenth year.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘And, Bhima, what occupation will Dhananjaya have,
this mighty scion of the Kurus, son of Kunti, best of men, long-armed,
invincible in battle; to whom, while he was with Krishna, the divine Agni
himself, wanting to consume the Khandava vana in flames, appeared
humbly in the guise of a Brahmana? What can Arjuna undertake, this
mightiest of Kshatriyas who pleased Agni by killing huge Nagas and
Rakshasas from a single chariot, and who married the sister of the Naga
king Vasuki?
Even as the Sun is the lord of all heat-givers, the Brahmana the best
among all humans, the cobra the foremost of all serpents, Fire the first of all
things of energy, the Vajra the most powerful of all weapons, the humped
bull the greatest among bovines, the Ocean of all water-bodies, as rain-
clouds are the best of all clouds, as Ananta is the chief of all Nagas,
Airavata the mightiest of all elephants, as a son is the most beloved of loved
ones and the wife the best of all friends, so is young Gudakesa the supreme
bowman.
Bhaarata, what calling will he pursue, Bibhatsu the wielder of the
Gandiva; whose chariot is drawn by white horses; who is equal to Indra and
Krishna? What career will he have, who lived five years in the abode of the
thousand-eyed Indra? He shines in celestial splendour and has mastered the
Devastras. In my eyes he is the tenth Rudra, the thirteenth Aditya, the ninth
Vasu and the tenth Graha.
The skin on his long, ambidextrous arms has become callused and
scarred, as on the humps of bulls, by constant wielding of the bow. He is the
greatest of Kshatriyas: he is as Himavat among mountains, as Varuna
among water-bodies, as Sakra among the Devas, as Agni among the Vasus,
as the tiger among beasts, as Garuda among birds!’
Arjuna says, ‘Lord of the Earth, I will declare myself a eunuch. It is
surely difficult to hide the marks of the bowstring on my arms, but I will
cover both my scarred arms with bangles. I will adorn my ears with earrings
and my wrists with bracelets of conch-shells. I will wear my hair in a long
braid and pose as one of the third sex.
Brihannala will be my name, and passing for a hermaphrodite, I will
entertain the king and the women of the harem by telling them stories. I will
instruct the ladies of Virata’s palace in singing and dancing and teach them
to play musical instruments. I will also tell of great men’s feats of valour,
and so hide in disguise.
Should the king enquire, I will say that I worked in Yudhishtira’s palace
as Draupadi’s sairandhri, her main waiting-maid. Best of kings, concealing
myself like this, as fire is covered by ashes, I will pass my days quite
happily in Virata’s palace.’ ”
CANTO 3
V aisampayana said, “Arjuna falls silent and Yudhishtira addresses

another of his brothers.
Yudhishtira says, ‘Gentle Kshatriya Nakula, your tender nature deserves
a life of ease. What career will you follow whilst living in the dominions of
king Virata? Tell me what you plan.’
Nakula says, ‘I will take the name Granthika and become the keeper of
the king’s horses. I have a deep knowledge of horses; I am skilful in caring
for them and enjoy the work. I am good at training them and very fond of
them, even as you are, O my brother. In my hands even high-spirited colts
and fillies become docile and carry their riders and draw their chariots
gently.
And if anyone in Virata’s city should ask about me, I will say that I was
once employed by Yudhishtira and given charge of his stables. In this
disguise, Rajan, I will spend my days happily in the city of Virata. No one
will discover my true identity, for I will please the king with my work.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘How will you, Sahadeva, present yourself before the
king? And what will you do, child, in order to go undiscovered?’
Sahadeva replies, ‘Rajan, I will become a keeper of Virata’s cattle. I am
skilled at milking cows and know all about their pedigrees, and I am also
good at taming bulls. I will call myself Tantripala and perform my duties
ably. Let your anxiety be stilled, Bhumipala; I used to look after your herds
and have deep knowledge of the work.
I know a great deal about cattle, their markings, and also much else
about them. I can recognise bulls with certain auspicious marks, the scent of
whose urine can make a barren woman fertile. I have always enjoyed this
work, so that is how I will live. I will please the king and certainly no one
will recognise me.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Draupadi is our beloved wife, dearer to us than our
lives. She deserves to be cherished by us like a mother and respected as an
elder sister. Unacquainted as she is with any womanly chores, what service
will Krishnaa perform? Delicate and young, she is a princess whose virtue
and devotion to her lords is well known. How will she live, who from the
time of her birth has enjoyed nothing but fragrant flower garlands and
perfume, ornaments and fine clothes?’
Draupadi says, ‘There is a class of women known as sairandhris, who
serve as important waiting-maids. Usually, women from respectable
families do not become sairandhris, but some do. I will pose as one of these
few. I shall be a sairandhri skilled in dressing hair, and if questioned I will
say that I served in Yudhishtira’s household as Draupadi’s main waiting-
woman. And in this way I will pass my days in disguise, serving the famous
Sudeshna, king Virata’s queen. Surely, she will be pleased with my services.
Do not grieve so, Rajan.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Krishnaa, your words are sweet but, beautiful one,
you are born into royalty. Chaste and always true to your vows, you have
always lived a virtuous life and do not know what sin is; therefore conduct
yourself in such a way that sinful men may not cast their eyes on you for
their pleasure.’ ”
CANTO 4
“Y udhishtira says, ‘You have all decided how to occupy yourselves

sensibly, and I have, too. Our priest, the charioteers and cooks
must go to Drupada’s palace and keep our sacrificial fires burning.
Indrasena and the others will take the chariots and leave at once for
Dwaravati. Draupadi’s maids can go to the Panchalas with the sarathys and
our cooks. All of them must say that they do not know where the Pandavas
went after leaving them at the lake in Dwaita vana.’
Now the Pandavas ask Dhaumya for his counsel. Dhaumya says, ‘Sons
of Pandu, the arrangements you have made for the Brahmanas, your friends,
the chariots, weapons and the sacred fires are excellent. But, Yudhishtira
and Arjuna, you must be particularly watchful of Draupadi’s safety. You
know what men are like.
However knowledgeable you are, as your friend I take the liberty of
telling you what you already know, which is in the eternal interest of
dharma, kama and artha. Listen to me carefully and remember my words.
To live in the court of a king is difficult, but I will tell you how you can
be ideal members of a royal household. O Kurunandanas, you must
somehow spend this year in the palace without being discovered; only thus
will you be able to peacefully live out the final year of your exile.
Pandavas, the king, under whose protection everyone comes, is God in
human form; he is like a fire sanctified by mantras.
First of all, only present yourselves before the king after obtaining
permission at the gate. None of you should have any contact with royal
spies; nor should any of you try to have a court position that someone else
aspires to. If you find the king’s favour, you must never use the king’s
personal chariot, sit on his throne or ride on his elephant. Also, avoid
important positions whose occupation alarms envious and malevolent men.
Only conducting yourselves thus, will you deserve to live in the king’s
household.
Offer the king advice only when he asks for it. Praise and pay homage
to him at the appropriate time; at other times sit silently and respectfully
beside him. Kings get annoyed with babblers and courtiers who speak ill of
others.
Be wise; don’t initiate friendship with the queen or ladies of the
antahpura, or with anyone that the king dislikes. Whatever you do must be
with the king’s knowledge, and you must be willing to perform even the
most trivial task for him. If you behave in this way you will not come to any
harm.
Even if one of you attains the highest office, you should always uphold
the king’s dignity by your silence: consider yourself born blind, unless you
are commanded by him. Parantapas, if their pride is wounded, the rulers of
men do not forgive even their sons, grandsons and brothers. Kings should
be served with the same attentiveness with which you serve Agni and the
other Devas. If you are disloyal to your sovereign, he will destroy you.
Renounce anger, pride and indiscretion, and always be obedient to the
king. After a careful study of various matters at hand, present to the king
only those that are both beneficial and gratifying. If there happens to be
something that is definitely beneficial, you must tell the king of it, even if it
is unpleasant. You must always put the interests of the king first and never
speak offensively or unnecessarily.
Be alert and never become complacent in the king’s affection. Always
focus on his happiness and prosperity, remain steadfast and do not swerve
from your allegiance to him. Do not befriend the king’s enemies. Never
wrong the king. This is the way to succeed in a royal household.
A wise man sits beside the king, on his right or left; he should not sit
behind him, for that is the place for his armed guards; and to sit in front of
him is forbidden. None of you should ingratiate yourselves with the king by
intervening while he is dealing with his subjects’ grievances. Even if the
supplicant is poor and needy, such behaviour is inexcusable.
Never reveal a falsehood that the king may have spoken, because the
king will hate those who expose his lies. Remember that kings distrust men
who show themselves as being clever. You should not be vain about your
bravery or intelligence. You will earn the monarch’s respect and enjoy a
prosperous life by being humble and subservient to the king’s wishes. And
Bhaaratas, even when you acquire wealth—which is not easy—and lead a
comfortable life, you should continue to work towards the king’s advantage
and pleasure. Which man who is held in high regard would even think of
displeasing the one whose anger results in the worst failure and whose
favour brings great rewards?
You should always sit still in the king’s presence. Speak mildly and use
your spittoon softly when you are with the king. Do not laugh loudly or
uproariously, nor be unnaturally grave when you see something amusing.
Show your interest by smiling discreetly. If you are always conscious of the
king’s welfare, if you do not allow rewards to elate you or sorrows to deject
you, then you will thrive in the king’s court.
If you are wise and make the king and his princes happy by speaking
pleasantly, you will become the king’s favourite. And if, as the favourite
courtier, you should then lose royal favour for a good reason, yet still do not
speak ill of the king, you will regain it in time. If you are astute, you will
speak only in praise of the king, both in his presence and out of it.
If you manipulate the king in order to achieve your own objective, you
will jeopardise your position in court and risk death. Never initiate
communications with the king’s enemies with a view to furthering yourself.
You should never try to best the king at any skill or talent. Be cheerful and
mild-mannered, honest, strong and courageous; but live in the king’s
shadow. These qualities will make you worthy of living in the royal
household.
When you are given a responsibility, accept it readily. This will make
you deserving of living in the king’s palace. If you are entrusted with a task,
either within or outside the king’s dominion, undertake it boldly for then
you will deserve to live in the royal household. Although you are far away
from home, do not show your grief at the absence of loved ones; show that
you are willing to endure deprivation in expectation of future happiness.
This is how you will succeed in living in the king’s household.
You should not dress as grandly as the king; you should not laugh
loudly in his presence; you should never divulge royal secrets. This is how
you will win the king’s favour. You should never be tempted by bribes to
complete work that is assigned to you. This could lead to imprisonment,
even death. You should always use the clothes, jewels and chariots that, in
his magnanimity, the king gives you. This will please him.
My children, Pandavas, discipline yourselves during this year. Once you
regain your kingdom, you can live as you please.’
Yudhishtira says to Dhaumya, ‘You have tutored us well, O Dhaumya.
May you be blest. No one could have advised us as you have, other than our
mother Kunti and the wise Vidura. Now, you must perform the needful
ceremonies for our departure, to help us come safely through our
difficulties, and finally to vanquish our enemies.’
Dhaumya, the best of Brahmanas, performs the proper rites of leave-
taking. He lights the fires and offers oblations accompanied by mantras. He
prays for the prosperity and success of the Pandavas and for their re-
conquest of the world. The Pandavas walk in pradakshina around sacred
Agni and the holy Brahmanas, and set out with Yagnaseni at the head of
their little procession of six.
When the noble Kshatriyas have left, Dhaumya takes their sacred fires
and sets out for the Panchala kingdom. Indrasena and the others go to the
Yadavas and live there in contentment, looking after the Pandavas’ horses
and chariots.”
CANTO 5
PANDAVA PRAVSEHA PARVA CONTINUED
V aisampayana said, “The princes strap their swords around their

waists, put on their lizard-skin finger guards and arm themselves
with their other weapons. Closing the chapter of their life in dense forests
and inaccessible mountain ranges, impatient to end their exile and recover
their kingdom, the mighty warriors stride towards the southern bank of the
river Kalindi.
Those Kshatriyas, who have been living like forest-dwelling deer
hunters, pass through Yakriloma and Surasena. They pass the Panchala
kingdom on their right and the Dasarna kingdom on their left. Now pale and
bearded from their years in the forest, they finally emerge from it and enter
the Matsya kingdom, still in the guise of hunters.
Here Krishnaa says to Yudhishtira, ‘O look at these footpaths and fields.
It seems the city is still some distance away. I am tired; let us break our
journey and spend the night here.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Arjuna, carry Panchali in your arms. We have just
this forest to cross and we shall arrive at the city.’
Like the bull-elephant of the herd, Arjuna picks Draupadi up in his arms
and sets her down only when they near the city.
On reaching the city, Yudhishtira says to Arjuna, ‘Where shall we leave
our weapons before we enter? If, my brother, we go in armed, we will cause
alarm. Also, everyone will recognise the Gandiva and it will not take them
long to know who we are. Remember that if even one of us is discovered,
by our oath we must pass another twelve years in the forest.’
Arjuna says, ‘Close to that smasana you see over there, near that steep
hill, is a huge sami tree, difficult to climb because of its wildly spreading
branches. Nobody will see us hiding our weapons there, or discover them
when they are hidden, Pandava. The tree stands in the heart of a remote
forest full of predators and crawling with snakes; and the gloomy cemetery
is right beside it. Let us store our weapons in the sami tree and then, without
anxiety, go to Virata’s city.’
Saying this to Yudhishtira, Arjuna prepares to conceal the weapons in
the tree. He loosens the string of the great and dreadful Gandiva, the bow
whose twang fills the air like thunder, which razes enemies, with which
Arjuna has single-handedly conquered Devas, Manavas, Nagas and entire
kingdoms.
Then Yudhishtira unties the wondrous, undecaying string of his bow,
with which he defended Kurukshetra. And the illustrious, pure-hearted
Bhimasena unstrings his bow, with which he defeated the Panchalas and the
lord of Sindhu, with which he singly opposed countless enemies who only
had to hear the deafening mountain-splitting sound of his weapon to make
them flee in panic from the battlefield.
Nakula, the copper-skinned, soft-spoken son of Pandu, named for his
exceptional handsomeness, unfastens the string of his bow, with which he
conquered all the western lands. The heroic but mild-mannered Sahadeva
undoes the string of his bow with which he subjugated the southern
countries.
With the bows, they place their flashing swords and quivers of razor-
sharp arrows. Nakula climbs the tree and fastens this armoury in it, tying
the weapons securely on high sturdy branches sheltered from the rain.
The Pandavas take a corpse from the neaby cemetery and hang it from
the sami tree, knowing that anyone who even whiffs the stench of rotting
flesh will avoid that place.
Just at that time, some cowherds happen to pass by and ask about the
corpse. The Pandavas say to them, ‘This is our mother, who was a hundred
and eighty years old. We have hung her body from the tree, according to our
ancient custom.’
At last, those slayers of their foes approach the city. Yudhishtira gives
himself and his brothers other names to be part of their disguise: Jaya,
Jayanta, Vijaya, Jayatsena, and Jayatbala. They go towards the great city to
pass the thirteenth year of their exile undiscovered, as they vowed they
would to Duryodhana.”
CANTO 6
V aisampayana said, “As he nears Virata’s city, Yudhishtira meditates

on the divine Devi Durga and salutes her in praise. She is the
supreme Goddess of the universe, born from the womb of Yasoda, font of
the boons bestowed on her by Narayana, sprung from the race of the
cowherd Nanda, giver of prosperity, enhancer of the glory of his bhaktas,
nemesis of Kamsa, destroyer of Asuras. She, who flew into the deepest
skies when Kamsa dashed her against a rock, is Krishna’s sister; she is
adorned in celestial garlands and attired in heavenly raiment; she is armed
with sword and shield.
This eternal bestower of blessings always rescues the devotee who,
when stuck and drowning like a cow in a quagmire, calls out to her in
distress to free him. It is She that Yudhishtira invokes, in his yearning to see
her, by chanting her various names in praise and devotion.
Yudhishtira says, ‘Salutations, O giver of boons. You are one with
Krishna. Devi Brahmacharini, you have observed the vow of brahmacharya.
Your being blazes like the Sun at dawn. Your face is as radiant as the full
moon.
I salute you! Four-handed, four-faced, round-hipped and deep-breasted,
you wear bangles made of emeralds and sapphires, and exquisite bracelets
adorn your upper arms. You shine, O Goddess, as Padma, the consort of
Narayana. You that roam the akasa, your form and chastity are immaculate.
Your face, as dark as black clouds, is beautiful like Sankarshana. Your two
great arms you hold upright in praise of Indra; in your six other arms you
hold a vessel, a lotus, a bell, a noose, a bow, a discus and myriad weapons.
I salute you! You are the only truly pure female being in the universe.
Your shapely ears are adorned with rings. O Devi, the radiance of your face
challenges the Moon in lustre. Wearing a wondrous crown, with braided
hair, in snake-skin robes and glittering waistlet you shine like snake-girdled
mount Mandara. Iridescent peacock feathers decorate your head. You have
sanctified Devaloka with your vow of celibacy. O Slayer of Mahishasura,
you are praised and worshipped by the Devas themselves for the protection
of the three worlds, Swarga, Bhumi and Patala.
I salute you! First of all Deities, give me your grace, show me your
mercy, and bless me. You are Jaya and Vijaya; it is you who gives victory in
battle. Grant me victory and boons, O Devi, in this my hour of distress.
I salute you! You are resplendent in your eternal abode on Vindhya
parvatam, best of mountains. O Kali, Kali, Mahakali, wine, meat and
animal sacrifice please you. You who can go anywhere at will, you who can
bestow boons on your devotees, Brahma and the other gods are always with
you on these journeys. There is nothing that cannot be had, children or
wealth, by supplicants who call upon you for relief from their burdens and
by those who bow to you at daybreak on Earth.
You are called Durga because you rescue those who are in distress,
whether they are in a wilderness or sinking in an ocean. You are the sole
refuge of men when they are attacked by robbers, when they flounder in
rivers and seas, when they are oppressed in the wilderness and evil forests.
Mahadevi, Great Goddess, men who meditate on you are never struck
down.
I salute you! You are Keerti—fame, Sri—prosperity, Dhriti—constancy,
Siddhi—success, Neera—modesty, Vidya—learning. You are man’s wife
and his offspring. You are knowledge and the intellect. You are Sandhya—
the two twilights, Ratri—the dark night, Prabha—light, Nidra—sleep, and
Jyotsna Kanti—the light of the Sun and the Moon. You are Kshama—
forgiveness, Daya—mercy, and every virtue besides.
From those who worship you, you remove their fetters of ignorance,
childlessness, poverty, disease, death and fear. I, who have been deprived of
my kingdom, beg for your protection. I worship you with bowed head,
Sureshwari, Goddess of the gods of light. O Devi Padmapatrakshi—lotus-
leaf-eyed one, watch over me.
O Durga, to us who uphold dharma by our actions, be Truth incarnate
and the granter of wishes. In your compassion for all who seek refuge in
you, in your love for your devotees, give me your protection.’
Hearing these stutis, the Goddess appears before Yudhishtira and says,
‘O Rajan, Mahabaho, hearken to me! My grace will help you vanquish the
Kaurava army and will give you victory in battle. You will again be lord of
the Earth and rid her of evil. And through my grace, you and your brothers
will enjoy great felicity; every joy and prosperity will be yours.
All who chant praises of my attributes and victories shall be freed from
their sins and made happy. I will bless them with lands, long life, physical
beauty and children. They who invoke me as you have done, be they in
exile or in their homes, in the midst of battle or in unseen danger from their
enemies, in forests or in deserts, in seas or on mountains, will want for
nothing in this world. Pandava, those who devotedly recite this powerful
hymn of yours, or even listen to it, will enjoy success in all that they do.
My grace will ensure that neither the Kaurava spies nor the people of
the Matsya kingdom will recognise you all as long as you live in Virata’s
city!’
Having spoken to Yudhishtira Parantapa, and having granted her
protection to the Pandavas, the Goddess Durga disappears.”
CANTO 7
V aisampayana said, “Yudhishtira wraps in brocade his dice of gold set

with blue sapphires, tucks it under his arm and walks towards
Virata’s court. This illustrious lord of men, noble scion of Kuru, honoured
by kings, mighty, irrepressible, as deserving of wariness as a venomous
snake, a bull among men, powerful and beautiful, blessed with greatness
and godlike in form is now like the Sun shrouded by thick clouds, like fire
covered by ashes, when he appears before the famed king Virata in his
court.
Virata and his courtiers see Yudhishtira, looking like the full moon
veiled by clouds, his face as radiant as Soma Deva’s.
The king says to his ministers, the Brahmanas, the Maharathas and the
Vaisyas in his court, ‘Who is this kingly man who enters my sabha? He
cannot be a Brahmana. He looks like a lord among men, a lord of the Earth.
He has no slaves, chariots or elephants with him, yet he has the majesty of
Indra. I think the marks on his body indicate that he has been crowned at a
sacred rite. He approaches me boldly much like an elephant walking
towards a bed of lotuses!’
Yudhishtira comes before Virata and says, ‘Maharajan, I am a
Brahmana. I have lost all my possessions and come to beg you for the
means to sustain myself. O Anagha, I will live here and serve you faithfully,
my lord.’
The king is pleased and replies, ‘You are welcome here. Consider
yourself appointed to whatever position you seek.’ Happily he gives
Yudhishtira the appointment he asks for and says, ‘I ask you in affection,
what kingdom do you come from? What is your name? Which family do
you belong to? What skills and knowledge do you have?’
Yudhishtira says, ‘My name is Kanka, and I am a Brahmana belonging
to the Vaiyaghra family. I am good at throwing dice, and I was once a friend
of Dharmaputra Yudhishtira’s.’
Virata says, ‘I will grant you whatever you wish. You can even rule the
Matsyas and I will be your subject. I like gamblers, even cunning ones.
You, on the other hand, are like a Deva and deserve not a mere position in
my court, but an entire kingdom.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘My first request, lord of Earth, is that my play should
not be disputed by any low-born man. Further, I will keep my winnings at
dice, whosoever I play against. Honour me by granting me these wishes.’
Virata says, ‘I will kill anyone who crosses you; if he be a Brahmana, I
will banish him from my kingdom. Let all that are assembled here mark my
words: from this day, Kanka is as much lord of this realm as I am! Kanka,
you will be my companion and ride with me in my chariot. You will not
lack for clothes; you shall have abundant food and drink. You will supervise
my transactions, both at home and abroad; and for you my doors will be
always open. When the destitute or job-seekers approach you, you will
inform me immediately, whatever the hour, and I will help them. As long as
you live with me, you need have no fear.’
Having received these assurances from Virata, Yudhishtira settles down
to a happy life and quickly earns the respect of all. And during that time, no
one suspects who he is.”
CANTO 8
V aisampayana said, “In a short while, another of blazing beauty and

strength comes before Virata. Holding a cook’s ladle, a spoon and a
gleaming, unsheathed sable-hued sword in his hands, he walks toward the
king like a lion. Even in the guise of a cook, he lights up the court like the
Sun shining on the world at daybreak. This man, strong as Himavat king of
mountains, dressed in black, comes forward and stands at a small remove
from the king of the Matsyas.
Virata looks at this regal one and says to his courtiers, ‘Who is this
extraordinarily handsome young man with the shoulders of a lion, this
Manavarishabha? The stranger is like the resplendent Sun. Try as I might, I
do not recognise him and cannot guess why he is here. His appearance
suggests that he is either the king of the Gandharvas or Purandara himself.
Find out who he is, and let his wishes be granted at once.’
Virata’s messengers go quickly up to Bhimasena, and give him the
king’s message.
The noble Pandava approaches Virata and says in a cook’s humble way,
‘O best of kings, I am a cook. My name is Ballava and my skill lies in
cooking the most exotic dishes. I beg you, employ me in your kitchen!’
Virata says, ‘I cannot believe, Ballava, that cooking is your true calling.
You resemble Indra the thousand-eyed; your strength, beauty and grace
make you seem like a king.’
Bhima replies, ‘King of kings, first and foremost I am your cook and
servant, but in truth it is not only cooking that I am expert at, although I
used to prepare food for Yudhishtira himself at one time. Lord of the Earth,
I am also a wrestler. There is no one as strong as me: I can fight lions and
elephants, O Anagha, and entertain you otherwise.’
Virata says, ‘I will grant your wish; you may have the job you ask for,
since you say you are skilled at it. Yet, I do not think that this is work
worthy of you. You deserve the Earth with her girdle of seas, but it shall be
as you wish. You will oversee my kitchens and have authority over
everyone there.’
Once he is established in the kitchen, Bhima soon becomes the favourite
of king Virata; he continues to live there unrecognised by the servants and
others of the court.”
CANTO 9
V aisampayana said, “Her incomparable hair—fine, soft, long and

black, ending in curls—is plaited. Dark-eyed, dark-skinned
Draupadi of the sweet smiles throws her braid over her right shoulder and
conceals it under the end of her upper cloth. As befitting her guise of a
sairandhri, she is dressed in just a single piece of grand, but old, black cloth.
She wanders here and there inside the palace grounds in apparent distress.
Seeing her drifting aimlessly, men and women hurry to her side and ask,
‘Who are you? And what are you looking for?’
And she says, ‘I am a royal sairandhri. I am looking for someone whom
I can serve, who will take care of me.’
So lovely is she, so rich her clothes, so sweet her speech, that people
cannot believe she is a maidservant in search of a job. While looking out
from her terrace, Virata’s beloved queen, the king of Kekaya’s daughter,
happens to notice Draupadi.
Seeing her forlorn appearance and shabby attire, Queen Sudeshna calls
out to her, ‘O Sundari, beautiful one, who are you, and what do you want?’
Draupadi answers, ‘Foremost of queens, I am a sairandhri, willing to
serve anyone who will take care of me.’
Sudeshna says, ‘What you say does not match the beauty I see. You
might well be the mistress of servants rather than a servant yourself.
Your heels are slim, your thighs rounded, and your navel is deep; you
seem intelligent and your words are solemn. Your body is both young and
exquisite: your toes, breasts and hips, your back and sides, your toe-nails,
your palms. The palms of your hands, the soles of your feet are the colour
of the deep-red wild rose; your voice is sweet like a swan’s; your hair is
lovely; your breasts are shapely and graceful.
Like a Kashmiri mare you bear the marks of lofty lineage. You have
curled eyelashes, pink lips, a slender waist, a neck with conch-like lines,
delicate veins, and a face like the full moon. Your eyes are like lotus leaves;
your body is fragrant like the lotus blossom. Indeed, you look like Lakshmi,
whose best-loved seat is that autumnal flower.
Tell me who you are, incomparable one; you cannot be a sairandhri. Are
you a Yakshi, a Devi, a Gandharvi or an Apsara? Are you the daughter of a
Deva, or are you a Nagina? Perhaps you are the guardian goddess of some
city? A Vidyadhari or a Kinnari? Are you Rohini herself? Or are you
Alambusha, or Misrakesi, Pundarika, or Malini, or Indra Deva’s queen, or
Varuna’s? Or are you the wife of Visvakarma, or the consort of Lord Vishnu
himself? Of these goddesses who are celebrated in Devaloka, which one are
you, most graceful one?’
Draupadi says, ‘Revered queen, I am neither a goddess nor a Gandharvi,
neither a Yakshi nor a Rakshasi. I am, truly, a maidservant of the sairandhri
class. I know how to dress a royal lady’s hair; I can make fragrant lotions
and colourful malas of jasmines, lotuses, blue lilies and champakas.
At one time, I served Krishna’s beloved queen Satyabhama; and I was
once maid to Draupadi, most beautiful of Kurus and wife of the Pandavas. I
wander about alone now, living as long as I can in any place where I can
earn a good meal and fine clothes in exchange for my services. Draupadi
used to call me Malini, maker of garlands.’
Sudeshna says, ‘I would so love to take you into my care and pamper
you if it were not for the anxiety that the king may lose his heart to you.
Even the women and maids of the antahpura are drawn by your beauty and
cannot take their eyes off you. What man could resist you? Surely, exquisite
one of rounded hips, my husband Virata will see your supernatural
loveliness and forsake me for you.
You of the perfect limbs, whose large eyes cast darting sidelong
glances, any man you look at with desire will be struck by love. You of the
sweet smiles and the perfect body, he whose eyes linger on you will be
seared by desire. Like the man who risks his life by climbing a lofty tree,
even as the crab conceives her young ones who will kill her by their birth, I
may destroy myself by giving you a home.’
Draupadi says, ‘Lovely devi, neither Virata nor any other man will have
me, for my five Gandharva husbands, sons of a powerful Gandharva king,
protect me. No one can injure or dishonour me. My husbands have
forbidden me to work for anyone who makes me wash their feet, and I am
not allowed to eat food from another’s plate. Any man who attempts to have
me like a common woman will die that very night. My beloved and mighty
Gandharvas protect me silently and at all times.’
Sudeshna says, ‘You who gladden hearts, if that is the way of it, I will
take you into my household, and you shall not be required to touch food
that has been served to another person, nor wash another’s feet.’
Janamejaya, with these words of queen Sudeshna, Krishnaa, devoted to
her husbands, begins her life in the city of Virata, and no one knows who
she really is!”
CANTO 10
V aisampayana said, “Sahadeva, dressed like a cowherd and speaking

in Yadava dialect, makes his way to king Virata’s cowsheds.
Amazed to see this splendid bull among men, Virata instructs his men to
summon the disguised Pandava to his presence.
When Sahadeva appears before him, the king says, ‘Whose service are
you in and where do you come from? What work are you looking for? I
have never seen you before, Purusharishabha. Tell me about yourself.’
That distresser of his foes, Sahadeva, stands before the king, and in a
voice as deep as thunder says, ‘I am a Vaisya, and my name is Arishtanemi.
I served those bulls of the Kuru race, the Pandavas, as a cowherd, but I
want to live in your service now, Purushottama, because I no longer know
where those lions among kings are, the sons of Pritha. I need a livelihood
and I do not want to work for anyone but you.’
Virata says to him, ‘You must either be a Brahmana or a Kshatriya. You
look as if you are lord of all Bhumi and her seas. Be honest with me, you
who mow down your foes. The work of a Vaisya is not fit for you. Whose
kingdom do you come from? What knowledge and skills do you have? In
what capacity would you like to stay here with us? And what payment
would you accept?’
Sahadeva says, ‘Yudhishtira, the eldest of Pandu’s five sons, has many
herds of cattle. One numbers ten thousand and eight hundred heads; one
numbers ten thousand, another is twenty thousand strong; and I helped tend
all those cows and bulls. People call me Tantripala. I know the pedigrees of
all cows living within ten yojanas. Raja Yudhishtira was familiar with my
gunas, and he was very pleased with me.
I also know how to increase the fertility of cows and how to prevent
diseases. I can distinguish bulls that have the auspicious marks that make
them worthy of worship by men, and by the scent of whose urine barren
women can conceive.’
Virata says, ‘I have a hundred thousand cattle divided into separate
herds. I give you charge of them all; and their keepers too will be under
your authority. Henceforth my livestock will be in your care.’
From this day Sahadeva lives contentedly in the Matsya kingdom,
working for Virata, his true identity unknown to the king or anyone else,
except his brothers.”
CANTO 11
V aisampayana continued, “The next to appear at the gates of the

palace ramparts is a great and exquisitely beautiful man decked in
women’s ornaments. He wears large earrings and the finest conch-shell
bracelets set in gold. He has powerful arms and his long, lush hair tumbles
about his neck. He walks with the graceful gait of an elephant, and he
makes the earth tremble as he comes into the sabha and stands before
Virata.
Seeing the lustrous son of Indra, Arjuna Parantapa, disguised as a
eunuch, enter the sabha with his magnificent gait and walk towards him, the
king says to his courtiers, ‘Where does this person come from? I do not
recognise him.’
And when the courtiers say they do not know who the stranger is, the
king says to Arjuna in wonderment, ‘You look amazingly strong, like a
Deva, and your youth and dark skin make you look like a bull-elephant, the
leader of a herd. Wearing your seashell-and-gold bangles and earrings,
decked with flower garlands, and with your soft hair, you shimmer like a
fully-armed Kshatriya in his chariot.
I am old and want to give up my burden of kingship. Be like a son to me
and share my burden, or even rule the kingdom of the Matsyas by yourself,
as I do now. You are surely some great man and not a eunuch.’
Arjuna says, ‘I sing, dance and play musical instruments, and I do all
these very well. Lord of men, send me to princess Uttaraa to be her dance
teacher. As to how I became a eunuch, is there any point in telling the story
when the memory of it only brings me pain? Suffice it to say, O king, that I
am Brihannala, son or daughter without father or mother.’
Virata says, ‘Brihannala, I will give you the position you ask for. Teach
my daughter and the other princesses to dance. To me, however, this
occupation seems too lowly for you. You deserve the Earth and her girdle of
seas.’
The king of the Matsyas verifies Brihannala’s gifts in dancing, music
and other fine arts by watching him perform. He consults his ministers and
immediately sends Brihannala to be examined by women, who confirm that
he is indeed a eunuch and quite impotent. Virata sends him to princess
Uttaraa’s apartments. And there, Arjuna begins giving lessons in singing
and instrumental music to the daughter of Virata, to her sakhis and
sairandhris, and he captures their hearts.
In this way, Arjuna lives confidently in disguise, enjoying the pleasure
of the princess’ company, unrecognised both by those inside the palace and
outside it.”
CANTO 12
V aisampayana said, “After a few days, citizens of the Matsya

kingdom see Nakula purposefully making his way towards king
Virata’s palace. Looking like the Sun pushing its way through the clouds as
he comes, he keenly inspects the horses he sees in the royal stables.
Noticing this, the king of the Matsyas says to his entourage, ‘I wonder
where this man, who glows like a Deva, comes from. He looks so intently at
my horses; he must be very knowledgeable about them. Bring him to me at
once. He seems to be a Kshatriya; truly, he looks like a god!’
Splendid Nakula Parantapa goes up to the king and says, ‘Victory to
you, O Rajan! May you be blest. I am a horse-trainer who has earned the
respect of kings. I will look after your horses with great care.’
Virata says, ‘I will give you chariots, wealth and spacious living
quarters, and you shall have charge of my stables. But first tell me, where
do you come from? Who are you? And what brings you to my kingdom?
What other skills do you have?’
Nakula replies, ‘Bane of your enemies, I used to work for the eldest of
the Pandavas, Yudhishtira. I was in charge of his stables. I am sensitive to a
horse’s every mood and have mastered the art of breaking them in. I can
calm wild or violent horses and know how to treat their diseases. No animal
in my care becomes weak or ill. With my training, stallions and mares
become docile. Everyone, including Yudhishtira, knows me as Granthika.’
Virata says, ‘From today I put all the horses in my stables in your care.
From now, all those who work in the stables and my charioteers, as well,
shall be answerable to you. What remuneration will you accept for this?
But you are kingly, almost godlike, and the occupation of an equerry is
not worthy of you. You look like a king and I am filled with respect for you.
Your presence makes me as happy as if Yudhishtira himself was here. Ah, I
wonder how he who is so scrupulously principled passes his time in the
forest without anyone to serve him?’
From then on, Nakula, looking like a Gandharva lord, is shown great
respect by the delighted Virata and, by his conduct, he makes himself well-
liked by everyone in the palace, and no one recognises him while he lives
under Virata’s protection.
In this way, the Pandavas, the very sight of whom is a blessing, live in
the realm of the Matsyas. With great forbearance in their time of distress,
these lords of the earth and seas remain true to their pledge and pass their
days unknown.”
CANTO 13
SAMAYAPALANA PARVA
J anamejaya said, “While living disguised in the Matsya kingdom, what

did the mighty Kuru princes do, Dvijottama?”
Vaisampayana replied, “Listen, O king, and I will tell you what those
sons of Kuru do while they live disguised in the city of the Matsyas and
serve that king.
By the grace of Rishi Trinabindu and of the sublime Dharma Deva, the
Pandavas continue to live in Virata’s city, undiscovered and in peace. Virata
and the other nobles find in their new courtier, Kanka, a most congenial
companion. An expert in the intricacies of the game of dice, this son of
Pandu orchestrates dice games according to his will and makes players sit
in the gaming hall like a row of birds on a wire.
Unknown to the king, Yudhishtira divides his winnings amongst his
brothers. Bhima sends Yudhishtira meat and other food that he gets from the
king. Arjuna distributes the used clothes that he is given in the antahpura of
the palace. The Gopa, Sahadeva, gives them milk, curds and ghee. And
Nakula shares the wealth that the king rewards him with for managing his
stables. Carefully staying away from the gaze of men, forlorn Panchali
keeps a watchful, loving eye on her husbands.
Whilst taking care of each other, those mighty Kshatriyas live in
Virata’s capital, hidden from view as if they are once more in their mother’s
womb. Ever vigilant of danger from Duryodhana, the Pandavas continue to
live in hiding and watch over their wife.
Three months pass, and the grand festival of Lord Brahma is celebrated
with pomp in the country of the Matsyas. Athletes from all parts of
Bharatavarsha arrive in their thousands, like hosts of Devas flocking to the
abode of Brahma or of Siva. They have mighty bodies and great strength,
like the Kalakhanja Asuras. Virata honours them and they are proud indeed
of their strength and achievements. Their necks, shoulders and waists are
leonine. They are pure of body and heart and have already won many royal
tournaments.
Amongst them there is one, Jimuta, who towers above the rest, and he
challenges them all to a wrestling match. None dares approach him as he
proudly stalks the arena. Seeing the dispirited wrestlers, the king of the
Matsyas orders his head cook to meet the challenge.
Bhima reluctantly agrees, since he cannot openly disregard the royal
request. Ballava the cook bows to the king and enters the capacious
stadium, striding in with tigerish fearlessness. Then to the delight of the
spectators, the son of Kunti roars a challenge to the towering Jimuta, whose
strength and skill are as famed as the Asura Vritra’s.
The awesome combatants are like two maddened bull-elephants in their
prime. Those tigers among men begin their wrestling match, each one
determined to crush the other. The very first clash between them sounds like
a thunderbolt striking a stony mountain.
Delighted that they are evenly matched, each will take advantage of his
opponent’s slightest lapse. The excited adversaries are like elephants in
musth. With clenched fists, they crash staggering blows into each other;
they hurl each other away; each slams the other on to the ground; each
holds the other down on the stadium floor. They get up again and squeeze
each other’s bodies in bone-crushing grips, in iron arms.
With stunning punches, they throw each other off balance; each grasps
the other’s legs and whirls him round before ramming him onto the ground.
Their open palms strike like thunderclaps. They jab the nails of taut fingers
into each other’s bodies like spearheads. They kick; they dash head against
head like the crash of granite against granite.
To the endless delight of the spectators, the furious hand to hand combat
of the two titans rages on, kept up by the strength of their arms and the
energy of their minds and bodies. Rajan, all are absorbed by the contention
between the two, who battle like Indra Deva and Vritrasura, and they cheer
them on with shouts of praise and applause.
The two long-armed, mighty-chested wrestlers heave, thrust, hurl, strike
with their knees, all the while yelling taunts at each other. Their bare,
glistening arms are truly like spiked iron maces. Then, finally, Bhima roars
like some unimaginable lion and seizes his unyielding adversary, as a lion
does an elephant. He picks him up, holds him aloft and, as the spectators—
athletes and citizens of Matsya—watch in astonishment, he whirls him
round and round over his head a hundred times until Jimuta is unconscious.
And Mahabaho Vrikodara smashes him to death on the arena floor.
Virata and his friends rejoice at Jimuta’s defeat and, in the exuberance
of his elation, the king rewards Ballava with the legendary generosity of
Kubera.
Bhima goes on to defeat and kill many other wrestlers, pleasing the king
enormously. And when there is no one left who dares face him, Virata
makes him fight with tigers, lions and elephants, not only in the public
arena, but also in the antahpura for the entertainment of the women of the
harem.
Arjuna sings and dances and, in his own way, entertains the king and
those women of the inner apartments. Nakula keeps the king’s stables full
of well-trained, swift horses for the king and his men. Virata is pleased and
gives Nakula rich rewards. Seeing the goshala filled with healthy bullocks
and cows, Purusharishabha Virata makes gifts of all kinds of treasures to
Sahadeva. And, O Rajan, poor Draupadi sighs in constant distress at seeing
her Kshatriya husbands suffer.
It is in this way that the illustrious exiles render services to king Virata
and live in disguise in the Matsya kingdom.”
CANTO 14
KICHAKA-VADHA PARVA
V aisampayana said, “Living in their disguises, those mighty

Kshatriyas spend ten months in the Matsya city.
Rajan, accustomed herself to being waited on, Draupadi serves
Sudeshna in her apartments and lives in some anguish, even though Virata’s
queen and the other ladies are delighted with their sairandhri.
One day, towards the end of that year of exile, Sudeshna’s brother
Kichaka, fearsome commander of Virata’s forces, happens to catch sight of
Draupadi. Seeing that woman of ethereal beauty, so like the daughter of a
Deva, like a goddess who has stepped out of Devaloka to walk on Earth, he
is struck by a shaft of Kama and he yearns for her.
The flame of lust burns high in him, and Senapati Kichaka comes to
Sudeshna and says to her, ‘I have not seen this woman in the palace before,
and the sight of her intoxicates me like the fragrance of fresh wine. Tell me,
who is this bewitching Apsara, as beautiful as a goddess? Whose is she and
where has she come from? She maddens my heart and has enslaved me, and
only she can heal me.
Ah, your sairandhri is as beautiful as a Devi. Surely, she is not fit to be
your servant. Let her rule over me and whatever is mine. Let her grace my
jewelled palace; let her enjoy the abundance of rich food and drink served
in fine dishes and goblets. I have a surfeit of everything she could want,
besides my countless elephants, horses and chariots.’
Having spoken to Sudeshna, Kichaka goes to Draupadi, like a jackal to
a lioness, and says to Krishnaa in a disarming voice, ‘Who are you,
exquisite one; and whose are you? Sundari, from where have you come to
this city of Virata’s? Tell me, dark and exquisite one. Your beauty and grace
are incomparable, and your face is peerless and radiant as the luminous
Moon. O you of the high-arched brows, your eyes are like lotus petals; your
voice is sweet like the koyal’s song, you of the slender arms. O beautiful-
hipped, faultless one, I have never seen any woman as perfect as you.
Are you the Goddess Lakshmi who lives in the midst of lotuses? Or are
you Bhuti, O slender-waist? Perhaps you are Hri, Sri, Kirti or Kanti? Or
maybe you are Rati, the beloved of Manmatha.
The celestial lustre of your face is like moonlight. What man could
resist you once he has seen your face? Your beauty is supreme, your grace
divine; your face is lovely as the full Moon, your smile like his soft light,
and your eyelashes like the delicate rays of his beams. Your soft, rounded,
deep breasts, set close together, should be adorned with garlands of gold.
The sight of your lotus-bud breasts stings me with desire and lashes me like
Kama Deva’s whip.
O sweet-smiling and slender-waisted, when I see your belly, marked
with four lines and measuring but a span of my hand, bent forward by the
weight of your breasts, when I see your hips flare from your body like the
banks of a river, a fever of longing torments me. Ah, its flames ravage me,
fierce as a forest-fire, fanned by the hope of possessing you. Sublime one,
cool the fever kindled by Manmatha. My desire is the rain-cloud and your
surrender its cooling shower.
Sharpened by my need for you, Kama’s arrows recklessly stab my heart.
Black-eyes, they pierce deep and torture me past endurance. You must
release me from this. Embrace me and give yourself to me. Adorn yourself
in the finest robes, garlands and jewellery, my sweet one, and enjoy with
me all the pleasures you could desire.
You who walk with the swaying gait of an elephant in rut, in this place
you are deprived of the happiness that you deserve. You should not have to
live in hardship; let me give you joy. Drink nectar-like wines, enjoy myriad
entertainments and be joyful, O blessed devi. Your loveliness, youth and
purity are being wasted, while you are like a spring vanamala cast aside and
unworn.
I will forsake all my wives; let them be your servants. And I too will
stay by your side, your obedient slave, exquisite creature.’
Hearing his passionate declarations, Draupadi says, ‘Sutaputra, I am a
lowborn sairandhri, a mere hair dresser. I am not worthy of your desire.
Besides, I am already married. These overtures do not become a man of
your stature. I beg you to remember dharma: men should only delight in
their wives. Do not let temptation lead you to adultery. Refraining from
adharma is the way of good men. Ignorant, sinful men who give in to lust
are doomed to shame or some worse disaster.’
Hearing the sairandhri, the lecherous Kichaka loses control of himself
and, though aware of the danger of sinning, he is overcome by his lust.
He says to Draupadi, ‘It is not right for you to disregard me, for it is
you, graceful and bewitching temptress, who have lured me into
Manmatha’s spell. If you reject one who is enchanted by you and who
speaks so adoringly to you, you will regret it later, timid, black-eyed one.
You of the flowing brows and waist like a lotus stalk, know that I am
the real master of this kingdom. The people of this land depend on me for
their lives. In ardour and vigour I have no rivals on this earth; and there
isn’t another man on earth as handsome, as virile, wealthy or rich in
treasures as I am. Fortunate devi, why do you choose to be a servant when
you can bask in luxury and have everything your heart desires? Accept me
and I will make you mistress of this kingdom; anything you want will be
yours for the asking.’
Draupadi answers Kichaka’s wretched proposition, ‘Sutaputra, do not
be so rash and throw your life away. I am protected by my five husbands.
You cannot have me; my husbands are Gandharvas and will kill you if you
try. Do not bring death upon yourself. You have embarked on a path that no
wise man should take. Fool, you are like an ignorant child on the seashore
who wants to cross the waves. Even if you dive to the core of the earth, or
fly deep into the sky or cross the ocean to the other shore, you cannot
escape my divine Gandharvas who slaughter their enemies.
Kichaka, why do you pursue me so persistently, almost like a sick man
who is impatient for death? Why do you yearn for me, like a baby lying on
its mother’s lap reaching for the moon? For you who crave their beloved
wife there is no haven from my Gandharva husbands either on earth or in
the heavens. Kichaka, for your own good, be wise and save your life.’ ”
CANTO 15
KICHAKA-VADHA PARVA CONTINUED
V aisampayana said, “Rejected by Draupadi, the lust-crazed Kichaka

abandons good sense and says to Sudeshna, ‘Daughter of Kekaya, O
my sister, do whatever you must to make your sairandhri mine. Somehow
see that this woman with the swaying gait of a she-elephant accepts me, for
I am dying from wanting her, Sudeshna.’
Kichaka’s ardent distress moves Virata’s gentle queen to pity. She thinks
deeply about what her brother wants and about Krishnaa’s fears.
She says to her brother, the Sutaputra, ‘On a festival day arrange for
some special food and wine. I will send my sairandhri to you on the pretext
of bringing me wine. When she comes to your home, make sure you are
alone with her and undisturbed; then woo her in whatever way you think
best. If her mind is soothed, she may be persuaded to give herself to you.’
Kichaka leaves his sister’s apartments and in a few days begins his
preparations. He procures wines fit for a king’s table; he has expert cooks
prepare every kind of delicacy, including superb meat dishes. When all is
ready, Sudeshna sends Krishnaa to Kichaka’s palace.
She says, ‘My lovely Malini, go to my brother Kichaka’s house and
fetch me some wine for I am terribly thirsty.’
Krishnaa replies, ‘My queen, I cannot go to Kichaka’s home. You know
how bold he is. Beautiful devi of the perfect arms, while I work for you in
this palace I will not sin by being unfaithful to my husbands. O gentle
queen, remember the conditions I made before entering your service. You of
the tresses ending in soft curls, foolish Kichaka is under Kama’s spell and
will dishonour me. You have so many maids; send any of them, for if I go,
Kichaka will surely ravish me.’
Sudeshna says, ‘You are going at my behest and from my house; he will
surely not hurt you,’ and hands her sairandhri a golden flask.
Her eyes full of tears, the helpless Draupadi prays for protection as she
sets out for Kichaka’s apartments. She prays, ‘I have not been with any man
other than my husbands; by virtue of my chastity grant that Kichaka be
unable to overpower me even while I am in his presence.’
And she invokes Surya Deva. The Sun God hears her and commands a
Rakshasa to protect her. The unseen Rakshasa follows the chaste Draupadi.
Seeing Krishnaa enter his presence like a frightened doe, the Suta rises
from his chair, jubilant as a man who, desperate to cross a river, manages to
acquire a boat.”
CANTO 16
“K ichaka says, ‘O welcome, you of the shimmering tresses that end

in curls of such beauty! Dawn has brought me an auspicious day
for you are here today to be mistress of my house. Make me happy. I will
have golden necklaces, conch-shells, bright gold earrings, precious jewels
from distant lands, rubies and other gems, as well as silks and the softest
deer-skins to be brought for you. I have a luxurious bed prepared. Come; sit
on it and share this honey wine with me.’
Draupadi says, ‘The queen sent me here to fetch wine. I beg you, give it
to me quickly, for she is thirsty.’
Kichaka says, ‘Gentle one, someone else will take the princess what she
wants,’ and seizes Draupadi’s arm.
She cries, ‘I have never been unfaithful to my husbands, even in my
mind. Vile man, you have laid hands on me and I swear I shall see you
dragged down to the ground and lying powerless.’
Provoked by the reproof of that large-eyed beauty, Kichaka suddenly
takes hold of the end of her upper garment, even as she tries to escape. His
brutishness is unbearable; Krishnaa’s breath quickens, and her body
trembles in rage as she thrusts him away from her, making the evil one fall
like a tree whose roots are cut. Having flung Kichaka down, Draupadi,
shaking, runs for refuge to the sabha where Yudhishtira sits. Kichaka jumps
up and pursues her, catches her by her long hair in the very sabha, throws
her down before the king himself, and kicks her savagely.
Then, O Bhaarata, the invisible Rakshasa, whom Surya Deva sent to
protect her, attacks Kichaka forcefully as a gale-wind; and Kichaka reels
and falls like an uprooted tree.
Yudhishtira and Bhimasena are both in that royal court, and they watch
Kichaka’s outrage of Krishnaa in fury. Bhima wants to kill Virata’s
senapati; he gnashes his teeth and beads of sweat break out on his heavy
brow. His eyes darken as if with smoke, his eyelashes stand on end, and that
slayer of enemies buries his head in his hands.
He is about to fly at Kichaka when, in fear of being discovered,
Yudhishtira presses down hard on Bhima’s thumbs, restraining him. And
looking like an infuriated elephant eyeing a large tree, Bhima stays where
he is, prohibited by his elder brother.
Yudhishtira says, ‘Are you looking for trees for fuel, O cook? If you
need kindling, go to the forest.’
Through her tears Draupadi of the graceful hips sees her enraged
husbands, and she remembers their pledge and her duty to maintain her
disguise. Her eyes flash fire as she says to the king of the Matsyas, ‘Today
this son of a Suta has insulted the proud and beloved wife of powerful
beings; he will find no sanctuary, even if he puts four kingdoms between
himself and them. O, this son of a Suta kicked the wife of great beings of
truth who are devoted to Brahmanas and whose charity is unconditional.
This son of a Suta has kicked the chaste wife of beings whose drums and
bowstrings are never silent. This son of a Suta has dishonoured the dearly-
loved wife of heroes who are mighty and vigorous, who are generous and
proud. O, this son of a Suta has kicked the wife of beings who could destroy
the whole world if they were not bound by ties of dharma.
Ah, where are those warriors now who, though living unknown, always
grant protection to those who ask for it? Why do these fiery conquerors
allow their wife to be abused by a Suta’s son, as if they are eunuchs? Where
is that rage of theirs, their power, their ardour? How can they stand by and
watch a base wretch humiliate their wife? What can I do when
dishonourable Virata calmly watches an evil man abuse an innocent
woman?
You do not deal with this Kichaka as a king should. Your behaviour is
that of a common criminal; it does no credit to this royal sabha. It is not
dharma that I have been vilely abused in your presence and you do nothing
to redress the wrong.
Let all who are present here see this outrage. Kichaka has ignored
dharma; and Virata has done the same. You courtiers who wait upon such a
king are equally lacking in honour,’ rages Krishnaa, her eyes streaming.
Virata says, ‘I did not see what quarrel led to this. Without knowing the
truth how can I rule in one person’s favour?’
When the courtiers hear what took place they support Krishnaa with
applause saying, Well done, and condemn Kichaka.
They say, ‘The husband who possesses this lovely-eyed and graceful
woman of inestimable worth is a most fortunate man. Rare indeed is a
woman of such extraordinary and flawless beauty. Why, she seems to be a
goddess.’
Meanwhile, as the courtiers praise Krishnaa, Yudhishtira’s brow
perspires in anger, and that bull of the Kurus says to his wife, ‘Do not stay
here, sairandhri; return to Sudeshna’s apartments. Wives must endure
torment for the sake of their husbands; they attain swarga by suffering great
hardships while serving their lords. Your Gandharva husbands, radiant as
suns, do not consider this an apt occasion for unleashing their anger, which
is why they do not rush to your side.
You weep theatrically in distress because you do not know the deeper
significance of all things. Besides, you interrupt the play of dice in the
king’s court. Leave, sairandhri; the Gandharvas will do what you want.
They know of your troubles and will kill the man who has wronged you.’
Krishnaa says, ‘My husbands are loving, but they are controlled by one
among them and cannot act freely, for that eldest of them is addicted to
dice.’
And Krishnaa goes back to Sudeshna’s apartments, her hair dishevelled,
her eyes blazing and her face flushed and swollen from weeping; she
returns like the moon breaking out from behind clouds.
Seeing her like that, Sudeshna asks, ‘Ah lovely one, who has hurt you?
Why do you cry? Who has upset you, gentle one? Why this grief?’
Draupadi says, ‘When I went to fetch wine for you, Kichaka attacked
me in the very presence of the king, in his sabha, as if in an unpeopled
forest.’
Sudeshna says, ‘Lust-maddened Kichaka abused you because he cannot
have his way with you. I will have him killed if that is what you wish.’
Draupadi says to her, ‘There are others, whom he has wronged, who
will kill him. He will go to Yamaloka this very day.’ ”
CANTO 17
V aisampayana said, “Incensed by what the Suta’s son did to her,

Krishnaa, fervently praying for the death of Virata’s senapati, goes
to her room. Drupada’s dark-eyed daughter bathes herself. She cries as she
washes her body and she wonders how she can wash away her grief.
She says to herself, ‘What am I to do? Where can I go?’ Then she
remembers Bhima and says, ‘There is no one except Bhima who can do
what my heart is set on.’
That night, griefstricken and wrathful Krishnaa, protected by her
powerful, unseen Rakshasa guardian, leaves her bed and hurries to
Bhimasena’s apartment.
She glides into her second husband’s chambers and says, ‘How can you
sleep while Kichaka, Virata’s wretched senapati, my enemy, still lives after
the vile thing he did to me today?’
The room where Bhima sleeps, his breath loud like a lion’s, is lit by
Draupadi’s beauty and his own magnificence. Krishnaa goes to him in his
cook’s apartments, eagerly as a young untamed cow in her first heat to a
bull, like a heron by the water-side to her mate in season. The princess of
Panchala embraces the second son of Pandu as a frail creeper hugs the great
sala tree on the banks of the Gomati. Krishnaa takes him in her arms and
rouses him, as a lioness does a sleeping lion in the forest.
Embracing Bhimasena as a she-elephant does her mighty mate, Panchali
says in a voice as alluring as a celestial veena playing a Gandharva raga,
‘Wake up, Bhimasena! Why do you lie so still, as if you are dead? Surely,
one who is alive would not allow the wretch who disgraced his wife to
live.’
Bhima Mahabaho wakes up; he sits up on his couch and says to his
precious wife, ‘What brings you here in such anxiety? You look pale and
worn. What has happened? Tell me everything. I must know the truth,
happy or painful, pleasant or unpleasant, and I will find a solution to your
distress. Krishnaa, of all your husbands I am most worthy of your trust; for
it is I who always save you from danger. Tell me what you want and why;
then return to your bed before others awake.’ ”
CANTO 18
“D raupadi says, ‘How can a woman who has Yudhishtira for a

husband be free from sorrow; and knowing all that I have sufferd
how can you ask me this question? That Pratikami dragged me to the Kuru
court and called me a slave before all the sabha. That agony, Bhaarata, still
consumes me. Which other princess could suffer such misery and still live?
Who else but I could have borne what the evil lord of Sindhu did to me
while we lived in the forests? Which other queen could live after being
kicked by Kichaka in full view of the honourless king of the Matsyas? What
is the point of my living, Bhima, when despite all this, you ask me why I
am miserable?
The evil Kichaka is Virata’s brother-in-law and commands his armies;
he accosts me daily and propositions me, and asks me to be his wife. Like
an over-ripe fruit, my heart is bursting from that wretch, who deserves to
die, constantly importuning me.
Chastise your elder brother who is addicted to dice; my unhappiness is
his doing. Only a reckless gambler stakes his kingdom and everything he
owns, including his wife, on one throw, against a life in the forests. If he
had gambled day and night for years and wagered thousands of nishkas and
other precious possessions, his wealth: silver and gold, costly robes, cattle,
sheep, goats and innumerable horses, would still be past reckoning. But
now, stripped of everything by a single throw of the ivory dice, he sits mute
and ponders his foolishness.
It is pitiful that he, who travelled with ten thousand elephants adorned
with golden garlands in his retinue, now supports himself by throwing dice.
Kings idolised Yudhishtira and hundreds of thousands of people worshipped
him in Indraprastha. In his halls legions of serving-maids attended on
countless guests day and night. That most generous of men, who gave
thousands of nishkas in charity every day, is now fallen because of his
gambling, that root of all evils, and has sunk to earning his livelihood by
daily casting dice.
Throngs of poets and rich admirers decked in jewelled earrings once
sang melodious praises and paid homage to him all day long. Sadly, the
great Yudhishtira, whom a thousand holy sages, all Vedic scholars, served,
and whose every wish he granted; Yudhishtira, who maintained eighty-eight
thousand Snatakas with thirty servants each; Yudhishtira, who looked after
ten thousand Yatis who had forsaken worldly life—this Yudhishtira now
lives ajnatavasa, in pathetic disguise.
Yudhishtira is kind, without malice, and gives every man his due; he
who has such admirable qualities now lives behind a mask. He of
unquestionable power and steadfastness, who is fair-minded; compassionate
Yudhishtira, who tends to the blind, the old, the helpless, the orphaned and
the distressed—he is now a servant who calls himself Kanka, a thrower of
dice in the Matsya king’s court and dependent on him.
He, to whom kings of the Earth used to pay tribute in Indraprastha, now
begs for subsistence. He, under whose dominion all the lords of the Earth
came, has lost his sovereignty and is the subject of another.
Yudhishtira, who blazed over the world like the Sun, is now a liege of
Virata. Pandava, look how your brother, whom kings and sages revered,
now waits upon another, lesser king.
How can anyone who sees Yudhishtira fawning on Virata and making
adulatory speeches as his courtier, not be heartbroken? How can anyone
who sees the wise and noble Yudhishtira waiting on another for sustenance
not be griefstricken, undeserving though my lord may be of that sorrow.
O Kshatriya, that Bhaarata whom the entire world worshipped is the one
you now see adulating another man. When you can see all this, Bhimasena,
why are you not able to see me in my misery, drowning in a sea of sorrow?’
”
CANTO 19
“D
of grief.
raupadi continues, ‘O Bhaarata, I am going to tell you of another
great sadness of mine. Do not be upset with me, for I say this out
Who would not be sad to see you, O Bhima, Bharatarishabha, doing the
work of a cook, so entirely beneath you, and pretending to belong to the
Ballava caste? What can be sadder than people knowing you only as one
who is plunged in servitude as Virata’s cook, and called Ballava? When
your work in the kitchen is over, you wait on Virata, and despondency grips
my heart. When that king makes you fight elephants for his amusement, and
the women of the inner apartments titter in enjoyment, oh, I am sorely
distressed.
When you wrestle with lions, tigers and bulls for the entertainment of
princess Kaikeyi in the antahpura, I almost faint away. Kaikeyi and her
maids come to help me and finding that it is only a swoon the princess says
to her serving women, “It is the intimacy she has with this man and her love
for him that agitates this sweet-smiling sairandhri when she sees the
powerful cook wrestling with beasts. She is lovely and Ballava is
handsome. It is difficult to know what is in her heart, but they seem to suit
each other well. Very likely, she sheds tears for him because they are lovers.
They did both enter into our service at the same time.”
She scolds me and, when she sees that I am upset, suspects that we are
lovers. When she speaks like that, my anguish is terrible. Even though I am
already sunk in grief because of Yudhishtira, in truth, it is when I see you,
my awesome Bhima, enduring such torment that I want to end my life.
And he, who on his chariot single-handedly defeated all the Devas and
Manavas, is now the dancing-master of Virata’s daughter Uttaraa. This son
of Pritha, the fathomless soul who pleased Agni in Khandava vana, now
lives in the antahpura of the palace like fire hidden in a well. That bull
among men, ah, the very same Dhananjaya who was the terror of his
adversaries, now pretends to be that which all men abhor: a eunuch!
He, whose mace-like arms have been marked by the strokes of his
bowstring, covers his wrists with conch-shell bracelets and lives in grief.
Arjuna, the thunderous twang of whose bowstring on his gloves made
enemies tremble, now entertains pampered women with his songs.
Dhananjaya, who wore a crown of brilliant splendour, now wears braids
ending in tawdry curls.
Oh Bhima, when I see that matchless archer wearing braids and living
in the midst of women, I am weighed down by despair. That noble
Kshatriya, master of all the Devastras and storehouse of all the shastras,
now wears women’s earrings. The man whom the greatest kings could not
contain in battle, just as the waters of the oceans cannot cover the
continents, is now dancing-master to Virata’s daughter and waits on her in
disguise.
My heart clenches in grief for Arjuna, the rumble of whose chariot-
wheels made the Earth with all that rests on her tremble, whose birth
banished Kunti’s sorrows, that most honoured Kshatriya who is your
younger brother, when I see him coming towards me with golden earrings
and conch-shell bracelets, Bhimasena.
Dhananjaya, whom no bowman in this world can match, spends his
time singing and surrounded by women. When I see Partha, peerless in
virtue, truth and honour, the most admired man in the world, dressed as a
woman, sorrow overwhelms me. The sight of the godlike Arjuna in the
midst of women in the hall of music, like a bull-elephant surrounded by
she-elephants, waiting on king Virata of the Matsyas, makes my mind reel.
My mother-in-law Kunti does not know that Dhananjaya is in such
distress, nor does she know that the son of Kurus, Ajatasatru, thanks to his
disastrous addiction to dice, is plunged in misery.
Bhima, when I see the youngest of you all, Sahadeva, disguised as a
gopa and tending cattle, I grow pale. Sahadeva’s plight is always on my
mind and robs me of sleep; what can I say about the rest of you? Mighty-
armed, I do not know what sin Sahadeva, Kshatriya of perfect purity,
committed that he suffers like this.
Bhaaratottama, when I see your beloved brother serving the king of the
Matsyas as his cowherd, sadness floods my heart. When I see that proud
Kshatriya, wearing clothes dyed red, giving his all to please Virata, a fever
consumes me.
My mother-in-law Kunti always praised the nobility and unassailable
integrity of Sahadeva. She, who is passionately fond of her sons, wept as
she embraced him when we were about to set out for the forest, and she
consigned him to my care. “Sahadeva is shy, soft spoken and virtuous. He is
also my favourite child. Yagnaseni, watch over him day and night. He is
delicate and brave, devoted to his elder brother the king and worships him.
Panchali, tend to him yourself,” she said.
Pandava, how can I bear to live whilst looking at this best of Kshatriyas
tending cows and sleeping on a bed of calf-skins?
And then, he who wears like a crown the three qualities—beauty,
strength and intelligence—is now the steward of Virata’s stables. How
destiny has changed Nakula! At the sight of him hosts of enemy forces
would flee from the battlefield; now he trains swift horses for the Matsya
king; and sad am I to see that handsome young man wait upon the
gorgeously bedecked Virata and parade his horses before him.
O my Bhima, beset as I am with untold misery on account of
Yudhishtira, how do you, slayer of foes, even dream that I could be happy?
Listen to me, Kaunteya, while I tell you all my other heartaches, which are
worse than these and which cause me to grow emaciated with anxiety,
although you are alive.’ ”
CANTO 20
“D raupadi says to Bhima, ‘Alas, because of that reckless gambler, I

am now under Sudeshna’s command and live in the palace as a
sairandhri. Parantapa, it is a pitiable condition that I, a princess and a queen,
am now forced to endure. I wait in torment for the end of our exile while I
cling to the belief that success, victory and defeat are not permanent; and I
live in hope that my husbands will rise up again. Prosperity and adversity
rotate like a wheel; and so I live in expectation of my husbands’ return to
prosperity. The same fate that brings victory also fetches defeat. This hope
keeps me alive.
Perhaps, Bhimasena, you should think of me as being dead? I have
heard that those who give great charity, may, in time, have to beg; those
who kill may themselves be killed; and those who vanquish others may
themselves be overthrown by their enemies. Destiny will prevail and is
inexorable. And so, like a once dry tank filling again, I await the return of
good fortune. All the same, when a trade that has flourished by dint of hard
work fails, a truly wise person should never try to make it prosper again.
Whether or not you want to hear it, I will explain why I say these
things, for my sorrow is great. Who else but I, Drupada’s daughter and
queen of Pandu’s sons, would want to live after sinking to such depths? My
desolation is a shame upon the entire Kuru race, as well as the Panchalas
and the Pandavas. There is no other woman who has so much to be joyful
about, having a father, brothers, a father-in-law and sons, who finds herself
in a state such as mine is today.
I must have done something to anger Dhatri when I was young to
deserve this. Yes, see how pale and worn I am; even a life of hardship in the
forests did not have this effect. Bhima, you know how sublimely happy I
used to be, but now I am reduced to servitude and I have no peace.
The awesome archer Dhananjaya now lives like a fire that has been
extinguished; I attribute this to destiny. It is impossible for men to know the
karma of living beings, O Prithaputra. Your fall could not have been
averted.
She who has you and your brothers to care for her, men who are like
Indra himself; she who is chaste and noble by birth and nature, has now to
attend to the comforts of her inferiors. Pandava, look at my plight; I do not
deserve this. You can see how kaala has inverted the just order of things.
Ah, she who had the whole Earth to the edge of the sea under her sway
is now the sairandhri of Sudeshna and lives in fear of her. She who had
protectors to walk before and behind her now walks before or behind
Sudeshna. This wrteched servitude is something else that I cannot bear,
Kaunteya. Listen to me; she who had never, not even for her own use,
ground ointments, except for Kunti, now makes sandalwood paste for
others. Look at my hands; oh, they were never like this.’
She shows him her callused hands and continues, ‘She who had no fear,
not of Kunti or of you and your brothers, now lives as a slave in fear of
Virata; she worries about what that king might say to her about the
preparation of the salves, for he does not like sandalwood ground by
others.’
And Krishnaa begins to sob, her streaming eyes on Bhima’s face. With
tear-choked sighs, she stirs his heart powerfully, saying, ‘Bhima, I must
have offended the gods so terribly that, in my misery, I am still alive when I
would rather be dead.’
Then that slayer of Kshatriya foes, Vrikodara, puts his face in his wife’s
delicate, scarred hands and begins to weep bitterly. He holds her hands in
his and speaks to her through his tears,” said Vaisampayana.
CANTO 21
“B himasena says, ‘Fie on the might of my arms and fie on the

Gandiva of Phalguna, for as your hands, once soft and smooth,
are now covered with calluses. I would have brought carnage to Virata’s
court if Yudhishtira had not forbidden me. Like an elephant a melon, I
would have crushed Kichaka’s head, drunk with his own power as he is.
Krishnaa, when I saw Kichaka kick you, in my mind I slaughtered the
Matsyas. Yudhishtira forbade me with a look and pressing down on my
thumbs; I understood and stayed my hand.
Our kingdom has been taken from us and I have not yet killed the
Kurus; I have still to collect the heads of Suyodhana, Karna, Subala’s son
Sakuni and the bestial Dussasana. And this eats away at my very entrails
and turns constantly in my heart like a dagger’s point.
Noble one of the graceful hips, do not sacrifice your virtue at the altar
of wrath; suppress your anger instead. If Yudhishtira hears your rebuke, he
will take his own life. If Dhananjaya and the twins hear you say what you
have to me, they will do the same. And if they kill themselves, I could not
bear to live.
In olden days Sarjati’s daughter, the beautiful Sukanya, followed
Chyavana of Bhrigu’s race into the forest; that sage’s mind was under such
control that ants built a hill over him while he was lost in dhyana.
You may have heard of how Indrasena, beautiful as Narayani, followed
her thousand-year-old husband.
You have surely heard about Janaka’s daughter Sita, the princess of
Videha, who followed her lord when he went to live in the forest; and how
that lovely one, Rama’s beloved wife, was beset by calamities and
persecuted by Ravana, but was finally reunited with him.
Then, there was the young and captivating Lopamudra, who renounced
all pleasures of the material world and followed Agastya Muni.
Lofty-minded and flawless Savitri followed Dyumatsena’s brave son
Satyavan into Yamaloka.
You have all the virtues that these chaste women possessed, my adored
Krishnaa. Be patient for just a little longer; in a fortnight the thirteenth year
will be over, and you will be Queen again.’
Draupadi says, ‘I cannot bear my sorrows, and grief alone makes me
weep; mighty Bhima, I do not condemn Yudhishtira for there is no point
brooding over the past; instead one should live for today. I am pained by the
efforts that the jealous Sudeshna makes to keep the king far from me.
Knowing her anxiety, vile Kichaka constantly propositions me.
Subduing my anger and disgust, I said to the lustful wretch, “Kichaka,
be warned. I am the beloved wife of five Gandharvas, and they will kill
you, brazen one.”
The arrogant son of a Suta replied, “I am not in the least bit afraid of
Gandharvas, O sairandhri of the sweet smiles. I can mow down a hundred
thousand of them in battle. So, timid one, give yourself to me.”
I said to the lust-maddened Suta, “You are nothing before my illustrious
Gandharvas. I am virtuous and born of noble blood so I never wish death on
anyone. Kichaka, that is the only reason you are still alive!”
The fiend just laughed loudly. Constantly entreated by her brother and
moved by her love for him, Sudeshna sent me to him saying, “O sairandhri,
bring me wine from Kichaka’s palace.”
When he saw me, the Suta’s son first tried to woo me with cunning
flattery and, when that failed, he grew furious and was about to ravish me. I
pushed him down and ran to the king, but Kichaka followed me into the
royal court; ah, he flung me to the ground and kicked me in Virata’s very
presence and in full view of Kanka and many others, including charioteers,
royal courtiers, elephant-riders and merchants. I rebuked the king and
Kanka repeatedly, but Virata did nothing to stop Kichaka, nor did he punish
him.
Kichaka’s influence over Virata is powerful indeed. He is cruel and
bereft of dharma. The queen and king are very fond of him although he is
fearless, proud, sinful, adulterous and obsessed with pleasure; he has
amassed vast wealth from the king and he forcibly takes anything he likes
from other men, even if they cry in distress.
He does not walk the path of dharma, nor does he do anything virtuous.
He is black-hearted, vicious, haughty, debased and licentious. Although I
have rejected him repeatedly, if he sees me again he will violate me; and if
that happens, I will take my life. Bhima, all your dharma and restraint will
become meaningless if I die. You might keep your pledge to Yudhishtira,
but you will lose your wife.
By protecting a wife, the children are protected, and by protecting the
children, one’s soul is preserved. In a wife one’s own self is born, and that
is why wise men call her Jaya. A wife must also protect her husband,
thinking, “How else will he be born from me?”
I have heard Brahmanas declare the duties of the different varnas, and
they say that a Kshatriya has no other duty than to put down his enemies.
Kichaka kicked me in the presence of Yudhishtira and you.
Mighty Bhima, it was you who saved me from terrible Jatasura; with
your brother’s help, you defeated Jayadratha. Now kill this evil Kichaka
who has humiliated me. Confident of being the king’s favourite, Kichaka
swells my sorrows. Break this lust-driven creature’s body like a pot of clay
against a stone.
Be warned, O Bhaarata, if another day dawns on this man who is the
source of my grief, I will drink poison and put an end to my life. Before I
am forced by Kichaka, I think it would be better that I die here in your
presence.’
Krishnaa hides her face in Bhima’s chest and weeps. And he holds her
close and tries to console her as best he can. Soothing the slender daughter
of Drupada with words of good sense and reason, he wipes her streaming
face with his hands. Thinking of Kichaka, Bhima is dry-mouthed with rage;
he moistens his lips and speaks to the distraught Draupadi.”
CANTO 22
“B hima says, ‘I will do as you wish, my gentle one; I will kill

Kichaka and all his men. Yagnaseni, tomorrow evening, put aside
your sorrow and arrange to meet Kichaka in the dance-hall. The king of the
Matsyas had it built for the princess and her companions to use during the
day; the girls return to their homes at night, and there is a finely wrought
wooden couch there. From that couch I will send Kichaka to his ancestors.
My slender Panchali, you must bring him there and be careful that no
one sees you.’
Having spoken thus to each other and having shed tears, they wait
impatiently for the night to end. The next morning Kichaka rises and goes
to the palace, where he accosts Draupadi again.
He says, ‘I threw you down in the court and kicked you in the presence
of the king, and no one did anything because none dare face my wrath. This
should show you that Virata is king of the Matsyas only in name. As
senapati of the forces of the realm, I am the real lord of the Matsyas. Gentle
one, yield willingly to me and I will be your slave. You of the graceful hips,
I will give you a hundred nishkas even now; I will employ a hundred
eunuchs and a hundred women to attend on you; I will give you chariots
drawn by mares of the finest pedigree. Let us be together, timid one.’
Draupadi replies, ‘O Kichaka, I have one condition. Neither your
friends nor your brothers should know of your relations with me. I am
mortally afraid of being found out by my great Gandharvas. Promise me
this, and I will give myself to you gladly.’
Kichaka cries, ‘Let it be as you wish! I am lost in love of you of the
shapely legs that taper like the stem of a plantain tree. I will come alone to
your apartments to be with you so that your Gandharvas will know
nothing.’
Draupadi says, ‘No! When it is dark, go to the dance-hall that the
Matsya king has built. The girls who use it during the day return to their
homes at night. The Gandharvas do not know that place, and we will escape
their notice.’
Dwelling on her conversation with Kichaka, impatient for revenge, the
rest of the day seems as long as a month to Krishnaa. Not dreaming that it
was Death who had assumed the perfect form of a sairandhri, Kichaka goes
home in a fog of delight. His mind athrong with images of passion, he
anoints his body with fragrant oils and adorns himself with jewels and
garlands. All the while absorbed with thoughts of that doe-eyed beauty, he
waits for the interminable day to end.
The magnificent Kichaka, who is about to lose his beauty forever,
seems to shine more radiantly, like the flame of a lamp before it dies.
Deceived by lust into trusting Draupadi, absorbed in lascivious imaginings
of his tryst with her, Kichaka hardly notices the day pass.
Meanwhile, Draupadi goes to Bhima, stands before him in the kitchen,
and she of the raven-black tresses says, ‘O Parantapa, I have asked Kichaka
to meet me in the hall of dance. He will come there alone at midnight. Kill
him there, Bhima, this Sutaputra Kichaka who is so vain that he dares mock
my Gandharva husbands. O strongest of all Kshatriyas, despatch him from
the world, just as Krishna did the Naga Kaliya from the Yamuna. Pandava,
dry my tears; and may you be blessed by protecting your own and Kshatriya
dharma.’
Bhima says, ‘Lovely one, this good news you bring is all I need to hear.
I feel as elated as I did when I killed Hidimba. I swear by truth itself, by the
lives of my brothers and by dharma that I will kill Kichaka even as Indra
did Vritrasura. I will tear him apart, out in the open if I need to, and if the
Matsyas fight on his part, I will kill them too.
And when that is done, I will kill Duryodhana and win back the Earth.
If he wants to, let Yudhishtira continue to pay homage to the king of
Matsyas.’
Knowing Bhima and the danger his unleashed fury could put them in,
Draupadi says, ‘My Bhima, kill him in secret so that you do not break your
word to me.’
Bhima reassures her, ‘I will kill Kichaka and all his friends tonight, but
secretly and under cover of darkness. Perfect one, like an elephant crushes a
mango, I will crush the vile Kichaka’s head, for daring to crave the
unattainable.’
When night falls, Bhima covers himself in a silken sheet and goes in
advance to the meeting-place where he lies on the fine couch like a lion
waiting to ambush a deer, waiting for Kichaka. The Matsya senapati arrives
at the appointed time, perfumed and adorned and quivering in anticipation
of meeting the sairandhri of his dreams.
Instead, in that pitch-black hall the evil one encounters Bhima of the
matchless prowess, who is already there, waiting on the couch. Like a moth
to a flame, or a small animal to a lion, Kichaka comes to Bhima, death
personified, lying covered on the couch, smouldering at the thought of what
the Matsya senapati said and did to Krishnaa.
Filled with ecstatic expectation, lecherous Kichaka comes near Bhima
and says, smiling, ‘O you of the arched brows, I have given you all kinds of
precious things from my store-houses, a hundred maids, many beautiful
clothes and a fine mansion with an antahpura full of lovely young sakhis,
and furnished with everything to amuse and entertain you. Having arranged
all these for you, I have come running to your side. You must know that
women admire me, saying that no one is as handsome as I or as richly
clothed.’
Pretending to be Draupadi, Bhima whispers, ‘I am glad that you are so
handsome and it is just that you praise yourself. But I do not think you
would ever have felt a touch as pleasurable as mine. You are gallant and
strong, and your fingers burn my skin. You are an artist at lovemaking and a
favourite with women, and surely there is none other like you in this
world!’
Then, suddenly, mighty-armed, splendid and terrifyingly powerful
Bhimasena, son of Kunti, rises from the couch and says with a laugh,
‘Wretch, today your sister will see me drag you along the ground, as lion
does an elephant he has killed. With you dead, the sairandhri and we, her
husbands, will live in peace.’
Saying this, Bhima takes Kichaka by his flower-decked hair. But the
strong Kichaka pulls loose from Bhima’s grasp and seizes Bhima’s arms.
Full of fury, those two lions among men fight like two bull-elephants over a
female in season, why, bringing to mind the long-ago titanic battle between
the Vanara brothers Vali and Sugriva.
Their arms raised like five-hooded snakes, Bhima and Kichaka tear at
each other in a frenzy of fury. Kichaka’s onslaught takes Bhima by surprise,
but the Pandava does not falter.
Fiercely they fight, locked together, dragging each other this way and
that, like two humped bulls, like snarling tigers. With teeth and nails, they
fight unarmed; like elephants with temples cracked and oozing the wild
juice of musth, they fling each other down. When Bhima seizes Kichaka,
Kichaka the strong hurls him violently to the ground. The crash of arm
against arm resounds like splitting bamboo.
Then summoning all his great strength, Vrikodara hurls Kichaka across
the dance hall; he tosses him about like a tree in a hurricane. Besieged by
Bhima, Kichaka begins to tremble with weakness but then he repels the
Pandava and even Bhima stumbles. Kichaka strikes him with his knees and
fells him, but Bhima gets up quickly, like Yama himself with mace in hand.
At midnight in that lonely place, intoxicated with their own strength, the
Suta and the Pandava battle; and the whole edifice shudders with their
roars.
Bhima clenches his great fist and strikes Kichaka squarely on his chest,
but his lust for Panchali gives Kichaka unnatural strength and he stands his
ground, but only for a moment. The Suta is exhausted; Bhima is
overpowering and, seeing Kichaka weaken, Bhima pulls him to his chest
and begins to crush him in iron arms. Panting in rage, Vrikodara seizes
Kichaka’s hair and roars like a hungry tiger that has killed some massive
prey. Knowing his enemy is near the end, Vrikodara holds him fast, as if
trussing an animal with rope.
The dazed Kichaka roars horribly like a broken trumpet as Bhima
whirls him round and round; and then, to appease Krishnaa’s anger,
Vrikodara grasps his enemy’s neck and squeezes it with his hands. By now
all Kichaka’s limbs are broken, and his eyelids are swollen shut, but
Vrikodara smashes his knees into Kichaka’s belly and unrelentingly crushes
the body of that man, the worst of his clan, and kills him as if he is an
animal.
At last, seeing that his prey lies motionless, Bhima rolls the inert
Kichaka on the ground and, with a heartfelt sigh of deep release, says, ‘This
dog who wanted to ravish our wife, this thorn in the flesh of the sairandhri
is dead. I have discharged my debt to my brothers, and I am at peace.’
Then, still red-eyed, Bhima rises away from Kichaka, whose clothes
and ornaments have been torn off but whose eyes roll in his head as his
blood-drenched body still twitches in spasms. Wringing his hands and
biting his lip in undiminished fury, Bhima launches himself once more upon
his enemy.
He thrusts Kichaka’s head, neck, arms and legs into his torso and
reduces him to a shapeless mass, as the wielder of the Pinaka once did the
deer which Yagna became to escape his ire. Having crushed him to pulp,
Bhima rolls Kichaka into a ball of flesh, and he calls out to Krishnaa, hiding
in a corner, watching riveted, her breast heaving in excitement.
Mighty Bhimasena grinds Kichaka’s body under his feet and says to
Draupadi, ‘Come, Panchali, and see what has become of the lecher!’
And, showing Kichaka’s body to Draupadi by the light of a lamp, he
says to her, ‘Gentle, chaste one, I will kill anyone who lusts after you,
exactly as I have done Kichaka.’
Having accomplished his difficult task to please Krishnaa, and having
pacified his own rage, Bhima leaves Krishnaa, and hurries back to his
kitchen. Her torment assuaged by Kichaka’s death, Draupadi, best among
all women, is ecstatic.
She calls to the guards of the dance-hall, ‘Come all of you and look at
Kichaka who lusted after other mens’ wives; look where he lies slain by my
Gandharva husbands.’
The guards of the dance-hall hear her and rush in, torches in hand. They
see Kichaka’s bloodied, dismembered body on the ground. They gaze at
him in shock and say in amazement, ‘Where is his neck and where are his
legs?’
When they see how their general has been slain, surely by superhuman
forces, they decide that he has indeed been killed by a Gandharva.”
CANTO 23
V aisampayana said, “Kichaka’s kinsmen rush to the dance-hall, see

him there and gather round his body, wailing loudly. The sight of
him lying there mangled, like a dead tortoise dragged out of the water on to
dry ground, is too much for them; the hair on their bodies stands on end in
horror. They take his body, crushed by Bhima like a Danava by Indra, and
prepare it for the funeral rites.
The Suta clansmen assembled there then notice Krishnaa of the perfect
body leaning against a pillar and exclaim, ‘This loose woman, for whom
Kichaka has given his life, must die. Or even better, instead of killing her
here, let us cremate her alive on the pyre of the one who desired her. It is
our dharma to do what the dead Sutaputra would have wanted.’
They go to Virata and say, ‘It is because of her that Kichaka has died. It
is only right that she is cremated along with him, and you must give us
leave to do this.’
Virata is aware of the extent of the power the Suta wields and agrees to
let the sairandhri be burnt alive with the body of the Suta’s son. Kichaka’s
clansmen violently seize lotus-eyed Krishnaa, who is paralysed with terror.
They tie up the slender-waisted one, haul her onto the funeral cart and set
off excitedly for the smasana.
O King, as she is forcibly carried to the burning ground by the Sutas,
the chaste Krishnaa, who is protected by her husbands, cries out aloud to
them, ‘Jaya! Jayanta! Vijaya! Jayatsena! Jayadbala! The Sutas are taking
me away! O swift Gandharvas, whose chariot-wheels rumble and whose
bowstrings sound like thunderclaps, hear me. Oh, the Sutas are going to
burn me alive!’
Bhima hears Krishnaa’s cries, leaps out of his bed without a moment’s
thought and roars, ‘I hear you, sairandhri! Have no more fear of the Sutas,
gentle one.’
Bhima of the mighty arms stretches his body and dresses with care. He
creeps out of the palace, climbs a tree and vaults over the lofty city wall. He
runs to the smasana, where Kichaka’s kinsmen have gone, and he charges
the Sutas with dreadful roars.
On his way, he sees a large tree, tall as a palmyra, with a gigantic trunk
and withered top-branches. Bhima grasps this tree that spans ten vyamas
and uproots it as easily as an elephant would. With that tree across his
shoulders, looking like Yama with his mace, the Kshatriya runs at the Sutas.
In his wake, banyans, pipals and kinsukas crash to the ground.
The Sutas see Bhima rushing towards them like a furious lion; they
tremble in panic and say fearfully to each other, ‘Look! The Gandharva
comes full of rage, with an uprooted tree in his hands. It is the sairandhri
who has put us in danger; let us set her free.’
Staring at the tree uprooted by Bhimasena, they release Draupadi and
run frantically back towards the city. Seeing them run away, Vayu’s mighty
son flings the tree at the fleeing Sutas and, just as Indra killed the Danavas,
despatches a hundred and five of them to Yamaloka. O King, he frees
Draupadi from her bonds and comforts her.
Irrepressible Vrikodara says to the agitated Panchali, her face bathed in
tears, ‘See, gentle one, I have killed those that wronged you. Krishnaa,
return to the city; you need no longer be afraid. I will take another way back
to the palace kitchens.’
Bhaarata, this is how one hundred and five Kichaka clansmen are slain;
and their corpses lie on the ground like a copse of trees felled by a
hurricane. The slaughtered Sutas number one hundred and five; including
Virata’s senapati Kichaka they number one hundred and six. The men and
women gathered there watch the incredible feat and are all spellbound, O
Bhaarata, speechless.”
CANTO 24
V aisampayana said, “The citizens witness the massacre of the Sutas

and report back to Virata, ‘O great king, the mighty sons of Sutas
have all been killed by the Gandharvas and lie scattered on the earth like
mountain peaks fractured by thunder. The sairandhri has been released and
is returning to the palace. Her presence here will endanger your kingdom.
The sairandhri is unnaturally beautiful, and her Gandharvas are as powerful
as she is lovely. Men are irresistibly drawn to her. O Virata, protect your
kingdom from the vengeance of the Gandharvas for the wrongs done to
her.’
Virata, lord of vast hosts, says, ‘Perform the last rites of the Sutas. Let
all the slain men of Kichaka’s clan be cremated on one pyre with gemstones
and frankincense.’
Then, fearful of what might happen, the king says to his queen
Sudeshna, ‘When the sairandhri comes back, say to her from me,
“Blessings upon you, my beautiful sairandhri. You are free to go wherever
you wish. You of the graceful hips, what your Gandharva husbands did has
alarmed the king. Because these Gandharvas watch jealously over you, he
dares not say this to you himself. A woman, however, cannot give offence
by speaking to you; and so, he speaks through one.” ’
Saved by Bhimasena’s slaughter of the Sutas, now the intelligent
Krishnaa has no cause for fear. However, after she bathes her body and
washes her clothes, she approaches the city, still nervous, like a doe
frightened by a tiger. Rajan, terrified of the Gandharvas, the people run in
all directions when they see her. Some even shut their eyes!
Panchali sees Bhima standing at the palace-gates like an infuriated
tusker. With eyes wide in adoring wonder, Draupadi whispers to him so no
one else can hear, ‘I salute you, O prince of Gandharvas, my saviour!’
Bhima declares loudly, ‘All who have been living in servitude or debt,
who hear these words of hers, are hereby freed from all their obligations.’
Draupadi sees Arjuna in the dance-hall teaching Virata’s daughters
dance. When Krishnaa arrives there, all the girls come out with Arjuna to
meet her.
They say, ‘Sairandhri, it is fortunate indeed that you have been rescued
from danger, and you are lucky to return safe. We are glad that the Sutas
who abused you are dead.’
Brihannala says, ‘How were you saved, sairandhri? And how did those
sinful men die? I want to hear exactly what happened.’
The sairandhri replies, ‘Brihannala, you live contentedly in the women’s
apartments. Why do you concern yourself with what has happened to a
mere sairandhri? You do not face the trials that I have been through. Your
questions are only to ridicule me in my distress.’
Brihannala says, ‘Blessed one, Brihannala, too, has sorrows of her own.
She has become as low as an animal. Dear sairandhri, you do not
understand this. I have lived with you and you with us; when you are beset
with sorrow, who does not grieve for you? But no one can read another’s
heart, and you do not know what I feel, gentle Malini.’
Draupadi then goes with the girls to the antahpura to see Sudeshna.
When she comes before the queen, Virata’s wife says to her, ‘Sairandhri, I
set you free this moment to go wherever you wish. The king is fearful
because of what your Gandharvas have done. Lovely one, you are young
and your beauty is without compare in this world. Besides, you are an
object of desire for all men, and the Gandharvas are easily provoked to
anger.’
The sairandhri says, ‘O gracious queen, I beg that the king allow me to
live here for just another thirteen days. The Gandharvas, too, will be
grateful to him for this. Then they will do what the king asks of them and
take me away from here. Virata will reap great benefits if he agrees.’ ”
CANTO 25
GO-HARANA PARVA
V aisampayana said, “O Rajan, the slaughter of Kichaka and his

kinsmen fills people with awe. The talk in the city and provinces is
that the king’s cook Ballava is as brave and mighty a warrior as Kichaka but
with the notable difference that Kichaka was cruel, lecherous and
dishonoured the wives of other men; and that this was why that sinner was
killed by the Gandharvas. In provinces all across the kingdom people say
this of the hitherto invincible Kichaka, scourge of his enemies.
Meanwhile, the spies sent by Dritarashtra’s son comb villages, towns
and kingdoms. They fulfil their assignment and return to Nagarupa, pleased
with at least one thing they have learnt.
Dhritarashtra’s son, Duryodhana of the Kurus, sits in his court with
Drona, Karna, Kripa, noble Bhishma, his own brothers and the great
warriors the Trigartas, when his spies return to him.
Their leader says ‘O Lord of men, we have searched meticulously for
the Pandavas. We scoured unpeopled jungles full of deer and other animals,
and thick with all kinds of trees and plants; we looked in wooded glades,
but we did not discover where Pritha’s sons may have gone. We searched
everywhere for their footprints—in the mountains and on their unscaleable
peaks, in every kingdom, in provinces and towns and in densely peopled
cities. We found no sign of the sons of Pandu; bull among men, they seem
to have vanished without a trace.
Although we followed those Kshatriyas like shadows we lost them
suddenly and do not know where they are now. We even followed their
chariots and gleaned some information. The charioteers reached Dwaravati
without the sons of Pritha. Rajan, neither the Pandavas nor the chaste
Krishnaa are in that Yadava city.
Since, we have not been able to discover where they went or where they
are now. We must inform you that the sons of Pandu have disappeared
without trace. We know what the Pandavas are like and the feats of which
they are capable. Lord of men, tell us what more we should do to discover
them.’
The man pauses, then continues, ‘However, we do have some news
which might please you. The senapati of the Matsya king, evil Kichaka who
repeatedly vanquished and brutally killed the Trigartas, is dead along with
all his kinsmen. They were killed by invisible Gandharvas. We were
delighted to hear this news, O Kaurava.
Lord, now command us what we should do next.’ ”
CANTO 26
GO-HARANA PARVA CONTINUED
V aisampayana said, “Duryodhana reflects a while on what his spies

tell him and then addresses his courtiers.
He says, ‘It is a difficult task but you must find the sons of Pandu, at
any cost, in this the thirteenth year, which they must pass undiscovered by
us. Most of their ajnatavasa is already over; only a short time of it remains.
If the Pandavas, who are punctilious about keeping their word, can stay
hidden for the rest of this year, they will have fulfilled their oath. They will
then return like mighty elephants with rent temples, or like venomous
snakes; and filled with wrath as they will be, their vengeance on the Kurus
will be terrible.
Do whatever is necessary, and immediately, to find the Pandavas and
make them go back into the forest, swallowing their rage like the bitterest
bile. Use any means; make this kingdom peaceful and harmonious with no
discontent, rebellion or enmity anywhere, and secure our borders.’
Karna adds to this, saying, ‘Let better, more cunning spies be sent out
immediately, Bhaarata. Let them disguise themselves well and travel
throughout the land, through every populous kingdom and province. Let
them make their enquires wherever learned men gather; in pleasant rural
retreats; in the inner apartments of palaces; in shrines and holy tirthas; in
deep mines and other secret places. The search for the disguised sons of
Pandu must be exhaustive and carried out by an army of expert spies who
are able, conscientious, and who keep themselves hidden and know the
Pandavas and their ways well. Let them search river banks, holy tirthas,
villages and towns, asramas, in mountains and caves.’
The bestial Dussasana says to his elder brother, ‘Lord of men, this time
send out only those spies in whom we have complete confidence and pay
them in advance. We approve of Karna’s plan as well. Let these spies renew
their search but more rigorously. Let others, too, go from province to
province, combing every village and town, every forest and hill.
Yet, I do not believe that we will discover the Pandavas. They are surely
well concealed; perhaps they have crossed the ocean. Or it may be that,
despite their strength and courage, wild animals have devoured them.
Possibly they have died in some rare, unforeseen circumstance. Therefore,
O my brother, do not be anxious but do the best you can to achieve what
you want.’ ”
CANTO 27
V aisampayana said, “Drona says, ‘Men like the Pandavas do not die
in the ways you imagine. They are masters of all sciences and arts;
they are brave, intelligent and have all their senses under control; they are
humble and honest; they obediently follow Yudhishtira Dharmaraja. He is
knowledgeable about neeti, artha and dharma; he loves them like a father;
he is unswervingly truthful and lives strictly by the dictates of dharma.
The Pandavas are devoted to their illustrious elder brother, who is gifted
with great intelligence, who never knowingly harms anyone and who, in
turn, listens to his younger brothers: such men never die in the ways that
you so fondly hope.
Why should Yudhishtira not be able to restore the prosperity of his
noble and devoted brothers? They are only waiting for their exile to end. To
my mind men like these never perish misfortunately. Therefore, without
wasting time and with careful thought, do what has to be done.
Also, think hard and deeply where the Pandavas might have hidden
themselves. They are spiritually disciplined, pure and heroic Kshatriyas,
and it will be difficult indeed to find them. Yudhishtira is intelligent,
possesses every virtue, is devoted to truth, principled, a holy man and the
embodiment of immeasurable tejas. This son of Pritha can make ashes of
his enemies with a mere glance.
Knowing all this, do what you think you should. Let us search for them
once more by sending out holy Brahmanas and well-schooled Charanas,
and others who know about those peerless Kshatriyas.’ ”
CANTO 28
V aisampayana said, “Shantanu’s son Bhishma, great uncle to the

Kurus, who is well-versed in the Vedas, who is conscious of the
appropriateness and timeliness of things, and who has a deep knowledge of
the dictates of dharma applauds Acharya Drona’s words. He speaks to the
Bhaaratas with sage advice that would beneift them; what he says is dharma
and expresses his fondness for Yudhishtira. His words are honest and
commendable; impartial and revered by the wise are the words of Bhishma.
The Kuru pitama says, ‘I approve of what Acharya Drona says; he
knows everything that has transpired. I say this without hesitation. The
Pandavas are blessed with every auspicious mark; they are strict in their
observance of dharma-vratas and have studied the Vedas; they are devout
and know all the sciences; they obey their elders and are always truthful.
They know how to use time wisely; they have been true to the oath they
have sworn; they are honourable and principled; and they live by Kshatriya
Dharma. They are always obedient to the exalted Kesava; they are above
reproach and have prowess beyond compare; and they are the guardians of
Rishis. Misfortune can never put down those noble Kshatriyas.
Their noble qualities support the sons of Pandu who live in hiding, as
they vowed to; and they will not die; of this I am convinced. Therefore,
Bhaarata, let us be thoughtful about how we should deal with them. It
would not be wise to use spies to discover where they are. I will tell you
what I think we ought to do about the Pandavas.
Understand that what I say is not from ill-will towards you. I would
never offer devious advice to anyone, for one should only ever offer honest
counsel. My child Suyodhana, regardless of circumstances, the wise man
who is devoted to dharma and respects the wisdom of elders should always
speak the truth if he wants to acquire virtue. And so, I am bound to say that
I disagree with the rest of you about where Yudhishtira spends the thirteenth
year of his exile.
Child, the ruler of the city or province where Yudhishtira Dharmaraja
lives will suffer no misfortune. The people of that kingdom will be
charitable, generous, humble and modest. Their speech will be pleasing;
they will be moderate, truthful, cheerful and healthy. Their conduct will be
virtuous, and they will be skilled at what they do. The people who live
where Yudhishtira is, will be without envy, malice, vanity or pride; and all
will faithfully keep their svadharma.
Where king Yudhishtira lives, Vedic hymns will be chanted everywhere
and yagnas performed; the last libations will always be fully poured, and
gifts to Brahmanas will be generous. The clouds will bring abundant rain,
the harvests will be plentiful and safety will prevail. Every grain of paddy
will be full, every fruit juicy, flower garlands fragrant and the conversation
of the people will be friendly.
Where Yudhishtira lives, the breezes will be fragrant, the meetings of
men always congenial, and never will there be any cause for fear. Cattle
will thrive in that kingdom, in robust health and numbers; milk, curds and
butter will be sweet and nutritious. Every kind of grain will be wholesome,
and all food will be full of taste.
Where Yudhishtira Dharmaraja dwells the five senses will be finely
tuned, the lands all around beautiful and the Dvijas virtuous and steadfast in
their duties.
Indeed, in the place where the Pandavas spend this thirteenth year of
their exile the people will be contented, cheerful and free of sorrow and
suffering. They will be devoted to the gods and guests, and worship them
with equal reverence. They will be generous, tireless and assiduously
practice all the virtues.
Where Yudhishtira is, the people will avoid evil and only strive for what
is good. They will conduct yagnas and observe appropriate vows. They will
hate lies and always work for what is auspicious and beneficial. They will
only aspire to achieve what is honourable; they will be principled and,
because they observe proper vows, they will constantly acquire spiritual
merit and great punya.
O child, even keen Brahmanas will not discover Yudhishtira
Dharmaraja, who is a repository of intelligence, charity, tranquillity of soul,
forgiveness, modesty, prosperity, fame, great vitality and compassion for all
living things; how, then will your common spies find him, when he wants to
remain hidden? Yudhishtira lives disguised in a place such as I have
described. I need say no more about his exemplary life.
If you have any faith in me, O prince of Kurus, think carefully about
what I have said and do what you think best.’ ”
CANTO 29
V aisampayana said, “Now Saradvata’s son Kripa says, ‘What

Bhishma pitama says is full of good sense; it is in keeping with
dharma and artha, reasonable and worthy of him. But listen to my views as
well.
You owe it to yourself to put forth your agents and discover where the
Pandavas are and then to do whatever benefits you. My child, anyone who
is concerned about his own welfare should not disregard even an ordinary
enemy. What can I say then about the sons of Pandu who are master
Kshatriyas? When the time comes for the return of the Pandavas who,
having lived twelve years in the forest, now hide in disguise, you should
assess your own military strength and that of other kings, both those allied
to you and those who are loyal to Yudhishtira. The return of the sons of
Pandu is imminent.
When their term of exile ends, the illustrious and infinitely powerful
sons of Pritha will come back full of vigour and with vengeance on their
minds. Be clever, Duryodhana; increase your armed forces and build up
your treasury so that you can make a treaty with them that is to your
advantage. Estimate your power by assessing the strengths and weaknesses
of your allies, and the contentment and dissatisfaction, willingness or
otherwise of your own forces. And then we must either fight the enemy or
negotiate a treaty of peace with Yudhishtira.
You have studied diplomacy; you are experienced in dealing with
rebellion, corruption and loyalty, and you know when to reward or to
punish. Attack your enemies and subdue those that are weak, and then win
over your allies and their troops with persuasion. When you have
augmented your army and filled your treasury, you will be able to fight any
enemy at all, let alone the sons of Pandu who have few troops, horses or
elephants. Follow this strategy with dharma and you will attain lasting
happiness, Purushottama.’ ”
CANTO 30
V aisampayana said, “Susarman, powerful king of the Trigartas, who

has a large force of chariots of war, who suffered many and frequent
defeats at the hands of the Matsya’s senapati Kichaka and his allies the
Salyas, sees that the circumstances are advantageous for him and loses no
time in speaking up.
Susarman lets Karna see scepticism in his eyes and says to Duryodhana,
‘My kingdom has been invaded many times by the king of the Matsyas,
with the mighty Kichaka his senapati. The perfidious and violent general,
whose prowess was universally famed, who was cruel and sinful in all he
did, has been killed by unknown Gandharvas. With Kichaka’s death, Virata
has been stripped of his strength and pride, and has no reason left to be
courageous. Sinless friend, I think this is a good time to invade his
kingdom, if it pleases you, the noble Karna and all the Kauravas.
Destiny has favoured us, so let us invade Virata’s bountiful kingdom.
We will take his jewels and other wealth, empty his coffers and share all his
lands and villages amongst us. Let us plunder his city and seize his superb
herds of cattle. If the Kaurava and Trigarta forces unite, we can have all his
cattle for ourselves. Together, we can force him to beg for peace after we
can destroy his armies. We will defeat him in fair fight, and then return
happily to our kingdoms, and your might will surely increase by acquiring
the Matsya kingdom.’
Karna says, ‘Susarman is right. The circumstances are favourable and
promise us great profit. So, if it pleases you Anagha, let us marshal our
forces for battle, array our divisions and set out at once. Or let Saradvata’s
son Kripa, Drona and the wise Bhishma tell us how better to plan our
strategy. Lord of the Earth, we must confer together and carry out our plans
swiftly.
Why should we worry about the sons of Pandu? They have no wealth or
power and have either disappeared for ever or are dead. Without misgivings
or qualms, let us go forth and forcibly take the Matsya cattle for ourselves
and the wealth of Virata’s city.’
Duryodhana agrees with Karna and says to his brother Dussasana, next
in line and always obedient to him, ‘Consult the elders and gather our
forces without delay. We will take the Kaurava armies and march on the
Matsya kingdom. Let king Susarman precede us, with all the chariots and
horses he needs, as well as the Trigarta legion of foot-soldiers.
Let Susarman attack with stealth, and we will follow closely the next
day and pillage the prosperous Matsya lands. The Trigartas must enter the
Matsya city without warning, surprise the cowherds and seize their fine
herds; we will do the same the next day, swooping down from another
direction, and together we will seize thousands of those invaluable Matsya
cattle with the auspicious marks.’
The Trigarta warriors march to the south-east with their powerful foot-
soldiers, full of hostile fervour, intent on taking Virata’s herds. Susarman
sets out on the seventh day of the dark fortnight when the moon wanes; and,
on the eighth day, the Kauravas and their troops capture thousands of
Matsya cattle.”
CANTO 31
V aisampayana said, “O great king, the Pandavas of fathomless souls

and measureless might, who have entered into king Virata’s service
and live disguised in his city, reach the end of their exile. After Kichaka is
killed, Virata, bane of his enemies, begins to rely greatly on the sons of
Kunti. O Bhaarata, it is on the very day that the thirteenth year of the
Pandavas’ exile ends that Susarman seizes thousands of Virata’s cattle.
When the cattle are taken, Virata’s chief herdsman comes running into
the city and its palace, where the king of the Matsyas sits on his throne
surrounded by his ministers, jewel-adorned warriors all; those bulls among
men, the Pandavas, are also present.
In the sabha, the cowherd bows to king Virata, enhancer of his
kingdom, and says, ‘O foremost of kings, the Trigartas have defeated us in
battle and taken hundreds of thousands of your cattle. You must rescue our
herds as soon as you can. O, my lord, do not lose them.’
The king immediately assembles the Matsya force of chariots,
elephants, horses, foot-soldiers and flag-bearers in battle array. The kings
and all the noblemen put on armour that gleams in beauty and in worthiness
of its heroic owners.
Virata’s beloved brother Satanika, next in line to him, puts on his coat
of unyielding mail decorated with burnished gold. The second brother
Madiraksha wears his gilded coat of mail, which can withstand every kind
of weapon. The king himself dons his splendid kavacha, impenetrable,
adorned with a hundred suns, a hundred circles, a hundred auspicious
tilakas and a hundred eyes.
The golden plating of the armour that Suryadatta puts on dazzles like
the Sun and is as broad as a hundred fragrant kalahara lotuses. The mail of
Virata’s eldest son, Sankha, is made of inviolable polished steel and decked
with a hundred golden eyes.
Thus do hundreds of godlike, mighty warriors arm and protect
themselves with weapons and armour, and eagerly prepare for battle. They
yoke their armoured horses to handsome white chariots. They hoist the
king’s glorious Matsya standard onto his radiant ratha, adorned with gold
and incandescent as a heavenly body.
The other Kshatriya warriors also raise their banners of many shapes, all
with gold thread woven into them, each with its own device.
When all is ready, the king of the Matsyas says to Satanika, ‘Kanka,
Ballava, Tantripala and Damagranthi—these men of the dazzling tejas, will
surely fight for me. Give them chariots with banners; let them have
comfortable, impervious mail and arm themselves with suitable weapons.
They have such powerful arms, like the trunks of mighty elephants, and
warriors’ bearing. I do not believe that they cannot fight.’
O Rajan, Satanika immediately orders chariots for the royal sons of
Pritha—Yudhishtira, Bhima, Nakula and Sahadeva—and the king’s
charioteers swiftly ready them in obedience to his command. Those
Parantapas put on the fine coats of mail that the king gives them, those
Kshatriyas of legendary fame in disguise. The four sons of Pritha, crushers
of their enemies, best among all men, climb onto their chariots yoked to
excellent horses, and their hearts sing within them. In their gold-decked
rathas, the four master Kshatriyas, bulls of Kuru’s race, the sons of Pandu
of undiminished might, follow Virata into battle.
Awesome elephants in their prime—huge tuskers, wild juices of musth
trickling from their cracked temples and making them look like dark clouds
pouring rain—skilled and accomplished warriors mounted on them, amble
behind the king like mountains on the move. The principal Matsya warriors
who follow the king have eight thousand chariots, a thousand elephants and
sixty thousand horses.
And, O Bharatarishabha, as it follows the trail of the hoof-marks of the
seized cattle, Virata’s army of fighting men who carry shining, powerful
weapons, accompanied by majestic elephants, steeds of the purest
bloodlines and glittering chariots, is extraordinary and beautiful; it is
splendid indeed.”
CANTO 32
V aisampayana said, “The valorous Matsya legions leave the city and
overtake the Trigartas in the afternoon. The two impassioned armies
do fervid battle, and they roar in fury as weapons clash and spraks fly
everywhere, while the Trigartas are as intent on capturing king Virata as the
Matsya are on taking Susarman. Warriors riding enraged elephants
manoeuvre them with spiked goads. And O Rajan, when the setting Sun is
low on the horizon, the battle between the opposing infantries, cavalries,
chariots and elephants is like the long ago one between the Devas and
Asuras. The bloody encounter makes brave men’s hair stand on end, dyes
the earth red and adds to the numbers in Yama’s kingdom.
The two armies loose arrows, hurl spears and slash each other with
swords, spraying gore everywhere. A cloud of dust rises in a heavy fog,
obscuring vision and even settling on birds, which fall to the ground under
its weight. Arrows fly so thickly that they block out the Sun, and the sky is
lit up as if by myriad swarms of fireflies. The archers spin around and move
their gold-inlaid bows from one hand to the other to release their arrows in
all directions. Chariots, horsemen, foot-soldiers and elephants crash against
each other in the dark. Warriors hew viciously at their enemies with sword
and axe and iron club; they shoot feathered shafts, cast long, slender
javelins, all with utmost force. But, O King, for all their fercotiy, neither
army prevails.
Severed heads roll in the dust, some with handsome noses divided,
some with lips cleft, some with crimson gashes in well-tended black hair.
And soon the battlefield is covered with the limbs of Kshatriya warriors, cut
off and strewn everywhere like the trunks of sala trees. Beheaded faces
glitter with earrings, and severed arms smeared in sandalwood paste
resemble snakes as they lie on the ground, and they make the field of
carnage eerily beautiful.
As chariots, horsemen, foot-soldiers and elephants fight, rivulets of
blood soak the frightful dust, and even hardened soldiers faint at the
horrible spectacle. Warriors abandon compassion, friendship and fairness,
and fight ferally. Though blinded by the unending deluge of arrows,
vultures swoop down to land on the field. Still, the armies fight on, and still
neither side can vanquish the other.
Satanika has killed a hundred of the enemy; Visalaksha has claimed
four hundred lives; and both these penetrate deep into the heart of the
Trigarta formations. There, in close combat, the two Kshatriya heroes
escalate the battle to even more savagery, as the men of both sides seize
each other by the hair and tear at each other with their nails.
Turning away, Satanika and Visalaksha storm a dense cluster of Trigarta
chariots. With Suryadatta and Madiraksha behind him, Virata kills five
hundred of the enemy, as well as eight hundred horses and five Maharathas
fighting from great chariots. Expertly manoeuvring his own chariot, at last
the Matsya king encounters Susarman of the Trigartas, mounted on his
golden ratha of war. Eager for this duel, the two kings roar to drown every
other sound on that field and rush against each other like two bulls in a
cow-pen. Truly a bull among men, Susarman meets Virata in single combat
on chariots.
The enraged twain warriors shower arrows at each other even like
clouds do torrents of rain. Both are masterly and, flitting here and there on
the battlefield, attack each other with swords, short and bearded darts,
maces and arrows from every direction. Virata pierces Susarman with ten
shafts and each of his four horses with five. Irrepressible Susarman, as
skilled in war, wounds Virata with fifty whetted shafts. In the swirling dust
of that contention, Susarman’s and Virata’s men cannot distinguish one king
from the other.”
CANTO 33
V aisampayana said, “Dust and nightfall envelop the world, and the
warriors of both sides rest awhile. When the moon emerges to dispel
the gloom on the field and in their hearts, the Kshatriyas resume the battle
with greater ferocity than ever, by silvery moonlight.
With his younger brother and all his chariots, Susarman charges king
Virata of the Matsyas. Maces in hand, the Trigarta brothers, bulls among
Kshatriyas, leap down from their rathas and mount a furious attack on the
enemy chariots. Savagely, the hostile legions fall at each other with maces
and swords, scimitars and battle-axes and sharply-tempered darts.
Routing the entire Matsya army, Susarman and his brother rush towards
Virata. The Trigarta brothers kill Virata’s chariot horses, his charioteer and
his two bodyguards; and, when he is stranded and alone, they capture him.
Susarman attacks Virata brutally, much as a lust-driven man might a
defenceless woman, flings the Matsya king into his own chariot and races
off the field.
The Matsyas see Virata captured and flee in terror, chaotically.
Yudhishtira sees that panic-stricken flight and says to Bhima, ‘The Trigartas
have taken the Matsya king. O Mahabaho, rescue him from the enemy’s
clutches. We have lived happily in Virata’s city and wanted for nothing. You
must free him, Bhimasena, and thereby repay our debt to him.’
Bhimasena replies, ‘My brother, I will do what you say. Watch me fight
the enemy with my bare hands. Stand aside with our brothers and witness
my might today. I will uproot this great tree and, using its trunk as a mace,
rout the Trigartas.’
Yudhishtira sees Bhima eyeing the tree like an angry elephant and says,
‘Bhima, do not be rash. Leave the tree alone. You must not use the tree as is
your wont, or the people will know who you are. Instead, take some
ordinary weapon—a bow, a spear, a sword or an axe—and rescue Virata
without being recognised. Nakula and Sahadeva will defend your chariot,
and together you can free the king of the Matsyas.’
Without more ado, Bhimasena takes up his bow and lets fly a gale of
arrows, thick as a torrent of rain from a thundercloud. Red-eyed, he goes in
pursuit of Susarman, roaring, ‘Stop, coward!’ at Susarman, and so
reassuring Virata.
Susarman sees and hears Bhima, like Yama behind him, crying, ‘Stop!
And see what I do to you.’
The Trigarta king quickly takes up his bow and turns back with his
brother. In an instant Bhima shatters all the chariots that face him. Virata
watching, awesome Bhima demolishes thousands of chariots and slaughters
elephants, horses, brave and skilled bowmen; this done, he pounds the foot-
soldiers to death with his mace.
The irrepressible Susarman sees this fearsome onslaught and thinks,
‘My brother seems to have succumbed with his vast legion. Shall my army
also be annihilated?’ And he draws his bowstring to his ear and shoots a
rich salvo of keening arrows.
Seeing the Pandavas on their chariots come to help them, the Matsya
warriors are encouraged; they urge their horses forward and grind the
Trigarta army into the earth. Now Virata’s son performs brave and quite
amazing feats on the field. Yudhishtira kills a thousand hostile warriors, and
Bhima despatches seven thousand to Yamaloka. Nakula slays seven
hundred and Sahadeva three hundred fighting men.
Yudhishtira attacks Maharatha Susarman with a sizzling volley of
shafts. The enraged Susarman strikes Yudhishtira with nine arrows and
draws blood from the Pandava’s four horses, piercing them with four barbs
each.
But then Kunti’s great and mercurial son Bhima kills Susarman’s horses
and bodyguard with bloody strokes of his mace, and drags his charioteer to
the ground. Madiraksha, defender of the Susarman’s chariot, sees his king
without a sarathy and rides swiftly to help him, but Virata seizes
Susarman’s mace, and though he is old, leaps down from the chariot to
chase Madiraksha away with all the vigour and fierceness of a young man.
Bhima calls out to Susarman, who is now fleeing, ‘Stop, Kshatriya! It is
not dharma for a warrior to flee from battle. How could a mighty king like
you stoop to lifting cattle? How can you abandon your companions and lose
face before your enemies?’
Provoked by this son of Pritha’s, Susarman, lord-commander of
countless chariots, roars at Bhima, ‘Stay!’ and turns around and rushes at
him. Bhima leaps down from his ratha and attacks the Trigarta king like a
lion may a small deer. Titanic Bhima seizes Susarman by his hair and,
raising him high, dashes him to the ground. As he lies crying in agony,
Bhima kicks his head, then plants his great knee on the fallen king’s chest
and rains blows on him until he is senseless.
The fall of Susarman strikes panic into the Trigarta army, and his men
flee in all directions, in perfect confusion.
The Pandavas have vanquished Susarman, retrieved the Matsya cattle,
and saved Virata’s life. They now stand before the Matsya king.
Bhimasena says, ‘Wretched Susarman does not deserve to live but what
can I do when the king is so forgiving!’
Picking up the dazed Susarman from the dust by his throat and tying
him up, Pritha’s son Vrikodara takes him in a chariot to Yudhishtira at the
heart of the battlefield and displays him to his elder brother.
Seeing Susarman’s plight, Yudhishtira smiles and says to Bhima, ‘Let
this worst of men be set free.’
Bhima says to Susarman, ‘If you want to live, dog, listen carefully to
me. You must declare in every court and assembly of men, “I am a slave.”
Only if you do this will I grant you your life. This is the law of the victor
and the vanquished.’
His elder brother affectionately says to Bhima, ‘If you respect my
authority, liberate this evil man. He has already become king Virata’s slave.’
Turning to Susarman he says, ‘You are a free man. Go now, and never
repeat what you did today.’ ”
CANTO 34
V aisampayana said, “On being spoken to thus by Yudhishtira,

Susarman hangs his head in shame. He goes to Virata, salutes him
wretchedly and leaves, a free man. Having routed the enemy and freeing
their captive Susarman, the Pandavas spend that night on the battlefield.
Virata showers these mighty sons of Kunti with wealth and honours. He
says to them, ‘From now, all my treasures are as much yours as mine. If it
pleases you, continue to live happily with me. Parantapas, I will give you
maidens decked with ornaments, riches in plenty and whatever else you
want. I am victorious today because you four saved me from defeat. Be
lords of the Matsyas beside me.’
The Pandavas join their hands in salutation and Yudhishtira says, ‘We
thank you, O Rajan, but for us it is enough that your enemies have been
defeated and that you are free.’
Virata says to Yudhishtira, ‘Come, we will install you as king of the
Matsyas; we will bestow on you rare and coveted treasures of the earth, for
you deserve everything we can give. O Kanka, foremost of Brahmanas of
the Vaiyaghra family, I will give you gems and cattle, gold, rubies and
pearls. I bow to you. It is because of you that I see my sons and my
kingdom once more. I was attacked and my very life threatened, and you
saved me.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘We are delighted at what you say. May you always be
happy and compassionate to all the living. Send your messengers back to
the city to give the good news of your victory to the people.’
The Matsya king commands his messengers, ‘Go to the city and
proclaim my victory. Let young girls and mature courtesans, duly bedecked
with ornaments, come out of the city and welcome us with music and
dance.’
At the king’s word, his men leave at once for the city to joyfully carry
out his command. They arrive there by nightfall and, at daybreak, proclaim
the king’s victory all over the Matsya capital.”
CANTO 35
V aisampayana said, “When the king of the Matsyas leaves the city to
recover his stolen herd of cattle from the Trigartas, Duryodhana and
his allies invade Virata’s kingdom from another direction. In this army are
Bhishma and Drona, Karna and Kripa, Drona’s son Aswatthama, Subala’s
son Sakuni and Dussasana, Vivimsati and Vikarna, Chitrasena, Durmukha
and Dussaha and many other great rathikas. They quickly enter the Matsya
lands, drive off king Virata’s cowherds and lift the rest of his magnificent
herds.
The Kauravas come with a multitude of chariots and seize sixty
thousand head of cattle. Loud is the wail set up by the cowherds when they
are attacked by the matchless Kuru warriors. In terror for his life, the chief
among the cowherds hastily climbs into a chariot and rides to the city,
crying in fear.
He drives straight to the palace, jumps off the chariot and runs inside.
He sees the proud younger son of the Matsya king, prince Uttara, also
called Bhuminjaya, and tells him about the seizing of the royal herd.
He says, ‘The Kauravas have taken sixty thousand cows. Rise, O
enhancer of the kingdom’s fame, and bring back your herd. O prince, do not
waste a moment, set out yourself! The king of the Matsyas has left you in
the empty city, and as he went your father boasted, “My son Bhuminjaya is
my equal; he is a Kshatriya and the upholder of our glory. He is a great
warrior, skilled with a bow and every other weapon, and he is brave as a
lion.”
O, may what the king said be true; best of all owners of cattle-herds,
defeat the Kurus and their troops with your arrows and bring back our
cows. Just as a mighty bull-elephant charges a herd, cut down the enemy
with gold-feathered arrows from your bow.
Your bow is like a veena—its two ends the ivory rests; its string the
main chord; its staff, the finger-board and the arrows its notes. Let your
bow sing in the midst of the enemy. Lord, yoke your silvery horses to your
chariot, hoist your standard with its golden lion; let your razor-sharp and
gold-winged arrows flay the Kuru host and eclipse the very Sun.
Vanquish all the Kurus in battle, as the wielder of the thunderbolt did
the Asuras of old; return victorious to the city and achieve great fame. O
prince of Matsyas, you are the sole refuge of this kingdom even as the great
Arjuna is the guardian of the sons of Pandu. As his brothers look to Arjuna
for sanctuary so do we look to you. We, the people of this kingdom, look
upon you as our protector and saviour.’
The prince’s courage is boosted by what the cowherd says to him in the
antahpura in the presence of the women of the harem, and he responds
valiantly.”
CANTO 36
“P rince Uttara says, ‘I am a master archer and I would set out at

once after our herd if only I had an expert charioteer. But I do not
know of such a man. I am ready to leave, so look for a sarathy for me. My
own sarathy was killed in the great battle that raged for twenty-eight days.
The moment you find me an able charioteer, I will hoist my flag and ride
forth. I will cut a swath in the enemy’s force of elephants, horses and
chariots; I will rout the ill-armed, feeble Kurus and bring back our cows.
Like a second Indra, and as he did the Danavas, I will strike terror into
Duryodhana and Bhishma, Karna and Vikartana’s son Kripa, Drona and his
son, and all the others who have dared come to our kingdom. The Kurus
seized our cattle because there was no one to oppose them. I could do
nothing for I was not there. Today the Kurus will see my prowess and
wonder if it is Arjuna himself who stands against them.’
Arjuna, who is in the antahpura, hears the prince and, well aware of the
danger the moment is fraught with, quickly says to Krishnaa of the perfect
form, Drupada’s slender daughter born from the sacrificial fire, the
sairandhri who is virtuous, chaste, truthful and entirely devoted to her
husbands.
He says, ‘My beautiful one, go at once and say to prince Uttara,
“Brihannala was once Arjuna’s own charioteer. He has seen many battles;
he is a master sarathy and can drive your chariot.” ’
Panchali cannot bear to hear Arjuna saying this about himself, over and
over, in the midst of the women. Shyly the princess of Panchala steps
forward and softly she says to the prince, ‘This handsome youth Brihannala,
who looks like a mighty elephant, used to be noble Arjuna’s charioteer. He
was that illustrious Kshatriya’s disciple and as good an archer as any
Kshatriya in the world. I knew him when I lived with the Pandavas. It is he
who held the reins of Arjuna’s fine steeds when Agni consumed the
Khandava vana. It was with him as his sarathy that Partha slew all the fell
creatures in Khandavaprastha. In fact, there is no charioteer equal to
Brihannala.’
Uttara says, ‘Sairandhri, you know this young eunuch and what he is, or
not, capable of. However, I cannot myself beg Brihannala to drive my
chariot.’
Draupadi says, ‘O Kshatriya, Brihannala will surely obey your younger
sister, she of the graceful hips. If he agrees to be your sarathy, you will
certainly defeat the Kurus and rescue your herd.’
Uttara is persuaded by Draupadi and says to his sister, ‘Go yourself,
blemishless beauty, and fetch Brihannala to me,’ and at her brother’s
request, she hurries to the dance-hall where the mighty-armed son of Pandu
lives in disguise.”
CANTO 37
V aisampayana said, “Wearing a gold necklace, her waist slender as a

wasp’s, she who has the splendour of Devi Lakshmi, her slim and
graceful form decked in peacock-feathers, her hips girdled by strings of
pearls, she of the curled eyelashes, that enchanting princess of the Matsyas
flies to the dance-hall like a streak of lightning to a dark cloud. Like a she-
elephant her mate, Virata’s faultless daughter seeks out the son of Pritha.
Like a precious gem, the embodiment of Indra’s wealth, her loveliness
enhanced by her great, shining eyes, the adored and celebrated princess
greets Arjuna.
He says to this golden-skinned girl of the closely set thighs, ‘What
brings you here, O devi wearing a golden necklace? Why have you come in
such haste, gazelle-eyed one? Why the solemn face, lovely child? Tell me.’
Thus Arjuna demands to know why she, his pupil at dancing, has come
to him in such distress.
Accompanied by her sakhis, the princess approaches that bull among
men and says to him, ‘The Kurus are driving away our cows, Brihannala,
and my brother wants to ride after them and rescue our herd. His charioteer
was killed in battle recently, and there is no one to drive my brother’s
chariot.
The sairandhri told my brother of your skill with horses and even said
that you were Arjuna’s favourite sarathy. She says it was with you in his
chariot that the mighty Arjuna single-handedly subjugated the Earth.
Brihannala, I beg you, drive my brother’s horses!
The Kurus must already have taken our cattle far away. I will die if you
refuse this favour I ask of you with affection.’
Implored by his friend and disciple of the graceful hips, Arjuna, scourge
of his foes, accedes and goes to the prince. As he strides along like an
elephant in musth with rent temples, the young princess of the large eyes
follows the Kshatriya with quick steps, like a mother elephant running
behind her young one.
The prince sees him and says, ‘With you as his charioteer, Kuntiputra
Dhananjaya pleased Agni in the Khandava vana, why, he conquered the
whole world! The Sairandhri, who knows the Pandavas, has spoken of you
to me. So Brihannala, take the reins of my horses as you did Arjuna’s, for I
am eager to fight the Kurus and rescue my cattle. You were Arjuna’s
favourite sarathy and it was with you that that Pandavarishabha conquered
the Earth.’
Brihannala replies, ‘What qualifies me to be your charioteer on the field
of battle? Yes, I can entertain you with song, dance and music, but what
skills do I have to drive your chariot?’
Prince Uttara holds out a coat of armour and says, ‘O Brihannala, you
may be a singer and a dancer, but for now, don this kavacha, mount my
chariot and take the reins of my superb horses.’
Now Arjuna pretends to fumble and be clumsy as he does what the
prince asks. He puts on the armour back to front much to the amusement of
the wide-eyed women, who burst out laughing. Impatiently prince Uttara
himself fastens the rich coat of mail to Brihannala’s rippling, powerful
body. Then donning his own armour that shines like the Sun, and hoisting
his lion-emblazoned standard, the prince hands the reins of his yoked and
eager horses to Brihannala. With Brihannala at his chariot-head, the
splendid young Kshatriya arms himself with many fine bows and beautiful
quivers of arrows, and goes forth to face the Kurus.
Princess Uttaraa and her sakhis say to their friend and teacher,
‘Brihannala, when you have defeated the Kurus led by Bhishma and Drona,
bring back some special and fine silks for us to make clothes for our dolls.’
Brihannala smiles at their request and says in a voice deep as thunder,
‘If prince Uttara can vanquish those mighty warriors in battle, I will
certainly bring back some exquisite fabric.’
Heroic Arjuna flicks his reins expertly and urges his horses towards the
Kuru army, its countless banners shimmering above a sea of chariots. But
before they leave, the older women, young girls and Brahmanas of stern
vows see Uttara on his chariot, his leonine standard hoisted high and
Brihannala for his sarathy. They walk around the chariot in pradakshina and
call down blessings upon them, saying, ‘Let victory like Arjuna had when,
treading like a bull, he burnt Khandava vana be yours, O Brihannala, when
prince Uttara and you meet the Kurus today.’ ”
CANTO 38
V aisampayana said, “As they leave the city, Virata’s brave son says to
his charioteer, ‘Ride swiftly to where the Kurus are. They have
come certain of victory, but I will crush them, rescue my herds and return to
the city.’
Brihannala urges his horses forward; and with their reins in his hands,
the wind-swift steeds, caparisoned in chains of gold, seem to fly through the
air. They have not gone far when Dhananjaya and the Matsya prince see the
awesome Kuru army arrayed in battle formation near the cemetery; it looks
like an ocean or a forest of countless trees, its warriors silhouetted against
the horizon.
O Kurusthama, the cloud of dust that army raises obscures everything
around it. Virata’s son sees the mighty force of elephants, horses and
chariots led by Karna and Duryodhana, Kripa and Bhishma, the great Drona
and his son Aswatthama, and he begins to tremble with fear and the hair on
his body stands on end.
He whispers to Arjuna, ‘I dare not fight the Kurus. Look how the hair
on my body stands on end. I cannot fight this Kuru host, ah, with its fierce
and heroic warriors that even the Devas would find difficult to vanquish. I
could never hope to penetrate this great Bhaarata army of bowmen, horses
and elephants, chariots, foot-soldiers and flag-bearers.
My mind trembles at the very sight of the enemy, with Drona and
Bhishma, Kripa and Karna, Vivimsati, Aswatthama and Vikarna,
Saumadatti and Bahlika, Maharatha Duryodhana and countless other
splendid archers amidst their heroic legions. O! I feel faint with fear at the
sight of the Kurus in battle array.’
The weak-minded and callow Uttara begins to whimper like a child
before the battle-ready Arjuna, his charioteer. He says, ‘My father took our
whole army to meet the Trigartas, leaving me alone in the city. There are no
troops to fight for me, and I am alone, a mere boy with little experience of
battle. I cannot face these matchless warriors. Brihannala, stop the chariot!’
Brihannala says, ‘Why do you add to the joy of your enemies by
showing them your fear? You have not yet engaged the enemy. It was you
who ordered me to bring you to the Kauravas, and I will take you where
their flags fly. I will bear you, Kshatriya of the mighty arms, into the very
midst of the hostile Kurus, who will fight for mere cattle like pariah kites
over meat, though I would face them even if I thought they fought for the
sovereignty of the Earth.
As we set out, you boasted of your manliness before the women of the
harem; now why do you shy away from this fight? If you return without the
cattle, all men and even women will ridicule you for ever.
As for myself, having been praised so highly by the sairandhri for my
skills as a charioteer, I cannot go back to the city without rescuing the
livestock. It is the sairandhri’s praises and your asking me that made me
come. So why should I not fight the Kurus? Control your fear, mighty
prince.’
Uttara says, ‘Let the Kurus rob the Matsyas of all their wealth; let men
and women laugh at me, Brihannala; let my cattle die; let the city be a
desert; let me stand stripped of honour before my father; but I shall not go
into battle against these dreadful Kurus.’
And the terrified prince, who wears gleaming earrings, jumps down
from his chariot, flings down his bow and arrows and, abandoning honour
and pride, takes to his heels.
Brihannala cries, ‘Fleeing a battle is not Kshatriya dharma. Even death
while fighting is better.’
Arjuna climbs down from the glorious chariot and runs after the fleeing
prince, his long braided hair and red clothes streaming behind him. Some
Kuru soldiers, who are unaware that this is Arjuna himself, laugh at the
sight of his plait flapping in the air as he goes.
The greater Kurus see him and say among themselves. ‘Who is this
person, disguised like fire hidden in ashes? He is part man and part woman;
but even in this form, he resembles Arjuna. He has the same head and neck,
the same mace-like arms, the same tigerish stride. He can be none other
than Dhananjaya. As Indra is among the Devas, is Dhananjaya among men.
Who in this world other than Arjuna would dare ride against us by
himself?’
‘Virata left only one son of his in the empty city. Childish bravado and
not heroism brought him here. This must be Uttara who has come from the
city; he must have made Pritha’s son Arjuna, who is in disguise, his
charioteer.
But seeing us, he runs in panic and beyond doubt Arjuna pursues him to
bring him back.’
And thus, O Bhaarata, the Kauravas speculate on seeing the disguised
son of Pandu, but they cannot be certain that the strange figure is indeed
Arjuna.
Meanwhile, Brihannala runs after the fleeing Uttara, and within a
hundred paces seizes him by his hair. Virata’s son wails loudly, as if from
some great affliction. He cries, ‘Listen to me, O Brihannala of the
handsome waist; turn the chariot around! He who chooses to live will
prosper. I will give you a hundred coins of pure gold, eight brilliant
gemstones of great clarity and chrysoberyls, cat’s-eyes, set in gold, a chariot
with a golden flagstaff and drawn by the finest horses, and also ten royal
elephants. I beg you, release me, Brihannala.’
In reply, Arjuna, tiger among men, laughingly drags the sobbing,
incoherent Uttara back to the chariot.
The son of Pritha says to the prince who is almost fainting from fear, ‘If,
O Parantapa, you are afraid to fight the enemy, take the reins of your
chariot-horses and I will fight them. With the might of my arms you will
easily penetrate the formidable array of chariots in which the Kuru heroes
ride.
Fear not, O punisher of your enemies, you are a Kshatriya and the
bravest of princes. Why do you yield to fear when faced with the enemy,
Purushavyaghra? I will break open this seemingly impenetrable formation
of chariots, vanquish the Kurus and recover the herds. Purushottama, you
be my charioteer; I will fight the Kurus.’
Speaking thus to Virata’s son Uttara, the unconquered Bibhatsu calms
him down. Arjuna, greatest of all warriors, soothes and exhorts the timid,
collapsing prince and helps him back onto his chariot.”
CANTO 39
V aisampayana said, “The great Kuru warriors led by Bhishma and

Drona watch that bull among men in a eunuch’s guise persuade
Uttara back onto the chariot; they watch the chariot drive into the forest and
to the sami tree in it, and growing ever more certain that this eunuch is
Arjuna, their skins crawl with fear.
Bharadvaja’s son Drona, first among Acharyas of weaponry, sees the
distraught Kurus; he also notices extraordinary omens all around them.
He says, ‘Hot and wild gusts of wind raise palls of gravel and blow
them about. The sky is overcast with an ashen gloom; dark clouds are all
dry; our weapons magically unsheathe themselves; and jackals howl
hideously in fear of the fires that spring up with no apparent cause and
proliferate. Our horses weep and our banners wave as if from their own
volition.
We must be vigilant of the danger that these fell omens portend. Arm
yourselves and prepare the troops for battle. Expect a terrible slaughter and
guard the cattle well.
This mighty bowman, this best of all warriors, this Kshatriya who
comes disguised as a eunuch is Pritha’s son Arjuna. Of this there is no
doubt.’
Then to Bhishma the Acharya says, ‘O Gangeya, this man is he who has
been named after a tree; he is the son of the enemy of the mountains and
has on his banner the form of the ravager of the lord of Lanka’s gardens. He
will defeat us and take back the Matsya herd.
This slayer of foes is Pritha’s inexorable Savyasachi. He does not shy
away from battle even against the gods and demons combined. Having
endured hardships in the forest he comes in anger. In war, he is like his sire
and teacher Indra. O Kauravas, I do not see anyone here who can withstand
him. This son of Kunti held up the Lord Mahadeva himself, who came as a
hunter to test him in battle, on the slopes of Himavat.’
Stung to hear this praise for Arjuna, Karna says, ‘You always demean us
by speaking of Phalguna’s great qualities. But Arjuna does not measure up
to even a sixteenth part of Duryodhana or me.’
And Duryodhana says, ‘Karna, if this eunuch is indeed Arjuna, I will
have achieved my purpose. For, if they are discovered during this thirteenth
year, the Pandavas must go into exile for another twelve years. And if this
eunuch is someone else, I will soon bring him down with my arrows.’
Parantapa, hearing what Dhritarashtra’s son says, Bhishma, Drona,
Kripa and Aswatthama, his son, applaud his manliness.”
CANTO 40
V aisampayana said, “By the time they reach the sami tree, Arjuna
realises just how young and inexperienced Virata’s son is. He says
to the prince, ‘Do as I say, Uttara. Climb this sami and bring down the stash
of weapons that you will find in it. Your weapons will not compass the span
of my arms or withstand my strength when I attack horses and elephants. O
Bhuminjaya, on that leafy branch, you will find a bundle secured, and in it
are the bows and arrows, the banners and armour of the sons of Pandu—
Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna and the heroic twins.
In it, also, is that mighty bow, Arjuna’s Gandiva equal to thousands of
other bows and which by itself extends kingdoms. It is heavy as a palmyra
tree and stands the utmost strain. It is the greatest of all weapons and will
stop our enemy. It is radiant, smooth and broad, unblemished and inlaid
with gold; it is truly a thing of beauty and without equal in prowess. The
other bows in the bundle belong to Yudhishtira, Bhima and the twins, and
are just as splendid and strong.’ ”
CANTO 41
“U ttara says, ‘We have heard that there is a corpse tied high in this
tree. Being a prince by birth, how can I touch it? It will pollute
me for I am a Kshatriya, the son of a great king and I observe daily vratas
and chant sacred mantras. Why do you want to make me an unclean bearer
of corpses, by forcing me to handle a rotten body, Brihannala?’
Brihannala says, ‘You will not be tainted, great Kshatriya; have no fear,
there is no corpse in the tree, but only weapons. Why would I make an heir
to the Matsya throne do such a vile thing?’
Hearing this, the prince gets down from the chariot and reluctantly
climbs the sami tree.
Waiting in the chariot, Arjuna says to him, ‘Fetch the bows down
quickly, prince, our time is short.’
When the prince cuts away their wrappings and removes the ropes that
bind the bundle, he sees the Gandiva and four other shimmering bows.
Even as they are being uncovered, the bows radiate splendour like the Sun
and blaze like the planets at their birth. At the sight of the awesome
weapons like hissing serpents, prince Uttara is afraid. His hands trembling
to touch those glorious bows, Virata’s son speaks to Arjuna and his voice is
also unsteady.”
CANTO 42
“U ttara breathes, ‘To which illustrious warrior does this

magnificent weapon belong, which has a hundred golden studs
and shines blindingly at both its ends? Whose is this that has such wide and
smooth sides and such an excellent grip, this bow that is embossed with
golden elephants that glisten so brightly? And whose is this bow decorated
with sixty, evenly-spaced golden dragonflies, indragopakas? Whose is this
that has on it three golden suns that blaze with brilliance? And whose is this
beautiful bow inlaid with gold and gemstones, and with figures of insects of
gold and priceless jewels?
Whose are these thousand gold-tipped, winged arrows in their golden
quivers? Who owns these great shafts, so thick and flighted with vulture
feathers, stone-sharpened, yellowish in hue, with razor-sharp points made of
tempered iron? Whose is this quiver of fur with images of five tigers that
holds ten arrows including some boar-eared ones? Whom do these seven
hundred arrows belong to, that are long and thick, with ends like the
crescent moon and which can surely drink the blood of enemies? Whose are
these gold-feathered arrows whetted on stone, winged with parrot-green
feathers and their shafts made of tempered steel?
Whose is this remarkable sword, invincible and surely terrible to
enemies, with a frog engraved on it and pointed like a frog’s head? Whose
is this large sword with its exquisite blade embossed with gold and its hilt
tinkling tiny golden bells and encased in tiger-skin? And whose is this
beautiful one with a blade polished like a mirror and a golden haft? Whose
is this surely unbreakable and irresistible one made in the Nishada country
with its blade gleaming in a leather scabbard? And whose is this wonderful,
long, cloud-hued sword chased in gold and sheathed in goat-skin? Who
owns this heavy, tempered sword, longer than thirty fingers, that shines
from many battles and is kept in a case of fiery gold? Whose is this
beautiful grey sword covered with golden studs that will cleanly divide an
enemy’s body with a single stroke, whose touch is as fatal as the bite of a
king cobra, and which is inexorable and invokes terror in any adversary?
Answer me, Brihannala; tell me truly. I am awestruck at the sight of
these wondrous weapons.’ ”
CANTO 43
“B rihannala says, ‘The first that you asked about is Arjuna’s

celebrated bow, called Gandiva, which devastates hostile armies.
It is embellished with gold; it is the best and the biggest of all weapons, this
bow of Arjuna’s. It alone is equal to a hundred thousand others and can
conquer kingdoms. It is with this bow that Partha defeated all the world’s
kings and even the Devas in battle. It is worshipped by the Devas, Danavas
and Gandharvas; it is great and smooth, many-hued and flawless. It first
belonged to Siva for a thousand years; then Prajapati owned it for five
hundred and three. Later, Sakra had it for eighty-five years, then Soma for
five hundred and Varuna for a hundred years. Now it is Partha
Swetavahana’s and it has been his for sixty-five years. This divine bow of
dazzling tejas is the best of all bows. Partha was given this bow by Varuna.
The golden-hafted bow of the beautiful sides is Bhima’s, with which
that son of Pritha, chastiser of his foes, conquered all the eastern kingdoms.
The exquisitely shaped bow adorned with figures of indragopakas belongs,
O Virataputra, to Yudhishtira Dharmaraja. This one here, sparkling in
splendour with golden suns on it, and radiating blinding light all round,
belongs to Nakula. And this bow inlaid with golden figures of insects and
set with gemstones is Madri’s son Sahadeva’s.
O Uttara, these feathered arrows, numbering one thousand, sharp as
razors and deadly as venom, belong to Arjuna. When loosed in battle, these
blaze more brilliantly still and become inexhaustible. The long, thick,
crescent-headed shafts, keen and capable of thinning enemy ranks, belong
to Bhima. This quiver with five tigers on it, full of yellowish stone-
sharpened arrows with golden wings, belongs to Nakula. And this is the
quiver of Madri’s son Sahadeva of the lofty intellect, with which he
conquered all the western realms; his vari-coloured arrows, bright as the
Sun, can raze enemies by the thousands. These short, thick, finely-honed
shafts with long feathers, golden heads and three knots, belong to king
Yudhishtira.
The long-bladed sword, with a frog carved on it and its tip like a frog’s
head belongs to Arjuna. Sheathed in tiger-skin, this other huge, wonderful
and fearsome sword, the longest of all, belongs to Bhimasena. The exquisite
sword with a golden hilt and an exquisitely decorated scabbard belongs to
the wise Dharmaraja. This next versatile sword with its strong flexible
blade and sheath of goat-skin belongs to Nakula. And this long one,
encased in goat-leather and irresistible, is Sahadeva’s.’ ”
CANTO 44
“U ttara says, ‘Ah, these weapons adorned with gold and belonging
to the heroic, light-handed and exalted Partha are handsome
indeed. But where are Arjuna and Yudhishtira of the Kurus, and Nakula,
Sahadeva and Bhimasena, the sons of Pandu? The noble Pandavas, who can
vanquish any foe, have not been heard of since they lost their kingdom at
dice. And where is Draupadi, princess of Panchala, famed as a jewel among
women, who followed the Pandavas into the forest after their defeat at
dice?’
Arjuna says, ‘I am Arjuna, also called Partha. Your father’s courtier is
Yudhishtira, and your father’s cook Ballava is Bhimasena; Virata’s chief
equerry is Nakula, and Sahadeva is his cowherd. The sairandhri is
Draupadi, for whose sake the Kichakas were killed.’
His eyes growing ever wider, Uttara whispers, ‘I will believe you if you
can tell me the ten names of Arjuna, which I already know.’
Arjuna says, ‘I will name you my ten names, son of Virata; compare
them with what you know. Listen carefully. My names are are Arjuna,
Phalguna, Jishnu, Kiriti, Swetavahana, Bibhatsu, Vijaya, Krishna,
Savyasachi and Dhananjaya.’
Uttara says, ‘Tell me why you are called Vijaya and why Swetavahana.
Why are you named Kiriti and Savyasachi? Why are you Arjuna, Phalguna
and Jishnu? And why Krishna, Bibhatsu and Dhananjaya? I know the
meanings of all the names of that peerless Kshatriya and I will believe what
you say if you do, as well.’
Arjuna says, ‘They call me Dhananjaya because I won great wealth
during my conquest of all the kingdoms, when I took their treasures.
They call me Vijaya because I am always victorious in battle, even
against invincible kings.
I am called Swetavahana because white horses in golden armour draw
my chariot when I go into battle.
They call me Phalguna because I was born on Himavat Mountain when
the nakshatra Uttara Phalguni was rising.
I am named Kiriti because a crown that dazzles like the Sun was placed
on my head by Indra during my battle against the Danavas of Devaloka.
I am known as Bibhatsu among gods and men as I have never done
anything dishonourable on the battlefield.
Since I am perfectly ambidextrous when I draw the Gandiva’s
bowstring I am known as Savyasachi.
They call me Arjuna because my complexion is rare and like that of the
arjuna tree, and because my actions are always pure.
I am known among men and celestials as Jishnu because I am
irrepressible, a tamer of my enemies, and son of the slayer of Paka.
And my tenth name Krishna was given me by my father out of his
affection for a dark-skinned boy of great purity.’
The enthralled son of Virata stands very erect before Arjuna, and
folding his hands in reverence, formally introduces himself. ‘My name is
Bhuminjaya and I am also called Uttara,’ he says. ‘It is my greatest good
fortunte that I meet you, O mighty Arjuna. Welcome, Dhananjaya! You of
the flashing red eyes and the arms that are each like an elephant’s trunk, I
beg you, forgive what I said to you in my ignorance. Knowing your
unmatched achievements, all my fears are dispelled. Ah, great indeed is my
admiration for you.’ ”
CANTO 45
“U ttara says, ‘O Kshatriya, which enemy division do wish to attack

first, mounted on this chariot, with me for your sarathy?
Command me and I will drive you there.’
Arjuna says, ‘I am pleased with you, O tiger among men. Do not be
afraid; I will put your enemies to rout in battle, great warrior. Watch my
feats of terror against our foes. Quickly tie my twin quivers to your ratha
and draw the gold-adorned sword with the polished blade from its sheath.’
In a trice, Uttara shins down the tree with Arjuna’s weapons. Arjuna
says to him, ‘Yes, I will fight the Kurus and recover your herd. Under my
protection the canopy of this chariot will be your fortress, its many sections
the streets and buildings of that fort, my arms its ramparts and gateway, this
bow and these quivers its impregnable defences. And this single, grand
banner, will it not be equal to all the standards of your city? My bowstring
is the great catapult of war which will loose missiles at the invaders. My
anger will make this a most formidable fortress. And the din of our chariot-
wheels, will it not sound like drumrolls of thunder? Riding this chariot, I,
with my Gandiva, render it invincible, O son of Virata. So banish your fear.’
Uttara says, ‘I am no longer afraid. I know that, even like Indra or
Kesava, you never waver in battle. Yet, I am bewildered by the guise and
form in which I find you. I wonder what circumstance could have deprived
one of such a powerful body with every auspicious mark of his manhood.
Indeed, to me you seem to be Mahadeva, or Indra or the lord of the
Gandharvas. But, O Arjuna, in the guise of a eunuch?’
Arjuna says, ‘The truth is that I am keeping this vow for one year at the
behest of my elder brother. Mighty-armed, I am no eunuch but only became
one at another’s curse, to serve a higher purpose and gain spiritual punya.
Know, O prince, that I have now fulfilled my vow and am fully a man
again.’
Uttara says, ‘You have done me a great service today, for I now know
that my suspicions were not unfounded. Such a one as you, O
Manavottama, could not be a eunuch. I now have an ally with whom I can
fight the Devas themselves. My fears are gone. What shall I do? Command
me!
I was taught the art of chariotry by an expert sarathy and,
Purushavyaghra, expertly will I drive this chariot so it will scythe through
the massed formations of the enemy. Bull among men, I am as skilful as
Vasudeva’s charioteer Daruka or Sakra’s Matali. The first horse, yoked on
the right, whose hooves are barely visible when he gallops, is like Krishna’s
Sugriva; the handsome one on the left, the best of steeds, is as swift as
Meghapushpa. This beautiful creature at the rear left is as fast as Shaibya
and even stronger. And the one yoked at the rear right is fleeter and more
powerful than Balahaka.
This chariot is worthy of bearing an archer like you into battle, and you
are an equally worthy warrior to ride in it. This is my opinion.’
Arjuna, of the measureless tejas, takes the bracelets off his arms and
takes up archer’s gloves embroidered with gold thread. He ties his wavy,
black hair with a piece of white cloth. Then, sitting on that superb chariot,
the mighty-armed Kshatriya folds his hands and faces the east to purify his
body; he meditates to summon all his astras.
And all the divine weapons come to him and speak to the son of Pritha.
‘We are here, O Illustrious. Indraputra, we are yours to command.’
Partha bows to them and receives them, saying, ‘Stay with me in my
mind,’ and in a blur he strings his bow, the Gandiva, which no other man
can bend; and he thrums on it, echoingly. That sound reverberates like two
mighty bulls colliding. The twang that fills the air is dreadful; violent are
the winds that rise and blow. Meteors rain down in torrents and a deep
gloom falls everywhere. Birds fly about in alarm and great trees tremble.
From the thunderous sound the Kurus know that it is Arjuna’s hands that
drew the string of that best of bows.
Uttara says, ‘Pandavottama, you are alone, and many are these warriors
on their chariots. How will you vanquish all these Maharathas? O
Kaunteya, you have no one to help you, while the Kurus are many. But I
will be by your side, even if paralysed with fear.’
Laughing, Partha says to Uttara, ‘Do not be afraid, Kshatriya. Who did I
have to help me when I fought the Gandharvas during the ghoshayatra?
What ally did I have in the battle against the Devas and Danavas in
Khandava? Who fought by my side when I fought for the Devas against the
Nivatakavachas and the Paulomas? Child, who did I have beside me in
battle against innumerable kings at the swayamvara of the princess of
Panchala?
I was trained in the use of weapons by Acharya Drona, by Sakra and
Vaisravana, by Yama and Varuna, by Agni, by Acharya Kripa, by Krishna
of Madhu’s clan and by Siva who wields the Pinaka. Why would I not fight
these who stand before us? Drive my chariot with all speed, and calm your
fearful heart.’ ”
CANTO 46
V aisamayana continued, “Gathering his weapons, and making Uttara

his sarathy, the son of Pandu circles the sami tree in pradakshina and
sets out. That Maharatha takes down the lion flag of the Matsya prince and
leaves it on the ground beside the sami tree. And he hoists his own golden
ensign emblazoned with the figure of a lion-tailed vanara, the emblem of
Hanuman, as well as other fierce and warlike beings.
This standard is Visvakarma’s divine creation. The moment that Arjuna
thinks of Agni Deva, the superhuman creatures take their places on the
Pandava’s banner. A flagstaff of celestial craft, which holds this wondrous
flag, with quivers attached and adorned with gold, falls from the heavens
softly onto the chariot. Seeing the staff and its banner on his ratha, Arjuna
walks around both in pradakshina.
Flying the monkey-standard, eases his hands into the lizard-skin gloves,
takes up his bow and arrows and rides north towards the enemy. That
Parantapa blows hard on his conch, a deafening blast that makes men’s hair
stand on end. The swift horses fall to their knees. Uttara too, sits down in
sheer fright. The son of Kunti takes up the reins himself, gently lifts up the
horses and guides them back into their proper positions.
He embraces Uttara, saying, ‘Have no fear, O best of princes; you are a
Kshatriya, a chastiser of your foes. Why do you, Purushavyaghra, lose
courage in the face of the enemy? You must often have heard the blare of
conches, the blast of trumpets and the roar of elephants from armies arrayed
for battle. Why does the sound of this conch terrify and weaken you as if
you were just an ordinary youth?’
Uttara says, ‘I have heard the bass of many a conch, the sounding of
many a horn and the trumpeting of many an elephant on the battlefield, but
never have I heard the sound of such a conch before. Nor have I ever seen a
banner like this unworldly one or heard the twang of such a bow. The blast
of your conch, the sound of your bow and the raucous cries of the macabre
creatures on your banner affright me, and I tremble, for my heart clenches
in shock. This flag seems to cover the whole sky, hiding everything above,
and the sound of the Gandiva’s bowstring has deafened and numbed me.’
Arjuna says, ‘Stand firm, press your feet down hard on the floor of the
chariot and hold the bridle tight. I am going to blow the conch again.’
Arjuna sounds his conch, the reverberant Devadatta, once more, this
sea-shell that fills his enemies with grief and his friends with joy. And the
sound is so loud that it seems to split mountains and go echoing through the
deepest caves; and it reaches the four corners of the Earth. Uttara falls into
his seat again and clings to it. The Earth quakes with the blare of the
Devadatta, the rumble of the chariot-wheels and the twanging of the
Gandiva. Seeing that Uttara is still afraid, Dhananjaya reassures him once
more.
Meanwhile, Drona says, ‘The clamour of the chariot, the way the clouds
fill the sky and the trembling of the Earth tell me that this warrior can only
be Savyasachi. Our weapons have turned dull, our horses droop and our
fires do not burn despite being fed. Our horses whinny dreadfully at the
Sun, and crows perch on our banners: dire omens all.
The vultures and kites to our right foretell some great danger. Notice the
jackal that howls as it skitters through our ranks. Look! It escapes
unscathed. This, too, portends some imminent calamity. All of you have
your hair standing on end, warning of a great slaughter of Kshatriyas in
battle.
All bright things have paled, while animals and birds look fierce; dark
omens foretelling the slaying of Kshatriyas abound and warn of havoc
coming upon us. O Duryodhana, your forces seem to be overwhelmed by
fear at these meteors flaring down from above; your horses and elephants
seem to weep; more and more vultures and kites circle overhead, as if come
to a feast of corpses that will soon litter the ground.
You will rue this day when you see your army attacked by Partha’s
arrows. Why, our forces seem to be defeated already, no man among them
eager to fight. The faces of our warriors are pale, and they seem stupefied.
We should send the cattle ahead and remain here, ready for battle.’ ”
CANTO 47
V aisampayana said, “Then, on that field, Duryodhana speaks to his

grandsire Bhishma, to that tiger among warriors Drona, and to that
Maharatha Kripa. He says, ‘Both Karna and I have said this to our Acharyas
and I will say it again, for it seems that once is not enough. The Pandavas
vowed that, if they lost at dice, they would live in the open for twelve years
in the forest, and then for one more year hidden from us. That thirteenth
year is not over yet. Arjuna, who should still be hidden, is before us; and if
he appears before their ajnatavasa ends, the Pandavas must spend another
twelve years in the wilderness.
Whether they have lost count of time in their eagerness for a kingdom
or whether we are mistaken is for Pitama Bhishma to say.
Uncertainty always stalks the path of anyone who has a goal in mind.
Decisions may not always have the desired outcome. Even philosophers are
puzzled when judging their own actions. As for us, we have come here to
fight the Matsyas and seize their herds that they keep in the north. If,
meanwhile, Arjuna comes to us, we are not to blame. We have come here as
allies of the Trigartas to fight against the Matsyas, for Susarman and his
people have been attacked many times by the Matsyas. We have come to
help our allies the Trigartas, who are full of fear.
It was agreed between us that on the afternoon of the seventh day of the
moon they should seize the Matsyas’ most valuable herd in the east, and
that at sunrise of the eighth day we would seize the rest of the Matsya
herds, while king Virata pursues Susarman’s army.
It may be that the Trigartas now herd the Matsya cattle this way; or,
having been defeated, they come to us to negotiate with Virata. Else,
possibly, the Matsya army has driven away the Trigartas, and Virata comes
with his fierce legions to attack us at night. It may be that one powerful
warrior among them advances to vanquish us, or perhaps it is the king
himself.
Be it Virata or Arjuna, we must fight, for we are sworn to battle. Why
do all these superb rathikas—Bhishma, Drona and Kripa, Vikarna and
Drona’s son—sit panic-stricken in their chariots?
There is nothing for it but to fight. So stand firm and bold even if we
meet Indra or Yama himself in our battle for the Matsya herds. Who can
now return safely to Hastinapura? The enemy’s arrows flying after them,
how will the foot-soldiers escape on foot, when it is doubtful whether our
horsemen and Maharathas can ride to safety?’
Hearing Duryodhana, Karna says, ‘Ignore the Acharya and prepare for
battle. He knows what the Pandavas wish to do and strikes terror into our
hearts, for he bears them love. I see that his affection for Arjuna is great
indeed, and, seeing him come alone, Drona praises him. Make sure that our
troops do not break ranks. We have only heard the neighing of horses and a
conch being blown, and instantly all is fear and confusion. Our soldiers
travelled far from home to this thick forest in the summer heat; let them not
fall into disarray and suffer defeat at the enemy’s hands.
The Pandavas have always been Acharya Drona’s favourites. They have
cleverly planted the Acharya amongst us, and he betrays himself by what he
says. Who would extol an enemy merely upon hearing the whinnying of his
horses? Horses will neigh whether standing still, walking or galloping; the
wind blows; Indra showers rain; it thunders frequently: what has Arjuna to
do with these? Why are these attributed to him? All this foolish talk is only
because Drona wants to help Arjuna, or perhaps because of his anger and
hatred towards us.
Brahmanas are wise, pure-hearted and compassionate. However, they
should never be consulted in a military crisis. The best place for learned
men who make speeches is in grand palaces, their courts and pleasure
gardens. They say many wonderful things in a royal sabha, and it is there
they had best stay.
They are best consulted about the proper cleaning and placing of
sacrificial utensils. It is in seeing others’ shortcomings, in studying people’s
characters, in the science of horses, elephants and chariots, in treating the
diseases of livestock—donkeys, camels, goats, sheep and cattle, in planning
buildings and arches and in pointing out the imperfections in food and drink
that learned Brahmanas come into their own.
Ignore the learned Drona who extols the heroism of Arjuna, and prepare
for battle. Secure the cattle in a safe place; array the troops in battle-order
and position guards in the proper places so that we can face and kill the
enemy, whoever he might be.’ ”
CANTO 48
“K arna says, ‘I see in all these great men alarm, indecision and an
unwillingness to fight. Be it Virata or Arjuna, I will contain the
one who comes even as the shore does the swollen sea. Arrows will stream
like snakes through the air from my swift hands and find their mark. My
golden-winged arrows will shroud Partha as locusts do a tree. Stretched to
loose them, my bowstring will slap against my leathern gloves like the
booming of two great drums.
These past thirteen years, Arjuna has led the life of an ascetic and his
skills will have turned mild. Kunti’s son will have acquired the saintly
qualities of a Brahmana and will meekly allow thousands of my arrows to
pierce him. This mighty archer is, indeed, celebrated across the three Lokas,
but I am in no way inferior to Arjuna Manavottama. My golden arrows,
flighted with vulture-feathers, will fill the air and make the firmament seem
to swarm with fireflies. I will kill Arjuna in battle today and, at last, repay
my long-standing debt to Dhritarashtra’s son.
What man exists, even amongst the Devas and Asuras, who can resist
my unerring arrows? My light and lethal shafts, for they are both hollow
and of perfect balance, will indeed swarm Partha like fireflies. He may be
as strong as Indra’s thunderbolt and have the same limitless urjas as the
king of the Devas, but I will subdue him like branding an elephant. He may
be a Maharatha and the best of all wielders of weapons, but I will snatch the
hapless Partha from his ratha as Garuda would a snake in his talons. He is
the weapon-fed Pandava fire that burns up enemies, but I am the
thundercloud that lashes down rain to extinguish him; my army of chariots
is the thunder, and the speed of my horses, the wind.
My arrows will pierce Arjuna like poisonous snakes, like serpents
burrowing through an anthill. My tempered shafts with golden wings,
straight and true, and blistering with energy, will draw blood from his body
today, and you will see Kunti’s son decked in them like a hill covered by
crimson karnikara flowers.
My weapons were given me by Jamadagni’s son Parasurama Bhargava,
and with them I am confident to battle even the Devas. My spear will strike
the ape on his flag and it will fall to the ground with terrible cries. The sky
will be filled by the howls of the other un-human creatures on his banner
and they will fly in all directions.
Today I will pluck out the thorn that has long been in Duryodhana’s
heart by casting Arjuna down from his chariot. Today the Kauravas will see
the great Partha, his chariot shattered, his horses dead, his valour gone,
sighing like a snake. Let the Kauravas take the cattle and leave if they wish,
or they can stay in their chariots and witness my victory.’ ”
CANTO 49
“K ripa says, ‘O Radheya, your twisted mind is always bent on war

and bloodshed. You do not understand the true nature of these
things, nor do you consider their consequences. The Shastras tell of many
grave matters, and those who have studied them speak of battle as being the
most sinful of them.
Battles result in victory only if they are fought at the right place and
time. All the omens show that this moment is palpably inauspicious, and no
good will come of this encounter. A display of prowess at the apt time and
in the right place is beneficial. The appropriateness of any action is
determined by its timeliness. Wise men do not follow the rash counsel of a
sutaputra. Considering all this, a battle with Arjuna is foolhardy.
It is Partha who, on his own, saved the Kurus from the Gandharvas;
alone, he satisfied Agni; alone, he took up Brahmacharya for five years on
Himavat; single-handed, he rescued Subhadra on his chariot and challenged
even Krishna to a duel. By himself, Arjuna fought Rudra who came to him
in the guise of a vetala. Partha rescued Krishnaa from the clutches of
Jayadrata in this very forest; he studied the astra shastra from Indra for five
years; on his own, he vanquished all enemies and spread the fame of the
Kurus throughout the world. Alone, this Parantapa defeated the Gandharva
king Chitrasena and all his invisible troops. Alone, he quelled the fierce
Nivatakavachas and the Kalakhanjas, whom the gods themselves could not
conquer.
O Karna, what have you achieved compared to any of the sons of
Pandu? They have each subdued many great kings. Even Indra cannot face
Partha in battle. Therefore, he who finds himself filled with a desire to fight
Arjuna should instantly disabuse himself of his absurd thought. You might
as well want to pull out the fangs of an angry snake by stretching out your
right hand and extending your forefinger; whilst wandering alone in a
forest, you may want to try mounting an infuriated wild-elephant in musth
or to attack a great boar without a hook or a weapon in your hand; you
might want to walk through a blazing ghee-and tallow-fed fire, clad in silk
and having smeared yourself all over with clarified butter, as you now want
to fight Arjuna.
Which man would tie his hands and feet, tie a heavy stone to his neck
and try to swim across the ocean? What manliness is there in such folly?
Karna, only a fool, who despite being weak and having no real skill at arms,
would want to fight the consummate warrior Partha.
Having been deceived by us and now freed from his exile of thirteen
years, will the noble hero not destroy us all? We have come unknowingly to
the place where Arjuna lay in wait like a fire in a well, and we have
exposed ourselves to great danger.
Yet, alas, though he is invincible, we must fight him for that is our
dharma. Let our armoured troops stand ready. Drona, Duryodhana,
Bhishma, Drona’s son, you, Karna, and all of us must go into battle against
the son of Pritha.
O Karna, do not be foolish enough to fight Arjuna by yourself. If we six
maharathas unite, we might be a match for the dauntless Kaunteya, who is
as fierce and mighty as Indra Vajradhari. Supported by our troops, we six
will face Arjuna as the Danavas did Vasava.’ ”
CANTO 50
“A swatthama says, ‘Karna, the cattle are not yet ours, for they have
not yet crossed the Matsya borders, nor have they reached
Hastinapura. Why do you boast so? Truly heroic men do not brag about
having won many victories, or of having amassed vast fortunes or of the
enemies they have vanquished. Fire burns silently and so too does the Sun
shine. The Earth mutely sustains life, both mobile and unmoving.
Brahma, the self-existent, has ordained the duties of the four varnas so
that they can acquire wealth by following their svadharma, without sinning.
A Brahmana studies the Vedas, performs yagnas and officiates at sacrifices
performed by others. A Kshatriya lives by his weapons and performs his
own yagnas but does not officiate at those of others. A Vaisya ensures that
the proper Vedic rituals are performed for him after he has acquired wealth.
A Sudra always serves the other three orders. Flower-sellers and butchers
may use some deceit to make their livelihood.
The noble sons of Pandu became sovereigns of the Earth by living
according to their svadharma, as prescribed in the Shastras. They are always
respectful to their elders, even if they are their enemies. What true
Kshatriya shows delight at having obtained a kingdom by means of
cheating at dice, as this evil and shameless son of Dhritarashtra does?
Having gained untold wealth through deceit and fraud, like a vendor of
meat, which wise man would boast of it?
You have taken their wealth, but have you ever defeated Dhananjaya or
Nakula or Sahadeva in combat? In what battle did you best Yudhishtira, or
that strongest of men Bhima? In which battle did you conquer Indraprastha?
What you have done, however, O unscrupulous Duryodhana, is to drag the
princess Krishnaa into court while she was in her period and wore just a
single piece of cloth. You have hewn at the very root, delicate as that of the
sandalwood, of the Pandava tree. When greed made you enslave the
Pandavas, do you remember what Vidura said?
Men and other creatures, even insects and ants, show as much
forgiveness as lies in their power. The Pandava may forgive you for
everything else, but he will not forgive you for tormenting Draupadi.
Dhananjaya comes to kill Dhritarashtra’s sons. In an affectation of wisdom
you make brave speeches, but Arjuna Parantapa will kill us all.
Dhananjaya will not flee even from Devas, Gandharvas, Asuras or
Rakshasas. When inflamed, he will slay whoever he encounters like Garuda
crushes a tree in his talons. He is far more powerful than you are; he is
equal to Indra at archery and to Krishna himself in battle. Who would not
praise Partha? What man is a match for Arjuna who can counter devastras
with devastras and wordly weapons with mundane ones.
Those who are well-read in the scriptures say that a disciple is no less
than a son in every way; that is why Arjuna is Drona’s favourite.
Use the same deceit now, as you did when you played dice, the same
stratagems by which you subjugated Indraprastha and the same bravado
with which you dragged Krishnaa into the Kuru sabha. Let your clever
uncle, who knows full well what Kshatriya Dharma is, the cheating Sakuni,
prince of Gandhara, show us his mettle today!
The Gandiva does not cast dice as do the Krita or the Dwapara, but it
looses countless fiery, winged arrows at adversaries, with lethal accuracy.
The deadly vulture-feathered arrows of inexorable speed that fly from the
Gandiva can penetrate even mountains. Yama, the destroyer, Vayu and the
horse-faced Agni all leave something behind, but Dhananjaya with his
wrath unbridled, does not.
You played dice with your uncle Sakuni’s help; fight this battle today
with him beside you. Let my father Drona fight if he chooses to, but I will
not fight Arjuna. We came here only to do battle against the king of the
Matsyas if he comes to retrieve his herds.’ ”
CANTO 51
“B hishma says, ‘Drona’s son speaks well and Kripa is also right. As
for Karna, he wants to fight only out of respect for Kshatriya
Dharma. No man of wisdom can find fault with Acharya Drona. It is my
view that we must fight, giving consideration both to the time and the place.
It is not surprising that any man is bewildered in the face of five
adversaries, radiant as suns, Kshatriyas, beside, who have just emerged
from adversity having been honed by it. Even those who know dharma
would be confused about what they should do. Duryodhana, that is why I
say this to you, whether or not you like what I say.
Aswatthama, what Karna said was only to boost our courage; forgive
him for it. The task at hand is grave. The appearance of the son of Kunti is
not a good time for us to quarrel among ourselves. Acharya Kripa and you
must forgive everything. As light is innate to the Sun, the mastery over
weapons is within you. As beauty is never separated from Chandrama, the
Moon, so are the Vedas and the Brahmastra part of you. Usually, the four
Vedas dwell in one man and Kshatriya attributes in another. We have never
heard of these two existing together in any person other than the preceptor
of the Bhaaratas and his son.
In the Vedantas, Puranas and Itihasas, O king, who other than
Jamadagni is Drona’s superior? The Brahmastra and the Vedas have never
before co-existed in one person. Acharyaputra, be forgiving, for this is no
time for disharmony among us. Let us unite and fight Indra’s son who has
come to battle. Of all the calamities that may befall an army, wise men say
the worst is dissent among its leaders.’
Aswatthama says, ‘Purusharishabha, you have been fair and just in what
you say. In his anger the Acharya elaborates on Arjuna’s virtues. The
qualities of even an enemy should be admitted, while the faults of even
one’s Guru may be pointed out. Therefore one must, to the best of one’s
ability, declare the merits and shortcomings of a son or a disciple.’
Duryodhana says, ‘Let the Acharya grant his forgiveness and let peace
be restored. If he is with us, all will be done as it should.’
Then, O Bhaarata, Duryodhana pacifies Drona with the help of Karna,
Kripa and Bhishma Mahatman.
Drona says, ‘I was already appeased by what Shantanu’s son Bhishma
said. We must ensure that Partha does not meet Duryodhana in battle lest
Duryodhana is captured from his own rashness. Arjuna will surely not have
shown himself before the term of his exile expired; nor will he pardon us by
merely recovering the cattle. So, make sure that he does not attack
Dhritarashtra’s son and in one sroke defeat us all and our purpose. Like
Duryodhana, I, too, am unsure exactly when the term of exile ends. Only
Bhishma can clarify this.’ ”
CANTO 52
“B hishma says, ‘The Kaalachakra, the wheel of time, revolves with

its divisions—kaalas, kashtas and muhurtas; days, fortnights,
months and years; periods of the different constellations, planets and
seasons. Every five years, their fractional increase of duration and the
deviations of the planetary orbits create an excess of two months in time’s
measure. By my calculations, in thirteen years there would be an excess of
five months and twelve nights. Therefore, the sons of Pandu have
completed their exile exactly; they have kept their sworn oath. Arjuna
makes his appearance because he is sure of this.
The Pandavas are virtuous and deeply-versed in the Shastras. With
Yudhishtira to guide them, they would not deviate from the path of dharma,
not by a hair’s width. The sons of Kunti do not yield to temptation, and they
have achieved a difficult feat. If they had wanted to establish their rights to
the kingdom through adharma, those Kurus would have displayed their
might even during the game of dice. Bound by dharma, they did not flout
Kshatriya Dharma. He who thinks that they are ever capable of deceit will
surely meet with defeat.
The sons of Pritha would prefer death to falsehood. When the time
comes, however, those Purusharishabhas endowed with the limitless vitality
of Sakra, will not give up what is theirs even if is defended by the wielder
of the thunderbolt.
But now we must face the best of all warriors in battle. So let us plan
our strategy without delay, and with the approval of good and honest men,
so that Arjuna does not take what is now ours.
Duryodhana, I have never seen a battle in which one side can be certain
of victory. In a battle there is victory and defeat, prosperity and adversity;
and one side must have one of the two. Therefore, king of kings, despite the
propriety, or lack thereof, of a battle at this moment, make your
arrangements quickly, for Dhananjaya is here.’
Duryodhana says, ‘Pitama, I will not give back the Pandavas their
kingdom. So let us prepare for battle in every way, without a moment’s
delay.’
Bhishma says, ‘I will tell you what is wise, if you care to hear it. I
always speak for your good, O Kaurava. Ride at once to Hastinapuraa and
take a fourth of the army with you. Let another fourth escort the cattle. With
half our legions we will fight Pandu’s son. Drona, Karna, Aswatthama,
Kripa and I will withstand Bibhatsu, or the king of the Matsyas or indeed
Indra himself if he comes. We will contain any of them as the shore
restrains the surging sea.’
Duryodhna sees the sagacity of what Bhishma says, and the king of the
Kauravas immediately does as he is told. When Duryodhana and the cattle
have left, Bhishma begins to array his soldiers in battle formations.
He addresses Drona, saying, ‘Acharya, stand at the heart of our legions
with Aswatthama on the left; and let the wise Kripa defend the right wing.
Encased in golden mail, let the Suta Karna station himself at the head of our
forces. I will be at the rear and protect the whole army from there.’ ”
CANTO 53
V aisampayana said, “O Bhaarata, the Kauravas take their positions,

and the din of Arjuna’s chariot-wheels fills the air as he flies
towards them. The Kurus see his banner; they hear the rumble of his ratha
and the deafening twang of the Gandiva.
Drona sees that Maharatha coming towards them and says, ‘That
glimmer in the distance is Partha’s standard, the rumble is his from his
chariot-wheels, and that frightful roar is of the ape on his banner. O, the
Vanara strikes terror into our troops. And standing on the superb chariot is
the greatest Maharatha, who draws the thunderous Gandiva, best of all
bows.
Look! Two arrows fall together at my feet and two more skim past my
ears. Having completed his exile and achieved many wonderful feats during
these thirteen years, Arjuna salutes and whispers to me. It is after so long
that I am seeing Dhananjaya, radiant with beauty and grace, this wise son of
Pandu, beloved of his family. He blazes like fire in his chariot, with his bow
and quivers of arrows, his conch and banner, his splendid armour, his
crown, sword and bow, like a roaring ghee-fed yagna fire surrounded by
sacrificial urns.’
Arjuna sees the Kurus ready for battle and says to Virata’s son, ‘O
sarathy, rein in the horses as soon as the enemy is within bowshot.
Meanwhile, let me locate Duryodhana, wretch of the Kuru vamsa, in the
midst of his forces. I will ignore the others, single out that vain prince and
strike him down, for his death will signal the defeat of all the rest.
There stands Drona, and his son Aswatthama behind him, and there are
those great archers Bhishma, Kripa and Karna. But I do not see
Duryodhana. I suspect that, in his anxiety to save himself, he flees by the
southern path, taking the cattle with him. Leave this formation of chariots
and ride after Suyodhana. It is him that I will fight, O Virataputra, and the
battle will not be in vain. Defeat him I shall, and return with your herds.’
The son of Virata holds back the horses and adroitly steers them away
from where the Kurupumgavas stand in their chariots. He guides them
towards Duryodhana.
Seeing Arjuna’s chariot veering away from the dense cluster of Kuru
chariots, Kripa guesses his intention and says to his men, ‘Arjuna is after
Duryodhana. We must outflank the Pandava’s chariot. When his anger is
roused, no one can challenge him other than thousand-eyed Indra, Devaki’s
son Krishna, Dronacharya, his son Aswatthama and Maharatha Bhargava.
Of what use would these herds be to us if Duryodhana were to sink like a
ship in the ocean that is Partha?’
Meanwhile, Arjuna rides at Kripa’s division, announces himself, and in
a blur covers the troops with a swarm of arrows, thick as locusts. Enveloped
by Partha’s countless shafts, the Kuru warriors cannot see, and the earth and
sky become overcast, covered by a dome of arrows. The soldiers, who were
ready to fight, stand still in stunned awe, unable even to flee; and in their
minds they applaud Partha’s astounding dexterity.
Arjuna blows his conch, the Devadatta that always makes the hairs of
the enemy stand on end; he pulls on his bowstring, to excite the creatures on
his flagstaff into even more frightful roars and screams. The boom of his
conch, the drumroll of his chariot-wheels, the echoing twang of the Gandiva
and the terrifying yowls of the un-human creatures on his flagstaff make the
earth tremble.
The cattle low piteously and whisk their tails in terror; and they turn
back, now heading south.”
CANTO 54
V aisampayana said, “Having thrown the enemy forces into disarray

and recovered the cattle, Arjuna, supreme archer, rides avidly
towards Duryodhana. The Kuru lords see the herds running wildly towards
the Matsya city and know that Kiriti has already prevailed. As he advances
on Duryodhana, they charge Arjuna.
Arjuna Parantapa sees their legions in tight formation, flying a sea of
brilliant banners, and he says to the Matsya prince, ‘Spur your white horses
to fly as fast as they can. Do your best, for I want to confront this mass of
Kuru lions. Like an elephant eager to fight another tusker, the evil son of a
Suta is impatient to fight me. Take me to him, Uttara, he has grown arrogant
under Duryodhana’s patronage.’
At Partha’s command, Virata’s son flicks his whips over his great horses
in golden armour. They fly like the wind, break into the formation of
chariots and take the son of Pandu into the midst of the battlefield and the
Kuru army. The Kuru Maharathas Chitrasena, Sangramajit, Satrusaha and
Jaya rush to help Karna, spears and arrows at the ready to meet Arjuna’s
onrush.
With flaming shafts, the enraged Pandava hero sets all their chariots
afire, and incinerates them as a great conflgration does a forest.
The battle rages furiously when, mounted on his ratha, the Kuru hero
Vikarna rides at Arjuna and covers him with a rain of thick, long, vicious
barbs. Arjuna severs Vikarna’s rugged, gold-tipped bow and cuts down his
flagstaff, and that Kshatriya flees in some haste.
Vikarna’s flight leaves Satruntapa in an uncontrollable rage, and he
looses a deluge of arrows over Partha. Arjuna is wounded by Maharatha
Satruntapa but, though he seems to be drowning in a sea of Kuru warriors,
he retaliates to Satruntapa’s attack. Arjuna pierces that Kshatriya with five
razorlike arrows and kills his sarathy with another ten. Then, shot by the
bull of the Bhaaratas with another shaft that can cleave the sturdiest armour,
Satruntapa falls dead on the field, like a tree on a mountain-top blown down
by the wind.
Other valiant Narapumgavas are mangled in battle by that bravest bull
among men; they stagger and tremble like vast forests shaken by the wind
of the Mahapralaya, that blows at the dissolution of the universe. Struck by
Partha, son of Vasava, the gloriously-attired Kshatriyas, those givers of
wealth, heroes invested with the vital prowess of Indra, are vanquished and
lie senseless on the field, like elephants clad in mail of black steel and gold.
Gandiva in hand, Arjuna rages across the battlefield in all directions,
spreading death like a forest fire at the end of a dry summer. Kiriti, greatest
of maharathas, like the spring wind that breaks thunderheads open and
blows about fallen leaves, strews his adversaries all around him.
First killing the russet horses yoked to the chariot of Vikartana’s
brother’s son, Sangramajit, Arjuna of boundless energy cuts off
Sangramajit’s head with a single crescent-tipped arrow. When his cousin is
slain, Suryaputra Karna rushes at Arjuna like an elephant with tusks
lowered, like a tiger at a mighty bull.
The Sutaputra wounds the Pandava with twelve arrows, pierces his
horses all over and strikes prince Uttara’s hand which holds the reins.
Arjuna responds with an impassioned attack as fierce as that of iridescent
Garuda swooping on a snake. Both men are superb archers, indefatigable
and deadly.
The Kauravas excitedly stand aside to watch the duel between Karna
and Arjuna. Incited to fury at the sight of Karna, and glad to be facing him
at last, the Pandava casts a dark mantle of arrows over him, rendering him,
his horses and chariot invisible. Bhishma’s legion of warriors, whose
horses, elephants and chariots too Arjuna shrouds and pierces with his
arrows, scatter, wailing in terror and pain.
Breaking through the Pandava cloud of arrows, exploding into view like
a mass of brilliant flame, illustrious Karna, bow in hand, gives Arjuna
answer with countless arrows of his own. Loud applause breaks out as the
Kurus cheer Surya’s son with booming conches, trumpets and drum-rolls;
and the air resonates with the sound of Karna’s bowstring slapping his
leather gloves. At the sight of Kiriti, who fills the air with the thunder of the
Gandiva, of the upraised tail of the Vanara on his flag and of the other
terrible creatures screeching furiously from the top of the flagstaff, Karna
roars like a pride of lions.
Arjuna attacks Karna, his horses, his chariot and his sarathy with
arrows; he releases an unrestrained cloudburst of arrows over him, while
glancing briefly at Bhishma, Drona and Kripa. Karna replies with a torrent
of his own arrows, and the crown-adorned Arjuna unleashes another
downpour of keen-edged barbs. Attacking each other with arrows and astras
beyond count, the two create so many arrow-clouds that they appear to the
onlookers like the Sun and the Moon in a stormy sky.
Karna, of the light hands, wounds four of Arjuna’s horses with whetted
shafts and then strikes his sarathy and flagstaff with three arrows each.
Provoked, like a lion woken from slumber, Jishnu, crusher of foes, bull of
the Kurus, lets fly a hot stream of shafts at Karna.
A blizzard of arrows spumes at the Pandava, as Karna displays his
prowess. Arjuna covers Karna’s chariot with so many arrows that it looks
like the Sun radiating his light over many worlds. Like a lion set upon by an
elephant, Arjuna draws his bowstring to his ear and shoots crescented
arrows into all parts of the Sutaputra’s body. These seething shafts strike
Karna’s arms and legs, his head and neck, and every other limb like
thunderbolts.
At last, somewhat mangled by Partha’s superhuman archery, Karna, son
of Vikartana, surrenders his position at the van of the Kuru army, and flees
the battle like an elephant routed by another.”
CANTO 55
V aisampayana continued, “After Radheya leaves the field, the other

warriors, led by Duryodhana, attack the son of Pandu. As the shore
withstands the fury of the sea, Arjuna withstands the rage of the teeming
legions that rush towards him in battle-formations, shooting fusillades of
arrows.
Kunti’s son Svetavahana, first among all warriors, rushes at them, now
loosing divine astras. Partha’s arrows radiate from his Gandiva everywhere
like rays from the Sun; amongst rathikas, horsemen, the elephant-mounted,
and mail-clad foot-soldiers—there is not one who has even a two finger
space left uninjured on his body. For his dexterity with Devastras, for the
superbly trained horses and Uttara’s skill in maneouvering them, for his
infallible aim, for his strength and light-handedness, Arjuna is like the
apocalyptic fire that burns to end the world with all its creations; and none
can bear to look at him for he blazes in blinding splendour.
Devastated by Arjuna’s tirades of arrows, the enemy legions look like
clouds rising over the brow of a hill that reflect rays of sunlight, or like
groves of upright asoka trees resplendent with clusters of flowers. Afflicted
by Partha’s arrows the enemy soldiers are like scalded garlands from which
withered blossoms fall. Torn flags and royal parasols swirl about in the
wind that blows everywhere. Terrified by bloody chaos, horses run in all
directions, unyoked by Arjuna’s sure arrows, and dragging shards of broken
chariots behind them; and beleaguered elephants, their chests, ears, tusks
and trunks pierced, drop on the battlefield, making the ground tremble.
Soon the earth is strewn with the corpses of Kaurava elephants and looks
like a dark sky, overcast with black thunderheads, with no wind to blow
them away.
O King, just as the conflagration at the end of the yuga consumes all
that can perish in the world, so does Partha consume his foes in this battle.
With the might of his arms, the twang of his bow, the inhuman cries of the
creatures on his flagstaff, the dreadful roar of the great monkey and the
blast of his conch, the all-powerful Parantapa Arjuna strikes terror such as
they have never known into the hearts of Duryodhana’s forces. Soon, the
courage and strength of every hostile warrior seems to drain into the dust at
the very sight of Arjuna.
Unwilling to sin by killing those that are defenceless, Arjuna rides
another path and attacks the Kuru army from behind with a storm of
feathered barbs that fly, like trained falcons, to find their marks. Soon the
very world seems covered by arrows and the sky to stream blood. Just as
the infinite rays of the mighty Sun break out from being crowded into an
inadequate vessel, so do Arjuna’s countless arrows find the vast sky too
small.
Those who face him see his chariot only once, for a moment, when it
nears them, for then they and their mounts leave this world. His arrows pass
unobstructed through men’s bodies, and his chariot flies unimpeded through
hostile ranks. Arjuna tosses enemy troops carelessly about as if he is the
thousand-headed Vasuki playing in the ocean. The noise made by the
ceaseless tide of arrows from Kiriti’s bowstring exceeds all other sounds, so
loud that its like has never, ever, been heard before.
Their bodies pierced closely with arrows on fire, the elephants throng
the field like black clouds flashing with lightning braids. As he looses his
endless tide in all directions, Arjuna’s bow draws perfect circles. The
arrows from the Gandiva never miss their mark, not one, even as the eye
dwells surely, solely, on things beautiful. The trail made by Kiriti’s chariot
is like that of a herd of elephants marching through a forest. Struck by
Partha’s uncanny gales of missiles, his enemies might well believe that,
wishing for his son’s victory, Indra himself, with all the Devas, is upon
them. They see Vijaya, the ever-victorious, at his terrible sacrifice of
slaughter, as Death incarnate.
Beset by Partha, the Kuru troops are devastated in a manner that only
Arjuna could achieve; just its own metaphor, it cannot be compared to
anything but the battles of Partha himself. He beheads his enemies as easily
as a reaper snips the tops of paddies, and the Kurus are weak with fear.
Tossed about and torn by the hurricane that is Arjuna, the forest of his
enemies bleeds into the earth and stains it purple; and the bloody dust
whipped up by death’s wind reddens the Sun’s rays. Soon the sky is so red
that it seems like the hour of sunset. But though the Sun stops shedding his
light after he sets, the son of Pandu does not stop his stream of shafts. That
Kshatriya of energy beyond imagining, who knows no fatigue, overwhelms
all the great archers of the enemy with his divine weapons, despite their
irresistible and combined prowess.
Arjuna shoots seventy-three arrows at Drona, ten at Dussaha, eight at
Drona’s son, twelve at Dussasana and three at Kripa the son of Saradvata,
all inside a moment. The Parantapa wounds Shantanu’s son Bhishma; he
strikes Duryodhana with a hundred arrows; he slashes Karna’s ear with a
slim eagle-feathered shaft. When Maharatha Karna, who is truly a master of
all weapons, is wounded and his chariot shattered, and his sarathy killed, his
troops break up and flee.
Seeing Karna’s army disintegrate, Virata’s son wants to know what
Partha intends, ‘O Partha, to which division shall I now take you in my
glorious chariot? Command me and I will bear you to it like the wind.’
Arjuna replies, ‘Uttara, that great warrior you see yonder, clad in tiger-
skin, mounted on a chariot with a blue flag and drawn by red horses, is
Kripa. You can see the frontlines of his legions. Take me to him and I will
show that great bowman my swiftness of hand.
That other Maharatha whose flag bears the device of a golden water-pot
is Acharya Drona, greatest among all masters of weapons. I have always
revered him, as have all Kshatriyas. Therefore, drive around him in
pradakshina and let us bow our heads to him, for that is our dharma. I will
strike him only if he strikes me first; then he will not be able to fault me.
The warrior beside Drona, whose flag has the emblem of a bow on it, is
the Acharya’s son, Maharatha Aswatthama. I and all Kshatriyas honour him
too. So pause again when you come to his chariot.
The warrior who sits on his chariot wearing golden armour, surrounded
by a third of the army consisting of the best troops, and whose standard
bears an elephant against a background of gold, is the illustrious
Duryodhana, son of Dhritarashtra. O Kshatriya, take this chariot to him who
can smash enemy chariots. This king is difficult to overcome and he can
crush any enemy at all. He thinks of himself as the best of Drona’s disciples
in lightness of hand. Today, I will show him that I am the superior archer.
The warrior whose flag bears the device of a thick rope used for
tethering elephants is Vikartana’s son Karna, whom you already know.
When you come before that evil son of Radha, be very careful, for he
always challenges me to a fight, and he is a great warrior indeed.
The warrior whose flag is blue and has five stars and a Sun at their
heart, who has limitless prowess, who sits on his chariot holding a huge
bow in his richly-gloved hands, whose head is shaded by a pure-white royal
parasol, who stands at the head of a multitude of chariots flying various
banners, who looks like the Sun in front of massed black clouds, whose
mail of gold sparkles like the light of the Sun and Moon together, and who
in his golden helmet strikes fear into my heart, is Shantanu’s son Bhishma,
the grandsire of us all. Entertained with regal splendour by Duryodhana, he
is partial to that prince, and very fond of him. Approach him last, for he
might pose an obstacle to us. Now guide our horses with all your great
skill.’
Virata’s son responds by briskly guiding Arjuna’s chariot towards where
Kripa stands eager for battle.’ ”
CANTO 56
V aisampayana said, “Those ranks of fierce Kuru fighters resemble

massed monsoon clouds drifting on a slow wind. Near them are
innumerable horses and their riders; there are also ferocious elephants,
resplendent in beautiful armour and ridden by skilled warriors who goad
them with iron hooks and ankushas.
And O King, in the firmament above, accompanied by the divine
Viswas and Maruts, and seated in a splendid vimana is Sakra. Yakshas,
Gandharvas and Nagas also crowd the sky, so it seems bejewelled as a clear,
star-spangled night. All the Devas have come, each in his own chariot, to
see how well mortals use Devastras and to witness the great duel between
Kripa and Arjuna. Indra’s divine vahana, embellished with myriad
gemstones and commanded by the will of its rider, its roof held up by a
hundred thousand golden posts and a central one entirely jewel-encrusted,
stands out conspicuous among the others.
Thirty-three Devas with Vasava at their head, and Gandharvas,
Rakshasas, Nagas, Pitrs and Devarishis have come with the Lord Indra.
Seated in the vimana of the king of Devas are radiant Rajarishis of old—
Vasumanas, Balaksha and Supratardana, Ashtaka, Sibi and Yayati, Nahusha
and Gaya, Manu and Puru, Raghu, Bhanu and Krisasva, Sagara and Nala.
Then comes a magnificent procession—the chariots of Agni and Isa, Soma
and Varuna, Prajapati, Dhatri and Vidhatri, Kubera, Yama, Alambusha and
Ugrasena, and the Gandharva Tumburu. All the Devas, the Siddhas and the
foremost of Munis have come here to witness the encounter between Arjuna
and the Kurus.
The sublime fragrance of heavenly vanamalas pervades the air like
woodlands redolent with the perfumes of the blossoms of spring. Glorious
are the great red parasols, the clothes, the garlands and the waving plumes
on the heads of the gods. The dust of the earth has settled; lustre is
everywhere, and the divinely-scented breezes waft soothingly over the
combatants.
The sky is ablaze with the beauty of the shining craft of the Devas that
adorn it—those that have already arrived and the ones that still come, in a
train behind the Lord of gods. They surround him, the magnificent Indra,
wielder of the thunderbolt, who sits in his awesome vimana, wearing a
garland of lilies and lotuses. And the slayer of Bala gazes insatiably at his
son on the battlefield below.”
CANTO 57
V aisampayana said, “Partha, scion of the house of Kuru, looks at the

Kuru army arrayed for battle and says to Virata’s son, ‘Ride at
Kripa, son of Saradvata; approach the chariot whose flag flies the device of
a golden altar from the south.’
At once, Uttara sets out, urging his silver-white horses protected by
golden kavacha. Encouraging each of them to run faster and faster, he spurs
those spirited, moon-silver steeds forward. As they near the Kuru legions,
he expertly reins in his wind-swift steeds. The prince of the Matsyas
skilfully wheels them around, making them go in circles and turning them
to the left, bewildering the Kurus. Virata’s intrepid son finally makes a full
circle and arrives near Kripa’s chariot; then he stops, facing the Brahmana.
Crying out his own name, Arjuna announces himself and blows a blast
on the tremendous Devadatta. Blown on the field of battle by mighty
Jishnu, the stentorian sound is like the roar of a mountain splitting. Amazed
that the conch has not shattered with the force of Arjuna’s blowing, the
Kurus and all their warriors begin to applaud it. The din reaches up into the
sky and resounds there like a thunderbolt hurled at a mountain by
Maghavat.
The fearless Maharatha Kripa is roused to fury by Arjuna; he cannot
bear that sound and takes up his own conch-shell and blows it emphatically.
Filling the three worlds with that sound, Kripacharya angrily pulls on the
string of his enormous bow. Like two suns, the two warriors stand face to
face in their chariots, turbulent as monsoon clouds.
In a flash, then, Saradvata’s son Kripa pierces Partha Parantapa with ten
light-swift arrows that can penetrate deep into the body. Pritha’s son raises
the celebrated Gandiva and shoots back a cataract of iron arrows. Kripa
shreds Partha’s blood-sucking deluge into slivers even as they fly at him.
Arjuna employs every manner of manoeuvre to spray arrows all around
him. He fills the sky with them, does Pritha’s son of fathomless soul, and
cloaks Kripa in a night of dark arrows. Wounded and bleeding, Kripa roars
out his rage and looses ten thousand calescent shafts at the noble Partha of
the boundless might.
Arjuna responds by wounding Kripa’s four horses with four searing
arrows from the Gandiva: sharp, straight and golden-winged. Struck by
these flame-hot shafts, his horses rear up and Kripa loses his balance.
Seeing him stagger in his chariot, Arjuna suspends his onslaught out of
respect for his old master; but Kripa quickly composes himself and shoots
ten kanka-feathered arrows at Savyasachi, piercing him deep. Partha severs
Kripa’s bow and shreds his gloves with a crescent-tipped barb. With great
care, so as not to injure him, he cuts away Kripa’s coat of mail, with arrows
that could pierce the heart beating in any man’s body. Divested of armour,
Kripa looks like a snake that has shed its skin.
As soon as he loses his bow to Partha’s arrows, Kripa takes up a new
one and strings it in a flash, but Arjuna breaks that one too. And the
Pandava breaks all his opponent’s bows, one after the other, as soon as the
son of Saradvata takes them up.
When most of his bows are broken, Kripa casts his javelin at Arjuna
like a thunderbolt. Even as the golden spear flares at him meteor-like,
Arjuna cleaves it with ten shafts of iron.
Kripa seizes up another bow and smoothly looses a hundred arrows of
curved flights at Arjuna; but Partha cuts these, also, into shards with just ten
uncanny barbs. Infused with furious urjas on the battlefield, the son of
Pritha shoots thirteen stone-sharpened arrows that are like flames. With one
of these, he severs the yoke of his opponent’s chariot; with four he bloodies
his four steeds; with the sixth he beheads the charioteer; with three he
shatters the triple bamboo axle of the chariot, and with two its wheels; his
twelfth chops down the flagpole; and with the thirteenth, Phalguna, looking
like Indra, and smiling disdainfully, pierces Kripa’s chest.
With his bow riven, his chariot broken, his steeds slain and his
charioteer killed, Kripa leaps down, quickly takes up a mace and hurls it at
Arjuna; but Arjuna uses his miraculous arrows to send that heavy, gleaming
weapon back to its source. Kripa’s warriors attack Partha from all sides in
an effort to rescue the son of Saradvata.
The son of Virata turns his horses to the left and drives in the circular
yamaka fashion, holding all those warriors at bay. Those bulls among men
lead the chariotless, helpless Kripa away from the dangerous Dhananjaya,
the son of Kunti.”
CANTO 58
V aisampayana said, “Now that Kripa has been rescued, invincible

Drona takes up his bow with an arrow already notched and ready to
fly; he charges Arjuna and his white horses with his own chestnuts.
Arjuna sees his Guru flying towards him on his golden chariot no great
distance away and says to Uttara, ‘Blessings on you, my young friend; take
me before that warrior atop whose lofty banner you see a golden altar that
looks like a tall flame, around which many flags fly, whose chariot is drawn
by large and handsome chestnut horses, as well-trained, pleasant and docile
as they are mighty, whose bodies are the colour of corals and their faces
copper-hued. That warrior is Drona, whom I wish to fight.
This son of Bharadvaja is long-armed; he is irresistibly vigorous and
illustrious; his prowess is celebrated across the three worlds; his mind is as
brilliant as Usanas’ and his knowledge of dharma as vast as Brihaspati’s; he
is well-versed in the four Vedas, and he is a chaste and devout Brahmachari.
O my friend, he has mastered the loosing of devastras, as well as the
mantras to withdraw them; indeed the science of weaponry, the very Astra
Shastra, dwells within him. Forgiveness, self-control, truthfulness,
abhorrence of causing injury and faultless conduct are some of the virtues
of this Dvija. I would fight this most blest one on this field; so, Uttara, drive
me to the Acharya.’
Virata’s son urges his horses towards the chariot of Bharadvaja’s son. At
the same moment, Drona, too, plunges towards the onrushing Partha, like
one enraged elephant charging another, and blows on his conch a blast that
equals the sound of a hundred trumpets. At that sound, the whole army is
agitated like a tempestuous sea.
Seeing those beautiful, red horses mingling in battle with Arjuna’s
swan-white ones, all racing swiftly as thoughts, those watching are
wonderstruck. Seeing Drona, the guru, and his sishya Arjuna confront each
other on the field of battle—both are magnificent—the Bhaarata host
trembles.
Arjuna is full of joy when he reaches Drona’s chariot, and he salutes his
teacher. That Parantapa humbly and affectionately addresses Drona, ‘We
have completed our term of exile and now want to avenge the wrongs done
to us. You who are invincible in battle, there is no need for you to be angry
with us. O Anagha, I have no intention of striking you unless you strike me
first. It is for you to decide.’
Drona promptly sends more than twenty arrows whistling at Arjuna, but
the swift Partha cuts them off before they can reach him. Displaying
awesome lightness of hand, the Acharya covers Arjuna’s chariot with a
thousand arrows, and to provoke Partha he cloaks his silvery white horses
with kanka-feathered arrows. The battle between Drona and Kiriti erupts,
with both Maharathas shooting arrows of blazing splendour at each other.
The two adversaries are renowned for their achievements; they are both
as swift as the wind, masters of all the devastras and invested with
extraordinary prowess. They loose clouds of fiery shafts at each other and
stupefy the Kshatriyas who watch. All the warriors there are filled with
wonder at the sight, and they give Drona a great accolade.
Those that stand there on the battlefield say to one another, ‘Well done!
Who except Phalguna is worthy of fighting Drona in battle? How stern the
dharma of war is: Arjuna fights his own guru!’
Inflamed, inspired, neither mighty-armed hero gains any advantage, as
each covers the other with arrows. His rage mounting, Bharadvaja’s son
draws his huge gold-plated bow and stabs Arjuna repeatedly with a flurry of
arrows; he assails Arjuna’s chariot with arrows so numerous and so
dazzling that they dim the light of the Sun. That Brahmana Maharatha rains
arrows on Arjuna like a cloudburst on a mountain, and pierces him with
many.
The son of Pandu takes up his Gandiva, the supreme bow, and
nonchalantly responds with variegated shafts and checks Drona’s lethal
deluge. All who watch are amazed. The handsome Savyasachi whirls about
on his chariot, switching the Gandiva from one hand to the other, spraying
his arrows on all sides simultaneously. They cover the sky in an expanse of
dense shade, and Drona is invisible like the Sun hidden by fog. Shrouded by
the golden arrows, Drona looks like a mountain on fire.
Seeing his chariot enveloped by Partha’s archery, Drona, that jewel on
the battlefield, bends his terrible bow that resounds like clashing clouds. It
is a circle of flames as he draws it and lets fly a volley of crescented arrows;
and the battlefield echoes with a sound like bamboo crackling in a forest
fire.
Still, the smooth, golden-winged arrows of Arjuna’s—he of
unfathomable soul—choke the air on all sides and obscure the Sun. Planed
smooth as mirrors and flighted with golden wings, the Pandava’s shafts
look like flocks of birds in the sky; while, touching each other, tip to end,
Drona’s arrows draw an unbroken line in the sky. The gilded arrows of the
two splendid archers cover the heavens like a meteor shower, and surely the
kanka-feathered ones look like rows of cranes coursing through the autumn
sky.
The fierce and terrible encounter between Drona and Arjuna is like that
ancient one between Vritrasura and Vasava. Drawing their bows into
circles, loosing endless rills of missiles at each other, they are like elephants
battling with lowered tusks. Enraged though they may be, those jewels of
the battlefield fight strictly by the sacred laws of war, even while exhibiting
their mastery over celestial weapons.
Arjuna resists his Acharya’s astras with his own; the Pandava puts his
marvellous skills on show: that most brilliant Kshatriya fills the air with a
bounty of astras. The Acharya sees how fiercely and intently Arjuna fights,
and he playfully fights back, in affection. The duel with unearthly weapons
between Bharadvaja’s son and Phalguna, those lions among men, each
invincible to the other, is truly like the Devasura yuddha of old.
The son of Pandu repeatedly checks Drona’s Aindra, Vayavya and
Agneya astras with his own. The arrow-clouds of the two peerless archers
cover the sky and cast a great shadow over the earth.
Arjuna’s arrows fall on the hostile warriors like thunder and lightning,
O Rajan. Elephants, chariots and horses are bathed in blood and look like
kinsuka trees in full bloom. After the savage encounter between Arjuna and
Drona, the spectacle of the field strewn with braceleted arms hewn off at the
shoulder, other dissevered limbs, the crimsoned corpses of grandly attired
rathikas, gilded armour stained scarlet, horsemen and foot-soldiers and
banners cut down, sends waves of panic through the Kuru host.
Wielding their invincible bows, the two sublime archers pare each
other’s forces. Bharatarishabha, this dread duel between Drona and Kunti’s
son is akin to the one of yore between Bali and Vasava. Bows drawn into
circles of light, they assail each other, staking their lives.
A voice from the sky applauds the Brahmana, ‘Drona performs a
difficult feat indeed as he fights the firm-handed Arjuna, crusher of foes,
invincible bowman, conqueror of Devas and Daityas, greatest of all
Maharathas.’
Drona is wonderstruck at Partha’s infallible aim, his unflagging vigour,
his swiftness and the formidable range of his missiles. O bull of the
Bhaaratas, Partha looses a blizzard of arrows at his Acharya. Those who
watch from the field applaud on seeing his arrows like locust-swarms, and
exclaim, Excellent! So swift and continuous is the stream of arrows he
unleashes that there is no space between them even for air, and the
onlookers see his movements only as a blur.
Lightness of hand rules the duel. Arjuna now shoots his arrows ever
more swiftly, and hundreds of thousands of them fall at once on Drona’s
chariot.
The Kuru forces watch Drona being hidden from view by Arjuna’s
arrows and set up a dismal wail. Maghavat and the Gandharvas and Apsaras
who have come here cheer Partha’s magic fleetness of hand.
Then the Acharya’s son, Maharatha Aswatthama, confronts the Pandava
with a large force of chariots, and despite his rage to see his father sorely
embattled, is filled with admiration for the noble son of Pritha. He charges
Arjuna and inundates him with a pralaya of arrows. Partha turns his horses
towards Aswatthama, giving Drona an opportunity to escape. Wounded,
bereft of armour and banner, Drona hastily leaves the field.”
CANTO 59
V aisampayana said, “Now Drona’s son thunders forward to meet

Arjuna in battle. Seeing Aswatthama charge him, covering him in an
arrow-storm and riding at him like a rain-charged hurricane, Arjuna greets
his Acharya’s son with a flash-flood of his own arrows.
Harrowing is the encounter between them, like that between the Devas
and Asuras. They shoot at each other as Virata and Vasava once did,
completely enclosing the sky with their shafts and hiding the Sun. The very
air falls hushed; and as they strike each other, the explosions of their
weapons ring out like dry bamboo stalks bursting in a raging fire. Rajan,
Arjuna draws deep blood from Aswatthama’s horses; they falter and drag
his ratha about in a daze, weakly.
Partha is everywhere at once, but Drona’s tremendous son lifts his
archery and severs the bowstring of the Gandiva with a horseshoe-headed
arrow. The Devas watch this incredible feat and cry, Well done! Well done!
So, too, do Drona, Bhishma, Karna and the great Kripa excitedly applaud
Aswatthama’s deed. The Acharya’s son draws his own superb bow round
and, with kanka-feathered arrows, pierces his adversary, that bull among
warriors, squarely through his chest.
But Partha Mahabaho only laughs and restrings the Gandiva in the
twinkling of an eye. Moistening the new bowstring with sweat from his
brow dark as the new moon, he rushes at his adversary, an infuriated bull of
a great elephant herd charging another tusker.
The contention between the two refulgent warriors makes the
onlookers’ hair stand on end, and they watch in awe, in disbelief as the
heroes fight on, calmly, fiercely. They fight on with fiery, hissing, snakelike
arrows: narachas. The Pandava’s two quivers are inexhaustible, and he
dominates the field, immovable as a mountain. Aswatthama’s arrows,
discharged without let, are soon exhausted, and only so does Arjuna prevail.
Then Karna pulls on the string of his awesome bow with great force,
sounding it like spring thunder, and the fighting men of the Kuru army
tremble and cry out in fear. Pritha’s son turns his gaze in the direction of
that sound and sees Radheya. His anger ignites and the Pandava bull stares
at Karna with death in his eyes.
Seeing Arjuna now turn away from Drona’s son, O King, the Kuru
warriors shoot thousands of arrows on him. But Mahabaho Dhananjaya just
wheels away and, his eyes turning red as plums, makes a dash at Karna.
Eager for single combat with him, the son of Kunti speaks to his inveterate
enemy.”
CANTO 60
“A rjuna says, ‘Karna, the time has come for you to make good the
boast you made in the sabha, that you have no equal in battle.
Today, Karna, you stand before me in battle; you will discover the limits of
your prowess and never again be proud or dismissive. You abandoned good
breeding and spoke brashly, but you will find it hard to translate your glib
bragging into deeds. Radheya, you will fight me today before all the Kurus;
let me see how you make good your lofty claims and all the insults you
flung at me.
You will now face the consequences of exhorting evil men to outrage
Panchali in the Kuru sabha. Fettered by dharma, I did not avenge her on
that darkest of all my days. Today I will unleash my long withheld anger
against you. Evil one, we suffered for twelve years in the forests; today you
will reap the harvest of our vengeance. Come, Karna, face me in battle and
let your Kaurava friends, my vile cousins, be witnesses to what I do to you.’
Karna replies, ‘Partha, translate your boasts into deeds, if you dare. The
world knows that your arrogance far exceeds your ability. It was not dharma
but cowardice that prevented you from seeking revenge earlier. Prove
yourself against me and we will acknowledge your prowess. If, as you
claim, your forbearance was truly due to dharma, know that you are as
bound by dharma today as you were before, although you consider yourself
freed from that bond.
But how can you want to fight me, after living a vanaprastha’s life for
twelve years? Son of Pritha, even if Sakra fought at your side you would
cause me no anxiety. Your wish is about to be fulfilled, Kaunteya. Fight me
and you will see who the greater archer is and by how much.’
Arjuna replies, ‘O Radheya, it is because you fled while fighting me
that you are still alive. I have killed your younger brother. What other true
warrior but you would flee from the battlefield after seeing his brother slain,
and then boast, as you still do, before all these honourable men?’
With that, invincible Arjuna rides at Karna and discharges a salvo of
barbs that can pierce any armour. But Maharatha Karna responds with
alacrity and covers Partha in a lashing downpour of the keenest shafts. In
the fierce duel that follows, arrows fly in tempests from every direction;
they lacerate the combatants’ arms and horses, and even shred each one’s
leathern gloves.
Arjuna severs Karna’s bowstring but, undeterred, Karna takes up
another one and draws blood from the Pandava’s hand, loosening his grip
on his bow. His rage stoked, Partha Mahabaho desiccates Karna’s weapon
in his very hands, so it falls to his feet in pieces. Karna picks up a javelin
and casts it, like another Vajra, at his sworn enemy; but Arjuna carves it up
with a sharp burst of arrows.
The forces that follow the son of Radha rush at Arjuna, who kills them
all with deadly fire from the Gandiva. Drawing his bowstring to his ear,
Bibhatsu fells Karna’s horses with a refrain of rough-hewn arrows; and they
drop to the ground, dead. The mighty Kaunteya strikes Karna’s chest with a
smoking shaft of untold vitality that pierces his armour and embeds itself
deep in his body. Karna’s vision blurs and he briefly faints. When he
recovers, he is in great pain; without further ado, he flees the field and rides
away, leaving Arjuna and Uttara looking after him in scorn.”
CANTO 61
V aisampayana continued, “Having defeated Vikartana’s son, Arjuna

says to Uttara son of Virata, ‘Take me towards that division where
you see the flag with a golden palmyra tree. My godlike pitamaha,
Bhishma, waits there, eager to meet me in battle.’
Uttara, who is badly wounded, sees the great host of chariots, elephants
and horses and says, ‘O Kshatriya, I can no longer steer your horses. My
spirits droop and my mind is clouded. The power of the devastras that you
and the Kurus have used makes the world spin before my eyes. The stench
of blood and fat from wounded flesh makes my senses reel. The sights I see
make my head ache in fear.
Never have I seen such a vast army of war-horses. The slapping of
gauntlets, the raucous blare of conches, the roars of the warriors, the
shrieking of elephants and the thunderous twang of the Gandiva stupefy me.
O Arjuna, my heart pounds and my vision fails me from watching you
draw fiery circles with your blazing Gandiva. I am terrified by the sight of
your dreadful arrows and your savage mien when you fight, so like an
enraged Indra, even like Rudra wielder of the Pinaka.
I am blinded every time you take up an arrow, fix it to your bowstring
and send it forth. Though I am here, my very senses desert me and I cannot
see what you do. I wilt and the earth churns before me, leaving me too weak
to even hold my whip and reins.’
Arjuna says, ‘Do not be afraid; take heart. You have performed many
wondrous feats in battle, O great Kshatriya. You are blessed that you are
born into the royal house of the illustrious Matsyas. It does not become you
to be downcast when punishing your foes. So, my prince, Parantapa, stay on
my chariot, muster your courage and guide my horses once more into battle
for me.’
Arjuna Maharatha speaks again to Virata’s son and says, ‘Take me now
to the front of Bhishma’s army, and I will sever his bowstring. Today you
will see me shoot divine weapons of great wonder and beauty, that flash
like lightning amidst dark clouds.
Today the Kauravas will see my gold-backed Gandiva and they will
argue about which hand I use—right or left—to shoot my arrows. Today I
will create a hideous river to the netherworld; blood will be its waters,
chariots its eddies and elephants its crocodiles. Today I will strip the Kuru
forest of its branches by hewing off heads, arms and legs, by shredding
mighty chests and muscle-rippling backs.
Alone, bow in hand, a hundred paths will open before me as I raze the
Kurus. Today you will see the Kuru army beset by me, whirling in a blood-
drenched spiral. Today I will show you my true skill at archery. Be the
ground rough or smooth, stay firm on the chariot, for my winged arrows can
pierce even Mount Sumeru that reaches up into Swarga.
Once, at Indra’s behest, I killed hundreds and thousands of Paulomas
and Kalakhanjas, and from him I have inherited my steadfast grasp of my
bow. My lightness of hand comes from Prajapati Brahma, and from him I
have learnt the tactics of attack and defence when surrounded by enemy
forces. On the other side of the great ocean, I defeated sixty thousand
chariot mounted warriors—all fierce archers from Hiranyapura.
Today I will vanquish the multitude of the Kuru host as easily as a
tempest would blow away a pile of cotton. My fiery arrows will set the
Kuru forest aflame, its banners the trees, its infantry the shrubs, its chariot-
warriors the wild animals. Just as the wielder of the thunderbolt crushed the
Danavas, I will bring the Kuru Maharathas down from their chariots.
In addition to my other weapons, I have obtained the Raudra from
Rudra, the Varuna from Varuna, the Agneya from Agni, the Vayavya from
Vayu and the Vajra from Sakra. Despite all the great warriors that protect it,
I will bring the Dhartarashtra force to its knees. O son of Virata, do not be
afraid.’
Thus assured by Savyasachi, prince Uttara penetrates that indomitable
array of rathas protected by Bhishma. The illustrious son of Ganga, he of
the fierce deeds, however, easily withstands the mighty-armed and
relentless Kshatriya. Arjuna confronts Bhishma and, with a magic golden
shaft, cuts down his standard, severing it cleanly at its base; and the flag
bearing the golden palmyra crashes to the ground.
At this, four great Kauravas, Dussasana, Vikarna, Dussaha and
Vivimsati—all of them masters in the use of astras, all decked in beautiful
garlands and jewellery—charge towards that fearful bowman and surround
hm. Dussasana pierces Uttara with a crescent-tipped arrow and also draws
blood from Arjuna’s chest. Partha shatters Dussasana’s gilded bow with a
vulture-feathered shaft, and he bloodies the most bestial Kaurava’s hirsute
chest with five more.
He cannot withstand the terrible Arjuna, and Dussasana flees the fight;
swiftly, his brother Vikarna attacks the raging Pandava with a slew of his
own vulture-winged shafts. But the son of Kunti stuns him with a thick,
blunt shaft that strikes his head, and Vikarna falls out of his chariot.
Dussaha, supported by Vivimsati, smothers Arjuna with a cloud of shining
arrows.
Unperturbed, Dhananjaya strikes both of them, simultaneously, with
two flashing darts and kills their horses immediately after. Chariotless and
bleeding, those sons of Dhritarashtra are spirited away in his chariot by
another Kaurava who dashes up to rescue them, with a host of other
chariots.
Wearing his crown, the undefeated Bibhatsu, son of Kunti, continues to
assail the enemy from every side with his supernal archery.”
CANTO 62
V aisampayana said, “Then, O Bhaarata, all the Maharathas of the

Kurus unite; they surround Arjuna and put forth all their might to
subdue him. But he of the fathomless soul envelops them all in a fog of
arrows, as mist covers the mountains. The trumpeting of enormous
elephants and the booming of conch-shells mingle into deafening bedlam.
Partha’s arrows fly in their thousands, piercing elephants and horses, as
well as steely coats of mail. With incendiary archery, Pandu’s son appears
to vie with the midday Sun in brilliance.
Terror-stricken warriors leap from chariots and horseback, foot-soldiers
flee helter-skelter. All the while, the air reverberates with the deadly
clamour of Arjuna’s arrows as they bore through armour of steel, silver and
copper, and in a short time the field is littered with the corpses of elephant-
warriors and horsemen, mangled by hissing serpentine shafts from the
Pandava’s bow. It is as if Dhananjaya, bow in hand, dances on the field of
battle even like Siva at his Tandava.
Terror-struck by the thunderous twang of the Gandiva, many soldiers
run from the stained field strewn with severed heads—some turbaned, some
with earrings and necklaces of gold. Torsos, butchered by arrows, litter the
ground, as well as torn limbs decked in ornaments, some still holding
weapons in dead hands.
The Earth looks spectrally beautiful. O Bull of the Bhaaratas, heads
sliced off by Arjuna fall in showers like meteors from the sky. And
menacing, formidable Partha ranges the field spewing the fire of his anger
over the sons of Dhritarashtra.
Seeing how Arjuna scorches the enemy, the Kuru warriors lose all
courage and stop fighting, although they are in Duryodhana’s presence;
while Arjuna, who has succeeded in terrorising the Kuru host and routing
its Maharathas, one by one, continues to wreak havoc.
The son of Pandu creates a ghastly river of blood with rolling waves,
quite like the river of death that time creates at the end of a yuga. This
blood-river has the dishevelled hair of the dead and dying for its weeds,
bows and arrows as its boats, and the flesh and the dying tissues of animals
for its mud. Coats of mail and helmets float thick on its surface; it bears
elephants instead of crocodiles, and chariots are its rafts; marrow, fat and
blood form its foam; and it strikes abject fear into the hearts of those who
look at it.
Hideous, horrible, and rippling with the howling of wild carrion-eaters,
the scarlet river floats keen-edged weapons menacingly like crocodiles.
Rakshasas and Pisachas stalk its banks from end to end. Strings of pearls
form its beads of froth and other gemstones its sparkling bubbles. With
clutches of arrows for eddies and horses for its tortoises, that river is
unfordable. The great Kuru Maharathas form the large island in the ruddy
stream, island that echoes with the blast of conches and the boom of
drumbeats.
Thus does Partha create an uncrossable river of blood, river of death. So
swift is he that no one discerns his taking up an arrow, notching it to his
bowstring, drawing the string and loosing the shaft from the Gandiva as
separate movements.”
CANTO 63
V aisampayana said, “Duryodhana and Karna, Dussasana and

Vivimsati, Kripa, Drona and his son charge Arjuna with their bows
bent, determined to kill him. Great king, Arjuna rides forward to meet their
attack from his glittering chariot. Kripa, Karna and Maharatha Drona are
the clouds that rain arrows on Dhananjaya. Keeping their distance, they
cover his body with their arrows, so there is not even a two-digit space left
unpierced on him.
Bibhatsu smiles unperturbed and sets the shimmering Aindrastra to the
Gandiva. Sunlike, he stands wearing his crown on the battlefield and, like
the Sun’s rays, covers it with arrows. As lightning flashes in a stormy sky,
as a flame flares in a rock cleft, the Gandiva flashes, glorious as the
Indradhanush, the rainbow.
Like a thunderhead roaring and lashing down rain to soak the ground,
the resonance of the Gandiva and the arrows that fly from it fill the air; and
all the Kuru rathikas want to flee. Confusion and dismay strike the hitherto
calm foot-soldiers; and despair spreads among those broken men who lose
all hope of living.”
CANTO 64
V aisampayana said, “From the midst of the havoc amongst the

devastated Kurus, Shantanu’s son Bhishma, Pitama of the Bhaaratas,
rushes at Arjuna with his golden bow and strikes him with scorching
clutches of arrows. With his white parasol unfurled above him, Bhishma
Purushavyaghra is full of deep splendour; he is as radiant as the Sun rising
over the mountains. The son of Ganga blows his conch to cheer
Dhritarashtra’s sons, then wheels to his right to confront Arjuna.
The heroic son of Kunti sees him coming and receives him joyfully, as a
mountain welcomes a rain-filled cloud. But Bhishma of boundless might
cuts down Partha’s flagstaff with eight arrows. These arrows flare on to
reach the banner and strike the Vanara and the other creatures perched
resplendently on it.
Pandu’s son fells Bhishma’s regal parasol with a great javelin, and it
falls onto the earth. Kunti’s son of the light hands strikes his grandsire’s
flagstaff, his horses and the two chariot-warriors who protect Bhishma’s
flanks.
Bhishma cannot bear Arjuna’s onslaught and envelops him in a
devastra. The Pandava of the deep soul invokes another divine weapon
against Bhishma at the same time as he receives Bhishma’s missile of
enchantment lightly, as a mountain wears a cloud. Relentless is the duel that
ensues between Partha and Bhishma, and the Kaurava troops and warriors
stand by watching in thrall. Arrows meet arrows and glimmer in the air like
fireflies of the monsoon.
O Rajan, bent by the ambidextrous Partha, the Gandiva is a hoop of fire
as the Pandava’s missiles flow from it in a ceaseless stream. The son of
Kunti covers Bhishma with a thousand shafts and Bhishma contains the
cascade with his own astras, just as its shore does a swollen sea; he batters
the Pandava with a fierce torrent in return. Shards of splintered arrows rain
down around Phalguna’s chariot, whilst the Pandava’s golden-winged barbs
swarm thickly from his bow like locusts. Bhishma deflects his grandchild’s
deadly shower with a thousand stone-whetted arrows.
The Kauravas shout Excellent! Well done! and applaud Bhishma’s
marvellous feats as the Pitamaha battles great Dhananjaya who is young,
powerful, swift and dexterous. Who but Bhishma son of Shantanu, Devaki’s
son Krishna and Bharadvaja’s son Drona, greatest among Acharyas, can
withstand Partha in battle?
Countering astras with other astras, the two Bharatarishabhas, both
astoundingly strong, fight as if they are at play, delighting all those who
watch them. These two warriors flit here and there at will across the
battlefield, wielding unearthly weapons given to them by Prajapati and
Indra, Agni, Rudra and Kubera, Varuna, Yama and Vayu. All are
wonderstruck by the contention between the illustrious twain, and they
shout, Partha Mahabaho! Ah, Bhishma! So rare and awesome is the display
of devastras that Bhishma and Partha invoke.
The duel between the two, both masters of all the astras, rages on as if it
will never end. When they have exhausted the divine astras, they take up
their bows and arrows once more. Now Arjuna flies at his Pitamaha and
rives Bhishma’s gold-covered bow with a razor sharp arrow, but without a
moment’s pause Mahabaho Devavrata takes up another and strings it.
In a flash the seething Bhishma casts a cupola of arrows over
Dhananjaya; the tireless Pandava pierces the crafty dome at all the right
points with a flurry of impossible accuracy. Again, Bhishma aims a ferocity
of arrows at Pandu’s son. Great king, no distinction can be made between
those two noblest Kshatriyas as they fight, both masters of mundane and
divine weapons.
The ten cardinal points of the sky are obscured by the arrows of Kiriti
and the son of Shantanu, as each repeatedly attempts to smother his
adversary with shafts of fire and water, wind and sky. O king, it is past
belief that this most wonderful duel is fought in this world of mortals.
Arjuna savagely cuts down the warriors who protect Bhishma’s chariot.
The Pandava’s shafts flare from the Gandiva in all directions, as if they
themselves want to slaughter the enemy indiscriminately. As they fly from
his chariot, his enchanted barbs with golden wings look like a flight of
unworldly swans in the sky. Indra and the Devas watch in wonder from the
heavens as Arjuna, amazing archer, invokes yet another devastra.
A joyful Chitrasena sees the supreme Gandiva and says to Indra, ‘Look
how these arrows of Partha’s course through the skies in an unbroken line!
Dazzling is Jishnu’s skill with this divine bow. It is beyond the power of
any other mortal to wield the Gandiva; no other weapon like it exists on
Earth. Wondrous and formidable is Arjuna’s arsenal of ancient weapons.
His movements are so swift that no gap of time or space can be discerned as
he takes an arrow, fixes it to his gleaming bow and releases it from the
bowstring drawn back to his ear.
The Kuru soldiers are blinded by the brilliance of the son of Pandu who
blazes like the Sun at high noon. Neither does anyone try to gaze upon
Bhishma, the son of Ganga. Both are celebrated for their achievements;
both are powerful; both are equal in their heroic feats, and both are
impossible to quell in battle.’
Upon hearing the Gandharva extol Partha and Bhishma, the king of the
Devas showers divine blooms of petals of light over them.
Bhishma attacks Arjuna from his left flank. Laughing in delight at the
sublime duel, Bibhatsu shatters Bhishma’s bow with another vulture-
feathered arrow and, although Bhishma fights as fiercely as he can, the
Kaunteya pierces his chest with ten more whining shafts. Sorely wounded
by these, pain lancing through him, Ganga’s hitherto undefeated son
staggers and has to lean against his chariot post. Then Bhishma swoons and,
knowing what he must to save his warrior’s life, his charioteer swiftly bears
him away to safety.”
CANTO 65
V aisampayana said, “When Bhishma leaves the battle, Duryodhana

hoists his flag high and comes roaring at Arjuna. He bends his bow
into a circle and shoots Arjuna squarely through his forehead with a spear-
headed shaft. With the arrow embedded in his brow, that Kshatriya looks
strange and splendid, O Rajan, somehow like a lone mountain peak. Warm
blood gushes from the wound and flows shining down his body like a mala
of kinsuka flowers.
Arjuna’s rage billows up, and he pierces Suyodhana with clutch after
clutch of hissing shafts. A duel erupts between Duryodhana and Partha, first
among Kshatriyas, both Purushottamas. Both are born into the Ajamida
race; both are formidable; and they attack holding nothing back.
Riding an enormous elephant, with four chariots around him in support,
Vikarna also charges Arjuna. Dhananjaya sees the elephant lumbering at
him and strikes it between its temples with a blistering arrow. Like a
thunderbolt cast by Indra, that barb buries itself to its feathers in the
mountainous creature’s head. The mastodon trembles in agony and, its
knees buckling, crashes down onto the ground, its head riven like a
mountain summit by the Vajra. When his great beast falls, Vikarna jumps
off its back and runs some eight hundred paces in moments, to clamber onto
Vivimsati’s ratha.
After he kills the elephant, Partha strikes Duryodhana in his chest with
another lightning streak of an arrow, drawing a font of his cousin’s blood.
When they see the elephant slain and Duryodhana wounded, all the
surrounding warriors, already bleeding from wounds inflicted by the
Gandiva, lose their nerve and run in panic, following Vikarna and the Kuru
king’s bodyguard. And Duryodhana Kurusthama, seeing them go, turns his
chariot around and speeds away from the terrible Partha.
He is sorely wounded and vomits blood as he flees, but Kiriti, his battle-
lust undiminished, calls after him in anger, ‘Why do you sacrifice your
honour and glory? Why do you run away? Why don’t you sound your
trumpets now, as you did when you set out from your kingdom? I, who
obey Yudhishtira, am the third son of Pritha; and I stand here ready to do
battle.
Do not abandon Kshatriya Dharma; turn and face me, O son of
Dhritarashtra. Your name Duryodhana has no meaning left. Where is your
famous ferocity and fortitude that you run from battle? I do not see your
bodyguards, Duryodhana, in front of you or behind. Go, great man, fly;
save your precious life, coward, or this Pandava will take it!’ ”
CANTO 66
V aisampayana continued, “Stung deeper than arrows by the searing

insult, Duryodhana turns back like an elephant prodded by a goad,
like a snake trodden on.
A broad golden necklace shimmering upon his great chest, Karna sees
Duryodhana turn back and prevents him from going to certain death. After
soothing his beloved friend, Karna himself swings his ratha round to face
north, and Partha, in battle. A recovered Bhishma also turns his great tawny
horses round and, bow raised, rushes to protect Duryodhana from the
fearsome Pandava. Drona, Kripa, Vivimsati, Dussasana and others turn
back as well and, bows drawn, ride to defend Duryodhana.
Pritha’s son Dhananjaya sees these warriors and their legions flash
towards him in a tide and he rushes eagerly at them, as a crane to a rain-
charged cloud. Arjuna is quickly surrounded by Maharathas, all armed with
devastras.
They scathe him with a torrent of arrows, like clouds lashing a
mountain’s crest with rain. Arjuna cuts down every last shaft in flight, and
then invokes an inexorable weapon against the Kuru bulls, the Sammohana
which he got from Indra, an astra of sleep.
Covering all the cardinal points of the sky with his gorgeously-feathered
arrows, the great Pandava pulls violently on his bowstring, stunning his
enemies. Partha take up his Devadatta in both hands, and he blows it with
such force that the sound fills the skies and echoes in the far corners of the
Earth. The Kuru heroes are stupefied and stand entranced from the
enchantment of the Sammohana, still holding their bows, which hang
limply from nerveless hands.
Seeing the transfixed Kuru army, Partha remembers princess Uttaraa’s
request and says to her brother, his sarathy, ‘Purushottama, go amongst the
Kurus while they are still frozen in trance and bring me Drona and Kripa’s
white silk scarves; bring Karna’s beautiful golden one and the blue ones of
Duryodhana and Aswatthama. I suspect that Bhishma is not under the
astra’s spell, for he knows how to repel the power of Sammohana. So pass
him by, keeping his horses on your left, for you must avoid any great
warrior who is awake.’
The Matsya prince promptly drops his reins, jumps down from the
chariot and does what Arjuna asks. He returns with the warriors’ silks and
takes up the reins of his silver horses again, flicking them lightly over the
white steeds’ necks, and bearing Arjuna away from the battlefield, beyond
the footsoldiers and standard-bearers.
Bhishma sees the Pandava go and strikes him with a flock of arrows,
but Partha kills his Pitama’s horses and sarathy in a flash and pierces the old
warrior with ten vicious shafts. Leaving Bhishma helpless on the field,
Arjuna bursts out from the multitude of chariots with the beautiful bow in
his hands, surely like the Sun breaking out from behind dark clouds.
Duryodhana wakes from his trance and, seeing Partha riding away at his
leisure, as majestic as the king of the Devas, says to Bhishma, ‘How did he
pass you, Pitama? Attack him; he must not escape!’
Shantanu’s son smiles and says, ‘Did you lose good sense as well as
your strength and weapons whilst you were unconscious? Bibhatsu is not
addicted to killing, nor does his soul incline towards sin. He will not violate
his dharma even to gain the three worlds, and only because of this are all of
us still alive.
Duryodhana, return to your city and let Arjuna go with the herds he has
taken back from us. Do not be foolish and disregard what is good for you.
Indeed, a man must always keep his own welfare in mind.’
Listening to his grandsire, Duryodhana quickly loses his hunger for
battle. He sighs and falls silent. Meanwhile, the other warriors all awaken,
one by one, and ponder Bhishma’s counsel; they see the wisdom in it and
that Arjuna is indomitable and, wanting to protect Duryodhana, decide to
turn home.
Arjuna happily watches the Kuru warriors leave; he makes the Matsya
prince turn his chariot around and follows them: he wants to pay his
respects and speak to them. He honours and worships his Pitama Bhishma
and his Acharya Drona with a salvo of beautiful arrows that fall at their
feet; he also salutes Aswatthama, Kripa and the other Maharathas. Then,
with a final arrow, the son of Pritha breaks Duryodhana’s haughty, jewelled
crown into pieces.
Having paid his homage to those he reveres and having humiliated his
cousin he despises, he fills the three worlds once more with the reverberant
twang of the Gandiva. He blows the Devadatta, and the sound pierces the
hearts of all his enemies. Having humbled them all, he stands resplendent
on the chariot flying the banner which mighty Hanuman adorns.
As the Kurus ride away, Arjuna says to Uttara, ‘Turn back your horses.
We have recovered your herds, the enemy has retreated, and you can ride
home happily to your city.’
The Devas, who have witnessed the astounding encounter between the
lone Phalguna and all the Kurus, also turn their invisible vimanas
homewards and return to their ethereal abodes. Arjuna’s feats are imprinted
on their lustrous hearts.”
CANTO 67
V aisampayana said, “Having vanquished the Kurus in battle, he with

the eyes of a bull is taking the valuable Matsya herd back to Virata
when he sees some wounded soldiers of Dhritarashtra’s routed army
coming out of the forest. They are terrified when they see Partha; and they
stand before him with folded hands, their hair dishevelled, exhausted with
hunger and thirst. Confused and afraid, for they are in a strange land, they
bow down before Partha and say, ‘We are your slaves.’
Arjuna says, ‘Welcome, and may you be blessed. Go your way, you
have nothing to fear from me. I will not take the lives of the injured. You
have my protection.’
The band of soldiers greets this with salutations and they sing praises of
his achievements and fame, and bless him with long life. The Kauravas
cannot face Arjuna while he is on his way back to the city of Virata; he is
like an elephant with rent temples. He has scattered the Kuru army like a
gale does fleecy clouds.
Partha, slayer of foes, thoughtfully says to the prince of Matsya, ‘You
are the only one who knows that the sons of Pritha live in your father’s
kingdom. Do not speak of them or praise them when you enter the city, for
the king himself may hide in fear. Instead, in your father’s presence
proclaim the defeat of the Kurus as your own doing. Say to him, “I have
vanquished the Kurus and recovered our cattle.”
Uttara says, ‘What you have done is beyond my power; I could never
achieve it. But if you command me, I will not expose you to my father for
as long as you forbid it, O Savyasachi.’
After he has vanquished the hostile Kurus and retrieved the precious
herds from them, Arjuna goes back to the sami tree in the smasana and
stands before it, his body wounded by enemy arrows. In a flash of light, the
monkey on his banner flies up into the sky and vanishes, along with the
other supernatural creatures on the magical flagstaff; the illusion created by
Visvakarma melts away, leaving prince Uttara’s own banner, bearing the
device of a lion, on the chariot once more. The Matsya prince fastens the
Pandavas’ arrows and quivers back in the tree, along with the matchless
Gandiva. With Arjuna for his charioteer again, he rides towards his city in
joy.
Having accomplished the stupendous rout of the enemy, Partha braids
his hair as before, takes the reins from Uttara, and that glorious one will
enter the city of Virata as Uttara’s sarathy Brihannala. Meanwhile, the
defeated and dejected Kurus are well on their way back to Hastinapura.
On the way back to Virata’s city, Arjuna says to Uttara, ‘O Kshatriya,
Mahabaho, send the cowherds with the cattle in advance, and we will enter
the city in the afternoon after bathing our horses and giving them water to
drink. Tell the cowherds to go speedily and proclaim the good news of your
victory.’
Uttara commands the messengers, saying, ‘The enemy has been routed
and the cattle have been recovered. Go and proclaim the king’s victory.’
Thus, well pleased with their victory, having restored the Pandavas’
weapons to the sami tree, having put on the garments and ornaments they
left there, the two Kshatriyas triumphally ride into the city of Virata: the
heroic son of Virata with Brihannala as his charioteer.”
CANTO 68
V aisampayana said, “Meanwhile, that morning, his wealth recovered

and his own vast forces intact, Virata himself enters his city
accompanied by the four still disguised Pandavas. The king and the sons of
Pritha bask splendid in glory after shaming the Trigartas in battle and
recovering all the Matsya herds. When Virata, enhancer of the joy of his
friends, is seated on his throne, his subjects led by Brahmanas come before
him. They adulate him, and happily he acknowledges their adoration and
dismisses them.
Virata of the Matsyas asks where Uttara is. With some pride and
pleasure, the royal women and young girls of the palace and the other
women of the antahpura say, ‘The Kurus came from the north and took the
rest of our herds. Valiant prince Uttara rode against them alone, with
Brihannala for his sarathy. He has gone to vanquish the six Maharathas who
have come with the Kuru army—Shantanu’s son Bhishma, Kripa, Karna,
Duryodhana, Drona and Drona’s son Aswatthama.’
Virata is filled with dread. He says nervously to his ministers, as if to
console himself, ‘I am sure that the Kauravas will turn back once they learn
that the Trigartas have been defeated. But let my warriors who were not
wounded by the Trigartas take a great force out to protect Uttara. Let them
go at once.’
A vast army of horses, elephants, chariots and a teeming legion of foot-
soldiers, equipped with all kinds of weapons, is mustered without delay, and
ready to go forth against the Kurus. They await their king’s command.
A trembling Virata says, ‘Go at once to my child. With a eunuch for his
charioteer, I fear he may not be alive.’
Kanka, the king’s dice-player, smiles and says to the distressed Virata,
‘If, O King, Brihannala is his charioteer, the enemy will not escape with
your cattle. If Brihannala protects him, your son will vanquish the Kurus
today, even if they come with all the lords of the Earth, and even the Devas,
the Asuras, the Siddhas and the Yakshas together.’
Just then, the swift dutas despatched by Uttara arrive in Virata’s city
with their joyful tidings. His chief minister quickly brings the amazing
news to Virata in his court. He says, ‘It is passing strange, but all our cattle
have been rescued, the awesome Kurus defeated and prince Uttara, scourge
of our foes, is well, and also his charioteer Brihannala.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘These are happy tidings that the herds have been
recovered and the Kuru army routed, but I do not find it strange that your
son defeated the Kurus, for Brihannala was his charioteer.’
The hair on Virata’s body stands on end in unbridled joy to hear of his
son’s incredible feat. He makes gifts of clothes to the messengers and issues
orders to his ministers.
He says, ‘Let our highways be lined with flags; let all the gods and
goddesses be worshipped with offerings of flowers. Let princes, warriors,
musicians and dancing-girls decked in jewels go out to receive my son. Let
the bell-ringer go out on a swift elephant and proclaim Uttara’s victory at
every crossroad. Let Uttaraa put on her finest robes and, surrounding herself
with maidens, musicians and singers of eulogies, go out to receive my
heroic son.’
Beside themselves with excitement, all the people go to welcome
Uttara, of the boundless prowess—some with auspicious gifts in their
hands, many with cymbals, trumpets and conches, beautiful women in
gorgeous attire, encomiasts and chanters of hymns along with minstrels,
drummers and other musicians.
Having sent out his army, as well as maidens and bejewelled courtesans,
to welcome his son home, the overjoyed monarch of the Matsyas says,
‘Sairandhri, fetch the dice. Come Kanka, let us play.’
Kanka says, ‘They say that one whose heart is overflowing with joy
should not play against a cunning gambler. Therefore I would rather not
gamble with you for you are in a transport of joy and as I am always
conscious of your welfare. However, if that is what you truly want, let us
play.’
Virata says, ‘Even if we do not gamble, you cannot be protecting my
women, my cattle, my gold and all my wealth.’
Kanka replies, ‘O king, bestower of honours, why do you want to
gamble when it is fraught with evil? It should be shunned. You might have
seen or at least heard of Yudhishtira, the son of Pandu. He lost his vast,
prosperous kingdom and his godlike brothers at dice. That is why I am
averse to the game; but if it is your wish, Rajan, I will play.’
While they play, the Matsya king says to the Pandava, ‘Ah, my son has
vanquished the formidable Kauravas in battle.’
To which the illustrious Yudhishtira says, ‘And why should he not,
when Brihannala was his charioteer?’
This cuts the Matsya king to the quick, and he cries, ‘Wretch of a
Brahmana! Dare you compare a eunuch to my son? Do you know nothing
of what to say to your king, that you insult me so? Why should my son not
vanquish all the Kurus led by Bhishma and Drona? Brahmana, it is only
because of our friendship that I forgive you. But if you want to live, never
speak such words to me again.’
But Yudhishtira says, ‘Who other than Brihannala can fight a force
consisting of Bhishma, Drona, Drona’s son, the son of Surya, Kripa,
Duryodhana, other Maharathas and, indeed, if the need arises, Indra himself
surrounded by the Maruts? None has been, nor ever will be, his equal in
prowess. Only Brihannala’s heart fills with joy at the prospect of a terrible
battle. He vanquished the Devas, the Asuras and Manavas. With such an
ally, why should your son not conquer the enemy?’
Virata growls, ‘Though I warned you, vile Kanka, you don’t care to
hold your tongue. If there is no punishment, no one would practise virtue.’
And the enraged king flings his heavy dice in Yudhishtira’s face. ‘Let
this not happen again!’ he thunders.
Yudhishtira’s nose bleeds from being struck, but he contains the blood
in his hands before it falls to the ground. He glances meaningly at Draupadi
who stands at his side. Immediately understanding him, she brings a golden
vessel filled with water to catch the blood that flows from his nose.
Meanwhile, Uttara enters the city being feted with sweet perfumes and
flower garlands by the Matsyas, their women and even people from the
provinces. As he nears the gate of the palace he sends word of his arrival to
his father.
The gatekeeper goes to the king and says, ‘Your son Uttara is at the gate
with Brihannala.’
The joyful Matsya king rises and says to him, ‘Show them both in, ah, I
am impatient to see them!’
Yudhishtira takes the dwarapalaka aside and whispers, ‘Let Uttara enter
alone; Brihannala must not come in yet. That Mahabaho has sworn a vow
that whoever wounds me or sheds my blood, other than in battle, will not
live. He will be enraged to see me bleeding and will kill Virata, even in the
presence of his guards and ministers.’
Bhuminjaya enters and, having worshipped the feet of his father,
approaches Kanka. He sees him seated in a corner of the sabha, bleeding,
and waited upon by the sairandhri.
Uttara asks his father, ‘O Rajan, who struck him? Who did this sinful
thing?’
Virata says, ‘I struck the devious Brahmana, and he deserves further
punishment, for while I was praising you, he dared praise the eunuch.’
Uttara says, ‘My lord, you have sinned gravely. You must appease him
at once so the venom of a Brahmana’s curse does not consume you.’
Calming down, his heart brimming over to receive his triumphant son,
Virata turns to soothe Kanka the gambler, Yudhishtira like a fire hidden in
ashes, and begs his forgiveness.
The Pandava replies, ‘My lord, I was never angry that I need to forgive
you. I was only worried because if blood from my nose fell on the ground,
you and all your kingdom would have burned. Rajan, I do not blame you
for having struck me, for those with great power sometimes succumb to
unreasonable anger.’
When the bleeding has stopped, Brihannala enters the sabha. He greets
Virata and Kanka and stands silent. Having appeased his gambler, Virata
begins to sing the praises of his son Uttara in Savyasachi’s hearing.
The Matsya king says, ‘O you who gives the Kekaya princess so much
joy, in you I truly have a son! I never had, nor shall have, another son who
is your equal. My child, how did you do battle with the great Karna, whose
aim is so unerring that he strikes every one of a thousand targets at once?
How did you contend with Bhishma, who has no equal in the world of men?
How did you fight Drona, that foremost of all wielders of weapons, the
Acharya of the Vrishnis and Kauravas, the Dvija who is seen as the
preceptor of all Kshatriyas? How did you withstand the celebrated
Aswatthama? How did you fight Duryodhana, who can pierce a mountain
with his arrows?
My foes have all been destroyed and a delicious breeze seems to waft
around me. And when you recovered my wealth which the Kurus stole, it
seems that all those Maharathas were struck with panic. Without doubt,
Purusharishabha, you have routed the enemy single-handedly and snatched
the wealth that is my herds from them like his prey from a tiger.’ ”
CANTO 69
“U ttara says, ‘It is not I who retrieved the cattle and vanquished the
Kurus. All this was done by the son of a Deva. That divine youth
saw me running away in fear when I saw the fearsome Kuru army; he
stopped me and himself mounted my chariot, making me his sarathy. It was
he who put the Kauravas to rout and recovered the cattle. This incredible
deed, father, is that hero’s and not mine.
It was his arrows that repulsed Kripa, Drona, the Acharya’s powerful
son, the Sutaputra Karna and Bhishma. He it was who said to the terrified
Duryodhana who fled like the leader of a herd of elephants, “O prince of
Kurus, you will not be safe even in Hastinapura. Do all you can to protect
yourself, because you will not escape me by fleeing. Prepare to fight. If you
win, you will be sovereign of the entire Earth; if you lose, it is Swarga you
will gain.”
Hissing like a snake, and surrounded by his Maharathas, Duryodhana
turned back to fight. He shot arrows like thunderbolts, and my legs
trembled at the sight, respected father. Then, that heavenly youth raised his
unearthly bow and sprayed the Kuru army of chariots and brave warriors
with his divine arrows. He transfixed that throng of Maharathas with an
astra of sleep, and that lionish, irradiant youth laughed as he robbed them of
silks of different hues.
Indeed, the six greatest rathikas of the Kurus were vanquished by that
hero alone, like a whole herd of deer in a forest falling prey to one ferocious
tiger.’
Virata says, ‘Where is this mighty-armed youth of celestial origin, this
hero who recaptured my wealth from the Kurus? I am agog to see him and
pay my homage to that mighty warrior, for has he not saved you as well as
my herds?’
Uttara replies, ‘The Devaputra vanished immediately. I believe,
however, that he will show himself either tomorrow or the day after.’
Virata remains ignorant of the Pandava whom Uttara describes to him,
and who lives in his very palace in disguise.
With the noble Virata’s leave, Partha gives with his own hands the Kuru
silks he has brought to Virata’s daughter, and the lovely Uttaraa and her
sakhis are delighted with the fine and brilliant cloths with which they make
clothes for their dolls.”
CANTO 70
VAIVAHIKA PARVA
V aisampayana said, “Three days later, at dawn, the five Pandavas

bathe, clothe themselves in royal white robes, put on their
ornaments, and enter Virata’s palace with Yudhishtira at their head, looking
as splendid as five fierce elephants. They walk into Virata’s sabha, seat
themselves on thrones reserved for kings, and they look like five sacrificial
flames ablaze upon an altar.
In a while, Virata comes into the sabha to hold court; he sees the
brothers in their splendour and stops short.
Angrily, he addresses Kanka who sits on the Matsya king’s throne like a
god, like Indra surrounded by Maruts. He says, ‘I employed you as a
courtier, a player of dice. How dare you sit on my throne wearing white silk
and ornaments?’
Arjuna smiles and says, ‘O king, this man is worthy of sharing a throne
with Indra himself. He reveres Brahmanas, is well-read in the Vedas and
indifferent to luxury and pleasures of the flesh. He performs sacrifices, is
firm in his vows and, indeed, he is the embodiment of dharma. He is the
very best among all men of power, more intelligent than anyone in the
world, devout in his observance of ascetic rites and a master of all weapons.
In fact, he knows more about astras than anyone else does, or ever will, in
the three Lokas.
There is no one like him even amongst the Devas, Asuras, Manavas,
Rakshasas, Gandharvas, Yakshas, Kinnaras and Uragas. He is blessed with
foresight and vitality, and he is much loved by all the people both in the
cities and villages. He is the Adiratha, the best chariot-warrior, among the
sons of Pandu. He is the Yajaman at countless sacrifices, a man of piety and
self-control.
Like the greatest sage, this saintly king is celebrated across the three
worlds. He is strong, brilliant, capable, truthful and has his senses under
perfect control. He is as wealthy as Indra and has amassed as much treasure
as Kubera; he is as mighty a protector of the three worlds as the powerful
Manu.
This great man who is as compassionate as he is powerful is none other
than that bull of the Kurus, Dharmaraja Yudhishtira.
This king’s achievements are like the Sun in brilliance; his fame has
travelled over the world even like the rays of the Sun; and, as sunbeams
follow the rising Sun, ten thousand elephants and thirty thousand chariots
and carriages adorned with the purest gold and drawn by the noblest horses
followed him when he lived amongst the Kurus. Eight hundred vabdhis and
magadhis, wearing earrings set with shining gemstones, accompanied by
minstrels, chanted his praises in those days, even as the Rishis sing in praise
of Indra.
And, O Virata, the Kauravas and other lords of the Earth waited upon
him like slaves, just as the Yakshas do on Kubera. This great king, who is as
glorious as Surya at his zenith, once received tribute from all the lords of
the Earth as if they were tenant farmers.
Eighty-eight thousand chaste Snatakas depended on him for their
subsistence while they observed stern and lofty vows. This illustrious king
of kings took care of the old, the helpless, the crippled and the blind as if
they were his children, and he ruled justly over his subjects. Unflinching in
dharma and self-control, keeping anger on a tight leash, generous, dedicated
to Brahmanas, respectful and truthful, he is the eldest son of Pandu.
His prosperity and power inflamed the minds of Suyodhana and his
followers, Karna and Subala’s son Sakuni. O lord of men, the virtues of this
man cannot be enumerated. This son of Pandu is ever virtuous and never
does harm. Possessing such qualities, O Virata, is this bull among kings not
worthy of a royal seat?’ ”
CANTO 71
“V irata says, ‘If this is, indeed, the Kuru king Yudhishtira
Kuntiputra, which amongst these is his brother Arjuna, and
which the mighty Bhima? Which of these is Nakula, which is Sahadeva,
and where is the celebrated Draupadi? After their defeat at dice, the sons of
Pritha have not been heard of by anyone.’
Arjuna says, ‘O King, the man you know as Ballava your cook is
Mahabaho Bhima of unrivalled strength and mercurial energy. It was he
who killed the angry Rakshasas on Mount Gandhamadana and plucked the
fragrant saugandhikas for Krishnaa. He is the Gandharva who killed evil
Kichaka, and it was he who killed tigers, bears and boars in the antahpura
of your palace, for your pleasure.
He who has been the master of your stables is Parantapa Nakula; this
one is Sahadeva, the man in charge of your herds. These handsome sons of
Madri are famed Maharathas. These two bulls of the Bhaaratas, who, today
have again put on royal garments and fine jewellery, are a match for a
thousand great chariot-warriors.
This devi of the lotus-petal eyes, slender waist and sweet smiles, your
wife’s sairandhri, is Drupada’s daughter, for whose sake the Kichaka clan
perished.
And, O king, I am Arjuna whom you know of already—son of Pritha,
Bhima’s younger brother and elder brother to the twins.
Rajan, we have happily spent our ajnatavasa in your kingdom, as safe as
infants in the womb.’
After Arjuna has identified the five Kshatriyas, the Pandavas, Virata’s
son Uttara speaks of Arjuna’s prowess and confirms the identities of the
sons of Pritha.
Uttara says, ‘That one, with the glowing, golden complexion, who is
tall, majestic as a lion, of the prominent nose, large eyes and broad, ruddy
face, is the king of the Kurus.
Look at this other Kshatriya, whose tread is like a mighty elephant’s,
whose complexion is like molten gold, whose shoulders are huge, and arms
long and powerful: he is Vrikodara.
That one who stands beside him, the dark-skinned youth who is like the
king bull in a herd of elephants, who has leonine shoulders and an
elephant’s proud gait, whose eyes are large as lotus leaves, is Arjuna,
greatest of all archers.
The two who stand close to the king are those Purushottamas, the twins
who, like Vishnu and Indra, are unrivalled in beauty, strength and
demeanour.
That devi who stands close to them is Krishnaa, who is beauty
personified, the embodiment of light, dark like the blue lotus—a divine
queen, like Sri Lakshmi come to life.’
Then Virata’s son describes Arjuna’s prowess. He says, ‘It is he who
killed our adversaries like a lion rampaging through a herd of deer. He cut a
swath through a host of enemy chariots, slaying so many of their best
rathikas. With a single arrow, he killed an enormous, angry war-elephant so
it fell in its golden armour and its tusks gored deep into the ground. It is
Arjuna who retrieved our herds and vanquished the Kurus in battle; and I
was deafened by the boom of his conch. It is this hero of the fierce deeds
who quelled Bhishma, Drona and Duryodhana. These achievements were
his, not mine.’
The king of the Matsyas is full of both guilt and fear at having offended
Yudhishtira. He says quickly to Uttara, ‘The time has come for me to
appease the sons of Pandu. If you approve, I will give my daughter Uttaraa
to Arjuna.’
Uttara says, ‘Do so, father. And let us so worship the sons of Pandu who
are entirely worthy of worship.’
Virata says, ‘Bhimasena rescued me from the clutches of the enemy, and
Arjuna recovered my cows. It is because of their might that we are alive and
victorious. We and our ministers will pay our respects to Yudhishtira son of
Kunti.’
And to Yudhishtira he says, ‘O Pandavarishabha, Dharmaraja, may you
and your brothers be blessed! If we have unwittingly offended you, you
must forgive us, most noble and honourable son of Pandu.’
Then the good Virata joyfully proposes an alliance to Yudhishtira by
offering him his kingdom, his crown, his treasury and his city.
He says to the Pandavas, and to Arjuna in particular, ‘How fortunate I
am to see you!’ and he embraces Yudhishtira, Bhima and Madri’s sons
repeatedly and sniffs the top of their heads; but Virata, lord of a vast army,
is still not satisfied.
The delighted king says to Yudhishtira, ‘I am the most fortunate man
alive that you chose to spend your ajnatavasa in my home, and fortune
continued to smile on us that you spent the thirteenth year of your exile
undiscovered.
I hereby make a gift of my kingdom and whatever else I own to you
sons of Pritha. Pandavas, accept these without hesitation. And let Arjuna
Savyasachi accept the hand of my daughter Uttaraa; he is the best of all
men and worthy of being her husband.’
In response, Dharmaraja Yudhishtira looks at his brother, and Arjuna
says to the king of the Matsyas, ‘Rajan, I gladly accept your daughter,
whose virtues I know well; but I will have her for my daughter-in-law. Let
her become my son Abhimanyu’s wife. This alliance between the Matsyas
and the Bhaaratas is fitting and brings us profound joy.’ ”
CANTO 72
“V irata says, ‘Pandavottama, why do you not wish to accept my

daughter as your wife?’
Arjuna says, ‘When I lived in your antahpura I would see your daughter
every day and, whether alone or accompanied, she trusted in me as in a
father. I know about music and dancing, and she liked and respected me.
She always considered me her teacher. I lived with her for a whole year
even after she had attained puberty.
Given this circumstance, you or other men may entertain unfounded
suspicions about me, or, worse, about her purity. And so, O Virata, I prefer
to have Uttaraa for my daughter-in-law and bear witness to her chasteness.
There is no difference between a daughter-in-law and a daughter just as
there is none between a son and one’s self. I am wary of slander and false
accusations. I gladly accept your daughter Uttaraa as my daughter-in-law.
My son Abhimanyu excels every warrior on Earth in skill and prowess
in battle; he is as handsome as a Deva. He is the favourite nephew of his
uncle Krishna, who wields the Sudarshana chakra. O king, he is fit to be
your daughter’s husband, and your son-in-law.’
Virata says, ‘What you say is wise, O Arjuna. Partha, do what you think
best and you decide what we should do next. He whose daughter marries
Arjuna’s son has all his wished fulfilled.’
Yudhishtira gives his consent to the proposal. Bhaarata, Kunti’s son and
Virata send messengers who bear invitations to the wedding, to Krishna and
to all their friends and relatives.
At the end of the thirteenth year of their exile, the five Pandavas move
to Upalavya, one of the finest towns in Virata’s kingdom. Arjuna himself
rides to fetch Abhimanyu, Krishna and many others of the Dasarha family
from the country of Anarta. The king of Kasi and Saibya, who are
Yudhishtira’s friends, arrive with an akshauhini of troops each. The mighty
Drupada, Draupadi’s heroic sons, the unvanquished Sikhandi and the
invincible Dhrishtadyumna arrive with another akshauhini of troops.
All the kings who come are not only lords of armies, but also conduct
sacrifices, give bountiful gifts to Brahmanas, are deeply learned in the
Vedas, heroic and always ready to die in battle. As they arrive, the virtuous
king of the Matsyas honours them and provides entertainment for their
armies, their servants and attendants; great is his gladness at giving his
daughter to Abhimanyu.
Others come from different parts of the country. Then, Krishna arrives
draped in bright, wild vanamalas made from forest blooms; Balarama,
Kritavarma, Hridika’s son Satyaki, Satyaki’s son Anadhristi, Akrura, Samba
and Nisatha, all magnificent Yadavas, come with Krishna. All these
Parantapas come to Upalavya, bringing Abhimanyu and his mother
Subhadra with them.
Indrasena and the others who have been living in Dwaraka for a year
come in Krishna’s train, bringing the Pandavas’ chariots. Ten thousand
elephants, ten thousand chariots, a hundred million horses, a billion foot-
soldiers, and countless Vrishni, Andhaka, Kukura and Bhoja warriors of
untold prowess form the entourage of the great Vrishni tiger, Krishna the
Avatara. Krishna brings many nubile young women, ancient and magical
jewels past compare and garments of unearthly weave and design for each
of the illustrious sons of Pandu.
Soon, the wedding festivities are underway between the families of the
Matsya king and the Pandavas. Conches, cymbals, horns, drums and other
instruments sound, making music deep and wondrous, in Virata’s palace.
Hundreds of deer and other pure animals are slaughtered; wines and other
intoxicating fruit juices are pressed and fermented, and flow in rivers.
Actors, vabdhis, who are eulogists, and other singers and pauranikas
entertain the kings by chanting their praises and genealogies, as well as
recounting legends from time out of mind.
With Sudeshna at their head the royal Matsya women, wearing pearls
and earrings of every other precious stone, come to the auspicious pandal
where the marriage rites will be performed. Krishnaa by far outshines all
the lovely, fair-skinned and bejewelled women in beauty, fame, virtue and
splendour; dark Panchali is truly like a Goddess among them.
The women lead in princess Uttaraa, wearing rich red silk and
ornaments handed down from antiquity in her family, and she looks like a
daughter of Indra himself. Gravely, formally, Arjuna of the Kurus accepts
Virata’s flawless daughter on behalf of his son by Subhadra, and
Yudhishtira Dharmaraja, who stands there like Indra, also receives her as
his daughter-in-law.
With the formal acceptance, Partha, with Krishna before him, conducts
the sacred wedding rituals of Subhadra’s son. Virata gives him seven
thousand horses, swift as the wind, two hundred elephants of the highest
birth and wealth past telling. Libations of ghee are poured on the fire, and
the Brahmanas are honoured. Now Virata offers his kingdom, his army, his
treasury and himself to the Pandavas.
When the solemn and joyful ceremony is completed, Yudhishtira gives
all the wealth that Krishna of immortal glory has brought, in daana to the
great Brahmanas who have come to the Matsya kingdom from every corner
of Bharatavarsha. He also gives thousands of the purest cows, all kinds of
garments, extraordinay ornaments, chariots and carriages, mattresses of
swan’s-down and serves them the most varied and delicious food and drink.
With the proper ceremonies, the king bestows vast lands on the Brahmanas.
He gives away thousands of horses, treasuries of gold and other wealth to
all the wedding guests, young and old.
Janamejaya, O Bharatarishabha, Virata’s city teems with well-fed,
contented, festive, celebrant men and women, and is lit by a festive glow,
which, for the presence of Krishna, is unearthly and divine.”
The end of Virata Parva

Udyoga Parva
Published by
New Delhi 110002
Sales centres:
Kolkata Mumbai
Copyright © Jayashree Kumar 2013

ISBN: 978-81-291-2459-3
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

for my mother
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
Canto 1–19 Senodyoga Parva

Canto 20–32 Sanjaya-yana Parva
Canto 33–40 Prajagara Parva
Canto 41–46 Sanat Sujata Parva
Canto 47–71 Yanasandhi Parva
Canto 72–150 Bhagavad-yana Parva
Canto 151–160 Sainya Niryana Parva
Canto 161–165 Uluka Duta Gamana Parva
Canto 166–173 Rathatiratha Sankhyana Parva
Canto 174-179 Ambopakhyana Parva

it still remains the only full English prose rendering of the epic by any
Indian.
reader. Our aim has not been to write a scholarly translation of the Great
Epic, but an eminently readable one, without vitiating either the spirit or the
Ramesh Menon
Series Editor
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My thanks go, again, to Ramesh Menon for having given me the

opportunity to be involved in this project; and to my mother, my son and
my daughter for their love and support throughout the making of this
volume.
CANTO 1
SENODYOGA PARVA
A UM! I bow down to Narayana and Nara, the most exalted Purusha,
and to the Devi Saraswati and invoke the spirit of Jaya!
Vaisampayana said, “After the joyful celebrations of Abhimanyu’s
wedding, the Kurus of the wedding party rest that night and present
themselves in the morning before Virata in his sabha. King Virata’s court is
full of treasures, the choicest vaiduryas and other precious stones;
exquisitely wrought thrones and deep silk-covered armchairs are carefully
laid out and the great hall is fragrant with the scent of a wealth of garlands.
The visiting kings are all present, when Virata and Drupada, the eldest
among them, enter and occupy the thrones at the head of the sabha.
Balarama, Krishna and their father Vasudeva are present. Satyaki, great
Kshatriya of the Sini vamsa, and Rohini’s son Balarama sit beside the
Panchala king. Krishna and Yudhishtira sit beside the king of the Matsyas
and with them are all the sons of Drupada, Bhima and Arjuna, Madri’s sons,
Virata’s princes, and Pradyumna, Samba, Abhimanyu. Draupadi’s sons,
young lions who rival their fathers in courage, grace and prowess, are there
as well, and they sit upon rich, gold-inlaid seats.
All these glittering heroes in their resonant ornaments and grand attire
make that sabha of kings sparkle like the star-filled sky. Greetings
exchanged all round and pleasantries done with, the assembled Kshatriyas
fall quiet, their pensive gazes fixed on Krishna. And rising, he calls their
attention to the circumstances of the Pandavas. The sabha is hushed and the
Kshatriyas are absorbed by what he says, which is grave and profound.
Krishna says, ‘You all know how Yudhishtira was deceitfully defeated
at dice by Subala’s son, and how his kingdom was stolen from him. You
also know of his oath to live in exile in the forest. Although Pandu’s sons
can conquer the very Earth, they kept the oath they had sworn and those
incomparable princes fulfilled the cruel conditions imposed on them. This
last, thirteenth year, was the most trying for them, but they have endured
their ajnatavasa, disguised, suffering silently and unrecognised. You are all
aware of these things.
These illustrious men spent that thirteenth year doing menial service.
You must take all this into consideration and decide what course is best, and
fair to both Yudhishtira and Duryodhana. What you decide about the
Kauravas and the Pandavas must be in keeping with dharma and must have
your unanimous approval.
Yudhishtira would not want even Devaloka if he violated dharma to
gain the realm of the gods; he would gladly accept a single small village for
his kingdom if that was righteous. All you kings and noble princes know
how the sons of Dhritarashtra robbed Yudhishtira of the kingdom that was
his birthright, and how he has suffered untold adversity. Although
Dhritarashtra’s sons cannot hope to resist Arjuna’s prowess, Yudhishtira and
his brothers still wish their cousins well; they wish for peace.
These matchless sons of Kunti and Madri only ask for what is theirs—
what they won by vanquishing other kings in battle. When they were mere
boys, you know how, many a time and using diverse methods, Duryodhana,
his brothers and Sakuni plotted to kill the sons of Pandu, because
Duryodhana always wanted the kingdom for himself. Consider how greedy
those twisted, evil men are and how virtuous Yudhishtira. Consider deeply
the relationship between them. I beseech you all to consult together and to
decide on which side dharma lies.
The Pandavas have always been devoted to truth. They have fulfilled
their oath faithfully. If the sons of Dhritarashtra do not give them justice
now, and their kingdom back, the sons of Pandu will kill them all. When
kings friendly to the Pandavas hear about the long suffering inflicted on
them, they will all rally behind them and risk their very lives to see their
tormentors punished, to see them die. Do not presume that the Pandavas are
too few or too weak to prevail over their enemies. United, and with the
support of their allies, they will destroy those who oppose them.
However, we do not know Duryodhana’s mind, or what he might do.
How can we form any opinion about what is best for both the Pandavas and
the Kauravas without knowing what Dhritarashtra’s son intends? So, let an
able ambassador—a high-born man who is virtuous, honest and alert—go to
Duryodhana and persuade him to give half the kingdom to Yudhishtira.’
Full of wisdom and dharma, Krishna’s words hang over the hushed
sabha; he speaks impartially and for peace. His elder brother listens and
then Balarama rises to addresses the gathering of kings.”
CANTO 2
SENODYOGA PARVA CONTINUED
“B aladeva says, ‘You have all heard Krishna. What he says is in

keeping with dharma, prudent and impartial, and equally
beneficial for both Yudhishtira and Duryodhana. The sons of Kunti are
prepared to give up half their kingdom to Duryodhana; the sons of
Dhritarashtra should be willing to do the same. The Kurus should be
grateful to us and rejoice that the conflict between them has been so
amicably resolved. The Pandavas will be content with this arrangement,
provided their cousins do the honourable thing. And the satisfaction of the
Pandavas is conducive to the welfare of all mankind.
I would be happy if one amongst us, committed to pacifying both the
Kurus and the Pandavas, goes as a duta to Hastinapura, taking Yudhishtira’s
thoughts with him, and also to discover Duryodhana’s intentions. This man
must pay his respects to the noble Bhishma, to Dhritarashtra, to Drona and
his son Aswatthama, to Vidura and Kripa, to Sakuni prince of Gandhara and
to the Sutaputra Karna. Let him also pay his respects to the other sons of
Dhritarashtra, who are all renowned for their strength and learning, who
know dharma well, who are brave and aware of all that has happened, and
who read the signs of the times.
When all these and the elders are assembled, let our messenger speak
with humility, since this will best serve the interests of Yudhishtira.
While it is true that Dhritarashtra’s sons took the kingdom with some
deceit, our messenger must spare no effort to avoid provoking them. When
Yudhishtira had his throne he forgot himself; he gambled wildly at dice and
lost his kingdom.
Yudhishtira was never adept at dice-play, and despite his brothers and
friends trying to dissuade him, he foolishly challenged Sakuni, who is a
master gambler. Hundreds of other dice-players were present, whom
Yudhishtira could have beaten, but he ignored them and, of all men, he
challenged Sakuni. Naturally, he lost game after game but he still refused to
play anyone but Sakuni, who easily routed him and took everything he
owned. How can Sakuni be blamed for this?
Therefore, our messenger must employ the utmost humility and first
placate Dhritarashtra, who might then persuade Duryodhana to deal in
peace. We must not incite a war with the Kurus, but approach Duryodhana
in conciliation. War can never achieve what a peaceful agreement would, an
enduring result.’
While the great and ponderous Balarama is still speaking, suddenly
Satyaki, prince of the Sinis, jumps up and, his face red with indignation,
roundly condemns what Baladeva advocates.”
CANTO 3
“S atyaki says, ‘What a man says reflects what is in his heart; as do

your words. Men are either brave or cowardly; of two branches of
the same tree, only one might bear fruit; in the same dynastic line, there
may be foolish men as well as those who have great strength of character.
O you whose banner bears the image of a plough, it is not what you say
that I condemn, but those who listen to you. How can they allow a man who
dares blame virtuous Yudhishtira to speak in this sabha? Clever dice-players
challenged Yudhishtira even though he had little skill and, trusting in their
integrity, he was vanquished. Can such men be said to have won
honourably?
If they had come to Yudhishtira in his own house, whilst he played dice
with his brothers, and bested him there, their victory would have been
righteous. They challenged him, who was bound by Kshatriya dharma, and
they won by deceit. How can what they did be called dharma? Having
agreed to what they made the stakes in the game, a life in the forests, how
could Yudhishtira demean himself by asking to be freed from his wager,
even if he was beaten with cunning sleight of hand? Even if, by rights,
Yudhishtira still owned his ancestral kingdom, it would have been beneath
him to beg.
How can the Kauravas be termed righteous and their intentions
honourable when they accused the Pandavas of having been discovered,
although the sons of Pandu had completed their ajnatavasa unrecognised?
Bhishma and Drona begged them to return the Pandavas’ rightful throne,
but they refused.
I would use arrows rather than words to convince them. I would use
force to make them prostrate at Yudhishtira’s feet. They and their allies
must bow before him, or they must die. When I, Yuyudhana, am provoked
by anger to fight, they will not resist me, even as mountains cannot
withstand a striking thunderbolt.
Who can withstand Arjuna in fight? Who can resist him who has the
discus for his weapon? Who can stand against me? Who can face the
inexorable Bhima? And who that values his life would come near the sons
of Madri, whose bows are firmly held and who are like twin embodiments
of Yama?
Who would dare face Drupada’s son Dhrishtadyumna, or these five sons
of Pandu, who glorified Draupadi’s name, who rival their father in valour
and in every other way, and who are full of Kshatriya pride? Who would
ride against Subhadra’s son, whose mighty bow neither the Devas, nor
Gada, nor Pradyumna, nor Samba can resist, and who is like Death himself,
or like the very Vajra, or like Agni?
We will kill Duryodhana, Sakuni and Karna in battle and install
Yudhishtira on the Kuru throne. There is no sin in slaying those who are
intent on killing us, but to beg from our enemies is both adharma and
shameful.
I ask you to do what Yudhishtira wants. Let Pandu’s son regain the
kingdom that Dhritarashtra surrenders. If Yudhishtira does not get his
kingdom today, I will mow down our enemies.’ ”
CANTO 4
“D rupada says, ‘Mahabaho, it will be as you say. Duryodhana will

never give up the kingdom peacefully; his doting father
Dhritarashtra will go along with him; Bhishma and Drona will, too, from
helplessness and loyalty, and Karna and Sakuni from bravado. I like what
Baladeva said; we must do as he advises, but only if we want peace.
We should not speak to Duryodhana with mild words. He has a vicious
nature, and temperance will not persuade him to see reason. Gentleness is
appropriate for dealing with a donkey, but only firmness for cattle. If we
speak leniently to Duryodhana, that evil one will think we are fools and
presume that he has won.
Let us make preparations and send word to our friends, asking them to
gather an army for us. Let swift messengers go to Salya and Dhrishtaketu,
to Jayatsena and the prince of the Kekayas. Duryodhana will also send word
to these kings. By dharma, men will respond to the first one who asks them.
So make haste to reach out to your friends.
A great undertaking awaits us. Send word quickly to Salya and to the
kings loyal to him, to Bhagadatta of immeasurable valour who rules the
eastern coast, to fierce Hardikya and Andhaka, to the brilliant king of the
Mallas and to Rochamanas. Summon Brihanta and Senabindu; Senajit,
Prativindhya and Chitravarman; Bahlika, Munjakesa and the ruler of the
Chedis; Suparsva, Subahu and that Maharatha Paurava. Call the kings of the
Sakas, the Pahlavas, the Daradas; call Surari, Nadija and Karnaveshta,
Neela and Bhumipala Viradharman; call Durjaya and Dantavaktra, Rukmi
and Janamejaya, Ashada, Vayuvega and Purvapali; call Bhuritejas, Devaka,
Ekalavya and his sons. Send also for the Karushaka kings and the valiant
Kshemadhurti, and for the kings of the Kamboja and the Rishika tribes of
the west coast; send for Jayatsena and the king of Kasi, for the rulers of the
land of the five rivers, and for the son of Kratha; send for the rulers of the
mountain realms, for Janaki and Susarman and Maniman, for Yotimatsaka
and Dhrishtaketu, for the kings of Pansu, Tunda and Dandadhara, and for
Brihatsena. Summon Aparajita, Nishada, Sreniman and Vasuman; call
Brihadbala of untold might, Bahu the conqueror of hostile cities and the
warlike Samudrasena and his valiant son; summon Udbhava and
Kshemaka, Vatadhana, Srutayu and Dridhayu; summon the gallant son of
Salva, the king of the Kalingas, and the unconquerable Kumara. Speedily
send word to all these men. Yes, this plan appeals to me.
And let this learned Brahmana, my priest, be the messenger who goes to
Dhritarashtra. Tell him what he must say to Duryodhana, how to address
Bhishma, that noblest of warriors and what to say to Drona, that greatest of
Maharathas.’”
CANTO 5
“K rishna says, ‘What you counsel surely befits the king of the
Panchalas, for your deep kinship and allegiance towards Pandu’s
son. Yet, we want to adopt a wise course of action, and that is our first duty;
it would be foolish to do otherwise. Our relationship to the Kauravas and
the Pandavas is equal, regardless of their own inclinations towards each
other. You and all of us were invited for a wedding. The marriage has been
celebrated; let us go home happily.
You are the first of all the kings here, both in age and learning, and the
rest of us are like sishyas to you. Dhritarashtra has always had great respect
for you; and you are also a friend of the acharyas Drona and Kripa. So, I
ask you to send a message to the Kurus on behalf of the Pandavas. We are
unanimously resolved that you should be our duta.
If the Kuru king makes peace on equitable terms, the cordial, brotherly
feelings between the Kauravas and Pandavas will be restored. If, on the
other hand, Duryodhana takes a haughty stand and refuses peace, send for
the others first and then summon us as well.
The wielder of the Gandiva will be ignited with anger; the dull-headed,
evil Duryodhana, his kinsmen and his friends will meet their fate.’”
Virata pays homage to Krishna, bids farewell to him, and Krishna sets
off home with his kinsmen. After Krishna leaves for Dwaraka, Yudhishtira
and his followers join Virata and begin to prepare for war.
Virata and Drupada send messengers to all the other monarchs, and at
their request many powerful kings gladly arrive to join them. The sons of
Dhritarashtra hear that the Pandavas have amassed a great army and they,
too, muster a force of many rulers of the Earth. O king, quickly the world
teems with warriors galvanised to the cause of either the Kurus or the
Pandavas. Armies composed of the four kinds of forces pour in from all
sides and fill the land; and Bhumi Devi, with her mountains and forests,
seems to tremble beneath their tread.
The king of the Panchalas consults Yudhishtira and sends his wise and
learned priest to the Kurus.”
CANTO 6
“D rupada says to his priest, ‘Of all beings, those endowed with life
are superior to the inert; of living beings, those endowed with
intelligence are superior to the others; of intelligent creatures, men are
foremost; of men, Dvijas are the highest; of the twice-born, students of the
Vedas are the best; of Vedic students, those of refined minds are first; of
cultured men, the practical are the best; and of practical men, those who
know Brahman, the Supreme Being, are the highest.
You are at the very apex of this pyramid of beings. Distinguished by
your age and learning, you are equal in intellect to Indra or Brihaspati. You
know what kind of man the king of the Kurus is, and you know what
Yudhishtira is. It was with Dhritarashtra’s knowledge that the Kauravas
deceived the Pandavas and, despite Vidura’s counsel, that king follows his
son.
On behalf of the Kurus, Sakuni challenged Yudhishtira to a game of
dice, although the Pandava was as a callow beginner while he himself was
an expert. Unskilled in play, and guileless, Yudhishtira adhered strictly to
rules of Kshatriya dharma. The ruthless Kurus cheated and won
Yudhishtira’s kingdom from him, and they are not going to give it up
voluntarily.
If you speak words of dharma to Dhritarashtra, you will certainly gain
the hearts of his warriors. Vidura will support what you say and, thereby,
antagonise Bhishma, Drona, Kripa and the others. When the enemy
commanders are alienated from their simple-minded fighting men, they will
need to regain the confidence of their soldiers. In the meantime, the
Pandavas will prepare their armies and gather their supplies, while, with
you lingering in their midst and sowing subtle discord in the hearts of their
men, the enemy will not be able to make adequate preparations for war.
This plan of action seems the best.
It is possible that Dhritarashtra might agree to your proposal and do as
you ask. You, being virtuous, must behave toward them with dharma. Win
the hearts of the compassionate by discoursing at length on the trials that
the Pandavas have endured and convince the elderly by reminding them
about the customs of their forefathers.
I have no doubts in this regard, nor do you need to be apprehensive of
any danger. You are a Brahmana, well versed in the Vedas; and you are
going there as a duta; furthermore, you are elderly. So, old friend, set out at
once for Hastinapura to promote the cause of the Pandavas. Set out on the
day of the Pushyami nakshatra, during that part of the day called Jaya.’
The priest sets out for Hastinapura, mindful of Drupada’s instructions.
That learned man, who has a deep knowledge of the Artha Shastra, goes
with a retinue of disciples towards the city of the Kurus, to advance the
welfare of Pandu’s sons.”
CANTO 7
V aisampayana said, “After the Pandavas send the priest to

Hastinapura, they send other messengers to the kings of various
kingdoms, and Arjuna sets out for Dwaraka. After Krishna and Baladeva
leave for Dwaraka with all the Vrishnis, the Andhakas and hundreds of
Bhojas, Dhritarashtra’s son sends out spies to garner information about
what the Pandavas are doing.
Duryodhana hears that Krishna is on his way home and goes at once to
Dwaraka, riding on fine horses swift as the wind, and taking a small troop
of warriors with him. He and Arjuna arrive on the same day in the beautiful
city of the Anarta realm. On reaching there, those two lions of Kuru vamsa
find that Krishna is sleeping, and they go to his bedchamber.
Krishna is still asleep when Duryodhana enters the chamber and sits on
a fine seat at the head of the bed. Arjuna enters behind him and stands at the
foot of the bed, his head bent and hands folded. When Krishna awakes his
gaze falls first on Arjuna. He greets both him and Duryodhana, and after
asking if they had a safe journey, mildly enquires why they have come to
see him.
Duryodhana says, ‘You must help me in the impending war. Arjuna and
I are both your friends, Madhusudana, and you are related to both of us in
the same way. Today, it is I who petitions you first. Men of dharma take up
the cause of the one who approaches them first. This is the way of the
ancients.
Krishna, you are the first of all men of dharma, and everyone respects
you, at all times. I ask you to follow dharma and do what is right.’
Krishna replies, ‘That you have come first, O king, I do not doubt in the
least. But, it is Arjuna that I saw first. Because you were the first to
approach me and because Arjuna was the first one I saw, I shall help you
both. It is said that those who are younger should choose first. That gives
Dhananjaya the first choice.
There exists a vast force of Yadavas, numbering ten crores, known as
the Narayanas. Each of them is stronger than me and each one can fight in
the very thick of any battle. One of you can have these irresistible soldiers.
The other will have me; but I will bear no arms and neither will I fight on
the field.
Arjuna, you decide first which you will choose, because law dictates
that you have the first choice.’
Arjuna chooses Krishna, who will not fight on the battlefield, who is
Vishnu himself, creator, preserver and slayer of men, the uncreated one,
born among men of his own will, foremost of all Kshatriyas, beyond all the
Devas and Danavas. Duryodhana gladly accepts the Yadava army of
Narayanas and, though he knows that Krishna will not be with him, he is
thrilled at having acquired the massive force. Having secured that awesome
army, Duryodhana goes in some delight to his old master, Rohini’s son
Balarama, to tell him of the reason for his visit and its outcome.
Baladeva says to Duryodhana, ‘Remember all that I said at Virata’s
daughter’s wedding. It is for your sake that I spoke against Krishna there
and contradicted him. Again and again, I spoke of the equality of our
relationship to both sides. However, Krishna did not adopt my views, and I
cannot separate myself from Krishna for even a moment. Since I cannot go
into battle against him, I have resolved not to fight, either for Kunti’s sons
or for you.
O Bharatarishabha, born as you are into the noble race of Bharata, go
bravely into battle and fight with Kshatriya dharma.’
Duryodhana embraces that hero whose weapon is the plough and,
despite being aware that Krishna is not on his side, he still considers Arjuna
and the Pandavas as having already been defeated. He then goes to
Kritavarman, who gives him an akshauhini of troops. And surrounded by
that terrifying host, he rides forth, to the great joy of his friends.
After Duryodhana has left, Krishna says to Arjuna, ‘Why did you
choose me, when you knew that I will not fight at all?’
Arjuna answers, ‘I have no doubt that you will slay all our enemies,
even without fighting yourself. I, too, can kill them all, by myself,
Purushottama. You are the most illustrious being in this world, and your
renown and honour will come with you. I wish for that, and that is why I
chose you. I have always wanted to have you for my sarathy, and I ask you
now to fulfil my long-cherished desire.’
Krishna says with a deep smile, ‘I am glad that you chose me, son of
Kunti. As for your wish, yes, I will be your charioteer.’
His heart full of joy, Arjuna returns with Krishna to where Yudhishtira
waits.”
CANTO 8
V aisampayana said, “O king, Salya hears the news that the

messengers bring and, accompanied by his sons and a teeming
legion of soldiers, every man mighty in battle, he sets out to come to the
Pandavas.
His encampment extends over one and a half yojanas, so vast is Salya’s
force. Rajan, this most powerful king commands an entire akshauhini. In
his army are heroes wearing armour of different colours, carrying a myriad
of banners and all sorts of bows, adorned with diverse ornaments, garlands
and jewellery, and wearing beautiful clothing. Hundreds of thousands of the
foremost Kshatriyas are the leaders of his troops, and they are clothed and
decorated, each in the tradition of his native land.
Salya moves slowly, majestically, toward the Pandava camp, frequently
giving his men time to rest. The Earth’s little creatures are crushed and the
ground trembles under the tread of his legions. Hearing that the great and
mighty warrior is on the march, Duryodhana makes all haste to win him
over to his side. He swiftly has finely-decorated, palatial pavilions erected
at many enchanting sites for Salya’s comfort and pleasure, and sends
performers to entertain that king.
The first of these retreats is adorned with garlands and stocked with
meat and the choicest delicacies and refreshments. There are fine pools and
tanks of different shapes, all delightful to see; there is plentiful food, and
there are spacious apartments. Salya arrives at the first exotic pavilion, and
Duryodhana’s best servants wait upon him as if he is a Deva.
Salya reaches another hall of entertainment that is as resplendent as an
arbour of the gods. And there, luxuriating in comforts fit for any celestial,
he thinks himself superior to the lord of the Devas and even thinks of Indra
as being shabby in comparison.
The delighted Salya asks the servants, ‘Where are Yudhishtira and the
others who have arranged for these lavish mansions? Bring the men who
built them before me; they deserve to be richly rewarded. I must
acknowledge their work. I hope Kunti’s son will approve.’
The surprised servants inform Duryodhana, who stays hidden until
Salya’s pleasure is so great that he is ready to grant even his life, and then
he comes forward and reveals himself to his uncle. The king of the Madras
sees him and understands that it is Duryodhana who has taken all these
pains to fete him.
And Salya embraces Duryodhana and says, ‘I want to give you
something that you truly want.’
Duryodhana says, ‘Auspicious one, let it be as you say, and grant me
this boon: I ask you to lead my armies in battle.’
Salya says, ‘So be it. What do I need to do?’
The son of Gandhari cries again and again, ‘It is done! It is done!’
And Salya says, ‘O best of men, go back to your city. I must pay
Yudhishtira a visit. I will do that first and come to you very soon.’
Duryodhana says, ‘O Bhumipala, come quickly indeed after seeing the
Pandava. I depend on you entirely, so remember the boon you have granted
me.’
Salya says, ‘Blessings upon you! I will hasten back. Go in peace to your
city, O protector of men.’
The two kings, Salya and Duryodhana, embrace and Duryodhana
returns to his capital. Salya goes to inform the sons of Kunti of what has
happened.
When he reaches Upaplavya and enters the encampment there, Salya
sees all the sons of Pandu before him. The mighty-armed Salya meets them
and accepts the customary courtesies—water to wash his feet with and
honourable gifts, including a cow. The king of the Madras asks how they
are and, with great joy, embraces Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna and his
sister’s twin sons.
When they are all seated, Salya says to Yudhishtira, ‘Naravyaghra, is all
well with you? How fortunate it is that you have completed your exile.
Such a difficult task you, your brothers and the princess have accomplished
by living in the wilderness! No less trying was the year of your ajnatavasa.
When a man has his throne taken from him, there is nothing but
hardship to look forward to. Rajan, what happiness is there for such a one?
But after killing your enemies you will gain as much, no, a hundredfold
more, felicity and joy than the torment that Dhritarashtra’s son inflicted on
you.
You are wise in the ways of the world and, so, my son, you never do
anything out of avarice. You walk in the footsteps of the ancient Rajarishis.
You must remain firmly on your path of generosity, selflessness and truth.
Mercy, self-control, truth, universal compassion and every other wonderful
quality present in this world are also present in you.
You are mild, generous, devout and large-hearted; and you look on
virtue as the highest good. Many are the laws of dharma that prevail
amongst men, and you know them all. In fact, you know everything there is
to know of this world of ours.
Bharatottama, how great it is that you have emerged from your travails.
How fortunate I am to see you, who are a treasure-house of dharma, now
free and among your followers.’
Then, Bhaarata, the king tells Yudhishtira of his meeting with
Duryodhana, and about the boon he granted him.
Yudhishtira says, ‘Pledging your allegiance to Duryodhana out of
heartfelt gratitude is dharma indeed. But, Bhumipala, I ask you to do one
thing for me. Even if what I ask is not dharma, you must do it for my sake.
Listen to my plea.
On the battlefield you are Krishna’s equal as a charioteer. When Karna
and Arjuna come face to face in a mortal duel, I have no doubt that you will
be Karna’s sarathy. At that time, I beg you, protect Arjuna, even while you
are his enemy’s sarathy. You must dampen the Sutaputra’s spirits, for his
lack of confidence is his only weakness, and only through that can Arjuna
prevail over him. Uncle, you must do this, even though it is unseemly. For
if Karna is not slain, we will lose the war.’
Salya says, ‘Bless you, Pandava, and now listen to me. You ask me to
dispirit Karna in battle. Yes, I am sure I will become his charioteer, for he
does consider me equal to Krishna. When he prepares to fight Arjuna, I will
point out the dangers he faces. I will extol Arjuna and convince Karna that
he is no match for your brother. Shorn of courage and pride, he will be easy
to kill.
I swear that I am determined to do what you ask. Whatever else I may
be able to do for your good, I will do as well. The anguish you suffered
along with Draupadi during the game of dice; the savage words that the
Suta’s son spoke then; the misery that Jatasura and Kichaka inflicted on
you; Draupadi’s torment, which was like Damayanti’s—this will all end in
joy, O Kshatriya.
Do not grieve over what happened, for destiny is inexorable. From time
out of mind, the noblest men have endured all manner of suffering; why,
even the Devas have found grave misfortunes, Rajan. It is told that Indra
and his wife had to endure great grief once, and were plunged in black
despair.’”
CANTO 9
“Y udhishtira says, ‘Best of kings, how did Devendra and his queen
come to endure such torment?’
Salya says, ‘Listen, and I will tell you this ancient itihasa. Hear,
Bhaarata, how affliction befell Indra and his consort.
Once, Tvashtri, the lord of creatures and among the foremost of Devas,
sat in austere tapasya, and out of his rancour against Indra, created a son
with three heads. That lustrous being of universal form, Viswarupa,
hankered after Indra’s throne. He had three awesome faces that resembled
the Sun, the Moon and Fire. With one he read the Vedas, with one he drank
wine and his gaze from the third seemed to imbibe the whole world. With
unflinching tapasya, this imperturbable and self-controlled being lived a life
of devout spiritual discipline. Severe and terrible was his penance.
Observing the sternness, courage and truthfulness of this being of
immeasurable tejas, Indra worried that he would take his place as the lord
of the Devas.
Indra thought to himself, “How can this one be made addicted to
sensual pleasures? How can he be made to forsake his tapasya? If he grows
any stronger, he will absorb the entire universe.”
Having pondered thus within himself, Indra sent Apsaras from
Devaloka to tempt the son of Tvashtri.
He commanded them, saying, “Hurry! Go and tempt the three-headed
one to plunge deep into pleasures of the senses. You, who are blessed with
captivating hips, adorn yourselves in provocative attire, deck yourselves in
fine necklaces and employ passionate gestures and language. My lovely
ones, my heart is perturbed; distract him and alleviate my dread. Beautiful
nymphs, avert this peril that hangs over me. May well-being be yours.”
The Apsaras said, “O slayer of Bala, have no fear, we will seduce him.
Together, we will tempt this rishi who sits in tapasya so fearful that his eyes
seem to scorch everything they see. We will bring him under our control
and put an end to your fears.”
They went to the three-headed one and, arriving there, those exquisite
temptresses teased him with gestures of love and their beautiful bodies.
Absorbed in deep tapasya, he looked at them but was unmoved. With
subdued senses he was like the ocean, full to the brim and unshakeable.
Their efforts were to no avail. The Apsaras came back to Indra and,
with hands joined, said, “O, we could not shake that tranquil one. Now do
whatever you must.”
Indra honoured the Apsaras and dismissed them, thinking all the while
about other ways of destroying his enemy. He soon lit upon a way to be rid
of the three-headed one.
He said to himself, “Today, I will cast my thunderbolt at him, and he
will die. Even the most powerful man must not take a nascent enemy
lightly, of little account though he may yet be.”
And so, with the exhortations of the Shastras in mind, he decided to kill
the three-headed being and hurled his Vajra at him. It was terrible to see,
such a fire, and struck dread into the heart. Struck by that all-powerful
thunderbolt, the three-headed one died, and as he fell he loosened the
summit of a mountain.
The lord of the Devas saw that he was dead and lay still, like a
mountain, but Indra found no peace. Instead, he was scalded by the
effulgence of that being, who blazed in death as he had in life. Lying on the
field, his three heads seemed eerily alive. Overawed and in fear of that
dazzling lustre, Indra was plunged in dismay.
Just then, he saw a carpenter walking through the forest with an axe on
his shoulder.
Indra said to him, “I ask a favour of you. Cut off this dead one’s heads.”
The carpenter said, “His shoulders are broad, and my axe is not big
enough. Also, I will not do this sinful thing.”
Indra said, “Have no fear but quickly do as I say. At my command your
axe will be as powerful as a thunderbolt.”
The carpenter said, “Who are you, who have done this dreadful thing?
Tell me the truth, I want to know.”
Indra said, “Then know this: I am Indra, the lord of the Devas. Now do
as I tell you. Do not hesitate, carpenter.”
The carpenter said, “O Indra, why are you not ashamed of your bestial
crime? How it is that you do not dread the sin of killing a Brahmana,
particularly this son of a Mahamuni?”
Indra said, “I will perform rigorous atonement to purify myself of these
sins. He whom I killed with my Vajra was a powerful enemy. I am still
uneasy; I fear him even now. Waste no time; cut off his heads and I shall
bestow my favour upon you. I grant that in all sacrifices, you will get the
head of the sacrificial beast as your share. Now do what I ask!”
Hearing this, the carpenter cut off the heads of the three-headed one
with his axe. When the heads were severed, partridges, quails, pigeons and
all kinds of birds flew out from the naked throats. From the head which the
three-headed one used to recite the Vedas and drink Soma nectar, partridges
flew out in a flock. From the head with which he looked at the cardinal
points as if to absorb them all, quails emerged. From that head which he
used to drink wine came sparrows and hawks.
With the heads removed, Indra’s trepidation left him. He returned to
Devaloka with a light heart, and the carpenter went home. Indra was
pleased that he had accomplished his objective.
When Tvashtri heard that Indra had killed his son, his eyes reddened,
and he said, “Indra has killed my son, who was innocent of any offence,
who was absorbed in constant tapasya, who was merciful, who was self-
controlled and who had subdued his senses. To destroy Indra, I will create
Vritra.
Let the Lokas behold my power; let the worlds see my tapasyashakti; let
that inhuman, evil-minded Deva see what I do.”
With these words, the furious Tvashtri, famed for his tapasya, washed
his mouth with water in achamana, offered oblations to the fire and created
the dreadful Vritra. He spoke to the Asura he had made, saying, “O Vritra,
who are destined to slay Indra, may your might swell by the power of my
tapasya.”
And that Asura grew prodigiously in strength. Born of fire, like Agni’s
son, he towered towards the sky.
He said, “I have risen like the apocalyptic Sun; tell me what am I to
do.”
“Kill Indra,” said Tvashtri, and left for the celestial realms.
A great battle ensued between Vritra and Indra. Both were fired with
wrath, and the duel between them was terrible. The heroic Vritra seized the
lord of gods and whirled him round and threw him into his open maw.
The Devas were terrified to see how easily Vritra had swallowed Indra,
and they created Jrimbhika to kill Vritra. Waiting his chance, Indra drew his
body into itself and flew out when Vritra opened his mouth to yawn. It is
since then that the yawn became a characteristic of living beings in the three
worlds. Great was the joy of the Devas at Indra’s escape. And the furious
battle between Indra and Vritra resumed.
They fought for a long, long time and, finally, Indra could not withstand
Vritra, who was infused by the power of Tvashtri’s tapasya; the Deva king
fled and the Asura prevailed. In disarray after Indra’s retreat, all the other
Devas were easily overpowered by Tvashtri.
O Bhaarata, they consulted the greatest rishis and deliberated on the
proper thing to do. Seized with dread, they sat on the top of the Mandara
Mountain and invoked the indestructible Vishnu,’ says Salya.”
CANTO 10
“S alya continues, ‘Indra said, “O Devas, Vritra has consumed the

universe, and no-one can withstand him. Once I could have
vanquished him, but not any more. What can I do now? He is unassailable:
he has inexorable tejas; he is a Mahatman; victory will always be his in
battle; he can swallow the three worlds with its Devas, Manavas and
Asuras.
Swargavasis, I have decided that we must go to Vishnu and seek his
counsel. He will help us find a way to kill this evil one.
At Maghavat’s word, all the Devas and the Rishis went to the
omnipotent Vishnu, to place themselves under the protection of that
protector of all.
They said to the Supreme God, “O Narayana, it was you who once
covered the three worlds in three strides. It was you who procured the
Amrita and quelled the Asuras in battle. It was you who restrained the
Asura Bali and placed Sakra on the throne of Devaloka. You are the Lord of
the gods and the Soul of the universe. You are the almighty God whom all
beings worship.
Best of Gods, be the means of our salvation, of all the Devas and Indra.
O Asurasudana, all creation is pervaded by Vritra.”
Vishnu said, “It is my dharma to do what benefits you. I will tell you
how Vritra can be killed. Go with the Rishis and the Gandharvas to Vritra,
who has absorbed the universe into himself. Go in an attitude of
conciliation and win him over with feigned humility.
By virtue of my power, Indra will be victorious, for I shall invisibly
enter his Vajra. Go now, all of you, with the Rishis and the Gandharvas, and
make peace between Sakra and Vritra.”
When he had spoken, the Rishis and the Devas, with Indra at their head,
left all together. As they approached, they saw Vritra’s splendour, ablaze as
if to incinerate the ten cardinal points and consume the three worlds; and
glorious, like the Sun or the Moon.
The Rishis came up to Vritra and said to him in a soothing tone, “O
unconquerable one, your energy has consumed the universe. However, you
have not vanquished Indra, although you have fought him for so long. All
beings, including gods, men and demons, suffer from your conflict. Let
there be peace between you and Sakra. You will be happy and live forever
in Indra’s realm.”
The mighty and noble Vritra heard what they said and, bowing his head
to them, said, “Great ones, I hear you and the Gandharvas clearly. Now
listen to what I have to say. How can there be friendship between Indra and
me? How can there be amity between two inveterate enemies?”
The Rishis said, “Concord between righteous beings happens at a single
meeting and is always desirable. After that first contact, whatever is
destined will happen. One should not lose the opportunity of forming an
alliance with a man of dharma. Indeed, one should actively seek the
friendship of the righteous. Wise men say that friendship with a good man
is like wealth in a time of poverty, for the friend will give sage advice when
it is needed. The friendship of a good person is of great benefit and, so, a
wise man should never want to kill a righteous being.
Indra is honoured by the just; he is the refuge of the magnanimous; he
speaks the truth, always; he is without blame; he knows what dharma is;
and his judgment is refined. Let there be eternal friendship between you and
Indra. Have faith in him and let your heart not be otherwise inclined.”
The illustrious Asura said, “I revere you Rishis who are endowed with
supernatural powers. Do as I say, exactly as I say, and then, Devas, I will do
everything these Brahmanottamas advise.
My condition is: I shall not be killed with anything that is wet or dry,
with anything made of stone or wood, with a weapon used in close combat
or with an astra, neither during the day nor at night, not even by Indra
himself or any of the gods. On these terms I will make eternal peace with
Indra.”
The Rishis agreed. Peace was restored, and Vritra was glad. Indra, too,
was pleased, but thoughts of killing Vritra continued to fill his mind. The
lord of the Devas passed his time, always uneasy and looking for a chink in
the compact he had made with Vritra.
One day, in the eerie twilight of evening, Indra caught sight of the
mighty Asura on the sea shore. He thought of the boon that had been
granted to the Asura, and he thought, ‘It is evening now—neither day nor
night. I must kill Vritra, my enemy, who has stripped me of my power.
Unless I slay this mighty Asura, even if I have to use deceit, I will not
prosper.”
At that moment, thinking these thoughts and bearing Vishnu’s promise
to him in mind, Indra saw a mass of foam in the sea, as big as a hill, and he
said, “This is neither dry, nor wet, nor is it a weapon. Let me cast it at
Vritra, and he will die.”
And he infused that mountain of foam with the Vajra and cast it. Vishnu
entered the foaming Vajra and sloughed off Vritra’s head, and the matchless
demon fell onto white, damp sands, his bare throat spouting a rill of blood.
With the Asura’s death, the universal pall of darkness lifted and the cardinal
points shone again; fragrant breezes blew; and gladness filled all the living.
The Devas, with the Gandharvas, Yakshas and Rakshasas, and with the
great Nagas and Rishis, glorified Indra with hymns in his praise; and all of
them bowed to him.
Indra and the Devas were happy, and Indra spoke soul-stirring words in
joy at having killed his enemy. Ever conscious of dharma, Indra worshipped
Vishnu, the most praiseworthy One of all.
However, having killed Vritra, bane of the gods, Indra was overcome by
his crime of deceit, and black dejection seized his very soul. Terrorised by
his sin of Brahmahatya, for he had killed a Brahmana when he slew
Tvashtri’s three-headed son, he withdrew from the world. He became like
one who had lost his very mind. Haunted constantly by his sins, he was
unrecognisable. He hid under water, writhing like a snake and, bereft of his
presence, the Earth looked as if she had been devastated by a storm of the
pralaya.
Bhumi became treeless, and her forests withered; rivers stopped in their
courses, and lakes and even seas dried up; and animals were stricken
because it never rained and a drought without remit gripped the world. The
Devas and all the great Rishis were seized in fear; the world, without a
king, was wracked by cataclysms of every kind. With no lord, panic took
the Devas and the Devarishis. They wondered desperately who could
replace Indra, but none amongst them had any inclination to be the king of
the gods.’”
CANTO 11
“S alya says, ‘Then all the Rishis and Devas said, “Let us crown the
radiant Rajarishi Nahusha as king of the Devas. He is strong and
famed, and always devoted to dharma.”
They went to him and said, “O Bhumipala, we want you to be our
king.”
Nahusha, with self-interest at heart, said to the Devas, Rishis and Pitrs,
“I am feeble and cannot protect you. You need a powerful god to be your
king. Only Indra always owned that prowess.”
The Devas with the Rishis at their head said, “It is true that we all have
weaknesses. Rule the realms of Devaloka with the help of our tapasya.
Rajarajan, accept the crown of heaven and this boon from us: whatever
being stands within your sight—be he a Deva, an Asura, a Yaksha, a Rishi,
a Pitr or a Gandharva—you shall absorb his power. Thereby your own
power will be enhanced and you will grow in strength. Be guided only by
dharma and rule the worlds. Protect the Brahmarishis and the Devas.”
Nahusha was crowned king of Devaloka and, placing dharma before
everything else, he became sovereign of all the worlds. Nahusha had led a
virtuous life, but when he obtained the precious boon and reign over
Devaloka, his mind began to turn to sensual thoughts.
He surrounded himself with Apsaras and other celestial nymphs. He
began to enjoy myriad pleasures in the Nandana vana, on Mount Kailasa,
upon the crest of Himavat, on the Mandara Mountain, on the slopes of the
Sweta, Mahendra and Malaya mountains, and in the oceans and rivers. He
listened to captivating stories and enjoyed the sweet strains of musical
instruments and divine voices singing. Viswavasu and Narada, bevies of
Apsaras, bands of Gandharvas and the six seasons embodied attended upon
him. Scented breezes wafted around him, cool and refreshing.
Once, while the profligate king was enjoying himself in this way, he
caught sight of Sachi Devi, Indra’s favourite queen. He looked at her, and
his soul in the grip of lust, he said to his courtiers, “Why does this Devi,
Indra’s queen, not minister to me? I am the lord of the Devas and the ruler
of all the worlds. Let Sachi come to me at once.”
Saddened when she heard this, Sachi said to Brihaspati, “O Brahmana,
protect me from Nahusha. I take refuge with you. You have always said that
I bear auspicious marks, being the favourite of the lord of the Devas; that I
am chaste, devoted to my lord and destined never to become a widow. You
say all this repeatedly; now let your words be proven true. You have never
said anything in vain; therefore, Brahmanottama, all that you have said
must come to pass.”
Brihaspati said to Sachi, who was beside herself with fear, “What I have
said will come true, Devi. It will not be long before you see the return of
Indra. Truly, you have nothing to fear from Nahusha, and I shall unite you
with Indra very soon.”
Nahusha heard that Indra’s queen had taken refuge with Brihaspati, the
son of Angiras, and he was furious.’”
CANTO 12
“S alya says, ‘Seeing that Nahusha was angry, the Rishis and Devas
said to their king, who looked so fearsome now, “O Devaraja,
shed your rage. When you are angry, the entire universe trembles, with its
Asuras, Gandharvas, Kinnaras and Nagas. Let go of this wrath, righteous
one. A man like you should not lose his equanimity.
Devi Sachi is another man’s wife. Calm yourself. Turn your mind away
from the sin of ravishing another’s wife. You are the king of the Devas, and
may you prosper! Protect your subjects with dharma.”
Nahusha was mindless with desire and paid no heed to what they said.
Accusing Indra, he said, “Ahalya of the blemishless reputation was the wife
of a Muni. Indra ravished her while her husband still lived. Why did you
not stop him? Many were the deeds of inhumanity, of unrighteousness and
of deceit that Indra committed in times past. Why did you not prevent him?
Let the Devi serve my pleasure; it will do her good and will protect you
all, as well.”
The Devas said, “We will bring Indra’s queen to you, as you command.
Set aside your anger and be at peace.”
The Devas and Rishis went to inform Brihaspati and Sachi about what
had transpired. They said, “Brahmanottama, we know that Sachi Devi has
come to you for refuge and that you have promised to protect her. But we,
the Devas, Gandharvas and Rishis, beg you to give her up to Nahusha. The
lustrous Nahusha is now the king of the Devas and is above Indra. Let the
beautiful Devi accept him as her lord.”
Hearing this, Sachi began to sob pitifully, and she said to Brihaspati, “O
best of Devarishis, I do not want Nahusha for my lord. I have placed myself
in your protection; save me from this calamity.”
Brihaspati said, “I am resolved not to abandon you. You of the
blemishless life, I shall not forsake you, for you are virtuous and devoted to
truth. I do not want to commit a sin, especially since I am a Brahmana who
knows dharma, for I worship the truth and am aware of all the dictates of
dharma. No, I will never betray you. Go your ways, Devas. But first, hear
what Brahma has said about this:
He who surrenders to a foe the terrified person who has asked for
protection will not find refuge when he himself is in need of it. The seeds he
plants will not grow, and rains will fail.
He who gives up to an enemy the terrified one who has asked for his
protection never succeeds in anything that he undertakes. He will lose his
senses and fall stricken from heaven. The gods refuse the offerings he
makes. His progeny die untimely deaths, and his Pitrs fight among
themselves. The Devas with Indra at their head will cast the Vajra at such a
one.
Know this to be true. I shall not give up Sachi, who is Indra’s queen and
his favourite. I, Brihaspati, tell you this, which is for her good and mine. I
will never surrender Sachi.”
Then the Devas and the Gandharvas said, “Acharya Brihaspati, think of
a solution.”
Brihaspati said, “Let this auspicious Devi ask Nahusha for some time
before she decides what to do. This will be to her advantage and ours, for
Kaala might create many obstacles in Nahusha’s way while we wait. Only
Time knows the future. Nahusha has become powerful and haughty because
of the boon you granted him.”
Brihaspati’s words pleased the Devas, who said, ‘You have spoken well,
O Guru. This is, without doubt, for the good of all the Devas. However, we
must pacify this Devi.”
Then the Devas led by Agni spoke soothingly to Indra’s queen, saying,
“You are the holder of the universe of mobile and immobile things. You are
chaste and true. Go to Nahusha. That degenerate who lusts after you will
fail to have what he wants, and Indra will regain sovereignty over
Devaloka.”
Indra’s queen went bashfully to Nahusha of the dreadful mien, but to
attain her end, not his. Struck mindless with lust, Nahusha saw her, how
young and lovely she was, and was ecstatic.’”
CANTO 13
“S alya says, ‘Nahusha saw Sachi come, and said, “O sweet smiles, I
am the lord of the three worlds. Take me for your lord as well.”
That chaste Devi quivered in terror, like the slender stalk of a young
plantain tree in the wind. She bowed her head to Brahma, then joined her
hands and spoke to the truly fearsome Nahusha.
She said, “Devaraja, I need time. No one knows what became of Indra,
or his whereabouts. I have sent my friends and servitors forth to look for
him; if I get no news of him, I will come to you. I tell you this truthfully.”
Nahusha was pleased, and said, “It shall be as you say. Come as soon as
you discover what has happened. I hope you will keep your word.”
The auspicious Sachi Devi went back to Brihaspati’s home. There, she
told Agni and the other Devas what had happened, and they began to
deliberate on what they should do to best benefit Indra.
They went to the all-powerful Vishnu for refuge and said, “Indra has
been overcome by the sin of killing a Brahmana. Devadeva, you are the
Primeval One, the first creator, the ruler of the universe, and our refuge.
You have assumed the form of Vishnu for the protection of all beings.
When, by dint of your power, Indra slew Vritra he was guilty of the direst
sin of killing a Brahmana, of Brahmahatya. How can he be absolved of his
sin?”
Vishnu said, “Let him offer a yagna to me, and I will purify the
Vajradharin. If he performs the Aswamedha yagna, the slayer of Paka will
regain his position as king of the Devas. Nahusha’s hubris and indulgences
will destroy him. Be patient and bide your time, Devas, but remain
vigilant.”
Knowing that they are always true, Vishnu’s words were like amrita to
their ears. And the Devas, their Acharya and the Rishis went to where the
troubled Indra waited in constant terror. And there, they performed a great
horse-sacrifice, which could expiate the sin of killing a Brahmana, so that
Indra would be purified.
O Yudhishtira, Mahavishnu divided Indra’s sin among trees, rivers,
mountains, the Earth and women; and Indra was rid of it. His fever of dread
left him and he was himself once more.
From that place, Indra looked at Nahusha, before whom all living
beings felt cowed, and who was unapproachable because of the boon that
the Rishis had granted him. Sachi’s lord made himself invisible and
wandered the universe, biding his time.
When Indra disappeared, Sachi sank into a well of grief. In utter misery
she cried, “O Indra! If I have ever given you a gift, if I have ever made an
offering to the gods, if I have ever propitiated my gurus, if there is any truth
in me, then I pray that my chastity remains inviolate. I bow to Nisha Devi,
Goddess of Night, who is holy and pure, and who rules during uttarayana,
the northern course of the Sun. I pray that she answers my plea!”
Saying this, she purified herself in body and soul and worshipped Nisha
Devi, whom she was able to invoke because of her chastity and devotion to
truth, and she said, “Show me where the king of the Devas is. Let truth
reveal the truth.”’”
CANTO 14
“S alya says, ‘Devi Upasruti appeared before the virtuous and

beautiful woman. Indra’s queen gazed at this young and exquisite
goddess and, with a glad heart, paid her worship.
She said, “Who are you, lovely one?”
Upasruti said, “I am Upasruti. I have made myself visible to you
because of your truthfulness, noble one. You are devoted to your husband,
you are self-restrained, and you are devout in your worship; and so I will
show you where Vritrasudana Indra is. Follow me quickly; and you shall
see him.”
Upasruti, with Sachi following her, crossed celestial groves and many
mountains. She crossed the Himavat Mountain and, by its northern flank,
arrived at the sea. Many yojanas over the ocean, she flew to a large island
covered with marvellous trees and plants of all kinds.
And there the two devis came to an enchanting and heavenly lake, eight
hundred yojanas long and wide, with flocks of birds all around and upon the
shimmering water. Bhaarata, on its crystalline surface grew full-blown
lotuses of five colours with thousands of bees humming above them. In the
middle of the lake was a large and exquisite bank of these flowers, at the
heart of which stood a singular white lotus upon a tall stem.
Upasruti infused herself and Sachi into the stem of this wondrous
flower, and there Sachi saw her lord Indra in a miniature form. Sachi and
Upasruti contracted themselves into tiny forms as well; and Indra’s queen
began to glorify her lord by reciting a litany of his celebrated deeds.
The divine Purandara said to Sachi, “Why have you come? How did
you find me?”
Devi Sachi told him what Nahusha had done. She said, “O performer of
a hundred sacrifices, he obtained the sovereignty of the three worlds and
became powerful and haughty, and his soul became corrupt and vicious. He
commanded me to serve him, and the wretch has even appointed a time by
which I must go to him. If you do not save me, my lord, he will force me to
give myself to him. That is why I have to come so desperately to you.
Mahabaho, kill the terrible Nahusha of the black soul. Reveal yourself,
slayer of Daityas and Danavas. Assume your own power and rule Devaloka
again.”’”
CANTO 15
“S alya says, ‘The illustrious Indradeva said to Sachi, “This is no

time for rashness. Nahusha is more powerful than I am, beautiful
one. His power has been augmented by the benefits that the Rishis gain
every time they make offerings to the Devas and the Pitrs. I have a
judicious plan, which you will have to carry out. You must not disclose it to
anyone, but do it secretly.
Go to Nahusha in private, address him as lord of the universe and invite
him to visit you, riding on a palanquin borne by Rishis. Tell him that if he
does this, you will gladly place yourself at his disposal.”
Returning to Amaravati, the lotus-eyed Sachi went to Nahusha, who
saw her and, smiling, said to her, “Welcome, devi of the rounded thighs and
sweet smiles. What is your pleasure? Give yourself to me. I am devoted to
you and I will do whatever pleases you. Do not be shy; trust me. I swear by
truth that I will do whatever you ask.”
Sachi said, “O Lord of the universe, I want the time that you granted
me. After that, you will be my lord. And I do have a wish that you must
fulfil before I become yours. I ask this indulgence, knowing your love for
me. If you grant my wish, I will be yours to command.
Indra had horses to ride on, and elephants and chariots as well. I want
you to have a unique vehicle, the like of which neither Vishnu nor Rudra,
nor any of the Asuras and Rakshasas possess. Let a number of exalted
Rishis carry you in such a palanquin. This is what I wish. You should not
think of yourself as being merely equal to any Asuras or Devas. You absorb
their strength as soon as they look at you and, thus, there is no one as great
as you.”
Nahusha was pleased, and he said to that perfect goddess, “Fairest one,
you speak of a conveyance never heard of before. I am taken with your
thought, Devi; ah, I am in your power! A man who has Rishis as his
palanquin-bearers cannot be a feeble person. I have practised tapasya and
am mighty. I am the lord of the past, the present and the future. The
universe would cease to exist if I were to be moved to wrath, for all the
universe is established in me.
Devas, Asuras, Gandharvas, Nagas and Rakshasas together cannot
withstand me when I am angry. My very gaze divests the man it falls on of
his energy, whoever he is. And I am pleased to grant your request. The
Saptarishis and other lofty sages will carry me, and you will look upon our
greatness and splendour, lovely one.”
Saying this with arrogant confidence, Nahusha dismissed Sachi. He
harnessed a number of Rishis, all devout tapasvins, to him. Contemptuous
of Brahmanas, capricious and intoxicated with power and pride, Nahusha
made those divine sages bear his palanquin.
Meanwhile, Sachi went to Brihaspati and said, “Just a brief time
remains of the period of grace that Nahusha granted me. Out of compassion
for one who reveres you so much, I beg you to find Indra quickly.”
Brihaspati said to her, “Excellent one, there is no need for you to fear
Nahusha. He will not keep his power for much longer. Indeed, the wretch
has already fallen for having ignored dharma and making the Maharishis his
palanquin-bearers. I will perform a yagna for his destruction, and I will find
Indra. Have no fear; for now, farewell.”
Brihaspati kindled a sacred fire, in accordance with the Shastras, and
made the choicest offerings into it, in order to discover where Indra was.
After making his offerings, he commanded Agni to search for Indra.
Agni Deva, the consumer of burnt offerings, assumed a wonderful
feminine form and vanished from there. With the speed of the mind, he
searched everywhere—on mountains and in forests, on Earth and in the sky
—and came back to Brihaspati within the blink of an eye.
Agni said, “Brihaspati, nowhere can I find the king of the Devas. The
only place I have yet to search is the waters, which I am loth to enter, O
Brahmana. What would you have me do?”
The Acharya of the Devas said to Agni, “O Illustrious Deva, you must
go into the water.”
Agni said, “I cannot enter the water, for extinguishment awaits me
there. I put myself into your hands, effulgent one; O may you be blessed.
Fire originated in water; Kshatriyas rose from Brahmanas; iron was born in
stone. All three, which can consume all other things, are powerless over the
sources from which they spring.”’”
CANTO 16
“S alya says, ‘Brihaspati said, “O Agni, you are the mouth of all the
gods. You are the conveyor of sacred offerings. You see into the
inmost souls of all creatures. The poets call you single and three-fold at the
same time. Consumer of burnt offerings, the Universe would cease to exist
if you abandoned it.
By worshipping you, Brahmanas, their wives and sons win in Swarga
the rewards of their good deeds. Agni, it is you who are the bearer of the
havis offered at every homa and yagna. Why, you are yourself the finest
offering. In the most sacred of yagnas, it is you who are worshipped with
gifts and oblations.
You created the three worlds, and it is you who will unleash your power
and consume them when the time comes. You are the mother of the
Universe, and its destroyer, as well. Wise men say that you are the clouds
and their lightning; your heat supports all life. All the waters are contained
in you, as is this entire world. You purify all things. There is nothing in the
Trilokas that you do not know. Every being looks kindly on its parent; enter
the water without fear. I will imbue you with strength by chanting mantras
from the Veda.”
Agni was pleased at being glorified by Brihaspati and said, “I will
reveal Indra to you. I say this truthfully.”
Then Agni entered the waters, including seas and little ponds, and came
to the lake where, as he searched among the flowers, he saw the king of the
Devas lying among the fibres of a lotus stem. Quickly, he returned and told
Brihaspati how Indra had made himself minuscule and taken refuge inside a
lotus stalk. And Brihaspati, accompanied by the Devas, the Rishis and the
Gandharvas, went to where Indra lay and eulogised him by reminding him
of his great deeds.
He said, “O Indra, you killed the great Asura Namuchi, as well as the
terrible Sambara and Bala. Now rouse yourself and vanquish your enemy.
Rise, Indra, and see the Devas and Rishis who are gathered here.
You delivered the three worlds by killing the Danavas; with the foam of
the sea, infused with Vishnu’s fervour, you slew Vritra. You are the refuge
of all creatures and worthy of worship. There is no one equal to you. You
are the support of all creatures. And you made the Devas great. Now, regain
your sway over the worlds and all living beings by reclaiming your might,
O Mahatman.”
Thus glorified, Indra became bigger, little by little, and finally assumed
his own resplendent, magnificent form. His strength flaring, he said to
Brihaspati, who stood before him, “What more needs to be done? I have
annihilated the two terrible Asuras—Tvashtri’s son and the gigantic Vritra
who savaged the three worlds.”
Brihaspati said, “The mortal king, Nahusha, who gained the throne of
Devaloka through the power of the Devarishis, now persecutes us.”
Indra said, “How did Nahusha gain the throne of heaven, which is well
nigh impossible to have? What tapasya did he perform? How great is his
power, O Brihaspati?”
Brihaspati said, “The Devas became insecure when you renounced the
lordship of Devaloka, and they wished for a king to rule over them. The
Devas, the Pitrs, the Rishis and the Gandharvas met together and asked
Nahusha to be their king and protector of the universe. Nahusha claimed
that he was feeble and asked them to infuse him with the power of their
tapasya.
The Devas and Devarishis obliged him, O Indra, and Nahusha’s strength
grew and became terrible. That is how he became Trilokapati. And now the
wretch has harnessed the Devarishis to his palanquin and travels, thus, over
the three worlds.
May you never come within the dreadful Nahusha’s vision, for he emits
venom from his eyes and absorbs the strength of every being he looks at.
All the Devas are in terror of him. They hide from Nahusha and do not dare
even cast a glance at him.”
While Brihaspati was speaking, there came to that place Kubera
guardian of the worlds, Yama the son of Surya, the luminous Soma Deva
and Varuna.
They said to Indra, “We are fortunate that you killed Tvashtri’s first son
and Vritrasura. How lucky we are to see you safe and well, with your
enemies dead.”
Indra received those Lokapalas and greeted them gladly and with proper
ceremony. He said, “Nahusha is the king of the Devas, and is dreadful. You
must help me overcome him.”
They replied, “Nahusha is truly fearsome. His vision is poison, and we
are afraid of him. If you overthrow Nahusha, we, too, should be entitled to a
share of the punya.
Indra agreed, “So be it. You Devas—Varuna, Yama and Kubera—will
be crowned alongside me. With the help of all the Devas, let us vanquish
Nahusha of the venomous eyes.”
Agni said to Indra, “Give me a share in sacrificial offerings, and I will
help you, too.”
Indra said to him, “O Agni, you will receive a large share in
Mahayagnas; you and I will have an equal share each.”
Accordingly, Indra conferred upon Kubera sovereignty over the
Yakshas and the wealth of the worlds; upon Yama authority over the Pitrs;
and upon Varuna dominion over the waters.”
CANTO 17
“S alya says, ‘While the brilliant Indra was with the Lokapalas and
other Devas, deliberating the destruction of Nahusha, there
appeared at that place the venerable Rishi Agastya.
Agastya paid his respects to the lord of the Devas and said, “How happy
I am that you, who killed Vritra and his brother who assumed the form of
the universe, are well and growing in strength. Purandara, we are fortunate
that today Nahusha has been removed from the throne of Swarga and that
you have slain all your enemies.”
Indra said, “Have you had a pleasant journey here, Maharishi? I am glad
to see you. Oblige me by accepting this padya to wash your face and feet,
this arghya and this cow for your yagna.”
After the Brahmanottama accepted these, and when he was seated, the
happy Indra said to him, “Dvijottama, tell us how Nahusha was cast out of
Swarga.”
Agastya said, “Listen, Indra, to how the vicious Nahusha, intoxicated
with the vanity of power, was cast down from Devaloka.
The chaste Brahmanas and Devarishis who were his palanquin-bearers,
weary from carrying him, questioned the haughty one, asking if he believed
that the hymns in the Vedas to be recited while sprinkling water over cows
were authentic. Nahusha, whose mind had been overpowered by tamas, said
that they were not. The Rishis then told him that in fact they were, and that
the Maharishis had declared their sanctity. They accused him of having
veered from dharma and of treading a sinful path.
At this, driven by evil, he touched me on my head with his foot.
Immediately, he lost his power and majesty, and became agitated and
frightened. I said to him, ‘Because you have rejected the veracity of the
Vedic hymns that the Brahmanas and Rishis validated, because you touched
my head with your foot, and because, ignorant wretch, you have turned
these exalted tapasvins who are like Brahma into your beasts of burden, I
hereby divest you of your grandeur and cast you out of Devaloka.
You will fall straight down into Bhumi, for all your punya is exhausted.
For ten thousand years, you will range the Earth in the form of an enormous
snake. At the end of that time you may re-enter Swarga.’
O Parantapa, that is how black-souled Nahusha lost his throne. It is
fortunate that our strength is waxing and that the thorn in the flesh of the
Brahmanas has been removed. Go to Devaloka; subdue your senses,
suppress your foes, protect the worlds and let the great Rishis glorify you.”
The Devas and Rishis were joyful, as were the Pitrs, the Yakshas, the
Nagas, the Rakshasas, the Gandharvas and all the Apsaras; and the lakes,
rivers, mountains and seas, as well.
Together they came before Indra and said, “We are filled with gladness
at your prosperity, O slayer of your enemies. How fortunate it is that
Agastya cast the vicious Nahusha out of Amaravati and turned him into a
snake on Earth!”’ says Salya.”
CANTO 18
“S alya says, ‘With the adulation of the Gandharvas and Apsaras

echoing all round, Indra mounted his Airavata, the king of
elephants blessed with every auspicious mark. Accompanied by Agni,
Maharishi Brihaspati, Yama, Varuna and Kubera, he went to Amaravati,
surrounded by all the Devas, Gandharvas and Apsaras. There the performer
of a hundred sacrifices was united with his queen and joyfully resumed his
role as guardian of the three worlds.
The illustrious Devarishi Angiras came, too, to Indra’s sabha and
eulogised him with hymns from the Atharva Veda. Indra granted him a
boon, saying, “Henceforth, your name will appear in the Atharva Veda as
Rishi Atharvangiras, and from now on you will receive a share of all yagnas
that are performed anywhere.”
Maharajan, when Atharvangiras left after this honour was conferred on
him, Indra honoured all the Devas and Rishis, rich with the wealth of
tapasya and, in happy contentment, he ruled the Trilokas with dharma.
This is the story of the misery that Indra endured before being reunited
with his wife; and, in order to slay his enemies, even he had to spend a time
in hiding. Rajadhiraja, do not feel sorry for yourself because you, your
brothers and Draupadi have suffered privations in the forest.
O joy of the Kurus, you will regain your kingdom in the same manner
that Indra did after he killed Vritra. In the same way that Agastya cursed the
arrogant Nahusha, bane of Brahmanas, reducing him to a snake for many
long years, you will soon quell your enemies—Karna, Duryodhana and
other evil ones. Then you and your brothers, with Draupadi, will enjoy
dominion of the Earth, as far as the sea.
When his forces are arrayed in battle formations and ready to fight, the
king who desires victory must listen to this story of Indra’s triumph. That is
why, Yudhishtira, I have narrated it to you, to ensure your victory. Exalted
men attain prosperity when they are glorified. The destruction of countless
noble Kshatriyas is imminent because of the crimes that Duryodhana has
committed, and by virtue of the might of Bhima and Arjuna.
He who reads this story of Indra’s victory, with faith in God, is cleansed
of his sins. He attains a state of beatitude, both in this world and in the next.
He will never need to fear his enemies; he will have sons; he will never
encounter peril of any sort; and he will enjoy great longevity. Everywhere
his victory will be proclaimed; and he will never face defeat,”’ says Salya.
That best of virtuous men, Yudhishtira whom the Madra king Salya so
exhorts, honours him with due ceremony and says to Salya, ‘There is no
doubt that you will be Karna’s charioteer. You must dampen his spirits by
praising Arjuna.’
Salya says, ‘So it shall be. I will do as you ask, and whatever else is
within my power to do for you.’
Then Salya bids farewell to the sons of Kunti and goes with his army to
Duryodhana.”
CANTO 19
V aisampayana said, “Satyaki, that great hero of the Satvata vamsa,

comes to Yudhishtira with a vast army of foot-soldiers, horses,
chariots and elephants. His soldiers, all men of valour, hail from diverse
lands. Carrying weapons of various kinds, and all of them fierce and
doughty, they embellish the Pandava army.
Yuyudhana’s army looks splendid, with battle-axes, missiles, spears and
lances; with mallets, clubs and staves; with cords; with gleaming swords
and daggers; and with a variety of sharp, tempered arrows. The splendid
army, made more magnificent by these weapons, is the colour of a cloudy
sky, like a mass of clouds flashing with lightning. It consists of an
akshauhini of troops, yet when it merges with Yudhishtira’s force it is
subsumed like a small stream flowing into the sea.
Dhrishtaketu, the powerful king of the Chedis, brings his akshauhini of
troops and comes to the sons of Pandu. The immensely powerful Jayatsena,
king of Magadha, adds his akshauhini of warriors to Yudhishtira’s army;
and the Pandya king from his coastal kingdom does the same with his
troops.
O king, when all these legions are massed, the army with its finely
attired, mighty warriors is a joy to behold. Drupada comes, too, with his
tremendous sons and heroic fighting men from different lands, and they
further enhance the splendour of that army. Virata, king of Matsyas,
accompanied by the king of the hill kingdoms, leads his legions to the sons
of Pandu.
Seven akshauhinis augment the Pandava army, and a multitude of
banners flutters in the air. Their eagerness to fight the Kurus gladdens the
hearts of the Pandavas.
Raja Bhagadatta gives an akshauhini of his men to Dhritarashtra’s son,
pleasing him enormously. The unassailable mass of Duryodhana’s army,
filled with gold-clad Chins and Kiratas, sparkles in beauty, like a forest of
Karnikara trees. To Duryodhana’s aid come, also, the courageous
Bhurisravas and Salya, each with one akshauhini. Kritavarman, the son of
Hridika, comes with the Bhojas, Andhakas and Kukuras, with another
akshauhini. All those terrific soldiers wear flower garlands and look as
captivating as playful elephants ambling through a forest.
Other forces from the land of Sindhu and Sauvira, led by Jayadratha,
come in such vast numbers that the mountains seem to tremble under their
tread. One akshauhini they are, and as they move they look like clouds
driven by the wind.
Rajan, more kings and their forces join the Kuru king. Sudakshina, the
king of the Kambojas, along with the Yavanas and Sakas, comes with an
akshauhini of troops that resembles a swarm of locusts. This force is
absorbed by the Kuru army and blends seamlessly into it. King Nila comes
from his capital Mahishmati with great warriors from the southern regions,
who carry delicately wrought and lethal weapons. The two kings of Avanti
come, each with a separate akshauhini of their men. Those tigers among
men, the five princely brothers of Kekaya, hasten to Duryodhana with an
akshauhini of warriors, adding to his elation. Illustrious kings from other
parts of the land arrive with three divisions of fighting men.
Duryodhana now has an army of eleven akshauhinis, a sea of colour
with countless flags, eager to do battle with the sons of Kunti. So crowded
is Hastinapura that there is no space in it even for the commanders of
Duryodhana’s own army. This massive combined force fills the city of
elephants and its surroundings.
The land of the five rivers, the entire region of Kurujangala, the wild
forest of Rohitaka, Ahichatra and Kalakuta, the banks of the Ganga, Varana
and Vatadhana, the hills bordering the Yamuna—the whole of this rich and
extensive tract, abundant with corn, is entirely occupied by that Kaurava
army. And the priest whom the king of the Panchalas has sent to the Kurus
sees this.”
CANTO 20
SANJAYA-YANA PARVA
V aisampayana said, “Drupada’s priest, the emissary of the Pandavas,

comes to the Kaurava king Dhritarashtra who, with Bhishma and
Vidura, greets him with ceremonial honour. The priest gives them news of
the Pandavas and goes on to enquire about the welfare of the Kauravas.
After this, he speaks in the presence of all the leaders of Duryodhana’s
army.
The wise and seasoned Brahmana says, ‘You all know what the dharma
of kings is. However, I will remind you of some things again before I begin
what I have really come to say. Dhritarashtra and Pandu are sons of the
same father. It is clear that they should inherit their father’s wealth equally.
How is it that the sons of Dhritarashtra possess ancestral wealth, but the
sons of Pandu have none? Why did Pandu’s sons not receive their share?
You are all aware that Pandu’s sons did not receive their inherited share
of their father’s wealth because Dhritarashtra’s sons usurped it.
Dhritarashtra’s sons attempted to remove them from their path to power
even by trying to have the Pandavas murdered; but their destined time on
Earth had not run out, and they could not send the Pandavas to Yama’s
halls. Then, when those noble princes had carved out a kingdom for
themselves by dint of their own strength, the wretched sons of
Dhritarashtra, helped by Subala’s son, robbed them of it by low deceit. As
was his wont, Dhritarashtra gave his approval, even to this.
For thirteen years the sons of Pandu were exiled, to live in the
wilderness. Honourable though they were, in the sabha they and their wife
were scorned, humiliated. Great was the suffering they had to endure in the
forests; and unspeakable were the sorrows they had to bear, comparable
only to the suffering that sinners undergo when they are reborn into inferior
species.
O Kurusattama, the sons of Pandu are willing to overlook all past
miseries and injustices; they want a peaceful settlement with the Kurus.
Bearing in mind the exemplary conduct of the Pandavas, as well as
Duryodhana’s sinful ways, his friends should persuade Duryodhana to make
peace. The heroic sons of Pandu are not eager for war with the Kurus. They
want to reclaim their rightful inheritance without bringing the world to
disaster and ruin. If Dhritarashtra’s son finds an excuse for war, it can never
be a just one.
The sons of Pandu are more powerful than him. Yudhishtira has
gathered seven akshauhinis of troops, who are so eager to fight the Kurus
that they just wait for his command. He has in his forces tigers among men,
who are equal in strength to a thousand akshauhinis—Satyaki and
Bhimasena, and the twins of untold prowess.
Yes, truly, these eleven oceanic divisions are arrayed on one side, but
they are balanced on the other by the mighty-armed Dhananjaya of many
forms. Arjuna’s prowess is greater than that of all these legions put together.
There is also Vasudeva’s son of dazzling effulgence and tejas. Faced with
Arjuna’s awesome valour and Krishna’s plumbless wisdom, who is there
that can fight them? So, I ask you to give what ought to be given, in
accordance with dharma and the agreement you made. Do not lose this
opportunity to do the right thing, and save yourselves and other lives
beyond count.’”
CANTO 21
SANJAYA-YANA PARVA CONTINUED
V aisampayana said, “Bhishma hears what the Purohita says and, after
paying his respects to him, speaks wise words, fitting to the
occasion.
He says, ‘I am glad that the Pandavas and Krishna are well. I am glad
that they have found help and that they have set their hearts on a course of
dharma. How fortunate that those sons of the Kuru vamsa want peace with
their cousins. There is no doubt that you speak the truth; however, you
speak bluntly. I presume that is because you are a Brahmana.
The sons of Pandu must indeed have been sorely afflicted, here and in
the forest. By law, they are entitled to their father’s kingdom. Arjuna is
powerful, a master of all weapons and a Maharatha. Who can withstand
Dhananjaya in battle? Even the wielder of the thunderbolt cannot, let alone
mortal warriors. Arjuna is unmatched in the three worlds.’
Now, an angry Karna insolently interrupts Bhishma even while he is
speaking. He directs his glance at Duryodhana, while saying to the priest,
‘There is no one in the world, Brahmana, who is not aware of all this. What
point is there in repeating them over and over again? Sakuni played the
game of dice on Duryodhana’s behalf, and won. Yudhishtira went into the
forest according to the agreed stipulation, which was that if any of them
was seen before thirteen years had passed they must spend another thirteen
years in the vana. He now ignores that covenant and, confident of his
alliance with the Matsyas and Panchalas, he wants his kingdom back.
Learned one, Duryodhana will not yield even a single foot of land if you
try to threaten him; but if dharma required it, he would give up the whole
Earth, even to an enemy. If the Pandavas want their ancestral throne back,
they must pass another thirteen years in exile. Afterwards they can live as
Duryodhana’s liegemen, in safety and peace.
Let them not, out of stupidity, adopt a clearly sinful course. If they
decide to abandon the path of dharma and go to war, they will, when they
meet the unimpeachable Kurus, remember my words.’
Bhishma says, ‘Of what use are your lofty, boastful speeches, Radheya?
You would do better to remember the time when Arjuna single-handedly
vanquished six Kuru Maharathas in battle. If we do not do what this
Brahmana says, you can be sure that Arjuna will kill us all in battle.’
Dhritarashtra lauds Bhishma’s words; then he rebukes the son of Radha,
‘What Bhishma says is salutary—good for us, for the Pandavas and indeed
for the whole world. I will deliberate over this and send Sanjaya to the sons
of Pandu.
Brahmana, there is no need for you to wait; you can return today.’
The Kaurava king honours Drupada’s priest and sends him back to the
Pandavas. He then summons Sanjaya to the sabha and speaks to him.”
CANTO 22
“D hritarashtra says, ‘O Sanjaya, we hear that the Pandavas have

arrived in Upaplavya. Go and enquire after them. You must greet
Ajatasatru with these words: It is fortunate that you have come out of the
wilderness and arrived at a city such as this. And to all of them you must
say: Are you well, after having endured the hardships of exile, which you
did not deserve? In no time they will think kindly of us, for, though we
treated them treacherously, they are righteous and good.
Never have I known the Pandavas to be untruthful. It was their own
efforts that won them their prosperity, yet they were always obedient to me.
Despite the most severe scrutiny, I cannot find a single transgression for
which I can blame them. They always conduct themselves with their status
and with dharma in mind. They never yield to sensual temptations, to heat
and cold, to hunger and thirst. They subdue sloth and apathy, joy, anger and
thoughtlessness. The sons of Pritha are always conscious of dharma and are
always pleasant and cordial.
When occasion demands, they give of their riches to their friends.
Friendship with them never cools with passing time, for they bestow justly
deserved honours and wealth on everyone. No one amongst the Ajamidas
has ever hated them, excepting this vile, capricious and foolish Duryodhana
and the even more evil-minded Karna. These two always envy and goad
those Mahatmans who have been divested of friends and happiness.
The spoilt and pampered Duryodhana, full of initial bluster, thinks he
has done well for himself. He is foolish to think that he can rob the
Pandavas of their rightful inheritance while they still live. Before war
breaks out, he would be wise to yield what is due to Yudhishtira, who has
the support of Arjuna, Krishna, Bhima, Satyaki, Madri’s two sons and the
warriors of Srinjaya. From his chariot, Savyasachi, the wielder of the
Gandiva, can devastate the whole world on his own; and so can the ever-
victorious and exalted Krishna, the invincible Lord of the three worlds.
What mortal could face him who is the worthiest man in all the world,
whose countless arrows roar like clouds and fly like locust-swarms to cover
all sides? Alone on his chariot, with his Gandiva in his hands, he conquered
the northern realms, including the Kurus who live there, and took all their
wealth. He made the Dravida soldiers part of his own army. It was Arjuna
who defeated the Devas and Indra in the Khandava vana, he who made
offerings to Agni and enhanced the honour and fame of the Pandavas.
Of all mace fighters there is none to equal Bhima, nor any as skilful
riding an elephant. On his chariot, he yields not to even Arjuna. As for the
power of his arms, he is equal to ten thousand elephants. Of boundless
energy, he is bitterly hostile, and his anger would consume my sons, making
short work of them. Quick-tempered and immensely strong as he is, even
Indra cannot subdue him in battle.
Large-hearted, powerful and endowed with lightness of hand, the twin
brothers, Madri’s sons, have been meticulously trained by Arjuna. Like a
pair of hawks preying on flocks of small birds, they will not leave a single
enemy alive.
If truth be told, despite being so vast, our army will be as nothing when
it encounters the sons of Pandu. On their side they have Dhrishtadyumna of
the boundless tejas, whom the Pandavas consider one of themselves. They
have the king of the Somakas, with his legions, who is devoted to their
cause and ready to lay down his life for them. Who would be able to
withstand Yudhishtira who has the jewel of the Vrishnis, Krishna, for his
lord?
I have heard that, though old now, Virata, king of the Matsyas, with
whom the Pandavas lived for a year and whose wishes they fulfilled, has
espoused the Pandava cause and is loyal to them, as are his sons. The five
great princes of Kekaya, who were deposed from their thrones and want to
regain their kingdom, have become allies of the Pandavas; they wield
mighty bows and are ready to fight.
All the bravest kings on Earth have come together on the side of
Pandu’s sons. All these, who have become allies of Dharmaraja Yudhishtira,
are infused with great new courage, honour and devotion, by virtue of their
love for him. Many warriors from the mountain kingdoms and other
inaccessible fastnesses, many old and venerable ones and many Mlechcha
tribes boasting weapons of myriad kinds have pledged themselves to the
Pandava cause and gathered under the Pandava banner.
The Pandya king, who is as mighty as Indra, has come with
innumerable warriors all eager for fight. Extraordinarily brave and of
unparalleled might and energy, he is devoted to the Pandavas. Then there is
Satyaki who, I have heard, was trained in the use of astras by Drona,
Arjuna, Krishna, Kripa and Bhishma, and who is said to be equal to
Krishna’s son Pradyumna; and he, too, is faithful to the Pandavas.
Once, the kings of the Chedi and Karusha tribes assembled and
combined their resources together. And there was one amongst them who
blazed in beauty like the Sun, who was considered unassailable in battle and
the best archer the Earth had known. Krishna killed him and, in an instant,
robbed those Kshatriya kings of all their power. Kesava looked at that
Sishupala, adulated by all the kings led by the king of Karusha, and
beheaded him to enhance the glory of the Pandavas.
The other kings saw Krishna in his chariot drawn by Sugriva and his
other horses, abandoned the king of the Chedis and fled like small animals
at the sight of a lion. Left on his own and, from sheer audacity and folly,
Sisupala faced Krishna in single combat. Krishna killed him, and he lay
dead, looking like a karnikara tree uprooted by a storm.
O Sanjaya, the things I have heard about what Krishna has done for the
sake of Pandu’s sons, and what I know of his achievements, disturb me and
drive away my peace of mind. No adversary can withstand those that have
that lion of the Vrishnis for their lord. My heart trembles with fear when I
hear that the two Krishnas will be together in one chariot.
If my dull-witted son abstains from fighting those two, he may yet do
well. Otherwise, the two Krishnas will consume the very Kuru race, as
Indra and Upendra did the Danavas. Arjuna is equal to Indra; and Krishna is
Immortal Vishnu himself.
Pandu and Kunti’s son Yudhishtira is virtuous and brave, and shuns any
low deed. Duryodhana has wronged this man of awesome power. If not for
his noble character, he would burn us all in a wink with his rage. Suta, I do
not dread Arjuna, Bhima, Krishna or the twin brothers as much as I dread
the wrath of Dharmaraja when his anger is kindled. He has practised austere
tapasya and kept the vows of brahmacharya, and all his wishes will be
fulfilled. When I think of his wrath and how justified it is, I am filled with
alarm.
Go swiftly in a chariot, as my emissary, to the encampment of the
Panchala forces. Ask Yudhishtira about his well-being and repeatedly
address him in affectionate terms. Meet Krishna, bravest of all men, who is
the most magnanimous soul. On my behalf, ask him, as well, about his
well-being. And tell him that Dhritarashtra desires peace with Pandu’s sons.
There is nothing that Yudhishtira would not do at Krishna’s bidding, for
Kesava is as dear to the Pandavas as their life-breath. And wise beyond
understanding or description, he is devoted to them. Declare yourself as my
messenger and also enquire after the welfare of all the sons of Pandu, the
Srinjayas, Satyaki and Virata, and the five sons of Draupadi.
In the midst of all those kings, Sanjaya, as the occasion arises, say
whatever you deem appropriate and beneficial for the very race of Bharata,
anything that is not distasteful or provocative.’”
CANTO 23
V aisampayana said, “Sanjaya goes to Upaplavya to see the mighty

Pandavas. He goes to Yudhishtira and pays his respects to him
before he speaks.
Sanjaya says to Ajatasatru, ‘O king, I am so happy to see you in good
health and surrounded by your friends, you who are as powerful as Indra.
The aged and wise Dhritarashtra, the son of Ambika, enquires after your
welfare. I hope Bhimasena is well, and Dhananjaya, and the two sons of
Madri also. I hope Drupada’s daughter, the princess Krishnaa, is well, too—
she who never swerves from the path of truth, that devi of great tejas, that
wife of heroes—as I hope are her sons, who are your joy, all that you hold
dear, and whose welfare you constantly pray for.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘O Sanjaya, have you had a safe journey here? We are
pleased to see you. I hope that you are well. I am in good health and so are
my brothers. It is after a long time that I hear news of that Bhaarata, the
revered king of the Kurus. Seeing you makes me as happy as seeing the
king himself. Is our grandsire Bhishma, who is blessed with boundless
energy and the highest wisdom, and who is always devoted to Kshatriya
dharma, in good health? I trust he is as he ever was.
I hope the noble Dhritarashtra is well, and also his sons. I hope the great
and learned king Bahlika, the son of Pratipa, is also in good health. I hope
Somadatta is well, and Bhurisravas, and Satyasandha, and Sala, and Drona,
and Drona’s son, and Acharya Kripa. I hope all those mighty bowmen enjoy
robust good health.
O Sanjaya, the greatest and best archers, all the most intelligent and
deeply learned, and the best of warriors, have allied themselves with the
Kurus. I hope they receive the honour that they deserve and that they are
well. How happy the people are in whose kingdom that mighty and
handsome archer, Aswatthama, the honourable son of Drona, lives.
I hope Yuyutsu, the brilliant son of Dhritarashtra by his Vaisya wife, is
in good health. I hope Karna, whose counsel the dull-witted Suyodhana
takes so to heart, is also well. I hope the elderly mothers of the Bhaaratas
are well, and that the kitchen-maids, the servants, the daughters-in-law, the
nieces and nephews, and the grandchildren of Dhritarashtra’s house are all
free from ill health.
I hope the king continues to provide a livelihood to good Brahmanas. I
hope Dhritarashtra’s son has not appropriated from the Brahmanas the gifts
I gave them, and that Dhritarashtra and his sons treat any hauteur on their
part with forbearance. I hope he never neglects to provide for them, for that
is the only way to Swarga. This is the excellent and clear path that Brahma
has revealed to all living beings. If the sons of the Kuru house foolishly
abandon tolerance of Brahmanas’ shortcomings, they will be ruined.
I hope king Dhritarashtra and his son look after the administrators of the
kingdom. I hope they have no enemies who, disguised as friends, plot their
downfall. I hope none of these Kurus talk of our having committed any
crimes, and that Drona, his son and the heroic Kripa do not think we are
guilty in any way.
I hope all Kurus look up to Dhritarashtra and his sons as their
protectors. I hope that, when they see a band of criminals, they remember
Arjuna’s deeds as the greatest warrior of all. I hope they remember how
swift, unerring arrows flew from his Gandiva, its bowstring pulled taut, and
the thunderous sound his dexterous fingers made as he stretched and
released the string again and again. I have yet to see an archer to equal
Arjuna, who can shoot sixty-one sharp, feather-flighted arrows with a single
fluid motion of his hand.
Do they remember the mighty Bhima, who, like an elephant with the
juice of rut trickling from rent temples trampling through a forest of reeds,
makes hostile armies arrayed for battle tremble with dread? Do they
remember the powerful Sahadeva, who conquered the Kalingas in
Dantakura by shooting arrows with both hands? Do they remember Nakula,
whom you accompanied: how he subdued the Sibis and the Trigartas and
brought all the western lands under my control?
Do they remember the disgrace they had to face when they came, ill-
advised, to Dwaita vana on the pretext of inspecting their cattle? Those
malevolent men were crushed in battle by the Gandharvas, and it was
Bhimasena and Arjuna that rescued them. In the battle that ensued, Bhima
protected Arjuna and Madri’s sons from behind, and Arjuna emerged
unscathed after savaging the enemy. Do they remember that?
O Sanjaya, a single deed cannot bring happiness now when, despite our
many endeavours, we have not been able to win over Dhritarashtra’s son.’”
CANTO 24
“S anjaya says, ‘It is just as you say, noble son of Pandu! Those you
ask about—the Kurus and the foremost among them—are in good
health and spirits.
Dhritarashtra’s son is surrounded by noble and righteous men, as well as
by sinful, evil ones. He, who gives gifts even to his enemies, is not likely to
withdraw the livelihood he provides to the Brahmanas. You Kshatriyas
follow a dharma that makes you harm even those that bear you no ill will.
Such dharma is fit only for butchers. If Dhritarashtra and his sons harbour
ill will against you, who are righteous, they must be held guilty of
treachery.
Dhritarashtra does not condone the injury done to you; he is sorry for it.
The old man grieves, Yudhishtira, for he has learnt from wise Brahmanas
that treachery is the greatest of all sins. O king of men, the Kurus remember
your prowess on the battlefield, and that of Arjuna who leads your forces.
They remember Bhima wielding his mace, and the sounds of his conch-
shell and drum rising to a deafening, maddening pitch. They remember
those fearless Maharathas, the sons of Madri, ranging in all directions on
the battlefield, endlessly unleashing torrents of arrows at the enemy.
We cannot know what destiny has in store for anyone. See how you,
Yudhishtira, who are endowed with every virtue, have had to suffer
unendurable trials. I am certain that your wisdom will help you forget all
that misfortune, and cleave to fortitude. The sons of Pandu are all equal to
Indra and would never abandon dharma for the sake of pleasure. You in
your wisdom will secure peace for the sons of Dhritarashtra and Pandu, for
the Srinjayas and all the other kings assembled here. Listen to what your
uncle Dhritarashtra said to me after consulting his ministers and sons. Lend
your attention to his message.’”
CANTO 25
“Y udhishtira says, ‘O Suta, we are all gathered here—the

Pandavas, the Srinjayas, Janardana, Yuyudhana and Virata. Tell
us everything that Dhritarashtra asked you to say.’
Sanjaya says, ‘I greet you all—Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna and the two
sons of Madri; Vasudeva, Chekitana, Virata, Satyaki, the venerable Drupada
and his son Dhrishtadyumna. Hear what I say; I speak with a desire for the
welfare of all the Kuru vamsa.
King Dhritarashtra welcomed the opportunity for peace and wasted no
time in having the chariot prepared for my journey here. I hope Yudhishtira
and his brothers, and his sons and kinsmen will accept the message I bring:
Let there be peace.
The sons of Pritha are blessed with every virtue, with steadfastness,
gentleness and candour. Born into a noble house, they are humane and
generous, and eschew any shameful deed. They know dharma.
A base deed does not befit you, Yudhishtira, for you are noble, and the
lord of a vast army. If you committed a sin, it would be a stain on your good
name, like a smear of kohl on a white cloth. No one would ever knowingly
acquire the guilt of an action that would result in universal slaughter; it is
sinful and will lead to Naraka. Genocide is such an act, regardless of
whether it results in victory or defeat.
The truly blessed are they who work for the success of their kinsmen’s
cause. The true son, relative or friend of the Kurus is he who would lay
down his life, even at the risk of it being abused by evil, in order to ensure
the welfare of the Kuru vamsa. If you, sons of Pritha, punish the Kurus by
killing all your enemies, your life after that would be as death. Is life worth
living after having killed your kinsmen?
Not even Indra himself, with all the gods on his side, can defeat you,
who have Kesava, Chekitana and Satyaki by your side, and the protection
of Dhrishtadyumna. On the other hand, who can defeat the Kurus who have
Drona and Bhishma, Aswatthama, Salya, Kripa and Karna, and a host of
Kshatriya kings supporting them? Who will be able to slay, without great
loss of life on his side, the vast force that Dhritarashtra’s son has
assembled? I do not see any possible good ensuing from this war, either in
victory or in defeat.
How can the sons of Pritha commit such a heinous crime, as if they
were lowborn men who know nothing of dharma? I beg of you; I prostrate
myself before Krishna and the venerable king of the Panchalas; I put myself
under your protection, with folded hands, so that both the Kurus and the
Srinjayas may prosper. Krishna and Arjuna are unlikely to ignore my words
and spurn my plea. Both, if asked, would give up their lives for truth.
All this I say to ensure the success of my mission. The king and his
mentor Bhishma both want to secure peace between you and the Kurus.’”
CANTO 26
“Y udhishtira says, ‘What have you heard me say, Sanjaya, that

suggests that we wish for war, and which makes you
apprehensive? Peace is always preferable to war, Sarathy; which man who
had an alternative would choose to fight? If a man can have everything he
wants without having to actually do anything, he would not make the
smallest discomfiting effort in any direction, far less go to war. Why should
a man ever go to war? Who is so cursed by the gods that he would choose
this horrible option?
The sons of Pritha do desire happiness, but their conduct is always
marked by dharma and promotes the welfare of the world. The only
happiness they want is that which accrues from deeds of dharma. The man
who, in order to avoid sorrow, allows his senses to lead him in his quest for
happiness is lured into actions that are wretched and miserable. A man’s
hankering for pleasure results in suffering; he who is free of such craving
knows no sorrow. Like a fire that blazes more fiercely when fuel is added to
it, desire is never satiated with the acquisition of its object; rather, it flares
up, like embers when ghee is poured on them, always wanting more.
Compare the abundance that the fortunate king Dhritarashtra enjoys
with what we possess. Unfortunate is the man who is never victorious; who
does not enjoy music; who does not take pleasure in the fragrance of
garlands and perfumes, or in cool, scented salves; and who does not enjoy
wearing fine clothes. If this were not so, we would not have been driven
from our kingdom; and although all this is true, none of us brooded over our
torments.
The king, in his troubled state, looks to the might of others for
protection. This is not wise. Let their behaviour towards him reciprocate his
own to them. The man who, at midday in spring, throws a burning log into
the dense undergrowth in a forest has every reason to rue his lot as he tries
to escape from the fire that is fanned into a blaze by the wind.
Sanjaya, why does Dhritarashtra complain even though his own
prosperity is intact? It is because he followed the course of action espoused
by his vicious and foolish son? Duryodhana disregarded Vidura, the best of
his well-wishers, as if he were his enemy. Dhritarashtra, who wanted only
to please his sons, knowingly chose a path of sin. Indeed, from his fondness
for his son, he would not pay heed to Vidura who, of all the Kurus, is his
wisest and most sincere friend, who is vastly learned, eloquent and virtuous
in all that he does.
Dhritarashtra wants to please his son and, at the same time, have the
respect of others. His son Duryodhana is full of envy and anger; he breaks
the sacred laws laid down for the acquisition of dharma and artha. He has a
foul tongue, allows anger to dictate his behaviour; and his soul is absorbed
in indulging his senses and his vanity. He harbours hatred for so many; he
obeys no law; his life is evil; he is obstinate and ruthless. For such a son as
this, Dhritarashtra knowingly abandons dharma and true joy.
Even as long ago as the time when I was playing that game of dice, I
suspected that the destruction of the Kurus loomed near, because Vidura’s
wise words received no praise from Dhritarashtra. It was when they ignored
Vidura that the Kurus’ downfall began. As long as they placed themselves
under the guidance of his wisdom, their kingdom flourished.
Let me tell you, Sanjaya, who greedy Duryodhana’s advisors are now:
Dusasana, Subala’s son Sakuni and the Sutaputra Karna. Look at his
foolishness. However hard I think about it, I cannot see how the Kurus and
the Srinjayas can prosper when Dhritarashtra has usurped the throne
unlawfully and even once banished the far-sighted Vidura. Dhritarashtra
and his sons now want undisputed sovereignty over the whole world. Peace
is impossible. He thinks of what he has taken with deceit and treachery as
being his own.
When Arjuna takes up his Gandiva, Karna believes that he can stand up
to him. Why, then, was Karna not able to prevail in any of the battles that
have already been fought? Karna, Drona, Pitamaha Bhishma, as well as
many other Kurus know that there is no bowman to compare with Arjuna.
All the kings know how Duryodhana became a king although Parantapa
Arjuna was alive. He continues to convince himself that he can rob the sons
of Pandu of what is theirs, despite knowing that it was Arjuna who once
came to his rescue when he was helpless, with nothing but a bow, four
cubits long, to fight an unearthly Gandharva host.
Dhritarashtra’s sons are alive only because they have not yet heard the
reverberation of the fully-stretched Gandiva. Duryodhana thinks that he has
achieved his objective, because he has not yet seen Bhima’s rage. Even
Indra would not rob us of our rightful sovereignty as long as Bhima,
Arjuna, heroic Nakula and patient Sahadeva live. The old king and his son
fondly imagine that his sons will not be consumed on the battlefield by the
fire of the Pandavas’ anger.
Sanjaya, you know what misery they have made us suffer. Out of regard
for you, I would forgive them all. You know what happened between the
Kauravas and us, and how we conducted ourselves towards them; let things
continue in the same way. I will take your advice and seek peace. Let me
have Indraprastha for my kingdom; let Duryodhana give it to me.’”
CANTO 27
“S anjaya says, ‘O Pandava, your unswerving dharma is known the

world over. I also see it, Prithaputra. Considering that even a great
life is transient, you must not kill the Kurus. Yudhishtira, if the Kurus will
not give you your share peaceably, I think it is better for you to live on alms
in the kingdom of the Andhakas and the Vrishnis than win your kingdom
back through a bloody war.
Our mortal existence is short; blame easily attaches to us; we are subject
to constant suffering; life is uncertain; and life can never be as important as
a good name. Therefore, never sin. O king, desires cling to men and keep
them from leading a virtuous life. A wise man, having extinguished all
desire, acquires unblemished fame in the world. The thirst for wealth is a
fetter; and the virtue of men who pursue it suffers. The wise man is one who
seeks only dharma. Even as a man’s worldly desires increase, their
impermanence makes his miseries increase.
The man who places dharma before all else shines like the Sun at his
most glorious. A man devoid of dharma, of sinful soul, is ruined, although
he may gain the very Earth.
You have studied the Vedas and lived the austere life of brahmacharya;
you have performed yagnas to satisfy the needs of Brahmanas and have
given generously to them. With a view to achieving the loftiest state that a
man can, you have devoted yourself, for years on end, to the pursuit of
tapasya.
He who devotes himself excessively to mundane indulgences cannot
concentrate his mind on yogabhyasa, spiritual discipline; and such a man is
always miserable. These fleeting sensual pleasures forsake him after his
wealth is gone, and his lusts continue to drive him, even in frustration. He
who has never lived a spiritually disciplined life, and sins, abandoning the
path of dharma, has no belief in the permanence of the soul. This fool is
slated for torment after death.
In the next world, a man’s actions, both good and evil, are not nullified.
All his deeds precede a man as he journeys from the mortal world to the
next, and he cannot but follow them. Your deeds in this life are celebrated
as being exceptionally noble and pure. They are like the delicious sattvik
food specially prepared to offer, along with gifts, to Brahmanas and
officiating priests at religious ceremonies. All karma is performed only as
long as the mortal body lives, Prithaputra. After death there is no karma to
be done.
You have performed mighty deeds that righteous men admire, and they
will benefit you in the world to come. Death brings entry into the next
world and, with it, freedom from old age, fear, hunger and thirst, and from
everything that is disagreeable to the mind. After death, there will be
nothing to do except to delight; such will be the fruit of your actions.
So, do not allow desire for temporal happiness to spur what you do in
this world. At the end of your life and deeds do not, Pandava, take a path
that forsakes truth, sobriety, honesty and compassion. You may perform the
Rajasuya and the Aswamedha yagnas, but do not even think about any
action that is sinful in itself.
If, after such a long time, you sons of Pandu yield to hatred and commit
such a horrific crime as this war, you will have endured all these years of
suffering in the forests in vain. It will have been for nothing that you went
into exile, parting with your army, which was then under your control; from
your loyal friends Krishna and Satyaki, golden-charioted Virata of the
Matsyas and his son at head of his warriors, and from all the other kings,
whom you once vanquished, and who have now come to fight by your side.
With all these mighty resources, with this army, with being held in
dread by all, and supported by Krishna and Arjuna, you could well have
slain your worst foes in battle; you could have long ago crushed
Duryodhana’s pride. Why then have you allowed your enemies to grow so
powerful and your friends so weak? What for have you lived in the
wilderness for so many years? Why, having let slip the opportune moment,
do you now want to fight?
A sinner of no wisdom may win apparent prosperity by fighting; a wise
and righteous man can win enduring felicity by shedding his pride and,
guided by his higher instincts, refraining from war. Yudhishtira, your
instincts do not make you lean towards any adharma, and never have you
committed any sin from anger. Why then do you now want to do this
ghastly thing, against every dictate of dharma?
Wrath, mighty king, is a drug that cures no disease. Rather, indulging in
it brings on a sickness of the mind; it robs a man of his justly earned fame,
and leads him to sin. Good men quickly swallow and hold down anger, but
not evil ones. I ask you to abjure your wrath and desist from war.
Who would indulge in anger which leads to mortal sin and perdition?
Forbearance would be far better for you than the pleasures you would enjoy
if your enemies—Bhishma, Drona and his son, Kripa, Somadatta’s son,
Vikarna, Vivimsati, Karna and Duryodhana—were killed. What happiness
can you hope to enjoy after killing them? Tell me.
Even if you win all the sea-girdled Earth, you can never be free from
decrepitude and death, pleasure and pain, bliss and misery. Knowing all
this, do not go to war. If you want to take this savage course because it is
what your advisors recommend, then abdicate everything to them and go
away yourself. You must not leave the path that leads to Swarga.’”
CANTO 28
“Y udhishtira says, ‘Sanjaya, what you say is true; deeds of dharma

are the best of all deeds. But, before you censure me, you should
first determine whether my conduct has been in accord with dharma or not.
Sometimes, vice appears to be virtue and virtue to be vice; and
sometimes, goodness is truly just that. The learned should use their
discernment to distinguish one from the other. Then again, during times of
distress, virtue and vice, which are indeed eternal and absolute, can appear
to be the other.
A man should live according to the svadharma of his varna; however,
one’s dharma changes during a crisis. When his means of living are gone,
the destitute man should certainly look for ways, other than those
prescribed, by which he may fulfil his dharma. Not only such a man, but
also one who is not destitute, must both be reproached if they act in
contrariness to the condition of their lives at that moment.
The Creator decrees atonement for Brahmanas who, in their desire to
avoid being destroyed, act in a manner opposed to their svadharma. Surely,
then, all men may, in times of dire distress, do what is contrary to the
dharma of their varna. Sanjaya, you should regard as worthy those who live
according to their dharma during normal times, as well as those who do not
in a time of crisis. Equally, you should censure those who flout their dharma
during normal times and those who live by it during a time of distress.
For men who wish to gain self-knowledge and bring their minds under
control, the same practices that are ordained for Brahmanas are prescribed.
However, for those who have no immediate desire for mukti, and who are
not Brahmanas, the code that is prescribed for their particular varnas is the
best. This is the path that our fathers, grandfathers and ancestors followed.
As for those that want knowledge of the Atman and also to avoid all karma,
they, too, hold the same view and consider themselves orthodox. There is
no other way.
O Sanjaya, whatever wealth the Earth or the gods have; whatever is
beyond reach—in the realm of Prajapati, in Devaloka or in Brahmaloka—I
would not seek it by means that violate dharma.
Krishna is Dharmeswara—the lord of virtue; he has an all-lustrous mind
and is a master of the artha shastra; he has waited upon Brahmanas; he is
all-knowing; and he counsels many mighty kings. Let him say whether I
shall be held to blame, whether I would be acting against my dharma by
abandoning peace and pursuing war, for he is impartial and desires the
welfare of both sides.
Satyaki, the Chedis, the Andhakas, the Vrishnis, the Bhojas, the
Kukuras and the Srinjayas follow Krishna’s advice and slay their enemies,
to the delight of their friends.
The Vrishnis, the Andhakas and Ugrasena, led by Krishna, have become
like Indra—high-spirited, devoted to truth, powerful and happy. Babhru of
Kasi, having got Krishna, the fulfiller of wishes, as his brother, and upon
whom Krishna showers all life’s blessings, even as clouds shower the
Earth’s creatures with rain after the arid summer, has attained great
prosperity. So great is Krishna.
Know that he is the authority on the propriety of all karma. Moreover,
he is dear to us and our friend. I will never do anything against his advice.’”
CANTO 29
“K rishna says, ‘O Sanjaya, my wish is that the Pandavas live and

prosper, and that their desires are fulfilled; and I wish the same
for Dhritarashtra and his sons. I have always wanted to say to the Pandavas
that peace is what king Dhritarashtra wants above all else; and I think it is
best for them, too.
Yudhishtira has shown an extremely rare inclination to peace, but
Dhritarashtra and his sons are so avaricious that I can understand why the
Pandava’s hostility has been aroused. You cannot claim to be more
knowledgeable about dharma than Yudhishtira or me. Why then do you
speak reproachfully of Yudhishtira’s conduct? He has great tejas; he is
devoted to his svadharma; he fulfils his familial duties thoughtfully and in
keeping with justice.
Brahmanas have held various opinions on the matter we are discussing.
Some say that success in the world to come depends upon karma; some
declare that all action should be shunned and that salvation is attained by
knowledge alone. Brahmanas say that although man knows there is food,
his hunger is not appeased until he has actually eaten it. They say that only
the knowledge that helps a man perform his duties bears fruit, for actions
have visible results.
A thirsty man quenches his thirst by drinking water—effort produces
results, and therein lies the efficacy of work. If anyone thinks that there is
something more productive than effort, his work and his words are
meaningless. In the other world, it is by virtue of work that the Devas
flourish. It is by effort that the wind blows. It is by effort that sleepless
Surya rises every day and causes day and night, and Soma passes through
the months and fortnights and the constellations. Fire uses energy to kindle
itself and burn, doing good to mankind. The sleepless Bhumi Devi sustains
her great burden by dint of her ceaseless effort. The sleepless rivers carry
their waters without rest to sustain all beings. The ever-wakeful Indra pours
down rain, making his power resound through the heavens and the cardinal
points.
Wanting to be the greatest of the Devas, Indra led an austere life of
wakefulness, like a holy Brahmana. He renounced pleasure and the
gratification of his senses. Scrupulously and diligently he devoted himself
to virtue, truth and self-control, forbearance, impartiality and compassion. It
was by no small effort of devoting himself to this way of life that he
acquired kingship over the Devas.
Brihaspati, too, did the same. He lived the austere life of brahmacharya
with his mind closed to everything else. He gave up pleasure and controlled
his senses, and became the Acharya of the Devas. Similarly, the
Navagrahas, the Rudras, the Adityas, the Vasus, Yama Deva, Kubera, the
Gandharvas, the Yakshas and the Apsaras, all worked hard to attain their
positions. In the other world the Rishis shine as a result of their life of
study, austerity and work.
O Sanjaya, knowing that this is the way followed by the best of
Brahmanas, by Kshatriyas and Vaisyas, you being one of the wisest men,
why are you making this plea on behalf of the Kauravas? You must know
that Yudhishtira is constantly engaged in the study of the Vedas; that he is
inclined to performing the Aswamedha and Rajasuya yagnas. Also, he rides
horses and elephants, has a chariot, is arrayed in armour, and bears a bow
and all other weapons.
If the Pandavas could see a course of action that does not involve the
slaughter of the Kurus, they would take it. Their virtue would be saved, and
they would achieve an act of punya, even if meant forcing Bhima to restrain
himself. On the other hand, they might, as destined, die whilst fighting. If
so, in trying their utmost to fulfil their dharma, their deaths would be
praiseworthy.
If you approve of peace, I would like to hear your answer to this
question: Is the dharma of a king to fight or not to fight? You must, O
Sanjaya, take into consideration the division of the four varnas and their
respective callings. You must hear the course of action the Pandavas plan to
take. Then you may allot praise or censure, as you wish.
A Brahmana’s dharma is to study, offer sacrifices, do charity and go on
pilgrimages to holy tirthas; he should teach, officiate as a priest in yagnas
offered by those who merit his help, and accept gifts from persons he
knows.
A Kshatriya protects the people lawfully; he should practise charity,
offer sacrifices, study the Vedas, marry and lead the virtuous life of a
grihasta. If his soul is noble, and if he lives by the scriptures, he will easily
attain the realm of the Brahman.
A Vaisya’s svadharma is to study, work hard to earn and accumulate
wealth through commerce, agriculture and cattle-rearing. He should
conduct himself in a way that pleases Brahmanas and Kshatriyas; he should
be upright, do good works and be a householder.
From olden times, the Sudra has been ordained to serve Brahmanas and
be obedient to them. A Sudra should not study or perform sacrifices; he
should be conscientious and alert in performing his service.
The king protects all these with care and ensures that all the varnas
perform their svadharma. The king should not be addicted to sensual
indulgence; he should be impartial and treat all his subjects equally. The
king should never give in to sinful desires. If there is, in his kingdom, a man
who is more praiseworthy than himself, and who is well-known and gifted
with all the virtues, the king should encourage his subjects to recognise that
man. An unworthy king, however, would not understand this. He would
increase his own strength and grow in inhumanity, and become a target for
the wrath of destiny. He would cast a covetous eye on the riches of others.
Now we come to war, for which weapons, armour, bows and arrows
came into being. Indra invented these for putting plunderers to death. Punya
is acquired by doing away with thieves. Many horrible evils have
manifested themselves because the Kurus have been unrighteous and
neglected law and religion. This is not dharma, Sanjaya.
Dhritarashtra, with his sons, has taken what rightfully belongs to
Pandu’s sons. He does not care about the eternal dharma of kings. And all
the Kurus follow him. The thief who steals wealth stealthily and the one
who seizes it openly must both be condemned. What is the difference
between them and Dhritarashtra’s sons? His greed has convinced him that
what he does out of anger springs from righteousness.
The share of the kingdom that the Pandavas are entitled to is clear. Why
should that share be seized by that fool? This being the state of things, it
would be great punya for us to be killed in battle. A kingdom gained as a
birthright is preferable to a throne conferred by a stranger. Sanjaya, you
must explain these time-honoured laws to the Kurus in the presence of the
assembled kings—all those witless ones who have been brought together by
Duryodhana and who are already marked by death.
Look once more at that vilest of all their deeds—what they did in the
Kuru sabha on the day of the dice. It is shameful that the Kurus, with
Bhishma at their head, did nothing while the beloved wife of the Pandavas,
the chaste Draupadi of unblemished fame, was seized, even as she wept, by
Dusasana, that monstrous slave of lust. All the Kurus, young and old, were
there. If they had prevented the humiliation inflicted upon her that day, I
would have been pleased with Dhritarashtra, and that would have boded
well for his sons also.
Dusasana brutally dragged Krishnaa into the midst of the sabha, where
her fathers-in-law sat. Expecting sympathy, she found none to take her part,
except Vidura. None of the kings uttered a word of protest, because they
were all fools. Vidura alone, from a sense of dharma, spoke just and
righteous words; he alone opposed Duryodhana. Sanjaya, at that time you
did not speak of law and morality, but now you come to instruct Yudhishtira
about dharma.
Panchali, on the other hand, even though she was dragged shamefully
into the sabha, set things right; and like a ship at sea, she rescued the
Pandavas and herself from a tidal wave of misfortune.
As Krishnaa stood in that ancient hall, in the presence of her fathers-in-
law, the Sutaputra said to her, “O daughter of Drupada, you have no refuge.
Consider yourself a slave in Duryodhana’s house. Your husbands are
defeated and are no longer of any consequence. You have a loving heart, so
choose someone else for your lord.”
Karna’s words were like arrows, cutting down all hope, piercing the
very soul, so dreadfully. They buried themselves deep in Arjuna’s heart.
When the sons of Pandu were about to put on garments made of black-
deer skins, Dusasana said, scornfully, “These all are mean eunuchs, ruined,
and damned for a long time to come.”
And Sakuni, the prince of Gandhara, spoke slyly to Yudhishtira during
the game of dice. He said, “I have won Nakula from you; now what else
have you got? You had better stake your wife Draupadi.”
Sanjaya, you know all the shameful things that were said at the dice-
game. I want to go myself to the Kurus to settle this most difficult matter. If,
without injury to the Pandava cause, I succeed in bringing about peace with
the Kurus, not only will it fetch great punya, but the Kurus will be saved
from certain death. I hope Duryodhana will take heed of what I say to the
Kurus, which will be wise, founded in dharma, full of good sense and
compassion. I hope that when I arrive, the Kurus will pay me proper
respect, or else Dhritarashtra’s vile sons, already branded by the evil of
what they have done, will be consumed by Arjuna and Bhima, who are
keened for battle. Of this you can be certain.
When Pandu’s sons were beaten at dice Duryodhana spoke vile and
searing words to them. You can be sure that Bhima will remind him of what
he said, at the first opportune moment.
Duryodhana is a mighty tree of evil; Karna is its trunk, Sakuni its
branches, Dusasana its blossoms and fruits, and the wise Dhritarashtra
himself its roots. On the contrary, Yudhishtira is a great tree of truth, Arjuna
its trunk and Bhima its branches. Madri’s twin sons are its copious flowers
and fruits; and I, dharma, and men of dharma are its roots.
Dhritarashtra and his sons are the forest, and the Pandavas are the tigers
in it. Do not cut down the forest with its tigers in it, nor drive the tigers
from it. The tiger makes easy prey when it is outside its home; and the
forest without tigers is easily entered and destroyed. The tiger protects the
forest, which shelters it. Dhritarashtra and his sons are creepers, while the
Pandavas are Sala trees. Creepers cannot flourish unless they have trees to
cling to.
Pritha’s sons are as eager to wait on Dhritarashtra as his own sons are
keen for war. Let King Dhritarashtra do the right thing. The virtuous sons of
Pandu, though well prepared for war, still keep the peace. Learned one, tell
Dhritarashtra everything as it truly is.’”
CANTO 30
“S anjaya says, ‘Farewell, O divine one. Pandava, I will leave now;

may you be prosperous. I hope I have not been carried away by
my emotions and said anything to offend you.
Farewell also to you Janardana, Bhima and Arjuna, sons of Madri,
Satyaki and Chekitana; I take my leave of you. May peace and happiness be
yours; and I pray that all the kings here will look upon me with affection.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘You have our leave, Sanjaya; may peace be yours.
Learned one, you harbour no ill will towards us. We all know that amongst
those in the court of the Kurus, you are a pure-hearted soul. Besides, you
are a faithful ambassador, loved by us, gifted with eloquence, of
distinguished deportment and sympathetic to us. Your mind is never
clouded and, even if spoken to harshly, you never retort in anger. You never
speak harsh or slighting words, or false or bitter ones. We know that what
you say is without malice, always full of truth, and serious. Amongst all
dutas you are our favourite. Besides you, the other who is welcome here is
Vidura. We used to see much of you, and you are as dear to us as
Dhananjaya. Go with all speed, Sanjaya.
Go to those Brahmanas of pure tejas, who are devoted to learning and
live as brahmacharis, who study the Vedas whilst living on alms; go to the
ascetics who live in the forest, as well as to the aged ones of other varnas.
Pay your respects to them and enquire about their welfare on my behalf. Go
to Dhritarashtra’s priest, his acharyas and his ritvijas; ask after their well-
being, too.
There are those who, though not of high birth, are intelligent, righteous
and are men of strong moral fibre; men remember us and speak of us; and
who live to the extent they are able by their dharma—tell them I am well
and ask after their health. Enquire about the welfare of the tradesmen in the
kingdom and the officials.
In our name, salute our beloved Acharya Drona—our mentor, who is
well versed in dharma; who took a vow of brahmacharya in order to master
the Vedas; who has made the astra shastra full and complete and who is
always gracious to us.
You should also greet Aswatthama from us and ask after his welfare. He
is learned and devoted to Vedic study; by living as a brahmachari, he has
acquired lustrous energy, even like a Gandharva youth; and he, too, has
made the science of weapons full and complete. Sanjaya, you must go to the
home of Saradvata’s son Kripa, that Maharatha, that best of all realised
souls. Repeatedly salute him and touch his feet in my name.
Convey news of my good health to Bhishma, the foremost of Kurus,
who is always valiant and abstains from doing harm; in whom asceticism,
wisdom and Vedic learning reside; that steadfast and most excellent of men.
Greet the wise and venerable king Dhritarashtra, the blind lord of the
Kurus, who has vast gyana, and is respectful of the old.
Enquire, also, after Dhritarashtra’s eldest son Duryodhana, that evil,
ignorant, deceitful and vicious man, who now rules the world; and ask
about the violent and vile Dusasana, hero and mighty bowman, who is like
his elder brother, only more bestial.
Sanjaya, greet the wise chief of the Bahlikas, whose most cherished
wish is for peace among the Bhaaratas. You must also pay our respects to
Somadatta, who is endowed with the most noble qualities, who is wise and
merciful, and whose affection for the Kurus makes him patient with them.
The son of Somadatta is worthy of the greatest reverence among the Kurus.
He is my friend and a brother to us. A mighty bowman and the foremost of
rathikas, he is worthy in every way. Ask after his welfare, from me, as well
that as of his friends and advisors.
Then there are the younger Kurus, our cousins. Ask about their health
and prosperity and speak to each of them in ways that you deem
appropriate. Enquire about the welfare of the kings who have been brought
together by Duryodhana to fight the Pandavas—the Kekayas, the Vasatis,
the Salvakas, the Amvashtas and the leading Trigartas; the brave warriors
from the east, north, south and west; those who have come from the
mountain kingdoms; and all among them who are not cruel and who lead
pure lives. Let that mighty host of honourable men know that I am well and
that I ask after them; let all the elephant warriors, the horsemen, the chariot
warriors and the footsoldiers know that I am well. Ask kindly after the
king’s servants—the revenue officials, the guards, the leaders of his troops,
the accountants and officials who monitor other aspects of the affairs of the
kingdom.
Sanjaya, enquire about the welfare of Dhritarashtra’s son by his Vaisya
wife—that young man who is among the best of all the Kurus, Yuyutsu,
who never errs, who has great wisdom, who is blessed with every virtue,
and who abhors the idea of this war.
Ask about Chitrasena, who is unrivalled at the intricacies of dice, whose
tricks others never detect, who plays with great skill, who is a master of the
game, who is unbeatable at the dice-board but not in battle.
Enquire after the health of Sakuni, the king of the Gandharas, native of
the mountainous country, who has no equal in cheating at dice, who boosts
Duryodhana’s pride, and whose cleverness leads him only to ruthless deceit.
Ask about the well-being of Vikartana’s son Karna, that hero who, alone
on his chariot and unassisted, is ready to vanquish all the Pandavas whom
no one else dares challenge in battle; Karna, who is peerless at beguiling the
already deluded.
Ask also after the welfare of Vidura, who alone is devoted to us, who is
our true guru, who raised us, who is our father, mother and friend, whose
understanding is clear and unclouded, whose knowledge is deep, and who is
our sagest advisor.
Greet all the elder ladies, of great good qualities, who are like mothers
to us. Say this first, Mothers of living sons, I hope your sons treat you well,
with kindness and compassion. Then tell them that I and my sons are well.
Greet those ladies, Sanjaya, who are equal in rank to our wives, and say
to them, “I hope you are well-protected. I hope your good names are
unblemished. I hope your lives are blameless and thoughtfully lived. I hope
you behave with your fathers-in-law in a kind, praiseworthy manner. I hope
you conduct yourselves so that you win your husbands’ approval.”
Then there are the younger women who are like our daughters-in-law,
who have come to us from noble families, who are mothers and who
deserve praise. See them all and tell them that Yudhishtira sends his
affectionate greetings.
Embrace the daughters of your own house, Sanjaya, and ask kindly after
their health on my behalf. Say to them, “May your husbands be kind and
loving to you; may you please your husbands; may you have fine, clean
homes, ornaments, clothes and perfumes; may you be happy and have all
the joys of life at your command; may your faces and forms be beautiful
and your words sweet.”
You must ask after the others in the Kuru household, and tell them I am
in good health—the maid-servants and man-servants, the humpbacked and
the lame. Say to them, “I hope Dhritarashtra’s son continues to provide you
with the same comforts as before.”
You must also see the people that Dhritarashtra supports with food and
clothing—the physically and mentally disabled, the dwarfs, the blind, the
old, the lame and the legless. Tell them I am well and that I ask about their
well-being. Say to them, “Have no fear; do not be dispirited by your
unhappy lives that are full of pain. They are the consequence of your sins in
past lives. When I have defeated my enemies and gratified my friends, I
will give you food and clothes in plenty.”
I ask that you also see the weak and unprotected, those who strive in
vain to make a living, the ignorant and all who lead sorry lives, and anyone
who you consider deserving of our concern. Ask on my behalf about their
welfare and peace of mind. You should also enquire after any outsiders who
have sought Dhritarashtra’s protection, those who have come to the Kurus
of their own accord or who have been invited, and the ambassadors from
other countries. Tell them all that I am well.
As for the warriors that Duryodhana has amassed, there are none on
Earth to equal them. Dharma, however, is eternal; dharma is my strength,
with which I will destroy my enemies. Sanjaya, say to Duryodhana from
me:
That desire which tortures your heart, the desire to rule all the Kurus
without a rival, is unreasonable and unjust. We will never do anything that
harms you. Most heroic of the Bhaaratas, give me back my own
Indraprastha, or fight me.’”
CANTO 31
“Y udhishtira says, ‘O Sanjaya, the Creator controls everyone—the

righteous and the sinners, the young and the old, the weak and
the strong. It is that Supreme Being who imparts knowledge to the child and
bestows innocence on the learned, at his will.
If Dhritarashtra asks you about our strength, tell him everything
honestly, having first talked with all of us here and ascertained the truth. Go
to the Kurus, greet the mighty Dhritarashtra, touch his feet and enquire
about his welfare in our name. Then, when he is seated in the midst of his
people, say to him,
“O king, the Pandavas live happily, because of your prowess. It was by
your grace that those children got a kingdom. Having bestowed their
kingdom on them, you should not neglect them now, for they would then be
ruined.”
Sanjaya, one person cannot rule over the entire kingdom. Say to him for
us, “We wish to live united with you. Do not allow your enemies to divide
us and vanquish you.”
Sanjaya, with head bent, salute our grandfather Bhishma, the son of
Santanu. Say to him, “You revived Santanu’s race when it was threatened
with extinction. Pitamaha, do what you think is best to make sure that your
grandsons live in friendship and unity.”
Then address Vidura, and say, Dear friend, for Yudhishtira’s sake,
counsel peace.
Then address that brash Duryodhana, when he is amongst all the Kurus;
plead with him on my behalf. Say to him:
“We will forget the insults you heaped on our innocent and helpless
Draupadi in the midst of the sabha, only because we have no desire to see
the Kurus killed. The Pandavas have silently borne all the other injuries too,
both before and after that, although they have the power to avenge them.
The Kauravas know all this. Dear cousin, you even sent us into exile
wearing deer-skins. This also we have endured because we do not want to
see all the Kurus slain.
Commanded by you, and ignoring Kunti, Dusasana dragged Krishnaa
into the sabha. That too we will forgive. But, Parantapa, we must have our
rightful share of the kingdom. Turn your covetous heart away from what
belongs to others. Peace will then reign amongst us, and we wish for peace.
Give us each even a single province of the empire. Give us Kusasthala,
Vrikasthala, Makandi and Varanavata, and any province of your choice for
the fifth. This will end the enmity. Duryodhana, give your five brothers at
least five villages.”
Wise Sanjaya, let there be peace between our cousins and us. Tell him
also, “Let brothers be loyal to each other; let fathers and sons unite; let the
Panchalas and Kurus come together in joy, and let the two clans be one.
This is my fervent wish. Bharatarishabha, with joy in our hearts, let us
make peace.”
O Sanjaya, I am as able to make war as I am to strike peace; I am as
prepared to acquire wealth as to earn punya; I can be as harsh as I am soft,’
says Yudhishtira,” said Vaisampayana.
CANTO 32
V aisampayana said, “Given leave to go, and having listened to what

Yudhishtira wants of him, Sanjaya sets out at once for Hastinapura.
He enters the city and presents himself at the gate of the palace apartments.
He says to the gatekeeper, ‘Dwarapala, inform Dhritarashtra that I have
returned from meeting the Pandavas. Do this without delay, if the king is
awake. I have important things to tell him.’
The gatekeeper goes to the king and says, ‘Bhumipala, Sanjaya is at the
palace gate and wants to see you. He comes with a message from the
Pandavas. Command me, my lord; what shall I do?’
The king says, ‘Tell Sanjaya that I am in good cheer and health. Bid him
enter, and welcome him; I am always ready to receive him. Why does he,
who is free to enter at any time, wait outside?’
Sanjaya enters the palace and, with folded hands, comes before
Dhritarashtra who sits on his throne surrounded by his courtiers—the wise,
the heroic and the noble.
Sanjaya says, ‘Lord of the Earth, I, Sanjaya, bow to you. Rajan, I went
to the Pandavas from here. After paying his respects to you, Yudhishtira, the
lustrous son of Pandu, enquired after your welfare. He enquired about your
family and asked whether you are pleased with your sons and grandsons,
friends and counsellors, and all your dependents.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘O child, my blessings upon Ajatasatru. Is
Yudhishtira in good health, and are his sons, brothers and ministers all
well?’
Sanjaya says, ‘Pandu’s son is well, as are those with him. He, who
acquires wealth and virtue without doing anything dishonourable, who is
intelligent, learned, far-sighted and good-natured, now desires what was
once his. Yudhishtira regards ahimsa as being superior to dharma, and
dharma as superior to artha. His mind always inclines toward tapasya and
inward joy, and to deeds of dharma which are spiritually exalting.
In his worldly life, man is like a wooden puppet controlled by an
outside force. Seeing how Yudhishtira has suffered, I realise that the power
of destiny is stronger than the force of human endeavour. And seeing your
adharma, which is not only sinful and shameful, but will also surely lead to
misery, I am convinced that a man like you will enjoy praise only so long as
your enemies bide their time.
Having renounced all wrong-doing, like a serpent sloughing its old skin,
the heroic Yudhishtira shines resplendent in perfection; his sins are now
transferred to you. Rajan, reflect on your actions, which are dishonourable
and violate both dharma and artha, and which have earned you evil karma
in this world and inevitable misery in the next.
You have followed your son’s evil advice, in order to enjoy wealth that
would, otherwise, have been hard to come by; and you hoped to keep your
enemies at bay. The world has denounced this sin, which is so unworthy of
you. Calamity befalls a man who lacks wisdom, or is low-born or cruel,
who holds grudges for a long time, who is not steadfast in Kshatriya
dharma, who has no tejas, or who is base and shameless.
It is fate that makes a man take birth into a good family, or become
strong, or famous, or learned. It is fate that gives him life’s comforts and
fate that gives him the ability to subdue his senses and discriminate between
virtue and vice. No man, who is waited upon by the best of advisors, who is
intelligent and can tell right from wrong in times of distress, who performs
the necessary rites and rituals, who has full use of all his faculties, would
knowingly sin.
These, your loyal counsellors, are united in their determination that the
Pandavas must not get back their share of the kingdom. Circumstances
seem to move inexorably towards the destruction of the Kurus. Provoked by
your crimes against him, if Yudhishtira wants to punish you, the very race
of the Kurus will be prematurely extinguished. He will shift all his sins,
such as they are, to you and you shall bear the blame and the burden for
them. Nothing other than the will of the gods can prevent this, for Arjuna
was honoured by them in Devaloka when he left this world and went there.
In the face of fate, all individual effort is as nothing.
The advantages of a noble birth and courage depend on what a man
does for their development; and seeing that prosperity and adversity,
stability and instability hold equal sway over a man and his possessions,
Mahabali the Great, in his quest for the roots of suffering, failed to discover
where the chain of karma of a former life began. He thought that the eternal
Essence is the cause of everything. The eye, the ear, the nose, the skin and
the tongue are the portals of a man’s knowledge; if he suppresses desire, he
achieves spontaneous gratification through them. Therefore, one must
control one’s senses, happily and without misgiving.
Of course, there are those that do not agree. They believe that if a man
behaves thoughtfully, his actions will produce the desired result, like a
newborn child growing when nurtured with food and drink. Men in this
world are subject to love and hate, pleasure and pain, praise and blame. The
honest man deserves praise, but you I censure for being the root cause of
the enmity between the Bhaaratas, which will result in the erasure of
countless lives. If peace is not restored, it will be your fault that Arjuna
burns the Kurus, as a blazing fire does a heap of dry grass.
Rajan, in this world you are singular in the way you have given in to
your son, who is completely unrestrained; in the way you complacently
wear the crown of success, having done nothing to prevent the shame that
occurred during the game of dice. Now reap the fruit of your weakness. By
rejecting the advice of faithful friends and accepting the counsel of
treacherous men, undeserving of your confidence, and by acting like a
servant to your evil son’s whim, you have as good as lost your great and
prosperous empire.
I am tired from my journey and ask your leave to retire to bed now,
Purushavyaghra, for tomorrow morning the Kurus will assemble to hear
Yudhishtira’s message to you.’”
CANTO 33
PRAJAGARA PARVA
V aisampayana said, “When Sanjaya leaves, Dhritarashtra says to an

attendant, ‘I want to see Vidura; have him come here at once.’
The messenger goes to Vidura and says, ‘Wise one, our mighty king
wishes to see you.’
Vidura comes immediately to the palace and tells the servant to inform
the king of his arrival. The man goes to Dhritarashtra and says, ‘Maharajan,
Vidura is here as you commanded. He wants to worship your feet. What
shall he do?’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘Bid him of the great wisdom and foresight enter. I
am never unwilling or unprepared to see Vidura.’
The attendant goes out and says to Vidura, ‘Kshattri, the king bids you
go into his inner apartment. He says he is always ready to see you.’
Vidura goes into Dhritarashtra’s chamber and, with hands joined, says
to his brother, who is sunk in dark thought, ‘Wise one, here I am at your
command, to do whatever you want.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘Vidura, Sanjaya has returned and has gone home
after rebuking me. Tomorrow in the sabha he will deliver Yudhishtira’s
message. I could not get him to divulge what that is, and sleep evades my
burning body. Tell me what is good for my feverish insomnia, my child, for
you know dharma and artha well. Ever since Sanjaya came back from the
Pandavas, my heart has known no peace; and filled with anxious thoughts
about the message he will deliver, my senses are in turmoil.’
Vidura says, ‘Sleeplessness is for a thief, a lustful man, one who has lost
his wealth, one who has failed in his endeavour, or a weak man under attack
by a strong one. I hope, my lord, that none of these has overtaken you, and
that you do not grieve or covet another’s wealth.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘I want to hear you speak wise words of dharma. In
our race of Rajarishis it is only you that the Munis respect.’
Vidura replies, ‘Yudhishtira is blessed with every virtue; he deserves to
be the ruler of the three worlds. Despite his worthiness to rule beside you,
you exiled him.
Your qualities, on the other hand, are the opposite of his. Neither your
virtues nor your knowledge of dharma entitles you to a share of the
kingdom, for you are blind. As a consequence of his mildness and
compassion, his righteousness and love of truth, his strength, and his
reverence for you, Yudhishtira patiently endures innumerable and grievous
wrongs. How can you hope to have prosperity or peace of mind when you
have handed over the reins of the kingdom to Duryodhana, Subala’s son,
Karna and Dusasana?
The wise man is one who uses Atmagyana, hard work, forbearance and
adherence to dharma to earn punya. The wise man is one who is known by
his dharma, his rejection of sin, and by his faith and reverence. The wise
man is one who cannot be swerved from his dharma by anger, joy, pride,
false modesty, a crisis or vanity.
The man who keeps what he intends to say and do from his enemies and
whose deeds become known only after he has done them is wise. The man
who does not allow heat, cold, fear born of attachment, prosperity or
adversity to obstruct his plans is wise. The man whose judgment is detached
from desire, who pays equal attention to dharma and artha, who disregards
pleasure and chooses goals that will stand him in good stead in this world
and in the next is wise.
He who exerts as much effort as he can and does his very best,
dismissing nothing as insignificant is wise. He who has a quick
understanding, who listens patiently, who pursues his goals with good sense
and not from desire, and who does not waste his energy on talking, unasked,
about other people’s affairs is wise. He who does not yearn for the
unattainable, who does not grieve for what is lost, whose mind is clear even
in a crisis is wise. He who begins something and strives until it is
completed, who never wastes his time, who has his soul under control is
wise.
Bharatarishabha, wise men always delight in honest deeds; they do only
what leads to their happiness and prosperity and never mock at what is
good.
He who neither exults at being honoured nor grieves at being slighted,
who remains serene like a lake on the Ganga is wise. He who knows the
nature of all creatures—that no one and nothing is immortal—who is aware
of the inter-connectedness of all things and all karma, and who knows the
means that men may resort to for attaining their goals is wise. He who
speaks confidently, who can converse on diverse subjects, who knows the
art of debate, who has keen intelligence and who can interpret the meaning
of what is written in sacred books is wise. He whose studies are regulated
by reason, whose thinking follows the scriptures and who always pays
homage to the good is wise.
On the other hand, he who is vain though ignorant of the Shastras,
arrogant though poor, and who uses unfair means to reach his goals is a
fool. He who ignores his own affairs and pries into those of others, and who
deceives his friends is a fool. He who craves things he should not and
pushes aside the things he can justly wish for and who maligns powerful
men is a fool. He who thinks of his enemy as a friend and hates his friends
and who commits evil is a fool.
Bharatarishabha, he who discloses his enterprises, who doubts
everything and who dawdles over what can be done quickly is a fool. He
who does not perform the sraddha for the Pitrs, who does not worship the
Devas and who does not cultivate noble-minded friends is a fool.
He is a fool and the worst of men who enters a place uninvited, who
talks a lot without being asked and who trusts the dishonourable. He is the
most foolish of men who blames others for something he himself is guilty
of and who, though powerless, gives vent to anger. He is a fool who does
not know his own strengths, who ignores both dharma and artha and,
without equipping himself adequately, yearns for something that is difficult
to obtain.
O king, he who punishes the innocent, who pays homage to the
undeserving and who keeps the company of misers is a man of little sense.
But he who, having acquired great wealth and prosperity, as well as vast
learning, is not haughty is wise.
Who is more heartless than the man who, though wealthy and who eats
and dresses well, does not share his riches among his dependants? The sins
of one person result in advantages for many; but eventually it is the sinner
alone who suffers the consequences of the sin, while the others escape.
When an archer shoots an arrow he may or may not succeed in killing
anyone, but when an intelligent man applies his mind, he can raze a
kingdom and destroy its king.
Discriminate between the two by means of the one. Control the three by
means of the four. Conquer the five by knowing the six, abstain from the
seven and be joyful. Poison kills only one person, as does a weapon; but
one evil man can annihilate an entire kingdom, its king and all his subjects.
One should not, on one’s own, gorge on tasty food, think about material
gains, go on a journey or be the only one awake amongst a group of
sleeping people. Listen now to what these are.
O king, that Being who is the Supreme One without a second, whom
you have not been able to comprehend, is truth manifest and, like a boat on
the ocean, the Way to salvation.
There is only one defect in those who are forgiving by nature—they are
considered weak. That defect, however, should be ignored, for forgiveness
is a powerful quality—a virtue for the gentle, an ornament for the strong.
Forgiveness conquers all; there is nothing that the power of forgiveness
cannot achieve. What can an evil person do to one who holds the sword of
forgiveness in his hand? Cinder falling on grassless ground extinguishes
itself. An unforgiving man defiles himself with many atrocities.
Righteousness is the highest virtue; forgiveness is the supreme peace;
knowledge is the supreme contentment and benevolence the supreme
happiness.
Just as a serpent swallows small animals living in burrows, the earth
devours two kinds of people: a Kshatriya who is an inept warrior and a
Brahmana who does not undertake pilgrimages to holy tirthas. A man may
attain fame in this world by doing two things: refraining from harsh speech
and ignoring those that are evil.
Naravyaghra, there are two kinds of people who have no will of their
own: women who desire men only because other women want them, and
persons who worship another just because others do. Two things are like
sharp thorns tormenting the body: the desires of a poor man and the anger
of the impotent. There are two people who never shine because of their
contrary conduct: a householder who makes no effort and a beggar who
plots intrigues.
There are two kinds of persons, Rajan, who live in a more blissful place
than Swarga: a powerful man who is graced with the quality of forgiveness
and a poor man who is charitable. There are two ways of misusing that
which is honestly gained: by making gifts to the unworthy and by turning
away the worthy.
Two kinds of men should be cast into deep water with weights tied to
their necks: a wealthy man who does not give and a poor man who is proud.
Two other kinds of men shine more splendidly than the Sun: a mendicant
accomplished in yoga and a warrior who dies in battle.
Vedic scholars say that a man’s means may be great, average or poor. A
man’s ability may be good, middling or bad. Every man should, therefore,
be employed in work for which he is fit.
There are three kinds of persons who cannot have wealth of their own:
the wife, the slave and the son; whatever they earn becomes the property of
the man to whom they belong. There are three kinds of crimes which
inspire great fear: the theft of another’s property, the outrage of another’s
wife and the fight with a friend. There are three qualities which, besides
being self-destructive, also lead to hell: lust, anger and greed; everyone
should renounce them. There are three kinds of persons whom one should
never abandon, even in the face of grave danger: a follower, the person who
puts himself under one’s protection and a guest in one’s house. There are
three actions that bring as much merit as rescuing an enemy from distress:
conferring a boon, acquiring a kingdom and having a son.
Learned men have declared that a king, however powerful, should never
consult with these four kinds of men: the dull-witted one, the procrastinator,
the indolent one and the flatterer. Rajan, crowned with prosperity and
leading the life of a grihasta, let these four kinds of persons live with you:
elderly relatives, noblemen who have fallen on hard times, impoverished
friends and childless sisters.
When Indra asked him, Brihaspati declared that there are four things
that can come to fruition in a single day: the resolve of the gods, the
understanding of intelligent people, the humility of learned men and the
destruction of the sinful. These four, which are intended to remove fear,
fetch fear when they are improperly performed: the agnihotra, the vow of
silence, study and sacrifice.
A man should worship these five fires: the father, the mother, the sacred
fire, the soul and the guru. Men attain great fame in this world by serving
these five: the Devas, the Pitrs, other men, beggars and guests. These five
follow a man wherever he goes: his friends, his enemies, those that are
indifferent to him, his dependents and those that are entitled to his
maintenance. If one of man’s five senses develops a flaw, then from that
single egress all his intelligence leaks out, like water out of a perforated
water bag.
These are the six evil habits that a man who wants to attain prosperity
must avoid: sleep, heedlessness, fear, anger, sloth and procrastination.
These six should be abandoned like a broken ship at sea: a teacher who
cannot explain the Shastras, a priest who is illiterate, a king who gives no
protection, a wife who speaks unpleasantly, a cowherd who does not want
to go out to the pasture and a barber who wants to leave the village to live
in the forest.
Man must never forsake these six virtues: truth, charity, diligence,
benevolence, forgiveness and patience. These six things are instantly
destroyed if neglected: cattle, service, agriculture, a wife, learning and a
Sudra’s wealth.
These six forget those who have done them favours: educated disciples
forget their gurus; married men forget their mothers; men forget the woman
once she has gratified their sexual desires; they who have achieved success
forget those who helped them; they who have crossed a river forget the boat
that carried them over; and patients who have been cured forget their
physicians.
These six, O king, promote happiness: good health, freedom from debt,
living at home, the companionship of good men, certainty of one’s
livelihood and living without fear. These six kinds of persons are always
miserable: the envious, the malicious, the discontented, the bad-tempered,
the suspicious and those depending upon the wealth of others. These six
make up the happiness of men: acquisition of wealth, continuous good
health, a loving and sweet spoken wife, an obedient son and knowledge that
is lucrative.
There are six desires that are ever present in the human heart; and the
man who gains mastery over them by controlling his senses never sins or
suffers any calamity. There are six kinds of persons who subsist on six other
kinds: thieves upon those who are careless; physicians upon the ailing;
women upon the lustful; priests on those that want to perform sacrifices; a
king upon men who quarrel; and men of learning upon those that do not
have it.
A king should renounce these seven faults that lead to disaster; they can
bring even firmly established monarchs to ruin: women, dice, hunting,
drinking, harsh speech, inhuman punishment and the misuse of wealth.
These eight conditions indicate a man’s imminent downfall: hating
Brahmanas, disputes with Brahmanas, appropriation of a Brahmana’s
possessions, taking the life of Brahmana, taking pleasure in abusing
Brahmanas, an aversion to praising Brahmanas, forgetting Brahmanas on
ceremonial occasions and giving vent to spite when Brahmanas ask for
something. A wise man should understand and avoid them.
Bhaarata, only these eight conditions can produce sublime happiness:
meeting with friends, accession of immense wealth, embracing a son,
sexual union during intercourse, conversation with friends at proper times,
the advancement of those one is allied to, the acquisition of what has been
anticipated and being respected in society.
Eight qualities glorify a man: wisdom, noble birth, self-restraint,
learning, prowess, moderation in speech, charity according to one’s
capacity to give and gratitude.
This house has nine doors, three pillars and five witnesses; and it is
presided over by the soul. The learned man who realises this is truly wise.
Dhritarashtra, these ten do not know what virtue is: the intoxicated man,
the inattentive one, the raving man, the exhausted one, the angry, the
starving, the hasty, the covetous, the frightened and the lustful one. The
wise man must avoid their company. In this connection there is an old story
about what happened between the Asura lord and Duryodhana, for the sake
of the Asura’s son.
The king who renounces lust and anger; who gives wealth to deserving
people; who is discerning, learned and active is a lord of men. The king
who knows how to inspire confidence in others, who punishes the guilty
with just punishment and knows when to show clemency enjoys great
prosperity.
The wise man does not ignore even a weak enemy and is intelligently
cautious about the foe who waits for an opportunity; he does not invite
hostilities with people who are stronger than himself; and he shows his
strength only when he needs to. He is the most noble-minded of men, who
does not grieve once a calamity has struck him, but deals with the crisis
sensibly, and who patiently endures adversity; this man will defeat all his
enemies.
Always happy is the man who does not live away from home without
good reason, who does not make friends with sinners, who never molests
another man’s wife, who is never arrogant, who never steals, who is never
ungrateful and who does not drink.
He is wise, who never boastfully pursues dharma, artha and kama; who
always tells the truth when asked; who does not argue even for the sake of a
friend; and who never gets angry even if insulted.
Everyone praises the man who has no malice towards others but is kind
to all; who, being weak, avoids disputes; who does not speak arrogantly;
and who forgives a wrong done to him.
Everyone loves the man who is never haughty, who never speaks ill of
others while praising himself, and who never forgets himself and speaks
harshly. Sages consider him a good man who does not rake up old quarrels,
who is neither arrogant nor obsequious and who never violates dharma even
when in distress.
The man who neither exults in his own happiness nor delights in
another’s misery, and who has no regrets after giving a gift is a good man.
The man who is eager to learn about the customs of other countries and the
languages and dharma of different varnas knows everything—important and
insignificant; and wherever he goes, he gains authority over others, even the
great. The intelligent man, who renounces pride, folly, insolence, sinful
deeds, treasonous actions, dishonesty, enmity and arguments with men who
are drunk, mad or evil is the best of men.
The gods bestow prosperity on the man who makes a daily habit of self-
restraint, self-purification, performing sacred rites, worshipping the gods
and conducting rituals of penance. The learned man, whose actions are well
thought out and properly executed, arranges a marriage with someone of
equal status to his own; he looks up to people who are better than him; he
talks, mixes and forms friendships with persons of his own status.
The man who eats frugally after dividing the food amongst his
dependents, who sleeps little after working hard, and who, when asked,
gives even to his enemies is a man with his soul under control. Disaster
stays away from such a man.
The man who keeps his own counsel with plans and executes them
without others knowing much about these, and whose actions,
consequentially, never injure others, succeeds in achieving even the most
trifling goal. The man who is intent upon abstaining from doing injury to all
creatures, who is truthful, gentle, charitable and pure-minded shines among
his kinsmen like a precious gem of the purest quality from the best mine.
The man who is ashamed of his faults, even though only he knows of
them, is the most honourable of men. With his pure heart and boundless
energy, with his mind turned inwards, he blazes in energy like the Sun.
King Pandu, suffering under a Brahmana’s curse, had five sons born to
him in the forest; they are like five Indras. You brought up those children
and taught them everything; they are obedient to you. Give them back their
fair share of the kingdom, and you and your sons will be happy; and then,
Rajan, you will regain the trust and confidence of both gods and men.’”
CANTO 34
PRAJAGARA PARVA CONTINUED
“D hritarashtra says, ‘Tell me how a man copes with sleeplessness

and burning anxiety. Only you know dharma and artha. Give me
the benefit of your wisdom, generous Vidura; tell me what you think is
good for both Yudhishtira and the Kurus. I think of my guilt, and I fear the
dreadful things that may be in store for me. It is with terrible apprehension
that I ask you this: what is Yudhishtira thinking?’
Vidura says, ‘Even if one is not asked, one should be truthful in what
one says—be it good or bad, pleasing or hateful—to the man whose
downfall one does not wish. I will tell you what is for the good of the
Kurus, which is both beneficial and dharma. Listen, Rajan.
Do not set your heart on unjust, sinful ways to achieve your ends. An
intelligent man must not grieve if he does not succeed, despite using fair
and righteous means. Before he embarks on a course of action, a man must
take three things into consideration that all actions depend on: the
competence of the person executing the plan, the nature of the deed itself
and its purpose. He should think carefully about these and not act on
impulse. The wise man must decide either to do something or not, after
considering his ability, the act, and the consequences of failure and success.
The king who does not know the true extent of his kingdom, his profits
and losses, his treasury, his population and the nature of the danda neeti—
the law of punishment, cannot hope to keep his kingdom for long. On the
other hand, the king who is aware of all these, as prescribed in the ancient
treatises, and who is learned in dharma and artha will retain his kingdom.
Just as the planets affect the stars, the senses affect this world,
regardless of whether they are directed or uncontrolled in their journey to
their respective goals. Like the Moon waxing during the bright fortnight,
calamities pile up for the man who allows his senses to control him and
direct his actions. The man who tries to control his counsellors before
controlling himself, or to subdue his adversaries before controlling his
counsellors, ultimately succumbs in weakness. Hence, the man who first
achieves mastery over himself, thinking of the ego as an enemy, always
succeeds in subduing his counsellors and adversaries.
Great prosperity is his who has subdued his senses, controlled his soul
and is able to punish all offenders; who acts with discernment and is blessed
with patience. A man’s body is his ratha; the inner soul is the sarathy; the
senses are the horses. When this chariot is drawn by well-trained steeds, the
wise man journeys pleasantly through life and finds ultimate peace. Horses
that are unbroken and wild always lead an unskilful charioteer to doom
during the course of his journey; so, too, do one’s senses, if they are not
subdued.
The inexperienced man, who is driven by his rampaging senses, thinks
he can extract evil from good and good from evil, and he confuses sorrow
with happiness. He who forsakes dharma and artha, and follows his senses,
soon loses prosperity, wealth, his wife and his life. He who is the master of
riches but not of his senses loses his riches. One should strive to know one’s
self by using the Self, by controlling one’s mind, intellect and senses; for
the self is as much an ally as an enemy. The man who has conquered his
self through the Self, has his self for a friend—the self can be either friend
or foe.
Desire and anger tear at wisdom, just as large fish rip apart a flimsy net.
The man who strives for success, paying heed to dharma and artha, wins
happiness and all that he aspires for. He who wants to vanquish his outward
adversaries without first conquering his inner enemies—his five senses—is
overpowered by them. Many evil kings, because of their lack of mastery
over their senses, are ruined by their own actions, which are directed by
their unending lust for more territory and possessions.
Just as wet fuel burns along with the dry, so, too, is an innocent man
punished by association with evil men. Friendship with sinful men must be
avoided. The ignorant man who fails to control his five greedy enemies,
each of which has its own selfish goals, is overwhelmed by disaster.
Evil men never have these attributes: guilelessness, simplicity,
innocence, contentment, sweetness of speech, self-restraint, truth and
steadiness. Inferior men do not have Atmagyana; they are never stable,
patient or devoted to dharma, and neither trustworthy nor charitable.
Fools try to injure the wise with false accusations and harsh words. In
consequence, they acquire the sins of the wise who, freed from guilt, gain
forgiveness. Malice is the strength of evil-minded men; protection of the
weak and of women is the strength of kings; forgiveness is the strength of
the virtuous.
To control speech is said to be most difficult. It is not easy to hold a
long conversation full of meaningful words that also delight the ear. Well-
spoken words produce many benefits, but harsh ones are the cause of all
evils. A forest destroyed by arrows or cut down by hatchets may grow
again, but a heart wounded by cruel words never recovers. Weapons such as
arrows, spears and bearded darts can be removed from the body, but a
dagger of words plunged into the heart cannot. The mouth shoots word-
arrows that strike deep and cause anguish through day and night. A learned
man should never discharge such arrows; they pierce the very soul.
The man whom the gods have destined for defeat loses his good sense
and debases himself by dishonourable conduct. When one’s intellect
becomes clouded and one’s destruction is imminent, one is convinced that
wrong is right. Bharatarishabha, you do not see that your sons are in the
grip of their deluded minds because of their hostility toward the Pandavas.
Neither do you see that Yudhishtira, blessed with every auspicious mark
and worthy of ruling the three worlds, is obedient to you.
Dhritarashtra, exclude all your sons and make Yudhishtira Dharmaraja
your heir. Intelligent and wise, steeped in dharma and artha, he has suffered
untold misery out of kindness and sympathy for you and in order to
preserve your good name.’”
CANTO 35
“D hritarashtra says, ‘Effulgent one, tell me more about dharma and

artha. My thirst for them remains unquenched, and your words
delight my ears and my heart.’
Vidura says, ‘Ritual bathing in all the tirthas and compassion towards
all creatures have equal merit, with kindness having the edge. Rajan, be
kind to all your sons; by that you will win great fame in this world, and
heaven thereafter. A man is glorified in Swarga for as long as his good
deeds are spoken of in this world. Listen to an ancient story about the
conversation between Virochana and Sudhanwan, both suitors for Kesini’s
hand.
Once, long ago, there was a maiden named Kesini, whose beauty was
unrivalled. Wanting a good husband, she decided to choose one through a
swayamvara. Wanting her for himself, one of Diti’s sons, Virochana, went
to her swayamvara.
Kesini noticed this Daitya lord and said to him, “O Virochana, tell me,
who are superior—Brahmanas or the sons of Diti? Why is Sudhanwan not
sitting on the grander seat?”
Virochana said, “O Kesini, because we are the firstborn of Prajapati, we
are superior to all creatures. The world is ours. Who are the Devas, and
what are the Brahmanas before us?”
Kesini said, “We will remain in this pavilion, Virochana. Sudhanwan
will come here tomorrow, and I want to see both of you sitting together.”
Virochana said, “Sweet and timid one, I will do as you say. Tomorrow
morning, you will see Sudhanwan and me together.”
When the night passed and the Sun rose Sudhanwan came there and saw
Virochana waiting with Kesini. Kesini got up; she offered him her seat,
padya to wash his feet and arghya.
When Virochana invited him to share his seat, Sudhanwan said, “O Son
of Prahlada, I will touch your beautiful golden seat, but since you are not
my equal, I cannot sit on it with you.”
Virochana said, “You have the right to sit only on a wooden plank, an
animal skin or a mat of grass or straw. You do not deserve to sit on the same
seat as me.”
Sudhanwan said, “Only father and son, Brahmanas of the same age and
equal learning, two Kshatriyas, two Vaisyas or two Sudras can sit together
on the same seat; no others may sit together. Your father used to pay his
respects to me and take a seat lower than mine. You are young, brought up
in every luxury at home, and you understand nothing.”
Virochana said, “I will wager all the gold, cattle, horses and every other
kind of wealth that we have among the Asuras to the one who is able to
answer this question that has arisen.”
Sudhanwan said, “Leave aside your gold, your cattle and your horses,
Virochana. Let us stake our lives and ask this question of those who can
answer.”
Virochana said, “Who shall we go to when we wager our lives? I will
not go before any of the Devas and never before any man.”
Sudhanwan said, “With our lives as wager, we will approach your
father. Prahlada will never tell a lie, not even for his son’s sake.”
So, they made a wager, and Virochana and Sudhanwan, both roused,
went to Prahlada.
Seeing them together, Prahlada said, “These two, who have never been
companions, have come here like two angry snakes that have travelled by
the same road.
He said, “Have you two become friends now, who never were before?”
Virochana said, “There is no friendship between Sudhanwan and me.
Rather, we have both wagered our lives. O Lord of Asuras, I will ask you a
question, which you must answer truthfully.”
Prahlada said, “Bring water, honey and curds for Sudhanwan. You
deserve our worship, Brahmana. A plump white cow is ready for you.”
Sudhanwan said, “Water, honey and curds have already been given me
on my way here. I will ask you a question, Prahlada; answer it truly. Are
Brahmanas superior, or is Virochana?”
Prahlada said, “O Brahmana, here you both are in person—my only son
and you, a Brahmana. How can I answer this question over which you two
have fallen out?”
Sudhanwan said, “Keep your cattle and your other precious wealth, but
you must declare the truth to settle our dispute.”
Prahlada said, “What will a person who misuses his tongue, to answer
falsely rather than truly, suffer?”
Sudhanwan said, “The person who uses his tongue to lie suffers like a
deserted wife who pines at night, with visions of her husband in the arms of
another woman. He suffers like a man who loses at dice, or like one who is
weighed down with an unbearable load of anxieties. He suffers like a man
who is denied entry into a city and sits outside its gates, starving, and he is
always faced with his enemies.
He who tells a lie for the sake of an animal will have five of his
forefathers cast down from heaven. He who tells a lie for the sake of a cow
will have ten of his Pitrs cast down from Swarga; a lie for the sake of a
horse causes the downfall of a hundred; and a lie for the sake of a human
being results in the fall of a thousand of one’s manes. An untruth for the
sake of gold ruins the members of one’s race both born and unborn, while
an untruth for the sake of land ruins everything. So never lie about land.”
Prahlada said, “Angiras is superior to me, and Sudhanwan is superior to
you, Virochana; and Sudhanwan’s mother is superior to yours. You have
been defeated by Sudhanwan; and he is now in command of your life.
Sudhanwan, I ask that you grant Virochana his life.”
Sudhanwan said, “O Prahlada, you have chosen dharma and not been
tempted to lie. So, I grant the life of your son, who is so dear to you, and
restore Virochana to you. He shall, however, have to wash my feet in
Kesini’s presence.”
This is why, Rajan, you must never utter the slightest falsehood about
the kingdom. Do not hasten your death and the deaths of your children and
close associates by lying for your son. The gods do not protect men by
taking up wooden clubs as herdsmen would; however, they grant
intelligence to those they wish to protect.
There is no doubt that the degree of a man’s success is in direct
proportion to the attention he pays to dharma. The Vedas never save a man
who lives by falsehood from the guilt of sin. They forsake him while he is
on his deathbed, like fledglings flying from their nests.
Drinking, quarrels, enmity with many, marital disputes, severance of
marital relationships between husband and wife, internal dissent and treason
are all sins that must be shunned. A palmist, a thief turned merchant, a
fowler, a physician, an enemy, a friend and a minstrel are not acceptable
witnesses. Performed from motives of pride, an Agnihotra, abstention from
speech, study and sacrifice become harmful, although they are intrinsically
innocent.
A man who sets fire to a house, one who gives poison, a pander, a
vendor of alcohol, a fletcher, an astrologer, one who injures his friends, an
adulterer, one who performs abortions, one who violates the wife of an
elder, a Brahmana addicted to alcohol, one who is harsh-tongued, one who
opens old wounds, an atheist, one who insults the Vedas, a taker of bribes,
one whose upanayanam has been delayed beyond the appropriate time, one
who secretly kills cattle, one who kills the man that comes to him for
protection: all these are as lacking in dharma as a man who kills a
Brahmana.
Gold is tested for purity by fire, a high-born man by the way he carries
himself and an honest man by what he does. A man’s courage is tested in a
crisis, a man’s self-control in times of poverty and the strength of a man’s
friendship or enmity in times of danger. Old age destroys beauty; ambition
destroys patience; death ends life; envy removes righteousness; anger ruins
prosperity; companionship with base persons destroys good conduct; lust
sheds modesty; and pride takes away everything. Prosperity is born of good
deeds; it grows by dint of work; its roots penetrate deep from well honed
skill; it becomes stable from self-control.
Wisdom, good lineage, restraint, knowing the scriptures, prowess, not
being garrulous, giving gifts as one is able, and gratitude are the eight
qualities that glorify a man. But there is one factor which, on its own, can
make all these attributes coalesce: royal favour can make all these qualities
cover the favoured person with their lustre. These eight are celestial
qualities in this world of men.
Of the eight, four are inherent in good people, and the other four they
always practise. The four that are integral to good men are sacrifice, charity,
study and asceticism; and the other four that good men always practise are
self-restraint, truth, simplicity and abstention from causing injury.
Sacrifice, study, charity, asceticism, truth, forgiveness, mercy and
contentment constitute the eight paths of dharma. The first four of these
may be practised from motives of pride, but the last four can exist only in
those that are truly noble.
No gathering of people can truly be a satsanga unless there are
venerable men in it; and no one can be considered worthy of veneration
unless he can say what dharma is. It is not dharma if it can be separated
from truth; and it is not truth if it is tinged with deceit.
Truth, beauty, knowledge of the scriptures, learning, noble birth, good
conduct, strength, wealth, courage and the ability to speak on a variety of
subjects are ten qualities of divine origin.
A man who sins is overwhelmed by evil consequences; a man who is
virtuous reaps great happiness. So, a man must be firm in his resolve to
abstain from sin. Repeated sinning destroys intelligence, and the man who
loses intelligence repeatedly sins. Being constantly virtuous enhances
intelligence, and the man whose intelligence increases is constantly
virtuous. The virtuous man attains bliss. Thus, a man should be firm in his
resolve to be virtuous.
The man who is envious, he who is hurtful, the man who is cruel, the
man who is quarrelsome and one who is deceitful come to grief. The wise
man who is not envious always does what is dharma and never suffers
sorrow; instead, he shines. The man who acquires wisdom from wise men is
himself learned and wise. He who is wise pays attention to dharma and
artha, and achieves joy.
Behave during the day in a way that will ensure an untroubled night;
conduct yourself during eight months of the year in a way that will ensures
happiness during the monsoon; spend your youth in a way that ensures a
comfortable old age; and conduct your whole life on Earth in a manner that
ensures bliss in the hereafter.
The wise man thinks highly of food that is easily digested, of the wife
who is young no more, of the hero who is victorious and of the sannyasin
whose efforts have been rewarded with success. The empty space that a
man tries to fill with wrongfully acquired wealth will never be filled; rather,
new voids appear in other places.
The Guru controls those who have restrained their souls; the king
controls the black-souled one; Yama controls those who sin in secret. The
greatness of Rishis, of rivers, of river-banks, of mahatmans cannot be
determined, like a woman’s immorality.
O king, the man who is devoted to the worship of Brahmanas, he who is
generous, he who is charitable to his relatives, and the Kshatriya who
conducts himself honourably rule the Earth for ever. The man who is brave,
learned and who knows how to protect others can always gather flowers of
gold from the Earth.
Of all works, those performed by using the intellect are the best; next
come those performed with the use of one’s arms; those for which the legs
are used are worse; and those performed by carrying loads are the lowest.
How can you expect to prosper when you have entrusted your kingdom
to Duryodhana, Sakuni, the witless Dusasana and Karna? The Pandavas,
who are blessed with every virtue, look up to you as a father. You must rely
on them as your true sons.’”
CANTO 36
“V idura says, ‘I know an ancient tale that is told in this connection:

of the discussion between Atri’s son and the Sadhyas.
Long ago, the deities known as Sadhyas approached the son of Atri, the
wise Maharishi of the stern tapasya, while he wandered the world in the
guise of a mendicant, and said to him, “O Maharishi, we are deities known
as Sadhyas. We cannot tell who you are. You seem highly intelligent and a
man of rigid self-control, which comes from a deep knowledge of the
Shastras. Share your knowledge with us.”
The mendicant Rishi answered, “Immortal ones, I have heard that by
untying the knots in one’s heart by means of tranquillity, by mastering one’s
passions and by following true dharma, one must learn to look on all beings
—likeable or hateful—as if on oneself. One should not retaliate to slander
or accusations, because when one bears pain silently it consumes the
slanderer, and one also acquires the merit of his good deeds.
Do not indulge in slander or accusations; do not humiliate or insult
others; do not quarrel with friends; do not seek the companionship of the
vile and the base; do not be arrogant or dishonourable. Avoid speaking
sharp or angry words, because they burn deep—into the heart and bones,
and into prana itself. That is why the virtuous man never speaks harshly or
in anger. He that does is the very worst of men. With hell on his tongue, he
sears the inmost parts of a man with his piercing words, and always causes
misery.
The wise man, when wounded by another’s wordy arrows that scorch
like fire or the Sun, endures them silently, remembering that the slanderer’s
blessings become his. The man who serves a good man or an evil one, a
saintly man or a thief, absorbs the characteristics of his companion, like a
cloth soaked in dye.
The gods like to be with the man who, when stung with criticism,
neither criticises nor makes others do so in retaliation; who, when struck,
neither strikes back nor makes someone else do so for him; and who does
not wish even the slightest injury on the one who hurt him.
Silence is better than speech; if you must speak, then it is better to speak
the truth; if the truth is to be spoken, it is better to say what is pleasing; and
if what is pleasing is to be said, then it is best to say what is dharma.
A man becomes like the person he lives with, or like the one he sees
regularly, or like the one he wants emulate. A man is liberated from those
things from which he abstains; and if he abstains from everything, he will
not suffer even the least sorrow. Such a man neither vanquishes others, nor
is vanquished by any. He is never hurtful or antagonistic to anyone. He is
unmoved by praise or reproach. He neither grieves nor exalts.
The best human being is one who wants the prosperity of all and never
gloats over the sorrows of others; he is truthful and humble; and he has his
senses under control. The mediocre man is one who never consoles another
with false platitudes; he gives what he has promised; and he is mindful of
others’ weaknesses. The despicable man is one who is difficult to control;
he is easily affected by the prospect of danger; he is short-tempered; he is
ungrateful; he cannot make friends; and he has an evil heart. The worst
among men is one who is unappreciative of any good that comes to him
from others; he is suspicious by nature; and he drives away all his true
friends.
He who wants to prosper should keep the company of good men,
perhaps occasionally those that are mediocre, but never those that are bad.
The sinful man does, indeed, earn wealth by working hard, by his
intelligence and by his strength; but he can never win fame, nor can he
acquire the virtues and ways of noble families, even if he is born into one.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘The gods, those who respect dharma and artha and
do not swerve from either, and those who have great learning have an
affinity to noble families. Tell me, Vidura, what families are truly noble?’
Vidura says, ‘The family whose life is characterised by simplicity, self-
restraint, Vedic knowledge, sacrifice, proper marriages and gifts of food is
considered noble. Such vamsas never deviate from dharma; their ancestors
are never pained by having to see their progeny’s wrong-doings; they
cheerfully practise all the virtues; they aspire to enhance the fame of their
line; and they avoid every kind of falsehood.
Noble families fall and debase themselves because they neglect to
perform sacrifices, make impure marriages, abandon the Vedas and insult
Brahmanas. They are degraded because their members ignore or speak ill of
Brahmanas, or because they misappropriate what others have entrusted to
them.
Even if a family is extensive and owns much wealth and cattle, you
cannot think of it as a cohesive family if its members lack good manners
and deportment; whereas a family that lacks wealth, but is distinguished by
good conduct, is noble indeed, and earns a great reputation. So, families
must pay attention to good demeanour, for material wealth comes and goes.
The man who is wanting in wealth is not really wanting, but the man who is
wanting in decorum is really in want. Families that are rich in cattle and
agricultural produce do not deserve fame if they lack good conduct.
Let none in our dynasty provoke quarrels, serve another king as
minister, take what is not his, stir dissent, be deceitful or false, or eat before
serving the Rishis, Devas and Sadasyas. Any of our vamsa who kills a
Brahmana or feels antipathy towards them, or who obstructs farming, does
not deserve to mix with us.
A seat of straw, a piece of ground to sit on, water to wash one’s face and
feet, and sweet words are never wanting in the house of a good man.
Virtuous men devoted to dharma have these things ready to reverently offer
to any guest who might come to his home. Just as the sandalwood tree is
able to support weights that larger trees cannot, so too are those from noble
families able to shoulder great cares which ordinary men cannot.
A man whose anger inspires fear, or whom people serve in fear is not a
friend; but the man who is trusted like a father is. All other friendships are
in name only. The man who acts as a friend, though not related by blood, is
one’s true friend, refuge and protector. The man of wavering affections who
does not care for the elderly or one who is restless can never make friends.
Like swans abandoning a tank whose waters have dried up, success
forsakes a man whose heart is unsteady, a man who cannot control his mind
and a man who is a slave to his senses.
Weak-minded men give in to anger and are gratified too easily; they are
as changeable as clouds. Even birds of carrion will not touch the dead
bodies of men who are ungrateful to friends who have helped them.
Whether you are poor or rich, you must honour your friends. The sincerity
of a friend is tested only when you ask for his help.
Sorrow kills beauty; it debilitates; it destroys knowledge; and it makes
the body vulnerable to disease. Rather than helping a man achieve his goals,
grief dries up his body, to the delight of his enemies. Do not yield to grief.
Men repeatedly die and are reborn; repeatedly they wither away and grow;
repeatedly they ask others for help, and they themselves are asked for help;
repeatedly they lament and are lamented.
Everyone experiences happiness and misery, plenty and want, gain and
loss, life and death, at one time or other. The man who is self-controlled
should neither exult in joy nor wilt in sorrow at these twinned opposites.
The six senses are always restless. One’s understanding leaks out
through the sense that is heightened, in direct proportion to the level of its
dominance, like water from a pot with holes, big and small.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘I have deceived Yudhishtira, who is like a flame. He
will surely kill all my sons in battle. I see danger everywhere and my heart
churns within me. Wise one, soothe my anxiety.’
Vidura says, ‘Anagha, I see good only in knowledge and tapasya, in
restraining the senses and in giving up greed. Atmagyana dispels fear;
tapasya brings rich rewards; serving one’s superiors gives learning; and
self-restraint results in peace. Those who want moksha without first earning
blessings by giving charity and practicing Vedic rituals go through life
bound by anger and hatred. The happiness gained by a judicious course of
study, by a battle fought virtuously or by stern tapasya always increases at
the end.
Those who quarrel with their relatives get no sleep, even if they lie on
the most comfortable beds; nor do they derive any pleasure from women or
from hearing bards sing hymns and eulogies in their praise. Such men can
never practise dharma; they can never be happy; they can never have
honour. Peace holds no charm for them. They never appreciate good advice;
they never get what they want or keep what they have. O king, such men
can expect to meet with ruin.
As natural as milk is to cows, so is asceticism to Brahmanas,
inconstancy to women and distrust to one’s own kin. Many thin threads of
equal length can, when stranded together, stand the strain of the shuttle
passing constantly over them, because of their numbers. It is the same with
family members who are bound by ties of dharma. Burning twigs produce
only smoke, singly; but together they burst into flame. It is the same with
kinsmen, Dhritarashtra.
Men who want to assert their authority over Brahmanas, women,
relatives and cattle soon fall off their pedestals, like ripe fruits from their
stems. The trunk of the tree that grows alone, though massive, strong and
deep-rooted, is smashed and twisted by a strong wind. However, trees that
grow close together in stands can resist violent gales by leaning on each
other. In the same way, his enemies see the man who is alone, though
blessed with all the good qualities, as being easy to bring down, like a lone
tree by the wind. In contrast, relatives who are united grow in strength, like
lotus-stalks in a lake.
These must never be killed: Brahmanas, cows, relatives, children,
women, hosts whose food one has eaten and persons who surrender and ask
for one’s protection.
Rajan, without health a man’s good qualities do not manifest
themselves. If you are healthy, you can do much good; but if you have bad
health, you might as well be dead.
Rajan, anger is a bitter, pungent, acrid and scalding drink, painful in its
consequences; it is a dark draught not born of any physical illness; and
those that lack wisdom can never digest it. Swallow your anger, Rajan, and
be at peace. Men who are wracked by disease derive no joy from pleasures
or from wealth; they are so full of sorrow that they do not know what
happiness is nor enjoy wealth.
When I saw Draupadi won as a wager at dice, I told you that men of
dharma never use deceit at gambling and urged you to stop Duryodhana.
You paid no heed to me then. True strength is not opposed to softness;
rather, the combination of both is the best and most effective course.
Prosperity which is dependent on deceit is destined to be short lived; but
that which depends on strength and softness is passed down to sons and
grandsons intact.
Your sons and the Pandavas must love each other. Let them have the
same friends and enemies and live together in happiness and prosperity.
Rajan, you are the refuge of the sons of Kuru. Indeed, the entire Ajamida
vamsa depends on you. Preserve your good name by cherishing the sons of
Pandu, especially for the great suffering they have endured in exile. O
Kaurava, make peace with the Pandavas; do not let your enemies find a
chink in your armour. The Pandavas are devoted to dharma. Draw
Duryodhana away from his evil ways.’”
CANTO 37
“V idura says, ‘Manu, the son of the Svayambhuva, the Self-Created

One, spoke of the seventeen kinds of men who vainly strike air
with their fists, who seek to bend Indra’s heavenly bow of vapour—the
Indradhanush, or want to catch the intangible rays of the Sun.
These foolish ones are the man who wants to control another who
cannot be controlled; the man who is content with small gains; the man who
humbly pays court to enemies; the man who seeks to control women; the
man who solicits gifts from one who should not be asked for gifts; the man
who boasts without having done anything; the high-born man who acts
basely; the weak man who enters into hostilities with one that is powerful;
the man who talks to one who listens with disdain; the man who desires the
unattainable; the father-in-law who flirts with his daughter-in-law; the man
who boasts about his fears being allayed by his daughter-in-law; the man
who sows his seeds in another man’s field; the man who speaks ill of his
wife; the man who does not acknowledge having received something from
another; the man who, in a holy tirtha, commits to give something away and
then makes excuses when asked to make good his words; and the man who
tries to prove the truth of what is false. Yama’s dutas, with nooses in hand,
drag these people away to hell.
A man should behave towards others in the same manner as others
behave towards him, for this is good policy. One may behave deceitfully
with the deceitful, but must be honest with those who are honest. Old age
withers beauty; patience takes away hope; death ends life; the practice of
virtue denudes worldly enjoyments; lust abandons modesty; companionship
with evil men destroys good character and deportment; anger ruins
prosperity; and pride destroys everything.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘According to the Vedas, man’s life-span on Earth is
one hundred years. Why is it, then, that not all men attain the allotted span?’
Vidura says, ‘Too much pride, excessive speech, overindulgence in
food, giving in to anger, yearning for pleasure and inner discord are the six
swords that cut short man’s life on Earth. It is these six, not death, which
kill men. Know this and be blessed.
Bhaarata, these acquire the guilt of killing a Brahmana: one who steals
the wife of a friend who trusts him; one who violates the bed of his Guru; a
Brahmana who marries a Sudra woman or drinks alcohol; a man who
wields authority over Brahmanas, becomes their master or confiscates lands
that support them; and one who kills those who give themselves up into his
protection. The Vedas declare that contact with these kinds of people
requires penance to purify oneself.
These persons attain Swarga: one who accepts the teachings of the wise;
one who knows dharma; one who is generous; one who eats only after
offering his food to the Devas and Pitrs; one who has no envy; one who is
incapable of doing anything injurious; and one who is grateful, truthful,
humble and learned.
O king, many are those who always say pleasing things; but rare is the
man whose words are not always pleasant but yet medicinal, and the man
who listens to him. The man who, without worrying about whether his
words will please his master or not, tells him things that may seem
unpalatable but are wise and in keeping with dharma, is an asset to the king.
For the sake of the family one of its members may be sacrificed; for the
sake of the village, a family may be sacrificed; for the sake of a kingdom a
village may be sacrificed; and for the sake of one’s soul, the whole world
may be sacrificed. A man should conserve his wealth, in case calamity
strikes; he should use his wealth to protect his wives; and with his wealth
and his wives he should safeguard himself.
From time immemorial it has been obvious that gambling causes
disputes. The wise man should never gamble, even light-heartedly. At the
time of that game of dice I told you it was sinful and dangerous. To you,
however, my words were as unpleasant as bitter medicine to a sick man. O
king, you want to vanquish the sons of Pandu, who compare with your sons
as peacocks to crows. You forsake lions in favour of jackals. The time will
come when you will regret this.
The master who does not vent his displeasure against devoted servants
that want only his welfare, gains their confidence. They stand by him even
in times of distress. A man must never seek to save wealth by confiscating
grants or not paying his employees; for, deprived of their means of
livelihood and prosperity, even those who are fond of him will turn against
him and abandon him in his time of need.
A king should first consider all his future plans, then fixing his servants’
wages with his own income and expenditure in mind, he should make
suitable contracts, for there is nothing that cannot be accomplished by just
and strategic alliances. The officer who, with a complete understanding of
his king’s intentions, discharges his duties promptly and enthusiastically,
who is respectable and devoted to his master, always tells him what is best
for him. The king should regard the officer who is well aware of the
strength of his own and the enemy’s forces as a second self. However, the
king should immediately rid himself of the servant who is so proud of his
own intelligence that he disregards his master’s instructions, refuses to obey
him and argues with him.
Learned men say that a good servant possesses these eight qualities: he
is not arrogant; he does not procrastinate; he is able, kind, clean and
incorruptible; he is from a family free of disease; and he weighs his words
before he speaks.
A man must never enter an enemy’s house confidently after dusk, even
with notice; he must never lurk in the yard of another’s house at night; and
he must never seek to be with a woman whom the king might enjoy.
One must never disagree with the decision arrived at by a man who
keeps company with sinners and who is in the habit of consulting all and
sundry. Never tell him you disagree with him; instead dismiss him on some
pretext.
One must never borrow from, or lend to, these: a king who is
inordinately soft-hearted, a woman of bad character, the servant of a king,
one’s son, one’s brother, a widow with a child, one serving in the military
and one who has suffered a great loss of wealth.
Eight qualities bestow lustre on a man. They are wisdom, noble lineage,
knowledge of the scriptures, self-restraint, prowess, moderation in speech,
the giving of gifts such as one can afford and gratitude. These qualities, sire,
are mustered and held close by the wise.
The man who performs ritual ablutions acquires strength, beauty, a clear
voice, the ability to clearly enunciate all the alphabet, delicacy of touch, a
fine sense of smell, cleanliness, grace, delicacy of limbs and beautiful
women. The man who eats sparingly wins good health, long life, ease,
healthy children and freedom from sloth and accusations of gluttony.
A man should not shelter the following in his house: one who is ill-
behaved, one who eats too much, one whom everyone dislikes, one who is
deceitful, one who is cruel, one who does not know the correctness of time
and place and one who dresses immodestly. A person, even in dire distress,
should never ask a favour of a miser, of one who speaks badly of others, of
one who has no knowledge of the Shastras, of a forest dweller, of one who
is cunning, of one who does not respect those who are worthy of reverence,
of one who is cruel, of one who is quarrelsome or ungrateful.
One should never serve these six worst types of men: an enemy, one
who always errs, a habitual liar, one who wavers in his devotion to God, a
cold-hearted man and one who is overconfident of his own abilities.
One’s objectives depend on the means for their success; and means
depend on the nature of the objective to be achieved through them. They are
intimately intertwined, and success depends on both. A man must have
sons, make them independent by providing for them, give daughters in
marriage to suitable men and then retire to the life of a Vanaprastha. To
receive the grace of the Supreme Being a man must always work for
universal good as well as for his own happiness; and this is the root of
success of all man’s endeavours. A man who has intelligence, energy,
prowess, strength, promptness and perseverance need have no anxieties
about his livelihood.
Look at the evils that a quarrel with the Pandavas will bring, which
would sadden Indra and all the Devas. Firstly, enmity with those who are
like sons to you; secondly, a life of constant anxiety; thirdly, the ruin of the
fame of the Kurus; and lastly, the joy of your enemies. O you who are as
splendid as Indra, the wrath of Bhishma, Drona and Yudhishtira will
consume the whole world, like a massive comet blasting through the Earth.
Your hundred sons, Karna and the sons of Pandu can together rule this
vast Earth with its girdle of oceans. Rajan, your sons are the forest, and the
Pandavas are its tigers. O, do not destroy the forest and its tigers. O, do not
let the tigers be driven away from the forest. Without tigers there can be no
forest and without a forest there can be no tigers. The forest shelters the
tigers and tigers guard the forest.
Those who are sinful look more for the faults than for the good qualities
of others. He who desires total success in his material ventures should be
virtuous from the very beginning, for true artha is impossible to obtain
without dharma, like amrita without swarga. He whose soul has been
cleansed of sin and firmly fixed on dharma has understood all things,
whether natural or artificial. He who pursues dharma, artha and kama at the
appropriate times gains all three, in this world and the next. He who
restrains the force of both anger and joy, and never loses his composure in a
crisis, wins prosperity.
Listen to me, O great king. Men are said to have five different kinds of
strength. Of these, the strength of arms is regarded as the least. The
acquisition of good advisors is seen as the second most important. The wise
have said that the acquisition of wealth is the third; the strength of one’s
lineage is considered the fourth. However, Bhaarata, the one by which all
these are won, and which is the best and most important of all kinds of
strength is the strength of the intellect.
After provoking the hostility of a man who is capable of doing great
injury to others, one should not reassure oneself with the thought that one
lives far away from him. A wise man does not repose his trust in women,
kings, serpents, his own master, enemies, enjoyments or his longevity.
There are no physicians or physics for a man who has been struck by
the arrow of wisdom; neither the mantras of homa nor auspicious
ceremonies, neither the mantras of the Atharva Veda nor any of the
antidotes for poison are of any use.
A man should not ignore snakes, fire, lions and blood relatives; all these
are powerful. Fire is a thing of great energy in this world. It hides itself in
wood but does not consume it until it is ignited by an outside agent. That
same latent fire, when sparked by friction, consumes not only the wood in
which it hides, but also an entire forest. Men of noble lineage are just like
fire in their energy. Of a forgiving nature, they do not betray outward
symptoms of wrath, and lie quiet like fire in wood.
O king, you and your sons are like creepers and the Pandavas are like
Sala trees. A creeper cannot grow unless there is a large tree for it to twine
round. Your sons are like a forest and the sons of Pandu are its lions.
Without its lions the forest is doomed to destruction, and lions, too, are
doomed without the forest to shelter them.’”
CANTO 38
“V idura says, ‘The heart of a young man soars in joy when an older
and venerable person comes to his house as a guest. His heart
comes down to earth again when he goes forward and greets him. One who
has self-control must first offer his guest a seat, then have his feet washed in
clean water, after which he must make the usual enquiries of welcome, then
give his own news and offer him food.
Wise men say that the man cannot be considered to be truly alive, in
whose home a Brahmana conversant with mantras does not accept water,
honey, curds or cattle from fear of either being unsure of whether he can
take the gifts away, or from the miserliness and unwillingness with which
the gifts are made. A householder must look on a newly arrived guest as
being very dear, regardless of the fact that he may not be worthy of being
offered water to wash his feet, be the guest a physician, a fletcher, a lapsed
Brahmachari, a thief, a Brahmana who drinks, an abortionist, a soldier or a
seller of the Vedas.
A Brahmana should never sell salt, cooked food, curds, milk, honey, oil,
ghee, sesame, meat, fruits, roots, potherbs, dyed clothes, perfumes and
sweets. The man who never gives way to anger, the one who is beyond
grief, the one to whom friendship and quarrels are meaningless, he who
disregards praise and blame and he who is detached from both the pleasant
and unpleasant is completely withdrawn from the world, and is a real Yogin
of the Bhikshu order.
The virtuous sannyasin who lives on wild rice, roots or herbs, who has
his soul under control, who carefully maintains his sacred fire for worship,
who lives in the forest and is always mindful of guests is indeed the best of
ascetics.
If a man wrongs an intelligent person, he should never become
complacent in that he lives a great distance away from the one he has
wronged. Far is the reach of an intelligent man, by which he can avenge the
wrongs done to him. One should never trust an untrustworthy man, nor
indeed repose too much trust on a reliable man, for both these make one
most vulnerable.
Men should renounce envy, protect their wives, give everyone their due
and speak pleasantly. A man should always speak sweetly to his wife but
must never be enslaved by her. It has been said that wives who are blessed
and virtuous, who are worthy of worship and who are the ornaments of their
homes are embodiments of domestic prosperity, of the Grihalakshmi. They
should be protected.
A man should delegate the supervision of his inner apartments to his
father; of the kitchen to his mother; of his cattle to somebody he looks upon
as his own self; but he must himself tend to his farming. A man should
assign his servants to care for guests who are Vaisyas and give his sons the
responsibility of looking after Brahmanas.
Fire has its origin in water, Kshatriyas in Brahmanas and iron in stone.
Their energy can affect all things but is neutralised as soon as these things
come in contact with their progenitors. Fire lies hidden in wood without
showing itself. Good men of a forgiving nature and fiery tejas do not betray
outwardly what is within them. The king whose plans are unknown to
outsiders as well as to those around him, but who knows what others are
planning, through his spies, enjoys long prosperity.
One should never talk about what one intends to do. Let anything you
do, with regard to dharma, artha or kama, remain unknown until it is done.
Reflect over and settle on your plans secretly, climbing to the top of a
mountain or the terrace of a palace or going to a deserted wilderness devoid
of trees and plants to do so. O Bhaarata, neither an ignorant friend nor a
learned one who has no self-restraint should be trusted with secrets.
Rajan, never make a man your minister without examining him well, for
your finances and inmost thoughts are in his hands. Fortunate is the king
whose ministers know what he does, with respect to dharma, artha and
kama, only after he has acted. The king whose counsels are kept close, and
with complete faith, has success.
He who commits reprehensible deeds from ignorance loses his life
because of unexpected consequences of those actions. Commendable deeds
are always followed by peace of mind, and their omission leads to
repentance.
Just as a Brahmana who has no Vedic learning is not fit to officiate at a
Sraddha, so too, the king who is ignorant of the six ways of protecting his
kingdom is not fit to engage in politics. The king who monitors the
increase, decrease and surplus to his revenue, who is familiar with the six
ways of protecting his kingdom, who has self-knowledge and whose
conduct is always praised brings the whole world under his rule. The king
whose anger and joy always produce results, who personally oversees all
activity in his kingdom and who keeps his treasury under his own control
brings the very earth under subjection.
A king should be content with the name he wins and the royal parasol
that is held over his head. He should divide the wealth of the kingdom
among those that serve him and not keep everything for himself.
A Brahmana knows a Brahmana, a husband understands the wife, a
king knows his minister, and monarchs know monarchs. An enemy who
deserves death should never be set free once he is subdued. If a man is
weak and he deserves death, he should pay court to his enemies who are
stronger than him. However, one must kill such an enemy as soon as one is
powerful enough, for otherwise the enemy will become dangerous.
A man should make an effort to control his anger against gods, kings,
Brahmanas, old men, children and the helpless. The wise man should avoid
unprofitable quarrels, in which only fools get involved. Thus one wins great
fame in this world and avoids suffering and sorrow.
The people never want for their master a man whose grace is without
favour and whose anger is ineffective, just as a woman never wants a
eunuch for a husband. Intelligence does not result in the acquisition of
wealth nor idleness in adversity.
Only the wise man knows what causes conditions on Earth to be so
diverse. The fool, Bhaarata, always ignores his elders, those eminent in
their conduct, the learned, the intelligent, the wealthy and the noble.
Calamities befall those that are wicked, ignorant, filled with envy, sinful,
foul-tongued and prone to anger. On the contrary, absence of deceitfulness,
generosity, the observance of decorum, and controlled speech give a man
domination over all creatures.
The man who is straightforward, active, grateful, intelligent and
guileless wins friends, advisors and servants, even if his coffers are empty.
Intelligence, tranquillity of mind, self-control, purity, refraining from harsh
speech and the unwillingness to do anything unpleasant to friends are
qualities that fan the flame of prosperity.
A man must avoid the wretched fellow who does not give others their
due, who has an evil soul and is ungrateful and shameless. The guilty man
who provokes suspicion about an innocent one cannot sleep peacefully at
night, like a man in a room with a snake in it. A man must propitiate, as he
would the gods, those who, when angry, put one’s possessions and means of
acquiring them in jeopardy. Success is doubtful for goals that depend upon
women, careless persons, men who do not follow the dharma of their varna
and those who are evil.
Like a stone raft has no choice but to sink, so do men who let a woman,
a deceitful person or a child guide them. Those who are experts at
something look down on men who are generally competent but have no
particular skill. A man whom swindlers, actors and women of bad character
speak highly of might as well be dead.
Bhaarata, you have forsaken the sons of Pandu, those Kshatriyas of
immeasurable energy, and entrusted care of this mighty empire to
Duryodhana. You will soon see your burgeoning prosperity falling away, as
Bali did from Swarga.’”
CANTO 39
“D hritarashtra says, ‘Man has no control over his own prosperity or

adversity. He is like a wooden string-puppet, and God subjects
him to destiny. Go on speaking; I am listening attentively to everything you
say.’
Vidura says, ‘Bhaarata, words spoken at the inappropriate time, even by
Brihaspati, are considered ignorant and reprehensible. There are three ways
for a man to become popular—giving gifts, speaking sweet words and using
spells and narcotics. However, the man who is naturally likeable is always
so.
In the eyes of one who hates him, a man is always dishonest, stupid and
foolish. A man attributes everything good to him whom he loves and
everything bad to him that he hates.
O king, I told you on Duryodhana’s birth that you should do away with
this one son, for, by that, you would ensure the prosperity of the rest of the
hundred of them; and that by keeping him, you would doom them all. One
should never give importance to a gain that leads to loss. One must, instead,
place great store by a loss that will eventually bring gain. It is no loss which
results in gain; only the loss that begets greater losses is a real loss.
Some gain eminence because of their good qualities, others because
they are wealthy. Dhritarashtra, keep away from the wealthy man who lacks
dharma.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘You speak wisely and for my good, but I dare not
abandon my son. Let us reassure ourselves with the conviction that victory
and dharma go hand in hand.’
Vidura says, ‘Those who are humble and graced with every virtue are
always sensitive to the least suffering of living beings; but those who spend
their time speaking ill of others always look for opportunities to quarrel
with them and to inflict pain. It is wrong to accept gifts from, or to give to,
those whose very presence is inauspicious and whose companionship is
fraught with danger.
Those who are contentious, covetous, shameless and deceitful are
without dharma, and one should avoid being with them. One should also
avoid those who have other serious flaws in their character. When the
circumstances which created the friendship end, one must end friendly
relations with those of bad character; the good that comes from that
connection, and the happiness, come to an end. Such men will then speak ill
of the man who was their friend and try to make him suffer losses and be
unhappy if the loss is small. Lacking control over themselves, they cannot
find peace. The learned man will carefully and objectively analyse
everything and shun the friendship of such evil-minded ones.
The man who helps his poor and helpless relatives will have children
and animals, and will enjoy unending prosperity. Those who want their own
good should always help their relatives. Therefore, Rajan, work for the
glory of your great vamsa in any way you can. You will prosper if you treat
all your kinsmen well and protect even those who are destitute of virtue.
Bharatarishabha, think about how much more they, who are blessed
with goodness and humbly await your favour, deserve your protection.
Grace the heroic sons of Pandu with your favour and give them some part
of the kingdom for their livelihood. This will bring you fame in this world.
You are old. You should control your sons; that alone will benefit you.
Know that I am your well-wisher. The man who wants his own good
must never have enmity with his kin. Happiness must always be shared and
enjoyed with one’s family, and not without them. Relatives should always
eat together, talk with one another and love each other; they must never fall
out. It is kinsmen who come to your rescue, and kinsmen who ruin you. The
righteous ones are the ones who come to your help, while the sinful ones let
you down.
O, you who are the giver of honours, use dharma in your dealings with
the sons of Pandu. Surrounded by them, you will be invincible.
If a man shrinks in the presence of a prosperous kinsman, like a deer at
the sight of a hunter armed with arrows, then the prosperous relative will
absorb the sins of the other. Purushottama, you will regret your present
course, of doing nothing to prevent a war, when you hear of the deaths of
the Pandavas or your sons.
O, think of this: when life itself is uncertain, one should from the start
avoid any awful deed that will plunge one into a world of fear and grief and
give cause for irremediable regret later. It is true that anyone, other than
Bhargava who authored the Dharmashastra, is likely, at one time or other, to
sin. Intelligent men understand the justness of the consequences of their
crimes.
As an elder of the Kuruvamsa, it is your duty to undo all the wrongs that
Duryodhana inflicted on the Pandavas. By reinstating them to their rightful
position you will be cleansed of all your sins in this world and be
worshipped even by enlightened souls. The man who acts after carefully
reflecting on what wise men say about the inexorable fruit of karma never
loses renown.
Wisdom imparted by knowledgeable men is imperfect if misunderstood,
or if understood but not put into practice. The learned man who never does
anything that will result in sin and sorrow always grows in prosperity. The
heedless, evil man, who stubbornly pursues the sinful course he has
embarked on, falls into a deep mire.
The wise man must always be aware of these six ways by which his
plans become known, and if he wants success and a lasting dynasty, he will
be on his guard against them. They are intoxication, sleep, heedlessness of
spies, one’s own demeanour which reflects one’s thoughts and confidence
placed in evil-hearted advisors and inept representatives. The man who
knows of these six doors through which secrets can slip out, who keeps
them shut while conducting his life in dharma, artha and kama, succeeds in
outwitting his enemies.
Even Brihaspati cannot win dharma or artha if he has no knowledge of
the Shastras and if he does not serve the elderly. As anything cast into the
sea is lost are words spoken into the ears of one who does not listen. The
Shastras are lost on one who does not have his emotions under control. An
offering of ghee is wasted if poured over the ashes of an extinguished fire.
The man who is blessed with intelligence forges friendships with the
wise, having first used his intelligence to examine, his understanding to
investigate and his ears to hear what others who have known and seen the
man say about him, and then by relying on his own discernment. Humility
prevents humiliation; prowess ends adversity; forgiveness conquers anger;
and dharma neutralises evil omens.
Rajan, a man’s lineage is judged by the things he enjoys, his place of
birth, his home, his demeanour, his food and dress. Even a man who has
attained spiritual freedom is tempted to indulge in pleasure, let alone the
man who is still a slave to his desires. A king should treasure a minister
who reveres the wise; who is blessed with knowledge and virtue; who has a
pleasant appearance, good friends, sweet speech and a good heart.
Whether he is of low or high birth, the man who does not break the
rules of polite conversation, who is conscious of dharma and who is humble
and modest is superior to a hundred men of noble lineage. The friendship of
men, whose hearts, private lives, pleasures and acquisitions are in complete
accord with one’s own, never cools.
The intelligent man should avoid an ignorant and evil man even like a
deep pit covered by grass, for friendship with such a man is short-lived and
dangerous. The wise man should never make a friend of one who is proud,
ignorant, fierce or reckless and who has strayed from the path of dharma.
One should want for a friend the man who is grateful, virtuous, truthful,
large-hearted and devoted, and one who has his senses under control, who
preserves his dignity and never forsakes a friend.
While the detachment of the senses from their objects is like death,
excessive indulgence of the senses would ruin even the gods. Learned men
say that humility, love of all creatures, forgiveness and respect for friends
lengthen one’s life. The wise say that the man who, with determination,
uses means of dharma to accomplish goals that have been thwarted
possesses real manhood. The man who knows of all the remedies that may
be applied in the future, who is firmly resolved in the present time and who
can predict at the start the result of his actions attains all his goals.
That which a man follows in thought, word and action wins him for
itself; therefore, a man should always seek what is truly good for him. After
achieving this, many other factors make a man prosper: effort, timely action
in the right place, the means to do so, knowledge of the Shastras, diligent
work, honesty and frequent contact with the good.
Perseverance is the key to prosperity, achievement and all that is
beneficial. The man who pursues his goal with perseverance, without giving
up in impatience, is great; and he will enjoy everlasting happiness. Then, O
king, there is the quality of mercy; nothing promotes happiness, nothing is
more appropriate for a powerful man than forgiveness, anywhere and
always. The weak man must be forgiving under all circumstances; the
mighty should show forgiveness, keeping dharma in mind; but forgiveness
comes naturally to the man who is detached from the success or failure of
his endeavours.
One must pursue, to the fullest extent, pleasure that does not go against
dharma and artha. However, one should not be a fool and indulge one’s
senses indiscriminately. Prosperity never attaches itself to a man who
tortures himself with grief; nor to one who is addicted to evil, who is an
atheist or idle; nor to one whose senses are uncontrolled; nor to one who
makes no effort. The humble man’s modesty is mistaken for weakness, and
the deluded persecute him.
Prosperity fearfully avoids the man who is too honest, who gives
without limit, who is too brave or who is vain about his wisdom. She stays
neither with the man who is highly accomplished nor with one who is not in
the least so. She does not prefer a conjunction of all the virtues, nor is she
pleased with their complete absence. At random, like a mad cow that cannot
be steered, prosperity blindly finds her home.
The result of studying the Vedas is the performance of the homa; the
fruits of knowing the Shastras are good manners and good conduct; the
fruits of women are the pleasures of intercourse and children; and the
consequence of wealth is the pleasure of doing charity.
He that performs rituals, with ill-gotten wealth, for his good in the next
world does not enjoy the usual fruits of such rites because of the means by
which the wealth used for this purpose was acquired. The man who has
strength of mind knows no fear, not in the midst of the desert, in forests or
other inaccessible fastnesses; not amidst dangers, crises or in the face of
deadly weapons raised against him. Prosperity is born out of effort, self-
control, skill, meticulousness, steadiness, a good memory and mature
deliberation before any action.
Tapasya is the strength of tapasvins; the Vedas are the strength of
scholars; envy is the strength of evil men; and in forgiveness lies the
strength of the virtuous. Eight things could never negate a vow: water,
roots, fruit, milk, ghee, obliging a Brahmana’s request, obeying a guru’s
command and good medicine.
One should never do to others anything that is against one’s own self-
interest. This is virtue. There are other kinds of virtue, but these issue from
caprice. Anger must be conquered by forgiveness, evil by dharma, the miser
by generosity, and falsehood by truth.
One must not trust a woman, a swindler, an idler, a coward, a vicious
man, one who boasts of his own power, a thief, an ingrate and an atheist.
The man who is respectful of his elders and serves the elderly will always
see the growth of his achievements, longevity, fame and power.
Do not set your heart on things that can be acquired only through
painful exertion, at the cost of dharma or by bowing down to an enemy. A
man without knowledge is pitiable, as is intercourse that does not bear fruit,
and also the people of a kingdom who have no food and a kingdom without
a king. These cause pain and debility in the living. Rain erodes hills and
mountains; the absence of enjoyment gives women anguish; and sharp
words wound the heart like arrows.
The worst thing for the Vedas is not to study them, and for Brahmanas it
is not to observe vratas; the worst beings on Earth are the Bahlikas; the
worst characteristic in a man is falsehood and in the chaste woman,
curiosity; and the worst condition for a woman is to be away from her
home. The worst part of gold is silver; of silver, tin; of tin, lead; and of lead,
grit. One cannot conquer sleep by lying down, women by desire, fire by
fuel and wine by drinking. The crown of success rests on the man who has
won over his friends by gifts, his foes by battle and his wife with food and
drink.
Those who have a hundred possessions are just as alive as those who
have a thousand. O Dhritarashtra, renounce your greed for excessive
possessions. There is no one who cannot live within the considerable means
you own. All the paddy, wheat, gold, animals and women on Earth cannot
satiate even one man. A wise man reflects on this and does not grieve for
want of owning everything. Rajan, I say to you again, treat your children
equally—your sons and Pandu’s.’”
CANTO 40
“V idura says, ‘The good man will win fame by abandoning pride
and pursuing his goals. He must take care not to overstep the
limits of his power because honourable men can make the man who pleases
them happy.
The man who voluntarily gives up something, even if it is magnificent,
because it is charged with adharma lives happily and shakes off his
enemies, like a snake shedding its skin. A victory won by a lie, by treachery
towards the king and by insincerity towards one’s elders is equal to the sin
of killing a Brahmana.
Envy, death and boastfulness destroy prosperity. Carelessness in serving
one’s elders, undue haste and vanity are the three enemies of knowledge.
Idleness, inattention, mental turmoil, restlessness, passing time idly with
friends, hauteur, pride and jealousy are particular shortcomings of students.
How can they that seek pleasure gain knowledge? Students cannot pursue
learning and, at the same time, indulge themselves. Devotees of pleasure
must give up knowledge, and those who seek knowledge must first abjure
pleasure.
Fire can never have enough fuel; the mighty ocean can never receive
enough water from the rivers that feed it; Death cannot be satiated even by
devouring all living creatures; and a beautiful woman can never have too
many men around her.
Hope kills patience; Yama kills growth; anger kills prosperity;
miserliness kills fame; neglect kills cattle; and the anger of just one
Brahmana destroys an entire kingdom. Ensure the presence of goats, brass,
silver, honey, antidotes to poison, birds, Brahmanas versed in the Vedas,
aged kinsmen and impoverished noblemen in your house.
Bhaarata, Manu has said that for the worship of the gods one must
always have these in one’s house: goats, bulls, sandalwood, flutes, mirrors,
honey, ghee, iron, copper, conch-shells, salagramas and gorochana,
Brahmanas and guests. All these are auspicious.
I will tell you of another sacred lesson, more exalted than these, one
which will bear great fruit: virtue should never be forsaken from desire, fear
or temptation, and not for life itself. Dharma is everlasting; pleasure and
pain are transitory; indeed life itself is everlasting but transitory in each
phase. Abandon the transitory and devote yourself to the permanent; and
contentment, that best of all blessings, will be yours.
See how illustrious and mighty kings, having ruled lands abounding in
wealth and corn, have fallen to Yama, leaving behind their kingdoms and
vast fonts of enjoyment. When the child who is nurtured with loving care
dies, weeping and wild-haired men carry his body in grief to the smasana
and throw it onto the pyre, where it burns as if it were just another log of
wood. Others enjoy a dead man’s wealth, while birds and fire feast on his
body. Only two things accompany him into the next world: his punya and
his paapa. After discarding his body his kinsmen go home, even as birds
abandon a tree that has no flowers or fruit.
The one cast into the funeral pyre takes with him only his own deeds.
Therefore, men should carefully and purposefully earn punya for
themselves. In the worlds above and below ours are regions of terrible
darkness, O king, where men’s senses suffer great torture. Do not allow
yourself to go to there.
If you listen attentively to me and act accordingly, great fame will be
yours in this mortal world, and you will never have fear now or hereafter.
The soul is like a river; deeds of punya are its sacred tirthas; truth, its water;
self-control, its banks; and kindness, its waves. The righteous man purifies
himself by bathing in it, for the soul is scared, and the absence of desire is
the highest merit. Life is a river whose waters are the five senses, and
whose crocodiles and sharks are desire and anger. Make self-control the raft
by which you cross its eddies, which are your repeated births.
The man who worships and pleases friends, who are wise, virtuous,
knowledgeable and mature in years, is never misguided by the advice they
give him. A man must restrain lust and hunger with patience, his hands and
feet with his eyes, his eyes and ears with his mind and his mind and speech
with his conduct.
The Brahmana who unfailingly performs his ritual ablutions, who
always wears his sacred thread, who never neglects his Vedic studies, who
avoids unclean food, who always tells the truth and who honours his guru
by his actions never falls from Brahmaloka. The Kshatriya who studies the
Vedas, who makes offerings to Agni, who performs yagnas, who protects
his subjects, who has purified his soul by arming himself with weapons in
order to safeguard Brahmanas and his cattle and who dies on the field of
battle attains Swarga. The Vaisya who distributes his wealth among
Brahmanas, Kshatriyas and his own dependants at the appropriate time, and
who breathes the sanctified smoke of the three kinds of fires gains joy in the
other world. The Sudra who worships Brahmanas, Kshatriyas and Vaisyas
as is their due; who has washed away his sins by gratifying them; and who
peacefully casts off his mortal body enjoys celestial bliss.
This is the dharma of the four varnas. Now listen to the reason I have
told you all this. Yudhishtira has been unable to fulfil his Kshatriya dharma.
You must place him in a position that he may discharge his kingly duties,
Rajan.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘What you teach me is always right, and I, too, am
inclined to do as you say. Although, in keeping with your advice, my heart
moves towards the Pandavas, it veers in a different direction as soon as I
see Duryodhana. No one can avert fate, which will always take its course;
and I think individual effort is futile.’”
CANTO 41
SANAT SUJATA PARVA
“D
my heart.’
hritarashtra says, ‘O Vidura, if there is anything you have not
told me, tell me now, for I am eager to listen. Your words delight
Vidura says, ‘Dhritarashtra, the ancient and immortal Rishi Sanat

Sujata, who was a celibate all his life, said that there is no death. That most
brilliant of all men will clear every doubt you have.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘Do you not know what the deathless Rishi would
say to me? You can advise me as well as he would; you have as much
wisdom.’
Vidura says, ‘I am a Sudra by birth and cannot say more than I have
already said. The wisdom and knowledge of that Brahmarishi is infinite. A
man who is born a Brahmana does not incur the disapproval of the gods,
even when he expounds the most profound mysteries. This is why I will
speak no more to you on this matter.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘Tell me, Vidura, how I, in my mortal body, can
meet this immortal and ancient one.’
Vidura meditates on that Rishi of stern vratas and, knowing that he was
thought of, the sage appears. Vidura receives him reverently with the
ordained rites and when, after a brief rest, Sanat Sujata is seated at his ease,
Vidura says to him, ‘O illustrious one, Dhritarashtra has doubts which I am
not able to clear. I beg you to do what I cannot. He might then overcome his
sorrow, which stems from being confused about gain and loss, what is
agreeable and disagreeable, old age and death, fear and jealousy, hunger and
thirst, pride and prosperity, dislike, sleep, lust, wrath, decrease and
increase.’”
CANTO 42
SANAT SUJATA PARVA CONTINUED
“V aisampayana said, ‘Dhritarashtra applauds what Vidura says and,

eager to obtain the highest knowledge, puts his questions to
Sanat Sujata without speaking.
In his mind the king asks the Rishi, ‘O Sanat Sujata, I hear that you
believe there is no death. On the other hand, it is said that Devas and Asuras
practise austere tapasya in order to avoid death. Which of these two is
true?’
Sanat Sujata says, ‘Some say that death can be averted by specific
karma; others are of the opinion that there is no death. You have asked me
which of these is true. Listen to me, O king, while I tell you about this, so
that your doubts are removed.
Kshatriya, both of these are true. The learned are of opinion that death
results from ignorance. I say that ignorance is death. Thus, knowledge is
immortality.
It is from ignorance that the Asuras became subject to defeat and death,
and it is from the absence of ignorance that the Devas attained Brahman.
Death does not devour, as a tiger does; its form cannot be known.
Some imagine Yama to be Death, deluded as they are by their weak
minds. Immortality lies in the search for self-knowledge, the eternal
Brahman. That imaginary Deva, Yama, rules over the realm of the Pitrs; he
is the source of joy to the virtuous and a scourge to sinners. It is at his
command that death walks among men, in the form of wrath, ignorance and
covetousness.
Swayed by pride, men walk the ways of dharma, and none amongst
such men attains Atmagyana. With darkened minds and led by their
passions, when they cast off their mortal bodies they fall into Naraka, over
and over, and their unruly senses follow them always. That is why
ignorance goes by the name of death. So, death also attaches to men who
want the fruit of their actions. When the time for enjoying these fruit comes,
they cannot avoid death. They leave their mortal bodies and go to
Swargaloka. Men who do not desire to see the fruit of their deeds also go to
Swarga when they leave their bodies; but for them there is no death.
Creatures with physical bodies are caught in a cycle of birth and re-birth
in varying states because of their inability to attain Brahman and due to
their attachment to worldly enjoyment. Man has a natural inclination
towards pursuits that seek illusory goals, and this is the single cause of his
senses being led astray. The soul that is led towards illusions remembers
only that with which it is constantly occupied and, so, worships only the
mundane pleasures that surround it. The desire for pleasure is the first cause
of death for man; lust and anger come next. It is these three—craving for
pleasure, lust and anger—that lead foolish men to death.
Those who have conquered their souls by self-restraint escape death.
The man who has restrained his soul without falling prey to his ambitious
desires subdues them; self-knowledge reveals their worthlessness to him.
Ignorance, in the form of Yama, cannot overcome the learned man who
controls his passions.
The man who follows his desires is destroyed along with his desires.
However, the man who can renounce desire can keep grief away, whatever
form it may take. Desire is ignorance; it is darkness and hell for all
creatures, for, swayed by it they lose control of their senses. Just as drunken
men walking along a street reel towards ruts and holes, so too, men
intoxicated by desire and lured by illusory joys stagger headlong towards
their downfall.
What can death do to a man whose soul has not been led by desire? For
him death holds no terrors; it is like a straw tiger. Kshatriya, if you want to
destroy desire, which is ignorance, you must not dwell on or pursue even
the smallest wish.
Your soul, which is in your body, enmeshed as it is in wrath and
covetousness, is filled with ignorance, which is death. Realising that death
comes in this way, the man who relies on knowledge need have no fear of
it. Indeed, as surely as death destroys the body, knowledge destroys death.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘The Vedas say that the sacred and eternal realms
that Dvijas can attain through prayer and sacrifice offer emancipation. Why
then should a learned man not perform such karma?’
Sanat Sujata says, ‘It is true that the man who has no knowledge can
take the path you mention, and what the Vedas say about bliss and moksha
being there is also true. The man who has given up all material wants
attains Brahman at once; but even the man who confuses the physical body
with the Atman attains Brahman, if he is able to renounce desire. If,
however, one seeks mukti without destroying desire, one has to go step by
step along the prescribed path, leaving every step he takes irrevocably
behind oneself and being careful not to have to retrace one’s way.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘Who is it that stimulates the Unborn and Ancient
One into action? If He is this universe because he is present in everything,
what form do action and happiness take for him who is without desire?
Tejasvin Rishi, speak to me of this.’
Sanat Sujata says, ‘You should not think of two essentially different
things as being one. Creatures come into being by the union of the Purusha
with Prakriti, both of which have no beginning, like time. This in no way
lessens the supremacy and importance of the unborn and all-pervading
Brahman. Men, too, have their origin in the same Supreme Being. All that
appears to you is nothing but that everlasting Paramatman. Indeed, the
universe is created by the transformations that the Supreme Soul goes
through.
The Vedas say that the Paramatman has the power to transform Himself,
and by that, causes transformations in this world.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘Some practise dharma; some do not, but renounce
all action and take sannyasa. Does virtue destroy vice, or is it destroyed by
vice?’
Sanat Sujata says, ‘The fruits of virtue and of perfect stillness, or
inaction, can both be used to attain moksha. The wise man succeeds by
gyana, knowledge; the worldly man acquires punya through karma, action,
but in the process he also acquires paapa, sin.
After earning the transitory fruits of both virtue and vice and existing
for a limited time in Swarga or Naraka the man of karma is involuntarily
drawn to a life of action because of his previous karma. The wiser amongst
such men exorcises his sins by his acts of dharma; dharma is powerful and
is the path to moksha.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘Tell me about those eternal realms, in the order of
their importance, that Dvijas attain as a result of following their svadharma.
Tell me about other, similar realms. Learned one, I do not wish to hear of
man’s nature, sinful and condemnable as it is.’
Sanat Sujata says, ‘The Dvijas who have good reason to be proud of
their skills at Yoga, as strong men are of their physique, shine in
Brahmaloka when they leave this world. Those Dvijas who can take pride
in their knowledge and the pure performance of yagnas and Vedic rites
attain Devaloka when they are freed from their mortal lives. There are
Vedic scholars who believe that the performance of yagnas will lead to
moksha. They, too, seek Atmagyana but place undue emphasis on rituals.
They are not worthy of the highest respect.
The Yogi should seek his sustenance in a place where sattvik food and
drink is abundant, like grass during the rainy season, rather than being a
burden on a householder of scanty means. By no means, however, should
he suffer from hunger or thirst.
In a situation where revealing one’s superiority is fraught with
uncertainties, the man who does not do so is more praiseworthy than the
one who does. Wise men approve of the food offered by a man who is not
offended by one who makes his superiority known and who never eats
without first having offered a proper share to Brahmanas and Sadasyas. Just
as a dog sickens because it eats its own vomit, so, too, do Yogins who get
their sustenance by making their superiority obvious.
Wise men recognise as a Brahmana the man who practices his religion
discreetly, so that even his family, in whose midst he lives, is unaware of it.
Only such a Brahmana is worthy of realising Brahman, who is formless,
unchangeable, singular and without duality. By similar conduct a Kshatriya,
too, can realise Brahman as being within himself. He who takes his Soul to
be his doing, feeling self sins by robbing the Atman of its true attributes.
A Brahmana should never try too hard or accept gifts; he should earn
the respect of men of dharma; he should be quiet and modest about his
Vedic knowledge. Only then will he gain Atmagyana and attain the
Brahman. He who is poor in material wealth but rich in punya and
sacrifices, becomes unconquerable and fearless; and he is Brahman
embodied.
The man who performs yagnas and succeeds in invoking the Devas and
having them grant his wishes is a lesser man than one who knows that
Brahman is the real performer of his yagnas; the former realises Brahman
by effort, whereas the latter attains Him with ease. The man whom the
Devas respect, though he does nothing for it, is truly honoured; the respect
bestowed by men is not true honour. The lack of the honour of men is no
cause for grief.
People generally act unthinkingly according to their natures, as
involuntarily as they blink their eyes. It is only the learned who respect
other men, and the man who receives respect should be aware of this. Men
who are foolish, inclined towards sin and deceitful, never respect those who
are worthy; in fact they go out of their way to be disrespectful.
The esteem of the world and the ascetic vow of silence, mowna vrata,
can never go together. This world is enjoyed by men who want esteem,
while the other world is for those who keep the vow of silence. In this
world, Kshatriya, happiness rests in worldly prosperity, which is actually an
obstacle to moksha, eternal bliss. Heavenly prosperity cannot be had by one
who is not truly wise.
Wise men say that there are several closely guarded gates that are
portals to moksha. They are truth, integrity, humility, self-control, purity of
mind and conduct, and Vedic knowledge. These six portals destroy vanity
and ignorance as one passes through them.’”
CANTO 43
“D hritarashtra says, ‘What is the purpose of the mowna vrata?

Which of its two kinds do you approve of—not speaking or
dhyana? Learned one, tell me about true mowna. Can a learned man attain a
state of stillness and freedom by practising it? Muni, how should it be
practised?’
Sanat Sujata says, ‘Veda gyana, even if acquired with concentration and
discipline, cannot reach the Paramatman; therefore Brahman itself is known
as mowna. It is from mowna that the Vedic sound AUM and other ordinary
sounds have been born; it is the Supreme Word, O king.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘Is the man who knows the Rig, Yajur and Sama
Vedas tainted by any sins he may commit?’
Sanat Sujata says, ‘A man who has not controlled his senses cannot
escape from his sins by virtue of his knowledge of the Rig, Yajur or Sama
Vedas. The Vedas never rescue a false man who lives by deceit; on the other
hand, they forsake him at his end, like fledglings leaving their nests.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘O you who have restrained your senses, if, as you
say, the Vedas cannot save a man from the consequence of his sins, then
why do Brahmanas labour under the delusion that the Vedas destroy sin?’
Sanat Sujata says, ‘Although this universe has been born from the
Brahman uniting with the gunas—attributes such as name and form, the
Vedas stress that it is distinct from them. Mowna and yagnas are prescribed
for the attainment of Brahman, and they are the means by which a learned
man acquires dharma. Sin is destroyed by virtue and the soul is enlightened
by knowledge.
It is with the help of knowledge that a learned man realises Brahman.
The man of little wisdom covets the four material goals and takes the fruits
of these with him into the next world. There he dwells and enjoys these
fruits for a limited time and, because they are only short-lived, he comes
back into this world of karma. The worldly fruits of mowna are enjoyed by
those who have not restrained their souls; but those who have, enjoy fruits
of the other worlds as well.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘Muni, how can the same ascetic austerities be
sometimes successful and sometimes not? Tell us how this is so.’
Sanat Sujata says, ‘Mowna that is not corrupted by desire or other
failings is successful and results in moksha; the aspirant succeeds. The
answers to all your questions touch the very roots of tapasya. It is with
gyana and mowna that learned men realise Brahman and live forever.’
Dhritarashtra said, ‘I now know the eternal mystery, with the
understanding you have given me about the mowna that is untainted by
defects. Tell me now, Sanat Sujata, about mowna that is marred by faults.’
Sanat Sujata says, ‘Twelve human vices mar the effectiveness of
mowna: anger, lust, avarice, ignorance of right and wrong, discontentment,
cruelty, jealousy, vanity, grief, love of pleasure, envy, and speaking ill of
others. Manavarishabha, a man should take care to avoid these twelve, for
any one of them by itself can destroy him. Indeed, every one of these vices
waits for its opportunity, like a hunter in ambush for a deer.
There are six forms of evil that sinful men practise, which make them
arrogantly fearless of dangers in this world and the next: boasting about
one’s own superiority, enjoying the wives of other men, humiliating others,
anger, fickleness and refusing to maintain those who deserve it.
These seven kinds of men—the man who makes the gratification of lust
his main aim in life, one who is haughty, one who regrets the gifts he gives,
the man who is miserly, one who oppresses his people with excessive taxes,
one who delights in the humiliation of others and the man who hates his
own wives—are also evil.
Twelve are the true attributes of a Brahmana’s way of life:
righteousness, non-violence, truthfulness of speech, self-restraint,
asceticism, joy in the happiness of others, modesty, forbearance, love of
others, sacrifices, gifts, perseverance and knowledge of the Shastras. The
man who acquires these twelve earns the power to control the Earth. A man
who has three, or two, or even one of these can consider that he has reached
his goal. Moksha lies in self-restraint, renunciation and Atmagyana. Wise
Brahmanas say that these attributes are founded in truth.
There are eighteen defects that, if avoided, pave the way for a man to
achieve self-control: non-performance of the prescribed rituals from
laziness, falsehood, malice, lust, wealth, love of sensual pleasure, anger,
grief, thirst, avarice, deceit, joy in the misery of others, envy, injuring
others, regret, aversion to piety, forgetfulness of duty, speaking ill of others
and vanity. These eighteen faults constitute mada, pride.
Renunciation is of six kinds, and the opposite of these six are also
definitions of mada, making the total number twenty-four. All six kinds of
renunciation are good; only the third is difficult to practise, but by it a man
overcomes all sorrow. In fact, the man who is accomplished in this form of
renunciation transcends the pairs of opposites, like joy and sorrow, pleasure
and pain.
O king, the first kind of renunciation is not feeling joy on gaining
prosperity; the second is giving up non-performance of yagnas and prayers;
the third is the abandonment of desire, or withdrawing from the world. As a
result of this third kind, one renounces the objects of enjoyment without
having enjoyed them, not after knowing them; nor does one relinquish an
acquisition after acquiring it and having no appetite for it.
The fourth kind of renunciation is not to allow oneself to grieve at the
failure of one’s efforts even those made using dharma and artha, wealth. It
is to feel no pain when something unpleasant happens. The fifth kind of
renunciation is to not ask for anything from anyone, even sons, wives and
other dear ones. The sixth kind is to give to a deserving person who asks,
which always brings punya. These five enable Atmagyana or Self-
knowledge.
The last kind of renunciation has eight characteristics: truth, meditation,
the ability to distinguish subject from object, the capacity to draw
inferences, withdrawal from the world, never taking what belongs to
another, adherence to brahmacharya—the vow of celibacy, and not
accepting charity.
In the same way as renunciation has characteristics, so, too, are defects
characteristic of mada, which is the opposite of dama—self-restraint—that
the Shastras elucidate. These faults should be avoided. I have told you
about renunciation and self-knowledge. Just as self-knowledge has eight
virtues, the want of it has eight faults. Those should also be avoided.
Bhaarata, the man who is liberated from his five senses, the intellect,
the past and the future becomes happy. Let your soul be devoted to truth; all
the worlds are established in truth. Truth is also the first attribute of self-
control, renunciation and self-knowledge. Avoid these faults and practise
mowna. Brahman has ordained that truth alone should be the vow of the
righteous. Mowna that is dissociated from these faults and endowed with
the virtues becomes the source of great prosperity.
I have now told you in brief about the sin-destroying and sacred subject
which liberates a man from the cycle of birth, old age and death.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘The fifth Veda, the Akhyana, says that the Supreme
Soul is the universe. Others recognise four Vedas, while some recognise
three, some two and some only one. Then there are those who acknowledge
Brahman alone as the one thing that exists, everything else having its
existence in Him. Tell me, which of these has true knowledge of Brahman?’
Sanat Sujata says, ‘There is but one Brahman, who is Truth. It is from
ignorance of that One that men have conceived several Vedas. But who is
there, O king, who has attained Brahman, that Absolute Truth?
Without knowing that One object of knowledge that they ought to, men
think they have gained wisdom. From the hope of gaining happiness they
engage in study and practice daana and perform yagnas. The purposes of
such men, who have strayed from Truth, match their condition; they rely on
the Vedic texts as the Truth and so emptily perform their yagna and daana.
Some perform and attain the object of sacrifices by dhyana, meditation;
some by chanting prayers, japa; some by the completion of the yatishtoma
and other costly rites. However, the man who seeks Brahman through Truth
gets what he wants, in his very home.
When a man’s objectives are aborted by lack of Atmagyana he must
adopt vows such as mowna vrata and diksha vrata. In fact, the word diksha
is its own root, and it means observance of vratas. For those who have
attained Atmagyana, Truth is the highest object of their pursuit.
The fruits of gyana are visible; the fruits of mowna are only enjoyed in
the hereafter. A Brahmana who, without gyana and mowna, has read much
should only be regarded as a great reader; never assume that a man can be a
Brahmagyani—one who knows Brahman—merely by reading the Shastras.
Know, on the other hand, that the true Brahmana is one who never deviates
from the Truth.
O Kshatriya, the verses that were recited in olden times by Atharvan to
a conclave of Maharishis are also called the Chhandas. Those who have
read the Vedas but do not have knowledge of the One Being, that should
follow, must not be considered as having acquired true Vedic knowledge.
The Chhandas are the independent means of attaining Brahman without the
need for doing anything else. Those who are only acquainted with the
modes of sacrifice prescribed in the Vedas cannot be regarded as knowing
the Vedas. On the other hand, those who have served men with true Vedic
knowledge have as good as attained knowledge of the One Being that Veda
gyana leads to.
There is no one quality of the intellect that can help a man acquire the
true meaning of the Vedas, nor can all the qualities of the intellect; yet there
may be some few men who have grasped it. Whatever might happen, the
man who has only read them does not gain knowledge of the One Being
that can be known through knowing the Vedas; it is the man who is firmly
established in the Truth who knows Him.
There are no qualities, which delude men to perceive the physical body
as the Self, that can lead to Atmagyana. A man’s intellect alone cannot help
him distinguish the Self from the not-Self. He who knows the Self also
knows what is not-Self; but he who knows only what is not-Self does not
know Truth.
He who knows the proofs knows that which he seeks to prove, but
neither Vedic knowledge nor the Vedas themselves can perceive its true
nature. But Brahmanas who have true knowledge of the Vedas succeed in
knowing the One Being that a study of the Vedas can lead to.
Just as the twig of a particular tree is sometimes used for indicating the
day of the new moon, the Vedas are used for indicating the highest
attributes of the Paramatman. In my opinion, a Brahmana, or one who
knows Brahman, is one who explains men’s doubts, having first cleared his
own; he is one who has true knowledge of his Self, Atmagyana.
You cannot find the Atman by searching in the East, South, West, North
or in subsidiary cardinal directions, or even laterally. Very rarely can the
man who thinks his body is the Self find Atman. Beyond the conception of
even the Vedas, the man of Yoga dhyana can behold the Supreme Being.
Completely restrain all your senses and your mind and seek Brahman who
resides in your own soul.
A man is no Muni who practises dhyana in silence, nor is he one who
retires from the world and lives in the forest; a Muni is the man who knows
his true nature.
A man is said to be a Vaiyakarana, or grammarian, who can trace every
word to its root and explain it—Vyakarana. Every word has its root in
Brahman. The man who sees all the Lokas before his eyes knows
everything; the man who is established in Truth and knows Brahman is a
real Brahmana; and a Brahmana possesses universal knowledge.
A Kshatriya who practises Brahmana dharma also beholds Brahman. He
can also attain to that supreme state by going step by step in accordance to
the teachings of the Vedas. I know all this for certain; and that is why I tell
it to you.’”
CANTO 44
“D hritarashtra says, ‘O Sanat Sujata, what you say of Brahman and

the origin of the universe is illuminating indeed and lightens my
heart. Tell me more of such things that are not to do with worldly pursuits
and, so, not common among men.’
Sanat Sujata says, ‘Brahman, about which you ask me so joyfully,
cannot be attained in a hurry. After you have restrained your senses, when
conscious thought is merged in pure intellect, the state that succeeds is one
of utter absence of worldly thought. That condition is true knowledge and
leads to the realisation of Brahman. It can be attained only by practising
brahmacharya.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘You say that the mind is where knowledge of
Brahman naturally resides, being discovered only through brahmacharya;
that, dwelling in the mind, it needs no effort to manifest itself; and that this
happens whilst one seeks it through brahmacharya. How then is immortality
associated with the attainment of Brahman?’
Sanat Sujata says, ‘Though dwelling in and inherent to the mind, the
knowledge of Brahman is still unmanifest. Pure intellect and brahmacharya
are needed to make it emerge into consciousness. Then, having attained that
knowledge, Yogis forsake this world naturally. True gyana is found among
great gurus. I will tell you now about this knowledge.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘What should be the nature of brahmacharya by
which the knowledge of Brahman might be attained without too much
difficulty? Dvijottama, tell me this.’
Sanat Sujata says, ‘Those who live in the asramas of their gurus, who
win their goodwill and friendship and who practise austere celibacy become
earthly embodiments of Brahman. They cast off their bodies and become
one with the Paramatman. Those who seek to attain the state of Brahman
subdue all desires and, living in dharma, they succeed in dissociating their
souls from their bodies, like a blade of grass standing upright on a flat
heath.
The mother and father create the human body, but the birth that occurs
as a result of obeying the guru is sacred and free from old age and death.
The guru who discourses on Brahman, while granting immortality, wraps
all his disciples in the mantle of Truth. The sishya should think of him as
father and mother; and remembering the good he does, never do him injury.
A sishya must always greet his guru with respect; with a pure mind and
body, he must direct his attention to his studies. He must not consider any
service too humble to perform for him and must never feel anger. This is the
first step of brahmacharya. The disciple who learns about his own duties by
observing the duties of other disciples also takes the first step on the path of
brahmacharya.
A sishya should do whatever pleases his guru in thought, word and
deed, even at the expense of his own life and all his possessions. This is the
second step of brahmacharya. Also a second step is for the disciple to
behave towards his guru’s wife and son in the same way that he does to his
guru.
The sishya must appreciate all that his guru has done for him and,
understanding the goals, think with joy, He has taught me and made me
great. This is the third step of brahmacharya. The good disciple should not
leave his guru’s home without first getting his leave and without paying
gurudakshina, while disassociating himself from being the giver of it. This
is the fourth step of brahmacharya.
He achieves the first step towards knowledge of Brahman, which is the
object of brahmacharya, in due course; the second step is through the guru’s
teachings; the third is by his own intellect; and finally, the fourth is by
satsanga and discussion.
Learned men have said that Brahmacharya consists of twelve virtues;
the Yoga practices are called its Angas, and perseverance in Yoga dhyana is
its nutrient. The man who has achieved mastery in Yoga, with his guru’s
help and with true understanding of the Vedas, becomes a successful Yogi.
A man must give whatever wealth he may earn, whilst he is a disciple,
to his guru. It is in this way that the guru makes his livelihood by his
svadharma. The sishya should do the same for his guru’s son. Living in this
manner as a Brahmachari, the disciple thrives and is blessed with progeny
and renown. Men from all over the world shower him with wealth, and
many come to his home to practice brahmacharya. It is through
brahmacharya of this kind that the Devas obtained their divinity, and
blessed sages of great wisdom attained Brahmaloka. This is how the
Gandharvas and the Apsaras acquired physical beauty, and it is through
brahmacharya that Surya rises to make the day.
In the same way that seekers of the stone that turns base metals into
gold derive joy when they find what they are looking for, the Devas and
others obtain great happiness on completion of their brahmacharya, for then
they can have whatever they wish.
Rajan, the man who is devoted to tapasya takes up brahmacharya in its
entirety and thus purifies himself. This man is wise for, by this, he becomes
like an innocent child, free from dark passions; and he triumphs over death.
Through karma, men can only obtain worldly wealth, which is perishable;
but the man who is blessed with true gyana uses it to attain Brahman, which
is everlasting. There is no path other than gyana and the attainment of
Brahman that can lead to Moksha.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘You say that a wise man sees Brahman in his own
soul. Is Brahman white, red, black, blue or purple? Tell me what is the true
form and colour of the omnipresent and eternal Being?’
Sanat Sujata says, ‘Brahman may be seen as white, red, black, brown or
fulvid. But neither on Earth nor in the sky, nor in the waters of the ocean is
there anything like It. You will not see the like in stars, in lightning or in
clouds. It cannot be compared with anything one may see in the air, in the
Moon, in the Sun or in the celestial bodies.
Neither the Rig nor the Yajur, neither the Atharvan nor the pure Saman
has anything that is comparable. It is not to be found in Rathantara,
Varhadratha or in great yagnas. It cannot be measured and it lies beyond the
limited reach of the intellect. Even the universal Destroyer loses himself in
It after the Pralaya.
One cannot see It, for It is as subtle as a razor’s edge and also more
immense than a great mountain. It is the basis upon which everything is
founded; It is unchangeable; It is this visible universe; It is omnipresent,
vast and delightful. All creatures have sprung from It and will return to It. It
is free from duality; It is manifest as the universe; and It is all-pervading.
Learned men say that It is changeless, except in the language that is used to
describe It.
Those that know this Entity in which everything is established are
emancipated.’”
CANTO 45
“S anat Sujata says, ‘Sorrow, anger, avarice, lust, ignorance, sloth,

malice, self-importance, love of profit, affection, jealousy and evil
speech are grave and destructive flaws in character. Each of these waits for
an opportunity to capture a man, who then yields his good sense up to them,
and helplessly sins.
A man who is covetous, one who is fierce, one who speaks harshly, a
man who is garrulous, one who fosters anger and a man who is boastful are
evil-minded and, once they acquire wealth, treat others discourteously. A
man whose life’s objective is sensual gratification, one who is vain, a man
who boasts about the gift he gives, a miser, a man who is feeble-minded,
one who admires himself and a man who hates his own wife are seven that
one must consider sinful.
The twelve characteristics of a Brahmana are righteousness,
truthfulness, asceticism, self-restraint, contentment, humility, self-sacrifice,
selflessness, generosity, knowledge of the Shastras, patience and
forgiveness. The man who adheres to these has the power to rule the world.
The man who is invested with three, two or even one of these qualities
never claims exclusive ownership of anything. Moksha lies in self-restraint,
renunciation and knowledge. These are the attributes of wise Brahmanas
who regard Brahman as the highest of all goals. Be it true or false, it is not
proper for Brahmanas to speak ill of others; those who do will surely find
Naraka.
I have not yet spoken to you of the eighteen defects that mada has. They
are ill-will towards others, obstruction of dharma, defaming others,
dishonesty, lust, anger, excessive reliance on other people, slander, casting
blame, wasting money, disputatiousness, insolence, cruelty to living
creatures, malice, ignorance, disrespect of those that are worthy of
deference, not recognising right and wrong, and hurtfulness. A wise man
should never give in to mada, for its attributes are condemnable.
Friendship is indicated in six ways. Firstly, a true friend delights in the
prosperity of his friends. Secondly, he is distressed by their adversity.
Thirdly, if his friend asks him for something he values, even that which
ought not to be asked for, he gives it unreservedly. Fourthly, a true friend
would give away all his wealth, his beloved sons and even his own wife for
the sake of his friend. Fifthly, a friend would rather enjoy only what he can
earn than live in the home of his friend to whom he may have given
everything. Sixthly, a friend would think nothing of sacrificing his own
good for his friend.
The affluent man who wants to acquire these qualities, and who
becomes charitable and keeps dharma, can do so by restraining his five
senses. Such restraint is asceticism. When it grows it can take a man to
realms of bliss in the hereafter. Gyana, however, can lead a man to moksha
even in this world.
Men who, from impatience, are unable to acquire wisdom, can still gain
such asceticism through the power of their goal of attaining moksha. As a
consequence of his ability to grasp that Truth, which is Brahman, the source
of all yagna, a Yogi can perform sacrifices with the power of his mind;
others perform yagnas by sacred chanting, japa; and some by work, karma.
Brahman resides in him who knows Brahman as being saguna, vested with
attributes, but is established more firmly in him who knows Brahman as
being nirguna, without any attribute.
Listen now to something else. All seekers should know this great and
exalted philosophy; all other systems of belief are just so many words. The
universe is established in this faith; those who know it never die. O king,
one cannot attain Brahman merely by virtue of karma, regardless of how
well one accomplishes one’s work. The man who is destitute of knowledge
can never achieve moksha through karma, even if he conducts countless
homas and yagnas. He does not experience lasting joy at their end. A man
must restrain all the outward senses and on his own seek Brahman. He
should give up all karma and still his mind. By this, he should neither feel
elation on being praised nor anger on being censured.
O Kshatriya, by conducting himself in this way, step by step as
prescribed in the Vedas, a man can attain Brahman in this very world. Of
this I assure you.’”
CANTO 46
“S anat Sujata says, ‘The Seed from which the universe originated is
called Mahayasas. It is pure knowledge, devoid of extrinsic
attributes, and It blazes with lustre. It leads the senses; It is what makes
Surya shine. Yogis see the Eternal One with their inner eye.
The Seed, which is bliss itself, gives Brahma the ability to create and to
grow. It is this Bija that gives heat and light to luminous bodies; It generates
its own light and heat and is an object of terror to all heat-and light-giving
bodies. Yogis see the Eternal One with their inner eye.
From Brahman arise the five subtle elements, the mahabhutas, from
which are born the five gross elements, the bhutas, which constitute the
human body. The heart contains both the living soul, Atman, as well as the
divine soul, Iswara, or Paramatman. Respectively, these two lose
consciousness during sleep and at the time of Pralaya. Brahman, on the
other hand, is ever awake. He is the Sun’s Sun and holds up Bhumi and
Swarga. Yogis see the Eternal One with their inner eye.
The Seed supports Atman and Paramatman, Bhumi and Swarga, the
cardinal directions and the whole universe. The points of the compass and
the rivers spring from the Seed; It is the point of origin of the vast seas.
Yogis see the Eternal One with their inner eye.
The body is a chariot set on a course of destruction; its deeds, however,
are undying. The wheels of that chariot are the deeds of past lives; the
horses that pull it are the senses that draw a man of true knowledge through
the realms of the unconscious to the Immortal Being. Yogis see the Eternal
One with their inner eye.
The form of the Supreme One cannot be described by comparison with
any other. No one ever sees Him with the body’s eye; the man of wisdom
who sees Him with his mind and heart has no death. Yogis see the Eternal
One with their inner eye.
The river of illusion is fearful; it is guarded by the gods and it bears
twelve fruits. As they swim along, men drink its waters and see many
desirable things in its midst. This river has its source in the Seed. Yogis see
the Eternal One with their inner eye.
The Atman is destined to journey to and fro, from life to afterlife,
enjoying only half the fruits of earthly actions in the other world. Iswara,
however, is all pervading and the ordainer of all sacrifices. Yogis see the
Eternal One with their inner eye.
The Soul is originally naked. Resorting to Avidya, which is like a tree
with golden leaves, it clothes itself in attributes and takes birth again and
again in different castes according to its current dominant guna. Thus does
the Paramatman take forms that house the Atman. Yogis see the Eternal
One, in whom all souls reside, with their inner eye.
External attributes come into contact with Brahman, giving him many
forms. From the One has the universe sprung, and from the One have also
sprung outward attributes that are in themselves whole. When a man
succeeds in dispelling everything extrinsic, what remains is Brahman who
is the intrinsic whole. Yogis see the Eternal One with their inner eye.
It is from the Seed that the five elements have arisen, and the Seed is the
seat of power that controls them. It is from the Seed that both the one who
consumes and the consumed—Agni and Soma—have sprung; it is in the
Bija that all life rests. Everything originates from It. In the Vedas the Seed
is named Tat, and it is beyond description. Yogis see the Eternal One with
their inner eye.
The vital air called apana is absorbed by the air called prana; prana is
swallowed by the mind; the mind dissolves in the intellect; and intellect is
consumed by Brahman. Yogis see the Eternal One with their inner eye.
The Supreme Soul, when embodied, is like a man with four legs, each
leg a state of being—waking, dream, deep sleep and turiya. In the last, he is
like a swan wading out from the deep waters of samsara, hiding one leg
deep in its wing. For the man who sees this hidden state of turiya as the
means by which the other three are guided, death and moksha are the same.
Yogis see the Eternal One with their inner eye.
Only as large as a man’s thumb, this eternal organism, the Seed, the
Bija, is ever full. When It becomes part of a human body—with its prana,
mind, intellect and ten senses—It is set in motion. That Supreme Sovereign,
worthy of reverential hymns, capable of everything when vested
extrinsically, the prime cause of everything, is manifest as Gyana in the
human Atman. Only a fool does not see him. Yogis see the Eternal One
with their inner eye.
There are those who have gained mastery of their minds and those who
have not. Yet the Supreme Soul is equally present in all men—in the
emancipated and in the bound; the difference being that nectar flows in a
thick stream into the emancipated Yogis, who see the Eternal One with their
inner eye.
If, on his life’s journey, a man attains knowledge of self and not-self, it
matters little whether he performs Agnihotra or not. O king, do not let
words like I am your servant fall from the lips of such a man. Brahman has
another name, Pure Knowledge. Only those who have restrained their
minds know Him. Yogis see the Eternal One with their inner eye.
He is illustrious and complete; all living creatures are merged into Him.
The man who knows this embodiment of Oneness achieves moksha whilst
alive in this world. Yogis see the Eternal One with their inner eye.
Everything, even that which flies away, stretching thousands of wings
and with the speed of the mind, must come back to the central spirit within
the body, in which the most distant things reside. Yogis see the Eternal One
with their inner eye.
The eye cannot perceive his form; only the pure of heart can behold
him. He is pure-hearted who seeks universal good, succeeds in controlling
his mind and does not allow his heart to be touched by grief. Such a man
can abandon the world and all its cares and become immortal. Yogis see the
Like serpents lying coiled and hidden in a pit, there are those who
despite their learning follow their own instincts; but they keep their vices
hidden. They deceive only those who have little sense. They deceive people
by an outward show of dharma and lead them to hell. Know that Brahman
may well be attained by companionship with unlikely men. Yogis see the
The man who is freed knows that his impermanent body cannot give
him grief or joy, or indeed any other attributes that attach to it. For him
there can be no death or birth. Since he realises that Brahman, which has no
dualities and which is constant everywhere and all the time, is where reality
and illusion both reside, he can be emancipated. He knows that Brahman
alone is the beginning and end, all causes and effects. Existing in the form
of I, or Self, the divine, Eternal One is beheld by Yogis with their inner eye.
The man who knows Brahman is equal to Brahman. He is neither
glorified by good deeds nor defiled by evil ones. It is only in ordinary men
that good and bad karma produce different results. The man who has seen
Brahman is immortal, Amrita; he is in the singular state called Kaivalya,
unaffected by virtue or vice. In this way a man receives the essence of
sweetness that is Brahman. Yogis see the Eternal One with their inner eye.
The heart of such a man is not distressed by slander, or by not having
studied the Vedas, or by not having performed the Agnihotra. The
knowledge of Brahman imparts to him the wisdom that only they who have
restrained their minds have access to. Yogis see the Eternal One, the
Brahman which frees the soul from grief and ignorance, with their inner
eye.
The man who sees himself in everything no longer grieves, for grief is
the lot of those who are occupied with worldly pursuits. Just as one’s thirst
may as easily be quenched in a well as in a vast reservoir, a man’s
knowledge of Brahman will quench his thirst for knowledge as easily as
does knowledge of the entire Veda. Dwelling in the heart, and only as big as
a thumb, that illustrious embodiment of wholeness cannot be seen. He is
unborn, yet moves in wakefulness, day and night. The man who knows him
becomes learned and is filled with ineffable joy.
I am the mother and father. I am the son. I am the soul of all that ever
was and of all that shall ever be. I am the venerable grandfather; I am the
father; I am the son. You live within my soul; but you are not mine nor am I
yours. The Soul is the cause of my birth and procreation. I am the warp and
weft of the universe. The foundation upon which I rest is indestructible.
Unborn, yet awake, I move day and night. To know me is to be learned and
full of joy.
Thus is the Brahman.
Subtler than the subtle, capable of looking into the past and the future,
Brahman is awake in every creature. Those who know Him know that the
Universal Father dwells in the heart of everything in creation.’”
CANTO 47
YANASANDHI PARVA
V aisampayana said, “Dhritarashtra passes the night in conversation

with Sanat Sujata and Vidura.
In the morning, all the kings and princes come to the sabha, full of joy
on hearing that the Suta has returned and looking forward to seeing him.
Both anxious and eager, they go to the beautiful hall with Dhritarashtra at
their head to hear Yudhishtira’s message that is charged with dharma and
artha. The capacious sabha is spotlessly clean and adorned with a golden
floor. It is as bright as the Moon and sprinkled with fragrant sandalwood
water; luxurious seats made of gold, wood, marble and ivory, covered with
exquisite fabric, fill that majestic court.
In one body do these kings and powerful others enter the Kuru sabha,
with Dhritarashtra leading them: Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, Salya,
Kritavarman, Jayadratha, Aswatthama, Vikarna, Somadatta, Bahlika, the
immensely wise Vidura and Maharatha Yuyutsu. With the regal and choleric
Duryodhana at their head, Dusasana, Chitrasena, Subala’s son Sakuni,
Durmukha, Dussaha, Karna, Uluka and Vivimsati enter the sabha, looking
like Indra with his entourage of Devas. The hall, filled with these heroic
men, their arms like iron maces, is like a mountain cave filled with lions.
Those mighty and fiery archers blaze like the Sun as they enter and sit
down on wonderful thrones.
Once all the kings are seated, the door keeper announces the arrival of
the Sutaputra Sanjaya, saying, ‘Here comes the chariot that was despatched
to the Pandavas. Borne by the fleet Sindhu steeds, our duta has returned
swiftly.’
Approaching with speed, Sanjaya, adorned with golden kundalas,
alights from the ratha and strides into sabha filled with noble kings.
The Suta says, ‘O Kauravas, I have returned from seeing the sons of
Pandu. The Pandavas salute all the Kurus, each according to his age. They
pay their homage to the elderly and send greetings and blessings to their
contemporaries and the younger men. Listen, O Kshatriyas, to what I said to
the Pandavas, as I was instructed by Dhritarashtra when I went from here,
and hear what they said in reply.’”
CANTO 48
YANASANDHI PARVA CONTINUED
“D hritarashtra says, ‘O Sanjaya, I ask you in the presence of my

son and all these kings, what did the illustrious and mighty
Dhananjaya, that first among warriors, the scourge of evil men, say?’
Sanjaya says, ‘Let Duryodhana hear the words that noble Arjuna, who
is eager to fight, said in Krishna’s hearing and with Yudhishtira’s approval.
Fearless in battle, aware of the might of his arms and eager to fight, the
heroic Kiriti spoke to me in Krishna’s presence.
He said, “O Suta, say these words to Dhritarashtra’s son, in the presence
of all the Kurus, also in the hearing of that foul-tongued, black-souled, dull-
witted Karna, whose days are numbered and who spoils for battle with me,
and in the hearing of all the kings who have gathered to go to war against
the Pandavas. Make sure that the king and his ministers mark my words
well.”
O king, as attentively as the Devas listen to Indra did the Pandavas and
Srinjayas listen to Arjuna’s grave words.
The wielder of the Gandiva, his eyes as red as lotuses and eager for war,
said, “If Duryodhana does not give Yudhishtira of the Ajamida vamsa his
kingdom, it is plain that the sons of Dhritarashtra must have committed
some heinous sin whose consequences they have not yet reaped, for there
can be no other reason why they should want to go to war against
Bhimasena, Arjuna and the twins, against Vasudeva, Sini’s son, the
infallible marksmen Dhrishtadyumna and Sikhandin, and against
Yudhishtira, who is a second Indra and who can consume heaven and earth
by merely wishing them ill. If Dhritarashtra’s son wants war with these
men, then the goals of the Pandavas will be accomplished. Therefore, do
not propose peace to the sons of Pandu, but let us have war if you like.
Yudhishtira lay on a bed of sorrows in the forest when he lived in exile;
O, let a more painful bed than that, on bare earth, be Duryodhana’s now,
and let him lie down on it at his end, deprived of life. Win Duryodhana’s
men over to Yudhishtira’s side, for my brother is blessed with modesty and
wisdom, asceticism and self-restraint, courage and the might of dharma.
Our king is also humble, righteous and ever truthful, and though he was
deceived and betrayed in so many ways, he has forgiven it all and patiently
borne great injustice.
When this eldest son of Pandu, of the controlled soul, directs the terrible
anger that has accumulated for years at the Kurus, Duryodhana will repent.
In the same way that a blazing fire burns dry grass in summer, so will
Yudhishtira’s flaming wrath consume Dhritarashtra’s army, why, with a
mere glance of his eye.
When Duryodhana sees the great and furious Bhimasena standing in his
chariot with his mace in hand and vomiting the venom of his wrath, he will
repent. When he sees the mail clad Bhima, who always fights in the front,
on whom even his own followers can scarcely bear to look, felling hostile
heroes and devastating the enemy’s ranks, as if he was Yama himself, then
vain Duryodhana will remember my words.
When he sees Bhima strike down elephants like mountain peaks, and
sees blood flowing from their shattered heads like water from broken casks,
Duryodhana will repent. When the fierce Bhima of fearful form falls upon
Dhritarashtra’s sons, mace in hand, and slaughters them, like a great lion
attacking a herd of cattle, Duryodhana will repent. When the heroic Bhima,
undaunted even by great danger and skilled in the use of all weapons, that
crusher of enemy hosts, mounted on his chariot, grinds into the dust
innumerable and better chariots, as well as entire divisions of footsoldiers,
seizing enemy elephants with his iron-hard noose and mowing down
Dhritarashtra’s forces, like a sturdy woodsman a forest with his axe,
Duryodhana will repent.
When he sees Dhritarashtra’s armies consumed like a village of straw
huts by fire, or like a field of ripe corn by lightning; when he sees his vast
army scattered, its leaders slain and the terrified men turning to flee, and all
the warriors, humbled to the dust, scorched by fire of Bhimasena’s
weapons, Duryodhana will repent.
When Nakula, Kshatriya of wonderful feats, foremost of rathikas,
shoots endless streams of deadly arrows and mangles Duryodhana’s chariot-
warriors, Duryodhana will repent. When Nakula, who is accustomed to
comforts and luxuries, thinks back on that bed of anguish on which he slept
for years in the vana and spews his wrath in a venomous jet, like an angry
snake, Duryodhana will repent.
When Duryodhana sees our allied kings, who are ready to lay down
their lives for Dharmaraja Yudhishtira, urged into battle by him, furiously
advance in their resplendent chariots against the enemy, the son of
Dhritarashtra will certainly repent. When the Kuru prince sees the five
heroic sons of Draupadi, tender in years but not in deeds, and all masters of
arms, storm fearlessly at the Kaurava legions, Duryodhana will repent.
When Sahadeva, bent on carnage, and mounted on his chariot of silent
wheels and inexorable course, set with golden stars and drawn by superb
horses, makes the heads of kings roll on the field with his volleys of arrows;
when Duryodhana sees that masterly warrior, riding his ratha in the frightful
havoc of bloody war, attack the enemy in all directions, Duryodhana will
repent. Indeed, when the modest but mighty Sahadeva, skilled in battle,
truthful, devoted to dharma and of boundless vigour, attacks the son of
Gandhari in fierce encounter and routs all his followers, Duryodhana will
repent.
When he sees Draupadi’s sons, all great archers, all heroes and masters
of weapons and fighting from chariots, dart at the foe like vicious,
poisonous snakes, then will the son of Dhritarashtra repent for this war.
When Parantapa Abhimanyu, as expert in arms as Krishna, overpowers the
Kaurava legions with dark gales of arrows, Duryodhana will repent.
When he sees Subhadra’s son, a child in years but not in prowess, as
skilled with weapons as Indra himself, attack the enemy ranks like Yama,
Duryodhana will repent. When young Prabhadraka of leonine vitality,
experienced in battle, is among Dhritarashtra’s sons and their troops,
When those veteran Maharathas, Virata and Drupada, attack
Dhritarashtra’s sons as they stand at the head of their legions, Duryodhana
will repent. When the master of astras, Drupada, seated in his chariot and
eager to take the heads off your young warriors, decapitates them with
inexorable arrows, Duryodhana will repent. When Parantapa Virata and his
cool-headed Matsya warriors penetrate the ranks of the enemy, felling them
all around as they advance, Duryodhana will repent. When he sees the
eldest son of the Matsya king fighting from the van of the Pandava army,
sitting in his chariot, calm and courageous, and clad in shining mail,
When that greatest of all Kaurava heroes, the virtuous son of Santanu, is
slain in battle by Sikhandin, then all our enemies will die. This I know
beyond doubt. When Sikhandin advances on his armoured ratha towards
Bhishma, shattering multitudes of enemy rathas on the way, Duryodhana
will repent. When Duryodhana sees Dhrishtadyumna, who has learnt all the
secrets of the astra shastra from Drona, standing in splendour in the van of
the Srinjaya force, he will repent.
When the Senapati of the Pandava host, of immeasurable prowess, who
can withstand the charge of any army, flies at Drona, on his way razing
Dhritarashtra’s warriors with his arrows, Duryodhana will repent. What
enemy can withstand him, who has for his lord that lion of the Vrishni race,
the chief of the Somakas, who is modest and intelligent, mighty and
invested with untold urjas and blessed with every noble quality?
Say this also to Duryodhana: Do not covet the kingdom. We have with
us the dauntless Maharatha Satyaki, the grandson of Sini, who is an
unsurpassed master of weapons on this Earth. Broad-chested and long-
armed, that Parantapa, unrivalled in battle and a master of the greatest
astras, wields a bow four cubits long. When that bane of his foes, the chief
of the Sinis, lashes the enemy with his arrow storms, at my urging,
overwhelming their leaders, Duryodhana will repent.
When that shining warrior of the long arms and firm grasp is resolved to
fight, then, like cattle that scent lions on the wind, enemy forces flee, even
before battle begins. This Kshatriya can split mountains and consume the
universe in revelational flames. Blessed with awesome lightness of hand, he
shines on the field of war like the Sun in the sky.
That lion of the Vrishnis, scion of Yadu’s line, whose tutelage has been
meticulous, commands supernal weapons; Satyaki commands all the
greatest astras. When he sees Satyaki’s golden chariot on the field, drawn
by four white steeds, Duryodhana of the uncontrolled passions will repent.
When he sees my own chariot, glittering like gold and with bright
gemstones inlaid, drawn by white Gandharva steeds, flying the banner of
Hanuman, and driven by Krishna himself, that wretch of uncontrolled
passions will repent. When, in the midst of the great war, he hears the
incessant thrumming of my leather-gloved hands pulling the bowstrings of
the Gandiva, loud as rolling thunder, Duryodhana will repent.
When he sees his troops abandoning him and running like deer from the
field, overwhelmed by the darkness that I create with my arrow banks;
when he sees countless winged arrows, which excoriate a man’s bowels,
flash from the Gandiva like lightning from storm clouds, and raze enemies
by the thousands and devour horses and armour-clad elephants, Duryodhana
will indeed repent.
When he sees me turn enemy arrows back on their courses, or shred
them with my own shafts, foolish Duryodhana will repent. When my broad-
headed arrows pluck the heads of young warriors from their bodies, like
birds picking fruit from the treetops, Duryodhana will repent. When he sees
his peerless warriors fall from their chariots, and elephants and horses roll
lifeless on the field, slain by my arrows, Duryodhana will repent. When he
sees his brothers fall all around him, dying even before they come within
range of his enemy’s weapons, and without having raised a weapon in
battle, Duryodhana will repent.
I will loose an endless river of blazing arrows and, like Yama with
mouth agape, swallow multitudes of chariots and foot-soldiers, and then
that dog Duryodhana will repent. When he sees his own troops, covered
with the dust whipped up by my chariot as it wheels swiftly in all
directions, torn to shreds by shafts from the Gandiva, and the living
deranged by fear, the wretched Duryodhana will repent.
When he sees his entire army flee in terror, their arms and legs mangled,
and their minds unhinged; when he sees his horses, elephants and his best
warriors slain, and his dry-mouthed and panic-stricken troops dead or
wailing aloud as they lie dying beside their exhausted animals; when he
sees hair, bones and skulls lying in mounds, like half-finished works of the
Creator, that vile prince will repent.
When he sees on my chariot Krishna with his Panchajanya, and me with
my pair of inexhaustible quivers, my Gandiva, my Devadatta and my white
horses, Duryodhana will repent. When I consume the Kauravas, as Agni
consumes all the evil souls that throng together at the beginning of a new
yuga, Dhritarashtra and all his sons will repent.
When the evil and wrathful son of Dhritarashtra is deprived of his
prosperity, along with his brothers, his army and his followers, that fool,
stripped of pride and trembling, will repent.
One morning, when I had finished my ritual bath and prayers, a
Brahmana said to me, Partha, you will have a difficult task to perform; you
will have to fight your enemies. Either Indra will ride before you on his
superb mount and with his Vajra in hand, razing your foes in battle, or
Vasudeva’s son Krishna will protect you from behind, in his chariot drawn
by horses with Sugriva at their head.
With complete faith in what he said, I have passed over Indra the
wielder of the thunderbolt, preferring to have Krishna on my side. I have
chosen Krishna to help me annihilate these evil ones. I see the hand of God
in all this. The man, whose success Krishna merely wishes for, is sure to
prevail over his enemies without Krishna needing to take up arms on his
behalf. This is so, even if the adversaries are the Devas with Indra leading
them, let alone mere mortals.
The man who wants to vanquish that first among all heroes, Krishna of
the mighty urjas, in battle, may as well try to cross the ocean by swimming
across it. Such a fool is like a man who tries to split open the Kailasa
mountain by striking it with his palm; he does not cause the mountain the
slightest damage, while his hand might break and his nails tear. He may as
well be able to put out a raging forest fire with his bare hands, or stop the
Sun and Moon from moving, or steal amrita from the Devas.
This is the same Krishna who mowed down all the Bhoja warriors and
carried off Rukmini in his chariot, to make her his wife; and their son is the
noble Pradyumna. Krishna is the darling of the Devas; he devastated the
Gandharas and defeated all Nagnajita’s sons to rescue the mighty king
Sudarshana from confinement. It was Krishna who killed King Pandya by
striking him with his chest; and he who destroyed the Kalingas in battle. It
is he who burnt the city of Varanasi, which remained kingless for many
years because there was no one to succeed its prince Sudakshina.
Ekalavya, the king of the Nishadas, always challenged him to battle; but
Krishna slew him and he lay dead on a hillside like the Asura Jambha of
old. Krishna, with Baladeva at his side, slew Ugrasena’s evil son Kansa,
while he sat in the midst of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas, and then gave
Ugrasena the kingdom. It was Krishna who, fearless with his fathomless
powers, fought Salya, lord of Saubha, the city that floats in the skies; and
Krishna caught the Satagni of a hundred fires in his hand, when Salya
hurled it at him at the gates of Saubha. No mortal can face Krishna’s might.
The Asuras had a city called Pragjyotisha, formidable and inaccessible.
There, Narakasura, the son of Bhumi Devi, kept the jewelled ear-rings of
Aditi that he had taken by force. The Devas, who do not fear death, with
Sakra at their head, could not subdue Naraka. The Devas saw Krishna’s
prowess; they saw his irresistible Chakra; they knew the purpose of his
birth, and they begged him to quell Naraka and his fell Asuras; and blithely
Krishna agreed. In the city of Nirmochana he slew six thousand Asuras; he
shredded their arrows and killed Mura and hosts of other Rakshasas; then
he entered the city.
There, a stupendous duel erupted between the dreadful Naraka and
Vishnu’s Avatara; until, slain by Krishna, Naraka lay lifeless, like a
karnikara tree uprooted by the wind. Having killed the Earth’s son and
Mura, and having recovered the incomparable ear-rings, Krishna of
unearthly prowess came back, alight with divine lustre and crowned with
undying fame. The Devas, who witnessed his ineffable feats, blessed him,
saying, You will never tire in a fight; neither earth nor water will obstruct
you; weapons shall never pierce your body. And Krishna regarded this
blessing as ample reward. This is Krishna, who is beyond all compare.
Dhritarashtra’s son aspires to vanquish this same Vishnu, of infinite
tejas; and the evil one often thinks of imprisoning him. Krishna bears all
this for our sake. And vile Duryodhana wants to create a rift between
Krishna and me. He will see for himself, when he is on the battlefield, how
far he will be able to take Krishna’s love away from the Pandavas!
I will bow to Bhishma, to Drona and his son, and to the peerless son of
Saradwat, our acharya Kripa; but then I will begin the battle to regain our
kingdom. Dharmadeva will bring righteous destruction down on our sinful
cousin who is so eager to fight us.
Deceitfully beaten at dice by those base men, we, of royal birth, spent
twelve agonising years in the forest and one long year in hiding. While we,
the Pandavas, are still alive, how can the sons of Dhritarashtra rejoice in
their affluence or power?
If they defeat us in battle, with the help of Indra and the Devas, it will
mean that vice is superior to virtue, and the very concept of dharma would
cease to exist. If indeed a man’s actions do bear fruit and if we are better
men than Duryodhana, I believe that, with Krishna at my side, I will kill
Duryodhana and all his kinsmen. Lord of men, if robbing us of our kingdom
is evil, if our own good deeds are not in vain, Duryodhana’s is doomed.
O Kauravas, you will see with your own eyes that, if they come to war,
the sons of Dhritarashtra will surely die. If they desist from fighting, they
might live; but if there is a battle, none of them will be left alive. I will kill
all Dhritarashtra’s sons and Karna, and take the entire kingdom. Do
whatever you think is best and, meanwhile, enjoy the time you have with
your wives and other sweet things of life.
There are many venerable Brahmanas with us, who are knowers of the
Shastras, of pure conduct, of noble birth, witnesses to all the events that
have transpired. They, who can understand and interpret the astrological
significance of the movements of the planets and their relative positions to
the stars; who can explain the mysteries of destiny and predict the future;
and who know the signs of the zodiac and what is happening every hour,
prophesy a great defeat for the Kurus and the Srinjayas, and final victory
for the Pandavas.
Because of this, Yudhishtira, who never made an enemy, considers that
he has already achieved his goal, of vanquishing his enemies. Krishna, who
sees the invisible future, sees all this; and I, too, with the clear and unerring
foresight that I acquired years ago, the chaksushi I had from the Gandharva
Angaraparna, see into the future. If they fight, the sons of Dhritarashtra will
not live. My Gandiva stretches without my touching it; the bow-string
trembles without being drawn; and arrows stand up in my quiver, impatient
to fly out. My gleaming sword slides out of its scabbard by itself, like a
moulting snake from its old skin; and terrible voices scream from atop my
flag-staff, saying, When will you yoke your chariot, Arjuna? Hordes of
jackals howl hideously at night; Rakshasas land from the sky in dense
swarms; deer and jackals, peacocks and crows, vultures, cranes and wolves,
and golden-plumed birds follow my chariot when I yoke my white horses to
it.
Single-handedly, with torrents of arrows, I will despatch all these
warrior kings to Yamaloka. Just as a blazing conflagration consumes a
forest in summer, I will consume my enemies with the astras I invoke. I will
loose the Sthuna, Karna, Pasupata, Brahma and the other inexorable
missiles that Indra gave me; and with my heart set on the death of those
kings, I will obliterate all who enter the battlefield. Only after this, will I
rest; this is my resolve.
Tell them all this, Sanjaya.
Look at Duryodhana’s foolishness. He is planning to go to war against
men who are invincible, even to Indra with the Devas. So let the wish of
Santanu’s aged son Bhishma, Kripa, Drona and his son, and the
unfathomably wise Vidura—May the Kauravas have long lives, be proven
true!” said Arjuna,’ says Sanjaya.”
CANTO 49
V aisampayana said, “O Bhaarata, in the midst of all the assembled

kings, Santanu’s son Bhishma says to Duryodhana, ‘Once long ago,
Brihaspati and Indra went to Brahma, accompanied by the Maruts, the
Vasus and Agni, the Adityas, the Sadhyas, the seven Devarishis, the
Gandharvas, Viswavasu and the Apsaras. Reverentially the Swargavasis
bowed to the Lord of the universe and sat surrounding him. Then, the two
ancient deities, the Rishis Nara and Narayana, drew into themselves the
vital energies of all present there, and left the place.
On seeing this, Brihaspati asked Brahma, “Who are these two that leave
without worshipping you? Pitamaha, who are they?”
Brahma replied, “These two, endowed with great tapasya, blaze in
lustrous beauty, illuminating both Bhumi and Swarga. They, who are
mighty, all-pervading and unequalled, are Nara and Narayana, who have
come from the other world to live in Brahmaloka. Of incomparable glory,
they shine with their tapasya and, by everything they do, enhance the joy of
the world. The Devas and Gandharvas worship them, and their purpose is to
destroy the Asuras.”
Indra and the Devas, with Brihaspati at their head, went to the place
where Nara and Narayana sat in tapasya. At that time, the Devas were in
turmoil from a war that raged between them and the Asuras, and Indra
asked the exalted pair to grant him a boon. They told him to name his wish,
and Indra asked for their help, promising that the Devas would do as Nara
and Narayana wished. It was with their help that Indra vanquished the
Daityas and Danavas. Parantapa Nara slew hundreds of thousands of Indra’s
foes—the Paulomas and the Kalakhanjas.
It was Nara, as Arjuna, who, from his whirling chariot that was broken
during their duel, cut off Jambhasura’s head with a broad-headed arrow just
as the demon was about to swallow him. It was he who stormed
Hiranyapura, the Daitya city across the ocean, and vanquished sixty-
thousand Nivatakavachas. It was this conqueror, Mahabaho Arjuna, who
gratified Agni by vanquishing the Devas led by Indra. Narayana, also, has
slain countless other Daityas and Danavas. Such is their inexhaustible tejas
and urjas; and you now see them together, their purpose one.
The two Maharathas you face, Krishna and Arjuna, are the same
timeless and divine Narayana and Nara. Of all who live on this Earth, they
alone cannot be vanquished by the Asuras or, indeed, by the Devas with
Indra at their head. Narayana is Krishna and Nara is Phalguna.
They are one soul born as two. Their karma gives them the enjoyment
of many eternal and inexhaustible realms; and they are born again and again
into the world when cataclysmic wars become necessary to cleanse Bhumi
Devi. Their mission is to fight and make a great sacrifice of human blood.
This is what Narada, who is an authority on the Vedas, told the Vrishnis.
O Duryodhana, when you see Kesava, with his conch-shell, discus and
mace in hand, together with the awesome bowman Arjuna armed with
various astras; when you behold those eternal and irradiant ones, the two
Krishnas, riding the same chariot, then you will remember what I have just
said. Child, danger threatens the Kurus because dharma and artha have
deserted your mind. If you pay no heed to what I say, you will hear of an
unimaginable, revelational carnage, for all the Kauravas follow your lead.
All the Kurus listen to me but, Bull of the Bhaaratas, you put your faith
in the opinions of just three men: Karna, a low-born Suta’s son cursed by
Parasurama; Sakuni, the son of Subala; and your vile and sinful brother
Dusasana.’
Karna says, ‘Bhishma, it is not right for you to still mock me as a
Sutaputra, for I have adopted Kshatriya dharma without abandoning those
who are my own. Besides, what evil is there in me? None among
Dhritarashtra’s people will accuse me of having committed any wrong;
never have I done any injury to Dhritarashtra’s son. And I will kill all the
Pandavas in battle. How can wise men make peace again with those who
were once their sworn enemies? It is my duty to do whatever I can to please
king Dhritarashtra, and especially Duryodhana, for the kingdom is his.’
Bhishma hears Karna and says to Dhritarashtra, ‘Although this man
often boasts about his intentions to kill them, he is not equal to even a
sixteenth part of the noble Pandavas. The great calamity that is about to
overtake your evil sons is the work of this Sutaputra. Relying on him,
foolish Duryodhana insulted his cousins, those Kshatriyas of divine descent.
Over the years, what feat has Karna achieved to equal any that each of the
Pandavas has?
What did this man do when he saw mighty Dhananjaya kill his beloved
brother? Why was he absent when Dhananjaya charged the assembled
Kurus outside Virata’s city, routed them in battle and stripped them of their
clothes? Where was this son of a Suta, who roars like a bull now, when the
Gandharvas captured your son during the Goshayatra? It was Bhima, the
illustrious Partha and the twins who challenged the Gandharvas and
vanquished them.
Heedless of dharma and artha, what Karna does best is boast. O may
you be blessed, Bharatarishabha.’
Bharadwaja’s high-souled son Drona listens to Bhishma and, after
paying homage to the gathered kings, says to Dhritarashtra, ‘O king, do
what Bhishma says. It is not wise for you to follow the counsel of covetous
men. Making peace with the Pandavas, before war breaks out, is the most
judicious course open to you. Arjuna will do everything he has said, which
Sanjaya has repeated here, for there is no bowman to equal him in all the
three worlds.’
The king takes no notice of what Drona and Bhishma have said and,
without responding to them, asks Sanjaya again about the Pandavas. It is at
this moment, when the king does not offer any response to Bhishma and
Drona, that the Kauravas lose all hope of living.’”
CANTO 50
“D hritarashtra says, ‘What did Dharmaputra Yudhishtira say,

Sanjaya, when he heard that a great force has assembled here in
our support? What is he doing, in view of the war to come? Which of his
brothers and sons look to him, waiting for his command? Who amongst his
advisors tries to dissuade that honourable and virtuous king from war, and
persuades him to make peace instead, knowing that my son’s evil, deceitful
deeds have provoked him?’
Sanjaya says, ‘May you be blessed! All Pandu’s sons, as well as the
Panchalas, wait eagerly for his command, but he restrains them. Multitudes
of battle-ready war chariots belonging to the Pandavas and the Panchalas
have come in separate divisions, making Yudhishtira glad. Just as the sky
brightens at sunrise, so have the Panchalas’ hearts at being reunited with
Kunti’s resplendent son, who floods the world with his lustre.
All the Panchalas, Kekayas and Matsyas, even their cowherds and
shepherds rejoice with an equally happy Yudhishtira. Bevies of Brahmana,
Kshatriya and Vaisya girls have come to catch a glimpse of Arjuna in his
coat of mail.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘Sanjaya, tell us about the armies that
Dhrishtadyumna, the Somakas and others have brought, using which the
Pandavas will fight us.’
With this barrage of questions put to him in the great sabha, Sanjaya
falls into dark thought and heaves long, deep sighs. Suddenly, he collapses
onto the floor.
Vidura cries to his blind brother, ‘Rajan, Sanjaya has fallen to the floor,
unconscious and unable to speak.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘I am sure it is from anxiety after seeing those
Purushavyaghras, those Maharathas.’
Sanjaya recovers consciousness and is comforted. Then in the presence
of all the Kurus in the sabha, he says to Dhritarashtra, ‘O Rajarajan, I did
indeed see those great warriors, the sons of Kunti. They are lean and trim
from the austerities they observed while they lived in the Matsya kingdom.
Listen, Rajan, to which kings and princes have joined them to fight you.
The noble Dhrishtadyumna will fight against you. He is a virtuous soul,
who never forsakes virtue, not from anger, fear or temptation; not for the
sake of wealth or because of an argument. He is an authority on dharma;
and he is the best of righteous men. He has never made an enemy, but he
will fight on the side of the Pandavas, against you.
Then there is the man who has no equal in the strength of his arms, who
with his bow subjugated all the kings of this Earth, who long ago
vanquished the kings of Kasi, Anga, Magadha and Kalinga. This man,
Bhimasena, will fight for the Pandavas, against you. It is by his strength
that his four brothers survived after he rescued them from the burning house
of lac. This same Vrikodara saved them from the cannibal Hidimba; it is he
who rescued Yagnaseni when Jayadratha abducted her; and it is he who
saved the Pandavas from the forest fire at Varanavata. This formidable
Bhima will fight for his brothers against you.
Then there is the warrior who slew the Krodhavasas to please Draupadi,
successfully crossing the rugged and fearsome mountains of
Gandhamadana. His arms have the strength of ten thousand elephants; and
with him for their ally the Pandavas will fight against you. Long ago, and
with only Krishna’s help, this Kshatriya vanquished Purandara in order to
please Agni; and he also gratified, with his prowess, the God of gods,
Uma’s trident-bearing lord Mahadeva, who dwells in his mountain fastness.
This Arjuna, the greatest warrior, subjugated all the kings of the Earth, and
with him the Pandavas will face you in war.
There is also that wonderful warrior Nakula, who vanquished all of the
western world, the Mlechcha lands. He, too, this handsome son of Madri’s,
this unrivalled archer, will fight against you, O Kaurava.
Then there is the Kshatriya who defeated the warriors of Kasi, Anga
and Kalinga. With Sahadeva on their side, the Pandavas will meet you in
battle. There are only four men on Earth to equal him in sheer vitality—
Aswatthama, Dhrishtaketu, Rukmi and Pradyumna. And against this
youngest of the Pandavas, the terrible Sahadeva Manavottama, source of
Madri’s joy, you must do battle.
There is also Sikhandin, who was once born on Earth as the king of
Kasi’s daughter, during which life she practised the most severe tapasya,
praying to become the instrument of Bhishma’s death in another birth. She
passed through death and was born as the Panchala king’s daughter; but by
divine chance, she has become a man. Sikhandin knows the strengths and
weaknesses of both sexes; this invincible prince of Panchala, who fought
the Kalingas, who is skilled in all the astras, will now fight on the side of
the Pandavas, against you. With this woman who was turned into a man,
and a formidable bowman whose destiny it is to bring Bhishma down, the
Pandavas will fight against you.
There are others. The mighty archers, the five Kekaya princes clad in
wondrous mail, will fight beside the Pandavas against you. You must face
Yuyudhana, Satyaki the warrior of the long arms, who is a master of astras,
intelligent and of indefatigable prowess, that lion of the Vrishnis. You will
encounter Virata, who has been the refuge of the Pandavas for some time.
The lord of Kasi, that Maharatha who rules in Varanasi, has become an
ally of the Pandavas, and with him in their army they will fight you. The
noble sons of Draupadi, tender in years but invincible in battle, as
unapproachable as serpents, will fight beside the Pandavas against you.
Do not forget Abhimanyu, whose tejas is as lustrous as Krishna’s and
whose self-restraint is as stern as Yudhishtira’s; with him on their side the
Pandavas will fight you.
Sisupala’s warlike son Dhrishtaketu, of great fame and incomparable
energy, is inexorable when roused. With this king of the Chedis, who has
come to their side with an akshauhini of troops, the Pandavas will fight you.
Krishna is the refuge of the Pandavas, as Indra is of the Devas; and with
him on their side they will fight you. Sarabha, brother of the king of the
Chedis, has come with Karakarsa; and with both these in their army, the
Pandavas will fight you.
Jarasandha’s son Sahadeva, and Jayatsena, both unrivalled in battle,
have also pledged themselves to the Pandava cause; and with them the
Pandavas will fight you. And the mighty and fearless Drupada, with a vast
force, is resolved to fight on the Pandava side against you.
O Bharatarishabha, with the support of these and hundreds of other
kings from the east and north, Yudhishtira Dharmaraja prepares for war.’”
CANTO 51
“D hritarashtra says, ‘All the men you mention are, indeed, great
and valiant, but Bhima is equal to all of them together. I am as
afraid of Bhima’s anger as a plump deer of a hunting tiger. I pass my nights
in fearful sleeplessness, heaving feverish sighs, yes, like a small animal
terrified of a lion.
He is mighty-armed and as powerful as Indra, and I do not see in our
whole army even one man who can withstand him in battle. Wrathful and
unwavering in his hatred, this son of Kunti and Pandu does not smile even
in jest; mad with rage, he looks askance at all and speaks in a thunderous
voice. Impetuous and with no knowledge of fear, long-armed and dreadfully
strong, he will not leave even one of my foolish sons alive.
Vrikodara, that bull among the Kurus, whirling his mace in battle like
Yama, will kill all my sons, who have set themselves on this calamitous
course. Even as I speak, I see that terrible mace of his—six-sided, made of
iron and adorned with gold—raised in fury: like a Brahmana’s curse. Bhima
will wreak havoc among my troops like a lion amongst a herd of deer. He is
the only one of the brothers who will seek the death of all my sons.
Since his childhood, he has a voracious appetite and was endowed with
fiery energy; and also since then he has been hostile towards my sons. Even
now my heart trembles at the memory of how Bhima crushed Duryodhana
and my other princes during their childhood fights. With his superior
strength, he always dominated and bullied my sons, and it is Bhima of the
terrible prowess who is the cause, the root, of this enmity.
I see Bhima, mad with rage, and fighting from the very van of their
legions, devour my entire force of men, elephants and horses. He is also
Drona and Arjuna’s equal in his skill with other weapons; he is as swift as
the wind, and in wrath like Maheswara himself. Who is there, Sanjaya, who
can kill that dreadful Kshatriya in battle? I deem it a blessing that my sons
have not already been killed by that awful Parantapa. How can any man
withstand the prowess of this absolute warrior who has single-handedly
savaged so many great Yakshas and Rakshasas? I was never able to control
him even when he was a child. How will I do so now, especially since my
dishonourable sons have wounded his great heart?
He is bitter and full of anger; he will not relent. Frowning and ever
looking askance, as he does now, he cannot be persuaded away from
horrible vengeance. He is heroic and has no equal in might or
handsomeness. Fair-skinned and tall as a palmyra, taller than Arjuna by the
span of the thumb, this second son of Pandu is swifter than a horse and
stronger than an elephant. His voice is soft, deep and dangerous, and his
eyes are the colour of honey.
Vyasa told me long ago of his remarkable physique and strength even
when he was a child. Swinging his iron mace he will shatter chariots,
elephants, men and horses. My child, for his disobedience to me I have, in
the past, insulted this best of Kshatriyas, whose rage is so quickly sparked.
How will my sons resist the power of his beautiful iron mace, which can
kill a hundred men in moments, and which, when hurled at an enemy,
makes the most fearful sound?
O, my foolish sons want to cross the vast, shoreless ocean that is Bhima,
fathomless, swirling with vicious, tempestuous currents that are as deadly
as whistling storms of arrows. My sons believe themselves wise and ignore
my piteous appeals for caution. They see only the imagined honey of
victory, not their impending doom. My sons, who will not hesitate to do
battle with Yama, are doomed to death by the Supreme Ordainer; they are
like little creatures already in a great lion’s jaws.
Bhima’s six-sided mace is four cubits long, and always lethal. When he
hurls it at them how will my sons defy it? Bhima will whirl his mace around
and smash the heads of our elephants; wetting the corners of his mouth with
his tongue, he will draw deep breaths and rush, roaring, against our tuskers,
matching the angry beasts roar for roar. He will erupt into the tight knot of
our chariots and with unerring aim kill the greatest of our warriors who dare
face him. When this happens, will even one of my men escape this
conflagration of a man? Bhima Mahabaho will crush my forces, scythe a
passage through them and, dancing with his mace in his hand, reveal the
spectacle of the pralaya at the end of this yuga.
Like a maddened elephant which brings flowering trees crashing down,
Vrikodara in rage will mow down the ranks of my sons. Sanjaya, he will
divest my warriors of their chariots, sarathies, horses and flagstaffs; wildly,
he will be among our elephant warriors; and, like the tempestuous Ganga in
spate uproots trees on her banks, that Purushavyaghra will devastate my
sons’ troops in battle. Terrified of Bhimasena, my sons, their followers and
the kings allied to them will fly in all directions.
It was Bhima who, long ago with Vasudeva’s help, entered the inmost
apartments of Jarasandha, the invincible king of Magadha, and killed him,
thereby enabling the Pandavas to subjugate Bhumi Devi herself and
perform the Rajasuya yagna. That he did not conquer the Kauravas, who
were protected by Bhishma’s prowess, and the Andhakas and the Vrishnis
with their brilliant diplomacy, is only because fortune smiled on these. Ah,
Bhima went to Jarasandha, who had no equal, and with bare hands, tore his
massive body in two. What could be more astounding than that?
O Sanjaya, like a serpent who has stored his poison for years, Bhima
will spew all the venom of his wrath at my sons in battle. As Indra
incinerated the Danavas with his thunderbolt, Bhimasena, mace in hand,
will blast all my sons to their deaths. Oh, he is irresistible, and in my mind’s
eye, I see him even now, his coppery eyes ablaze, slaughtering my princes.
Even without his mace or bow, chariot or armour, there is no man on Earth
who can withstand Bhima.
Bhishma, Dronacharya, and Saradwat’s son Kripa know as well as I do,
Bhima’s intelligence and strength. These bulls among men, who are deep
knowers of Kshatriya dharma, and for whom death in battle is desirable,
will take their stand in the van of our forces. Destiny is inexorable,
especially for men; so, even though I see victory for the Pandavas, I will no
more try to restrain my sons. These mighty bowmen of mine, keen to take
the time-honoured path to Swarga, will lay down their lives in battle, but
without betraying their fame on Earth.
Child, my sons and the Pandavas are equals; all of them are grandsons
of Bhishma and disciples of Drona and Kripa.
These three venerable ones are men of honour and will repay the small
services that we have done them. For a Kshatriya who has taken up arms
and wants to observe his dharma, death in battle is the highest good and
brings punya. I weep, however, for all those that will fight the Pandavas.
The danger that Vidura foresaw is near.
On the one hand, Sanjaya, wisdom cannot overcome sorrow but, on the
other, grief seems to make wisdom evaporate. When even Rishis who are
free from worldly concerns and who view the affairs of the universe with
detachment are all affected by adversity and prosperity, it is small wonder
that I, who am attached to a thousand things, my sons, my kingdom, my
wives, my grandsons and my kinsmen, grieve. What good can there
possibly be in store for me in the face of this terrible danger? Considering
all things, I am convinced that the end of the Kurus is at hand.
That game of dice was the cause of the terrible fate which overtakes us
each moment. Foolish Duryodhana committed that sin out of greed, and
ever-fleeting, all-knowing Time, who controls all things, made him do it. I
am bound helpless to the wheel of Time and cannot escape it. Tell me,
Sanjaya, where shall I go? What shall I do? How shall I do it? My foolish
Kauravas will all die, for their time has come. Helplessly I will have to hear
their women wailing when my hundred sons are killed. Ah, how will death
come to me?
As a summer fire, fanned by the wind, consumes dry grass, Bhima,
mace in hand and with Arjuna beside him, will raze all who fight for me.’”
CANTO 52
“D hritarashtra says, ‘He whom we have never heard uttering a

falsehood, he who has Dhananjaya to fight on his side, will
attain sovereignty over the three worlds.
I cannot think of anyone who can face the wielder of the Gandiva in
battle. When he shoots winged arrows, nalikas and other shafts that pierce
men’s mail and breasts, he has no rival. Perhaps, if those bulls among men,
Drona and Karna, stand united against him the outcome could be uncertain;
but I am sure that final victory will not be mine.
Karna is compassionate and, at the same time, rash; the Acharya is
elderly and most fond of his favourite pupil, Arjuna of the firm grasp of the
bow, Arjuna who is brilliant and mighty. The encounter between them will
be ferocious and will not result in any one’s clear defeat. All these are
heroic, masters of weapons, and have earned great fame. They might give
up sovereignty over the gods if it is offered them, but not the chance to
prove themselves in the coming war.
Peace will certainly result if either Drona or Karna or Phalguna falls.
However, if truth be faced squarely, there is no one who can kill Arjuna. O,
how can we pacify his anger against my foolish sons? There are others who
are masters of weapons, who conquer and are conquered, but Arjuna always
prevails.
Thirty years have passed since Arjuna gratified Agni Deva in the
Khandava vana by vanquishing all the Devas. We have never heard of him
being defeated anywhere, my child. Like Indra, victory is always Arjuna’s;
he has Krishna for his charioteer, who is also never conquered. We hear that
the two Krishnas riding in the same chariot and the Gandiva are united as a
single ineluctable force. As for us, we do not have a bow of that calibre, or
a warrior like Arjuna or a charioteer like Krishna. Duryodhana’s foolish
followers do not think of this.
O Sanjaya, even a thunderbolt that falls on one’s head leaves something
undestroyed, but Arjuna’s arrows leave nothing. Even now I see him
unleashing his arrows in hurricanes, wreaking devastation all round,
unerringly plucking heads from bodies. Even now I see flaming arrows
flare from the Gandiva, burning all around and consuming the armies of my
sons. Even now I see my vast army with its diverse forces struck with panic
at the rumble of Savyasachi’s chariot, and fleeing in all directions.
Just as a great conflagration, its flames fanned by the wind and
spreading wild in all directions, consumes dry leaves and grass, so will the
flames that are Arjuna’s astras consume my troops. He will loose arrows
beyond count each moment; ah, he will be irresistible, like Yama Deva
himself.
When I hear that all kinds of evil omens manifest in the homes of the
Kurus, on the battlefield and all around them, I am certain that annihilation
will overtake our Bharata vamsa.’”
CANTO 53
“D hritarashtra says, ‘The followers of the Pandavas are as strong

and eager for victory as the Pandavas themselves are, and
determined to sacrifice their lives for it.
My son, you have told me who my enemies are—the mighty kings of
Panchala, Kekaya, Matsya and Magadha. Not only them, but Krishna, that
Creator of the universe, that all-mighty one who can conquer the three
worlds with Indra at their head, is on the side of the Pandavas and bent on
giving them victory. Then there is Satyaki, who acquired the entire astra
shastra from Arjuna in a moment. That scion of the Sini vamsa will stand
on the battlefield, shooting arrows as effortlessly as a farmer sows seeds.
The prince of Panchala, Dhrishtadyumna, awesome and ruthless Maharatha,
a master of all the astras, will also fight my forces.
Great is my fear of Yudhishtira’s anger, of Arjuna’s prowess, and of the
twins and Bhimasena. I am afraid that when those lords of men spread their
mesh of unearthly arrows over them, my troops will not extricate
themselves. That is why I weep, Sanjaya.
Pandunandana Yudhishtira is majestically handsome, endowed with
great tejas, blessed with the power of Brahma, intelligent beyond common
ken, wise and virtuous. He has the best allies and advisors and is
surrounded by men who are ready for battle. His brothers and father-in-law
are Maharathas. That Purushavyaghra, the son of Pandu, is also blessed
with profound patience; he keeps his own counsel, is compassionate and
modest; his might is unassailable; he is deeply learned, has his passions
under control and his senses subdued, and is dedicated to serving the
elderly. Possessed of every virtue, he is like an unquenchable fire.
What man is fool enough to fly moth-like into that blazing Pandava fire!
Alas, I have deceived him and, like a long-tongued inferno, he will burn my
foolish sons in battle, leaving none alive. I have come to the conclusion that
it is better not to fight against him.
O Kauravas, let your minds be in accord with mine. Without doubt, all
the Kuru vamsa will perish if there is war. I am blind, but this I see so
clearly. If we do as my better lights urge, my heart might still find peace. If
you agree that war is not the best option, we will do our utmost to bring
about peace. Yudhishtira will not be unmoved when he sees us in distress;
he is angry with me only because he blames me for this unjust war.’”
CANTO 54
“S anjaya says, ‘Great King, you speak truly. In the event of war, the
annihilation of the Kshatriyas by the Gandiva is certain. I cannot
understand how you, who are wise and well aware of Arjuna’s power, still
follow your son’s lead.
You have wronged the sons of Pritha from the very beginning and
repeatedly sinned against them; this is no time for remorse. A father is his
children’s best friend and, if he is always watchful and selfless in his
affection, should swiftly seek their welfare. The man who wrongs them,
instead, cannot be called a father.
When you heard of the defeat of the Pandavas at dice, you laughed
foolishly like a child and said, This is won, this is ours! When cruel words
were spoken to the sons of Pritha you did not intervene, for you were
pleased at the prospect of your sons gaining the entire kingdom. At that
time you did not foresee their inevitable downfall.
The Kuru kingdom, the lands called Jangala, is your paternal
inheritance, but you have gained the whole Earth thanks to the might of the
Pandava heroes, who made over their empire and all their vast conquests to
you. You cannot imagine that you acquired all of it yourself. When the king
of the Gandharvas seized your sons and when they were about to sink in a
shoreless sea without a boat to save them it was Partha, O king, who
rescued them.
In foolish glee you laughed at the Pandavas when they were beaten at
dice, and again as they went into exile. When Arjuna looses a shower of his
astras the very oceans will dry up and be no more, let alone men of flesh
and blood. He is the best of all archers; the Gandiva is the best of all bows;
Kesava is the best of all beings; the Sudarsana is the best of all weapons;
and his chariot, with the Vanara emblazoned on its banner, is the best of all
rathas. That chariot of his, flying that flag and drawn by white steeds, will
consume us all in battle like the whirling wheel of Kaala.
Bull of the Bhaaratas, that best of kings who has Bhima and Arjuna
fighting for him already owns the world. The Kauravas led by Duryodhana
will see their forces fall, terror-struck and in despair; and when Bhima
strikes they will all be razed. Paralysed by their fear of Bhima and Arjuna,
your sons and their followers will find yawning defeat, and death.
The Matsyas, the Panchalas, the Salvas and the Surasenas have all
withdrawn their homage and disregard you. Knowing the tejas of that wise
king, they have all joined the son of Pritha and, loyal to him, will oppose
your sons. He who has committed evil and wronged the sons of Pandu, who
are all wedded to dharma and deserve neither punishment nor death; he who
hates them even now, your sinful son Duryodhana, with all his followers,
must be restrained by all the means you command.
It is not fitting that you grieve like this. The wise Vidura and I said as
much even during the game of dice. Lamenting for the Pandavas as if you
had no part to play in what resulted in their present condition is only
hypocrisy, and will prove futile, O my king.’”
CANTO 55
“D uryodhana says, ‘Fear not, O king; do not grieve for us. We are
more than able to vanquish our enemy in battle.
When the Pandavas were living in exile in the forest many Maharathas
came to them: Krishna came with a huge army, in battle array and able to
crush entire kingdoms; the Kekayas, Dhrishtaketu and Pritha’s kinsman
Dhrishtadyumna came with numerous other kings. And, assembling in a
place not far from Indraprastha, those great warriors denounced you and all
the Kurus. Bhaarata, those Maharathas, led by Krishna, paid homage to
Yudhishtira, who sat amongst them, wearing deerskin.
The kings urged Yudhishtira to take back his kingdom and expressed
their fervent wish to kill you and all your adherents. When I heard this I
was struck with fear at the danger that threatened our people and spoke to
Bhishma, Drona and Kripa.
I said to them, “I do not think the Pandavas will keep the pact they
made. Krishna wants to kill us all. With the exception of Vidura, all of you
will be killed; Dhritarashtra, who knows dharma, will also be spared.
Krishna wants to bestow the entire kingdom of the Kurus on Yudhishtira.
What should we do? Shall we surrender, or flee? Or shall we fight the
enemy, even if it means giving up all hope of life? If we fight them, our
defeat is certain, for Yudhishtira still commands all the kings of the Earth.
The people of the realm are disgruntled and our friends are also irate with
us. All the kings, especially our friends and relatives, speak ill of us.
There can be no shame in our surrendering, for from time immemorial
the weaker side has chosen to make peace. However, I grieve for that
Purushottama, my blind father, who will be overcome by sorrow and
endless misery. You already know, Rajan, that all your other sons opposed
the enemy only to please me. The mighty sons of Pandu will avenge the
wrongs done to them by butchering all Dhritarashtra’s race along with all
our ministers and royal counsellors.”
Drona, Bhishma, Kripa and Aswatthama saw how I was wracked with
anxiety and said to me, “Have no fear, Parantapa. If the enemy declares war
against us, they will not vanquish us in battle. Each of us, singly, can quell
all the kings of the Earth. Let them come. Our arrows will curb their pride.
Long ago, inflamed with anger on the death of his father, Bhishma
humbled all the kings single-handedly from his chariot. Countless
Kshatriyas that furious Kurusattama killed, and in terror those that lived
surrendered themselves into his protection. This Bhishma is on our side,
and even now can crush all our enemies in battle. Therefore, Bhaarata, you
quell your fear.”
The Pandavas of great prowess have now resolved to fight us. Once
they ruled all the world, but now our enemies without allies and their old
power, and cannot possibly defeat us. Bharatarishabha, I am now Sovereign
of the Earth, and all these kings assembled here are loyal to me in
prosperity and adversity. They will enter fire or water for my sake.
They laugh to see you lament like an ignorant child and so full of fear to
hear the Pandavas being praised. Every one of these kings can withstand the
Pandavas. Indeed, Rajan, every one of them thinks he is all-powerful. Indra
himself cannot subdue my vast host. Brahma himself cannot destroy it,
though he may wish to.
Yudhishtira has given up hope of getting a city and asks for just five
villages because he is afraid of the army I have assembled and of my power.
Your belief in Vrikodara’s strength is baseless. You do not know how strong
I am. There is no one on Earth who can match me in a duel with maces. No
man has ever beaten me in a gada yuddha, nor ever will.
I suffered many privations out of my devotion to learning when I lived
in the home of my Acharya. I have mastered all the knowledge and skills he
had to impart. I am not afraid of Bhima or the others. Blessed one, waiting
humbly upon my guru Sankarshana as I did, he was sure that I,
Duryodhana, have no equal in battle. In battle I am Balarama’s equal, and in
strength there is no one on Earth superior to me.
Bhima will not bear even a single blow of my mace. One wrathful
stroke will send him to Yama. Rajan, I am eager to see Vrikodara with his
mace in hand; long have I wished for this. I will strike him like thunder and
my detested cousin will die, all his limbs shattered. Why, one blow of my
mace will split the mountains of Himavat into thousands of pieces.
Vrikodara knows the truth of this, as do Krishna and Arjuna: that there is no
one equal to Duryodhana at the mace.
Dispel the fear that Bhima invokes in you, for have no doubt that I will
kill him in savage battle. My lord, do not be dejected. After I have slain
Bhima, my numberless chariot warriors, all as mighty as me, will quickly
bring Arjuna down. Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, Drona’s son, Karna,
Bhurisravas, Salya, the king of Pragjyotisha and Jayadratha king of the
Sindhus can each kill the Pandavas on his own. United, they will send
Arjuna to Yama in an instant.
There is no reason why the combined armies of all the kings, fighting as
one, cannot vanquish Dhananjaya. Bhishma, Drona, Drona’s son and Kripa
will cover him in a hundred shrouds of arrows and, broken, Arjuna will
vanish into death’s catacombs.
Our Pitamaha Bhishma, born of Devi Ganga, is superior to Santanu. He
was born amongst men, but he is a holy being, whom even the Devas
cannot face. There is no man on Earth who can kill Bhishma. Pleased with
the sacrifice Bhishma made for his sake, his father gave him an exceptional
boon: You shall not die except by your own wish.
Drona was born of Bharadwaja Muni in a water-pot, with complete
knowledge of the astra shastra at his very birth. Kripa, the best of Acharyas,
whose father is Rishi Gautama, was born in a bank of river reeds and he,
too, cannot be killed.
Aswatthama’s father, mother and uncle were not born from a woman’s
womb. That hero, too, is on my side. All these Maharathas are veritable
gods and can confound Indra himself in battle. Arjuna cannot even look
upon any one of these. When united, these tigers among men will bring him
down like a pride of lions does a deer.
Karna is equal to Bhishma, Drona and Kripa. Parasurama, too, declared
him his equal. Karna was born with kundalas of dazzling beauty; and to
please Sachi Devi, Indra begged him for them in exchange for an infallible
shakti. How will Arjuna escape Karna when Radheya has that astra?
I am sure of victory; it is a fruit I hold in my hand. The rout of my
enemies is already being talked about everywhere.
Bhaarata, in war Bhishma kills ten thousand soldiers in a day. As
powerful as him are the master bowmen Drona, Drona’s son and Kripa. In
addition, the Samsaptaka warriors are resolved to fight Arjuna to the death.
There are other kings, too, who regard themselves as being superior to
Savyasachi, and who are determined to kill him.
Why then are you so fearful of the Pandavas? Once Bhimasena is killed
who amongst them will continue to fight? Seven warriors—the five
Pandava brothers, Dhrishtadyumna and Satyaki—are the backbone of the
Pandava forces. We have Bhishma, Drona, Kripa and Drona’s son; Karna,
Somadatta and Bahlika; Salya of Pragjyotisha, Vinda and Anuvinda of
Avanti, and Jayadratha. We have your sons Dusasana, Durmukha and
Dussaha, and the others; we have Srutayu, Chitrasena, Purumitra and
Vivimsati; Sala, Bhurisravas and Vikarna. And I have assembled eleven
akshauhinis. The enemy’s army is far smaller than mine, with only seven.
How will they defeat me?
Brihaspati has said that a king should fight an army which is less than
his by a third. My army is bigger by more than that, my king. Besides, I
know that the enemy has many shortcomings, while my forces are endowed
with as many strengths. Knowing all this, and that my force is superior and
that of Pandavas inferior, you must not to lose heart and good sense.’
Saying this, Duryodhana questions Sanjaya again, anxious to know
more about the Pandavas’ thoughts.”
CANTO 56
“D uryodhana says, ‘Sanjaya, I have gathered an army of seven

akshauhinis; what have Yudhishtira and the kings who support
him done to prepare for war?’
Sanjaya says, ‘Yudhishtira is eager for war and full of assurance.
Bhimasena, Arjuna and the twins are also confident and fearless. Arjuna
yoked his horses to his chariot and took it out to test the astras he has
acquired, lighting up the world in all directions. Clad in mail, he looked like
a mass of clouds charged with lightning.
He was thoughtful for a while and then he said to me, “Sanjaya, look at
the omens, they all predict our victory,” and indeed what he said was true.’
Duryodhana says, ‘You are happy to praise these sons of Pritha whom
we routed at dice. Tell me, what sort of horses has Arjuna yoked to his
chariot, and what banners has he raised?’
Sanjaya says, ‘The divine architect Tvashtri has, with Indra and Dhatri’s
help, created all kinds of wonderful and beautiful forms for Arjuna’s
chariot. Using maya, he adorned Partha’s banner with celestial spirits of
diverse forms and sizes. At Bhimasena’s plea, Vayuputra Hanuman will
also enliven Arjuna’s pennant with his own splendid and fearsome form.
Tvashtri’s genius is so powerful that the flag covers one Yojana, both in
width and length, and even great trees cannot obstruct it.
Tvashtri’s creation is like Indra’s evanescent and colourful bow that
appears in the sky; nobody knows what it is made of and its form changes
constantly. This banner rears its head like a column of fire and smoke rising
up into the sky, filling it with dazzling colours and beautiful shapes,
weightless, yet finding no impediment anywhere.
Yoked to the chariot are one hundred celestial white horses endowed
with the speed of the mind; they are the gift of the Gandharva king
Chitrasena. Nothing can stand in their way, nothing can arrest their careen,
not on Earth, in the sky, or in heaven. A boon ensures that their number will
always be a hundred, regardless of how often or how many are killed.
Yudhishtira’s chariot is drawn by great ivory-coloured horses of equal
strength. The horses that pull Bhima’s chariot are as fleet as the wind and as
splendid as the Saptarishis. Sable-hued horses with backs streaked like the
wings of the tittiri bird are yoked to Sahadeva’s chariot; they are Arjuna’s
gift to him, and superior to Dhananjaya’s own. And Madri’s son Nakula, of
the Ajamida vamsa, is borne, like Indra, by exalted steeds given by Indra
himself, all mighty and quick as the mind.
Superb horses, gifts of the Devas, large and equal to those of the
Pandava brothers in experience and strength, swift and handsome, bear
Subhadra’s and Draupadi’s sons into war.’”
CANTO 57
“D hritarashtra says, ‘Sanjaya, whom have you seen come to the

Pandava camp out of love for them? Who will fight for them
against my son’s forces?’
Sanjaya says, ‘Krishna, chief of the Andhakas and the Vrishnis, has
arrived. I have also seen Chekitana and Satyaki, also called Yuyudhana,
both Maharathas, proud of their strength and renowned the world over; and
they have each brought an akshauhini of troops. Drupada, the king of the
Panchalas, has come, accompanied by his ten heroic sons—Satyajit and the
others, led by Dhrishtadyumna, the fire-born.
Sikhandin has come in Drupada’s support to honour Yudhishtira, with a
full akshauhini of soldiers whom he has equipped well with everything they
need. That lord of Earth Virata, and his two sons, Sankha and Uttara;
Suryadatta and others headed by Madiraksha, with one akshauhini of troops
and the support of his brothers and sons, have joined the son of Pritha.
Jarasandha’s son, the king of Magadha, and Dhrishtaketu, the king of
the Chedis, have arrived separately, each accompanied by an akshauhini.
The five Kekaya brothers, flying purple flags, have joined the Pandavas
with their akshauhini of warriors. All these valiant men, whom I have seen
assembled there, will fight on the Pandava side against Duryodhana’s
armies. Maharathika Dhrishtadyumna, who knows all the vyuhas of
Manavas, Devas and Gandharvas, leads the Pandava host as its Senapati.
O Rajan, Sikhandin is appointed to meet Santanu’s son Bhishma in
battle, with Virata and his Matsya warriors to support him. Yudhishtira will
face the king of the Madras, though some feel that the two are not evenly
matched. Bhimasena will fight Duryodhana, his sons and his ninety-nine
brothers, as well as the eastern and southern kings. Arjuna will meet
Vikartana’s son Karna and Jayadratha, king of the Sindhus, those irresistible
Kshatriyas so proud of their strength.
The five mighty bowmen, the Kekaya brothers, will fight the Kekaya
soldiers who are with Dhritarashtra. Also in their lot are the Malavas and
the Salvakas, and the two famed Trigarta warriors who have sworn to
conquer or die. Subhadra’s son has been assigned to kill all the sons of
Duryodhana and Dusasana, and also king Brihadbala. And those great
archers, the sons of Draupadi, with gold embroidered banners on their
chariots, and led by Dhrishtadyumna, will do battle against Drona.
Chekitana wants to meet Somadatta in his chariot, in single combat;
Satyaki is anxious to do battle against the Bhoja lord Kritavarman; Madri’s
heroic son Sahadeva, who roars so dreadfully in battle, means to kill your
brother-in-law, Sakuni son of Subala; and Madri’s other son Nakula will
meet the deceitful Uluka and the Saraswatas. The Pandavas have placed all
the other kings under the leadership of one or other of their allies. Thus has
the Pandava host been divided. You and your sons must do as you think
best, and without delay.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘Alas, my foolish sons, who cheated at dice, are
already as good as dead, for it is Bhima they have chosen to meet in battle.
Like moths to the flame, all the other kings will rush inexorably towards the
Gandiva, as if consecrated for a yagna by Yama himself. In my mind’s eye I
see my host routed and killed by those illustrious Kshatriyas whom I have
grievously wronged. Who will follow my warriors, when the sons of Pandu
break their ranks?
The Pandavas are Maharathas of awesome accomplishments, with the
energy of the fiery Sun and ever victorious. Indra himself cannot wrest the
Earth from them, who have Yudhishtira for their king, Krishna for their
protector, the heroic Savyasachi and Vrikodara for their warriors, and
Nakula, Sahadeva and Dhrishtadyumna also fighting for them.
Indra cannot prevail against them, who have with them the son of
Prishata, Satyaki, Drupada and Dhrishtaketu with his son, Uttamaujas, the
unconquerable Yudhamanyu of the Panchalas, Sikhandin, Kshattradeva,
Virata’s son Uttara, the Kasayas, the Chedis, the Matsyas, the Srinjayas,
Babhru, the sons of Virata, the Panchalas, and the Prabhadrakas. These
heroes are calm and steadfast on the battlefield; they can cleave the very
mountains; they are endowed with every virtue and blessed with
superhuman strength; and it is against them that my foolish son wants to pit
himself, ignoring all my pleas.’
Duryodhana says, ‘The Pandavas and we are of the same vamsa; we
tread upon the same earth. Why do you think that victory will be theirs?
Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, the unconquerable Karna, Jayadratha, Somadatta
and Aswatthama are all mighty bowmen and endowed with great powers.
When even Indra and the Devas cannot subdue them, what can the
Pandavas do against them, O my father?
All these noble and heroic kings of the Earth, bearing weapons on my
behalf, will easily contain and quell the Pandavas; the sons of Pandu cannot
dare look at my troops, let alone face them in war. Why, by myself I can
crush the Pandavas and their sons in battle. Bhaarata, all these sovereigns of
the Earth, who are anxious to serve my cause, will even capture the
Pandavas as they would net a herd of young deer. Rest assured, O
Dhritarashtra, that, with our numberless chariots and tempests of arrows, we
will annihilate the Panchalas and the Pandavas.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘Sanjaya, my son speaks like a madman; he cannot
prevail over Dharmaraja Yudhishtira. Bhishma knows the true might of the
Pandavas and their sons, which is why he does not want war with them.
Tell me again, Sanjaya, of their movements. Tell me, who incites those
bowmen of the wonderful tejas like priests feeding the homa fire with
libations of ghee?’
Sanjaya says, ‘Dhrishtadyumna urges the Pandavas to war, saying,
“Fight, Bharatottamas! Have no fear whatever. All those rulers of the Earth,
whom Dhritarashtra’s son woos, will be no more than easy targets for your
astras in war. I by myself can devour all the angry kings assembled,
together with their kinsmen, like a whale swallowing swarms of little fish.
Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, Karna, Drona’s son, Salya and Duryodhana—I will
contain them all, as the shore does the swelling sea.”
Yudhishtira said in reply, “The Panchalas and the Pandavas depend on
your prowess and fortitude to see us safely through the war. I know,
Mahabaho, that you are devoted to Kshatriya dharma. Indeed, you can kill
the Kauravas on your own. Parantapa, when they face us, eager for war,
whatever strategy you decide on will be the best for us, of that I am sure.
Those who know the Shastras say that the Kshatriya who manifests his
strength, and then helps those who flee the battlefield after the rout he has
made and ask for his protection, is worth a thousand men. Purusharishabha,
you are such a man—peerless. I have no doubt that you will be the refuge
of those who are taken by fear on the field of war.”
When Dharmatma Yudhishtira said this, Dhrishtadyumna said to me,
“Go, Suta, without delay and say to all those that have come to fight for
Duryodhana—the Kurus of the Pratipa vamsa, the Bahlikas, the son of
Saradwata, Karna and Drona, Drona’s son and Jayadratha, Dusasana,
Vikarna and to Raja Duryodhana and Bhishma: Do not offer yourselves up
to be slain by Arjuna, whom the Devas protect. Before that happens, let
some good man approach Yudhishtira with all repair and entreat that son of
Pandu, that Purushottama, to accept the kingdom that they surrender to
him, without delay.
There is no warrior on the Earth like Arjuna, of the pure and
unquenchable prowess. The Devas protect the wielder of the Gandiva’s
celestial ratha, and he cannot be vanquished by a human. Therefore, steer
your minds away from war.”’”
CANTO 58
“D hritarashtra says, ‘Yudhishtira has the power of a Kshatriya by

birth and since his youth led a life of brahmacharya. Sadly, my
foolish sons ignore me and want to fight this noblest man, which is why I
weep.
I beg you, Duryodhana, to turn away from this enmity. War is never
commended under any circumstances. Half the Earth is quite enough for
you and all your followers. Give back their rightful share of the kingdom to
the Pandavas. All the Kauravas consider this course of action—to make
peace with the sons of Pandu—to be in keeping both with nyaya and
dharma.
Think carefully, my son, and you will realise that your own army will
become the instrument of your death. Your folly prevents you from
understanding this. I myself do not want war and neither do Bahlika,
Bhishma, Drona and Aswatthama; nor do Somadatta, Salya and Kripa; nor
Satyavrata, Purumitra and Bhurisravas. If truth be told, none of these kings
wants war. The warriors upon whom the Kauravas depend disapprove of the
war. My child, accept this. In your own heart, you do not wish for war, but
sadly, Karna and the vile-minded Dusasana and Sakuni lead you to it.’
Duryodhana says, ‘I challenge the Pandavas to battle without depending
on you, Drona, Aswatthama or Sanjaya, on Vikarna, Kamboja, Kripa or
Bahlika, on Satyavrata, Purumitra or Bhurisravas, or on any of the others in
our force. Purusharishabha, Karna and I, by ourselves, are prepared to
celebrate the Yuddha yagna—the sacrifice of war—with all the needful rites
and make Yudhishtira the yagnapasu, the sacrificial animal.
At that yagna my chariot will be the altar; my sword will be the small
ladle and my mace the large one for pouring libations; my coat of mail will
be the witness; my four steeds will be the officiating priests; my arrows will
be the blades of kusa grass; and fame will be the ghrita, the clarified butter.
Rajan, by performing such a sacrifice with war in honour of Yama, and by
providing the ingredients for it ourselves, we will return crowned with
victory and covered in glory after slaying our enemies.
The three of us—I, Karna and my brother Dusasana—will kill the
Pandavas in battle. Either I will slay them and rule the Earth or, having
killed me, they will. My king, O you of unfading glory, I am ready to
sacrifice my life, my kingdom, my wealth and everything else, but I cannot
live at peace with the Pandavas. I will not surrender to the Pandavas even
such land as may be covered by the point of a needle!’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘Ah, I now cast Duryodhana off forever; however, I
grieve for all you kings who will follow this fool into Yamaloka. Like tigers
let loose amongst a herd of deer, the sons of Pandu will devour all of you,
who are so agog for battle.
I think of the Bhaarata host as a helpless woman who will be brutalised,
then slain and cast into the distance by Yuyudhana of the long arms.
Augmenting the strength of Yudhishtira’s army, which was already
powerful enough, Sini’s son will take his stand on the field of battle and
scatter his arrows like seeds on a ploughed field. And each one will take a
life.
Bhimasena will assume his position at the very front of the Pandava
forces with his soldiers arrayed fearlessly behind him, as behind a rampart.
O Duryodhana, when you see elephants as big as hills fallen on the
ground with their tusks broken, their heads crushed and their bodies dyed
with their own blood; when you see them lying on the field of battle like
splintered mountains; then, terrified of Bhima, you will remember my
words. When you see your forces of chariots, horses and elephants
devastated by Bhimasena, and looking like the ruined, smoking wake of a
great conflagration, you will remember my words.
If you do not make peace with the Pandavas, inexorable doom will find
you. You will meet your end by the hand of Bhimasena with his gada, and
rest finally in peace. When you see the Kuru host levelled to the ground by
Bhima, like a vast forest of trees torn up by their roots, then you will
remember my words.’
Having spoken thus to all those rulers of the Earth gathered there, the
king addresses Sanjaya once more.”
CANTO 59
“D hritarashtra says, ‘Wise one, tell me what Krishna and

Dhananjaya said. I am eager to hear that.’
Sanjaya says, ‘Listen, O king, and I will tell you how Krishna and
Arjuna are, and what those heroes said. With my eyes turned down, my
hands joined in reverence and with my senses under control, I entered the
antahpura to confer with those gods among men. Not Abhimanyu or the
twins have free access to the apartments that Arjuna and Krishna share with
Draupadi and Satyabhama. There I saw those Parantapas, anointed with
sandalwood paste, and cheerful from having drunk sweet wine. They wore
grand clothes and celestial ornaments and sat on a golden dais decked with
gems and covered with closely woven, many-hued carpets.
Krishna’s feet rested on Arjuna’s lap, while Arjuna’s lay on Draupadi’s
and Satyabhama’s. Arjuna pointed to a golden foot-stool for me to sit on; I
touched it in ritual salutation and sat on the ground. And when he drew his
feet away from the foot-stool, I saw auspicious marks on both his soles—
two dark lines ran from heel to toe.
Seeing the two Krishnas—both of them tall, dark and straight like the
trunks of sala trees—sitting on the same seat, a great foreboding gripped
me. They looked like Indra and Vishnu seated together. Relying on Drona
and Bhishma, and on Karna’s vain boasts, the deluded Duryodhana does not
realise that Yudhishtira, with these two obeying his every command, will
have all his wishes fulfilled. My lord, of that I am entirely convinced.
They entertained me with food and drink and honoured me with other
courtesies, too; then, raising my folded hands over my head in reverence, I
conveyed your message to them. Arjuna, with his cicatrised hand, removed
Krishna’s auspicious foot from his lap and urged him to speak. Sitting up
erect as Indra’s banner, adorned with every ornament, and splendid in tejas
as Indra himself, Krishna addressed me. His words were sweet, charming
and mild, but full of doom for Duryodhana. Krishna spoke directly, clearly
and meaningfully, but what he said at the end rent my very heart.
He said to me, “O Sanjaya, after greeting the elders and enquiring about
the welfare of the younger ones there, say this to the wise Dhritarashtra, in
the hearing of Kurusattama Bhishma and Drona:
‘We hope that you have been performing yagnas, giving gifts to
Brahmanas, and enjoying your sons and wives, for dire peril is imminent.
We hope you have been giving wealth to the deserving, helping your near
and dear ones and that you have been blessed with good sons, for
Yudhishtira is eager for victory. My old vow to Draupadi remains
unfulfilled. You have provoked Arjuna, whose bow is the fiery and
invincible Gandiva, and who has me by his side. Even if he were Indra, is
there any man who would challenge Arjuna, who has me to help him,
unless that man’s time on Earth has ended? Only the man who can lift the
Earth in his arms, consume all creation in anger and who can cast the Devas
out of Swarga, can hope to vanquish Arjuna. I do not see even one among
the Devas, Asuras, Manavas, Yakshas, Gandharvas and Nagas who can face
Dhanajaya in war.
That wonderful battle in Virata’s kingdom is proof of this: when one
man faced countless Maharathas and quelled them. That you all fled, routed
single-handedly by this Pandava, is proof enough. No one has the might,
prowess, energy, speed, lightness of hand, boundless stamina and patience
that Partha does.’”
Krishna cheered Arjuna with these words and, also, with roars of
exultation, like thunder in the sky, that would frighten even Indra. When he
heard what Krishna said, Arjuna, too, spoke in similar vein to me, and his
words made the hairs on my body stand on end.’”
CANTO 60
V aisampayana said, “The wise Dhritarashtra weighs Sanjaya’s words,

their merits and flaws. Once he has done this as best he can and has
gauged the strengths and weaknesses of both sides, the Kuru king compares
the might of each side, always keeping his sons’ interest at heart. He comes
to the conclusion that the Pandavas, endowed with both human and divine
ancestry and prowess, are more powerful.
He says to Duryodhana, ‘My child, I cannot shake off the anxiety that
grips me. It clings to me so that I can almost see it, like some demon. My
dark forebodings cannot be explained away by your reasoning; and it is
natural, for you are my son. All beings love their progeny; they do
everything in their power to please them, and work for their advantage. It is
the same with benefactors—good men always want to reciprocate the good
done to them and do what pleases their patrons.
Agni will remember what Arjuna did for him in the Khandava vana and
will certainly help Arjuna in this unthinkable war. From paternal affection,
Dharma, Indra, Vayu and the Aswins will come together to help the
Pandavas; other Devas will join them. To protect them from Bhishma,
Drona and Kripa, the wrath of the Devas will manifest itself like the very
Brahmastra. Those Purushavyaghras, the sons of Pritha, are blessed with
immense strength and are masters of all the godly and fell astras. When
they are as one with the Devas, our warriors—mere mortals, all—will not
be able to even look at them.
He whose bow is the divine Gandiva; he who has a pair of inexhaustible
celestial quivers from Varuna; he whose banner, which flies as freely as
smoke in the air, has the Vanara upon it; he whose chariot has no equal on
the Earth bound by the four seas, its rumble like clouds roaring, and which,
like the crash of thunder, terrifies his enemies; he whose superhuman tejas
the whole world knows; he whom all the kings of the Earth know to be the
conqueror of the Devas; he who takes up five hundred arrows at a time and
in the twinkling of an eye shoots them in a blur into far distances; this son
of Pritha, Parantapa, tiger among Maharathas, whom Bhishma, Drona,
Kripa, Drona’s son, Salya the king of the Madras and indeed all impartial
men of thought consider invincible even by kings possessing phenomenal
prowess; he who shoots five hundred arrows at each stretch of his bow and
whose arms are as powerful as Kartavirya’s—I see this great bowman
Arjuna, who is equal to Indra or Upendra, this Kshatriya himself without
equal, wreaking unimagined havoc in this war.
O Bhaarata, this thought preys on my mind night and day, and I am
miserable and sleepless because of my fear for my sons and for all the
Kurus. Savage and bloody carnage is about to overtake them unless this war
is averted by striking peace. With all my heart, I am for making peace with
the Pandavas and not for war. My son, I have always considered them
greater than the Kurus.’”
CANTO 61
V aisampayana said, “At his father’s words, Dhritarashtra’s volatile

son is inflamed with rage and in a voice heavy with envy says, ‘You
assume that the sons of Pritha are invincible because they have the Devas
on their side. Best of kings, dispel your fear. The Devas achieved divinity
by virtue of the absence of desire, covetousness, hatred and of detachment
from worldly affairs.
Bharatarishabha, once, Dwaipayana-Vyasa, Maharishi Narada and
Jamadagni’s son Parasurama told us that, unlike human beings, the motive
for what the Devas do is never desire, anger, covetousness or envy. Indeed,
if Agni, Vayu, Dharma, Indra or the Aswins had actively taken their side,
the sons of Pritha would never have fallen into this pit of distress. Do not be
anxious, for the Devas always act dispassionately, in accord with principles
worthy of their divinity. If envy and lust are incentives, the laws that rule
the Devas will nullify them.
Besides, even if he flares into an all-consuming blaze, I will charm Agni
into extinguishment. The tejas of the gods is great, but mine is greater. If the
Earth herself cleaves in two, or mountain peaks split, I can reunite them
with my mantras, Rajan. If a violent tempest or a roaring deluge threatens
the universe of animate and inanimate, moving and immobile creatures, I
can, from compassion for life, stop them. I have the power to freeze all the
great waters of the Earth, so chariots and fighting men can pass over them.
It is I who set in motion all the affairs of the Devas and Asuras. My
horses take me anywhere at my will, wherever I go with my akshauhinis, on
whatever mission. Within my dominions there are no fearful nagas and,
protected by my mantras, innocent creatures within my kingdom never fall
prey to others. The clouds bring rain at the appointed time and in the
quantity wished for by my people. All my subjects are devout, and natural
calamities never visit them.
The Aswins, Vayu, Agni, Dharma and Indra with the Maruts will not
dare protect my enemies. Had they been able to, would the sons of Kunti
have suffered for thirteen years? Know that neither Devas nor Gandharvas,
neither Asuras nor Rakshasas can save him who has incurred my wrath. I
have never before had any doubt about the aptness of reward or punishment
to friend or foe. Parantapa, whenever I say something it is always just so.
The people know me as a speaker of truth.
Everyone can bear witness to my greatness, whose fame has spread all
around. I say this, Rajan, for your information and not from vanity. I have
never praised myself before; to sing one’s own praises is petty. And I say to
you, my father, you will soon hear of my victory over the Pandavas, the
Matsyas, the Panchalas, the Kekayas, Satyaki and Krishna.
Just as rivers cease to be when they enter the ocean, so will the
Pandavas and all their followers when they encounter me. My intelligence
is sharper, my energy is greater, my prowess is mightier, my knowledge is
deeper and my resources are superior, by far, to theirs. The knowledge of
weapons that our Pitamaha, Drona, Kripa, Salya and Sala have, I have it
all.’
Saying this, Parantapa Duryodhana questions Sanjaya once more about
Yudhishtira’s preparations for the war.
CANTO 62
V aisampayana said, “Ignoring Dhritarashtra, who was about to ask

about Arjuna, Karna addresses Duryodhana with words to cheer the
spirit of the assembled Kurus.
He says, ‘When Parasurama discovered the false pretence by which I
obtained the Brahmastra from him, he cursed me that I would forget the
mantra for that astra at the end of my days. Even for so great an offence,
that Rishi, my guru, cursed me lightly; that Maharishi of the fierce tejas can
consume the very Earth with her seas. By my diligence and bravery, I
appeased him. I have that weapon with me still, and my end has not yet
come. I am confident of victory. Let the charge of winning the war be mine.
Through my guru’s favour, I will, in the twinkling of an eye, wipe out
the Panchalas, the Karushas, the Matsyas, as well as the sons of Pritha, their
sons and grandsons. I will win the war and bestow many realms upon you.
Let the Pitamaha, Drona and all the kings remain here with you. I will go
forth with the best of my warriors and kill Kunti’s sons. Let that task be
mine.’
Bhishma says to him, ‘What are you saying, Karna? The approach of
your end has dimmed your intellect. Do you not know that when our
chieftains are killed, all the sons of Dhritarashtra will die? Considering that
you know how Arjuna burnt down the Khandava vana, with only Krishna
helping him, you ought to restrain yourself and your friends and relatives.
You will see the shakti that Indra gave you burnt to ashes when Krishna
strikes it with his chakra. Your other astra, with the serpent’s head, that
shines in your quiver and which you worship with offerings of flowers, will
be consumed and you with it, when Arjuna’s arrows flare at you. Karna,
remember that it is Krishna, who killed Bana and Bhumi’s son Naraka in
fervid battle, and who has slain many others much greater than you, who
protects Arjuna.’
Karna says, ‘There is no doubt that Krishna is all that you say, and I
believe he is even greater. Pitamaha, you are invariably harsh to me, and
this is my response to you today: I hereby lay down my weapons! From
now, you will see me only in the sabha and not on the battlefield. When
death stills your voice, Bhishma, and only then, will the rulers of the Earth
see my prowess,’ and with these words, the great archer, Mahadhanushman
Karna, leaves the Kuru sabha and goes home.
Bhishma laughs mockingly and says to Duryodhana in the midst of the
Kurus, ‘How truly the Sutaputra keeps his word. When Bhimasena arrays
his forces and brings havoc by decimating our legions, scattering hundreds
of thousands of heads, how does Karna intend to keep his pledge to kill the
kings of Avanti and Kalinga with Jayadratha, Chedidhvaja and Bahlika
looking on?
When he presented himself as a Brahmana before the holy Parasurama,
he did indeed obtain the Brahmastra, but he lost his dharma and punya.’
When Bhishma says this after Karna lays down his weapons and leaves,
Vichitravirya’s foolish grandson Duryodhana testily addresses Bhishma.”
CANTO 63
“D uryodhana says, ‘Pritha’s sons are men like any others, mortals
like other men. Why then are you so sure victory will be theirs?
Both we and they are equal in energy, in prowess, in age, in intelligence, in
our knowledge of the Shastras, in our mastery over astras, in the art of war,
in lightness of hand and every other skill. We are all human by birth. How
then, Pitamaha, do you know that victory will be theirs?
I do not seek to accomplish my goals by relying on you, Drona, Kripa,
Bahlika, or on any of the other kings. Vikartana’s son Karna, my brother
Dusasana and I will slay the five sons of Pandu in battle. Having done this,
we will gratify Brahmanas by performing great yagnas of all kinds, with
abundant dakshina and gifts of cattle, horses and wealth.
When my warriors haul the Pandavas’ legions across the field, like
hunters a herd of deer caught in a net, or like whirlpools do a crewless boat,
Pandu’s sons will see the might of our vast host of soldiers, chariots and
elephants, and not only they, but Krishna as well, will surrender their pride.’
Hearing this, Vidura says, ‘Venerable men of infallible knowledge say
that self-restraint is the best of all virtues; and for a Brahmana it is his
eternal dharma. He whose self-control follows the path of daana, tapasya,
gyana and Veda dhyana, always wins success, forgiveness and the punya of
his charity. Self-restraint enhances a man’s tejas and is a most holy
attribute. By absolving a man of his sin and increasing his vitality, it even
leads him to Brahman.
People always fear those who have no self-restraint, as if they are
Rakshasas; and it is to curb Rakshasas that Brahma created Kshatriyas.
Indeed, self-restraint is an excellent vow for all the four varnas to keep.
And these are the qualities of a man with self-restraint: forgiveness,
firmness of mind, non-violence, respect for all things, truthfulness,
simplicity, control over the senses, patience, gentle speech, modesty,
steadiness, liberality, mildness, contentment and faith. He who is self-
controlled sheds lust, avarice, pride, anger, sloth, vanity, malice and sorrow.
Purity and straightforwardness are the hallmarks of a self-restrained man.
He who is not covetous, who is content with a little, who is indifferent
to all things provocative or seductive, and who is as deep as the ocean, is a
man of self-restraint. He who is virtuous, always pleasant and contented,
who has Atmagyana and wisdom wins great respect in this world and bliss
in the hereafter. The man who is wise and mature, who has no fear of other
creatures and whom other creatures do not fear is the foremost of men.
Such a man, who seeks the good of all, is a universal friend and makes
one and all happy. Blessed with depth of character, like the ocean, and
happily content by virtue of his wisdom, this man is always serene and
light-hearted. A man who has self-control and serenity, regulates his life by
the example of men of dharma of the past and the present, and lives in joy.
Alternatively, such a man, whose gyana has endowed him with
contentment, abandons karma and, with his senses firmly restrained,
wanders over the Earth, impatient for death and absorption into Brahman.
The path of the man who enjoys the contentment that his gyana brings
is as invisible as the paths of birds in the sky. He who abandons the world
and takes to sannyasa in pursuit of Moksha can look forward to the bright
and eternal realms that are reserved for him in Swarga.’”
CANTO 64
“V idura says, ‘O king, there is a tale told by men of old of the

fowler who spread his net on the ground to snare birds. Two
birds that lived together were trapped in the net at the same time, but they
took the net up and soared up into the air. Seeing them fly into the sky, the
fowler, without giving way to despair, began to follow them on the ground.
Just then, a hermit living in a nearby asrama, who had finished his morning
prayers, saw the fowler running to catch the birds.
The Muni said to the man, “Fowler, I find it strange and wonderful that
you, who walk on solid ground are pursuing a pair of winged creatures of
the air.”
The fowler said, “These two, united now, are taking away my snare.
Once they fall out I will indeed catch them.”
Sure enough the two doomed birds soon began to quarrel, and they fell
to the ground. Still caught in the net and facing death, they argued angrily
with each other. The fowler came up stealthily and seized them both.
Kinsmen who fall out with one another over wealth fall into the hands
of their enemies, like the quarrelling birds. The duty of kinsmen is to eat
together and talk with one another, and not argue under any circumstances.
Family members who lovingly wait on the elderly become unconquerable,
like a forest guarded by lions; but those who are mean, although wealthy,
always contribute to the prosperity of their enemies. Dhritarashtra, cousins
are like charcoal, blazing when united but only smoking when divided.
I will tell you of something else I once saw on a mountainside. Listen to
this, O Kaurava, and then do what you think best. Once, we went to the
northern mountain, Gandhamadana, accompanied by some hunters and a
number of Brahmanas who liked talking about magical charms and
medicinal plants.
Gandhamadana was a great sylvan tapovana, its slopes covered with
trees and luminous herbs, and Siddhas and Gandharvas lived there. There
we saw a jar of bright golden honey perched on an inaccessible precipice.
That honey, which was Kubera’s favourite drink, was guarded by poisonous
snakes. To the one who drank it, it had the power to grant immortality to the
mortal, sight to the blind and youth to the old. It was this honey, too, that
those Brahmanas had spoken of. The hunters saw that honey and, in their
frantic attempt to secure it, they all died either falling from that snake
ridden cliff or being stung by the vicious serpents.
In much the same way, your son lusts for unrivalled ownership of the
Earth. He sees the prize but, foolishly, not the terrible fall. Duryodhana
wants to do battle with Savyasachi, but I do not see in him enough prowess
or vigour to give him success.
On a single chariot Arjuna conquered all the Earth. Bhishma, Drona and
others, with huge armies behind them, were terrified of Arjuna, who routed
them outside Virata’s city. Keep in mind what happened there. Arjuna still
forgives you and looks to you in hope, waiting for your decision. When
roused, Dhananjaya, Drupada and the king of Matsyas will leave no
remnant of your army; they will be like apocalyptic flames fanned by the
winds of yuganta.
O Dhritarashtra, embrace Yudhishtira. If you go to war, neither side can
win without dreadful losses to themselves, not under any circumstances.’”
CANTO 65
“D hritarashtra says, ‘O my son Duryodhana, think carefully about

what I tell you. Like an ignorant wayfarer, you mistake the
wrong path for the right one.
The five sons of Pandu, whose tejas you are so eager to extinguish, are
like the Panchabhutas, the five elements that support the very universe. You
cannot vanquish Yudhishtira without sacrificing your life in the effort; this
son of Kunti is the most virtuous man in the world. Like a weak tree against
a howling storm, you dare defy Bhimasena, whose strength is unrivalled on
Earth, and who is like Yama himself in battle. And what man of any sense
would choose to face the wielder of Gandiva, greatest of all Kshatriyas,
who is a man among men as Meru is among mountains?
There is no man whom Dhrishtadyumna cannot vanquish, the prince of
Panchala who looses astras at his enemies even like Indra hurling his Vajra.
The noble, irresistible Satyaki, whom the Andhakas and the Vrishnis
honour, is always with the Pandavas. He, too, will slaughter your forces.
No man in his right senses would face the lotus-eyed Krishna, whose
tejas and might surpass any in the three worlds. This same Krishna puts his
wives, relatives, his own soul and the entire Earth on one side of a scale,
and considers Arjuna on the other side to be equal to them all. Krishna, on
whom Arjuna relies, is invincible; and the army with which he allies
himself also becomes irresistible.
Listen, my son, to your well-wishers; they advise you for your own
good. Accept your Pitamaha Bhishma as your mentor and guide. Listen to
what I say and to what these other true friends of the Kurus—Drona, Kripa,
Vikarna and Raja Bahlika—say. They feel for you as I do, and you would
do well to regard them as you do me. Bhaarata, they all know dharma and
love you as much as I do.
The rout by one man, and the ensuing panic of your troops, which you
and your brothers saw outside Virata’s city, is proof enough of the truth of
what I am saying. When Arjuna could single-handedly do that, what can the
Pandavas not achieve when united? Take them by their hands as your
brothers and cherish them with a share of the kingdom.’”
CANTO 66
V aisampayana said, “Having said this to Duryodhana, the wise

Dhritarashtra asks Sanjaya, ‘Now, Sanjaya, tell me what you have
not yet told me—what Arjuna said after Krishna spoke. I am eager to hear
it.’
Sanjaya says, ‘Having heard what Krishna said, the irresistible
Dhananjaya spoke to me in Krishna’s presence.
He said, “O Sanjaya, all the kings and the others who have assembled
here to fight for the Kauravas are about to die—our Pitamaha,
Dhritarashtra, Drona and Kripa; Karna and king Bahlika; Drona’s son,
Somadatta and Subala’s son Sakuni; Dusasana, Sala, Purumitra and
Vivimsati; Vikarna, Chitrasena and Jayatsena; Vinda and Anuvinda; the two
lords of Avanti; Bhurisravas, Bhagadatta and Jarasandha and the other
rulers of the Earth. Dhritarashtra’s son has brought them together to serve as
a libation in the Pandava fire.
In my name, Sanjaya, enquire after the welfare of those kings according
to their status, making sure that you accord them proper respect. In their
presence, address Duryodhana, that worst of evil men, who is wrathful, of
sinful soul, and covetous. Make sure that fool and his advisors hear my
message.”
Saying this first, Pritha’s son, Dhananjaya of the large eyes with red
corners glanced at Krishna and then spoke words of dharma and artha.
He said to me, “You have heard the measured words of the high-souled
lord of the Madhus. Tell the assembled kings that they are mine as well.
Say this for me to those kings, Make peace with us so that you will not
be poured as offerings into the arrow fire of the great yagna of war, in
which the rumble of chariot wheels are the mantras and the annihilating
bow is the sruva, the ladle which will pour blood into death’s great fire. If
you do not give his rightful share of the kingdom to Yudhishtira, I will send
all of you, with your footsoldiers, horsemen and elephants, into the dark
regions of departed spirits.”
I bowed before Dhananjaya and Hari of four arms and took leave of
them, and here I am, come speedily to convey their grave message to you
who are as effulgent as the Devas themselves.’”
CANTO 67
V aisampayana said, “Duryodhana shows scant regard for Sanjaya’s

words; the other kings mutely rise to leave the sabha. As they go,
Dhritarashtra, who, out of blind love, always does whatever his son wants,
wishes all those kings success and secretly asks Sanjaya what the Kurus
plan, and what the hostile Pandavas.
Dhritarashtra says, ‘Tell me truly, Gavalgana putra, what are the
strengths and weaknesses of our forces? You are minutely acquainted with
the affairs of the Pandavas, so tell me where their superiority and inferiority
lie. You are aware of the strength of both sides; you know everything; and
you are versed in all matters pertaining to dharma and artha. I ask you,
Sanjaya, which side will lose in the war?’
Sanjaya says, ‘I will not say anything to you in secret, Rajan, for then
you might bear ill-will towards me. Have your father Vyasa of the stern
vratas and your queen Gandhari come here. Being knowledgeable about
dharma, perceptive and able to discern the truth, they will remove any ill-
feelings that you might have. In their presence, I will tell you what Arjuna
and Krishna intend.’
Dhritarashtra sends for Gandhari and Vyasa, and Vidura ushers them in.
Vyasa Dwaipayana, the wise, says, ‘Sanjaya, tell Dhritarashtra everything
he wants to know. Tell him honestly all that you know about Krishna and
Arjuna.’”
CANTO 68
“S anjaya says, ‘Those wonderful archers Arjuna and Krishna, who

are equally godlike, have been born of their own divine will.
Krishna’s chakra, of the boundless energy, is five krosas wide. At will, and
empowered by maya, he can cast it at any adversary, great or small. It
blazes in refulgence but will be invisible to the Kurus. Krishna’s
Sudarshana chakra is what determines the strength or weakness of the
Pandavas.
With it that mighty scion of the Madhus effortlessly, almost playfully,
vanquished the formidable Naraka, Sambara, Kamsa and the Chedi king
Sisupala. Krishna is the most exalted of all men; he is divine and a
Paramatman; and he can bring Bhumi, Akasa and Swarga under his sway,
just by willing it. Again and again you ask me about the strengths and
weaknesses of the Pandavas. Listen and I will tell you of these, simply.
If the whole universe is placed on one side of a balance and Krishna on
the other, Krishna will be heavier. He can, at his pleasure, reduce the
universe to ashes, but if all the forces in the universe combine, they cannot
do the same to him. Wherever there is truth, righteousness, modesty and
compassion, there is Krishna; and where he is, victory must be.
Janardana is the soul of all creatures; he is the highest of all Purushas;
and he guides, as if in sport, the earth, the sky and heaven. Beguiling the
world, he uses the Pandavas as his instruments to destroy your evil sons,
who are great sinners. The divine Kesava keeps the wheel of time, the
wheel of the universe and the wheel of the yuga in constant motion.
Know that this glorious One is the lord of time, of death and of this
brahmanda of mobile and immobile things; and this Mahayogi Hari, though
the Lord of the universe, still performs his dharma, even like a humble
labourer who tills the fields.
Indeed, Krishna beguiles the world with his maya; only those who have
attained Him are not deceived.’”
CANTO 69
“D hritarashtra says, ‘How have you come to know Krishna as the

Lord of the universe, and I have not? Tell me this, Sanjaya.’
Sanjaya says, ‘Listen, Rajan. You have lost your gyana, while the gyana
I have acquired has not diminished. The man who has no gyana is wrapped
in the dark cloak of ignorance and does not know Krishna. Through my
gyana I know that in Madhusudana the three states—the gross, the subtle
and the causal—come together. He is the Creator of all but is, himself,
uncreated. He is divine; from him everything arises and into him everything
returns.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘What is the nature of your faith in Krishna, which
makes you know him to be the union of the kartaram, the akrutam and
Devam?’
Sanjaya says, ‘Rajan, worldly pleasures, which are really maya, hold no
importance for me. I never perform empty rituals, like keeping vratas
without a pure heart or faith in Krishna. With faith I have purified my soul
and then realised Krishna through the shastras.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘O Duryodhana, turn to Krishna for protection. My
child, Sanjaya is one of our truest friends. Seek refuge with Krishna.’
Duryodhana says, ‘Even if the divine son of Devaki, united with
Arjuna, were to destroy all mankind, I will not surrender to him.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘Gandhari, this evil son of yours is determined to
plunge us all into hell. Envious, black-souled and vain, he disregards the
wisdom of his elders.’
Gandhari says to Duryodhana, ‘O covetous child who ignores the
commands of your elders, you abandon your father and me; you give up
prosperity and life; you enhance the joy of your enemies; and I am deeply
distressed. When Bhimasena strikes you down and you die, you will,
foolish boy, remember what your father said to you.’
Vyasa says, ‘Listen to me, Dhritarashtra. Krishna bears you love.
Sanjaya, as your envoy, will do what is good for you. He knows Krishna,
the ancient and exalted One. If you pay heed to him, he will certainly save
you from the great danger that threatens you.
Son of Vichitravirya, men trap themselves because they are victims of
krodha and kama. Those who are not content with what they have are like
the blind leading the blind, into deep pits; deprived of their senses by
avarice and desire, their actions lead them to a never-ending cycle of births
and deaths. The path that the wise take is the only one that leads to
Brahman. Those who are superior overcome death by keeping that path in
view and reach their goal by it.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘Sanjaya, tell me of that path without terrors, by
which I can realise Hrishikesa and attain mukti.’
Sanjaya says, ‘A man of uncontrolled mind cannot know Krishna
Janardana, who has perfect and absolute control over his soul. The
performance of yagnas with uncontrolled senses is not the means to that
end. Renunciation of the objects of our turbulent senses comes from true
gyana. Spiritual enlightenment and abstention from injury arise from true
wisdom. Therefore, O king, subdue your senses with all possible effort; let
your mind not deviate from true knowledge; and detach your heart from the
worldly temptations that surround you. Learned Brahmanas say that this
subjugation of the senses is true wisdom; and this wisdom is the path by
which learned men strive for their goal.
Rajan, Krishna cannot be realised by men who have not subdued their
senses. He who has subdued his senses is gratified by spiritual knowledge
that he gains from knowing the shastras and from the joy of absorption in
Yoga, communion.’”
CANTO 70
“D hritarashtra says, ‘Sanjaya, tell me again about the lotus-eyed

Krishna, so that, by knowing the significance of his names, I
may attain that Purushottama.’
Sanjaya says, ‘I have heard many of Krishna’s auspicious names, and I
will tell you of those that I know. They all describe him as immeasurable
and beyond description.
He is called Vasudeva because he wraps all creatures with the cloak of
maya, because of his glorious splendour and because he is the foundation
and resting-place of the Devas. He is called Vishnu because he is all-
pervading. He is called Madhava because he is an ascetic whose energy is
always focused on the truth and absorbed in Yoga.
He is called Madhusudana because he killed the Asura Madhu and
because he is the substance of the twenty-four objects of knowledge. He is
called Krishna because he is of the Sattvata vamsa, because he is the
embodiment of the unity of the words Krishi, that which exists, and Na,
eternal peace.
His name Pundarikaksha comes from Pundarika, the high and eternal
abode, and Aksha, indestructible.
He is called Janardana because he strikes fear into the hearts of all evil
beings. He is called Sattvata because the sattva guna is embodied in him.
He is called Vrishabhakshana because he is the union of Vrishabha—the
Vedas—and ikshana—eye: the Vedas are the eyes through which he can be
seen. He is called Aja because he is Unborn; he has not taken birth in the
usual way.
That Supreme Soul is called Damodara because, unlike the Devas, his
effulgence is not acquired but emanates from him and because he has self-
control and great splendour. He is called Hrishikesa because he is the union
of joy and divinity—Hrishika, eternal happiness and Isa, the six divine
attributes. He is called Mahabahu because of his mighty arms with which
he supports the Earth and the sky.
He is called Adhokshaja because he never falls or deteriorates in any
way. He is called Narayana because he is the refuge of all human beings. He
is called Purushottama because he is the one who creates, preserves and
destroys the universe—Puru means creator, preserver and destroyer. He is
called Sarva because he knows and is all things. He is called Satya because
he is the truth of Truth—Krishna exists in Truth and Truth in him. He is
called Vishnu because of his prowess and Jishnu because of his success. He
is called Ananta because he is eternal and Govinda because he knows all
languages.
He makes the unreal appear real and beguiles all creatures. With these
his attributes, being ever devoted to dharma, and divine, the slayer of
Madhu, that mighty-armed one who does not decay, will come here to try
and prevent the slaughter of the Kurus.’”
CANTO 71
“D hritarashtra says, ‘O Sanjaya, I envy those who are gifted with

sight, who will see Krishna, his beauty and radiance illuminating
all the cardinal points of Earth and sky; Krishna, whose words the
Bhaaratas listen to with reverence, which the Srinjayas consider sacred and
auspicious, which those who seek prosperity regard as faultless and that the
doomed find unpalatable; Krishna, who is full of exalted resolve, who is
eternal and incomparably heroic, who is the bull of the Yadavas and their
lord; Krishna who inspires awe in his enemies, who slays them and destroys
their fame.
The assembled Kauravas will behold that high-souled and adorable
One, that Parantapa, the lord of the Vrishnis, speaking words of kindness
and enthralling my people. I surrender to the refuge of that Eternal One,
whom Rishis blessed with Atmagyana, that ocean of eloquence, that Being
whom ascetics realise, that bird called Arishta of the beautiful wings, that
destroyer of creatures, that refuge of the universe, that thousand-headed
one, that Creator and Destroyer of all things, that Ancient One without
beginning, middle or end, of the infinite achievements, that cause of the
primeval Seed, that Un-born one, that embodiment of Eternity, that highest
of the high, that Creator of the three worlds and of Devas, Asuras, Nagas
and Rakshasas, that foremost of all the learned and rulers of men, that
younger brother of Indra.’”
CANTO 72
BHAGAVAD-YANA PARVA
J anamejaya said, “When Sanjaya left the Pandava encampment and

went back to the Kurus, what did my grandfathers, the sons of Pandu,
do? Brahmanottama, I want to hear all this; I beg you, tell me.”
Vaisampayana said, “After Sanjaya has gone, Yudhishtira addresses
Krishna, scion of Dasarha vamsa and lord of the Sattvatas.
He says, ‘O you who are faithful to your friends, the time has come to
show your friendship. There is no one but you who can save us from our
distress. We put our faith in you and fearlessly demanded our share of the
kingdom from Duryodhana, who is swollen with bottomless pride, and from
his counsellors.
Parantapa, you protect the Vrishnis during all their times of misfortune;
do the same for us Pandavas, who are in grave danger, for we deserve your
protection.’
Krishna says, ‘Here I am, Mahabaho. Tell me what you want and I will
do it.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘You have heard about Dhritarashtra’s intentions; all
that Sanjaya has said to me has Dhritarashtra’s approval. Sanjaya, whom we
must think of as Dhritarashtra’s soul, has spoken the king’s mind. A duta
says what he is instructed to, for otherwise he deserves to die.
With a mind not inclined to look impartially upon all that is his, and
impelled by avarice and a sinful heart, Dhritarashtra wants to make peace
with us without giving us back our kingdom. It was at Dhritarashtra’s
command, and believing that he would honour the pledge we made with
him, that we spent twelve years in the forests and one more year in hiding.
The Brahmanas who were with us will bear out the fact that we did not
deviate from our given word.
Now the covetous Dhritarashtra does not want to keep Kshatriya
dharma. Out of his love for his son, he listens to the counsel of evil men.
Prompted by greed and selfishness, he takes Duryodhana’s advice and treats
us deceitfully.
What can be more sorrowful, Janardana, than my being unable to look
after my mother and my friends? Even with the Kasis, the Panchalas, the
Chedis and the Matsyas for my allies, and with you, Madhusudana, as my
protector, I asked for only five villages—Avisthala, Vrikasthala, Makandi,
Varanavata, and any one more of their choice.
Grant us five villages or towns, we said, where we five may live
together; we do not want to see Bharata vamsa destroyed.
However, the evil-minded son of Dhritarashtra thinks he is the sole
master of the whole world, and he did not agree. What can be more
sorrowful than this?
When a man, born and raised in a noble family, covets the possessions
of others his avarice destroys his intelligence. Once intelligence is lost, he
feels no shame; the lack of shame leads to an erosion of dharma; and the
loss of dharma leads to the withering of prosperity. The destruction of
prosperity, in its turn, ruins a man, for poverty is like death. Kinsmen,
friends and Brahmanas shun a poor man, just as birds avoid a tree that has
neither flowers nor fruit. Krishna, to me my relatives shunning me feels like
death; I feel as if my prana is leaving my body.
Sambara said that nothing is more distressful than being wracked with
anxiety about where one’s next meal will come from and the uncertain
future. It is said that wealth is the highest dharma and that everything
depends on it. Those who have it are considered alive, whereas those who
have none might as well be dead. A man who forcibly robs another of his
wealth not only kills his victim but ruins his dharma, artha and kama.
When poverty overtakes them, some men choose death; others leave
their cities and retire to villages; many retire to the forest; while some
become sadhus and beggars in a bid to destroy themselves. For the sake of
wealth, some drive themselves to madness; others live as subjects of their
enemies; and many go into the service of others. Poverty is more distressful
to a man than death, for prosperity is the sole cause of a man’s dharma as
well as his kama. Actual death is not as painful, for it is inevitable and none
can overcome it.
Krishna, a man who is poor from birth does not suffer as much as the
man who, born into wealth and used to living in luxury, loses his prosperity.
He may lose his wealth through his own fault, but he blames the gods and
Indra, rarely himself. Even knowledge of the shastras fails to mitigate his
pain.
Sometimes he gets angry with his servants and harbours malicious envy
towards his friends. In his anger, he loses the clarity of his mind and,
because his intellect is clouded, he commits evil. His sinfulness makes him
careless about maintaining caste divisions. Varnasankarshana, the mixing of
castes, leads to Naraka and is the worst sin of all. If a man is not made
aware soon, he goes straight to hell. Wisdom is the only thing that can
awaken him, and if he regains the eye of wisdom, he is saved. When
wisdom returns the man turns to the shastras, which enhance his virtue.
Shame becomes a treasured ornament.
The man who feels shame has an aversion to sin; his prosperity
increases; and he is truly a man. He who is devoted to dharma, who has his
mind under control and who always acts after careful deliberation, is never
inclined towards adharma, nor does he sin.
He who feels no shame and has lost good sense is neither man nor
woman. He cannot earn punya and is like a Sudra. He who feels shame
pleases the Devas, the Pitrs and his own self, and thus attains moksha, the
highest aim of all men of dharma.
Madhusudana, in me you have seen the truth of all that I say. You know
how we have lived these years in exile, deprived of our kingdom. It is
against our dharma to abandon what is rightfully ours. Our first efforts will
be towards ensuring that both ourselves and the Kauravas enjoy prosperity
and be united in peace. Otherwise, we will kill the Kauravas and regain the
kingdom that is ours by right, although success won through bloodshed,
even by killing the most hateful enemy, and in this case our close kin, is the
very worst of violent deeds.
We have many kinsmen, and many of our elders have ranged
themselves against us. To slaughter these is a grievous sin indeed. What
good can come of war? Sadly, war is the dharma of a Kshatriya; and we are
born into that wretched varna. Sinful or virtuous, any other way of life
would be wrong for us. A Sudra serves; a Vaisya lives by trade; the
Brahmana has the wooden begging bowl to sustain himself; we have to live
by war! A Kshatriya kills a Kshatriya; fish live on fish; a dog eats a dog.
See how they all live according their inherent dharma.
O Krishna, Kali, wrath, is always present in battlefields; lives are lost;
and despite the strict laws that govern warfare, success and defeat cannot be
foretold. None of Earth’s creatures control their own lives; and neither
prosperity nor adversity come until their time is ripe.
Sometimes one man kills many; sometimes many together kill one; a
coward may slay a renowned and celebrated hero. In war both sides cannot
win, and both cannot lose, even though both sides may suffer equal losses.
If a Kshatriya flees a battle, he loses honour and glory. Ah, under any
circumstances war is a sin.
Who in striking another is not himself struck? For the one attacked,
victory and defeat are the same, O Hrishikesa. Defeat is almost as bad as
death, but the victor’s losses are no less. Even if the victor is himself not
killed, one or more of his dear ones may die and, stricken by the loss of his
kin, he becomes indifferent to his own life.
Those who are quiet, modest, virtuous and compassionate are generally
killed in battle, while evil ones escape unscathed. After killing his enemies
a man is gripped by remorse. Moreover, the vanquished survivor will
muster another army, to challenge the victor. In the hope of ending a dispute
with finality, one often tries to annihilate the enemy, at times without
success; and victory creates hatred, for the vanquished lives on in sorrow.
The man who wants peace sleeps happily, giving up all thoughts of
victory and defeat, while the man who provokes hostilities sleeps in misery
and anxiety, as if he shares the room with a serpent. The man who kills
seldom wins renown; in fact he gains eternal and universal infamy. A war
waged over a long period of time never ends, because even if there is one
family member left alive, there is no dearth of those who will remind him of
past enmities.
Krishna, enmity is never converted to peace by further enmity; it feeds
on itself like a fire on ghee. There can be no peace without the complete
obliteration of one side, because otherwise there will always be chances for
a survivor to take revenge on the victor, a vice to which opportunists are
addicted.
Confidence in one’s own prowess is an incurable disease that can bring
heartache. The only way to know peace is by renouncing war, or by death.
Madhusudana, although it is true that we can achieve the goal by ridding
oneself of an enemy by tearing him up by the very root, that is savage and
cruel. The peace that one may achieve by giving up kingdom is almost like
death, which comes if one loses one’s kingdom and is utterly ruined by the
enemy. We do not wish to give up our kingdom, nor do we wish to see the
extinction of our vamsa. Considering all this, it is better to make peace by
giving in to the Kauravas.
The time to show one’s might is when those who desire peace and not
war fail at conciliation and war becomes inevitable. Horrible results follow
the failure of peacemakers. Learned men have seen this in fights even
between dogs. First, the dogs wag their tails, then they bark, then they circle
each other and bare their teeth, then growl and, finally, attack each other.
The dog that is stronger prevails and takes his meat. It is the same with
men; there is no difference whatever. Those who are powerful should avoid
disputes with the weak, who will yield, for they must.
The father, the king and the elder always deserve respect and, so,
Dhritarashtra deserves regard and reverence from us. But Dhritarashtra’s
love for his son is great; he will be obedient to his son and reject what we
propose. What do you, O Krishna, think is best at this juncture? How can
we preserve both our interest and our virtue? Whom else, besides you,
Madhusudana, shall we consult in this most difficult matter? What other
friend do we have, who is as dear to us as you are, who wants our welfare,
who knows the consequences of all karma, and who knows the truth?’
Krishna says to Yudhishtira, ‘I will go to the sabha of the Kurus, for
both your sakes. If I can make peace without sacrificing your interests, I
will have performed an act of great punya, which will bear immortal fruit. I
will also have saved the angry Kurus and Pandavas, as well as
Dhritarashtra’s sons and this sacred Bhumi herself from the snare of death,
and perdition worse than death.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘I am not in favour of you going to the Kurus;
Duryodhana will never do as you ask, even if you use the best advice to
persuade him. All the Kshatriyas of the world are assembled there, obedient
to his command. I do not like the thought of you going into their midst. If
any harm comes to you, nothing, not the promise of godhood, not
sovereignty over all the Devas, let alone mere mundane success, will please
us.’
The Divine One says, ‘Rajan, I know how base and vicious the son of
Dhritarashtra is; but by going there we will escape the censure of the kings
of the Earth. Just like other animals before the lion, all the kings of the
Earth united cannot stand before me when I am roused. If by some chance
they try to do me harm, I will consume the Kurus. My going there will not
be fruitless, for if our object is not fulfilled, we shall at least escape blame.
And this is my intention.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Krishna, do whatever pleases you. May your plan be
blessed. Go to the Kurus. I hope to see you return successful and in joy. Go
and make such a peace that all the sons of Bharata may live together
happily and in contentment. You are our brother and friend, as dear to me as
to Arjuna. So close are we to you that we are not in the least concerned that
you might neglect our welfare. Go there for our good.
You know us and you know our enemies; you know what our intentions
are and what to say. Whatever you say to Duryodhana will be for our good.
By whatever means peace is achieved, Kesava, keep our welfare at heart.’”
CANTO 73
BHAGAVAD-YANA PARVA CONTINUED
“K rishna says, ‘I have heard what Sanjaya said and now I have
heard you. I know Dhritarashtra’s intentions as well as yours.
Your wishes are based on dharma, while theirs stem from malice. You
greatly value what you might obtain without war.
Yet, a long life of brahmacharya is not the way of a Kshatriya, O lord of
the Earth. Men of all four varnas say that a Kshatriya should never live on
alms. Brahma has ordained that either victory or death in battle is the
eternal dharma of a Kshatriya; humiliating yourself by surrender is not for
you. Yudhishtira Mahabaho, you cannot live by humbly giving in. Display
your prowess and vanquish your enemies, Parantapa.
Through his long association with many kings, and because of their
affection and friendship, Dhritarashtra’s son has become powerful indeed.
There is no hope that he will make peace with you. The Kurus think they
are strong because they have Bhishma, Drona, Kripa and others with them.
As long as you behave mildly towards them, they will not give up your
kingdom. Dhritarashtra’s sons will not accede to your wishes from
compassion or mildness or from a sense of righteousness.
There is, Pandava, more evidence that they will not make peace with
you. They felt no remorse despite having made you suffer terrible
deprivation and hardship and making you wear a kaupina for your attire.
The ruthless Duryodhana cheated to beat you at dice, in the sight of
Pitamaha Bhishma, Drona, the wise Vidura, many holy Brahmanas, the
king, the citizens and all the important Kauravas; he deceived you, who are
charitable, gentle, self-controlled, virtuous and of stern vratas; and he was
not ashamed of his vile deed. Do not show the wretches any compassion.
These men, who are so deserving of death at anyone’s hands, are that much
more deserving of it at yours, O Bhaarata.
With what ugly words Duryodhana, with his brothers, gladly and
boastfully, tormented you and your brothers. He said, “The Pandavas now
own nothing in this wide world. Their names and lineage are already
extinct. In time, which is eternal, they have already died. I have all their
punya, and they will now be scattered into the five elements.”
While the game of dice was being played, the brutal Dusasana seized
the weeping Draupadi by her hair and dragged her to the sabha, as if she
had no protectors. In the presence of Bhishma, Drona and others he
repeatedly called her “cow”. Restrained by you and bound by dharma, your
mighty brothers did nothing to avenge her. After you were exiled to the
forests, Duryodhana spoke savage words and boasted to his kinsmen, who
knew you were innocent and sat mute in the sabha and wept silently.
The assembled kings and the Brahmanas did not applaud him for this
deed. Indeed, all in the court censured him. To a man of noble descent,
Parantapa, censure is equal to death. Death is many times better than a life
of blame. That was when he already died; but he felt no shame although all
the kings of the Earth disapproved of what he did.
He whose character is utterly despicable is destroyed as easily as a tree
supported by a single weak root. Duryodhana deserves death by any hand,
like a snake. Kill him, Parantapa, without the slightest hesitation or
remorse.
It is incumbent upon you, and I approve of it, that you should pay
homage to your uncle Dhritarashtra and to Pitamaha Bhishma. I will go
there and remove the uncertainty of all men who are still in any doubt of
Duryodhana’s evil nature and ways. There, in the presence of all the kings, I
will tell of your shining virtues and Duryodhana’s vices. The rulers of
kingdoms, who hear my words full of dharma and artha, will recognise that
you are virtuous and truthful while Duryodhana is moved only by his greed.
I will speak of Duryodhana’s vices before the citizens of Hastinapura
and the other people of the kingdom, before the young and the old, of all the
four varnas, who will be gathered there. Because you ask for peace no one
will consider you sinful, while all the lords of the Earth will castigate the
Kurus and Dhritarashtra. When Duryodhana dies the death of dishonour and
of being forsaken by all men, my work will be complete. After that, do what
needs to be done.
Mindful of your noble intentions but never sacrificing your interest, I
will go to the Kurus and try to make peace. I will observe their preparations
for war and return to make you victorious, Bhaarata.
I fear that war is certain; all the omens I see point to it. Birds and
animals screech and howl at dusk; the best elephants and horses assume
dreadful shapes; fires flame in many sinister hues. Such signs appear only
when the pralaya is imminent.
Let your warriors ready their weapons, their machines of war, armour,
chariots, elephants and horses, and prepare for battle. Collect everything
you need for the war that looms. As long as he lives Duryodhana will never
give back your magnificent kingdom, which he stole from you at a game of
dice.’”
CANTO 74
“B hima says, ‘Madhusudana, speak in such a way that there may be

peace with the Kurus. Do not threaten them with war. Do not
speak harshly to Duryodhana, who is always quick to anger, resentful,
flouts his own best interest and is arrogant. Treat him gently. His heart, like
a criminal’s, is naturally inclined to sin; he is intoxicated with pride in his
own prosperity, and he is hostile towards the Pandavas. He has no foresight,
is cruel and always blames others for his own sins; his strength is vicious;
his wrath is not easily or quickly subdued. He does not learn from the
mistakes of others or his own; his very soul is evil and he is full of deceit
and treachery. He would rather give up his life than his opinion. Peace with
such a man, Krishna, is difficult.
Duryodhana disregards the advice of his well-wishers; he is without
virtue and loves falsehood; his actions violate the advice of his best
counsellors, which wounds their hearts. Like a snake hiding in the reeds, he
is a slave to his evil nature and his anger, and he sins again and again. You
know well the strength of Duryodhana’s army, his ways, his character and
his prowess. Until now the Kauravas and their sons passed their days
happily, and we, too, with our friends and Indra, as if we were Indra’s
younger brothers. But now, sadly, Duryodhana’s wrath will consume all the
Bhaaratas, as fire does forests at the end of winter.
O Krishna, you know about the eighteen kings who killed their friends
and relatives. When Dharma’s time came to an end, Kali1 was born among
the Asuras, who blossomed in prosperity and blazed with energy; Udavarta
was born among the Haihayas; Janamejaya was born among the Nipas;
Bahula among the Talajghanas; proud Vasu among the Krimis; Ajabindu
among the Suviras; Rushardhika among the Surashtras; Arkaja among the
Balihas; Dhautamulaka among the Chinas; Hayagriva among the Videhas;
Varayu among the Mahaujasas; Bahu among the Sundaras; Pururavas
among the Diptakshas; Sahaja among the Chedis and Matsyas;
Vrishadhvaja among the Praviras; Dharana among the Chandravatsas;
Vigahana among the Mukutas and Sama among the Nandivegas.
Vile and powerful souls, Krishna, take birth at the end of each yuga, in
their respective races, for the destruction of their kinsmen. So has
Duryodhana, the embodiment of sin, and the disgrace of his vamsa, been
born at the end of the yuga into our clan, of the Kurus. Therefore, mighty
one, you should speak gently to him in sweet, not bitter words, imbued with
dharma and artha, and in depth on his favourite subjects, so you please him.
All of us would rather submit humbly to Duryodhana than let the Bhaaratas
be annihilated.
Krishna, conduct yourself in such a way that we may rather live as
strangers to the Kurus than incur the sin of destroying the whole vamsa.
Encourage our Pitamaha and other elders and counsellors to foster feelings
of kinship amongst us cousins and to pacify the son of Dhritarashtra.
I say this and Yudhishtira approves. Arjuna, too, is opposed to war, for
he is deeply compassionate.’”
1Kali refers to the demon Kali, not the Goddess Kaali.

CANTO 75
V aisampayana said, “Hearing Bhima speak with such uncharacteristic

mildness, as unexpected as hills without their bulk, or fire without
heat, Krishna throws back his head and laughs aloud. And as if to provoke
Bhima, like the wind fanning a fire, he speaks to him who was at that
moment seized by an impulse of kindness.
Krishna says, ‘O Bhimasena, you usually applaud war in your longing
to slaughter Dhritarashtra’s vile sons who delight in every bestiality, in
destroying the lives of others. Parantapa, you stay awake the whole night,
sitting with your head bent down. Frequently, you utter frightful
exclamations of anger that express the storm that rages in your heart.
Inflamed by the fire of your fury, you sigh in restlessness, like a smoking
flame. You go off by yourself and lie down, your fevered breaths labouring,
like a weak man weighed down by a heavy burden. Those who do not know
the reason for all this think that you are mad.
Just as an elephant trumpets in rage while it tramples uprooted trees to
pulp, you run wildly here and there, heaving sighs and making the Earth
tremble under your tread. You take no delight in company and pass your
time in solitude. Night or day, nothing pleases you so much as seclusion.
Sitting by yourself, you suddenly laugh out loud; at times, you put your
head between your knees and stay like that interminably, with your eyes
shut; at other times, you frown and bite your lips and stare fiercely, fixedly
ahead of you, your eyes seeing nothing. These are all symptoms of anger.
Once, in the midst of your brothers, you seized your mace and cried,
“As surely as the Sun rises in the east and displays his radiance, and as truly
as he sets in the west by journeying around Meru, so do I swear that I will
kill Duryodhana with this gada of mine. And this I, Bhima, solemnly vow.”
How does this same heart of yours now advocate peace, Parantapa?
When fear enters even your heart, Bhima, all those who want war are
dismayed as war draws nearer. Asleep or awake, you see inauspicious
omens. Perhaps that is why you want peace. You seem to have lost your
manliness, even like a eunuch. Panic grips you, which is why you are
distraught. Your heart trembles; your mind is taken by despair; your thighs
quiver in weakness, and all this makes you want peace. The hearts of mortal
men, O son of Pritha, are as inconstant as the pods of a salmali seed in the
wind.
At this moment, your words are as soft and mild as the language of
cows; and your brothers’ hearts sink into a sea of despair to listen to you,
like swimmers in the sea without a raft. That you of all men should speak
such tame and cowardly words is as strange as a mountain moving.
Remember your strength, your achievements, and the race into which are
born; and do not give in to grief. Be strong, Bhima. This weakness is not
worthy of you; a Kshatriya never enjoys anything he has not acquired
through his own prowess.’”
CANTO 76
V aisampayana said, “The choleric Bhima, who can never tolerate a

slight, is stung to the quick, and responds like a mettlesome
thoroughbred to a whip.
He cries, ‘Krishna, you wrong me! What I want is one thing and one
thing alone: war. We have known each other a long time and you well know
that I delight in war and that my prowess is irresistible. Or, perhaps you
don’t know me at all, like a swimmer unaware of the depth of the lake he
swims in. That is why you speak to me like this. No one else, knowing
Bhimasena, could say what you have to me.
And so let me tell you, O joy of the Vrishnis, about my unrivalled
might. I know that to boast is vulgar, but you have wounded me, and I will
tell you about myself and what I am.
Krishna, Sky and Earth are immovable, immense and infinite; they
shelter the countless beings that are born into them. If, through anger, they
suddenly come to collide like two mountains, I can keep them apart with
my arms. Look at my mace-like arms; no man alive can extricate himself
from their grasp. Indeed, the mountain Himavat, the Ocean and the mighty
wielder of the thunderbolt—the slayer of Bala himself—cannot free the one
that I seize in my great arms.
I will grind under my feet all the Kshatriyas who come to fight against
the Pandavas. You do not know, Krishna, the prowess with which I
vanquished the kings of the Earth and subjugated them. If you really do not
know my strength, which is as fierce as the midday Sun, you will see soon
it in battle. You wound me deep with your cruel words; I feel the pain as of
a foetid tumour being lanced. Ah, know that my strength is greater than I
have described!
On the very day that the havoc of war breaks out you will see me fell
elephants, warriors on chariots, elephants and horseback; and, my long
withheld fury unleashed, you will see me butcher countless brave
Kshatriyas. You and the others will see me do all this, and mow down the
greatest Maharathas. The marrow in my bones has not yet dried, nor does
my heart tremble. Even if the whole world rush at me in wrath, I will feel
no fear.
Madhusudana, it is only from compassion that I advocate showing
goodwill to the enemy. I quietly bear all our injuries, lest our Bharatavamsa
become extinct.’”
CANTO 77
“T he Divine One says, ‘I said what I did in affection and from a

desire to know your true mind; it was not in reproach, from pride
of knowledge, in anger, nor from any desire to hold forth. I know the
magnanimity of your soul, your strength and your accomplishments. That is
not why I was critical of you.
O Bhima, the benefit that the Pandava cause will gain from you is a
thousand times greater than you give yourself credit for. You, Vrikodara,
with your kinsmen and friends, are exactly the man that should be born into
a noble house such as yours, which is honoured by all the kings of the
Earth. However, those who have doubts about the consequences of dharma
and adharma, and strength and weakness, can never arrive at the truth.
Indeed, the very thing that is responsible for a man’s success also causes his
downfall. The consequences of human actions can never be certain.
Learned men, who can gauge the evil in any deed, declare how worthy
or not any action is; yet, action can have the opposite and unforeseen
results, even like the wind suddenly changing direction. Even those deeds
of men, performed after great deliberation and with well directed policy,
and consistent with dharma, are baffled by providence. Then, again,
providential circumstances, such as heat, cold, rain, hunger and thirst,
which do not depend on human endeavour, can be overcome by man’s
efforts. Also, apart from the course that a man is destined to follow as a
result of his past lives, he can be rid of all other karma if he so pleases; the
Smritis and the Srutis testify to this.
Pandava, one cannot move through life on Earth by doing nothing. One
should act in the knowledge that one’s goals will be achieved by a
combination of destiny and effort. The man who does with this belief is
never pained by failure, nor delighted by success. To explain this,
Bhimasena, was what I intended, not to proclaim that war would ensure
victory for you.
When a man’s mind is upset he should not lose his cheer or succumb to
lassitude or dejection. This is why I spoke to you as I did: to put heart into
you. Tomorrow I will go before Dhritarashtra; and I will strive to make
peace without compromising your interests.
If the Kauravas make peace, everlasting fame will be mine; your goals
will be achieved, and they, too, will reap great benefits. However, if the
Kauravas disregard my advice and are obdurate with their opinion, there
will surely be war. Bhimasena, the burden of fighting this war rests on you
and Arjuna, and you two will have to lead all the others. In case of war, I
will drive Arjuna’s chariot; that is his wish, not that I want to fight.
I was fearful of the weakness your words conveyed. I only re-ignited
your wrath, Mahabaho.’”
CANTO 78
“A rjuna says, ‘O Janardana, Yudhishtira has already said whatever

needed to be said. But after hearing you, it appears that you
think that Dhritarashtra’s greed and our relative weakness will make peace
difficult to attain. Also, you think that human prowess alone is fruitless, that
without showing our might our goals cannot be achieved. What you say
may be true but, also, perhaps not always so. Nothing should be regarded as
impossible. It is true that peace does seem to be unattainable, given our
present condition, yet if peace is properly proposed, they might agree.
O Krishna, strive to strike peace with our enemies. You are the truest
friend of both the Pandavas and the Kurus, even as Prajapati is of the Devas
and the Asuras. Accomplish what is in the best interests of both sides.
Bringing about our welfare is not difficult for you to achieve; if you try, you
will surely succeed. Why, as soon as you go to Hastinapura, it will be done.
Even if you decide to deal with Duryodhana in any other way, you must do
as you wish. Whether you want peace or war with the enemy, Krishna, we
will honour your decision.
Does the vile Duryodhana, with his sons and kinsmen, not deserve
death when, unable to bear the sight of Yudhishtira’s prosperity and finding
no other honest course to assuage his own burning envy, he took our
kingdom by cheating at dice? When invited to combat, what Kshatriya turns
away from the fight, even if death is certain for him? When Duryodhana
defeated us with the lowest treachery and banished us to the forest, I
thought that he deserved death at my hands. What you want to do for your
loved ones is not strange; what is mysterious, though, is how you will
achieve your objective, by mildness, or other means. If you think that for
you to kill them all immediately is best, do it now; we need no further
debate.
Surely, you know how Duryodhana shamed Draupadi in the Kuru
sabha, and how we bore it with profound fortitude. I cannot believe that the
same Duryodhana will now behave with dharma towards the Pandavas.
Wise counsel will be lost on him, like seeds sown in barren soil.
So, Krishna, do what you think is right, and beneficial for the Pandavas,
and also decide what should be done next.’”
CANTO 79
“T he Divine One says, ‘I will do as you say, Mahabaho, and do my

best to bring about an outcome that will benefit both the
Pandavas and the Kauravas.
Arjuna, of the two options, war and peace, only peace lies somewhat
within my power. A farmer may, through his effort, water and weed his
field, but without rain it will not yield crops. Some do say that his effort
will result in success if he irrigates his field artificially; but even that is
uncertain because a drought sent by fate may still make it dry. In view of all
this, the Rishis of old have said that human endeavour will only succeed
when providence collaborates. I will do all that can humanly be done, but I
cannot prevail over providence.
Duryodhana goes in defiance of dharma and the world, and he feels no
remorse. Moreover, his appetite for sin is fed by Sakuni and Karna, and by
his brother Dusasana. Duryodhana will never make peace by giving back
your kingdom, even if his obstinacy entails a bloody death for himself and
his kinsmen at our hands. Yudhishtira does not wish to meekly give up his
kingdom; neither will Duryodhana surrender it at any price. I think I need to
deliver Yudhishtira’s message to him, though Duryodhana will not agree to
Yudhishtira’s conditions. If he refuses, he deserves to die. Bhaarata, he
deserves death at my hands because he is the one who always tormented all
of you, ever since you were children, and later after cheating you of your
kingdom when he could not restrain his overweening envy of Yudhishtira’s
prosperity.
Many times he has tried to draw me away from you, but I never paid
him any heed. You know what dreams Duryodhana dreams, and you also
know that I want Yudhishtira’s welfare. Knowing Duryodhana’s heart and
my own wishes, why do you doubt me, as if you knew nothing?
You know that an apocalyptic, revelational war has been ordained by
the gods; how then, can we make peace with the enemy? I will say and do
as much as I can, but do not expect peace. When Duryodhana made off with
Virata’s cattle, did Bhishma not try to persuade Duryodhana to make peace
for the good of all?
I say to you today: as soon as you decided to fight them, their death was
a foregone conclusion. Inexorably, and not surprisingly, Duryodhana has
refused to part with even a very small part of the kingdom, for even a short
time. As for me, I am always obedient to Yudhishtira’s commands, and I
must ponder again the sins of the wretched Duryodhana.’”
CANTO 80
“N akula says, ‘O Krishna, the benevolent Yudhishtira, who knows

about dharma, has spoken at length; Bhimasena has heard him
and has weighed his own strength against the desire for peace on the scales
of dharma; you have heard what Arjuna said, too; and I have repeatedly
expressed my own opinion, as well.
Set all this aside; concentrate now on what the enemy has in mind and
do what you think is best, given the circumstances. Kesava, each situation
warrants a different decision, but a man wins success if he does the apt
thing for the particular situation in which he finds himself. A decision that
suits one situation becomes the opposite in another. One cannot hold the
same opinion all the time.
While we were in the forest, we adopted a particular way of life; things
were different during the ajnatavasa. Now, when we need no longer hide,
what we want has changed again. While we wandered in the vana, we were
not as eager to have back our kingdom as we are now. Now our exile has
ended and we have returned; and we hear that an army of seven akshauhinis
has gathered to help us, by your grace, Janardana. Seeing these tigers
among men, of immeasurable force, armed and ready for battle, what
enemy of ours will not be terrified? Go to the Kurus; speak mildly first,
then employ threats, so that the vile Duryodhana is filled with fear and
anxiety.
What man of flesh and blood can stand up to Yudhishtira and
Bhimasena, to the invincible Arjuna and Sahadeva, to Satyaki of the
scintillating tejas, to me, to you or Balarama in battle, Kesava? Who can
face Virata and his sons, Drupada and his allies, Dhrishtadyumna and the
powerful king of Kasi, and Dhrishtaketu, lord of the Chedis?
Mahabaho, Yudhishtira Dharmaraja’s objective will be accomplished
immediately as you arrive there. Vidura, Bhishma, Drona and Bahlika will
understand the wisdom of what you say. They will advise Dhritarashtra and
the sinner Duryodhana to do as you say. When you, Krishna, are the
speaker and Vidura is the listener, what is there in any of the worlds that
cannot be communicated easily and effectively?’”
CANTO 81
“S ahadeva says, ‘What the king says is Sanatana Dharma, but you,
Parantapa, must ensure, by what you do and say in Hastinapura,
that there is war. Even if the Kauravas express a desire for peace with the
Pandavas, you must provoke war with them. Krishna, you know how
Panchali was dragged into the sabha and shamed. How can my anger be
appeased without killing Duryodhana? Even if Bhima, Arjuna and
Yudhishtira chose to be virtuous and peaceful, I will abandon dharma and
meet Duryodhana in battle.’
Satyaki says, ‘Mahabaho, noble Sahadeva speaks the truth. The anger I
feel towards Duryodhana can be appeased only by his death. Do you not
remember how enraged you were when you saw the distressed Pandavas in
the forest, wearing rags and deer-skin? Purushottama, all the kings and
warriors gathered here support what this fierce Kshatriya, Madri’s heroic
son, says.’
Hearing this, all the Kshatriyas set up a huge roar. They applaud Satyaki
with shouts of Excellent! Well said! and, eager to fight, they are
exhilarated.’”
CANTO 82
“V aisampayana said, ‘Grief-struck Krishnaa of the long black

tresses applauds Sahadeva and the great warrior Satyaki, whose
words for her are resonant with dharma. Overwhelmed with sorrow to hear
Bhimasena speak for peace, she turns to Krishna.
Her eyes are bathed in tears as she says, ‘Madhusudana, you know how
deceitfully Dhritarashtra’s son, with his counsellors, robbed the Pandavas of
their every happiness. You also know what message Yudhishtira sent
through Sanjaya.
Effulgent one, he said, “Give us just five villages—Avisthala,
Vrikasthala, Makandi, Varanavata, and for the fifth, any other of your
choice.” Krishna, this was the message sent to Duryodhana and his
counsellors. Duryodhana heard what the humble Yudhishtira wants, and
despite knowing that he is anxious to make peace, has done nothing towards
it. If Duryodhana wants peace only without returning our kingdom, there is
no need for you to go to Hastinapura.
The Pandavas, with the Srinjayas, can easily withstand the
Dhartarashtra forces. When they are not amenable to conciliation, it is not
right for you to show them mercy. To safeguard himself, a man must be
severe with enemies with whom he cannot make peace either by
conciliation or gifts. Krishna, the punishment you mete out, with the help of
the Pandavas and Srinjayas, must be immediate and harsh. This is the best
course for the sons of Pritha and will, if accomplished, add to your glory
and that of the entire Kshatriya race.
The man who is covetous, be he a Kshatriya or of any other varna, other
than even the most sinful Brahmana, must surely be killed by a Kshatriya,
true to his dharma. The exception in the case of a Brahmana is because a
Brahmana is the teacher of all the other varnas, and he is the first to get a
share in everything. Those who know the shastras declare that sin is
incurred only by killing one who does not deserve killing. It is just as sinful
not to kill one who does deserve it. With the Pandava and Srinjaya forces
behind you, you must act in a manner that will not taint you with sin. I keep
repeating what has already been said because I have faith in you.
Krishna, what other woman is there on Earth like me? I am the daughter
of King Drupada, born from the fire of yagna. I am your beloved friend
Dhrishtadyumna’s sister. By marriage I have become a queen of the
Ajamida vamsa, the daughter-in-law of the illustrious Pandu. I am the
queen of Pandu’s sons, who are each like Indra in splendour. To these five
heroic Kshatriyas I have borne five sons, all mighty warriors, who are as
close to you as Abhimanyu is.
I, this same woman, was dragged by my hair into the Kuru sabha and
humiliated in the very sight of the sons of Pandu, and even while you live.
Krishna, the Pandavas, the Panchalas and the Vrishnis all lived to see me
treated like a slave by those sinners. And while the Pandavas sat silent
without giving way to their anger, I called out to you in my heart, saying,
“Save me, Krishna, save me!”
Then the illustrious Dhritarashtra, my father-in-law, said to me, “Ask
for any boon, O princess of Panchala. You deserve that and honour from
me.”
I said, “Let the Pandavas be free men with their chariots and weapons.”
The Pandavas were freed, only to be exiled into the forest. Janardana,
you know all these sorrows of mine. Save me, lotus-eyed One, with my
husbands, kinsmen and relatives, from that grief. By dharma I am a
daughter-in-law to Bhishma and Dhritarashtra. Yet, I was forcibly enslaved
before them. O, shame on Arjuna’s skill as an archer; shame on
Bhimasena’s might, for letting Duryodhana live for even a moment after
what he did. If I deserve any favour from you, if you have any affection for
me, Krishna, direct your wrath at the sons of Dhritarashtra.’
The bewitching Panchali, her black eyes, large like lotus leaves, bathed
in tears, walks with the lovely gait of a she-elephant and comes up to
Krishna. Taking in her hands her lustrous tresses with wavy ends, so dark,
almost deep-blue, scented with myriad perfumes, of every auspicious sign
and, though braided, soft and glossy like some mighty serpent, she
addresses him.
She says, ‘O Lotus-eyed, who are anxious for peace with the enemy,
remember in all that you do, these tresses of mine that Dusasana seized in
his coarse hands. If Bhima and Arjuna have stooped so low as to long for
peace, my old father will avenge me, with battle. My five sons, too, of the
mighty tejas, with Abhimanyu at their head, will fight the Kauravas. What
peace can my heart know unless I see Dusasana’s dark arm severed from his
body and cut into pieces?
Thirteen long years have I passed in expectation of better times, hiding
my anger in my heart like a smouldering fire. Now, pierced by Bhima’s
words like arrows loosed by dharma, my heart is about to break.’
The doe-eyed Draupadi is convulsed with sobs, tears pouring down her
cheeks and over the lovely princess’s breasts like liquid fire.
The mighty-armed Kesava speaks comfortingly to her, ‘Krishnaa, you
will soon see the women of Bharata vamsa weep as you do. Timid one, they
will cry for their relatives and friends who have been slain. They, with
whom you are angry, have already lost their warriors and their power. For,
at Yudhishtira’s command, and with Bhima, Arjuna and the twins, I will
accomplish what is ordained by destiny.
Their hour has come. If they do not listen to me, the sons of
Dhritarashtra will lie on the earth and become food for dogs and jackals.
Himavat might shift from his place; Bhumi might shatter into a hundred
fragments; the sky with its countless stars might fall down; but what I say
can never be in vain.
Stem your tears, Panchali; I swear that soon you will see your husbands
crowned with prosperity, and their enemies slain.’”
CANTO 83
“A rjuna says, ‘O Kesava, you are the truest friend of all the Kurus.
You are related to both sides and a dear friend to both. You must
bring peace between the Pandavas and the sons of Dhritarashtra, for only
you can. Lotus-eyed Parantapa, go now with that intention and say what
needs to be said to our irascible cousin. If the foolish Duryodhana does not
accept your good advice, in keeping with dharma and artha, he will surely
fall prey to what fate has destined for him.’
The Divine One says, ‘Yes, I will go to Dhritarashtra. I want to achieve
dharma, and weal for both ourselves and the Kurus.’
The night has passed and the Sun risen brightly in the east. The hour
called Maitra has begun, and the rays of the Sun are still mild. The month is
Kaumuda Kartika, the nakshatra Revati. It is the season of dew, for autumn
has departed; and the Earth is verdant with lush crops.
This is how the world’s stage is set that day, when Krishna, that
mightiest of men, hears the auspicious and sacred sound of Brahmanas
chanting the sweet mantras of prayer, like Indra hearing the adorations of
the Devarishis. He performs his morning rituals, purifies himself with a
bath, puts on his pitambara robes, adorns himself with ornaments and rubs
himself with unguents, and worships Surya and Agni. He touches the tail of
a bull and reverently bows to the Brahmanas; then he walks around the
sacred fire and looks at the auspicious offerings laid out.
He remembers Yudhishtira’s words and says to Satyaki, who sits nearby,
‘Have my chariot prepared. Have my conch-shell, discus and mace, my
quivers and arrows, and all my other astras placed in my ratha. Duryodhana,
Karna and Subala’s son are evil men and, yet, they must not be taken
lightly.’
Krishna’s attendants immediately begin to yoke his chariot, which is as
effulgent as the fire that rages at the Pralaya, and which has no comparison
in speed. Its two wheels are like the Sun and the Moon in lustre; it is
emblazoned with crescent and full moons, fish, animals and birds; and it is
adorned all over with garlands of flowers and with pearls and other
gemstones of various kinds. It is grand and beautiful, and as splendid as the
Sun. Besides its gold and jewelled decorations, it bears a wonderful flag-
staff flying the finest pennants. Equipped with everything needed for battle,
it is irresistible. Covered with tiger-skins, it can strip every enemy of his
fame and enhance the joy of the Yadavas.
Yoked to this ratha are the superlative horses, Saibya, Sugriva,
Meghapushpa and Balahaka, all of which have been bathed and exquisitely
caparisoned. And adding to Krishna’s glory is Garuda, the Lord of birds,
who is perched on the flagstaff of that awesome chariot.
Krishna ascends his ratha as lofty as Meru’s summit, the deep rumble of
its wheels like massed clouds, which, like the pushpaka vimana, takes its
rider where he wills it. Taking Satyaki with him, Krishna sets out, filling the
earth and the sky with the thunder of his chariot-wheels.
The sky becomes cloudless; cool, fragrant winds blow in the pure, clear
air. Auspicious animals and birds, whirling always to their right, fly around
the ratha; cranes, peacocks and swans follow the slayer of Madhu, uttering
cries of good omen. The fire, fed with libations to the accompaniment of
mantras, blazes up, smokeless, also sending its flames towards the
auspicious right.
Vasishta, Vamadeva, Bhuridyumna, Gaya, Kratha, Sukra, Kusika,
Bhrigu and other Brahmarishis and Devarishis stand to the right of Krishna,
the joy of the Yadavas and Indra’s younger brother. Worshipped by these
and other illustrious Rishis and Munis, Krishna sets out for the city of the
Kurus, being seen off by Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna and the twin sons of
Madri; as well as by the heroic Chekitana, Dhrishtaketu of the Chedis,
Drupada and the king of Kasi, that great warrior Sikhandin,
Dhrishtadyumna, Virata with his sons and the princes of Kekaya. All these
Kshatriyas ride a respectful distance behind that bull of the Kshatriya race
to honour him.
Yudhishtira Dharmaraja follows Krishna for some distance and then
speaks to him in the presence of the other kings. The son of Kunti embraces
that Purushottama, who has never sinned, not from desire, anger, fear or any
wish for profit; whose mind is steady; who knows no greed; who is dharma
embodied, and endowed with fathomless intelligence and wisdom; who
knows the hearts of all creatures; who is the Lord of all and the God of
gods; who is eternal; who has every virtue and bears the auspicious Srivatsa
on his chest. The king embraces Krishna and tells him what he must do.
Yudhishtira says, ‘We should ask after the welfare of our mother, who
always keeps dharma, performing tapasya and propitiatory rituals; who is
devout in her worship of Devas and Atithis; who always waits upon her
superiors; who loves her sons with a boundless affection; and whom we
love dearly. She rescued us from Duryodhana’s many snares, like a boat
saving shipwrecked sailors from the terrors of the sea. Krishna, though
undeserving of woe, she has suffered untold misery because of us. We
should pay homage to her. Embrace and comfort her repeatedly by telling
her about the Pandavas.
Ever since her marriage she has been the victim of pain and grief
because of the way her father-in-law behaved; suffering has been her lot.
Krishna, will I ever see the day when my afflictions end and I can make my
grieving mother happy? On the eve of our exile she ran after us, crying in
anguish, but we left her behind and went into the forest. Sorrow does not
always kill; she might still be alive and, though grieving constantly for her
sons, being looked after in Hastinapura.
Glorious one, salute her for me, and salute Dhritarashtra also, as well as
all the kings who are older than us. Greet Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, Bahlika,
Aswatthama, Somadatta and everyone of the Bharata vamsa. Salute the
wise Vidura, counsellor of the Kurus, of the profound intellect and
knowledge of dharma. Madhusudana, embrace everyone on our behalf.’
Having said this to Krishna in the presence of the kings, Yudhishtira
circles him in pradakshina and asks his leave to return. Arjuna walks ahead
a few steps and says quietly to his friend Krishna, the Avatara, ‘Illustrious
Govinda, all the kings know that we have decided to ask for our kingdom
back. If, without insulting us and by honouring you, they give us what we
demand, I will be pleased and they will escape mortal danger. If, however,
Dhritarashtra’s son, who is always deceitful, does otherwise, I will
obliterate the very race of Kshatriyas.’
Bhima is delighted when Arjuna says this. That Pandava, who
constantly quivers with rage he can scarcely contain, now lets out a dreadful
roar of joy. Hearing him, all the bowmen tremble, and horses and elephants
helplessly urinate and excrete in terror.
Having declared his resolve to Krishna, Arjuna takes his leave and turns
back after embracing his divine cousin. Once all the other kings are
persuaded to turn back, as well, Krishna sets out with a cheerful heart, on
his chariot drawn by Saibya, Sugriva and the other horses. Urged by his
sarathy Daruka, those steeds fly, devouring road and sky as they go.
On his way, Krishna Mahabaho meets some Rishis who shine with
Brahmatejas, standing on both sides of the road. He gets down and greets
them reverently and worships them.
He says, ‘Is there peace in the world? Is dharma being practised? Are
the other three varnas obedient to Brahmanas? Where have you met with
success? Where are you going and why? What can I do for you? What
brings you illustrious ones to Earth?’
Jamadagni’s son, Brahma’s friend, that lord of Devas and Asuras,
comes forward and embraces Krishna. Parasurama Bhargava says, ‘O
Dasarha, Devarishis of pious deeds, Brahmanas of deep knowledge of the
Shastras, Rajarishis and venerable Munis, who are witnesses to the feats
that the Devas and Asuras have achieved, want to see all the Kshatriyas of
the Earth gathered together from everywhere, the counsellors sitting in the
ancient Kuru sabha, the kings, and, amongst them, you who are the Truth
incarnate, O Janardana.
We are going to Hastinapura to witness that awesome sight. We are also
anxious to hear what you will say to the Kurus in the presence of all those
kings, words full of dharma and artha. Bhishma, Drona and others, as well
as the illustrious Vidura and you, Yadavapumgava, will adorn that ancient
sabha. We want to hear what you say there—divine words of wisdom.
You now know our purpose, Mahabaho. We will meet you again; go
safely. We hope to see you in the midst of that sabha, seated on a noble
throne, radiating lustre and might.’”
CANTO 84
V aisampayana said, “O Parantapa, when Devaki’s mighty-armed son

sets out for Hastinapura, ten powerful, fully armed and battle-ready
Maharathas follow in his train. A thousand foot-soldiers, a thousand
horsemen and hundreds of attendants carrying plentiful provisions also go
with him.”
Janamejaya said, “How does the illustrious Krishna of Dasarha vamsa,
the slayer of Madhu, leave on his journey? What omens appear when he
sets out?”
Vaisampayana said, “I will tell you about the earthly and heavenly
omens that appear on Krishna’s departure for Hastinapura. At first, the sky
is clear and cloudless, yet thunder rolls and lightning flashes above. Later,
light, fleecy clouds appear and pour down rain behind him, in his wake, as
if in tribute. The seven great rivers, including the Sindhu, change their
eastward courses and flow west instead. The cardinal directions seem to be
reversed and all things seem in dizzy thrall. Fires blaze up everywhere,
Rajan, and the Earth trembles.
In hundreds of wells and earthen pots water gushes up spontaneously
and overflows. The whole universe is enveloped in darkness. Akasa is filled
with dust that obscures the cardinal and subsidiary points of the horizon.
Loud roars sound in the sky, but no creature is seen to make them. This
wonderful phenomenon is seen all across the land. A southwesterly wind,
roaring, uproots trees by the thousands and crashes them down upon the
city of Hastinapura.
However, in those places through which Krishna passes delicious
breezes blow and everything becomes auspicious. Lotuses and fragrant
flowers fall in showers from above. The road becomes smooth and
miraculously free from prickly grasses and thorns. Wherever Krishna stays,
thousands of Brahmanas glorify that munificent One and worship him with
offerings of curds, ghee, honey and rich gifts. Women come out onto the
road and fling redolent wildflowers over him who is devoted to the welfare
of all creatures.
Bharatarishabha, Krishna comes to wonderful Salibhavana abundant
with every crop, an enchanting and sacred realm. He sees, with delight,
villages crowded with animals; he passes through many cities and
kingdoms. He passes through Upaplavya where its happy, good natured
citizens, who have the protection of the Bhaaratas and, so, free from fear of
invasion, and unknowing of danger or calamities of any kind, come out of
their town and stand together on the way, eager to set eyes on holy Krishna.
They see that illustrious one like a fire, and they worship him as they would
an honoured and welcome guest.
When at last Krishna comes to Vrikasthala, the Sun is reddening the sky
with his last rays of light. Alighting from his chariot, the Avatara performs
the customary rites of purification, orders the horses unharnessed and sits
down to his sandhya vandana. Daruka unyokes the horses, tends to them
and lets them loose to graze and drink.
Krishna says, ‘We must spend the night here, for the success of
Yudhishtira’s mission.’
His attendants quickly set up camp and serve fine food and drink.
Rajan, amongst the Brahmanas who live in that village, those who are
of noble descent, and humble and obedient to the injunctions of the Vedas
in their ways, approach Krishna and honour him with blessings and
worship. They place their rich homes at his disposal.
Krishna joyfully accepts their hospitality and pays homage to each of
them as befits their status. He visits their homes, then returns with his own
people to his ample tent. Having eaten his meal with them and fed all the
Brahmanas with sweet-meats, Krishna passes the night happily in
Vrikasthala.’”
CANTO 85
V aisampayana said, “Dhritarashtra, in the meantime, has discovered

through his spies that Krishna is on his way. His hair stands on end
as he reverently faces the mighty-armed Bhishma, Drona, Sanjaya and the
illustrious Vidura, and Duryodhana and his confederates.
He says, ‘O son of Kuru vamsa, we hear strange and wonderful news.
Old men, women and children are talking of it in their homes; most speak
of it in awe; others gather in groups outside and talk of it; wherever men
congregate, in homes or open spaces, they are discussing just one thing.
They all say that Krishna, the great scion of Dasarha vamsa, is one his way
here on behalf of the Pandavas. He is worthy of every honour we can do
him and our worship. He is the Lord of all creatures; everything in the
universe depends upon him; intelligence, strength, wisdom and energy are
centred in him.
This Narasreshta deserves the reverence of good men, for He is eternal
virtue—Sanatana Dharma incarnate. He will bestow felicity and happiness
if worshipped, and misery if not. If we please him with our offerings, we
might have all our wishes fulfilled by his grace, in the presence of these
kings.
Parantapa, waste no time; make arrangements to receive him
worshipfully; have pavilions built on the road and furnish them with every
luxury, so that Krishna is pleased with you. What does Bhishma think?’
Bhishma and the others warmly laud what Dhritarashtra says.
Duryodhana immediately orders pavilions to be erected at regular intervals,
at the most charming sites, and adorned with myriad jewels. The king has
them furnished with luxurious beds and seats; he sends beautiful maidens,
perfumes, ornaments, fine clothes, a variety of the best food and drink and
fragrant garlands of many kinds. Especially for Krishna’s reception and use,
the king has a splendid, gem-studded pavilion built at Vrikasthala. Once
these arrangements, made by superhuman or even divine effort, are
complete, Duryodhana informs Dhritarashtra of them.
Krishna arrives at the Kuru encampment, but casts not even a glance at
these opulent pavilions.’”
CANTO 86
“D hritarashtra says, ‘Vidura, Krishna has left Upaplavya. He is in

Vrikasthala now and will be here tomorrow. He is the lord of the
Ahukas; he is the foremost of the Sattvatas; he is a Mahatman endowed
with great lustre and might. He is the guardian and protector of the
prosperous kingdom of the Vrishnis; he is the Pitamaha of the three worlds.
The vastly intelligent Vrishnis and Andhakas worship Krishna’s wisdom,
just as the Adityas, the Vasus and the Rudras do Brihaspati’s. Virtuous one,
I will, in your presence, offer our worship to this noble son of the Dasarha
vamsa. Let me tell you what I plan to do.
I will give him sixteen rathas made of gold, each drawn by four superb,
well-adorned, identically coloured Bahlika horses. I will give him eight
elephants with the juice of musth running down their temples, with tusks as
big as plough shares, which can smite down hostile ranks, and eight
mahouts for each one. I will give him a hundred lovely maidservants with
golden skins, all virgins, and a hundred man-servants as well.
I will give him eighteen-thousand soft woollen blankets that the
mountain dwellers gave us. I will give him a thousand deer-skins from
Cheena, and everything else that one like him deserves. I will give him this
great and serene gemstone of the purest rays that shines day and night, for
only Krishna is worthy of it. I will give him my own chariot, which can
traverse fourteen yojanas in a day. I will set food and drink before him,
eight times more than what the animals and attendants in his entourage
need.
All my sons, except Duryodhana, will go out to welcome him on their
chariots. Thousands of graceful dancing girls, decked in ornaments and
unveiled, will receive Krishna. Let all the citizens with their wives and
children feast their prayerful eyes on the illustrious Madhusudana with as
much devotion as they look at the rising Sun. Let pennants and banners be
raised and the road by which Krishna comes be well-watered to settle the
dust.
Let Dusasana’s palace, which is better than Duryodhana’s, be cleaned
and decorated for Krishna to stay in. With its many beautiful mansions, and
its abundant riches, it is enchanting indeed. All my wealth, as well as
Duryodhana’s, is kept there. Give Krishna all that befits one as great as
him.’”
CANTO 87
“V idura says, ‘O Rajan, you have the respect and love of everyone
in all the three worlds, and you are considered the best of men.
You are venerable and your mind is so serene that whatever you say will be
in accord with the shastras and the dictates of reason. Your subjects are
confident that dharma is as integral to you as writing etched on stone, as
rays to the Sun or waves to the ocean. Your virtues make your subjects love
you. Take care to preserve your noble traits. Be straightforward in all that
you do. Do not, out of foolishness, be the cause of a slaughter of your sons,
grandsons, friends, kinsmen and all your dear ones.
You plan to give much to Krishna as your guest; he deserves all that and
more, indeed he deserves the Earth. However, your generosity does not
stem from motives of dharma or a desire to please him, but from selfish
reasons. It reeks of insincerity, falseness and deception. I clearly see the
hidden intentions behind what you plan to do.
The Pandavas want only five villages, but you do not want to give them
even that for the sake of peace. Instead, you are trying to win Krishna over
with gifts and to alienate him from the Pandavas. You will not succeed in
separating Krishna and Arjuna, neither with wealth, nor worship, nor with
all your cunning stratagems. I know Krishna’s magnanimity; I know how
unshakeable Arjuna’s devotion to him is; I know that Arjuna is as Krishna’s
life and he will never forsake him.
Krishna will not accept any hospitality from you other than water to
wash his feet and to drink; the only courtesy he will offer is to enquire after
the well-being of those he sees with you, nothing else. Rajan, offer him the
honour of a welcome that he will accept. He is worthy of every reverence
and deserves no less. Give Krishna what he comes for, which he desires for
the good of both the Kurus and the Pandavas. He wants peace between you
and Duryodhana, on one side, and the Pandavas on the other.
Do as he says, Rajan; you are like a father to the Pandavas; you are old
and they are children to you by age. Behave as a father would towards
them, for they look upon you as one.’”
CANTO 88
“D uryodhana says, ‘All that Vidura has said about Krishna is true.
Krishna is devoted to the Pandavas and inseparable from them.
The gifts that you plan to give him are inappropriate. Kesava is indeed
worthy of it all, but this is neither the time nor the place for it. He will think
that we are honouring him out of fear. An intelligent Kshatriya must never
do anything that may be considered cowardly or shameful.
I am well aware that Krishna of the large eyes is worthy of the worship
of the three worlds, but given the circumstances we should not give him
anything. The war that we have set our minds on should not be set aside or
delayed out of considerations of hospitality.’
Listening to Duryodhana, the Kuru Pitamaha Bhishma says, ‘Krishna
will not be pleased or angry whether he is honoured or not; nor will he be
insulted, for he is above such things. No one, however powerful he may be
or however hard he may try, can obstruct his purpose. Do not hesitate to do
as Krishna says, and use him to make peace with the Pandavas. He is
righteous and his advice will be in keeping with dharma and artha. What is
fitting is that you gratify him by doing what he asks.’
Duryodhana says, ‘Pitamaha, I cannot live if I have to share my fortune
with the Pandavas. I have made my own decision: when he arrives here in
the morning, I will imprison Krishna, who is the refuge of the Pandavas.
With him confined, the Vrishnis and the Pandavas, indeed the whole world,
will submit to me. Tell me how I should do this, so that Krishna does not
guess what I intend, and so that we are not endangered.’
Dhritarashtra and his advisors are shocked to hear Duryodhana’s
abysmal plan.
Dhritarashtra says to Duryodhana, ‘Never speak of this again, it is
sinful! Hrishikesa comes as an ambassador. Besides, he is related to us and
we love him. He has done us no wrong; how can you even think of
imprisoning him?’
Bhishma says, ‘Your sinful son faces his end by choosing evil over
dharma despite his well-wishers’ pleas; and you follow the lead of this
wretch, who ignores all wise counsel and treads the path to doom. This vile
prince of yours, with all his counsellors, will die the instant they lay hands
on the pure Krishna. I dare not tarry to listen to this sinner anymore.’
And the inflamed Bhishma of the awesome might gets up and leaves the
Kuru sabha.”
CANTO 89
V aisampayana said, “Krishna rises at dawn and, having performed his

morning ablutions and rituals and taken leave of those who rode
with him, sets out for Hastinapura. The citizens of Vrikasthala bid farewell
to the mighty-armed one and return to their homes.
Other than Duryodhana, all the grandly attired sons of Dhritarashtra,
along with Bhishma, Drona, Kripa and others, go out to meet Krishna.
Thousands of people come out to look at him—on chariots and on foot. He
meets Bhishma of the immaculate deeds, Drona and Dhritarashtra’s sons on
his way; and they escort him into the city of elephants.
In honour of Krishna’s visit, Hastinapura is vividly adorned and the
main streets are bedecked with gold and gemstones of all kinds. Rajan, not
a single man, woman or child remains indoors, so eager are the citizens to
see Krishna. They come out and line the streets, and bow their heads in
worship while they sing in his praise as he passes. Noble women crowd the
balconies and terraces of great mansions to look at Krishna as he passes by;
filling them until it seems they might collapse under their combined weight.
And although swift, Krishna’s horses move slowly through the thronging
streets.
The lotus-eyed Parantapa enters the compounds of Dhritarashtra’s ash-
coloured stone palace with its numerous edifices. He passes through the
first three chambers of the palace and then he meets Dhritarashtra. The
blind king stands to honour Krishna in welcome, and Drona, Bhishma,
Kripa, Somadatta and king Bahlika rise with him. The Vrishni hero comes
forwards and pays his respects first to the illustrious Dhritarashtra and
Bhishma; he then greets the other kings one by one, in proper order. Finally,
after Krishna has greeted Drona and his son, Bahlika, Kripa and Somadatta,
Dhritarashtra shows him to a throne of wondrous artistry, made of gold and
inlaid with resonant jewels.
When Krishna is seated, Dhritarashtra’s priests make a ritual offering to
him of a cow, honey, curds and water. Krishna stays awhile, surrounded by
the Kurus, exchanging pleasantries with each one as befits their relationship
with him. In due course, having accepted the honours of welcome accorded
to him and having greeted all the Kurus in their sabha, he takes
Dhritarashtra’s leave and goes to Vidura’s fine home. Vidura comes out to
welcome Krishna of the Dasarha vamsa with all kinds of auspicious and
loving offerings.
Tears in his eyes, Vidura says, ‘O Lotus-eyed Lord, I cannot begin to
describe the joy I feel to see you, for you are the inner soul of all the living,
the antaratman.’
Vidura, who knows dharma, asks after the Pandavas. Krishna, for whom
the past and future are merged into the present, who knows that the
Pandavas love Vidura and he them, that he is learned, constant in dharma,
ever truthful and wise, and that he bears no anger against the sons of Pandu,
tells him in detail about what the sons of Pandu have been doing.’”
CANTO 90
V aisampayana said, “After noon, after visiting Vidura, Krishna,

chastiser of his enemies, goes to see his aunt Kunti. When she sees
him, his face glowing with the radiance of the Sun, she embraces him and
begins to pour out her sorrow for her sons. At the long denied sight of
Krishna, who is her sons’ very prana, her tears flow. When Krishna has
received her ritual welcome she speaks to him, her face careworn, her voice
choked with tears.
Kunti says, ‘O Kesava, from their childhood my sons have served their
elders and superiors with reverence. They were always devoted to each
other. They were cheated of their kingdom and sent into exile, when they
ought to have lived in the midst of their friends and kin. They have
mastered anger and joy; they are devoted to Brahmanas and always truthful.
These children of mine, the noble sons of Pandu, tore my heart out when,
abandoning kingdom and pleasures, and leaving me behind, they went into
the forest. How did my sons live in the vana full of lions, tigers and wild
elephants?
They have suffered untold misery. Deprived of their father in their
infancy, I raised them all so tenderly. How did they live in the forest without
seeing their mother? From their infancy the music of conches, drums and
flutes woke them from their sleep. While at home, they slept in palatial
apartments on soft sheets and skins of the runku deer; and were woken in
the morning by the trumpeting of elephants, the neighing of horses, the
clatter of chariot-wheels, and the music of flutes and veenas, the sounds of
conches and cymbals. They would worship at dawn while listening to
sacred hymns chanted by Brahmanas; they worshipped the eldest of those
Brahmanas with grand gifts of clothes, jewels and ornaments. And those
illustrious Dvijas blessed them in return.
I cannot imagine how they slept in the deep forest where only the feral
cries of predators ring. O how unjustified was their torment. They who were
roused from their beds by music of cymbals, drums, conches and flutes, by
the sweet voices of singers and by their praises being sung, how could they
bear to be awoken in the forest by the roars of panthers and tigers?
My eldest son is modest and devoted to truth; he has his senses under
control, and compassion for all creatures; he has conquered lust and malice;
he always walks the path of dharma; he was able to bear the heavy burden
of the ancient Rajarishis—Ambarisha, Mandhatri, Yayati, Nahusha,
Bharata, Dilipa and Usinara’s son Sibi; his character is taintless and his
disposition immaculate; he is deeply versed in dharma; his prowess is
irresistible; his accomplishments make him fit to rule the three worlds; his
profound learning and devotion to dharma make him rightfully the foremost
of the Kurus; he is handsome and mighty-armed; and he has no enemies.
How is my Yudhishtira, O Krishna?
My pure-souled and golden-skinned second son is as strong as ten
thousand elephants and as swift as the wind; he is the mightiest of the
Pandavas and the most quick-tempered; he is devoted to his brothers and is
beloved of them all. It is he who killed Kichaka and his brothers; he who
slew the Krodhavasas, Hidimba and Baka. In prowess he is Indra’s equal, in
might Vayu Deva’s; his anger is terrifying and like Rudra’s; he is the
foremost of all warriors. This Parantapa, this wrathful son of Pandu,
restrains his anger, might and impatience, and he controls his soul in
implicit obedience to his elder brother. Tell me, Krishna, how is my
Bhimasena of immeasurable valour, whose terrifying appearance suits his
name Vrikodara?
Krishna, what of my Arjuna, who with only his two arms is more
powerful than his thousand-armed namesake of long ago, my son who
shoots five hundred arrows with one draw of his bow? He is Kartavirya’s
equal with the astras; Surya Deva’s equal in blinding energy; a Maharishi’s
equal in self-restraint; Bhumi Devi’s equal in forgiveness. It is by his
strength that the Kuru kings have acquired their vast empire that blazes in
splendour; and the Pandavas greatly value his prowess. This son of Pandu is
the foremost of all Maharathas; his might is true and irresistible; no enemy
has ever escaped him with his life; he is the conqueror of all, and invincible;
he is the refuge of the Pandavas, as Indra is of the Devas. Krishna, how is
your brother and friend, my Dhananjaya?
Ah, tell me about my tender-hearted son, who is kind to all creatures
and blessed with modesty, who is a master of powerful astras, who is
delicate and virtuous, who is my most beloved child. The mighty archer
Sahadeva is the hero and ornament of all sabhas; he is young and devoted to
the service of his brothers; he knows artha and dharma; his brothers always
praise his noble character and manner. Madri and Pandu’s son, the heroic
Sahadeva, is the best of warriors; he waits submissively on his older
brothers and reverentially on me; he is tender in years and of a gentle
disposition; he is brave and handsome. He is loved by all and most dearly
by his brothers, whose very life he is, though he inhabits his own body.
And tell me about my Nakula, who is a master of the various vyuhas of
war; who is strong and a mighty archer also. My precious child was raised
in luxury; is he well in body and mind? Mahabaho, shall I ever see my
Nakula again? That Maharatha is still a stripling to me; he does not deserve
this grief. O, how could I, who knew no peace if Nakula was out of my
sight for even the blink of an eye, be still alive today?
Dearer to me than all my sons is Draupadi. She is nobly born and
completely beautiful; she is endowed with every accomplishment; she
always speaks the truth. She chose to accompany her husbands rather than
stay with her sons and, leaving her children behind, followed the Pandavas.
Once, a retinue of servants waited on her; her husbands, who love her,
gratified her every little wish. She bears all the auspicious marks on her
person and is accomplished in every way. Krishna, how is Draupadi?
Although she has five heroic husbands, all slayers of foes and all
peerless bowmen who are each equal to Agni in urjas, she has suffered great
torment. I have not seen my daughter-in-law Panchali for fourteen years;
she herself has not seen her sons for as long, and must have endured
constant anxiety for them. That Draupadi does not enjoy the happiness that
should be hers for her wonderful character convinces me that happiness is
not the result of one’s deeds or nature.
Whenever I remember how she was forcibly dragged into the Kuru
sabha, I stop loving Yudhishtira, Arjuna, Bhima, Nakula and Sahadeva.
Never before have I borne a heavier burden of grief as when the villainous
Dusasana, driven by rage and lust, hauled Draupadi, who was in her
menstrual period and wore only a single length of cloth, into the sabha
where her father-in-law sat; and exposed her to the gaze of all the Kurus.
Everyone knows that Dhritarashtra, Bahlika, Kripa, Somadatta and all the
others were struck by sadness at this; but of all who were present in that
sabha, it is only Vidura who spoke out for her, only him that I worship.
One does not become worthy of homage by learning or wealth. It is
one’s character alone that makes a man deserve honour. Krishna, the
illustrious Vidura, with his great intellect and deep wisdom, is an ornament
that adorns the world.’
Pritha is filled at once with joy at Krishna’s presence and sorrow for her
sons; and she vents all her grief. She says, ‘O Parantapa, dissolute kings of
ancient times occupied themselves with gambling and hunting deer. Can
this be a happy way of life for the Pandavas? I am consumed by dark
thoughts and images, Krishna—of Draupadi being violently dragged into
the presence of the Kurus in their sabha by Dhritarashtra’s sons, and abuse
worse than death being heaped on her; of my sons being banished from
their city; of them wandering in the wilderness. These and other sorrows
fairly crush me.
Nothing could have been more painful to me or my sons than to have
lived a year in wretched hiding, in a stranger’s house. Fourteen years have
passed since Duryodhana exiled my sons. If suffering destroys the karma of
paapa, and if happiness depends on punya, then considering the torment we
have been through, we might yet enjoy happiness again. I never treated
Dhritarashtra’s sons differently from mine. By virtue of that, O Krishna,
surely I will see you emerge safely from this war, and with the Pandavas,
their enemies slain and their kingdom restored to them. My sons have kept
the oath they swore and lived so faithfully by dharma that their enemies
cannot hope to vanquish them.
As for my sorrows, I blame neither myself nor Duryodhana, but my
father alone. Like a wealthy man making a gift of money, my father gave
me away. When I was still a girl, playing with toys, or with a ball in my
hands, your grandfather gave me away to his friend, the illustrious
Kuntibhoja. Abandoned then by my father and now by my father-in-law,
and suffering unbearably as I do, what point is there in my being alive?
On the night of Arjuna’s birth, a disembodied voice said to me, “This
son of yours will conquer the whole world and his fame will reach the
heavens. Your son will destroy the Kurus in a great war and recover the lost
kingdom, and with his brothers he will perform three mahayagnas.”
I do not doubt the truth of that marvellous announcement. I bow to
dharma that upholds creation. If dharma is real, you will surely make good
all that the asariri said. Neither the death of my husband, nor the loss of
wealth, nor our conflict with the Kurus inflicted such eviscerating pain on
me as the separation from my children. What peace can my heart know
when I do not see Dhananjaya, wielder of Gandiva and best of all
Kshatriyas? I have not seen Yudhishtira, Arjuna and Bhima for fourteen
years, Krishna. Men perform sraddha, last rites, for those who have gone
missing for a long time, assuming that they are dead. Practically, my
children are dead to me and I to them.
Tell Yudhishtira Dharmaraja that his dharma diminishes with each
passing day. Tell him to stop this with a Kshatriya’s rough deeds. Cursed
are they, Krishna, who live as dependents at another’s mercy. Death is better
than a livelihood gained by such meanness.
You must tell Dhananjaya and Vrikodara that the time has come for
them to fulfil the purpose for which a Kshatriya woman bears a son; that if
they let time slip by without achieving anything, then, although they are
still universally respected, they will become objects of contempt; and that if
men’s disdain taints them, I will abandon them for ever. Tell those
Purushottamas that when the time comes even life, which is precious,
should be laid down.
Tell Madri’s sons, who are more devoted to Kshatriya dharma than to
life itself, that they must strive to win comfort and wealth back through
their prowess, for only objects gained like that can please the heart of a man
who wants to live by Kshatriya dharma.
Go now, Mahabaho, and tell Arjuna, foremost of all Kshatriyas, to walk
the path that Draupadi shows him. You know well, Krishna, that when
inflamed Bhima and Arjuna are each like Yama and can vanquish even the
Devas. Their wife Krishnaa being dragged into the sabha and spoken to as
she was by the beasts Dusasana and Karna was a searing insult to them.
Duryodhana, too, insulted the mighty Bhima in the presence of the Kuru
kings. I am certain he will pay for that, for Vrikodara knows no peace when
an enemy provokes him. Indeed, once provoked, Bhima remembers the
slight until he has killed his foes and their allies.
The loss of kingdom did not crush me; the defeat at dice did not sadden
me; but the illustrious and beautiful princess of Panchala being dragged into
the sabha, wearing only a single cloth, and there forced to hear the vilest
taunts and abuse, grieved me more than anything I have known. Krishna,
what could be a greater sorrow for me? Alas, that incomparable Kshatriya
princess, so devoted to her dharma, had to suffer such savagery while in her
delicate period and, though she had powerful protectors, was as helpless as
if she had none.
O Madhusudana, I find it strange that I have had to bear such a burden
of grief in spite of you, and that mightiest of men Balarama and that
Maharatha Pradyumna being protectors of my children and myself; and
despite my sons, the invincible Bhima, and Arjuna who never turns his back
on the enemy, being alive.’
Krishna comforts his aunt so grief-stricken by the plight of her sons. He
says, ‘There is no other woman in the world like you, Matuli. You are the
daughter of King Surasena, and by marriage you are of the Ajamida vamsa.
The families of your birth and marriage are both noble; you are like a lotus
transplanted from one great lake into another. You were blessed with
prosperity and adored by your husband. You are the wife of a hero and have
given birth to heroic sons. You possess every virtue and are endowed with
great wisdom. It is fitting that you should bear joy and sorrow with
equanimity and patience.
Your children have overcome sleep and sloth, anger and joy, hunger and
thirst, cold and heat and enjoy happiness in the true Kshatriya way. They
are endowed with great light and strength and, abandoning the sensual
pleasures which the low-minded are addicted to, pursue the noble felicity
which Kshatriyas should. Nor are they content with a little. Wise men enjoy
the limits of joy or unhappiness from objects that give these. Ordinary men
choose mediocre pleasures and are content with lethargy. Those that are
superior desire either the most acute human suffering or the highest bliss
that man can have. The wise delight in extremes; they find no pleasure in
mediocrity. They hold the extremes with true happiness and see the in-
betweens as real sorrow.
The Pandavas and Draupadi greet you through me. They send the
message that they are well and ask after your welfare. You will soon see
them become the lords of the whole world, with their enemy slain and
themselves reinstated to power and prosperity.’
Consoled by Krishna, the sorrowing Kunti shakes off the gloom in
which temporary ignorance has enveloped her and says to Krishna,
‘Mahabaho, let us do whatever you think is proper, without abandoning
dharma, and without deceit. I know the power of your truth and of your
birth. I know also what wisdom and strength you will employ to accomplish
what is best for your beloved cousins. In our vamsa you are dharma
personified; you are truth; you are the embodiment of tapasya; you are
Brahman. Everything is founded in you; and what you say must always be
true.’
The mighty-armed Krishna bids her farewell, and after walking around
her in pradakshina, leaves for Duryodhana’s palace.’”
CANTO 91
V aisampayana said, “Having taken leave of Kunti and walked round

her in pradakshina, Krishna goes to Duryodhana’s opulent palace. It
is richly adorned, with beautiful furniture, and as grand as Indra’s abode.
Krishna walks unobstructed through three large courtyards and enters the
palace, which is as imposing as a mass of clouds, as tall as a hill,
magnificent and resplendent.
There he sees Dhritarashtra’s son of the mighty arms seated on his
throne in the midst of a thousand kings and surrounded by all the Kurus.
There he also sees Dusasana, Karna and Subala’s son Sakuni, who sit next
to Duryodhana. When Krishna enters the sabha, Dhritarashtra’s illustrious
son and his counsellors rise to honour him. Krishna greets Duryodhana and
his counsellors, as well as all the kings present, according to their status,
and then sits on a beautifully wrought golden throne spread over with a rich
gold-embroidered cover.
The Kuru king makes the ritual offering to Krishna of a cow, honey,
curds and water; and he places at his service all his palaces and other
mansions, and the whole kingdom. In the presence of all the kings, the
Kauravas worship Krishna, who is like the Sun in all his glory. Once the
ritual of worship is completed, Duryodhana invites Krishna to eat with him
in his palace. Krishna declines.
Duryodhana glances at Karna and, in a deceptively mild voice underlaid
with malice, says to Krishna, ‘O Janardana, why will you not accept the
feast of food and drink, and the garments and beds that I have arranged for
you? You are helping both sides in this dispute; you want the good of both.
You are the greatest of Dhritarashtra’s relatives and he loves you dearly.
You also know dharma and artha, fully and in detail. Krishna, I want to hear
the reason for your refusing my hospitality.’
Krishna raises his mighty right arm and, in a voice as deep as rumbling
clouds, says to Duryodhana, ‘Rajan, envoys accept food and worship only
after the success of their missions. So, Bhaarata, when my mission
succeeds, you may entertain me and my attendants.’
Duryodhana says, ‘Krishna, it is not fitting that you behave in this
manner. We are trying to please you because of your kinship to us,
regardless of the success or failure of your mission. Our efforts seem to be
futile; and we see no reason why you reject our worship, which we offer out
of love and friendship. We have no quarrel or war with you; and on
reflection, it seems what you say and do is not becoming.’
Krishna looks at Duryodhana and all his counsellors and says, ‘I could
never forsake dharma, not from desire, from wrath or malice; not for gain or
for the sake of argument and not from temptation. One accepts food from
another when one is in distress. You have not inspired love in me by
anything you have done, nor am I in distress. Without any reason, you hated
your gentle cousins the Pandavas, who have every virtue, from the moment
they were born. The unreasonable hatred you bear the sons of Kunti does
not become you.
The sons of Pandu are all devoted to dharma. Who would hurt them in
the least? He who hates them, hates me; he who loves them, loves me.
Know that the Pandavas and I have one soul. He who is driven by lust,
anger and by the darkness of his heart, who hates and seeks to injure one
who owns every good quality is the worst of men, even if he possesses
every noble quality himself.
That wrathful villain of uncontrolled soul, who, from ignorance and
greed, hates his godlike kinsmen, will never enjoy his prosperity for long.
On the other hand, the one who, through good judgement, wins over
virtuous men, even if he has an aversion to them in his heart, enjoys
undying felicity and fame. The food you offer me is defiled by your
vileness, and I cannot eat it. The only food I will eat here is what Vidura
offers me.’
Saying this to the wilful Duryodhana, who cannot bear to hear anything
contrary to his wishes, Krishna leaves the glittering palace and sets out for
Vidura’s home. While he is there, Drona, Kripa, Bhishma, Bahlika and
many of the Kauravas come to see him.
The Kauravas who have come place their palaces with all the wealth in
them at Krishna’s disposal. Krishna thanks them for the honour they have
done him and gives them leave to go.
After the party of Kurus has left, Vidura entertains Krishna, the
unvanquished, with lavish hospitality, providing him with everything he
could want; and Kunti places sattvik, delicious food in abundance before
him. Krishna first gratifies the Brahmanas who know the Vedas; he gives
them food and gold. Only then he and his attendants, like Indra with the
Maruts, dine on what remains of the feast that Vidura has prepared.’”
CANTO 92
V aisampayana said, “In the night, when Krishna has dined and is
refreshed, Vidura says to him, ‘O Krishna, your coming has not
been a well judged one. Dhritarashtra’s son violates dharma and artha; he is
evil and wrathful; he insults anyone he pleases, while he himself craves
honour; and he disobeys the elders. He ignores the shastras; he is foolish
and vile; he has set himself on a fateful, inexorable path to perdition; and he
is malevolent towards those who are concerned for his welfare.
His soul is overcome by desire and lust, and he foolishly believes he is
wise. He is the enemy of all his true friends. He is always suspicious, has no
control over himself, is ungrateful and, having abandoned dharma, is
infatuated by every sin. He is vain and immature, a slave to his senses,
driven by bottomless greed, and indecisive.
And these are not his only faults. Even if you point out what is good for
him, his arrogance makes him ignore such counsel. He has great faith in the
prowess of Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, Karna, Drona’s son and Jayadratha and,
so, he spurns peace. Dhritarashtra’s sons and Karna firmly believe that the
Pandavas cannot even face Bhishma, Drona and the other Kshatriyas, let
alone fight against them. Duryodhana has assembled an immense army and
thinks that victory is already his. The fool believes that Karna can single-
handedly vanquish the enemy, and so Duryodhana will never make peace.
Krishna, you want peace and brotherhood between the Kauravas and the
Pandavas; but know that Dhritarashtra’s sons have decided not to give the
Pandavas what is rightfully theirs. Whatever you say to these men will be in
vain, for they their minds are already made up. A wise man would not
waste his breath when his words, good or bad, will surely prove ineffectual,
even like singing to the deaf. Just as a Brahmana’s discourse is wasted on
Chandalas, your words will be utterly disregarded by these ignorant and
evil men, who have no reverence for anything that is worthy of it.
Duryodhana is fatuous and, as long as he has strength, he will never
heed your advice; everything you say to him will be futile. I do not think it
is apt for you to go into the midst of these sinners, and speak out against
them, who are black-souled, and many. Because they have no respect for
age, are blinded by wealth and vanity, are full of the arrogance of youth and
impatient, they will never accept your wise counsel.
Duryodhana has mustered a strong force and does not trust you. He will
never do as you say. Dhritarashtra’s sons are inspired by the conviction that
Indra himself, with all the Devas, cannot defeat them in battle. Your words,
always profound, will not move men of such dark beliefs, men driven by
lust, greed and anger.
Secure amidst his vast army of elephants, chariots and soldiers,
Duryodhana is fearless and thinks he has already conquered the Earth. He
wants his empire without rivals. Peace with him is not possible, for he
assumes that what he owns is unalterably his. Sadly, the end of the world as
we know it is at hand because of Duryodhana, for kings of the world and all
their Kshatriya warriors have gathered here to fight for him against the
Pandavas.
Krishna, in the past, you have made all these kings, who are now
arrayed against you, suffer grievous losses. Prompted by fear of you, these
Kshatriyas have joined Karna and made an alliance with Dhritarashtra’s
sons. Reckless, and even prepared to die, they have joined Duryodhana for
the pleasure of fighting against the Pandavas and you. I do not think it wise
for you to go to them. How will you manage, surrounded by so many
treacherous enemies all seated together? I am aware that you cannot be
vanquished by the Devas themselves; I know how powerful and intelligent
you are.
Krishna, I love you as much as I love the sons of Pandu, and what I say
is from affection, respect and friendship for you. Need I tell you how
delighted I am to see you, Lotus-eyed One? You are the inner soul of all the
living.’”
CANTO 93
“T he Divine One says, ‘Vidura, all that a wise man should say; all
that a far-sighted man would say; all that a man could to say to
me as a friend; all that is truly worthy of you, in keeping with dharma and
artha: all this you have said to me, as if I am your child. What you have told
me is true, praiseworthy and sensible. Now, Vidura, listen to my reason for
being here.
I am well aware of Duryodhana’s evil nature and of the hostility of the
Kshatriyas who support him; yet I have come to the Kurus. The Earth is in
the grip of an enormous danger, and the man who saves her, with her
elephants, chariots and horses, from imminent death will earn great punya.
If this man does not succeed despite his best efforts to do what is dharma,
he is anyway certain to merit the punya attached to that achievement, even
though he fails. Similarly, as men who are versed in religion and the
shastras know, if a man does not actually commit a sin, even if he intended
to, he will not accrue the punishment attached to that sin.
I will try with all sincerity to bring about peace between the Kurus and
the Srinjayas, who are about to be slaughtered in battle. Doom hangs over
them because of the Kurus, fetched by the crimes of Duryodhana and
Karna, while the other Kshatriyas only follow their lead.
Learned men condemn the man who does not persuade a friend who is
about to plunge into death’s maw to save himself. A man must do his
utmost, even seizing his friend by the hair, to turn him away from a grave
sin. Such a man will win praise, not blame. Duryodhana would do well to
accept my good advice, which is in keeping with dharma and artha, and
which can avert the unimaginable war that looms. I will sincerely try to
secure the welfare both of Dhritarashtra’s sons and Pandu’s, as well of all
Kshatriya kind. If Duryodhana disregards me, I shall at least have the
satisfaction of having followed my conscience, for a true friend is one who
mediates when hostility breaks out between kinsmen.
I have come here so that no one can later say that, although he could
have done so, Krishna made no attempt to stop the Kauravas and the
Pandavas from slaughtering one another. I have come here to serve both
sides and not all the gathered kings can reproach me.
If, after listening to my well-meant advice, Duryodhana does not accept
what I say, he will only invite a horrific destiny to take millions of lives. If I
can bring about peace among the Kurus without sacrificing the interests of
the Pandavas, what I accomplish will be worthy indeed, and the Kauravas
will be freed from death’s clutches. If the sons of Dhritarashtra reflect
calmly on what I say, then my objective will be achieved and the Kauravas
will worship me as the one who brought peace to them.
If, instead, they try to injure me, I tell you now that all the kings of the
Earth together are no match for me. They will be as a herd of deer before an
angry lion.’
Saying this to Vidura, that bull of the Vrishnis and joy of the Yadavas
lies down on his soft bed to rest.”
CANTO 94
V aisampayana said, “The starlit night is spent in conversation

between these two illustrious tejasvins. The night passes too quickly
for Vidura, who listens and talks to Krishna about so many things, both of
them speaking words filled with dharma and artha and delight.
At dawn, a choir of singers awaken Krishna with melodious voices,
accompanied by the sweet sounds of cymbals and conches. Krishna rises
and performs his morning rituals; he bathes, recites the sacred mantras and
pours ghee onto the sacrificial fire. He dresses himself and worships the
rising Sun.
While he is still at his morning devotions, Duryodhana and Sakuni
come to him and say, ‘Dhritarashtra is in his sabha, with all the Kurus
headed by Bhishma, and all the kings of the Earth. They request your
presence, Krishna, with as much yearning as the Devas desire Indra’s.’
Krishna greets them both with courtesy, and when the Sun has risen a
little higher into the sky he calls for a number of Brahmanas and presents
them with gold, clothes, cattle and horses. After he has made generous gifts
he sits down; his sarathy Daruka come and salutes him; at Krishna’s word,
the sarathy fetches his master’s dazzling chariot adorned with rows of
tinkling bells and harnessed to the superb horses. Seeing his ratha, which
rumbles like massed thunderheads, ready, Krishna walks in pradakshina
around the sacred fire and the Brahmanas present, puts on the jewel
Kaustubha and, blazing in beauty, surrounded by the Kurus and escorted by
the Vrishnis, climbs onto the chariot.
Vidura follows Krishna, foremost of all the living and most brilliant
among men, on his own chariot. Duryodhana and Sakuni follow in one
Kuru chariot; Satyaki, Kritavarman and the other Vrishni Maharathas
follow Krishna in chariots, and on horses and elephants. Rajan, those exotic
chariots, adorned with gold and drawn by wonderful horses, flash and
rumble as they move along.
In the lead, Krishna, radiant in beauty, comes to a broad avenue that has
been swept and watered, and made fit for the most kingly of kings. As he
approaches cymbals clash, conches sound and other instruments pour out
their music in homage. Many young Kshatriyas, the most heroic in the
world and lionish in their strength, surround Krishna’s chariot as his escort.
Thousands of soldiers, attired in a variety of uniforms and carrying swords,
lances and axes, march in front of Krishna. Five hundred elephants and
thousands of chariots follow that unconquered hero as he proceeds in
majesty.
All the citizens of the city, men and women of all ages, come out onto
the streets to catch a glimpse of him. The terraces and balconies of houses
are so crowded by women that they look as if they will collapse.
Worshipped by the Kurus as he comes down the king’s highway, Krishna
looks around, his eyes seeing everyone, he hears their adulations and
responds to each one’s greetings, individually, magically.
When at last he reaches the Kuru sabha his attendants blow their
conches and trumpets, shaking the skies. And all the great kings assembled
in the Kuru sabha shiver in excited anticipation of seeing Krishna. Hearing
the rumble of his chariot, deep as the roll of thunderclouds, they know that
he is near and the hair on their bodies stands on end.
Krishna reaches the lofty gates and, alighting from his chariot that is
like the summit of Mount Kailasa, he enters the sabha, which glimmers like
newly risen clouds and is as splendid as Indra’s own court. He walks in with
Vidura and Satyaki on either side; and he overshadows the splendour of the
Kurus with his own, like the Sun dimming the lesser lights of the heavens.
Karna and Duryodhana face Krishna, and the Vrishnis with Kritavarman
are behind him. Bhishma, Drona, the blind Dhritarashtra and his courtiers
rise to honour Krishna. When Dhritarashtra stands the thousands of kings
who surround him also rise. Krishna accepts the exquisite golden throne
that has been prepared for him at Dhritarashtra’s command. He smiles and
greets the king, Bhishma, Drona and all the other kings, according to each
one’s age. All the kings and all the Kurus worship him in return. Through a
vast window Krishna sees at the great palace gates the Rishis he saw in the
sky on his way to Hastinapura.
Seeing them here, with Narada at their head, Krishna calmly says to
Santanu’s son Bhishma, ‘These Devarishis have come to this earthly
conclave of ours. Invite them in and offer them the finest seats and your
gracious courtesy, for none of us can sit until they do. Without delay, offer
worship to these Rishis who have mastered their souls.’
Bhishma sees the Rishis at the palace gate and orders the servants to
fetch the finest seats for them, inlaid with gold and gem-set. Only after the
Rishis are seated and have accepted the arghya offered to them does
Krishna sit, and then so do the other kings. Dusasana assigns an excellent
seat to Satyaki, and Vivimsati gives another golden one to Kritavarman. Not
far from Krishna that illustrious and wrathful pair, Karna and Duryodhana,
sit together on the same wide couch. Subala, the king of Gandhara,
surrounded by the chiefs of his country, sits with his son beside him. The
high-souled Vidura sits on a jewelled armchair covered with a white deer-
skin, so close to Krishna’s that it touches it.
All the kings gaze at Krishna for a long time but, just as people who
drink amrita are never satisfied, even after imbibing cup after cup of it, their
eyes remain unfulfilled. Krishna, clad in pitambara robes and his skin like
the dark atasi flower, sits in the midst of the sabha, like a sapphire set in
gold. A profound silence descends, for no one stirs, or speaks a word, why,
they hardly breathe.”
CANTO 95
V aisampayana said, “Finally, Krishna, master of silence, of the perfect

teeth and deep voice speaks. Although his words are addressed to
Dhritarashtra, his words resound through all the sabha like thunderheads
rumbling, and all the assembly hears him.
He says, ‘I have come here to bring about peace between the Kurus and
the Pandavas, to prevent a slaughter of Kshatriyas. I have nothing new to
say, as you, Rajan, know everything there is to be known in this world.
Because of its gyana and dharma, and because it is adorned with every
accomplishment, your vamsa is the most distinguished of all royal
dynasties. Joy in the happiness of others, grief at the sight of another’s
suffering, desire to alleviate distress, abstention from injury, sincerity,
forgiveness and truth: all these prevail amongst the Kurus. Your dynasty is
so noble that it would be sad indeed if anyone born into it did anything to
break dharma, and tragic if it were you, King, who did so. For, you should
be the first to restrain the Kurus if they sin against strangers or even their
own people.
Know that your sons, led by Duryodhana, have abandoned dharma and
artha and, deprived of their good sense by greed, now treat their own
cousins despicably, most viciously. What your sons do is the cause of the
terrible danger which threatens us all. If you ignore it, their deeds will result
in a massacre past imagining. If you so will, you can prevent this calamity
even now, Bharatarishabha; peace is not difficult to achieve.
The establishing of peace depends on you and me, Rajan. You correct
your sons and I will pacify the Pandavas. Your sons and their followers
must obey your command, whatever it is. Indeed, their best course is to
obey you. If you strive for peace by controlling your sons, it will be to your
benefit, as well as to that of the Pandavas.
O great king, reflect carefully over this and do the proper thing. Let the
Pandavas be your allies, and with their support seek dharma and artha. You
cannot have better allies than them. With them as your protectors, Indra
himself could not vanquish you. How can mere kings of the Earth withstand
your might?
If you have the support of Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, Karna, Vivimsati,
Aswatthama, Vikarna, Somadatta and Bahlika, of the rulers of the Sindhus
and Kalingas, of Sudakshina the king of the Kambojas, of Yudhishtira,
Bhimasena, Arjuna and the twins, of the mighty Satyaki and Yuyutsu, what
man is there who is so misguided that he would dare challenge you? If you
have both the Kurus and the Pandavas at your side, you will be invincible,
and the sovereignty of the whole world will be yours.
All the rulers of the Earth, your equals as well as your superiors, will
want an alliance with you. Protected on all sides by sons, grandsons,
fathers, brothers and friends, you will live in unalloyed felicity. With all of
them around you, and treating them affectionately, as you once used to, you
will enjoy lordship over all this Earth. With your sons, allies and the sons of
Pandu to support you will easily subdue all your enemies. Dhritarashtra,
this is the most advantageous course for you to take. In unity with your
sons, kinsmen and counsellors, you will be lord of the whole world, which
they surely win for you.
O great king, nothing but death lies in war. What good can you see in
the annihilation of both sides? Tell me, Bharatarishabha, if the Pandavas are
killed in battle or if your own sons fall, what happiness will you enjoy? All
of them are brave and skilled warriors; all of them want war. Save them
from the terrible danger that threatens them. After the war you will not see
all the Kurus or all the Pandavas; Maharathas will kill each other and you
will see both sides decimated.
All the rulers of the world are gathered here. They will exterminate the
very population of the Earth in their anger. Save the world; do not let the
people of this sacred Bhumi be destroyed. If you regain your natural
goodness, the world will continue to be peopled as it is now. Rajan, save
these kings from the horrible danger that threatens them; they are all of pure
descent, modest, generous and devout, and related to one another by blood
or marriage.
Let go of your wrath and enmity; let these kings embrace one another in
peace. Let them eat and drink together; let them return to their homes in joy,
dressed in rich clothes, decked with garlands and paying kind courtesies to
one another.
Let the affection you had for the Pandavas be revived in your heart and
let it lead to peace. They lost their father while they were mere boys, and
you raised them. Now cherish them as befits you, as if they were your own
sons. It is your duty to protect them, especially when they are in distress.
Do not abandon dharma and artha.
The Pandavas have greeted you reverently and said, “At your command,
we have suffered great misery. For twelve years we lived in the forests, and
we lived unknown in the thirteenth year. We never broke our sworn pledge
and believed that our father, too, would keep his word. The Brahmanas who
were always with us will testify that we never once broke our word.
We have kept our side of the agreement; now you must abide by yours.
Our travail has been long and great; now let us have our share of the
kingdom. Knowing dharma and artha as you do, it falls to you to rescue us.
We have endured our suffering in silence because we owed you obedience.
Be a father and elder brother to us now.
A guru should behave with his sishyas in ways that befit a teacher; and
being your disciples, we regard you as our guru. So, treat us a guru should
treat his sishyas. If we go wrong, it is the duty of our father to set us right.
Therefore, set us on the right course and you, too, take the high path of
dharma.”
Your sons, the Pandavas, said this to the kings who have come here: “If
the men in a sabha know dharma, they will not allow any impropriety to
occur in their hallowed court. When, in the presence of men of dharma,
sinners overpower the righteous and subvert truth by deceit, it is the evil
ones who are vanquished. When, struck through by the arrow of adharma,
good men seek the protection of a noble court, those who occupy that sabha
are themselves pierced through by the arrow, if they do not extract it.
Indeed, in that case, dharma will fell the men of that assembly, even like a
river eating away the roots of trees on its bank.”
Bharatarishabha, be your own judge. The Pandavas have kept peace,
with their hearts set firmly in dharma, and deeply reflecting on all things.
Whatever they have said is in keeping with dharma and nyaya. Rajan, what
can you say to them except that you will restore their kingdom to them? Let
these kings who are here tell you what your answer to the Pandavas should
be.
If you think that what I say is dharma and true, save all these Kshatriyas
from certain death. Make peace, and do not give in to anger. Give the
Pandavas their rightful share of their father’s kingdom; then enjoy
happiness and prosperity with your sons; and have all your hopes fulfilled,
Parantapa.
You know that Yudhishtira always walks the path of dharma. You know
how he has conducted himself with you and your sons. Although you tried
to have him burnt him alive in the house of lac, he fled into the wilderness,
he returned and put his faith in you, only to be banished by you to
Khandavaprastha. Ruling from Indraprastha, he brought all the kings of the
Earth under his sway and yet looked up only to you, to honour you. In spite
of the noble manner in which he conducted himself, Subala’s son robbed
Yudhishtira of his kingdom and wealth, at a deceitful game of dice. And
despite being reduced to absolute penury, and having to watch Krishnaa
dragged brutally into this sabha, Yudhishtira of the immeasurable soul did
not swerve from Kshatriya dharma.
I want both your good and theirs. For the sake of dharma and artha, for
happiness, Rajan, do not mistake evil for good or good for evil and, thereby,
allow the Earth’s population to be razed. Restrain your sons, whose greed
has made them cross every limit. The sons of Pritha are as willing to wait
upon you dutifully as they are to fight. Do what you think is best,
Parantapa.’
In their hearts, all the kings in the sabha laud what Krishna says, but
none of them dares speak out for dharma in Duryodhana’s presence.”
CANTO 96
V aisampayana said, “All in that sabha fall silent on hearing Krishna,

the hair on their bodies stands on end. All the kings think that there
is no man who would dare respond to what Krishna has said.
Seeing that all the kings sit silently, Parasurama addresses Duryodhana
but speaks to the entire gathering of Kurus. He says, ‘Listen to what I have
to say and to the story I will tell to illustrate it; if you are convinced by me,
do what will benefit you all.
There was a king named Dambhodbhava, who ruled all the world. They
say that his kingdom covered all this Bhumi. Every morning, when he rose,
he would call his Brahmanas and Kshatriyas to him and ask them if they
knew of anyone—a Sudra, a Vaisya, a Kshatriya or a Brahmana—who was
better than, or even equal to him in battle. The king wandered over the face
of the Earth asking this question, and he became drunk with vanity.
High-souled Brahmanas, who knew the Vedas and who feared nothing,
advised the boastful king to curb his pride. However, the king continued to
ask his question day after day. Some great Brahmanas of immense tapasya
became angry and spoke to the conceited king.
They said, “There are two men, who are the best of all men, and who
are always victorious in battle. Dambhodbhava, you will be no match for
either of them.”
The king asked those Brahmanas, “Where might I find these two
heroes? To what vamsa do they belong? What feats have they achieved?
Who are they?”
The Brahmanas said, “We have heard that these two are Munis, named
Nara and Narayana. They have both been born as mortals. Go and find
them, O king. This illustrious pair practises the severest tapasya in a remote
fastness of the Gandhamadana mountains.”
The king could not bear to hear of the greatness of Nara and Narayana.
He mustered his vast army of six kinds of forces and hastened to the rugged
Gandhamadana mountains, where those unvanquished Rishis lived. There,
he began to search for them and finally discovered them hidden in a deep
vana. He saw that they were emaciated from hunger and thirst; their veins
were swollen and stood out; and extremes of cold and heat had debilitated
them. He approached them, touched their feet and enquired after their
welfare.
The two Rishis received the king hospitably, with fruits and roots, with
a darbhasana and water. They enquired about the king’s business, and then
blessed him, saying, Tathaastu. Dambhodbhava asked them what he always
asked everyone.
He said, “I have conquered the Earth with the strength of my arms, and
killed all my enemies. I have come here because I want to do battle with
you. Do me the courtesy of hospitality by granting my wish, for I have
wished for this for a very long time.”
Nara and Narayana said, “Best of kings, anger and covetousness have
no place in this mountain asrama. How then can we do battle here? There
are no weapons here, no adharma or malice. Look somewhere else for a
fight; there are many Kshatriyas on Earth.”
Undeterred, the king tried to persuade them, but the Rishis ignored his
repeated request and continued to try and placate him. Dambhodbhava, who
was beside himself to fight them, would not relent.
Finally, Nara took up a handful of grass and said, “Since you are so
eager for a fight, Kshatriya, take up your weapons and array your troops. I
will rid you of your eagerness forever.”
Dambhodbhava said, “Rishi, do you really think this weapon you hold
is fit to be used against me? Nevertheless I will fight you, for I have come
here expressly for that.”
And with that, Dambhodbhava and his warriors shot arrows at the Muni
from all sides. The Rishi, however, warded off those deadly banks of shafts
that could mangle any enemy, with his blades of grass. The invincible Rishi
directed his own astra, made just of the blades of grass, yet irresistible, at
the king’s army. Such was that weapon that it cut off the eyes, ears and
noses of the troops.
The king saw the sky turned pale by those blades of grass, and he fell at
the Rishi’s feet and cried, “Bless me!”
Nara, who was always ready to grant refuge to anyone who asked for it,
said to Dambhodbhava, “O king, always obey Brahmanas and live by
dharma. Never again do what you have done today. The conqueror of
hostile kingdoms, a Kshatriya who is mindful of his dharma, should never
be as you are, even in his inmost heart. You must never, from pride in
yourself, insult anybody at any time, be they inferior or superior to you.
Conduct yourself in a manner that befits you.
Acquire wisdom, abandon covetousness and pride, control your soul,
restrain your passions, be forgiving and humble, cherish your subjects and
be well loved. Never slight anyone under any circumstances without first
determining their true strengths and weaknesses. With our blessings, and by
our leave, go now and change your ways from this day forth. We command
you to ask sage Brahmanas what is good for you.”
The king worshipped the feet of the two Maharishis and returned to his
capital. And from that day on he began to live by dharma. This was the
great feat that Nara achieved long, long ago.
The Rishi Narayana was superior even to Nara, for many more and
greater qualities had their home in him. That is why the eight astras—
Kakudika, Suka, Naka, Akshisantarjana, Santana, Nartana, Ghora and
Asyamodaka—are integral to that best of bows, the Gandiva. Rajan, give up
your pride and go humbly to Dhananjaya. His astras take lives.
These eight astras correspond with the eight sensual passions—lust,
wrath, covetousness, vanity, insolence, pride, malice and selfishness. When
these astras strike a man, he loses his senses and wanders about in
bewilderment. Under their influence, men fall into a stupor, behave
violently, vomit, pass urine and excreta, and weep and laugh uncontrollably.
Arjuna has Narayana—the Creator, the Lord of the Trilokas, the one
who knows the destiny of every created being—as his ally beside him, and
he is invincible in battle. Who is there in the three worlds who can vanquish
that Kshatriya—Arjuna of the Vanara banner—who has no equal in battle?
Countless are the virtues that reside in Arjuna, and Krishna is his superior.
You know Kuntiputra Arjuna well. I say to you, the ancient Nara and
Narayana are now Arjuna and Krishna. Great king, that is who these
foremost of men are. If you believe this, and if you trust me, make peace of
dharma with the sons of Pandu. Realise that it is for your good not to have
discord within your clan, then do not set your heart on war but make sacred
peace.
You are the foremost of the Kuru vamsa. The dynasty to which you
belong has high honour through time. Let the vamsa continue to be worthy
of that regard. Blessings be upon you; think of what is conducive to your
own welfare.’”
CANTO 97
V aisampayana said, “The noble Rishi Kanva, who is present in the

sabha, hears Parasurama and speaks to Duryodhana.
Kanva says, ‘Loka Pitamaha Brahma is indestructible and eternal, as are
the Maharishis Nara and Narayana; for, of all Aditi’s sons, Vishnu alone is
eternal. Only he is unconquerable and indestructible; he alone exists for
ever; he is the Lord of all and the possessor of divine attributes. All others,
the Sun and Moon, Earth and Water, Wind and Fire, Sky, the planets and
stars, can be destroyed; when the end of the universe comes all these will
cease to exist. They are destroyed and created over and over, again and
again. Human beings, animals, birds and other living creatures that live in
the mortal world have impermanent lives. Even kings, having enjoyed great
prosperity, reach the hour of their death and are reborn to reap the fruits of
their good and evil karma.
Therefore, it is essential that you make peace with Yudhishtira. Let the
Pandavas and the Kauravas both rule this Earth together. Duryodhana, do
not be vain about your strength, for there are always men more powerful
than those who are considered strong. Mere physical strength is not
regarded as true strength by the wise. The Pandavas are all blessed with
prowess equal to that of the Devas and they live by dharma; they are truly
strong.
There is an ancient tale told that illustrates this, of Matali’s search for a
husband for his daughter.
Indra, king of the three worlds, has a charioteer named Matali, whom he
loves dearly. A daughter was born to Matali, and she came to be celebrated
across the world for her beauty. The girl, named Gunakesi, was blessed with
celestial beauty; and in loveliness of face and form she outshone other
women. Knowing that the time for giving her in marriage had come, Matali
and his wife became anxious, and he wondered what he should do.
He thought to himself, “Alas, the birth of a daughter in families that are
noble and upright, that are respected and of great humility, brings evil in its
wake. Daughters, when born into noble families, always endanger the
honour of three families—their maternal and paternal families and the
family into which they marry. In my mind’s eye I have scanned the worlds
of Devas and Manavas, but I have not found an eligible groom for my
daughter.”
Amongst the Devas, Daityas, Gandharvas, Manavas and Rishis, not one
did Matali consider a suitable husband for his daughter. One night, after
consulting his wife Sudharma, he decided to travel to Nagaloka, thinking
that since he had not found an eligible groom for Gunakesi amongst the
Devas and Manavas, he might find one amongst the Nagas.
Telling his wife this, he took her leave and, sniffing the head of his
daughter in affection, Matali set out for the under-world.’”
CANTO 98
“K anva says, ‘On his way, Matali saw Narada Muni going towards
Varuna Deva’s abode. Narada asked him, “Where are you going?
Are you on some work of your own or is it at Indra’s bidding that you
journey?”
Matali told Narada about his quest, and the Muni said, “Let us go
together. I am coming from Devaloka to visit Varuna. While we range
through Nagaloka, we will seek out a suitable husband for your daughter.”
The illustrious pair went into the underworld and there they saw Varuna,
the Lord of the waters. Narada was worshipped in a manner befitting a
Devarishi, and Matali received what would be offered to Indra. The two of
them, pleased that they could get on with the business at hand, explained
why they were there. With Varuna’s leave, they began to wander about in
Nagaloka and, while doing so, Narada, who knew all the inhabitants of that
realm, described them in detail to his companion.
Narada said, “O Sarathy, you have seen Varuna with his sons and
grandsons around him. Now see his kingdom, so enchanting and rich.
Varuna’s son of great wisdom is distinguished for his conduct and saintly
character. This beloved son has eyes like lotus leaves, is blessed with great
beauty and is a joy to look at. Soma’s daughter has chosen him for her
husband. Her name is Jyotsnakali and she is as beautiful as Sree Devi. I
remember that she once chose the eldest of Aditi’s sons for her husband.
Matali, look at Varuna’s dwelling, made of gold, where the wondrous
wine called Varuni flows abundant. It is from having imbibed this wine that
the Devas acquired their godly status. These blazing weapons of every kind
that you see once belonged to the Daityas, who have since lost their
sovereignty. These astras never decay and, when loosed at an enemy, return
unerringly to the hand that cast them. The Devas obtained them as the
spoils of war. Tremendous tejas is required for them to be used against
enemies. Many tribes of Rakshasas and Daityas, who possessed all kinds of
devastras, lived here long ago, but they were all vanquished by the Devas.
Look at that great fire in Varuna’s lake; see where Vishnu’s Chakra
dazzles in the midst of those mighty flames. Look, there is that gnarled bow
that was created for the destruction of the world. The Devas protect it
constantly and vigilantly, and it is after this bow that Arjuna’s Gandiva was
named. It has the strength of a hundred thousand other bows, and the power
that impels it in battle is indescribable. It quells all evil kings who are
friendly towards the Rakshasas. Brahma, the first expounder of the Veda,
created this fierce weapon, and Indra has declared it to be one of the most
terrible of all weapons. This awesome astra obeys the command of Varuna’s
sons.
Look at Varuna Deva’s sovereign parasol in that royal chamber. Like
clouds, it showers cool water. The water that drops from it is as pure as the
Moon and yet cloaked in such dense darkness that no one can see it.
Here, Matali, there are innumerable wonders to be seen. However, your
mission will suffer if we spend more time in this palace of wonders. So let
us go now,” said Narada Muni,’ says the Maharishi Kanva.”
CANTO 99
“K anva says, ‘Narada continued, “Here in the heart of Nagaloka is

the city of Patala. It is celebrated across the universe and the
Daityas and the Danavas worship it. Creatures that live on Earth cry out in
terror if the ocean washes them to it. Here the fire, known as the Asura-
agni, which is fed by water, burns continually. The Devas revere this fire,
which does not move, being confined to this place.
It was here in Nagaloka that the Devas, when they had defeated and
killed all their enemies, disposed of the Amrita that remained after they had
drunk their fill. It is here that the waning and waxing of the Moon originate.
It is here that son of Aditi, the horse-headed Vishnu, Hayagriva, rises and
fills the universe with his lustre on festive occasions, to the accompaniment
of Vedic hymns, at which times he is called Suvarna. This wondrous place
is called Patala because the Moon and other forms of water shed blissful
showers on it.
From here, the celestial elephant Airavata sucks cool water with which
he fills the clouds for the nurture of the universe; and Indra pours the water
down as rain. All kinds of aquatic animals of diverse shapes, the timingala
and others, which get their nourishment from the Moon’s rays, live here.
Also living here are creatures that sunlight kills during the day and which
are restored to life at night by the Moon. This is where the Moon rises every
day and, with its rays, resuscitates the dead creatures with his touch. It is
here that many demonic Daityas, whom Indra defeated and deprived of
their prosperity, stay imprisoned. It was here that the lord and master of all
creation, Bhutapati, sat in austere tapasya for their benefit.
Many Maharishis live here, who observe the vrata called go, who are
emaciated from their arduous study and chanting of the Vedas, who have
suspended their pranas and achieved Moksha by their tapasya. A man is
said to live by the go-vrata when he can sleep wherever he chooses, and
when he lives only on food and clothes that are given to him. Here were
born all the best of elephants descended from the elephant Supratika of
great renown—Airavata the king of his tribe, Vamana, Kumuda and Anjana.
Look around, Matali, and see if there is a bridegroom here who stands
out because of his superior qualities. I will go to him and ask him to accept
your daughter’s hand.
Look at that dazzlingly beautiful Egg in the water. It has been here from
the beginning of the creation. It does not move, nor does it hatch. I have
never heard how it was born or what it is, and nobody knows who its father
or mother is. It is said, Matali, that when the end of the world comes, a
mighty fire will erupt from within it and consume the three worlds, with all
their moving and rooted beings.”
Matali heard all that Narada said and replied, “I do not see anyone here
who is eligible. Let us leave this place.”’”
CANTO 100
“K anva says, ‘Narada continued, “Here is that great and most

famous of cities, Hiranyapura. It belongs to the Daityas and
Danavas who are skilled at one hundred types of maya. It was planned by
the Danava Mayaa, and built by the divine architect Viswakarma. Many
tejasvin Danavas, who obtained boons from Brahma long ago, live here,
practising their thousand magical illusions. No one could vanquish them,
neither Indra nor any other Deva, neither Yama, nor Varuna nor Kubera the
Lord of treasures.
Also living here are the Kalakhanja Asuras, who sprang from Vishnu;
and the Yatudhana Rakshasas, who came forth from Brahma’s feet. All
these violent beings have frightful fangs, are as swift and powerful as the
wind, and have great powers of maya. Besides these, another invincible
tribe of Danavas called Nivatakavachas also live here.
You know that Indra cannot vanquish them. Many times you with your
son Gomukha, and Sachi’s lord Indra Deva with his son, have had to flee
before them. Look at their homes, Matali; they are all made of silver and
gold, and grandly adorned. All these mansions are decked with vaiduryas
and corals, and shine from the lustre of the jewels—arkasphatika and
ajrasara. Many of these palaces seem as if they have been made of brilliant
padmaragas, or of bright marble or of the most excellent wood. They dazzle
like the Sun, or a blazing fire. Look how tall these jewelled edifices are, and
they stand close together. They are of magnificent proportions and beauty,
and it is impossible to determine exactly what materials they are built of, or
to describe them. Indeed, they are lovely.
Look at these grounds that the Daityas use for recreation and sport; look
at their bedsteads, their opulent utensils set with precious stones, their
majestic thrones. Look at these hills of theirs that seem like massed clouds,
these water fountains, these trees that move of their own will and yield all
the flowers and fruit that they are asked for.
Matali, see if you can find a suitable groom here for your daughter. If
you cannot, we will go elsewhere.”
Matali said, “Devarishi, it is not wise or fitting for me to do anything
that the Devas might disapprove of. The Devas and Danavas, though
brothers, are always at war with each other. How can I make an alliance
with our enemies? Let us go to some other place. I must not look among the
Danavas for a husband for my child. Ah Muni, I know your nature and how
you love instigating and fanning quarrels.”’”
CANTO 101
“K anva says, ‘Narada said, “This region belongs to luxuriantly

feathered birds that feed on snakes. They are tireless in their
prowess, whether in flight or carrying loads. This avian tribe is descended
from Garuda’s six sons—Sumukha, Sunaman, Sunetra, Suvarchas, Surucha
and that prince of birds Subala. These best of avians, born of Kasyapa’s
line, have multiplied and increased to create a thousand dynasties of birds.
They are all of noble lineage and bring glory to Vinata’s dynasty.
These birds are blessed with great prosperity; they all bear the
auspicious Srivatsa mark; they are wealthy; and they are mighty. Their
deeds are like a Kshatriya’s, but living as they do on snakes, they are
without compassion. And because they also prey on their own kind, they
can never attain Brahman.
I will tell you their names, Matali. Listen well; these birds are respected
because of the grace that Vishnu showers on them. They all worship
Vishnu, who is their protector. He is always in their hearts and he is their
refuge.
These are their names—Suvarnachuda, Nagasin, Daruna,
Chandatundaka, Anila, Visalaksha, Kundalin, Pankajit, Vajraviskambha,
Vainateya, Vamana, Vatavega, Disachakshu, Nimisha, Animisha, Trirava,
Saptarava, Valmiki, Dwipaka, Daityadwipa, Saridwipa, Sarasa,
Padmaketana, Sumukha, Chitraketu, Chitravara, Anagha, Meshahrit,
Kumuda, Daksha, Sarpanta, Sahabhojana, Gurubhara, Kapota, Suryanetra,
Chirantaka, Vishnudharman, Kumara, Parivarha, Hari, Suswara,
Madhuparka, Hemavarna, Malaya, Matariswan, Nisakara and Divakara.
These descendants of Garuda all live in one province of this
subterranean realm. The names I have recited are only of those who are
distinguished by their power, fame and achievements. If you do not find one
to your liking here, I will take you to another region, where you might find
an eligible groom for your daughter,” said Narada,’ says Kanva.”
CANTO 102
“‘N arada said, “This, now, is called Rasatala: the seventh stratum
below the Earth. Here Surabhi lives, the mother of all bovine species, who
was born of Amrita. She continuously yields milk that is the essence of all
the best things of the Earth; its unique, unmatched taste is an amalgam of
the six tastes.
Surabhi, the embodiment of perfection, sprang in that ancient time from
Brahma Pitamaha. When he was satiated with Amrita the best of everything
flowed out of his mouth. A single jet of Surabhi’s milk fell on the Earth and
created the Kshirasagara. The shores of that ocean are always covered with
white surf that looks like a flower garland. The best of ascetics, who are
known as Fenapas, foam-drinkers, live by this ocean and subsist only on its
surf, and so their name. They practise the most austere tapasya and even the
Devas fear them.
Surabhi gave birth to four calves, who stand one each at each of the four
cardinal points and support them. They are called the Dikpalis. Surupa
supports the east and Hansika the south; Subhadra, of the wonderful nature
and universal form, supports the west, which is ruled by Varuna; and
Sarvakamadugha supports the north, where dharma reigns supreme and is
named after Kubera, the lord of treasures.
The Devas and Asuras, with the Mandara Mountain as their rod,
churned the waters of Kshirasagara to obtain the wine called Varuni. Devi
Lakshmi, Amrita, the prince of horses Uchchaisravas, and that most
precious of jewels the ruby Kaustubha emerged from it as well. Matali,
those waters that yielded these precious things are mixed with the milk of
these four cows. As for Surabhi’s milk, it becomes Sudha for those that live
on Sudha, Swadha for those that live on Swadha and Amrita for those that
live on Amrita.
Even today, learned men recite the verse that the dwellers of Rasatala
sang in days of old: Neither in Nagaloka, nor in Swarga, nor in Vimana nor
in Trivishtapa is one as happy as in Rasatala,” says Kanva.’”
CANTO 103
“K anva says, ‘Narada said, “This best of cities that you see now,
which is like Indra’s Amaravati, is Bhogavati. Vasuki, the king
of the Nagas, is its ruler and he lives here. He supports the vast Earth by
dint of having performed the most austere tapasya. His body is the size of
Swetachala, the White Mountain; he is decked in celestial ornaments; he
has a thousand heads; his tongues are like flames; and he is immeasurably
strong.
Countless Nagas of varied forms and adorned in all kinds of ornaments,
all sons of Surasa, live here happily. They are adorned with the marks of
gems, swastikas, chakras and kamandalas. All of them are fierce and
mighty; some have a thousand heads, some five hundred and some three;
some have two heads, some five and some seven; all of them have
mountainous bodies. There are perhaps millions of Nagas of each dynasty,
or even tens of millions; they cannot be counted. Listen now as I name a
few of the more famous amongst them.
They are Vasuki, Takshaka, Karkotaka, Dhananjaya, Kaliya, Nahusha,
Kambala, Aswatara, Bahyakunda, Mani, Apurana, Khaga, Vamana,
Elapatra, Kukura, Kukuna, Aryaka, Nandaka, Kalasa, Potaka, Kailasaka,
Pinjaraka, Airavata, Sumanomukha, Dadhimukha, Sankha, Nanda,
Upanandaka, Apta, Kotaraka, Sikhi, Nishturika, Tittiri, Hastibhadra,
Kumuda, Malyapindaka, the two Padmas, Pundarika, Pushpa,
Mudgaraparnaka, Karavira, Pitaraka, Samvritta, Vritta, Pindara, Bilvapatra,
Mushikada, Sirishaka, Dilipa, Sankhasirsha, Jyotishka, Aparajita,
Kauravya, Dhritarashtra, Kuhura, Krisaka, Viraja, Dharana, Subahu,
Mukhara, Jaya, Badhira, Andha, Visundi, Virasa and Sarasa. There are these
as well as many other sons of Kasyapa. Matali, see if there is anybody here
whom you can choose.”’
All this time Matali was gazing intently at one who stood before them,
at a small remove, and when Narada stopped speaking, the celestial sarathy,
looking very pleased, asked Narada Muni, “What vamsa does that
handsome, radiant youth belong to, who stands in front of Aryaka of
Kauravya vamsa? Who are his parents? Of which line of Nagas is he, who
stands tall and erect like a flagstaff? His intelligence, patience, beauty and
youth make my heart lean towards him. He will make an excellent husband
for my Gunakesi.”
Narada saw how delighted Matali was at seeing the young Sumukha
and told him of his noble parentage and feats.
He said, “This prince of Nagas is Sumukha. He is born in Airavata’s
line; he is Aryaka’s favourite grandson, and his maternal grandfather is
Vamana. His father was the Naga Chikura, whom Vinata’s son Garuda
killed not so long ago.”
Matali was delighted to hear this and said to Narada, “Lord, I would
like to have this best of Nagas for my son-in-law. I beg you, try to make this
match, for I am extremely pleased at the thought of bestowing him on my
precious daughter,”’”
CANTO 104
“K anva says, ‘Narada said to the great Naga Aryaka, “This is

Indra’s sarathy Matali, and Sakra’s dear friend. His conduct is
pure; he has an excellent character and has many virtues; he has strength of
mind, great tejas and might. He is Indra’s companion, advisor and
charioteer. In every battle, one sees that there is very little difference
between him and Indra, in strength and prowess. In all the wars between the
Devas and Asuras it is Matali who, with his mind, drives Indra’s glorious
and ever-victorious chariot, drawn by a thousand horses. The enemies of the
Devas are defeated by Matali’s expert handling of those unworldly steeds
and by the might of Indra’s arms: Matali first outmanoeuvres them and then
Indra kills them.
Matali has an excellent daughter, of unrivalled beauty. She is truthful
and accomplished; and her name is Gunakesi. Matali has searched all the
trilokas for a suitable husband for her.
O Aryaka of godlike splendour, he finds your grandson Sumukha to be
a suitable match for his child. If you think his proposal acceptable, decide
quickly to receive his daughter as a gift to your grandson. As Lakshmi does
Vishnu’s, or Swaha Agni’s, let the slender-waisted Gunakesi grace your
vamsa. Accept her for Sumukha, for they are born for each other, like Sachi
and Indra.
Although this youth has lost his father, we chose him for his good
qualities and for the honour of being related to Airavata and yourself.
Sumukha’s virtues, his disposition, purity, self-restraint and other qualities
have persuaded Matali to offer his daughter to him. Do Matali the honour of
accepting her.”
Aryaka was filled with delight and sorrow, at once, on hearing Narada’s
words—delight to see his grandson being chosen as a bridegroom and
sorrow at the memory of his son’s death.
He said to Narada, “How, Devarishi, how can I have Gunakesi for a
daughter-in-law? That I do not approve is not for lack of reverence for you,
for who is there who would not want an alliance with Indra’s own sarathy?
Mahamuni, I hesitate only because I feel that the alliance will not be a
lasting one. Effulgent one, this boy’s father—my son—was devoured by
Garuda, and we are in deep mourning. Worse still, when he left Nagaloka,
Garuda swore that, in a month’s time, he would devour Sumukha as well.
Suparna will surely do as he said. His parting words have plunged us in
grief.”
Matali then said to Aryaka, “I have a solution for your fear. I have
chosen your grandson as a son-in-law. Let him come with Narada and me to
Indra, lord of Devas. I will do everything in my power to make Garuda
desist from doing as he has sworn. If he does not agree, I will ascertain the
life span allotted to Sumukha. Blessings upon you, O Naga; let your
grandson come with me to Indra.”
Saying this, Narada, Matali and Aryaka took Sumukha with them and
these radiant ones went to Indra, in Devaloka. Vishnu, who happened to be
there at that time, heard Narada’s account of Matali’s search and his
eventual choice.
Vishnu said to Indra, “Give this youth Amrita; let him be immortal like
the Devas. By your grace, let Matali, Narada and Sumukha have everything
they wish for.”
Thinking about Garuda’s awesome might, Indra agreed and commanded
that Sumukha be given Amrita. To this, Vishnu said, “You are the lord of all
mobile and unmoving creatures. Who would refuse a gift from you?”
Indra then granted the young Naga the boon of longevity, that he
become a Chiranjeevi even without having to drink any Amrita. Sumukha’s
face was suffused with radiant joy, making him truly sumukha! He married
Matali’s daughter and returned home. Narada and Aryaka, delighted with
the success of their venture, departed after worshipping Indra, lord of the
Devas.’
CANTO 105
K anva says, ‘Meanwhile, Garuda heard about Indra’s boon of

longevity to Sumukha. Inflamed with rage the sky-ranger flapped
his wings furiously and punished the three worlds with a hurricane.
He came to Indra and said, “Illustrious one, why have you deprived me
of my food? Having granted me a boon of your own will, why do you now
withdraw it? From the very beginning the Supreme Lord has ordained what
my food is to be. Why do you now obstruct that divine decree?
I had chosen this great Naga and had appointed a time to kill him, for I
wanted to offer the meat of his body as sustenance for my numerous young
ones. Now your boon has made him immortal, how can I kill another of his
species? How can you do as you please, so frivolously? I, my family and
my servants will die of hunger; perhaps that will gratify you, Indra. Indeed I
deserve this and worse because although I am powerful enough to be lord of
the Trilokas, I agreed to become the servant of another. O Trilokapati,
Vishnu is not the only cause of my inferiority. I am your equal, yet the
sovereignty of the three worlds is yours.
Like you, I have Daksha’s daughter for my mother and Kasyapa for my
father. Like you, I can untiringly bear the weight of the three worlds. I have
immeasurable and irresistible strength; no creature can withstand me. In the
war with the Daityas I, too, achieved wondrous feats. I killed Srutasri and
Srutasena, Vivaswat, Rochanamukha, Prasrura and Kalakaksha and other
sons of Diti.
I perch on the flag-staff of your younger brother Vishnu’s chariot and
protect him in battle; I sometimes carry him on my back. Perhaps this is
why you disregard me. Who else in the universe can bear such heavy
burdens? Who is stronger than me? In spite of my superiority, I carry your
younger brother and his companions on my back. By interfering with my
prey, my sustenance, you insult me, just as your brother does when he
makes me carry him.
As for you, Vishnu, of all the mighty and strong ones that Aditi has
given birth to, you are the most powerful. Yet I can carry you, without
feeling any fatigue, on just one of my feathers. Think then, brother, which
of us is stronger.”
Hearing the Bird’s haughty words, Vishnu, wanting to forestall the crisis
he saw looming, provoked Garuda further, saying, “How do you think of
yourself as being strong when in fact you are a weakling? It does not
become you to brag like this in our presence. The three worlds together
cannot bear the weight of my body. The truth is that I carry my own weight
and yours as well. Come now, lift my right arm. If you can, I will consider
your boast to be true.”
Saying this, Lord Vishnu placed his arm on Garuda’s shoulders, and the
golden Eagle fell down unconscious. To Garuda the weight of Vishnu’s arm
felt as great as that of the entire Earth with her mountains. Compassionate
Vishnu did not submit him to more suffering, and spared his life.
Crushed by the immense weight of the Lord’s arm, Garuda gasped for
breath and shed his feathers. His limbs were weak and terror confounded
him. He bowed his head low before Vishnu and spoke to him.
Garuda said feebly, “Illustrious Lord, the power that sustains the
universe dwells in you. It is no wonder that one arm of yours, stretched out
but lightly, crushes me. Divine One, forgive this worthless winged creature
that perches on your flag-staff, this fool intoxicated with pride in his own
strength, for, O Lord, I am entirely helpless. I did not know how great your
strength is and, so, thought my own unrivalled.”
Vishnu was gratified and, affectionately saying to Garuda, “Never yield
to such arrogance again,” with his toe he cast Sumukha onto Garuda’s
breast.
From that time, Rajan, Garuda has always lived in friendship with that
Naga, and that is how that mighty and illustrious kings of birds, the son of
Vinata, was crushed by Vishnu’s might and cured of his pride.
In the same way, Duryodhana, you will live as long as you do not
confront the heroic Pandavas in battle. Who is there that Vayu’s son Bhima,
and Indra’s son Arjuna cannot slay in battle? Your enemies are verily the
gods themselves—Vishnu, Dharma, Vayu, Indra and the two Aswins. You
are not worthy of even looking at them on the field, let alone face them in
battle. Rajan, do not set your heart on war; with Krishna’s help, make
peace. It is your duty to save your very race by doing this.
Mahamuni Narada saw with his own eyes the incident I have just
narrated; it should tell you how great is Vishnu. Krishna is that Vishnu, the
wielder of the discus and the mace,’ says Kanva.
Hearing what Kanva Muni says, Duryodhana’s face darkens; frowns
and breathes heavily. Then he looks at Karna and bursts into loud mocking
laughter and slaps his thigh that is like the trunk of an elephant.
He says to the Rishi, ‘Maharishi, I am what the Creator has made me.
What will be must be. Whatever is ordained for me must happen; and I
cannot prevent it. Of what use then are your futile sermons?’”
CANTO 106
J anamejaya said, “Why did Duryodhana’s friends not try to dissuade

him from taking the path that led surely to doom, knowing that he was
wedded to evil, blinded by avarice, addicted to sin and determined to bring
ruin upon himself, thereby filling his kinsmen with grief, afflicting his
friends and well-wishers with sorrow and making his enemies joyful. And
why did neither Krishna nor Pitamaha Bhishma say anything out of
affection?”
Vaisampayana said, “Krishna and Bhishma both advise him. Narada,
too, says much. I will tell you what they all say.
Narada says, ‘Rare is the man who takes his friends’ advice; and rare,
too, is the friend who gives honest advice. The man who needs advice is
never where the man who is willing to offer it is. Kurunandana, I think you
ought to listen to what your friends say. Do not be obstinate; the path you
choose for yourself is fraught with evil and danger. I will tell you an ancient
story to illustrate this, of how Galava disgraced himself because of his
unyielding disposition.
In an ancient time, Dharma Deva assumed the form of the Rishi
Vasishta and came down to Earth to test Viswamitra, who sat in austere
tapasya. In this form—of one of the Saptarishis—and pretending to be
hungry and in dire need of food, he came to Kausika’s asrama. Viswamitra
was awestruck and prepared charu—rice and honey boiled in milk—for
him. He cooked with such careful concentration that he could not properly
wait on his guest; and it was not until after his guest had eaten what some
other hermits gave him that he was able to offer the charu that he had made,
which was still hot.
The holy one said he had already eaten and, telling him to wait there,
went away. The Mahatapasvin Viswamitra waited, standing as still as a
post, holding the food on his head with his arms raised, and subsisting on
air. As he stood there, a muni named Galava began to wait upon him out of
reverence and affection for him, and in order to please him.
A hundred years passed and Dharma Deva assumed the form of
Vasishta once more, and came to Viswamitra to ask for food. Seeing the
wise Maharishi still standing there with the food on his head, living all the
while on air alone, he accepted the still warm and fresh charu from him.
After eating, Dharma Deva expressed his gratification and went away.
At Dharma Deva’s word, Viswamitra, once a Kshatriya, was, to his
great joy, elevated to being a Brahmana. Pleased with the services and
devotion of his disciple Galava, Viswamitra gave him leave to go wherever
he liked.
Galava was happy with his Guru’s command and affectionately said to
the radiant Viswamitra, “Exalted one, what shall I give you as
Gurudakshina? Bestower of honours, any spiritual deed becomes successful
only when accompanied by this final gift, and the giver attains Moksha.
Gifts are the fruit of one’s actions, which one enjoys in heaven, and they are
the embodiment of peace. Tell me what I should give to you, my Guru?”
Viswamitra knew that he had been won over by Galava’s devotion and
repeatedly tried to dismiss him, but Galava kept asking him what he should
give as Gurudakshina. Annoyed with Galava’s persistence, Viswamitra
finally said, “Give me eight hundred horses, all of them as white as the
Moon’s rays and each with one black ear. Galava, go now!”’”
CANTO 107
“N arada says, ‘Viswamitra’s words filled Galava with such

consternation that he could not sit, sleep or eat. He became a
victim of anxiety and regret and, lamenting bitterly and burning with
remorse, Galava grew pale and skeletal.
Duryodhana, smitten with sorrow, he cried, “O where will I find rich
friends? Where will I find money? Have I any savings? Where will I find
eight hundred moon-white horses? How can I enjoy food or the things I
like? The very love of life is extinguished in me. Why do I need to live? I
will go to the opposite shore of the great ocean, or to the furthest part of the
Earth and give up my life. What is the use of living? What happiness can
there be, without extreme exertion, for one who is poor, unsuccessful,
deprived of all the good things of life, and burdened with debt? The man
who has, from friendship, enjoyed a friend’s wealth and cannot repay him is
better dead than alive.
When he fails to keep his word, a man’s good deeds lose their punya
and become stained with falsehood. One who is tainted in this way cannot
be beautiful, have children, or acquire power or influence. How can such a
man attain bliss? What ungrateful man has ever earned fame? What is his
proper place and where is his happiness? An ungrateful man can never win
esteem or affection; neither can salvation ever be his. The wretched man
who has no wealth is barely alive; he cannot support his relatives or his
friends. He is unable to repay favours, he will certainly be ruined.
I am this ungrateful wretch, destitute of resources and tainted with
falsehood, for I have got what I wanted from my Guru but cannot do as he
asks. I will do my best and then lay down my life.
I have never before begged the gods for anything, and they respect me
for this in yagnas. I will seek the protection of Vishnu the divine lord of the
Trilokas; I will place myself in Krishna’s hands; he is the refuge of all who
deserve protection. I will bow down and ask to see Krishna, that most
exalted of ascetics, the Eternal One from whom all blessings flow to the
Devas and the Asuras.”
While Galava was thus lamenting, his friend Garuda, the son of Vinata,
appeared before him and, wishing to help him, cheerfully said to him, “You
are my dear friend. It is the duty of one who is prosperous to fulfil the
wishes of his friends. Brahmana, Indra’s younger brother Vishnu has
blessed me with good fortune. I have spoken to him on your behalf and he
is pleased to grant my wish to help you.
Come, we will go together wherever you like. I will carry you
comfortably to the other shore of the ocean, or to the farthest end of the
Earth. Come, Galava, do not linger.”’
CANTO 108
“N arada says, ‘Garuda said, “God, who is the source of all

knowledge, has commanded me. In which direction shall I take
you first, to show you what there is? Shall I go east, south, west or north,
Dvija?
That cardinal direction where Surya, the illuminator of the universe,
rises; where the ascetics practice their evening tapasya; where the Primeval
Intelligence that pervades the universe was born; where the two eyes of
Dharma are positioned to guide the universe; where ghee was first offered
in sacrifice and from where it then flowed: that direction is the gateway of
day and time, Dvijottama.
There in time out of mind the daughters of Daksha gave birth to their
children; and there the sons of Kasyapa first multiplied. That quarter is the
source of all the prosperity of the Devas, for it was there that Indra was first
anointed as their king. It was there that Indra and the other Devas
performed tapasya. That is why this cardinal quarter, the East, is called
Purva, or the First; and also because in the earliest times it was the home of
the Devas and said to be owned by the oldest inhabitants of the universe.
The Devas performed all their religious ceremonies here. It is here that
the Creator first sang the Vedas. It is here that the Devi Savitri was born
from Surya’s mouth to live as a sacred mantra. It is here that Surya
presented the Yajur Veda to Yagnavalkya. It is here that the Gods first drank
sanctified Soma during yagnas. It is here that the Homa—the sacrificial fire
—first accepted ghee and milk; and it is here that Varuna became
prosperous when he left for the netherworld.
Here the ancient Rishi Vasishta was born, grew famous and died. Here
Om, the mystical beginning of every mantra, was born and developed its
one hundred branches. Here the smoke-imbibing Munis live as the smoke
of sacrificial fires. Here Indra killed boar and other wild animals and
dedicated them as sacrificial offerings to the Devas. Here the thousand-
rayed Sun rises and in anger consumes all ungrateful and evil Manavas and
Asuras.
This is the gateway of the three worlds, of Swarga and of happiness.
This cardinal quarter is called Purva. If you like, we will go there. I will do
whatever pleases you, my friend. Galava, tell me if there is any other
direction to which you wish to go, and we will fly there. Listen, I will tell
you about another cardinal quarter.”’”
CANTO 109
“N arada says, ‘Garuda said, “Long, long ago Vivaswat performed a

yagna and gave this quarter away as Dakshina to his Guru,
which is why this region, the South, is known as Dakshina.
It is here that the Pitrs of the three worlds live; the Devas who live on
smoke and the Devas known as Viswadevas also live here. They are
worshipped in sacrifices in all the worlds and partake equally of the
sacrifices with the Pitrs.
This cardinal direction is known as the second door of Dharma. It is
here that the span allotted to man is calculated in periods of time known as
trutis and lavas. It is here that the Devarishis, Pitrlokarishis and Rajarishis
live, beyond the reach of pain. Here reside Dharma and Satya; here man’s
deeds bear fruit.
This quarter is the ultimate resting place of the deeds of the dead, and it
is where everybody must eventually come. However, as all of them are
shrouded by ignorance, they cannot be happy here, for thousands of
Rakshasas have been created to obstruct the paths of men, and those who
have not brought their souls under perfect control see them as obstacles.
Here, Brahmana, in Mount Mandara’s glades and in the asramas of
Rishis, Gandharvas chant hymns that entrance the heart and mind. Here the
Daitya Raivata heard the hymns of the Sama Veda sung so sweetly that he
left his wife, friends and kingdom and retired to the forest. Here the son of
Savarna and Yavakrita set a boundary which Surya cannot cross. Here
illustrious Ravana of the Pulastyas, the king of the Rakshasas, performed
austere tapasya and asked the gods for a boon of immortality.
It is here that Vritrasura brought Indra’s hostility upon himself by his
evil ways. It is here that the lives of all beings come, to be broken up into
their five elements. It is here that men of evil deeds rot in agony. It is here
that the river Vaitarani flows, filled with the bodies of those who cannot
cross it to obtain Moksha. People who come here are subject to the
extremes of joy or sorrow.
When it arrives here the Sun drops sweet water on the Earth and then,
continuing towards the cardinal direction named Vasishta, sheds dew. Once
when I was hungry, in this realm, I found for food a huge elephant battling
with an enormous tortoise.
It is here that Maharishi Chakradhanu was born from Surya. That
Devarishi later came to be known as Kapila and it was he who made ashes
of Sagara’s sixty-thousand wild sons. It is here that a class of Brahmanas
known as Sivas, who mastered the Vedas, were crowned with the fruit of
their tapasya and finally attained eternal Moksha.
In this region is the city called Bhogavati, ruled by Vasuki, the Naga
Takshaka and Airavata. Those who come here after they die encounter a
heavy gloom that is so dense that neither Surya nor Agni can penetrate it.
Worthy as you are of worship, you still have to pass this way. Tell me
now if you wish to go in this direction. Otherwise, listen while I tell you
about the West.”’
CANTO 110
‘G aruda said, “The cardinal quarter, the West, is the favourite of

Varuna, the lord of the ocean. He was born here and rules over it.
Because it is here that the Sun sends his rays at paschata—the end of the
day—it is called Paschima.
The divine Kashyapa installed Varuna as the king here to rule over all
marine creatures and to protect the waters themselves. Here the Moon, the
dispeller of darkness, drinks all six of Varuna’s juices and renews himself at
the beginning of every bright fortnight. It is here that Vayu defeated and
captured the Daityas, who fled, panting, before a mighty tempest and finally
laid themselves down to die.
Here, everyday, the mountain Asta lovingly embraces the Sun in
welcome and dispels the evening twilight. It is from here that Ratri and
Nidra—Night and Sleep—emerge at the close of day and spread themselves
over the Earth to steal half the life-span of all living beings from them. It is
here that Indra, seeing his pregnant stepmother Diti lying asleep, cut up the
foetus in her womb into forty-nine parts, from which the forty-nine Maruts
were born.
It is towards this cardinal direction that Himavat Parvata’s base
stretches to touch the immortal Mandara Parvata who is sunk in the ocean,
and even if one travels for a thousand years one cannot reach it. It is here
that Surabhi, the first cow, goes to the shores of the sea that is adorned with
golden lotuses and pours forth her milk. Here, in the midst of the ocean, is
the headless torso of radiant Svarbhanu, Rahu, who is always intent on
devouring the Sun and the Moon.
Here the invincible and ever youthful Suvarnasiras, of the immeasurable
tejas, loudly chants the Vedas. It is here that Muni Harimedha’s daughter
Dwajavati was transfixed in the sky by Surya’s command to stop and stay.
Here wind, fire, earth and water are all deprived of their inherent capacity to
inflict pain. It is from here that the Sun’s course starts its deviation; it is
here that all luminous bodies enter the solar sphere, and after travelling for
twenty-eight nights with the Sun they leave the Sun’s orbit and move with
the Moon. It is in this region that the rivers which always feed the ocean
have their sources.
In this, the abode of Varuna, dwell the waters of the three worlds,
Ananta—the king of snakes, Vishnu, who is without beginning and without
end, and Maricha’s son Maharishi Kashyapa.
I have told you now about Paschima. Tell me, where shall we go?”’”
CANTO 111
“N arada says, ‘Garuda said, “O Brahmana, the cardinal quarter of

the North saves a man from sin, and it is here that one attains
salvation. The power to do both these is called Uttarana and hence this
direction is called Uttara. It is sometimes called Madhyama, central,
because the repository of all its treasures stretches in a straight line from
east to west.
Dvijarishabha, this quarter is the best of all—no one who is unfriendly,
of uncontrolled senses or unrighteous can live here. In a refuge known as
Badari live Krishna who is Narayana, Arjuna who is Nara, that most exalted
of men, and Brahma the Creator. Here on the slopes of the Himavat
Mountain dwells Maheswara, blazing in effulgence like the fire at the end
of a yuga, like Purusha with the universal mother Prakriti. Only Nara and
Narayana can see him, and not all the different classes of Munis, or the
Devas with Indra at their head, or the Gandharvas, Yakshas and Siddhas.
Vishnu, of the thousand heads and thousand eyes, which appear as one by
the power of his maya, lives here.
It is here that that Chandramas, the Moon, was crowned king of all
twice-borns. It is here that Siva first received Ganga on his head and
afterwards let her flow from heaven into the world of men. It is here that the
Devi Uma performed tapasya from her desire to have Siva as her lord. It is
here that Kama, Siva’s anger Rosha, Himavat and Uma were born and
shone in unity. It is here that Kubera was vested with sovereignty over
Rakshasas, Yakshas and Gandharvas.
Kubera’s gardens, named Chitraratha, and the asrama of the Vaikshana
Munis are here; the celestial river Mandakini and the mountain Mandara are
here. The gardens called Saugandhi Kanaka are here, constantly guarded by
Rakshasas. There are grassy, verdant plains, plantain forests and the
celestial trees called sautanakas in this realm.
This is where the Siddhas, who have their souls ever under control and
who wander as they please, have their luxurious and heavenly homes. This
is where Arundhati and the Saptarishis reside, and where the constellation
Swati rises. This is where Pitamaha Brahma lives, near the embodied
Yagna. This is where the movements of the Sun, Moon and other stellar
bodies are visible.
O Brahmanottama, here those illustrious and utterly truthful Munis
called Dhamas guard the source of the Ganga; and no one knows where
they came from, or how they look, or even what tapasya they perform.
Indeed, the thousand dishes they use to serve food to those who go there, as
well as how they prepare the food are all a mystery. Anyone who crosses
the line of their protection is sure to meet with death; only the divine
Narayana and the eternal Nara, Arjuna, can pass and remain unharmed.
It is in this cardinal quarter that Kailasa Parvatam lies and where
Kubera lives. It is here that the ten Apsaras known as Vidyutprabhas were
born. It is this quarter that Vishnu covered with three strides when he
accepted the three worlds at the Asura king Bali’s sacrifice; and one of his
footprints is marked by a spot named Vishnupada.
Here, by the shore of the golden lake named Jambunada, is a place
called Usirvija, where Raja Maruta performed his yagna. Here the lustrous
gold mines of Himavat made themselves visible to Rishi Jimuta, who gave
all their mined wealth away to Brahmanas and asked that it be named after
him. That gold is called Jaimuta. Here, every morning and evening, the
guardians of the four cardinal points call out and ask each other which
person’s affairs they should attend to.
O Brahmanottama, it for all these and many other reasons that the North
is superior—uttara—to all the other cardinal quarters, and that is another
reason for its name Uttara. I have described all four realms to you in detail.
To which direction would you like to go? I am ready to show you all four
quarters and all the Earth, so climb on to my back.”’”
CANTO 112
“N arada says, ‘Galava said, “O Garuda, slayer of the king of

serpents, you of the beautiful feathers, Vinataputra, carry me to
the east, on which the two eyes of Dharma are focused. Take me to that
region you described first, where the Devas are always, where Dharma and
Satya reside. I want to meet all the Devas; so take me there.’
Narada continues, ‘Accordingly, at Garuda’s prompting, Galava
climbed onto the Bird’s back and said to him, “Devourer of snakes, your
beauty as you fly is as radiant as that thousand-eyed maker of day, the
morning Sun. Sky-ranger, you are so swift that the trees break in the storm
of your flapping wings and seem to fly behind you in your wake; why, you
seem to tow Bhumi with all her waters, mountains and forests in the airs
you stir. The tempest that your wings blow lifts the waters of the oceans
with all their fish, snakes and crocodiles into the air.
The fish, the timis and timingalas, that look alike, and snakes with
human faces are all dashed about by your wing-storm. And I am so
deafened and stunned by the roar of the oceans that I seem to forget the
reason for my journey. Slow down; remember that you may be endangering
a Brahmana’s life.
O Garuda, I can no longer see the Sun, the cardinal points or the sky. I
see only a thick gloom all round me. I cannot see my body, but only your
eyes, shining like two brilliant gems. I cannot see your body, but at every
wing-beat I see fire spewing from it. Put out this fire and extinguish the
dazzle from your eyes; I beg you, slow down! I do not need to go on this
journey with you. Blessed one, I cannot bear your speed. I have promised to
give my acharya eight hundred moon-white horses with one black ear each.
I do not see how I can make good my word.
The only course open to me is to lay down my life. I have no wealth of
my own, nor a wealthy friend; indeed, no wealth, however immense, can
give me what I need.”
Laughingly, and without slackening his speed, Garuda said to Galava,
“Your wish to end your life shows that you are a man of little wisdom, O
twice-born Rishi. Death can never be brought about by one’s own effort.
Death is God himself. Why did you not tell me what your intention was
before we set out? There are many excellent ways by which your goal can
be accomplished.
Here is the mountain Rishabha, on the seashore. We will rest here for a
while and refresh ourselves with some food before we turn back.”’”
CANTO 113
“N arada says, ‘The Brahmana and the Eagle landed on the summit
of Rishabha and there they saw a Brahmana woman named
Sandili in tapasya. Galava and Garuda bent their heads in respectful
greeting and worshipped her. The devi asked after their welfare and invited
them to sit. Seated, they accepted the food she offered, having first
dedicated it with mantras to the Devas. After eating, they lay down on the
ground and fell into a deep sleep. Garuda woke up, wanting to leave, but
discovered that his wings had fallen off and that he had become a ball of
flesh with only a head and legs.
Galava, seeing him in that plight, said, “What has staying here done to
you? O how long will we have to remain here? Did you have any evil
thoughts in your mind, for it cannot be a trivial sin that has taken your
wings from you.”
Garuda replied to the Brahmana, saying, “Actually, Dvija, I did think
about carrying this Brahmani, of the tapasyashakti, away from here to
where Mahadeva the Creator, Vishnu, and both Dharma and Yagna dwell,
for I thought she ought to live there. For my own good, I will prostrate
before this holy devi and pray to her.
Garuda said to the Brahmani, “With a sore heart, I confess that I
entertained the idea of carrying you away. Whether I acted rightly or
wrongly, my intention, of which you evidently disapprove, was prompted
by my regard for you. I beg you, from the nobility of your heart forgive
me.”
Pleased with the prince of birds and the Brahmana, she said to Garuda,
“Do not be afraid, beautiful-feathered one. Here, have your wings back and
cast off your fear. You insulted me, and I do not forgive insults. The sinner
who insults me will quickly fall from Swarga. I bear no inauspicious signs
at all and, being blemishless in my purity, I have achieved exalted
tapasyashakti. Dharma and artha are the fruits of pure conduct, which
removes all that is inauspicious.
Go from here where you wish, prince of birds, and take care never to
insult a woman, even in thought, even if she is not chaste. You shall regain
your strength and energy as they were before.”
At these words Garuda had back his splendid wings, and they were
more powerful than before. Taking leave of Sandili, Garuda flew away with
Galava on his back. They could not, however, find the kind of horses they
were looking for.
On their way, they met that most eloquent of men, Viswamitra, and in
Garuda’s presence he said to Galava, “Brahmana, the time has come for you
to give me what you promised. I do not know what you will do to get me
the horses but, since I have waited so long, I will wait a little longer. Find a
way of making good your solemn word.”
Hearing this, Garuda said to the downcast Galava, who was plunged in
sorrow, “I have now heard what Viswamitra said to you earlier. Come,
Brahmanottama Galava, we will think about it together. You cannot rest
until you have given your Guru what you swore.”’”
CANTO 114
“N arada says, ‘Garuda said to the cheerless Galava, “This wealth is

called Hiranya because Agni created it in the bowels of the
Earth, which is also named Hiranmaya, and then Vayu increased it. Because
this wealth supports the world and sustains life it is called dhana; indeed
that has been its purpose in the Trilokas from the beginning.
On the particular Friday, when either the constellation Purvabhadra or
Uttarabhadra rises, Agni creates more wealth by his will and confers it on
mankind in order to add to Kubera’s store of treasures. Deities called
Ajaikapats and Ahirbudnas guard the wealth created in the Earth’s core,
making it rare and well nigh impossible to obtain. This wealth is your only
chance to acquire the horses; beg some king born into a vamsa of Rajarishis
to help you, without harming his own subjects.
I have a friend who is a king born into the Chandra vamsa. Let us go to
him for, amongst all who live on Earth, he has the greatest wealth. This
Rajarishi Yayati is the son of Nahusha, and has irresistible prowess. If you
plead with him and I endorse your plea with my commendation, he will
give us what we need; he is immensely wealthy, as wealthy as Kubera the
lord of treasures. Learned one, by accepting this king’s gift, we can pay
your debt to your Guru.”
Talking together in this way and thinking about the best thing to do,
Garuda and Galava went to King Yayati in his capital. The king received
them hospitably and offered them arghya, and padya to wash their feet.
Then he asked them why they had come.
Garuda said to him, “O Son of Nahusha, this ocean of tapasya is my
friend Galava, who has been Viswamitra’s sishya for several thousand
years. This devout Brahmana, whom Viswamitra commanded to go
wherever he chose, told his Guru that he wanted to give him gurudakshina.
Viswamitra knew he was poor and did not ask for anything, but then,
annoyed by his persistence, he asked for eight hundred moon-white horses
with one black ear each. The Rishi told Galava that since he insisted, this is
what he should give. The great tapasvin Viswamitra spoke in anger and it is
this that grieves the Brahmana so painfully.
Unable to fulfil his Guru’s command, he has come to you for refuge.
Purushavyaghra, when he has accepted this favour he asks of you, he will
pay his gurudakshina and happily devote himself to tapasya once again.
A Rajarishi such as you, endowed as you already are with great punya,
will be even more enriched when this Brahmana gives you a share of his
own tapasya. Lord of men, giving a horse as a gift entitles you to as much
bliss as there are hairs on a horse’s body.
This man is as worthy to accept the gift as you are to make it. Give it to
him, as you would pour milk into a conch shell.”’”
CANTO 115
“N arada says, ‘Yayati, ruler of all the Kasis, performer of a

thousand sacrifices, that most generous of men, reflected deeply
on Garuda’s words of truth.
He saw his friend Garuda and Galava’s request for alms as an
auspicious omen; he thought about Galava’s tapasya, and he pondered the
fact that these two had passed over all the other kings of the Surya vamsa
and come to him.
Yayati said, “I and the vamsa into which I was born are blessed today.
Sinless Garuda, you have blessed my kingdom. My friend, there is one
thing that I wish to say to you. I am not as rich now as before, for my
wealth is greatly reduced. Regardless, I cannot render your visit fruitless,
nor can I disappoint this Rishi.
I will give him enough to allow him to accomplish his purpose. If a man
who comes for alms leaves unfulfilled, he might destroy my entire race with
a curse. There is nothing more sinful than to say, I have nothing, and dash
the hopes of one who comes in need. The disappointed man can ruin the
sons and grandsons of the one who fails to help him.
O Galava, take this daughter of mine, who will be the perpetuator of
four dynasties. In beauty, she is like a daughter of the Devas; she will
promote every virtue; and for her beauty, Devas, Manavas and Asuras are
always me asking for her hand. The kings of the Earth would give entire
kingdoms for her, let alone eight hundred horses with a black ear each. Take
my daughter Madhavi. My only wish is to have a grandson by her.”
Galava accepted the king’s gift and left with Garuda, saying to the king,
“We will see you again,” and taking the maiden with them.
Then Garuda said to Galava, “We finally have the means to obtain the
horses,” and took his leave and went home.
After the prince of birds had gone, Galava, with the maiden beside him,
began to think about going to a king who would give him a fitting dower for
her. He first thought of that best of kings Haryaswa of the Ikshvakus, who
ruled in Ayodhya, who was endowed with great tejas, who possessed a great
army consisting of the four kinds of forces, who had a well-filled treasury
and an abundance of corn, whose subjects loved him and who respected all
Brahmanas. Wishing to have children, he lived quietly, performing austere
tapasya.
Galava went to Haryaswa and said, “Rajadhiraja, this maiden will
increase her husband’s family by bearing many children. Accept her from
me as your wife, Haryaswa, by giving me a dower. Listen to what dower I
expect and then decide what you will do.”’”
CANTO 116
“N arada says, ‘Raja Haryaswa reflected for a long time, breathing

deep and fervent sighs at the thought of having a son. At last he
said, “The six parts of the body that ought to be raised in one’s body are
well elevated in this maiden. The seven parts of the body that ought to be
slender are indeed so in her. The three that ought to be deep are deep in her;
and the five that ought to be reddish are flushed in her. It seems that her
beauty is worthy of being gazed upon by Devas and Asuras, and she is
accomplished in all the arts and sciences. With all these auspicious signs,
she will certainly bear many children, and indeed one of them might
become an emperor.
As for the wealth you seek, Brahmanottama, what should her dower
be?”
Galava said, “Give me eight hundred horses of a lofty pedigree, which
are all moon-white and with one black ear each. This blessed and large-
eyed maiden will then become the mother of your sons, as the fire-stick
gives birth to fire.”
Hearing this, Rajarishi Haryaswa was filled with sorrow, but blinded by
passion, he said, “I have only two hundred horses of the kind you want, but
there are many others which roam in my kingdom. Galava, I want only one
son with this maiden. Grant me my wish.”
At this, the maiden said to Galava, “One who had attained Brahman
once granted me a boon that I would, after the birth of every son, regain my
maidenhood. Give me away to this king and accept his horses. In this way,
you will get eight hundred horses from four different kings, and I will have
four sons, as well. Collect the wealth that you want to give your Guru like
this. This is what I think, but you may do as you think fit.”
Galava said to Haryaswa, “O Haryaswa, best of men, accept this maiden
for a fourth of the dower that I have asked for, and have only one son with
her.”
Haryaswa worshipped Galava and took the princess. In due time, she
gave the king the son he so longed for, and the boy was named Vasumanas.
He became richer than the wealthiest kings of the Earth and looked like one
of the Vasus; and he came to be a great and generous king.
After some time had passed, Galava came back to the delighted
Haryaswa and said to him, “O Rajan, you have had a son, a child who is as
splendid as the Sun. The time has come for me to go to another king for
alms.”
Haryaswa, being truthful and honourable in all that he said and did, and
remembering the balance of six hundred horses that he had been unable to
give the Brahmana Galava, gave Madhavi back to him. Madhavi left that
radiant and prosperous king and, becoming a virgin once more, she
followed Galava.
Galava said to Haryaswa, “Let the horses stay here with you,” and went
with Madhavi to Raja Divodasa.’”
CANTO 117
“N arada says, ‘Galava said to Madhavi, “The ruler of the Kasis is

the illustrious king Divodasa, who is Bhimasena’s son. He is an
immensely powerful king. Blessed one, we are now going to Divodasa;
follow me slowly and do not worry. This king is virtuous and devoted to
truth, and has his passions under control.”
Muni Galava came before the king, who received him with due
reverence and hospitality. Galava urged the monarch to have a child.
Divodasa said, “I have already heard about your quest, so you need not
tell me much, Brahmana. As soon as I knew what you would come for, my
heart was set upon it. I am honoured that you have passed over all other
kings and come to me. What you want will be yours, but my wealth is like
Haryaswa’s, reduced. I shall, therefore, have only one royal son with this
maiden.”
The Brahmana gave the girl to the king, who duly married her. Rajarishi
Divodasa enjoyed his time with Madhavi like so many illustrious couples:
Surya with Prabhavati, Agni with Swaha, Vasava with Sachi, Chandra with
Rohini, Yama with Urmila, Varuna with Gauri, Kubera with Riddhi,
Narayana with Lakshmi, Sagara with Jahnavi, Rudra with Rudrani,
Pitamaha Brahma with Saraswati, Vasishta’s son Saktri with Adrisyanti,
Vasishta with Akshamala, Chyavana with Sukanya, Pulastya with Sandhya,
Agastya with princess Lopamudra of Vidarbha, Satyavan with Savitri,
Bhrigu with Puloma, Kasyapa with Aditi, Richika’s son Jamadagni with
Renuka, Kusika’s son Viswamitra with Himavati, Brihaspati with Tara,
Sukra with Sataparva, Bhumipati with Bhumi, Pururavas with Urvasi,
Richika with Satyavati, Manu with Saraswati, Dushyanta with Sakuntala,
the eternal Dharma with Dhriti, Nala with Damayanti, Narada with
Satyavati, Jaratkaru with Jaratkaru, Pulastya with Pratichya, Urnayus with
Menaka, Tumburu with Rambha, Vasuki with Satasirsha, Dhananjaya with
Kumari, Rama with Sita the princess of Videha, Janardana with Rukmini.
And to Raja Divodasa, who delighted in her, Madhavi bore a son named
Pratardana. After the child’s birth, Galava came to Divodasa and said to
him, “Let the maiden come with me, but let the horses that you are giving
me remain here. I need to go to another kingdom to obtain more dowry.”
The virtuous Divodasa, who was devoted to dharma, gave Madhavi
back to Galava.”’”
CANTO 118
“N arada says, ‘Madhavi was faithful to her promise and,

abandoning prosperity and becoming a virgin once again,
followed Galava. Galava, whose heart was set upon the accomplishment of
his own business, had reflected on what he should do next and went to the
city of the Bhojas, to King Usinara.
When he arrived before that king of the unrestrainable prowess, Galava
said to him, “This maiden will bear you two royal sons, who will be like the
Sun and the Moon. With these two princes you will be able to attain all that
you hope for in this world and in the hereafter. O you who are
knowledgeable about dharma, in exchange you must give me four hundred
horses of moon-white splendour with one black ear each. My effort to
obtain the horses is only for my Guru’s sake; I myself have no need of
them. If you accept my terms, do as I tell you, without hesitation.
Rajarishi, you are childless. Have two children, for children are like a
life-saving raft, who will rescue you and your Pitrs. The man who enjoys
the punya of having had a son never falls from heaven, nor will he ever
have to go to that frightful hell, Naraka, to which the childless are doomed.”
Raja Usinara said to him, “I have heard your words, Galava, and my
heart is inclined to do as you say. However, only the Supreme Lord has
ultimate power over all things. I have only two hundred horses of the kind
you want, but I have thousands of other kinds in my kingdom. I will do as
Haryaswa and Divodasa did and have only one son by Madhavi.
My wealth is for all my subjects, in the city and in the country, and not
for my own comfort and pleasures. The king who gives away, for his own
benefit, the wealth that belongs to others can never earn virtue or fame.
Give this divinely radiant girl to me. I will accept her to bear me only one
child.”
Hearing these and other things that Usinara said, Galava approved of
him. He gave Madhavi to him and went away into the forest. And as any
man of dharma enjoys well deserved happiness that his good deeds have
earned him, Usinara enjoyed Madhavi, and they sported in valleys and dales
of the mountains, beside fountains and waterfalls, in charming mansions, in
gardens, forests and woods, in other places of delight, and on palatial
terraces beneath the stars. In due time, a son was born to them, who shone
like the morning Sun, and who later became the great king Sibi.
After the birth of this boy, Galava came to Usinara, took Madhavi from
him and went to Garuda.’”
CANTO 119
“N arada says, ‘Garuda saw Galava and said to him, “How happy I
am to hear of your success.”
Galava, however, informed him that a fourth part of his task was still
unfinished, at which Garuda said, “Do not try to get the remaining two
hundred horses, for you will not succeed. Long ago, Richika wanted to
marry Satyavati, the daughter of Gadhi of Kanyakubja.
Gadhi said to Muni Richika, Holy one, give me a thousand horses, all
as brilliantly white as the Moon and each having one black ear.
Saying, So be it, Richika went to Aswatirtha, the great home of horses
in Varuna’s abode, and found what he wanted, which he promptly gave the
king. The king performed a yagna named Pundarika and gave those horses
away as dakshina to deserving Brahmanas. The three kings, whom you
made agreements with, each bought two hundred of those horses from the
Brahmanas. The remaining four hundred were claimed by the river Vitasta,
while they were being led across it.
You can never have that which is not there to be had. Virtuous one, give
this girl as a gift to Viswamitra, along with the six hundred horses you have
acquired. You will be freed from your grief and crowned with success.”
Saying “Tathaastu,” Galava went with Garuda to Viswamitra, taking
Madhavi and the horses with him. On arriving, he said, “Here are six
hundred horses of the kind you asked for. I offer you this maiden in place of
the remaining two hundred. I beg you, accept what I offer as gurudakshina.
This girl has had three virtuous sons by three Rajarishis; let her fourth, and
best, son be yours.
Let these six hundred horses be the complete discharge of my debt to
you, so that I can be free to practice tapasya as I like.”
Viswamitra saw Galava with the Bird and the maiden, and he said, “O
Galava, why did you not give this girl to me before? All four sons,
sanctifiers of my race, would have been mine. I accept this maiden, to give
me one son. The horses can graze in my asrama.”
Viswamitra lived happily with Madhavi, and she bore him a son, named
Ashtaka. As soon as the child was born, Mahamuni Viswamitra instructed
him in dharma and artha, and gave him the six hundred horses. Ashtaka
went to live in a city, bright as the city of Soma; and Viswamitra gave
Madhavi back to Galava and went away to the deepest forest.
The happy Galava who, with his friend Garuda’s help, had succeeded in
giving his Guru the dakshina he had asked for, said to Madhavi, “You have
given birth to one son who is most charitable, to another who is very brave,
to a third who is devoted to dharma and satya, and to a fourth who is a
performer of great yagnas. Lovely Madhavi, through your sons you have
saved not only your father but four kings and me, as well. Go to your father
now, slender-waisted one.”
Saying this, Galava bid farewell to Garuda that devourer of snakes, and
after restoring the maiden to her father, went to live in the forest.’”
CANTO 120
“N arada says, ‘King Yayati wanted to give his daughter in marriage

by way of a swayamvara. He took Madhavi, decked in flower
malas, in his chariot to a sacred asrama at the confluence of the Ganga and
Yamuna, with his sons Puru and Yadu following him. Gathered in that place
were innumerable Nagas, Yakshas, Manavas and Gandharvas; animals and
birds; dwellers of mountains, trees and forests; and many inhabitants of that
particular province. The vanas that surrounded the asrama were home to
many Rishis, who were like Brahma himself.
The swayamvara began, and that loveliest of maidens passed over all
those assembled there and chose the vana as her lord. Descending from her
chariot and greeting all her friends, Yayati’s daughter went into the sacred
forest and devoted herself to a life of tapasya.
She emaciated herself by fasting, performing religious rites and rigid
vratas; and she took to living the life of a deer. She ate soft, green grass
whose tender stems looked like lapis lazuli and tasted bitter-sweet; she
drank the cool, sweet, crystalline water of sacred mountain streams. She
roamed with other deer through forests where no lions or tigers lived, in
deserts where there was no danger from forest fires and in dense forest,
leading the life of a wild doe. She earned great spiritual punya because of
her life of austere tapasya and brahmacharya.
King Yayati lived for many thousands of years and, like many before
him, eventually succumbed to inexorable Time. The progeny of his sons
Puru and Yadu multiplied, thereby earning great reverence for Yayati in this
and the other worlds. Yayati lived in Swarga, like a Maharishi; he was
greatly honoured and respected, and enjoyed the best of those regions.
One day, after many thousands of years had passed in great joy, when
Yayati sat amongst illustrious Rajarishis and Maharishis, he mentally
ignored all the Devas, Rishis and Manavas who were there, from folly,
ignorance and pride. Indra immediately saw into his heart. The Rajarishis,
too, saw this and disapproved.
Everyone began to ask, “Who is this man? What king’s son is he? Why
is he in Swarga? What has he done to deserve this honour? Where did he
practice tapasya and earn punya? What is he known for? Who knows him?”
The Swargavasis questioned each other about Yayati and asked
hundreds of heaven’s charioteers, gatekeepers and those who were in charge
of the seats in heaven; but all replied that they did not know. Their minds
were suddenly clouded so that none of them recognised the king, who
immediately lost his heavenly splendour.”’”
CANTO 121
“N arada says, ‘In this state—deprived of his place in Swarga and

cast out, his trembling heart consumed by fear and burning with
remorse, his unfading garlands withered, his senses in turmoil, shorn of his
crown and ornaments, his head reeling, his limbs weak and his body
unadorned and unclothed—no one recognised Yayati. In the bewilderment
of the fog that blanketed his mind, the Swargavasis swam in and out of his
vision as Yayati fell headlong towards the Earth.
As he fell, the king thought, “What sinful thoughts did I think that lost
me my place in Devaloka?”
All the kings, the Siddhas and the Apsaras laughed to see Yayati fall. At
Indra’s command, came a Duta whose task was to remove from Swarga
those whose punya had run out.
He said to Yayati, “Intoxicated with pride, there is no one whom you
have not disregarded. It is because of your vanity that Swarga is no longer
for you. You do not deserve to live here, Rajaputra. We do not recognise
you here, so fall you must.”
At the Devaduta’s words, Yayati, the son of Nahusha, said three times,
“If I must fall, let me fall amongst the righteous,” and this king, who was
the best of all who had attained Swarga, thought about where he should fall.
As he plunged down, Yayati saw the four mighty kings, Pratardana,
Vasumanas, Sibi and Ashtaka, in a forest, and he fell toward them. At the
time, those kings were performing the Vajapeya yagna to gratify Indra, and
the smoke that rose from their fire had reached the gates of Swarga, looking
like a river that flowed between heaven and Earth. It resembled the sacred
Ganga during her descent to Earth. It was the smoke that guided Yayati as
he fell toward the Earth and brought him to those four lions among men, all
blessed with great splendour, the foremost of all sacrificers, who were in
fact his own kin, who resembled the four Lokapalas, and who blazed in
glory like four mighty sacrificial fires. Having exhausted his store of punya,
Yayati fell toward them, and hung in mid-air above the kings, and he was
still dazzlingly beautiful.
Seeing him and how he shone, the kings asked, “Who are you? What
race, country and city are you from? Are you a Yaksha, a Deva, a
Gandharva or a Rakshasa? You do not appear to be a human being. Why are
you here?”
Yayati answered, “I am Rajarishi Yayati. I have fallen from Swarga
because my punya was exhausted. I wanted to fall amongst men of dharma
and have fallen amidst you.”
The kings said, “Purushottama, may your wish come true. Accept as
yours our punya and the fruits of all our sacrifices.”
Yayati said, “I am not a Brahmana but a Kshatriya, and I cannot accept
charity; nor do I want to take others’ punya from them.”
Just at this time, Madhavi, in course of her wandering, came there. The
four kings greeted her and said, “What brings you here? What would you
command us to do for you? You have the right to command us, for we are
your sons, O Tapasvini.”
Madhavi was filled with delight when she heard this. She came before
her father with reverence and greeted Yayati; and she touched the heads of
all her sons.
She said to her father Yayati, “Rajadhiraja, these are my sons, your
grandsons. They are not strangers. They will save you. This practice is not
new; it has its origins in antiquity. I am your daughter Madhavi, and I have
been living in the forest like a deer. I have earned punya, and you must
accept half of it because all men have the right to enjoy a portion of the
punya earned by their children. That is why men want their daughters to
have sons. That is what you wished for when you gave me to Galava.”
At their mother’s words, the four monarchs paid homage to her and to
their grandfather. They reiterated what their mother had said, as clearly and
affectionately as she had; and the whole Earth resounded with their wish to
save their fallen grandfather.
Galava too came there and said to Yayati, “Accept an eighth of my
tapasya from me and go back to Swarga.”’”
CANTO 122
“N arada says, ‘No sooner was Yayati recognised by those virtuous

ones, than he rose once more into Swarga, without having
touched the Earth at all. He regained his celestial form and shed his grief.
Once again he was adorned in celestial garlands, raiment and ornaments;
sprinkled again with celestial perfumes and vested with heavenly attributes;
all this without having actually set foot on the Earth’s surface.
Vasumanas, whose generosity was renowned through the worlds,
announced to Yayati, “I hereby give you the punya that I have won on Earth
by my blemishless conduct towards men of all varnas. Let it all be yours
King. I have acquired the punya that one gains from generosity, and
redemption from my sins through the yagnas I have performed; let those,
too, be yours.”
Then Pratardana said, “My devotion to Kshatriya dharma has earned me
fame and a heroic name. I hereby give you this punya.”
Sibi, the intelligent son of Usinara, affectionately said, “I have never
spoken an untruth to children, to women or in jest, to those in danger, in a
crisis or during a game of dice. I can give up all objects of desire and
pleasure, my kingdom and my life itself, but I cannot give up satya. By
virtue of this and of us having gratified Dharma, Agni and Indra, you will
ascend to Swarga.
Lastly, Rajarishi Ashtaka—Madhavi and Kusika’s son, said to Yayati, “I
have performed hundreds of Pundarika, Gosava and Vajapeya yagnas. Take
the punya of these. I have spared nothing for their performance, not jewels,
gold or other treasures. By that truth, ascend to Swarga.”
Immediately, Yayati left the Earth and began to soar towards Swarga,
higher and higher as his grandsons said what they were doing for him, one
after the other. That is how those kings saved Yayati, who had been cast
down from heaven, and how these royal grandchildren of Yayati’s, those
perpetuators of their dynasties, made their grandfather rise again into
Swargaloka by means of their dharma, yagnas and dana.
The four kings said in unison, “We are your daughter’s sons, O Rajan,
endowed with nobility and every virtue. By our dharma and punya, ascend
again into heaven.”’”
CANTO 123
“N arada says, “Restored to his place on high by his grandsons,

distinguished by the largesse of their sacrificial gifts, Yayati
blazed in beauty, adorned by his own great deeds, showered with fragrant
flowers and enveloped in scented, balmy breezes. He was welcomed back
with the joyful clash of cymbals and entertained with songs and dances by
diverse clans of Gandharvas and Asuras. Devarishis and Rajarishis paid
homage to him, and the Devas worshipped him with arghya and other
honours.
After he had returned to Swarga and, free from anxiety, regained
tranquillity of heart, Brahma Pitamaha spoke words of approbation to him,
saying, “You had earned the full measure—four padas—of dharma by your
deeds on Earth. You had attained Swargaloka and renown for eternity.
Rajarishi, you nullified all this punya by your vanity, which cloaked the
hearts of Swargavasis in darkness so impenetrable that they could not
recognise you, and you were cast down. You have been saved by the love
and affection of your daughter’s sons and returned, regaining this eternal,
sacred, wonderful and deathless realm you won earlier by your own deeds.”
Yayati said, “Holy One, I have a doubt, which only you can dispel. My
punya was vast, augmented by my reign of dharma over my subjects for
thousands of years, and won by innumerable sacrifices and gifts. How could
such immense punya become exhausted, and I be cast down from here? You
know that the place created for me was eternal. Why was it destroyed?”
The Pitamaha said, “Your merit, earned by countless yagnas and
increased by your rule of dharma, perished because of a single fault: your
vanity, and it made you the object of contempt of all the Swargavasis.
Vanity, pride of strength, malice, deceitfulness or deception will all reduce
your time in Swarga. Never disregard those that are inferior, superior or
equal to you. There is no greater sinner than the man who is consumed by
the fire of vanity. Those who tell of your fall and re-ascension will be
protected from all calamities.”
Rajan, this is the story of how vanity brought Yayati’s downfall, and the
distress that Galava suffered because of his obstinacy. Those who want their
own good should listen to their well-wishers. One must never be stubborn,
for it is the root of ruin.
O Son of Gandhari, forsake vanity and wrath; make peace with the
Pandavas. Abandon anger; let go of what you have once given away, that
which is done, austerities that you have practised and libations that you
have poured on fire. These are indestructible and cannot be diminished.
Also, no one other than their doer enjoys their fruit.
The man who understands this greatest and best of stories, which is
praised by those who know the scriptures and who are free from anger and
greed, gains knowledge of dharma, artha and kama, and sovereignty over
the world.’”
CANTO 124
“D hritarashtra says, ‘Holy one, it is as you say. I, too, want to do

exactly as what you tell us to, but I am powerless.’”
Vaisampayana continued, “The Kuru monarch then addresses Krishna
and says, ‘O Kesava, you have spoken about the path that leads to Swarga,
which is for the world’s good, full of dharma and wise. However, being
blind, I cannot act independently, and Duryodhana never pays heed to me.
Krishna, you must persuade my foolish, unprincipled and disobedient son.
He never listens to the advice of Gandhari, Vidura or other true friends, or
Bhishma the chief of them, all of whom want his good.
Counsel my dishonest and evil prince, for by so doing you will have
acted nobly, as a friend should.’
Krishna, all-knowing about dharma and artha, says to Duryodhana,
‘Kurusattama, listen to what I say, which is good for you especially, as well
as for your followers. You are born into a vamsa that is distinguished for its
great wisdom, and you are honour-bound to keep dharma.
You are learned and possess so many excellent and qualities. Only low-
born, evil, shameless and cruel men do what you mean to. Men of dharma
are always inclined towards virtue while sinful men lean the opposite way.
Everything you are thinking of doing is against dharma. Insisting on going
to war is nothing but sinful, vicious and evil, and will lead you to death.
Abandon this dangerous path you have chosen to tread; it is unworthy of
you and will only lead to untold suffering and doom.
You will do yourself, your brothers and your followers a great service if
you make peace with the Pandavas instead. The sons of Pandu are wise,
courageous and learned; they have immeasurable tejas and perfect control
over their souls. If you do what I ask, that will please Dhritarashtra, as well
as Pitamaha Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, Somadatta, Bahlika, Aswatthama,
Vikarna, Sanjaya, Vivimsati and many of your kinsmen and friends. The
whole world will benefit from that peace.
You are blessed with modesty, noble birth, learning and kindness. Listen
to what your father and mother tell you; a good son always obeys his
father’s command, knowing it will benefit him. When calamity strikes, men
remember their father’s advice, which they once ignored. Making peace
with the Pandavas will please your father; so let peace recommend itself to
you and your advisors.
The man who hears the counsel of his well-wishers but does not heed it
will be consumed by the consequences of his disregard, even as if he has
eaten the poisonous kimpaka fruit. The fool who rejects sage advice and
procrastinates will fail to achieve his objective and then repent. On the other
hand, the man who heeds wise counsel and accepts it, setting aside his own
opinion, will always be happy.
He who discards the words of well-meaning friends, deluded that what
they say is not in his best interest, will be crushed by his enemies. The man
who ignores the views of the righteous and clings only to those of the
sinful, who flatter his vanity, will sink into misery and make his friends
weep for him. He who turns away from superior advisors and seeks out
inferior ones will fall into distress, from which he will not be able to
extricate himself. The Earth will abandon the man who befriends sinners,
who behaves deceitfully, who ignores what his friends say, who honours
strangers but hates his own people.
Bharatarishabha, you have chosen to make enemies of the Pandavas and
look to incompetent, foolish and sinful men for support. What other man is
there on Earth besides you, who would disregard kinsmen who are all
Maharathas, each like an Indra, and instead seek refuge and help from
strangers? You have persecuted the sons of Kunti from the time they were
born, but because they are virtuous they were not angry with you. Indeed,
although you have been deceitful to them since their birth, those noble men
have always been noble and generous to you. You ought to reciprocate their
magnanimity in like measure.
Do not yield to anger. Wise men’s energies are always focused on
dharma, artha and kama. If all three cannot be attained, men pursue at least
dharma and artha. Even if these three are followed separately, superior men,
who have their senses under control, choose dharma as their priority; those
who have a position between good and evil choose artha, which is subject
to dispute; while those whose minds are darkened by tamas concentrate on
gratifying their desires, however base.
The fool who abandons dharma to pursue artha and kama by sinning is
soon destroyed by his own senses. The man who seeks artha and kama
should first practice dharma, because all three are inextricably linked.
Rajan, the wise say that dharma is the primary source, and so he who seeks
all three purusharthas will, by practicing dharma alone, flourish, like fire
when it touches a hayrick.
Bharatarishabha, you want to employ sin to obtain sole sovereignty over
this vast and flourishing empire. The man who deals falsely towards those
who live by dharma cuts himself down, like a forest felled by the axe. One
seeks to destroy the very mind of the man one wants to defeat, for with his
mind in chaos he cannot devote his attention to his true welfare.
The man who has his soul under control is never heedless of anyone,
not even the most common of creatures, far less those bulls among men, the
Pandavas. He who gives in to anger loses his sense of right and wrong. Evil
must not be allowed to grow; look at the proof of this.
Solidarity with the sons of Pandu is far better for you than union with
sinners. If you make peace with them, you will make peace with yourself,
and have everything that you wish for. You now enjoy the kingdom that the
Pandavas founded, but you ignore them and go to others for friendship and
protection. Wanting the undiminished continuance of your prosperity, you
have vested the care of your kingdom with Dusasana, Durvisha, Karna and
Subala’s son, men far inferior to the Pandavas in knowledge, in dharma, in
their ability to garner wealth and in prowess.
Let alone these four men, all these kings together, with you at their
head, cannot even look at an angry Bhima on the battlefield. This army of
so many kings of the Earth is at your command. Also with you are
Bhishma, Drona, Karna, Kripa, Bhurisravas, Somadatta, Aswatthama and
Jayadratha. All of them together cannot face Arjuna, whom even the Devas,
Asuras and Gandharvas cannot quell. Do not set your heart on war,
Duryodhana.
Have you seen any man who has encountered Arjuna in battle and come
away unscathed, let alone victorious? What can you gain from a universal
slaughter? Show me one man who will defeat Arjuna, whose defeat alone
can ensure your victory. Who will face that son of Pandu in battle, who
vanquished all the Devas, Gandharvas, Yakshas and Nagas at
Khandavaprastha? There is also that marvellous account of the encounter in
Virata’s city, of one against many, which should convince you.
Do you hope to vanquish an enraged Arjuna, invincible, irresistible,
ever-victorious and unfading, that hero who gratified even Mahadeva Siva
in fight? When, with me as his sarathy, that son of Pritha storms on to the
battlefield, like Indra himself, who will dare challenge him? He who would
vanquish Arjuna in battle could lift up the Earth in his arms, consume in his
rage the entire population of the world and cast the very gods out from
heaven.
Look at your sons, brothers, cousins and other relatives. Let them not
die because of you. Let the Kaurava vamsa not horribly dwindle or even
become extinct. Rajan, let the people not call you the exterminator of your
dynasty and the destroyer of its noble achievements. If you make peace
with them, the Pandava Maharathas will install you as Yuvaraja and your
father Dhritarashtra as the king of this vast empire.
Do not dismiss the prosperity that awaits you, which is sure to come if
you tread the path of dharma. Give half the kingdom to the sons of Pritha
and win great prosperity. Listen to your well-wishers. By making peace
with the sons of Pandu and living with them in harmony you will be blessed
for eternity.’”
CANTO 125
V aisampayana said, “After listening to Krishna, Bhishma says to the

angry Duryodhana, ‘Krishna has spoken to you out of a desire to
establish peace between cousins. Follow his advice; do not give in to
vindictiveness. If you do not do as Krishna says, you will never gain
prosperity, happiness or your own welfare.
What Krishna said to you is in keeping with dharma and artha. Do as he
says and you will achieve your every objective; do not obliterate the Earth’s
population. Do not destroy this resplendent prosperity of the Bhaaratas
amongst all the kings of the Earth, even while your father Dhritarashtra is
still alive. If you disregard Krishna, your father and the wise Vidura, your
stubborn arrogance will take you to your death and, with you, all your
counsellors, sons, brothers and kinsmen will also die. What your true well-
wishers counsel is dharma and will benefit you greatly.
Do not become the extinguisher of your vamsa; do not cleave to evil;
turn your heart away from sin; do not tread the path of adharma; do not
drown your parents in a sea of grief.’
When Bhishma has spoken, Drona says to Duryodhana, who by now is
panting with rage, ‘Rajan, what Krishna said is consistent with dharma and
artha, and Bhishma has said the same. Accept their counsel. Both of them
are wise, learned, of superior intelligence, have their souls under control
and want only what is good for you. What they say is salutary; listen to
them. Wise king, do as Krishna and Bhishma say; do not disregard Krishna,
who counsels you gravely out of your vain delusion.
The men who have been blithely encouraging you cannot give you
victory. They will deny their responsibility and cast the burden of war onto
others. Do not slaughter the Earth’s population nor slay your sons and
brothers. The army which has Krishna and Arjuna in it is invincible. If you
reject what Krishna and Bhishma have said, you will have cause to repent.
Arjuna is even greater than Bhishma describes, and as for Devaki’s son
Krishna, not the gods can withstand him.
Bharatarishabha, there is no use in continuing to tell you what is good
for you. Everything that needed to be said has been said. Now do as you
wish; I have nothing further to add.’
After Drona has spoken, Vidura looks at Duryodhana and says,
‘Duryodhana, I have no sympathy for you. I do grieve, however, for your
elderly parents Gandhari and Dhritarashtra. With an unprincipled protector
like you, whom they will soon lose, they will be left to wander the Earth
like beggars and, deprived of their friends and counsellors, as well, they
will be like a pair of birds whose wings have been shorn.
Having a sinful son, who will cause the extermination of the human
race as we know it, they will sorrowfully roam the Earth, living on alms.’
Now the king turns to Duryodhana, who sits among his brothers and all
the other kings. Dhritarashtra says, ‘Listen, Duryodhana, to what Krishna
Mahatman advises. Do as he says, for his words are eternal, auspicious and
will lead to your salvation. With the help of blemishless Krishna we, of all
the kings, are sure to achieve our most cherished goals.
Join Krishna and reconcile your differences with Yudhishtira; give this
the same importance you would a mahayagna, for the weal of all the
Bharatas, the Pandavas and Kauravas as one. With Krishna’s help, bind
yourself closely with the Pandavas, in love. This is the time to make peace;
do not let the opportunity pass.
If you choose to disregard Krishna, who wants your welfare as much as
that of the sons of Pandu, and who urges you to make peace for your own
good, you can never win the war that will be and ruin will overtake us all.’”
CANTO 126
V aisampayana said, “Dhritarashtra’s impassioned words prompt

Bhishma and Drona, who sympathise with the old king, to speak to
the recalcitrant Duryodhana.
They say, ‘While the two Krishnas are not yet clad in their armour;
while the Gandiva is still quiet; while Dhaumya has not yet begun to burn
his enemies in the fire that he will light and feed for the war; and while that
mighty archer Yudhishtira, who wears modesty like a garment, has not yet
begun to look on your army with anger, let all hostilities cease.
While Bhimasena has not yet positioned himself in the midst of his
troops, let enmity end. While Bhima has not yet entered the battlefield with
his mace in hand and begun to smash down his enemies, make peace with
the Pandavas. Before Bhima with his deadly gada makes the heads of
elephant-warriors roll on the field like ripe palmyra-fruit, make peace.
While Nakula and Sahadeva, Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata’s vamsa, Virata,
Sikhandin and Sisupala’s son, all seasoned warriors versed in the astra
shastra, have not yet donned their armour or penetrated your army, like
crocodiles cutting through helpless waters, and showered you with
fusillades of burning arrows, put a stop to this insane enmity.
As yet, fierce-winged barbs do not fall upon the vulnerable bodies of
the assembled kings; as yet, iron shafts, shot by mighty bowmen who
unerringly find any target at whatever distance, do not pierce the breasts of
your warriors, who sit here smeared with sandalwood and other fragrant
pastes and adorned with golden necklaces and jewelled ornaments. Let
hostilities end before they do.
Let that elephant among kings, Dharmaraja Yudhishtira, receive you
with an embrace while you salute him with your head bowed down.
Bharatarishabha, let that king, renowned for the munificence of his
sacrificial gifts, place his right hand marked with the signs of banner and
hook on your shoulder. Let him set his gem-adorned and red-palmed hands
on your back when you are seated before him.
Let Mahabaho Vrikodara, his shoulders as broad as the sala tree,
embrace you with goodwill for the sake of peace. When Arjuna and the
twins greet you with respect, sniff their heads in affection and speak
lovingly to them.
Let all these kings who have gathered here shed tears of joy on seeing
you united with your heroic cousins. Let the news of this happy union be
proclaimed in their cities. Rule the Earth with brotherly affection in your
heart and let her forever be freed from the fever of envy and anger.’”
CANTO 127
V aisampayana said, “In the Kuru sabha, Duryodhana is not pleased to

hear this, and he says to Krishna, ‘O Kesava, it is indeed just that
you speak as you have after reflecting on all the circumstances. Yet you
speak harshly and, without reason, find fault only with me, whilst always
speaking kindly to the Pandavas. Have you weighed the strength and
weaknesses of both sides before censuring me?
You, Vidura, the King, the Acharya and the Pitamaha all reproach only
me and none other. I do not find the least fault in myself, yet all of you,
including my own father, despise me. Parantapa, even after reflection I
cannot find any shortcoming in me, grave or insignificant.
At the game of dice, which the Pandavas happily accepted, Sakuni
defeated them and won their kingdom. How can I be blamed for that? On
the other hand, I commanded that the wealth I won from the Pandavas be
returned to them. It cannot be any fault of mine that the invincible Pandavas
lost again at dice and had to go into exile in the forest. What fault do they
lay at my door and make me their enemy?
Krishna, why do the weakened Pandavas so confidently choose to have
war with us, as if they were as strong as they were once? What have we
done to them? For what injury do the sons of Pandu, as well as the
Srinjayas, seek to slaughter the sons of Dhritarashtra? Neither their fierce
deeds nor their intimidating words will deprive us of our good sense and
make us bow in fear, to them or even to Indra.
I do not see any Kshatriya who can conquer us in battle. Let alone the
Pandavas, the Devas themselves cannot vanquish Bhishma, Kripa, Drona
and Karna. If, Madhava, we die while keeping our Kshatriya dharma in
battle, we will still go to Swarga.
Our highest duty as Kshatriyas is that we lay ourselves down on the
field of battle on a bed not of down but arrows. If we do this without
bowing to our enemies, that sharp bed will not injure us. Is there a
Kshatriya who lives by his dharma, who would bow to an enemy out of fear
and the wish to save his own life? Warriors who seek their own good
honour what Rishi Matanga said: a Kshatriya should always keep himself
erect and never bow down, for effort is manliness; he should rather break
than bend.
A Kshatriya like me should only bow to Brahmanas, out of piety, and
not to anyone else; and with all others, I must conduct myself as Matanga
said. This is Kshatriya dharma, and I have always been true to it.
The portion of the kingdom that my father gave the Pandavas can never
be theirs again, not as long as I live. As long as Dhritarashtra lives, both we
and they must put away our weapons and live under his command as his
dependents. The kingdom was given away from ignorance and fear when I
was a callow youth and a dependent. It will never be given away again, and
the Pandavas will never have it.
As long as I live, I shall not give the Pandavas even as much of our land
as may be covered by the point of a needle!’”
CANTO 128
V aisampayana said, “Krishna is thoughtful for a moment and then, his

eyes reddening ominously, he addresses Duryodhana in the presence
of all who have come to the Kuru sabha.
Krishna says, ‘You wish for the bed of heroes, and you shall have it, and
your counsellors as well. For a great slaughter will soon happen. Does your
small intelligence truly make you believe you have not committed any sin
against the Pandavas? Let the kings who are assembled here be your judges.
Piqued by the prosperity that the noble sons of Pandu enjoyed, you and
Subala’s son conspired to arrange the game of dice. Why would those
virtuous, honest and noble cousins of yours otherwise play such a vile game
with the deceitful Sakuni? Gambling robs even the best of their intellect; as
for the evil, it fetches disputes and other problems. It was you who, with
your evil confederates, planned that disaster in the form of a game of dice,
without consulting any men of dharma.
Who else could shame his brother’s wife in the way that you shamed
Draupadi by dragging her into the sabha and speaking as coarsely to her as
you did? She is of noble birth and of pure conduct, and dearer to Pandu’s
sons than their lives; yet you treated Panchali despicably.
All the Kauravas know what Dusasana said that day in the sabha to
Kunti’s sons when they were about to set out for the forest. Who could
behave so disgracefully towards honourable kinsmen, who are always
virtuous, untouched by greed and cleave to dharma? Karna, Dusasana, and
you, too, used words that only the most cruel and contemptible men use.
You took great pains, albeit without success, to immolate the Pandavas
and their mother at Varanavata, when the princes were just youths. They
escaped and were forced to hide in the home of a Brahmana in the town of
Ekachakra. You tried again to kill them with poison, with snakes and by
strangling; indeed you used every means to have the Pandavas killed, but
none of your plans succeeded. When you have always behaved so
malignantly towards the noble sons of Pandu, how can you say you have
not offended them?
O sinful one, you are not willing to give them their rightful share of the
kingdom, although they beg you for it. But you will be forced to give it to
them when you are vanquished in battle and forcibly stripped of your
prosperity. Having wronged the Pandavas so cruelly and so grievously, you
now want to present yourself in a different light.
Repeatedly, your parents, Bhishma, Drona and Vidura tried to persuade
you to make peace, but you did not. Peace would be advantageous to both
you and Yudhishtira, but you fail to see the good in it. What else can be said
of you than that you are ignorant? Going against the advice of your well-
wishers, your true friends, can never bring you felicity. What you are about
to do is fraught with disgrace, sin and danger, and will fetch a doom you
cannot begin to imagine.’
Now Dusasana speaks to Duryodhana. In the Kuru sabha he says, ‘My
brother, if you do not willingly make peace with the Pandavas, the
Kauravas will bind and surrender you to Kunti’s son; Bhishma, Drona and
your own father will hand Karna, you and me to the Pandavas.’
His heavy breath hissing like a great snake’s, Duryodhana rises in rage.
He ignores Vidura, Dhritarashtra, Bahlika, Kripa, Somadatta, Bhishma,
Drona and Krishna, indeed, all those present, and stalks out of the sabha,
followed by his brother, his counsellors and all the other kings loyal to him.
Bhishma says, ‘The enemies of the man who abandons dharma and
artha to follow his greed and anger rejoice when he falls into distress. This
evil son of Dhritarashtra, this foolish Duryodhana who knows nothing of
dharma, who is undeservingly vain of his sovereignty, obeys only the
dictates of wrath and avarice. Alas Krishna, I see that the end of all these
Kshatriyas has come, all these deluded kings who follow Duryodhana.’
Lotus-eyed Krishna says to those that remain, chief among them
Bhishma and Drona, ‘This is the great sin that all the Kuru elders are guilty
of: that they do not stop this evil king from enjoying sovereignty. The time
has come to stop him, for that may still do some good. Listen to me, sinless
ones. What I say will benefit you.
During the lifetime of the old Bhoja king, his son, who was evil and a
slave to his passions, usurped his father’s throne and was eventually killed.
It was I who killed Ugrasena’s son Kansa, whom his friends and relatives
abandoned, in a great battle for the weal of the world. My kinsmen and I
then paid homage to Ugrasena, son of Ahuka, and re-installed him on the
Bhoja throne. All the Yadavas, Andhakas and Vrishnis found prosperity and
peace by abandoning a single evil one: Kansa.
Rajan, when the Devas and Asuras were arrayed for battle with their
weapons raised and ready to strike, Paramesthin, the lord of all creatures,
said something which is pertinent to the situation in which we now find
ourselves.
When the peoples of the worlds were divided into two sides and were
about to be slaughtered, the divine Creator and Protector of the universe
said, “The Asuras, Daityas and Danavas will be vanquished, and the
Adityas, Vasus, Rudras and other Swargavasis will be victorious. The
Devas, Asuras, Manavas, Gandharvas, Nagas and Rakshasas will massacre
one another in this war.”
With this in mind, Paramesthin commanded Dharma, saying, “Tie up
the Daityas and Danavas securely and hand them over to Varuna,” which
Dharma accordingly did. Varuna bound them again, fastening his knots over
Dharma’s and even now keeps them in the depths of his watery kingdom,
guarding them carefully.
Even so, secure Duryodhana, Karna, Sakuni and Dusasana and give
them up to the Pandavas. For the sake of a family, an individual may be
sacrificed; for a village a family may be sacrificed; for a province a village
may be sacrificed; and for the sake of one’s soul, the very Earth may be
sacrificed.
Rajan, restrain Duryodhana and make peace with the Pandavas. Do not
be the instrument by which the entire race of Kshatriyas is annihilated.’”
CANTO 129
V aisampayana said, “Dhritarashtra turns to Vidura, who knows all

aspects of dharma.
He says, ‘Go to the wise, far-seeing Gandhari and bring her here.
Together with her, I will plead with my black-hearted son. If she can pacify
him, we may yet be able to do as Krishna says. By speaking for peace, she
might bring my greedy, foolish son, influenced by his evil friends, back to
the path of dharma. If she can avert the calamity that Duryodhana is about
to cause, we might be able to preserve peace and enjoy happiness for ever.’
Vidura brings Gandhari into the sabha, and Dhritarashtra says to her,
‘My queen, with utter disregard for my commands, and greedy for power,
your son is about to sacrifice the kingdom and his very life. Like some
rough peasant, showing contempt for his superiors and the advice of his
well-wishers, he walked out of our court with his sinful friends.’
Gandhari says, ‘Have that sinful son of mine fetched here. The man
who has a coarse soul and sacrifices dharma and artha does not deserve to
rule a kingdom. Arrogant, envious and greedy, obtained a kingdom by the
vilest means. Indeed, Dhritarashtra, you who are so fond of your son, are to
blame for this, for, knowing his evil heart, you did as he wanted. Lust and
wrath have seized this son of yours and he is a slave to delusion. You
cannot force him to change his ways, Rajan; it is too late for that. Now you
reap the fruit of having given charge of the Kuru kingdom to an ignorant,
selfish and evil prince, and one with unscrupulous advisors.
Are you not affected by the imminence of the war that will be fought
between such close relatives? Your enemies will rejoice at your discord
with the Pandavas, who are as your own sons. What sane man would use
force to overcome a calamity that can be resolved by conciliation and
generosity?’
At Dhritarashtra and Gandhari’s command, Vidura brings Duryodhana
into the sabha. His tread is heavy, his angry breath hisses snake-like and his
eyes glitter coppery as he comes back into the sabha to hear what his
mother has to say. Gandhari rebukes him and speaks to him in an attempt to
make him see reason and to secure peace.’
Gandhari says, ‘Duryodhana, my son, listen to what I say; it is for your
good and that of your followers as well. What I say is easy for you to do,
and it will bring you prosperity and happiness. Duryodhana, do as your
well-wishers tell you, those Bharatottamas: your father, Bhishma, Drona,
Kripa and Vidura. If you make peace, you will pay homage to Bhishma, to
your father, to me and to all the others who love you with Drona at their
head.
Nobody succeeds in acquiring, retaining or enjoying a kingdom by his
own effort alone. The man who does not have his passions under control
can never enjoy a throne for any length of time. Only the restrained man,
one endowed with great intelligence, can rule a kingdom. Unbridled lust
and wrath make a man lose his possessions and enjoyments. It is after first
conquering these enemies within himself that a king brings the Earth under
his subjection.
Sovereignty over men is a great thing. Evil men may want to win a
kingdom, but they cannot rule it when they do acquire it. He who desires to
acquire an empire must firmly tether his senses to dharma and artha, for, if
the senses are restrained, intelligence increases, like a fuel-fed fire. If
uncontrolled, his senses can even kill him, like unbroken, wild horses can
kill an unskilled rider.
The man who tries to win over his counsellors without first conquering
himself, and who tries to conquer his enemies without subduing his
counsellors, is soon vanquished and ruined. He who masters himself first,
taking himself for his worst enemy, will later succeed in conquering his
confederates and outside enemies. Prosperity worships the man who
commands his senses and his advisors, who metes out punishment to
transgressors, who acts after deliberation and who is calm and wise.
Lust and wrath, which live within a man, are like two small fish caught
in the net of wisdom and restrained. These two, when they manage to
escape and grow, make the gods shut the doors of heaven against a man
who has shed his worldly desires and who is, otherwise, qualified to enter.
The king who understands how to conquer lust, wrath, greed, boastfulness
and pride can indeed rule the whole world.
The king who wants to acquire artha and dharma, and who wants to
vanquish his enemies, should always restrain his passions. The man who,
influenced by lust or anger, behaves deceitfully towards his kinsmen or
others can never win true allies. By uniting with the heroic sons of Pandu,
who are all blessed with great wisdom, you can happily enjoy the Earth, my
son. What Santanu’s son Bhishma and Maharatha Drona tell you is true—
Krishna and Arjuna are invincible. So, seek the protection of this
Mahabaho, to whom any exertion is as nothing, for if Krishna decides to be
gracious, both sides will be happy.
The man who does not obey wise and learned friends, who want his
prosperity, will gladden only his enemies. My son, there is no good in
battle, no dharma, no artha. How then can it bring felicity? Besides, child,
victory is far from certain. Do not set your heart on war. Bhishma, your
father and Bahlika gave the Pandavas their share of the kingdom from fear.
Parantapa, never even think of going to war against Pandu’s sons. The
peaceful state of your sovereignty over the Earth is the result of their rule,
during which they removed all obstacles to harmony.
Give the Pandavas what is only their due. If you wish to enjoy, with
your friends and advisors, your half of the empire, give them their share.
Half the Earth is enough to support you and yours. By doing as your well-
wishers say, you will win great fame, Bhaarata. A war with the sons of
Pandu will result only in the loss of everything you now have, for they are
all blessed with prosperity; they have their souls under control; they are
vastly intelligent and they have conquered their passions. Dispel the anger
of your elders and rule your kingdom in a manner that becomes you: by
giving the Pandavas back their rightful share.
My son, for thirteen years you have made the Pandavas suffer; it is
enough. Douse the fire that your lust and anger have fed. Neither you who
covet their wealth, nor the always angry Sutaputra nor your brother
Dusasana is a match for them. The fury of Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, Karna,
Bhimasena, Dhananjaya and Dhrishtadyumna can obliterate the Earth’s
very population. Do not let your anger become the cause of the end of the
Kurus. Do not let the world be destroyed for your stubbornness.
Your limited intellect deludes you into thinking that Bhishma, Drona,
Kripa and all the rest will fight whole-heartedly for you. That will never
happen, for these men, who have Atmagyana, are just as fond of the
Pandavas as they are of you. Even if they are willing to give up their lives
in gratitude for the care that Dhritarashtra has given them, they could never
be angry with Yudhishtira.
Men never acquire true wealth through greed. Give up your avarice and
desist, my son, O Bharatarishabha.’”
CANTO 130
V aisampayana said, “Duryodhana ignores his mother’s words and,

again, angrily walks away to be with his evil friends. Now the
prince conspires with Sakuni, the crafty player of dice, and, together, he,
Karna, Sakuni and Dusasana alight on a foul plan.
They decide, ‘Krishna is always quick to act and, with Dhritarashtra and
Santanu’s help, he will want to seize us. So we must take him captive first,
even as Indra did Bala. When the Pandavas hear of his being our prisoner
they will lose heart and become hapless, like snakes without fangs.
Mahabaho Krishna is their protector and their refuge. If we imprison this
granter of wishes, this bull of all the Sattvatas, the Pandavas and the
Somakas will despair and become impotent to fight.
We will ignore Dhritarashtra and take Krishna captive, even here in
Hastinapura, and then go to war against the enemy.’
The intuitive Satyaki, who can read men’s intentions by what he sees
around him, soon realises what Duryodhana is plotting. He comes out of the
sabha with Kritavarman.
Satyaki says to Kritavarman, ‘Array our troops now! Wait with your
armed men at the entrance to the sabha, while I speak to Krishna.’
He walks back into the sabha, like a lion into a mountain cave, and
informs first Krishna, then Dhritarashtra and Vidura of the conspiracy.
Then he laughs, ‘What these evil men have plotted violates dharma,
artha and kama. Besides, they will never be able to achieve what they plan.
Overwhelmed by their passions and yielding to their wrath and greed, these
sinners want to commit the most heinous sin. These despicable men, who
want to seize lotus-eyed Krishna, are like children who want to hold a
blazing fire in their hands.’
Vidura says to Dhritarashtra in the Kuru sabha, ‘O Rajan, the hour of all
your sons’ deaths is at hand for what they are plotting, however incapable
they might be to actually accomplish this unspeakable plan. Alas, they are
united in their wish to vanquish Indra’s younger brother and make him their
prisoner. When they encounter this Purushavyaghra they will all perish like
insects in a fire. Even if they fight as one, if Krishna wants he can send all
of them to Yama, like an angry lion dispatching a herd of deer.
However, he will not do anything so sinful. This best of men, of
everlasting glory, will never leave the path of dharma.’
Krishna looks at Dhritarashtra, who sits in the midst of so many good
men, all heedful of sage counsel, and he says to the Kuru king, ‘Rajan, if
these men of anger want to use violence against me, allow them to. As for
me, easy though it may be for me to kill all of them, I will not commit any
sin. Because of their greed for what belongs to the Pandavas, your sons will
lose even what is rightfully theirs. And if they try to take me their prisoner,
Yudhishtira will accomplish his purpose without fighting a war, for I will
seize them and all their followers and make them over to the Pandavas. I
tell you, it will not be difficult for me.
However, Bhaarata, I will not be driven by anger or evil, nor commit
this offence in your presence. Let Duryodhana do as he likes; I give him
and all your sons my leave to do as they plan.’
Dhritarashtra says to Vidura, ‘Bring sinful Duryodhana, with his
friends, counsellors, brothers and followers into my presence. I will make
one last attempt to set him on the right path.’
Again, Vidura fetches the reluctant Duryodhana into the sabha with his
brothers and the kings who follow him. Dhritarashtra says to Duryodhana,
who stands haughty and defiant, surrounded by Karna, Dusasana and all
those other kings, ‘O, you wretch of accumulated sins, how do you even
dream of doing what you and these sinful allies of yours have plotted? O,
you disgrace to your race, only you could think of committing this
impossible crime. You want to make the invincible and inexorable lotus-
leaf-eyed Krishna you prisoner! Like a child wanting the Moon, you want
to do what even all the Devas led by Indra cannot achieve.
Do you not understand that no one can withstand Krishna in battle, not
the Devas, Gandharvas, Asuras, Uragas or Manavas? As impossible as
seizing the wind, as reaching for the Moon with one’s hand or as supporting
the Earth on one’s head is taking Krishna by force.’
Vidura looks at Duryodhana and says to Dhritarashtra’s malignant son,
‘Duryodhana, listen to what I have to say. At the gates of Saubha, the great
Vanara Dwividha, who fought beside Rama at the gates of Lanka in the
Treta yuga, covered Krishna with a thunderous shower of rocks, wanting to
capture him. He did not succeed. And you want to apprehend Krishna by
force?
When Sauri went to Pragjyotisha, Narakasura with all the Danavas
could not overcome him. And you want to seize him by force? He slew
Naraka, rescued a thousand women from his city and married them all, by
law.
In the city of Nirmochana, six thousand awesome Asuras could not
capture him with their sorcerous nooses. And you think you can take him
by force? When he was a child he slew Putana and two other Asuras who
took the shape of birds. He held up Govardhana on his little finger to
protect the herd from Indra’s deluge. He slew Arishta, Dhenuka, the
powerful Chanura, Aswaraja and the evil Kansa. He vanquished Jarasandha
eighteen times in battle, and killed Vakra and Sisupala, Bana and countless
other kings.
His strength is limitless, immeasurable. He vanquished Varuna and
Agni, and when he brought the Parijata tree down from Devaloka, he routed
Lord Indra himself, along with all the gods. While floating on the Ekarnava,
the single infinite ocean, he slew Madhu and Kaitabha; and in another birth
he killed Hayagriva. He is the Creator of everything but is himself
uncreated. He is the origin of all power. Whatever he wishes, he
accomplishes without effort.
Don’t you know that sinless Krishna is permanent and undecaying?
Like an angry cosmic snake, he is the never ending source of energy. By
trying to use violence against Krishna, you and all your followers will
perish, like insects that fall into a great fire.’”
CANTO 131
V aisampayana said, “When Vidura has spoken passionately, Krishna

says mildly to Duryodhana, ‘You are under the delusion that I am
alone, which is why you think of overpowering me and taking me captive.
But look, foolish prince, here are all the Pandavas and all the Vrishnis and
Andhakas. Here are all the Adityas, the Rudras and the Vasus, with all the
great Rishis.’ And throwing back his beautiful head, he laughs ringingly.
As the divine one laughs, from his body emerge myriad gods, each
flashing like brilliant lightning and no bigger than a man’s thumb. On his
brow Brahma appears, on his breast Rudra, on his arms the Lokapalas, and
from his mouth issue Agni, the Adityas, the Sadhyas, the Vasus, the
Aswins, the Marutas, Indra, the Viswadevas and hosts of Yakshas,
Gandharvas and Rakshasas, all in miniature forms.
From his two arms Balarama and Arjuna appear. Arjuna stands on his
right with his bow in hand, and Baladeva on his left armed with the plough.
Behind him are Bhima, Yudhishtira and the two sons of Madri, and before
him are all the Andhakas and the Vrishnis with Pradyumna and other
chieftains, with mighty weapons raised. In his countless other arms, now in
view, flash the conch, the discus, the mace, the bow called Saranga, the
plough, the javelin, the Nandaka and every other weapon, all shining with
lustre and ready to strike. From his eyes, nose, ears and every part of his
body burst forth dazzling sparks of fire and smoke; and from his pores
flames spring, like the rays of the Sun.
Beholding the magnificence of this form of Krishna, all the kings shut
their eyes in fearful awe, except Drona, Bhishma, the wise Vidura, the
blessed Sanjaya and the saintly Rishis imbued with their profound tapasya,
for the Lord has revealed this divine form to them before. While this
wondrous vision is manifested in the Kuru sabha celestial drums beat in the
sky, flowers rain down upon Krishna, the Earth trembles and the oceans
churn turbulently. And, O Bharatarishabha, all living things on Earth are
filled with uncanny wonder.
Krishna withdraws his divine and auspicious form and, taking the
Rishis’ leave, and his arms linked with Satyaki’s and Kritavarman’s, he
leaves the Kuru sabha. An uproar breaks out, during which the Rishis,
Narada and others, vanish from sight to return to their sacred abodes. And
this, too, is marvellous to see.
Seeing Krishna leave the sabha, the Kauravas and all the kings follow
him, like the Devas behind Indra. However, without a thought for any who
walk behind him, Krishna of the fathomless soul emerges into the open, like
a fire. At the gate his sarathy Daruka waits for him with his white chariot of
the tinkling moonbells and golden embellishments, of untold speed, whose
wheels rumble like thunderheads, its seats covered with white tiger-skins,
and to which Saibya and his other horses are harnessed. Mounted and ready
to ride with Krishna is that favourite of the Vrishnis, Hridika’s son,
Maharatha Kritavarman.
Krishna is about to leave when Dhritarashtra calls after him:
‘O Parantapa, Janardana, you have seen how powerless I am to control
my sons. You know everything now. Having seen how fervently I try to
bring peace between the Kurus and the Pandavas, and knowing that I am
blind and helpless, it is not fitting for you to doubt me. Kesava, I have no
ill-will towards the Pandavas. You heard what I said to Duryodhana. The
Kauravas and all the kings of the Earth also know that I have done
everything in my power to make peace.’
Krishna now says to Dhritarashtra, Drona, Pitamaha Bhishma, Vidura,
Bahlika and Kripa, ‘You have all witnessed what transpired in the hallowed
Kuru sabha. You have seen how Duryodhana, like some lout, walked out of
the court in anger, and how Dhritarashtra describes himself as being
powerless. Now with leave from you all, I will return to Yudhishtira.’ And,
saluting them, Krishna climbs into his chariot and departs.
Those Bharatarishabhas, those maharathas Bhishma, Drona, Kripa,
Vidura, Aswatthama, Vikarna and Yuyutsu follow him. And as the Kurus
look on, Kesava turns his great white ratha of the tinkling bells toward the
home of his aunt Kunti.”
CANTO 132
“V aisampayana said, ‘After entering Kunti’s house and

worshipping her feet, Krishna tells her briefly about all that
happened in the Kuru sabha.
He says, ‘The Rishis and I spoke in many ways and reasonably to
persuade Duryodhana, but he would not heed anything we said. The time of
his and his followers’ end has come. Let me go now to the Pandavas. What
message would you send them? Wise Matuli, speak to me, I want to hear
what you have to say.’
Kunti says, ‘Krishna, say to virtuous Yudhishtira: “My son, your
dharma has diminished. Your mind is afflicted and you are like a man who
vainly reads the Vedas without understanding their inner meaning, and who,
thus, remains ignorant. You choose to take the Vedas literally while only
your own intellect can see the truth. Think about your svadharma, for which
Brahma created you. The Kshatriya was created from his arms, and by the
strength of his arms he must live and perform the harsh deeds he may need
to in order to protect his people. There is a story told in this connection,
which I heard long ago.
In the days of yore, a gratified Vaisravana gifted the Earth to the
Rajarishi Muchukunda. The sage refused the gift and said he wanted only to
enjoy what he had won by his own prowess. The delighted Vaisravana
marvelled at his response. In keeping with Kshatriya dharma, Muchukunda
conquered the Earth by the strength of his arms and ruled over it.
Remember, Bhaarata, that a fourth of the punya gained by the subjects
of a king who protects them accrues to the king himself, if a king keeps
dharma that confers divine status on him, but if he sins, he finds Naraka,
hell, for himself. Dandaneeti, the law of punishment, enforced by the king,
ensures that the four varnas live by their inherent svadharma; and this leads
to the king acquiring dharma, artha and moksha.
When the king fully upholds the Dandaneeti, the law, without
discarding any part of it, the golden immaculate age, the Krita Yuga, sets in.
Have no doubts about whether the king makes the yuga, or the yuga makes
the king, do as he does. We know for certain that it is the king who ushers
in the yuga. Indeed, it is the king who is responsible for ushering in all the
yugas—Krita, Treta or Dwapara, and even the Kali yuga.
That king who ushers in a Krita yuga enjoys Swarga to the fullest. The
king who causes a Treta yuga to set in does enjoy heaven but not fully. For
fetching a Dwapara yuga, a king enjoys Swarga in proportion to his deeds.
However, the evil king who causes a Kali yuga earns untold sin and lives in
Naraka for countless years. This king’s sins affect the world, and the
world’s sins affect him.
Observe your kingly duties as befits your lineage. The path you want to
take is not the way of a Rajarishi. The man who, from faintness of heart,
allows his compassion to shake him from his dharma does not find the
punya that accrues from cherishing his subjects with love. When we blessed
you, neither Pandu, nor your grandfather Vyasa or I ever wished on you the
impulses which now prompt you. What we prayed for was sacrifice, charity,
merit, courage, subjects and children, greatness of soul, and might and
energy.
Brahmanas who wished you well worshipped and gratified the Devas
and the Pitrs for life, wealth and children for you, whilst adding Swaha and
Swadha to their mantras. As do the Devas, parents expect from their
children generosity, tolerance, performance of yagnas, study and protection
of their subjects. Whether this is virtue or not, you must perform these
duties because of your birth. Though nobly born, my sons are destitute and
persecuted. Hungry men can approach a brave and benevolent king and he
will give them food and refuge. What can be more virtuous than for a man,
who has acquired a kingdom, to make all the people of the world his own
with his generosity, or establish his authority over them by the truth of his
words?
A Brahmana’s dharma is to be a priest or a mendicant, a Kshatriya’s is
to protect his subjects, a Vaisya’s dharma is to earn wealth and a Sudra’s is
to serve the other three varnas. The life of a beggar is forbidden for you,
and so is farming. You are a Kshatriya and, therefore, the protector of all
who are in distress. You have to live by the prowess of your arms.
Mahabaho, recover your rightful share of the kingdom, which you have
lost, by conciliation, by argument, by giving gifts, by diplomacy or
violently.
What can be sadder for me, who brought you into this world, than to be
dependent on others for my sustenance? Fight, in keeping with your duty,
the dharma of kings. Do not allow your Pitrs to sink into the disgrace of
infamy. Do not exhaust your punya and, with your younger brothers, meet a
sinful end.”’”
CANTO 133
“K unti says, ‘Krishna, there is an ancient story told of the

conversation between Vidula and her son. You must tell
Yudhishtira this story, or any other that you think better. Listen to the tale.
There was a noblewoman, a queen called Vidula, who was blessed with
great wisdom and foresight. She was famous, prone to anger and devoted to
Kshatriya dharma. She was well-educated, and all the kings of the Earth
knew of her. Vidula would listen to discourses of all kinds given by eminent
sages.
One day, she rebuked her son, who lay prostrate with grief and despair
after having been defeated in battle by the king of the Sindhus. She said,
“You are not my son, making your enemies joyful as you do. You are not
born from your father and me; from where have you come? You have no
anger and cannot be called a man; and your unmanly body is a eunuch’s and
bears no sign of strength. Do you mean to spend your life in dejection and
despair? For your own sake, be as a Kshatriya should and do your duty by
your subjects.
Do not disgrace your soul; do not be satisfied with a little. Set your
sights on great things and shed your fear. Rise, coward; you collapse like a
woman after one defeat; do not be the source of delight to your enemies and
grief to your friends; do not abandon honour and good sense.
Little streams are filled with only a little water. The palms of a mouse
hold a very small quantity. It takes very little, small acquisitions, to satisfy a
coward. It is better to die pulling out the fangs of a serpent than to die like a
dog. Exercise your strength and risk your life. Like an intrepid hawk that
ranges the skies, fearlessly wander the Earth, display your strength, silently
watch your enemies and wait for an opportune moment.
You lie here like a man struck by lightning, a corpse. Rise, coward;
shake off the memory of your defeat. Do not cower in hiding, so miserably.
Let your deeds bring you renown. Eschew mediocrity; do not stand behind
anyone, but proudly stand at the head of all. Blaze forth like a roaring fire.
Even if for a moment, shine like a tinduka twig, rather than smoulder from
unfulfilled desire like chaff. It is better to blaze for a single moment than to
smoke impotently for ever.
It does not befit a Kshatriya to be either too fierce or inordinately mild.
By achieving every possible feat on the battlefield, a brave man discharges
his Kshatriya dharma and never disgraces himself. Whether he gains his
objective or not, the man of good sense never wallows in grief. A true
Kshatriya forges ahead to accomplish his next objective, without caring for
even his life.
So, my son, show your strength or give up your life. What use is living
like this, without honour, in shame, in disregard of Kshatriya dharma, and
having lost the punya of all the yagnas you performed and nullified your
past achievements? The basis of all your joy has been destroyed. Why, then,
do want to live? If a man must fall, he should seize his enemy and fall with
him. Even if his roots are severed, a man must not give in to despair. Think
of the horse, which uses all its strength to pull carriages and chariots, or
carry heavy burdens, and use your own strength and honour.
Understand what real manliness is, and work to redeem and elevate the
honour of your race that has been lost because of you. The man who has
failed to accomplish anything great or noteworthy only increases the human
population by one. He is neither man nor woman. He whose fame is not
based on charity, asceticism, truth, learning and the acquisition of wealth is
only waste born of his mother’s body; while, he who surpasses others in
learning, asceticism, wealth, prowess and deeds is truly a man.
For you to adopt the idle and wretched life of begging alms is in no way
noble but only cowardly. A man can never have joy from a weak friend,
whom enemies are delighted to see, who is despised by others, who has
neither possessions nor fine clothes, who is pleased with the smallest
acquisitions, who is destitute, who has no courage and who is base.
Driven out of our home, exiled from our kingdom, deprived of all
sources of enjoyment and wealth, we will soon die. I have given birth to
Kali himself in the form of my son, who is a sinner among the virtuous, and
who destroys our dynasty and family. O, let no woman ever have the
misfortune of bearing a son like you, apathetic, weak, self-pitying and the
joy of his foes. Do not smoulder sadly, but flare up like a great flame and
show your prowess. Slay your enemies. Even if for a brief moment, blaze
over your enemies’ heads.
A real man nurtures his wrath and gives no quarter, whilst a man who
forgives easily and has no anger is neither a man nor a woman but a eunuch.
Contentment, softness of heart, fearfulness and the lack of effort destroy
prosperity. The man who makes no effort does not win greatness. My son,
exert yourself to undo the shackles of these failings that will lead to ruin.
Steel your heart and go after your lost wealth.
A man is called a purusha because he can overcome his enemy. The
man who acts like a woman does not deserve to be called a purusha. A
brave and mighty king, who goes majestically through life like a lion, is
subject to fate, like all other creatures, but his subjects are never unhappy.
The king who disregards his own happiness and pleasure and seeks the
prosperity of his kingdom is the source of great joy to his ministers and
friends.”
Hearing these words, the son said, “If you do not see me, of what use
would the whole Earth be to you, of what use your ornaments, all objects of
pleasure, and life itself?”
The mother said, “Let your enemies conquer regions that are the domain
of the poor and low-born; let your well-wishers enjoy realms that are
reserved for noble souls. Do not live the wretched life of a beggar, destitute
and without servants, a weak and powerless life, lived on food given in
charity. Our Brahmanas and your friends should depend on you for their
sustenance, just as all the living depend on clouds for rain, as the Devas
depend on Indra.
The life of a man, on whom all other beings depend for their well-being,
is not in vain, but like the tree full of ripe fruit that birds flock to. Indeed the
life of that brave man, by whose strength his friends attain happiness, like
the Devas derive happiness through Sakra’s prowess, is blessed. The man
who lives on the strength of his arms wins fame in this life and bliss in the
hereafter.”’
CANTO 134
“K unti says, ‘Vidula said, “If, defeated, you choose to give up

manliness, you will soon find yourself on the path that the lowly
walk. A Kshatriya who does not exercise his might to the best of his ability,
from fear of death, is like a thief.
Ah sadly, my grave words, which are for your good, and fitting and
reasonable as well, fall uselessly on your ears, like medicine given to a
dying man. What I say makes no impression on you.
It is true that the king of the Sindhus has many followers. Discount
them, for they are weak and ignorant; but though discontented under his
command, they can do nothing for themselves but wait for their master to
be overtaken by some disaster to be free of him. As for his enemies, they
will join their forces with yours when they see your strength. Unite with
them and bide your time in the mountains, until fate strikes at your enemy,
as it must, for he is old and not immune to disease or death.
Your name, Sanjaya, means victorious. I hardly see you living up to it.
Be true to your name; do not prove it falsely given. A great Brahmana saw
you when you were a child and predicted that you would fall into distress
but rise to greatness again. Remembering his words, I feel some hope, and
that is why I repeat myself over and over, my son.
The man who pursues his objectives prudently, and with determination,
and who has others working with him towards the same end, will surely be
successful. Whether I stand to gain, or lose what I have, Sanjaya, I will not
stop fighting.
Sambara said that there is nothing more miserable than not to know
where one’s next meal will come from. It is worse than losing a husband or
a son. Poverty is only another form of death.
I was born into a noble family and have been taken from one great lake
to another. I am much blessed; my husband respects and cherishes me and I
wield authority over so many. My friends have seen me living amongst
well-wishers, my body bathed and adorned in rich clothes, garlands and
ornaments. When you see me and your wife emaciated by hunger, you will
not want to live, Sanjaya. Of what use will life be to you when you see our
servants, our Acharyas and our Brahmanas leave us from want of
sustenance?
What peace can my heart have if I do not see you following your
dharma again, to reach for mighty achievements in the way you once used
to? My heart will burst if I have to turn away a Brahmana, for my husband
and I have never done so in the past. We were the protectors of others and
never had to ask for protection ourselves. I will die if I have to be
dependent on someone else.
My son, be our means of crossing this stormy ocean; be our raft. Make
lavish room for us where now there is none. Bring us back to life. If you
have a lust for life, you will be able to face any enemy. But if you insist on
behaving like a eunuch and wallowing in self-pity, it would be better to end
your life.
A brave man wins fame by killing even a single enemy. By killing
Vritra, Indra achieved greatness; he acquired sovereignty over the Devas,
the cup for drinking Soma and the lordship of all the worlds. When a
Kshatriya declares himself in battle and challenges his mail-clad foes, when
he slays the best of the enemy warriors, when he wins renown in fair fight,
his enemies feel pain and bow to him. Men who are not brave contribute
their own wealth to his cause and fight his fight, uncaring of their lives.
Whether kingdoms are overtaken by ruin, or whether life itself is
endangered, noble men do not give up until they destroy the enemy who is
within reach.
Sovereignty is either Amrita or the gate of Swarga. Think of it as such
and, bearing in mind that it is now shut against you, fall like a burning torch
amongst your enemies. Rajan, slay your foes in battle; do your duty as a
Kshatriya; let me not see you downcast. Enhancer of your enemies’ fears,
let me not see you dejected and miserable, surrounded by us who also
grieve, while your enemy exults.
Rejoice in your wealth, and with the Sauvira daughters; do not be weak
and ruled by the daughters of the Sindhus. If a handsome, educated, noble
young man of renown, like you, yields in this unbecoming manner, like an
angry bull with its yoked burden, life is like death itself.
How can my heart know peace if I see you eulogise other men or walk
submissively behind them? Never has there been anyone in our race who
walked behind another. My son, it is not fitting for you to live as a
dependent.
I know what the essence of Kshatriya dharma is, as declared by our
elders and sages of antiquity. Eternal and constant, Brahma himself
ordained it. He who has been born into this world as a Kshatriya of a noble
family, and who has studied Kshatriya dharma, will never be anxious about
his sustenance, or bow to anybody on this Earth. You must stand erect with
courage and honour and put forth your effort to vanquish your enemy, for
effort is manliness. One should rather break in the joints than bend his will
to another’s. A noble Kshatriya should always walk like an infuriated
elephant. He should, my Sanjaya, bow only to Brahmanas, for the sake of
dharma. He should rule over all other varnas, destroying every evil-doer.
Whether or not he has allies, this is how he should live, all his life.”’”
CANTO 135
“K unti says, ‘Hearing his mother’s words, the son said, “O cruel
and wrathful mother, you value heroism on the battlefield so
highly, it seems as if your heart is made of stone. Fie on Kshatriya dharma,
with which you urge me to battle, as if I were a stranger to you and not your
only son, as if you were not my mother. If you do not recognise me, if you
disown me, of what use will all the Earth be to you, of what use your jewels
and riches, indeed, of what use your life itself?”
The mother said, “My son, wise men always base their actions on
dharma and artha. I urge you to focus on these virtues and go to battle. This
is time to show your prowess. If you do not fight, you will earn general
contempt and my disapproval. If I say nothing when you are about to be
tainted with dishonour and ridicule, my love for you would be as worthless
a donkey’s for her young.
Do not take the path that the wise disapprove of, which fools would
take, for it is a base and ignorant way, in which innumerable common
creatures of the world take refuge, with neither honour nor glory. However,
if you choose the way of the Kshatriya, the way of war, you will endear
yourself to me. If you tread the high path of dharma and seek artha, while
using only ways of the godly and the honest, and relying on your own
effort, you will be dear to me indeed. Real joy comes from sons and
grandsons who are well taught and brave; while one who is happy with a
son who is apathetic, immodest and without dharma might as well not have
a son.
The base man, who never performs his duty but cleaves to cowardice
and sin, does not find happiness here or in the hereafter. A Kshatriya is born
to do battle and win victory. Whether he wins or dies, he will attain Swarga.
The joy that a Kshatriya experiences by conquering his enemies has no
equal even in the realms of Indra. If a great Kshatriya meets with defeat
many times, he would still wait, burning with anger, for a chance to avenge
himself and vanquish his enemy. How can he have peace of mind other than
by killing his enemy or dying himself in the attempt?
The wise man considers pettiness distasteful. Insignificant things will
eventually become the source of great pain to the man who finds them
attractive. The man who does not have what is worthy soon becomes
unhappy. He becomes needy and is overwhelmed, like the Ganga when she
enters the ocean.”
The son said, “Mother, you should not be saying such things to your
son. Be loving and stand by him silently.”
The mother said, “I am pleased to hear this. You have the right to
remind me of my duty. And so, I will urge you even more to do yours. I will
honour you only when I will see you crowned with success after
slaughtering all the Saindhavas.”
The son said, “With no wealth or allies, how can I have success or
victory? Knowing this, I have relinquished the desire for kingdom, as a
sinner does his wish for heaven. If, in your wisdom, you can see how I can
succeed, tell me of it, and I will do as you command.”
The mother said, “My son, do not disgrace yourself by anticipating
failure. In the past, you have had victories as well as losses. You should
never try to attain your goals using anger and foolhardiness. Success is
never certain, yet men still act. Sometimes they succeed and sometimes do
not. However, those who do nothing will never succeed. How can anyone
dream of success without effort?
Effort can have one of two results—success or failure. The man who
already believes that he will fail will never have success or prosperity. With
firm belief in yourself, and with alertness, put all your energy into
everything you do. Prosperity comes to the wise king who acts with valour
and forethought, after having performed all auspicious rites to propitiate the
Devas and Brahmanas. As the Sun does to the east, the goddess of fortune
comes to him.
You have heard what I want you to do; now show me your manliness. It
is your dharma to do your utmost to achieve your goals. Gather to you
others who have enmity towards your enemy, men who are also hungry for
victory and prosperity, men whom your enemy has weakened, who are
jealous of him, whom he has humiliated. With their help you can break the
ranks of the Saindhava, even as a violent storm does clouds.
Give your allies their share of wealth before it is due, be active and
speak pleasantly, respectfully, to them; and they will stand by you in battle.
When the enemy realises that you care little for your life, he will be as
fearful of you as of a snake living in his house.
If a man does not try to kill in war an enemy he knows is powerful, he
should at least conciliate him with friendly overtures and gifts, which is
almost a victory. You can find artha through diplomacy, and if your wealth
increases, your friends will adulate you and look on you as their refuge. If
you lose your wealth, your friends and relatives will abandon you and,
worse still, mistrust and despise you.
However, the man, who befriends his enemy, can never regain his
kingdom.”’”
CANTO 136
“K unti says, ‘The mother said, “Whatever calamity may strike a

king, he must never betray his fear. Seeing a frightened king, the
whole kingdom, his army and ministers will also be afraid and his subjects
will become disunited. Some will defect to the enemy; others will abandon
the king; some, whom he has humiliated, will try to finish him. His close
friends might stay loyal to him and want his welfare, but will wait
helplessly, like a cow for her tethered calf.
Well-wishers grieve for their king when he is plunged in distress, as true
friends will. There are many, whom you have honoured in the past, who
still bear friendship for you; and you have many true friends, who grieve
over your loss of the kingdom and who want to share your troubles. Do not
make them abandon you at seeing how frightened you are.
I tell you all this because I want to see your strength, manliness and
intelligence; and to encourage and awaken your strength. If you understand
that I speak the truth, gather courage and set your mind on victory, Sanjaya.
We have a number of treasure-houses that you are unaware of; only I know
they exist. I will place all these at your disposal. You also have many
sincere friends who will share not only your joys but your troubles, and will
not turn away from battle. Parantapa, such men are fitting allies and
advisors of a king who wants victory.”
Although he was not greatly intelligent, his mother’s words melted
away the despair that had gripped Sanjaya’s heart; and he said to her, “With
you, who are so devoted to my welfare, for my guide, I will lift my
kingdom out of the depths into which it has sunk, or die in the attempt. I
stayed mainly silent while you spoke, because I wanted to hear more. Just
as a man’s thirst for amrita is never slaked, I am not yet satiated with your
love and wisdom.
Mother, I swear to you, I will win the support of my friends, and rouse
myself to crush my enemy and be victorious!”
Stung by what his mother said, Sanjaya reared up like a proud horse of
high pedigree and soon achieved everything she had urged him to.
When enemies beleaguer a king and he is overwhelmed by despair, his
minister should tell him this excellent tale, to arouse his courage and infuse
him with strength. Indeed, this story is called Jaya, and everyone who
desires victory should hear it. And, having listened to it, a Kshatriya may
vanquish his enemies and conquer the whole world.
A pregnant woman who hears it will give birth to a son, and repeatedly
hearing it will ensure that a hero is born to her. The Kshatriya woman who
listens to it will have a son of irresistible prowess, deeply learned and the
most generous of men; who practises the severest tapasya and is utterly
devout; who blazes with tejas and is the best of men; who is mighty and
greatly blessed; who is a Maharatha, highly intelligent, irresistible in battle,
ever victorious and invincible; and who suppresses the sinful and protects
the righteous.”’”
CANTO 137
“K unti says, ‘Say to Arjuna, “When you were born and I was in the
asrama surrounded by my sakhis, a celestial voice spoke from
the sky, saying, Kunti, this son of yours will rival the thousand-eyed Indra.
He will vanquish all the assembled Kurus in battle. With Bhima, he will
conquer all the Earth and his fame will reach into the heavens. With
Vasudeva as his ally he will slay the Kurus in battle and recover his lost
kingdom. He will be blessed with great prosperity and, with his brothers, he
will perform three mahayagnas.
Ever-glorious one, you know how devoted to truth Arjuna is, and how
irresistible. Let it be as that asariri said. If dharma exists, those words will
prove true, and you will fulfil them. I do not doubt what the voice said. I
bow to dharma, which supersedes everything else. Tell my Dhananjaya all
this.
To Bhima, who is always ready for battle, say these words, “The time
has come to fulfil the reason for which a Kshatriya woman gives birth to a
son. The best men never grieve when a war has to be fought.” You know
Bhima’s heart. That Parantapa will not rest until he has exterminated his
enemies.
Krishna, speak next to the beloved Draupadi of great renown, noble
Pandu’s daughter-in-law, who knows every detail of dharma. Say to her,
“Panchali, you are of noble descent and endowed with great fame. You are
an exemplary wife to my sons and I bless you.”
You must say to the sons of Madri, who always live by Kshatriya
dharma, “Treasure that which you acquire by prowess more than life itself.
Objects thus won fill the heart of a true Kshatriya with joy. Even while you
lived a virtuous life, before your very eyes the Kurus spoke cruel and
abusive words to Panchali. Will any Kshatriya worth his name forgive such
an insult?
The loss of the kingdom did not distress me nor did the defeat at dice;
but to see the noble, beautiful Draupadi weeping in the sabha broke my
heart. Alas, she, who is ever devoted to Kshatriya dharma, found no
protector then, though her husbands are such powerful men.”
O Mahabaho, tell Purushavyaghra Arjuna, that best of warriors, that he
should always do as Draupadi says. You know that, when angered, Bhima
and Arjuna can send even the Devas to Yamaloka. Was it not an unbearable
torment for them to see their wife being dragged into the sabha? Kesava,
remind them of the vile things that Dusasana said to her in the presence of
all the Kuru warriors.
Ask after the welfare of the Pandavas, Draupadi and their children for
me. Tell them that I am well. Now go on your auspicious mission and,
precious Krishna, protect my sons,’ says Kunti.
Krishna pays homage to her by walking around her in pradakshina, and
then the mighty-armed one walks in leonine majesty out of Pritha’s
apartments. He dismisses the Kurus, who follow him with Bhishma at their
head, and, taking Karna with him in his chariot, leaves the Kuru capital
accompanied by Satyaki.
And after he leaves, the Kurus gather and discuss what Krishna said and
the wonderful vision he showed them. They say, ‘Overcome by ignorance,
the Earth is caught in death’s meshes. Through Duryodhana’s folly,
everything is doomed.’
Krishna leaves the city and goes on his way, talking at length with
Karna, before letting him go and urging his horses to greater speed. With
Daruka holding their reins those horses fly with the speed of the mind and
flash across the sky, devouring it as they go. Covering the long distance like
swift hawks, they arrive at Upaplavya, bearing the wielder of the Saranga,”
said Vaisampayana.
CANTO 138
V aisampayana said, “When they hear of Kunti’s message to her sons,

Bhishma and Drona say to the defiant Duryodhana, ‘Naravyaghra,
did you hear the fiery words that Kunti said to Krishna? Her sons will do as
she says, especially as Krishna approves. They will not be pacified until
they have their share of the kingdom.
You inflicted untold pain on Draupadi and the sons of Pritha in the
sabha. Bound by dharma, at the time they swallowed your savage insults.
Now that Yudhishtira has Arjuna, master of the astra shastra, the determined
Bhima, the Gandiva and its inexhaustible quivers, Arjuna’s chariot that flies
the Vanara banner, Nakula and Sahadeva, both blessed with brilliant tejas
and awesome might, and Krishna and his allies by his side, the Dharmaraja
will be unforgiving.
Duryodhana, you saw for yourself how Arjuna vanquished us in battle
outside Virata’s city. Dhananjaya, who flies the emblem of Hanuman on his
flag, singly annihilated the dreaded Nivatakavachas. Have you forgotten the
incident with the cattle, when the Gandharvas routed Karna and seized you
and your brothers, whilst you wore armour and rode in your rathas? It was
Arjuna who rescued you. Is all this not proof enough for you of what will
happen if you go to war against Kunti’s sons?
Bharatottama, you and your brothers must make peace with the
Pandavas. O save this mother Earth from the apocalypse that looms.
Yudhishtira is your elder brother; he is virtuous, affectionate, sweet-spoken
and learned. Give up your evil plans and unite with that tiger among men.
If the Pandava sees you put away your bow, and wipe the angry frown
from your face and look cheerful, it will bode well indeed for your vamsa.
Go to him with your ministers and embrace him as a brother. Pay your
respects to him as a king, as you used to, and let Yudhishtira hold you
lovingly in his arms.
Let that most terrible warrior Bhima, of the lionish shoulders, mighty
thighs and long, powerful arms embrace you. Then let Dhananjaya, of the
lotus-petal eyes, wavy hair and conch-like neck greet you respectfully. Let
those Purushavyaghras the twins, their beauty unrivalled on Earth, wait on
you as their guru, affectionately and reverently. Let all the Kshatriyas with
Krishna at their head shed tears of joy.
Divest yourself of pride and reunite with your brothers. Rule the whole
Earth with them. Let all the kings embrace one another and joyfully return
to their homes. There is no need for war, Duryodhana. Listen to your
friends’ sage advice, for they warn you that a complete decimation of
Kshatriyas will be the only outcome of the war you mean to fight.
The stars are not propitious: animals and birds of ill omen, and all kinds
of ominous signs can be seen, particularly in our kingdoms, which portend
an unprecedented massacre of Kshatriyas. Meteors fall on your forces; our
animals are listless and seem to weep; vultures wheel above our troops. The
city and the palace have lost their old appearance and seem sinister. Jackals
howl and run in all directions, and fires blaze up everywhere of their own
accord.
Listen to your parents and to us, who want only your good. Mahabaho,
war and peace both lie within your control. If you ignore the advice of your
friends, you will repent when your army is shredded by Partha’s arrows.
You will remember these words when you hear mighty Bhima’s terrible
battle cry and the twang of the Gandiva. If you cannot find it in yourself to
return to dharma, what we say will inexorably come to pass.’”
CANTO 139
V aisampayana said, “Duryodhana frowns, his eyes glitter and he

averts his gaze from his elders, saying not a word in reply. Bhishma
and Drona look at each other and address him once more.
Bhishma says, ‘What can be sadder for us than to have to fight against
Yudhishtira, who is devoted to serving his elders, who has no envy, who
knows himself and is truthful?’
Drona says, ‘I love Arjuna more than I love my son Aswatthama; and
that hero who flies the ape-emblazoned banner reveres me more than my
son does. Alas, out of loyalty to the Kuru House, I will have to fight him,
who is dearer to me than my son. Fie on Kshatriya dharma. By my grace,
there is no archer to equal Arjuna on Earth.
He who hates his friends, he who is sinful, he who denies God and he
who is crooked and deceitful never receives the worship of the righteous,
like a sacrifice performed by an ignorant man. Though dissuaded
repeatedly, a sinful man will still want to continue sinning, while a
righteous man will never abandon dharma, even if he is tempted to sin.
Though you have been deceitful and vicious to the Pandavas, they still want
to do the right thing by you.
O Duryodhana, your sins will bring you to disaster. The Kuru Pitamaha,
Vidura, Krishna and I have all spoken to you, but you have not understood
what is good for you. Like the Ganga flowing into the ocean, which
abounds with sharks, crocodiles, timingalas and giant tortoises, you want to
penetrate the Pandava host, which teems with heroes. You enrobe yourself
in Yudhishtira’s wealth as if it was discarded by him, and you think of it as
your own.
Though Pritha and Pandu’s son lived twelve years in the forest with
Draupadi and his brothers, who, even amongst kings, can vanquish him?
Yudhishtira shone in splendour even in the presence of Kubera, to whom all
the Yakshas and their kings are servile. The Pandavas went to Kubera’s
court and obtained immense wealth from there, and now they want to attack
your swollen kingdom and take back their sovereignty.
Both Bhishma and I have given gifts, poured libations on the fire,
studied the scriptures and gratified Brahmanas by gifts of wealth. Our life
on Earth has come to an end. Our work is done. You, however, have much
to lose—happiness, your kingdom, friends and wealth—and great will be
the catastrophe you face, if you go to war against the Pandavas.
How can you vanquish Yudhishtira when Draupadi, who is ever truthful
and devoted to stern vratas and tapasya, prays for his success? How will
you overcome that son of Pandu who has Krishna for his mentor, who has
Dhananjaya for a brother? How will you defeat that son of Pandu, of the
austere tapasya, who has on his side so many greatly intelligent Brahmanas
who have mastered their senses?
In the way that a well-wisher would when he sees his friend drowning
in an ocean of distress, I tell you again—there is no need of war. Make
peace with those heroes for the sake of the prosperity of all the Kurus. Do
not court defeat and death, with your sons, allies and our army.’”
CANTO 140
“D hritarashtra says, ‘O Sanjaya, in the presence of all the princes

and vassals Krishna left the city, taking Karna with him in his
chariot. What did he of the immeasurable soul say to Radheya? What
pacifying words did Govinda speak to the Sutaputra? Tell me, Sanjaya,
whatever Krishna, of the voice as deep as newly formed monsoon clouds,
said to Karna, mild or stern.’
Sanjaya says, ‘Bhaarata, I will repeat the very words, both intimidating
and mild, full of dharma, fraught with truth, beneficial and pleasing to the
heart, that Krishna spoke to Radha’s son.
Krishna said, “Radheya, you have worshipped many Brahmanas who
have perfect knowledge of the Veda. With dhyana, and a mind free of envy,
you have frequently sought knowledge from them, and thus you know the
eternal truth of the Vedas and the subtleties of the Shastras.
Those who know the Shastras say that sons are of two kinds—kanina
and sahoda. Both are born before her marriage to an unwed maiden who
later marries their father. You were born in this way, Karna; you are Pandu’s
son. Be a king, as the Shastras dictate you should. On your father’s side you
have Pritha’s sons for kin, and on your mother’s, the Vrishnis.
Bharatarishabha, both these families are your own.
Come with me today and let the Pandavas know that you are Kunti’s
son, born before Yudhishtira was. The five Pandava brothers, Draupadi’s
five sons and Subhadra’s invincible son will all worship at your feet. All the
kings and princes, who have gathered for the Pandava cause, all the
Andhakas and all the Vrishnis, will do the same. For your investiture,
queens and princesses will bring water in gold, silver and earthen jars,
aromatic herbs and all kinds of grain, jewels and flowers. Draupadi will be
a wife to the six of you.
Let Dhaumya, of the restrained soul, pour ghee on the sacred fire, and
let the Pandavas’ Brahmanas, for whom the Vedas are the final authority,
perform your investiture. Let the Pandavas’ family priest, who is devoted to
Vedic rites, the five sons of Pandu, all bulls among men, Draupadi’s five
sons, the Panchalas, the Chedis and me join in installing you as sovereign
lord of the Earth.
Let Dharma’s son Yudhishtira, of the great soul and stern vows, be your
heir apparent and rule the kingdom under your authority. Let him stand
behind you in your chariot, holding the white chamara fan. Let Bhimasena
hold the royal white parasol over your head. Arjuna will drive your chariot
drawn by white horses, adorned with a hundred tinkling bells, its sides
covered with tiger-skins. Nakula and Sahadeva, Draupadi’s five sons, the
Panchalas and that Maharatha Sikhandin will all follow. I with all the
Andhakas and the Vrishnis will walk behind you. All the Dasarhas and the
Dasarnas will be your kinsmen.
O Mahabaho, enjoy the sovereignty of the Earth with your brothers the
Pandavas, with japas and homas and auspicious rites being performed in
your honour. Let the Dravidas, the Kuntalas, the Andhras, the Talacharas,
the Chuchupas and the Venupas, all walk ahead of you. Let vabdhis and
magadhis sing hymns in your praise. Let the Pandavas proclaim, Victory to
Vasusena!
O Kuntiputra, rule the kingdom surrounded by the Pandavas, like the
Moon by the stars, and gladden Kunti’s heart. Let your friends rejoice and
your enemies tremble. Even today, let there be a union between you and the
sons of Pandu, your brothers.’”
CANTO 141
“S anjaya says, ‘Karna said, “O Kesava, I have no doubt that you

speak out of love, affection and friendship for me, and also
because you wish me well. I already know and understand everything you
have said.
By descent, as well as by the laws of the Shastras, I know that I am
Pandu’s eldest son. Before she married Pandu, my mother, while still a
virgin, conceived me through intercourse with Surya Deva, and, at his
command, abandoned me as soon as I was born. Yes, by dharma I am
indeed the firstborn son of Pandu.
Kunti abandoned me without a thought. The Suta, Adhiratha, saw me
floating down the river, took me home and gave me to Radha. Her breasts
filled with milk out of a mother’s love, and she adopted and raised me as
her own. How can we, who know dharma and are always listening to
scriptures deprive her of her pinda?
Adhiratha, too, looked upon me only as a son and I loved him as my
father. It was he who, with a father’s love, performed all the samskaras for
me from my infancy, as prescribed in the shastras. He had the Brahmanas
name me Vasusena. When I grew to be a young man I married the girls my
father chose. Through them all my sons and grandsons were born. My heart
is bound to them by love. Neither from joy nor fear, neither for all the Earth
nor mountains of gold will I break those bonds.
For thirteen years I have enjoyed lordship, without a thorn in my side,
under Duryodhana’s patronage. At the same time, I have performed the
yagnas that being a Suta demands; and all my family rites and marriages
were performed in accordance with Suta customs. Knowing that I am loyal
to him, Duryodhana has made preparations for war and taken an openly
hostile stand against the Pandavas. This is also why I have been chosen to
fight Arjuna in the war that will be. O Krishna, I could never be disloyal to
Duryodhana, not from fear of death, nor for ties of blood or any temptation
at all. If I now withdraw from meeting Arjuna in battle, I will disgrace both
myself and him.
I know that you said whatever you did out of love for me. The Pandavas
are obedient to you and will do as you say. However, you must keep our
conversation to yourself. If Yudhishtira comes to know that I am Kunti’s
first-born son, he will never accept the kingdom; and if this mighty and
burgeoning empire becomes mine, I will give it to Duryodhana.
Let Dharmaraja Yudhishtira become king. He, who has Krishna for his
mentor, Dhananjaya and Bhima for his warriors, and Nakula, Sahadeva and
the sons of Draupadi by his side, is fit to rule the Earth. The Panchala prince
Dhrishtadyumna, that mighty Maharatha Satyaki, Uttamaujas,
Yudhamanyu, the prince of Somakas who is devoted to dharma, the ruler of
the Chedis, Chekitana, the invincible Sikhandin, the Kekaya brothers whose
skin is the hue of indragopaka insects, Bhimasena’s uncle Raja Kuntibhoja
who has rainbow coloured horses, Maharatha Syenajit, Virata’s son Sanka
and you yourself, Krishna, are on his side. This assemblage of Kshatriyas is
like an ocean. Yudhishtira has as good as already won this radiant kingdom,
celebrated among all the kings of the Earth.
Duryodhana is about to perform a great astra yagna, a sacrifice with
weapons, of which you, Krishna, will be the Yajaman, as well as the
Adhvarya, the head priest. Clad in his coat of mail, Arjuna, who flies the
Vanara-emblazoned banner, will be the Hotri, the giver of offerings. His
bow Gandiva will be the sruva, the sacrificial ladle, and the prowess of his
warriors will be the ghrita he pours. The Aindra, Pasupata, Brahma and
Sthunakarna astras he invokes will be the sacrificial mantras. Arjuna and
Subhadra’s son Abhimanyu, who is equal to, if not more powerful than, his
father, will be the hymn that is sung. Mighty Bhima who roars in battle, that
destroyer of elephant legions, that Naravyaghra will be the Udgatri, who
chants the Veda, and the Prastota, who makes all the preparations, at this
yagna. Dharmatma Yudhishtira, who is devoted to the performance of japa
and homa, will be the Brahmana of that sacrifice.
The sounds of conches, tabors and drums, and the leonine roars rising
into the heavens will be the gong that announces the meal. Madri’s two sons
Nakula and Sahadeva, of the great renown and strength, will be the slayers
of the sacrificial animals. Rows of shining chariots, flying flags of all
colours, will be the stakes to which the yagnapasus are tied. Karninas,
nalikas, narachas and arrows with heads like calf-teeth will be the spoons
used to distribute the Soma rasa; tomaras will be the vessels holding the
Soma, and bows will be the pavitras—kusa leaves for pouring ghee.
Swords will be the papalas—the chalices, the heads of slain warriors
will be the purodasas—the oblations, and their blood the ghrita. Lances will
be the paridhas—the kindling, and bright maces will be the saktis—pokers
used to stir the fire. Drona and Kripa’s disciples and Saradwat’s son will be
the Sadasyas—the guests and assisting priests. The arrows shot by Arjuna,
by other mighty warriors, by Drona and Drona’s son will be the ladles for
serving the Soma.
Satyaki will be the chief assistant to you, Krishna, the Adhvarya.
Duryodhana will be the Dikshita—performer of this yagna, and his vast
army will play the role of his wife. When the evening rites of this yagna
begin with the animal sacrifices, mighty Ghatotkacha will be the slayer of
the animals. Dhrishtadyumna, who was born from a sacrificial fire, will be
the Dakshina—the fee paid to the priest—of the yagna.
I am consumed with remorse for my sin of speaking harsh words to the
Pandavas in order to please Duryodhana. Krishna, the moment of my death
at Arjuna’s hands will mark the commencement of the punaschiti, the
second part of the yagna of war. When Pandu’s second son Bhima drinks
the blood of the roaring Dusasana, only then the part of the yagna when the
Soma rasa is drunk will occur.
When the two Panchala princes Dhrishtadyumna and Sikhandin
overthrow Drona and Bhishma the yagna will be paused for a while; and
when mighty Bhimasena kills Duryodhana the yagna will end. When the
wives of Dhritarashtra’s sons and grandsons stream onto the battlefield
haunted by dogs, vultures and other birds of prey, and weep loudly in
mourning with Gandhari for their slain husbands, sons and protectors, then
the avabhrita snana, the final bath at the conclusion of the yagna, will take
place.
Krishna, I pray you, for your own sake, do not let the old and learned
Kshatriyas die miserable deaths. This vast host of Kshatriyas must die
honourably by weapons on Kurukshetra, that most sacred of all places in
the three worlds. Lotus-leaf-eyed one, somehow enable us to achieve our
goal, so that the Kshatriya race may attain Swarga. As long as mountains
stand and rivers flow the fame of this sacrifice in blood will last.
Brahmanas will recite the Mahabharata, this great war of the Bhaaratas. The
fame that they achieve in battle is Kshatriyas’ true wealth.
O Krishna, bring Kuntiputra Arjuna before me to fight; and keep our
conversation a secret forever.”’”
CANTO 142
“S anjaya says, ‘Krishna smiled and said to him, “Karna, do you not
wish to have the empire in the way I have shown you? Do you not
want to rule over the Earth, which I am giving you?
The victory of the Pandavas is certain; there is no doubt of that.
Arjuna’s triumphal banner with the fierce Vanara on it seems to be flying
already. The divine illusionist Bhaumana has created it with such
enchantment that it stands high, like Indra’s banner, and displays on it
celestial creatures of forms that symbolise victory. Rising upwards and
across for a Yojana, unobstructed by mountains or trees, it blazes like fire.
When you see Arjuna in battle on his chariot drawn by white horses, with
Krishna as his sarathy; when he looses the astras Aindra, Agneya and
Maruta; and when you hear the twang of Gandiva splitting the air like
thunder, then all signs of the Krita, the Treta and the Dwapara yugas will
disappear. Only the wrath of the Kali will remain.
When you see in battle the invincible Yudhishtira, who is devoted to
japa and homa, and who dazzles in brilliance like the Sun, protecting his
mighty army and burning the army of his enemies, then all signs of the
Krita, the Treta, and the Dwapara yugas will disappear.
When you see in battle the mighty Bhimasena, having drunk Dusasana’s
blood, dance like a fierce elephant with rent temples that has killed a
fearsome antagonist, then all signs of the Krita, the Treta and the Dwapara
yugas will disappear.
When you see in battle Arjuna contain Drona, Bhishma, Kripa,
Duryodhana and Jayadratha of the Sindhus, all of whom rush to attack him,
then all signs of the Krita, the Treta and the Dwapara yugas will disappear.
When you see in battle the two mighty sons of Madri, those Maharathas
who shatter enemy chariots into shards, wreak havoc on the armies of
Dhritarashtra’s sons from the very moment that weapons begin to clash, like
a pair of maddened elephants, then all signs of the Krita, the Treta and the
Dwapara yugas will disappear.
Karna, go back and tell Drona, Bhishma and Kripa that this month is a
delightful one, with an abundance of food, drink and all things salubrious.
Plants and herbs are in a season of vigorous growth; the trees are full of
fruit, and the flies are gone. The roads are free of slush, the water is sweet
and the weather is pleasant, neither hot nor cold.
Seven days from now will be Amavasya, the day of the new moon. Let
the battle begin then, for it is Indra’s day. Tell all the kings who have come
to fight that I will fulfil their cherished desires. All the kings and princes
who are with Duryodhana, and who are killed by weapons, will attain
Moksha.”’”
CANTO 143
“S anjaya says, ‘Hearing Krishna’s auspicious words, Karna

worshipped him and said, “Knowing everything, why do you still
want to confuse me? The destruction of the whole world is at hand because
of Sakuni, Dusasana, Duryodhana and me. Certainly, Krishna, a great and
fierce war will soon be fought between the Pandavas and the Kurus, which
will soak the earth with blood. All the kings and princes who follow
Duryodhana will be consumed by the fire of weapons and go to Yama.
Frightful visions and omens appear, making the people’s hair stand on
end; and they all portend Duryodhana’s defeat and Yudhishtira’s victory.
That fierce planet of dark effulgence, Sanaischara—Saturn—is in
opposition to the star Prajapatya, and will bring untold suffering on Earth.
The planet Angaraka—Mars—wheels towards the constellation Jyeshta and
approaches Anuradha as if seeking friendship, foretelling a great slaughter.
Without doubt, Krishna, a terrible calamity for the Kurus is at hand,
especially as all the planets oppose the nakshatra Chitra. The Sun spot has
changed its position and Rahu approaches Surya to devour him. Meteors,
thundering and shaking, fall from the sky.
Elephants trumpet loudly, the horses shed tears and shun food and
water. Mahabaho, these omens forecast a great and universal slaughter. In
Duryodhana’s army the horses, elephants and soldiers, eat little but excrete
a lot. Wise men say that these conditions are harbingers of defeat.
The elephants and horses that belong to the Pandavas are all in good
spirits and the animals all wheel to the right. These signs augur success. In
Duryodhana’s army, all the animals move to the left while disembodied
voices speak overhead, warning of doom. Auspicious birds—mayuras,
hamsas, kraunchas, chatakas, jivajivas and sankhas—follow the Pandavas,
while kazhukas, lankas, vakas, hawks, pisachas, jackal packs and swarms of
bees follow the Kauravas. The Pandava drums boom without being struck,
while those in Duryodhana’s camp stay silent even when they are beaten.
Many other signs of defeat manifest themselves in Duryodhana’s
encampment: water tanks roar like bulls; soldiers are drenched in rains of
flesh and blood; misty, ethereal edifices with high walls, deep trenches and
imposing entrances suddenly appear, shimmering in the skies over the Kuru
camp; and a black ring encircles the Sun. Sunrise and sunset are macabre,
and jackals howl hideously at these sandhyas. These omens all foretell
defeat.
Bizarre birds, all one-winged, one-eyed and one-legged, screech
horribly, also portending defeat. Other ferocious birds with black wings and
red legs hover over the Kuru camp at nightfall. Duryodhana’s soldiers show
hatred for Brahmanas, for their gurus and for all their loyal servants. From
Duryodhana’s camp the eastern horizon appears red; the south has the hue
of weapons; and the west the colour of the Earth; and all the four directions
seem ablaze. I know that all these omens augur grave danger.
I had a vision, Krishna, in which I saw Yudhishtira and his brothers
climbing to a palace built on a thousand pillars. They all wore white robes
and crowns and sat on white thrones. I saw you wrap the blood-dyed earth
in an uncanny cover of weapons. Yudhishtira climbed upon a heap of bones
and happily ate payasa and ghrita out of a golden cup. I saw him swallow
the Earth, which you handed to him. He will surely rule this Bhumi.
I saw Vrikodara, of fierce deeds, standing on the summit of a mountain
with his mace in his hand, and he looked as if he was devouring this world.
For sure, he will slay us all in savage battle. I know that victory follows
dharma.
I saw Dhananjaya, wielder of the Gandiva, riding with you on the back
of a white elephant, and he shone with lustre. I have no doubt, O Krishna,
that you will kill all the kings led by Duryodhana in the war that will be.
I saw Nakula and Sahadeva, and that Maharatha Satyaki, adorned with
white bracelets, white necklaces, white garlands and wearing white robes.
Those tigers among men sat on grand palanquins borne on men’s shoulders,
with great royal parasols held over their heads. I saw three of Duryodhana’s
warriors—Aswatthama, Kripa and Kritavarman of the Sattvatas—also clad
in white turbans, while all the other kings wore red turbans.
I saw the Maharathas Bhishma and Drona climbing into a carriage
drawn by camels, and they rode past Duryodhana and me towards
Agastya’s kingdom. We shall soon find Yamaloka for ourselves. I have no
doubt that all the kings and I, and indeed the entire assemblage of
Kshatriyas, will enter the Gandiva fire and die.”
Krishna said, “Yes, Karna. If you spurn my advice, the Earth will soon
be destroyed. When a pralaya is at hand, adharma assumes the appearance
of dharma and lodges itself in the heart.”
Karna said, “Krishna, if we emerge alive from this great battle, which
will raze numberless heroic Kshatriyas, we might meet here again.
Otherwise we shall meet in Swarga and, O Anagha, to me this latter seems
the only possibility.”
Saying this, Karna clasped Krishna to him in a fervent embrace. With
that, he alighted from Krishna’s chariot and, riding in his own gold-decked
one, the dejected Karna returned here to Hastinapura,’ says Sanjaya.”
CANTO 144
V aisampayana said, “When Krishna’s mission for peace in

Hastinapura fails, and after he leaves the Kurus and sets out for the
Pandava camp, Vidura comes to Kunti and speaks to her, slowly, in grief.
He says, ‘O Jivaputri, mother of living children, you know that I am
always inclined to peace, but, although I cry myself hoarse, Duryodhana
pays no heed to what I say. Yudhishtira has as allies the Chedis, the
Panchalas and the Kekayas; he has Bhima, Arjuna, Krishna, Satyaki and the
twins. Despite this he remains in Upaplavya, and out of his love for his
kinsmen, still looks to dharma, seeming weak though he is in fact so
powerful. Dhritarashtra, though he is old, does not care for peace and,
intoxicated with pride in his sons, walks a sinful path.
The evil-mindedness of Jayadratha, Karna, Dusasana and Sakuni has
caused this strife between cousins. Their sins against Yudhishtira
Dharmaraja will soon fetch nemesis upon us all. Is there anyone who would
not be filled with sorrow to see the Kurus persecuting dharma? When
Krishna returns without having been able to make peace, the Pandavas will
prepare for war, and the sins of the Kurus will lead to the very race of
Kshatriyas being annihilated. My mind is filled with these thoughts and I
get no sleep by day or by night.’
Kunti listens to Vidura, who has always wished her sons well and,
sighing deeply in grief, she thinks to herself, ‘Fie on wealth, for the sake of
which this great slaughter of kinsmen is about to take place. In this war
friends will slay friends and kinsmen their own blood. What can be sadder
than to see the Pandavas, the Chedis, the Panchalas and the Yadavas
assembled to fight the Kurus? Ah, I see no benefit whatever in war. On the
other hand, if we do not fight, we face poverty and humiliation. Death is
preferable to poverty, but the extermination of one’s kinsmen is not victory.
As I reflect on this my heart wells with sorrow. That Pitamaha Bhishma,
Acharya Drona and Karna are on Duryodhana’s side sharpens my fear.
Surely Drona will never fight willingly against his pupils. Why does the
Pitamaha not show any affection for the Pandavas? That leaves the sinful
Karna, who follows the deluded Duryodhana who hates the Pandavas.
Single-mindedly pursuing the ruin of the Pandavas, Karna is powerful
indeed. This thought is what most burns me now. I will meet him today and
disclose the truth of his birth to him, and try to draw his heart towards the
Pandavas.
When I was a maiden in my father Kuntibhoja’s antahpura, Durvasa
Muni was pleased by the way I looked after him and gave me a boon of
mantras. With a trembling heart, I thought of the power of those mantras
and what Durvasa said: that they were incantations to summon any Deva I
chose. I was just a girl then, and had not attained puberty; and I thought
constantly about the mantras. Watched over by my nursemaid and
surrounded by my sakhis, not wanting to incur any reproach and wanting to
keep my father’s honour, I thought long about how I could use the secret
mantras without sinning.
Finally, I bowed to the Muni in my mind, and from curiosity and
childish folly, I spoke the mantras to invoke Surya Deva into my
maidenhood, and that is how Karna was born. Why should this child that I
held in my virginal womb not obey me, when what I will say to him is both
dharma and beneficial to himself and his brothers?’
After reflecting in this way, Kunti makes a decision. She sets out for the
sacred Bhagirathi, and arrives on the banks of the Ganga. There she hears
her son chanting slokas from the Veda. Karna stands facing the east with his
arms raised above his head. Kunti stands behind him and waits for him to
complete his prayers. In the noonday heat Kunti begins to wilt, like a faded
lotus garland; she comes closer and stands in the shade cast by awesome
Karna’s great body.
Karna continues his prayers until his back burns from the Sun’s heat and
his body radiates lustre. At last, he finishes his worship, lowers his arms
and turning round, he is startled to see Kunti. He greets her respectfully,
folding his hands together; he bows and speaks gently to her.”
CANTO 145
“K arna says, ‘I am Karna, son of Radha and Adhiratha. Devi, what

brings you here? What can I do for you?’
Kunti says, ‘You are Kunti’s son, not Radha’s, and Adhiratha is not your
father. Karna, you are not a Suta; believe what I say to you.
You were born to me when I was a girl; I carried you in my womb. My
son, you were born in Raja Kuntibhoja’s palace. Resplendent Surya Deva,
who makes everything visible, is your father. You were born in my father’s
house, wearing ear-rings and armour that were a part of your body, and you
were radiantly beautiful. It is not right that you remain ignorant of who your
brothers are and serve Duryodhana. It is a sin. The laws of dharma state that
a man’s highest duty is to obey and please his father and his mother. His
mother is the one who most loves her child.
Evil men have, from avarice, taken Yudhishtira’s wealth, which Arjuna
won for him. Retrieve it from Dhritarashtra’s sons and enjoy that prosperity.
Let the Kurus see Karna and Arjuna uniting today in brotherly love; and let
the evil ones bow to you. Let yours and Arjuna’s names be spoken of in the
same breath as Krishna’s and Balarama’s. If you two are united, what is
there in this world that is unattainable?
O Karna, surrounded by your brothers, you will blaze in glory, even like
Brahma surrounded by the Devas at a mahayagna. Endowed with every
virtue, you are my first born. Let the world no more call you a Sutaputra;
you are a Partha—a son of Pritha, and you are a great tejasvin.’”
CANTO 146
V aisampayana said, “When Kunti has finished speaking, Karna hears

a voice redolent with love coming from the Sun above. The far away
voice is Surya Deva’s.
The voice says, ‘What Pritha says is true. Karna do as your mother tells
you; great good will come of it.’
Though his mother and his natural father have spoken to him, Karna’s
heart is resolute, for he is devoted to the truth.
He says, ‘O Kshatriya Devi, I cannot accept what you say, that to obey
you is my highest dharma. Mother, you abandoned me as soon as I was
born. This grievous injury not only put my life at risk, but has been
detrimental to my achievements and fame. If indeed I am a Kshatriya, you
have deprived me of all my rightful samskaras. An enemy could not have
done me more harm.
You mercilessly robbed me of the rites of passage that are my birthright,
and now you come to demand my obedience. Never until now have you
cared about my welfare, as a mother should; and you have come to me
today only for your own good. Who is there who would not be afraid of
Dhananjaya, who has Krishna as his sarathy? If I go to your sons now,
everyone would think that I do so because I am afraid. Nobody knows I am
their brother. If this becomes known on the eve of battle, and I join the
Pandavas, what would all the Kshatriyas say?
Dhritarashtra’s sons have given me everything I want, and they have
worshipped me purely from a desire to make me happy. How can I make a
mockery of this friendship and render it futile? Even though they have
initiated hostilities with others, they have always honoured me and bowed
to me, even as the Vasus do to Vasava. They base their confidence that they
can conquer their enemies on my might. How can I betray their cherished
hope? With me as their boat, they would cross the impassable ocean of war.
How can I abandon them, when I am their only refuge?
This is the time when all those who have received patronage and
support from Dhritarashtra’s sons should show their gratitude and loyalty. I,
surely, will fight for them, uncaring of even my life. Sinful, faithless men
who, at the time to repay the kindness done to them, turn traitors to those
who have fed them and met their every need, are like thieves who steal their
master’s food. They will not prosper in this world or in the next.
I will not lie to you. For Duryodhana’s sake I will fight against your
sons, putting forth all my strength and might. At the same time, I will be
compassionate, and I will observe my dharma. Therefore, however
benevolent your words may be, I cannot obey them. Yet, your pleas shall
not be in vain. Other than Arjuna, I will not kill your other sons—
Yudhishtira, Bhima and the twins; I will spare their lives even when I hold
them in the palm of my hand.
Of all the warriors in Yudhishtira’s army, it is with Arjuna alone that I
will fight. If I kill Arjuna, I will achieve great renown, and if he kills me, I
will yet be covered in glory. Devi, you will always have no less than five
sons. Five they will number, either including me, or Arjuna, if I am killed.’
Kunti trembles in grief and embraces her son, who remains resolute,
and she says, ‘Karna, even if what you say is true, the Kauravas will
certainly be killed. Destiny rules supreme. You have sworn you will not
harm four of your brothers. Remember this oath when you are in the midst
of battle. Be blessed with good health, my son.’
Karna says Tathaastu, and they both leave, each in a different
direction.”
CANTO 147
V aisampayana said, “Krishna returns to Upaplavya from Hastinapura

and tells the Pandavas all that has transpired. He confers with them
for a long time, and then goes to his own apartments to rest. The Pandavas
give leave to Virata and the other kings, and at sunset they say their evening
prayers.
With their hearts set on Krishna they think worshipfully of him. At last,
they bring Krishna into their midst and deliberate again on what they should
do.
Yudhishtira says, ‘O you of the eyes like lotus-petals, tell us what you
said to Duryodhana in the Kuru sabha when you went to Nagapura.’
Krishna says, ‘What I said to Duryodhana in Nagapura was honest,
reasonable and benign. But that evil one paid me no heed.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘When Duryodhana declared his intention to take the
path of sin, what did the Kuru Pitamaha say to the vindictive prince? What
did the noble Acharya, the son of Bharadwaja, say? And what did
Duryodhana’s parents Dhritarashtra and Gandhari say? What did our uncle
Vidura, who is the best of all those who know dharma, who grieves for us
whom he loves as his own sons, say to Duryodhana? What did all the kings
who sat in that ancient court say? Krishna, tell us everything, exactly as it
happened.
You have already told us all that Bhishma and Dhritarashtra, as well as
the others in that sabha, said to Duryodhana, who believes himself wise,
while he is ruled only by lust and greed. But I wish to hear everything
again. Lose no time, Krishna, you are our refuge, our lord, our guide.’
Krishna says, ‘Rajan, listen to what was said to Duryodhana in the Kuru
sabha, and remember the words.
After I had spoken, Duryodhana laughed aloud, at which Bhishma grew
incensed and said, “Duryodhana, listen to me for the sake of our vamsa.
Then do whatever you think is best for your family.
My father Santanu was famed throughout the world. At first, I was his
only son, but he began to wish for another because the wise say that an only
son is as good as not having any. He wanted his vamsa to live and his fame
to spread. Knowing what he wished for, I made the dark Satyavati my step-
mother and swore the most difficult vow, of lifelong celibacy: for my
father’s sake and for the continuance of our royal line. You know how I
could not be king and remain celibate, without breaking my solemn vow. I
have no regret; I have lived contentedly, keeping my vrata. My step-mother
bore my younger brother Vichitravirya, mighty-armed and handsome
supporter of Kuru vamsa.
When my father attained Swarga I installed Vichitravirya as ruler of the
kingdom and served him as his subject. Later, I defeated several monarchs
at the swayamvara for the daughters of the king of Kasi, and I brought
home suitable wives for him. You have heard all this many times.
Sometime after, I fought a duel against my guru Parasurama Bhargava,
and my brother fled from fear of Rama and because his subjects deserted
him. During this time, he indulged himself entirely in his wives and,
because of the time he spent with them, was afflicted by consumption and
died. There was anarchy in our kingdom.
Indra did not send us a drop of rain, and the subjects, plagued by fear of
hunger, came to me and said, ‘Your people are on the point of extinction.
Be our king for our good. End this drought, and be blessed, O perpetuator
of Santanu’s dynasty. Your subjects suffer from fearsome diseases, and very
few are left alive. It is incumbent on you to save them, Gangaputra. Put an
end to our suffering and rule your subjects with dharma. Let your kingdom
not be destroyed even while you live.’
I remained unmoved by their tearful pleas. Remembering dharma, I
wanted only to be faithful to my vow. Then, Rajan, the citizens, my step-
mother Kali, our servants, priests, acharyas and many learned Brahmanas,
all beset with sorrow, begged me to take the throne.
They said, ‘While you still live will this ancient kingdom that was once
ruled by the illustrious Pratipa go to ruin? Generous one, be the king for our
sake.’
I joined my hands together and, filled with anguish, I told them about
the vow I had sworn for my father’s sake. I told them that it was for the
sake of our kingdom, and especially for my step-mother, that I had taken the
vow of celibacy and renounced the throne. I begged them not to place the
burden of kingship on me.
I joined my hands once more and pacified my step-mother, saying
repeatedly, ‘Mother, as Santanu’s son, and a Kuru, I cannot break my word.
I took this vow especially for your sake; and I am your servant and yours to
command, my loving mother.’
I placated her and the people, and then she and I begged Mahamuni
Vyasa, who was also Satyavati’s son from the Rishi Parasara, to father
children on my brother’s widows. He granted our prayers. The Rishi
fathered three sons, Bharatottama: Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura. Your
father Dhritarashtra was born blind and he could not be king. Instead, the
noble, mighty and celebrated Pandu ruled the Kuru kingdom; he expanded
its boundaries immeasurably and the people flourished under his golden
reign.
Since Pandu was the king, his sons must rightfully inherit their father’s
kingdom. Rajan, do not go to war; give them half the kingdom. While I am
alive, what other man is fit to reign? Do not disregard what I say. My only
wish is for peace amongst you. I make no distinction between you and
them, and love all of you equally.
What I have said to you now is also the opinion of your father, Gandhari
and Vidura. One must always pay heed to one’s elders; do not ignore what I
say. Do not destroy all that you have and the very Earth as well.”’”
CANTO 148
“K rishna says, ‘After Bhishma spoke, Drona, always eloquent, says

to Duryodhana in the midst of the assembled kings, “May you be
blessed, Duryodhana. Pandu was as devoted to the Kuru vamsa as Pratipa’s
son Santanu was, and as Devavrata Bhishma is. Pandu was devoted to truth,
had his senses under control, was virtuous, practised excellent vratas and
was attentive to all his duties in dharma. Although he was king and
conqueror, that perpetuator of the Kuru vamsa made over the sovereignty to
his elder brother Dhritarashtra, of deep wisdom, and to his younger brother
Vidura. After installing Dhritarashtra on the throne, Pandu went to live in
the forest with his two wives.
Vidura, in great humility, placed himself under Dhritarashtra’s
command and waited on him like a servant, fanning him with palm leaves.
All the subjects of the kingdom took his lead and submitted to Dhritarashtra
just as they had to Pandu.
Having handed the kingdom over to Dhritarashtra and Vidura, Pandu,
conqueror of hostile cities, wandered the Earth. Vidura, ever devoted to
dharma, took charge of the treasury, and of administering the kingdom and
the welfare of its subjects. Bhishma, of the mighty tejas, took charge of the
army, of making war and peace, and the giving or withholding of gifts to
other kings. All the time that Dhritarashtra has sat on the throne, the noble
Vidura stayed near him.
How could you, who have been born in Dhritarashtra’s dynasty, even
think of creating a rift in the family? Unite with your brothers the Pandavas
and enjoy every pleasure. Rajan, I do not say this to you from cowardice or
for the sake of wealth. Best of kings, the wealth I enjoy is what Bhishma,
and not you, gave me. I do not desire any means of sustenance from you.
Where Bhishma is, there Drona must be.
Do what Bhishma has told you. Parantapa, give the sons of Pandu half
the kingdom. I was their teacher as much as yours. Indeed, Arjuna is as
much a son to me as Aswatthama. But, ah, of what use are speeches?
Victory and dharma go together.”
Now the virtuous Vidura turned to his uncle Bhishma and, looking him
in the face, said, “O Devavrata, pay heed to what I say. When Kuru vamsa
was threatened with extinction you revived it. That is why you are now
indifferent to my pleas. Duryodhana is a blot on our royal house; and you
follow his inclinations, although he is evil, ungrateful, and a slave to greed
and lust.
Duryodhana disregards his father’s command, which is in keeping with
dharma and artha, and the Kurus must face the dire consequences of war. O
Maharajan, do what needs to be done so entire house of Kuru is not
extinguished. Even as an artist creates a painting, you brought Dhritarashtra
and me into this world. The Creator creates beings and destroys them; do
not do as he does, for you are not Him. Do not turn away in indifference
from the coming extinction of your vamsa, which you see plainly before
your eyes. If the imminence of a pralaya of blood has robbed even you of
your vision, then take sannyasa in the forest, and take Dhritarashtra and me
with you. Otherwise, this very day restrain Duryodhana, who uses deceit as
wisdom, and rule this kingdom yourself with the sons of Pandu guarding its
boundaries.
Relent, O tiger among Kshatriyas. A great slaughter of the Pandavas,
the Kurus and of other mighty kings is about to happen,” Vidura said, and
he stopped and sighed deeply, his heart overflowing with sorrow.
Then, alarmed at the prospect of the destruction of an entire race, King
Subala’s daughter Gandhari spoke in anger to her sinful son Duryodhana in
the Kuru sabha, words of dharma and artha.
She said, “Let all the kings present in this ancient sabha, the twice-born
Rishis and others who have gathered here listen to me proclaim your guilt
for the sins that you and your companions have committed. The kingdom of
the Kurus is inherited in the proper order of succession. This has always
been the custom of our royal line, but you, of evil soul and inhuman deeds,
seek to destroy the kingdom. The wise Dhritarashtra now rules the
kingdom, with the far-sighted Vidura as his advisor. Why do you want the
kingdom for yourself? What is your right to pass them by?
Indeed, Dhritarashtra mahatman and Vidura should both be subordinate
to Bhishma while he is alive. Gangaputra Bhishma has foresworn
sovereignty for the sake of dharma. That is how Pandu became the king.
And only his sons are the true kings today. This vast kingdom rightfully
belongs to the Pandavas, and to their sons and grandsons, as their
inheritance by the laws of succession.
We must all do as Pitamaha Bhishma says, in accord with Kshatriya
dharma and for the sake of our kingdom. In obedience to Bhishma’s
command, Dhritarashtra and Vidura must declare the same thing, as must
everyone who wishes us well, setting dharma above all else. I say let
Dharmaputra Yudhishtira, guided by Dhritarashtra and with Bhishma for his
mentor, rule this kingdom of the Kurus for many long years.”’”
CANTO 149
“K rishna says, ‘Then Dhritarashtra addressed Duryodhana in the

midst of the assembled monarchs, saying, “Duryodhana my son,
listen to what I say, and may you be blessed. Obey me if you have any
respect for your father.
Soma Deva, the lord of creatures, was the original progenitor of the
Kuru vamsa. Nahusha’s son Yayati was sixth in descent from Soma; and
Yayati had five sons who were all Rajarishis. The eldest of them was
tejasvin Yadu and the youngest was Puru, from whom we are descended.
Puru’s mother was Vrishaparva’s daughter Sarmishta, and Yadu’s mother
was Devayani, and thus he was the grandson of Sukra of the immeasurable
tejas, who is also called Kavya.
Our ancestor Yadu was mighty, but also arrogant and seized by evil.
Intoxicated with his prowess, he humiliated all the Kshatriyas of the world;
and disobeyed his father, and insulted his younger brother. Yadu became
all-powerful on Earth and, suppressing everyone, he established himself in
his capital city, which he named Hastinapura. His enraged father cursed him
and expelled him from the kingdom. The furious Yayati cursed his other
sons, too, who were obedient to their arrogant eldest brother. He set his
youngest son Puru, who was obedient and devoted to him, on the throne.
Thus the eldest son may be passed over and deprived of the kingdom, and
younger sons may, because of their reverence towards their elders, inherit
the kingdom.
Then there was my great-grandfather Pratipa, who was devoted to
dharma and celebrated through the three worlds. This narasimha, this
virtuous king, had three sons, all of great renown and like three Devas.
Devapi was the eldest, Bahlika was second and my grandfather Santanu, of
the scintillating intellect, the youngest. Devapi, who suffered from an
ailment to his skin, was endowed with prodigious energy; he was virtuous,
truthful, and devoted to the service of his father. Respected and popular
among his subjects, loved by young and old, in cities and villages, Devapi
was generous, firm in his adherence to dharma, devoted to the good of all
creatures and obedient to his father and the Brahmanas. His noble brothers
Bahlika and Santanu loved him dearly.
In time, in accord with the shastras, Pratipa began to prepare for Devapi
to inherit the throne, and all the arrangements he made were auspicious.
However, the Brahmanas and the elders in the kingdom forbade him.
Hearing this, the voice of the old king became choked with tears and he
began to grieve for his son. Thus, though Devapi was liberal, virtuous,
devoted to truth and loved by the subjects, he was deprived of his
inheritance because of his sickly skin, for the gods do not approve of a king
who has a physical disability. Those best of Brahmanas did not allow
Pratipa to enthrone his eldest son as king. Devapi saw how his father
grieved for him and took sannyasa in the forest.
Bahlika left his father’s city and lived with his maternal uncle, whose
rich kingdom he inherited. On Pratipa’s death, Santanu took Bahlika’s leave
and became king. That is why, though I am the eldest, wisely, and after
much thought, I was excluded from inheriting the Kuru throne, and, though
he was younger than me, Pandu became king.
After his death, Parantapa, our kingdom must pass to his sons. When I
could not have the kingdom, how can you want it? You are not the son of
the true king and you have no right to this kingdom. Despite that, you want
to take what rightfully belongs to another. Dharmatma Yudhishtira is the
eldest son of the king and this kingdom is his in dharma. This magnanimous
soul is the sovereign lord of our Kuru vamsa.
Yudhishtira is devoted to truth, clear thinking, heedful of the advice of
his well-wishers, honest, loved by all his subjects, kind-hearted, master of
his passions and a chastiser of criminals and sinners. All the kingly
attributes dwell in him: forgiveness, renunciation, self-control, a deep
knowledge of the scriptures, compassion and the ability to rule with dharma
as his sceptre.
You are not the son of a king, and are always inclined to sin against
your own blood. How can ever you appropriate this kingdom that lawfully
belongs to another? Dispel this delusion and give away half the kingdom
with the proper share of wealth, animals and other possessions and
treasures. Then, Duryodhana, you can hope to live a long life with your
younger brothers.”’”
CANTO 150
“K rishna says, ‘Although Bhishma, Drona, Vidura, Gandhari and

Dhritarashtra spoke to him, the evil one could not be made to see
sense. Duryodhana ignored them all and left the sabha, his eyes red with
anger. All the kings he had called upon followed him, prepared to lay down
their lives for his cause.
Duryodhana said to those kings, “Today the Pushya nakshatra rises. Let
us march at once to Kurukshetra!” And, inexorably propelled by destiny,
those kings gladly set out with their armies, making Bhishma their Senapati,
their Commander-in-chief.
Eleven akshauhinis of troops have assembled on the Kaurava side. At
the head of that host, Bhishma shines, flying the flag with the palmyra
emblem on his chariot.
In view of all that has happened, do what you think proper, Yudhishtira.
I have told you everything that Bhishma, Drona, Vidura, Gandhari and
Dhritarashtra said in my presence. I did my very best to establish brotherly
feelings between yourselves and your cousins: for the preservation of the
race of Kuru and for the survival and prosperity of the Earth’s people.
When conciliation failed, I used the art of dissent by creating disunity
amongst his warriors, and I spoke about all your extraordinary powers and
feats.
When Duryodhana showed no interest in my attempts at conciliation, I
had all the kings gather together and tried to create dissension amongst
them. I showed them strange and terrible manifestations. I rebuked those
kings and ridiculed Duryodhana; I terrified Karna and upbraided Sakuni for
contriving the game of dice. I tried once more to disunite the kings with
intrigue; and again, I resorted to diplomacy. To unite the Kurus, and given
the uniqueness of the circumstances, I spoke also of charity.
I said, “As subjects of Dhritarashtra, Bhishma and Vidura, the sons of
Pandu will sacrifice their pride. You keep the kingdom; let them not have
any power; let it all be as Dhritarashtra, Bhishma and Vidura decide. Let the
kingdom be yours. Give just five villages to the Pandavas. Best of kings,
the Pandavas deserve your father’s support and protection.”
That malevolent one would still not yield; Duryodhana said he would
not give up even land that would cover the point of a needle. The only
method one can use against this evil man is danda, punishment. Why, even
as we speak, those kings have already marched to Kurukshetra.
I have told you everything that happened in the Kuru sabha. Pandava,
they will not give you your kingdom without battle. Death awaits them, and
they have chosen to become the cause of an apocalyptic war that will see
the very race of Kshatriyas perish.’”
CANTO 151
SAINYA NIRYANA PARVA
V aisampayana said, “Dharmaraja Yudhishtira now says to his brothers

in Krishna’s presence, ‘You have heard all that happened in the
Kuru sabha; you have understood what Krishna said. Purushottamas, array
our troops for battle.
Seven akshauhinis of fighting men have gathered to give us victory.
Listen to the names of the seven celebrated warriors who will lead these
akshauhinis. They are Drupada, Virata, Dhrishtadyumna, Sikhandin,
Satyaki, Chekitana and Bhimasena. These heroes are learned in the Vedas;
they are valiant, and they have all practised excellent vratas. They are
modest, conversant with politics, Maharathas and masters of mundane
weapons and astras of the gods.
Tell us now, Sahadeva, my wise brother, which warrior will be our
Senapati? Who will lead our seven akshauhinis in battle, who knows about
all the divisions of our forces? And who can withstand Pitamaha Bhishma,
who will be an unimaginable fire shooting arrows of flame. Tell us,
Narashardula, who you think is capable of being our Commander?’
Sahadeva says, ‘Mighty Virata, king of the Matsyas, is closely related to
us; he sympathises with our cause; he is powerful, knows dharma, is skilled
in weapons and irresistible in battle. We should rely on him to win our
kingdom back, for he can surely withstand Bhishma and all the other
Maharathas.’
The eloquent Nakula says, ‘There is one, who is an elder, who is learned
in the Shastras, whose family and birth are impeccable and who is widely
revered. He is blessed with modesty, strength and prosperity; he is deeply-
versed in all branches of learning; he has studied the astra shastra under
Rishi Bharadvaja; he is invincible; he is steadfast in dharma; he boldly
challenges Drona and Bhishma; he belongs to one of the foremost royal
houses; he is a renowned leader of armies; he resembles a tree of a hundred
branches, so many sons and grandsons surround him. Impelled by wrath,
this king, with his wife, performed the most arduous tapasya to effect the
death of Drona; this Kshatriya is an ornament of any sabha; this bull among
monarchs cherishes us as a father would. I speak of our father-in-law
Drupada, and he should have full command of our army.
I believe that he will withstand Drona and Bhishma in battle, for he is
Drona’s peer and as much a master of the devastras as the Acharya.’
After the two sons of Madri express their opinions, Indra’s son, Arjuna,
his father’s equal, says, ‘There is a mighty-armed, celestial man, who was
born from fire through austere tapasya and Rishis being gratified. He
emerged full-grown from a sacrificial fire armed with bow and sword, clad
in iron mail and mounted on a chariot, yoked to superb horses, the clatter of
whose wheels was as deep as the roar of massed thunderclouds. This
Kshatriya is endowed with lionish energy and strength, and leonine are his
shoulders, arms and chest; even his voice is like the lion’s roar. This
splendid hero is handsome with a chiselled face, perfect teeth, round
cheeks, long arms, sturdy thighs, large eyes, strong legs and a powerful
frame.
This prince, who cannot be pierced by weapons of any kind, and who
looks like an elephant with rent temples, is Dhrishtadyumna. He is truthful
in speech and has his senses under control; he was born to kill Drona.
It is Dhrishtadyumna who will resist Bhishma’s arrows, which look like
snakes with fiery tongues and strike with the fierceness of thunderbolts,
which are as swift as Yama’s dutas and which fall like flames consuming
everything they touch, and which so far only Parasurama Bhargava could
bear in battle. Rajan, I do not see any man other than Dhrishtadyumna who
will withstand Devavrata Bhishma.
Blessed with lightness of hand, a master of every vyuha of war, and
accoutred in impenetrable mail, this brilliant Kshatriya is like the lord of a
great elephant herd. Only Dhrishtadyumna is fit to be our Senapati.’
Bhima says, ‘O king, Rishis and Siddhas have said that Drupada’s son
Sikhandin was born to kill Bhishma. On the battlefield, with his devastras,
he looks like the illustrious Rama himself. I do not see the man who can
cleave Sikhandin’s kavacha when he stands in his chariot ready for battle.
No warrior, other than Sikhandin, can kill Bhishma. I think that only
Sikhandin is fit to be our Senapati.’
Yudhishtira says, ‘Rajan, Krishna knows the strength and weakness of
everything in the universe; he knows the mind of every man here. Be he a
Maharatha or not, be he old or young, let Krishna choose the man who will
lead my forces. Krishna is the bedrock of our victory or defeat. In him our
lives rest, our kingdom, our prosperity or adversity, our happiness or
sorrow. He is the Ordainer and Creator; in him dwells the fruition of our
endeavours. Yes, let Krishna name the leader of our force.
And let him tell us his choice now, for night draws near. Once Krishna
has chosen our Senapati, we will worship that man with offerings of
weapons, flowers and perfumes, and then under Krishna’s will, we will
march into battle.’
The lotus-eyed Krishna looks at Arjuna and says, ‘Rajan, I approve of
all the powerful warriors that each of you has named to be your Senapati.
All of them can withstand your enemies. They can affright Indra himself in
battle, let alone the greedy and evil sons of Dhritarashtra.
Mahabaho, for your sake, I made great efforts to prevent the war and
bring about peace. We have discharged our duty to dharma. Even the most
critical man cannot fault us. Foolish Duryodhana has lost all good sense; he
thinks that he is a great Maharatha, and, though weak with sins, imagines he
is strong.
Array your troops quickly, for war is the only way to retrieve your
kingdom. When they see Arjuna with Satyaki behind him, when they face
Abhimanyu and the five sons of Draupadi, and Virata, Drupada and our
other mighty kings, all of them lords of akshauhinis, Dhritarashtra’s sons
will not stand their ground.
Our army is great and invincible; it is inexorable. Our forces will raze
Dhritarashtra’s legions. And for our Senapati, I name Parantapa
Dhrishtadyumna.’”
CANTO 152
SAINYA NIRYANA PARVA CONTINUED
V aisampayana said, “When Krishna has spoken, all the kings are
filled with joy and shout out their delight. The troops swiftly begin
to array themselves, calling out Draw up! Draw up! The air is filled with
the whinnying of horses, the trumpeting of elephants, the rumble of chariot
wheels, the blare of conches and the booming of drums, making a
tremendous din. The Pandava host teems with chariots, foot-soldiers, horses
and elephants; and the invincible Pandava warriors bustle, putting on their
armour and shouting battle-cries; and they look like the turbulent Ganga in
spate, churning with fierce eddies and waves.
At the van of the army march Bhimasena, Madri’s two sons, Subhadra’s
son, Draupadi’s five sons and Dhrishtadyumna of the Prishata vamsa.
Behind Bhimasena march the Prabhadrakas and the Panchalas. The joyous
roar made by the marching hosts is like the boom of the sea at high tide on a
new moon night. Such is the tumult that it seems to reach the heavens, as
those warriors march in joy.
Kuntiputra Yudhishtira marches with them, accompanied by his chariots
and other conveyances to transport food, fodder for the animals, tents,
carriages, draught animals, treasury-chests, war-machines and weapons,
surgeons and physicians, even invalids and weak soldiers, attendants and
camp-followers.
Panchali remains in Upaplavya with the noblewomen of the household,
and surrounded by her servants and maids. To protect them and safeguard
their treasures, soldiers are posted in a circle around them and more men in
a vigilant, mobile outer ring. The Pandavas are ready to set out with their
awesome host. First they give gifts of cattle and gold to the Brahmanas,
who walk around them and utter blessings; and then the sons of Pandu
march, riding in jewelled chariots.
Behind Yudhishtira march the Kekaya princes, Dhrishtaketu, the prince
of Kasi, Sreniman, Vasudana and the invincible Sikhandin, all men in their
prime, wearing shimmering armour, bearing weapons and glittering with
rich jewels. Bringing up the rear are Virata, Dhrishtadyumna the son of
Yajnasena of the Somakas, Susarman, Kuntibhoja, Dhrishtadyumna’s sons,
forty-thousand chariots, five times as many horsemen, foot-soldiers
numbering ten times as many as those, and sixty-thousand elephants2.
Anadhrishti, Chekitana, Dhrishtaketu and Satyaki ride in formation around
Krishna and Arjuna.
Those warriors arrive at the field of Kurukshetra in battle-array and, like
a herd of bellowing bulls, the Parantapas blow their conches; Krishna and
Dhananjaya sound theirs as well. The Pandava army hears the thunderous
boom of the Panchajanya and rejoices. The Earth, the skies and the oceans
resound with the leonine roars of those warriors, mingled with the blare of
conches and drum beats.’”
2The actual numbers should far exceed these, given the composition of an akshauhini.
CANTO 153
V aisampayana said, “Yudhishtira orders his troops to set up camp on a

part of the field that is flat, cool and rich in fodder and fuel to burn.
At this delightful, fertile and auspicious site, where no cemeteries, temples,
shrines, asramas or other sanctified places will be violated, Yudhishtira
establishes his camp.
After the animals have rested, the Pandava monarch rises and,
surrounded by hundreds of thousands of kings, stands forth in joy that this
hour is upon them. Krishna and Arjuna range the perimeters of the field,
putting to flight hundreds of Dhritarashtra’s soldiers posted there as
sentries. Dhrishtadyumna and Satyaki supervise the measurement of the
camp boundaries. Krishna orders the soldiers to dig a moat around the camp
and to fill it by diverting the clear, pure water of the sacred lake Hiranvati,
where a holy asrama is located, and whose bed is free of sludge and
pebbles. He has soldiers stationed there as guards. Krishna instructs the
other kings who are Yudhishtira’s allies to establish their camps and erect
their tents, exactly as the Pandavas have done.
Lakhs of rich and impregnable tents are put up, separately for each of
the kings; and they look like palaces, replete with food, drink and fuel to
cook and warm the nights. Hundreds of skilled and experienced workmen
are engaged in creating and fortifying the camp; surgeons and physicians,
experts in their fields, are provided with everything they might need. In
special pavilions, veritable mountains of bows and bow-strings, armour,
weapons, honey, ghee, powdered lac, water, cattle-feed, chaff, coal, heavy
machines, spears, lances, battleaxes, breast-plates, swords and quivers are
heaped. Countless war elephants covered in armour and spiked mail, giant
tuskers that can crush lakhs of fighting men, are tethered to iron stakes and
pillars.
O Bhaarata, when they learn that the Pandavas have camped on that
field, numerous other kings arrive from their respective kingdoms, with
their legions and animals, to support the sons of Pandu. Many of the kings
who come to ensure the Pandavas’ success have practised strict
brahmacharya, imbibed consecrated Soma rasa and have given generous
gifts to Brahmanas at yagnas.”
CANTO 154
J anamejaya said, “What measures does Duryodhana take when he hears

that Yudhishtira has come with his army and set up camp on
Kurukshetra, ready for battle under Krishna’s protection, supported by
Virata and Drupada with their sons, surrounded by the Kekayas, the
Vrishnis and numberless other kings, and by countless mighty Maharathas,
and looking like glorious Indra surrounded by the Adityas?
O Mahatman, I want to hear in detail all that happened in Kurujangala
on that horrific occasion. The son of Pandu, with Krishna, Virata, Drupada,
the Panchala prince Dhrishtadyumna, the Maharatha Sikhandin and the
mighty Yudhamanyu, whom even the gods cannot withstand, could strike
fear into the hearts of all the Devas with Indra at their head. O you of
tapodhana, tell me everything that the Kurus and the Pandavas did, just as it
happened.”
Vaisampayana said, “When Krishna leaves the Kuru sabha, Duryodhana
says to Karna, Dusasana and Sakuni, ‘Kesava has gone to the sons of
Pritha, without fulfilling his goal. He is furious and will stir up the
Pandavas. He is anxious to see a war between me and Pandavas, and
Bhimasena and Arjuna are of the same mind. Yudhishtira, who has no
animosity, is influenced by Bhimasena and, besides, I have indeed
persecuted him and his brothers. Virata and Drupada, against whom I have
fought, are obedient to Krishna, and both have become leaders of
Yudhishtira’s forces. The war will be savage and terrible.
With meticulous care and heedfulness, make preparations for war. Let
all the kings who are my allies pitch their thousands of tents on
Kurukshetra. Their tents must be large, well protected and within easy reach
of plentiful water and fuel; their camps should be in positions where the
enemy cannot sever communications and supplies between them; they must
be stocked with a plenitude of all kinds of weapons and adorned with
streamers and flags. Have the road from our capital levelled in preparation
for the march of our armies. Make a proclamation today, at once, that we
will set out tomorrow.’
Saying Tathaastu, those great warriors make arrangements for the kings,
who hear Duryodhana’s command and rise from their thrones, now focusing
their Kshatriya wrath on the enemy.
The kings massage and flex their mace-like arms that dazzle with gold
bracelets and are smeared with sandalwood paste and daubed with fine
perfumes. With their lotus-like hands, they tie their turbans, fasten their
upper and lower garments and put on their ornaments. Maharathas
supervise the equipping of their chariots; syces harness the horses; mahouts
prepare the elephants. The warriors don kavachas made of gold and arm
themselves with every sort of weapon. Foot-soldiers pick up their weapons
and put on their gold-inlaid armour. And, O Bhaarata, Duryodhana’s capital
city Hastinapura, filled by these jubilant warlike millions, looks festive.
With the excitement of impending battle, the city swells like the ocean
at high tide; the vast crowds of the people are its current; the chariots,
elephants and horses are its fish; the tumult of conches and drums is the
ocean’s roar; the treasure chests are the jewels on the ocean floor; the
warriors’ ornaments and armour are its waves and their shining weapons are
its surf; the rows of houses are the mountains on the shore; and the masses
of chariots are the lakes on the sea bed.
His warriors shine on Duryodhana like the Moon over the ocean,
making him look like the ocean at moonrise.”
CANTO 155
V aisampayana said, “Yudhishtira remembers what Krishna said, and

says to him, ‘O Krishna, how could Duryodhana say what he did?
Ever glorious one, what should we do? How shall we conduct ourselves so
we do not swerve from Kshatriya dharma?
You know how Duryodhana, Karna and Sakuni think, and you know my
brothers’ and my mind as well. You have heard what Vidura and Bhishma
said, as well as Kunti’s wise message to us. But set all that aside, and you
tell us unequivocally, Krishna, what is best for us.’
In a voice that booms as deeply as thunderclouds, or great drumbeats,
Krishna says, ‘What I said to Duryodhana in his sabha was to his advantage
and in keeping with dharma and artha, but I got no response from the Kuru
prince, whose wisdom has been replaced by delusion and deceit. That
sinner does not pay the slightest heed to Bhishma, Vidura or to me. He
relies just on Karna, and assumes he has already won the war.
Black-hearted Duryodhana even wanted to make me his captive, but he
did not succeed. Neither Bhishma nor Drona said anything about that; and
all, except Vidura, follow Duryodhana’s lead.
Subala’s son Sakuni, Karna and Dusasana, all equally foolish,
constantly give Duryodhana evil counsel about what he should do. Is there
any use in my repeating everything that Duryodhana said? Suffice it to say
that the wretch bears you nothing but ill will. More sinfulness resides in
Duryodhana’s black heart than in all the kings and all the men in your army
put together. As for us, we do not want to make peace with the Kauravas at
the cost of losing what is ours. Yudhishtira, war is the only course open to
you.’
All the kings hear Krishna and wordlessly look at Yudhishtira, who
understands their silence and quietly tells Bhima, Arjuna and the twins to
see that their forces are arrayed for battle. His command passes around like
light, and a great tumult rises in the Pandava host and fills the warriors with
joy. Yudhishtira, however, sighs, seeing in his mind’s eye the impending
massacre of the undeserving.
He says to Bhima and Arjuna, ‘I went into exile in the forest and
suffered to avoid the very calamity that now overtakes us. The thing that we
strove for so intensely slips out of our grasp even as if because of our
striving for it. Instead, Kali Yuga comes to us uninvited. How are we going
to fight against our revered elders, whom we must not kill for any reason
whatever? What kind of victory shall we achieve by slaying our acharyas?’
Seeing Yudhishtira’s mood, Arjuna repeats everything Krishna has said,
and he says to his brother, ‘Rajan, you know and understand what Kunti
and Vidura said, which Krishna also affirms. I am certain that neither
Vidura nor Kunti would say anything that is adharma or sinful. Kuntiputra,
we cannot turn away from war.’
Krishna vouchsafes what Arjuna says, and then, O Rajan, with their
soldiers, Pandu’s sons pass the night in some hope, and even happiness,
their minds now resolved on war.”
CANTO 156
V aisampayana said, “When the night has passed, Duryodhana deploys

his army of eleven akshauhinis, in proper order. He divides men,
elephants, chariots and horses into three classes, superior, medium and
inferior, and sets them in the front, middle and rear of his ranks.
Well equipped and cared for is Duryodhana’s army: it has timber and
wooden planks for repairing damage to the chariots in the battle; large
containers of tiger-skins and other stiff leathers to encase the sides of the
chariots; and barbed javelins. Elephants and horses carry quivers full of iron
spears, and foot soldiers carry heavy wooden clubs. Flagstaffs fly vivid
banners; long, heavy arrows for bows are heaped in hillocks, as are all sorts
of nooses and lassoes, armour of many kinds and in every size, and short,
sharp clubs made of wood. Oil and sand; earthen pots filled with poisonous
snakes, pulverised lac and other inflammable materials; short spears with
tinkling bells; weapons of iron and machines for hurling hot oil, water and
stones; whistling hardwood clubs, wax, heavy mallets, spiked clubs,
plough-poles and poisoned arrows: all these are stocked in plenty. Long
syringes for spraying hot oil over the enemy, planks of cane, battle-axes,
forked lances, spiked gauntlets, axes and pointed iron-spikes; chariots
whose sides are covered with tiger- and leopard-skins; razor-sharp discs,
horns and every other weapon imaginable; kuthara axes, spades, cloths
soaked in oil and ghee: these, too, are stocked in endless store.
Handsome warriors glitter in their gold embroidered battle-dress; they
are radiant in jewels and gemstones. Kshatriyas of noble birth, in glittering
kavacha, all master horsemen, swordsmen and archers, ride in splendid
chariots, which carry stores of potent medicaments for wounds and are
drawn by horses that have rows of bells and pearls on their heads; they fly
fine banners on towering, richly ornamented flagstaffs; they bear loads of
shields, swords, spears, slender javelins that can be flung far and spiked
maces. Each ratha is yoked to four pedigreed horses; each carries a hundred
bows; and each has one sarathy for the pair of horses in front, and two for
the horses yoked to the wheels on either side; and all three charioteers are
men of the highest skill. These chariots, numbering thousands, protected
even like fortified towns and unassailable, are positioned on all sides.
The elephants, too, are decked with rows of bells, pearls and other
ornaments; on their backs each mighty beast carries seven warriors and, so,
look like jewelled hills. Two of the warriors are armed with hooks, two are
archers, two are expert swordsmen, and one is armed with a lance and
trident. Duryodhana’s army teems with countless war-elephants, which bear
loads of weapons and quivers filled with arrows, and all the great beasts are
devastating in battle.
Thousands of richly caparisoned horses fly their heroic riders’ flags.
Hundreds of thousands of these well-broken and superbly trained steeds
stand patient and docile before the war, neither restive nor whinnying in any
excitement, though knowing full well why they are here.
Hundreds of thousands of foot-soldiers of diverse races, wearing golden
ornaments and armour of diverse hues and kinds, armed with a variety of
weapons, have all come as part of the eleven teeming akshauhinis. Every
chariot is protected by ten elephants, every elephant by ten horses and every
horse by ten foot-soldiers. A large force is kept to regroup broken ranks,
and this reserve force has countless chariots each with fifty elephants
surrounding it; one hundred horsemen, and seven foot-soldiers follow each
horse.
One sena consists of five hundred chariots, five hundred elephants, one
thousand five hundred horses and two thousand five hundred foot-soldiers.
Ten senas make a pritana, and ten pritanas make a vahini. In common
parlance, however, the words sena, vahini, pritana, dhwajini, chamu,
akshauhini and varuthini are used in the same sense.
The brilliant Duryodhana arrays his force in this manner, and, between
the two sides there are eighteen akshauhinis, with seven in the Pandava
army and eleven for the Kauravas.
Two hundred and fifty men make a patti. Three pattis make a
senamukha or gulma. Three gulmas make a gana. In Duryodhana’s army,
there are hundreds and thousands of such ganas of able warriors, all
impatient for battle. Duryodhana selects from among them the bravest, most
intelligent men and makes these the leaders of his troops. He places an
akshauhini of troops under each of those Purushottamas—Kripa, Drona,
Salya, Jayadratha the king of the Sindhus, Sudakshina of the Kambojas,
Kritavarman, Drona’s son Aswatthama, Karna, Bhurisravas, Subala’s son
Sakuni and the mighty Bahlika. The king summons them every day and at
all hours, looks after them himself, talks to them and honours them
personally, making them and their followers eager to please him.”
CANTO 157
V aisampayana said, “With all his allied kings gathered round,

Duryodhana, with folded hands, says to Bhishma, ‘Without a great
Senapati, even the mightiest army can be crushed in battle like a swarm of
ants. Two intelligent men will have different opinions and are often jealous
of each other’s prowess.
Wise one, I have heard the story of how, once, the Brahmanas, fighting
under a banner of Kusa grass, clashed with the mighty Kshatriyas of the
Haihaya clan. Pitamaha, the Vaisyas and the Sudras followed the
Brahmanas, so that three varnas were on one side with the Kshatriyas alone
on the other. In the battles that ensued, the Kshatriyas vanquished the
combined force of the three varnas. The Brahmanas asked the Kshatriyas to
explain how this had happened.
The truthful ones among the Kshatriyas said to them, “In battle we obey
the orders of one man blessed with great intelligence, while your forces are
not united, but each follow different paths.”
The Brahmanas made one amongst themselves as their Senapati, a man
who was brave, a skilled tactician and diplomat, and they vanquished the
Kshatriyas. Those who appoint a seasoned, courageous, wise and sinless
man, devoted to the good of his men, always win battles.
You are equal to Usanas himself, and always look to my welfare; you
are invincible and devoted to dharma. Pitamaha, you be our Senapati. You
shine amongst us like the Sun among the planets, like the Moon over
fragrant herbs, like Kubera among the Yakshas, like Indra among the
Devas, like Meru among mountains, like Suparna among birds, like Kumara
among the Devas, like Havyavaha among the Vasus. If you protect us, as
Sakra protects the Devas, even the gods will not be able to defeat us. Ride
at the head of our forces, as Agni’s son Kumara leads the Devas; we will
follow you like calves behind a mighty bull.’
Bhishma says, ‘Mahabaho, what you say might be true, but the
Pandavas are as dear to me as you are and, although I will fight on your side
because I have given you my word, I must be mindful of their welfare as
well. There is no warrior on Earth who is my equal, except Arjuna. He is
brilliant, and is a great master of the devastras, but he will never engage me
in open war.
With all the astras I command I can destroy this universe of Devas,
Asuras, Rakshasas and Manavas in an instant, but Pandu’s sons are
invincible, even by me. But every day I will kill ten thousand enemy
warriors and denude the Pandava forces, as long as I am not killed in battle.
Then, there is one more condition that you must fulfil before I accept
the command of your forces. Either Karna or I shall fight, but not both
together. The Sutaputra always boasts and compares his prowess with
mine.’
Karna says, ‘O king, as long as Gangaputra Bhishma lives I will not
fight. After he is killed, I will fight Arjuna.’
Duryodhana makes Bhishma the Senapati of all his army and distributes
generous gifts all round. Installed in his command, Bhishma blazes in
splendour. The king orders musicians to joyfully beat drums and sound the
conches in their hundreds of thousands. Loud roars of soldiers and the
sounds of their animals fill the air. From the cloudless sky bloody showers
rain down, soaking the ground; whirlwinds and earthquakes shake the
Earth; horses whinny in fear, elephants trumpet, and the soldiers’ hearts
tremble in dread. Ethereal voices are heard, and falling meteors flash across
the sky; jackals howl hideously, foretelling a great cataclysm. A hundred
other dreadful omens appear at Bhishma’s installation as the Senapati of
Duryodhana’s army.
Duryodhana gives an abundance of cattle and gold to Brahmanas and
asks for their blessings. Basking in their benedictions and surrounded by his
troops, with Bhishma in front and his brothers alongside him, Duryodhana
marches to Kurukshetra with his immense host. He inspects the plain with
Karna and decides to camp on a level field, a pleasant and fertile place, rich
in grass and firewood, and it dazzles with that awesome force of men, their
armour, ornaments, gold and weapons, like Hastinapura.”
CANTO 158
J anamejaya said, “When Yudhishtira hears that Ganga’s mahatman son

Bhishma, first among Kshatriyas, Pitamaha of the Bhaaratas, foremost
of all regents, and Brihaspati’s equal in wisdom, deep as the ocean in
character, calm and unshakable as Himavat, like Brahma himself in nobility,
like the Sun in tejas; Bhishma who razes whole armies single-handedly,
even as Indra does, has been made Senapati of the Kaurava army on the eve
of the horrific war to be, the prospect of which makes the hair on men’s
bodies stand on end, until death strips him of the command, what did
Pandu’s mighty-armed son, Yudhishtira Dharmaraja say? What did Bhima
and Arjuna say? And what did Krishna say?”
Vaisampayana said, “When the news reaches him, Yudhishtira calls his
brothers and Krishna to him.
He says calmly, ‘Make your rounds among the men and take
precautions by putting on your armour. Our first encounter will be with our
Pitamaha. Inform the leaders of our seven akshauhinis.’
Krishna says, ‘Bharatarishabha, let it be as you say. I approve. Let us
summon the seven lords of our akshauhinis’
Yudhishtira summons Drupada, Virata, Satyaki bull of the Sini vamsa,
Dhrishtadyumna prince of the Panchalas, Dhrishtaketu, Sikhandin, and
Sahadeva lord of the Magadhas, all of whom are eager for battle.
Dhrishtadyumna, born from a sacrificial fire, is Senapati of the Pandava
forces, the Panchala prince born to kill Drona. Yudhishtira sets Arjuna, of
the curly hair, at the head of the other seven commanders, and gives
Krishna charge of being Arjuna’s sarathy and guide.
Upon learning that the war of the age is at hand, many other kings come
to the Pandava encampment to support them: Halayudha with Akrura,
Gada, Samba, Uddhava, Rukmini’s son Pradyumna, Ahuka’s sons,
Charudeshna and more. Mighty-armed and handsome Balarama arrives,
surrounded by the foremost Vrishni warriors, who resemble a herd of
mighty tigers, and he looks like Indra in the midst of the Maruts. He arrives
in his lion’s gait, wearing his customary blue silken robes, the corners of his
eyes red from drink, and looking like the peak of Mount Kailasa.
Dharmaraja Yudhishtira, Krishna of matchless effulgence, Vrikodara of
terrible deeds, Arjuna wielder of Gandiva and all the other kings there rise
from their places and offer worship to Balarama; and Yudhishtira touches
his hands lovingly in greeting. Rama, in return, greets them all, with
Krishna at their head and, respectfully saluting Virata and Drupada, he sits
beside Yudhishtira on the same seat.
After the other kings have resumed their seats, Rohini’s son Rama looks
at Krishna and begins to speak.
He says, ‘This great and brutal slaughter is inevitable. It is fate’s decree,
and it cannot be averted. I hope to see all of you, with your friends, come
safely and uninjured out of this war. Without doubt, all the Kshatriyas of the
world who are assembled here have reached the end of their days. This war
without precedent, this war like no other will cover the Earth with flesh and
blood.
Many times I said to Krishna, “Madhusudana, be impartial to all that are
related to us in the same way. As are the Pandavas to us, so is Duryodhana.
Give Dhritarashtra’s son the same help you do Yudhishtira. Indeed, he
always asks for it.”
However, for your sake, Krishna ignored what I said. For Arjuna’s sake,
he has devoted himself entirely to your cause. I am certain that a Pandava
victory is what he wants. As for me, I dare not face the world without
Krishna by my side. That is why I aspire to whatever Krishna seeks to
achieve. However, Bhima and Duryodhana are both my disciples and I love
them equally. Hence, I will go to the tirtha of the Saraswati to bathe, for I
cannot be indifferent to the slaughter of the Kauravas.’
Mahabaho Balarama takes leave of the Pandavas and, preventing
Krishna from following him, sets out on his journey to the sacred river.”
CANTO 159
V aisampayana said, “At this time, there comes to the Pandava camp
Bhishmaka’s son Rukmi, one of the most truthful men in the world.
The Rajarishi Bhishmaka, also named Hiranyaroman, is Indra’s friend; he is
the most illustrious of the descendants of Bhoja; and he is the ruler of the
whole southern country. Rukmi was a disciple of that lion among the
Kimpurushas, Drona, who lived on Gandhamadana Mountain. He learnt the
entire astra shastra of four divisions from his guru, and also obtained the
celestial bow Vijaya, which once belonged to Indra, and which is as
powerful as the Gandiva and Krishna’s Saranga.
Three celestial bows were owned by the lords of heaven: Varuna owned
the Gandiva, the Vijaya belonged to Indra, and Vishnu the Saranga; all of
them struck fear in the hearts of enemy warriors. Indra’s son Arjuna had the
Gandiva from Agni after he burnt down Khandava Vana, and Rukmi had
the Vijaya from Drona. Krishna obtained the Saranga when he baffled the
Asura Mura’s paasas, deadly nooses, slew that demon, and then vanquished
Bhumi’s son Naraka Asura to recover Aditi’s jewelled earrings, sixteen
thousand exquisite women and various jewels and gems of beauty and
power.
Rukmi, who has the Vijaya, whose twang is like the roar of
thunderclouds, comes to the Pandavas, and fills the universe with dread.
The heroic Rukmi was arrogant of his might and, unable to tolerate
Krishna’s abduction of his sister Rukmini during her swayamvara, he set
out in pursuit, swearing that he would not return to his city without killing
Krishna. With a large army of four kinds of forces, clad in beautiful mail
and armed with every kind of weapon, and looking like the swollen Ganga,
Rukmi went after Krishna.
When he overtook Krishna, despite the power of every punya that
tapasya can possibly confer, Rukmi was routed. In shame, he did not to
return to his capital Kundina, but built a great new city for himself in the
very place where Krishna vanquished him, and he called it Bhojataka. He
filled the city with innumerable soldiers, elephants and horses, and it
became renowned throughout the world.
Now, this great Kshatriya and tejasvin enters the Pandava camp clad in
mail, bearing many bows, lances, swords and quivers, and with an
akshauhini of troops. He marches with his vast army under a flag as bright
as the Sun, and comes haughtily before the Pandavas, expressing his wish
to serve under Krishna’s command. Yudhishtira comes forward and pays his
respects, and the Pandavas worship him and praise him. He salutes them in
return and rests for a while with his troops.
Then he addresses Arjuna grandly in the presence of the assembled
Kshatriyas, saying ‘If, Panduputra, you are afraid, I am here to support you
in battle. Your enemies will not withstand me. No man in this world is my
equal in prowess. I will slay whichever of your enemies you ask me to. I
will kill Drona, Kripa, Bhishma or Karna. Let all the kings who are here
step aside; I will annihilate all your enemies myself and make a gift of the
Earth to you.’
When Rukmi says this in the presence of Yudhishtira, Krishna, their
allied kings and all the others in the camp, Arjuna looks at Krishna and
Yudhishtira and replies, smiling, ‘Having been born into the Kuru vamsa,
and especially being a son of Pandu; having had Drona for my guru and
having Krishna for my ally; and having the bow Gandiva for my weapon,
how can I be afraid?
O Kshatriya, when I fought the mighty Gandharvas to free Duryodhana,
who was there to help me? When countless Devas and Danavas united
against me in Khandava vana, who fought by my side? When I fought the
Nivatakavachas and the Kalakeyas, who was my ally? When I fought
countless Kurus outside Virata’s city, who helped me in battle?
I, who have paid due obeisance to Rudra, Sakra, Vaisravana, Yama,
Varuna, Pavaka, Kripa, Drona and Krishna before going to war; I, who
wield the Gandiva; I, who have twin quivers that well with inexhaustible
arrows and all the devastras to command, how can a man like me say to my
father Indra, who wields the Vajra, words of shame: that I am afraid?
Mahabaho, I am never afraid, nor have I any need of your help. Go away or
stay; do as you please.’
Rukmi takes his ocean-like army and goes to Duryodhana. He says the
same thing to Duryodhana, but that proud king spurns him scornfully, as the
Pandavas did. Thus, two great Kshatriyas take no part in the war on
Kurukshetra—Balarama and Rukmi.
After Rohini’s son Rama has set out on his tirtha-yatra, after
Bhishmaka’s son Rukmi has left, the sons of Pandu sit together once more
in consultation. Yudhishtira presides over this meeting attended by many
kings, and that conclave dazzles like the sky spangled with stars with the
Moon in their midst.”
CANTO 160
J anamejaya said, “O Brahmanarishabha, after the troops have been

arrayed on Kurukshetra, what did the Kauravas do, impelled as they
were by destiny?
Vaisampayana said, “O Bharatarishabha, when his troops have been
arrayed, Dhritarashtra says to Sanjaya, ‘Come, Sanjaya, and tell me in the
fullest detail all that is happening in the Kuru and Pandava camps. I am
convinced that destiny reigns over effort, for, although I understand that this
war will lead only to ruin, I cannot restrain my son, who rejoices in
gambling and considers deceit to be wisdom. I understand all this, yet I can
do nothing to prevent the slaughter that will be.
O Suta, I clearly see my son’s defects, but when I am with him my mind
turns away from dharma. Sanjaya, what will be must be. To sacrifice of
one’s body in battle is the duty of every Kshatriya, and it is praiseworthy.’
Sanjaya says, ‘What you say is true, but you cannot blame Duryodhana
entirely. Listen to me, O king.
The man who comes to evil because of his own sins can never impute
the fault to either time or the gods. The man who perpetrates great evil
deserves to die. The sons of Pandu silently bore all the injuries inflicted on
them during the game of dice, looking only to you for refuge, which you
denied them.
Let me tell you now, Rajan, of the general carnage that stalks us close,
the bloody massacre of horses, elephants and kings of measureless tejas.
Listen patiently, wise one, to the destruction of the world as we know it that
this war of wars will inexorably fetch; and the only conclusion you can
come to is that man is never the agent of what he helplessly does, right or
wrong.
Like a wooden puppet, man is not the doer. However, there are three
differing opinions about this. Some say that God ordains everything; some
say that we act out of free will; and some say that all our actions are a result
of our past lives. Now hear about the evil that is upon us.’”
CANTO 161
ULUKA DUTA GAMANA PARVA
“S anjaya says, ‘Rajan, after the great-souled Pandavas established

their camp by the Hiranvati, the Kauravas too set up theirs.
Duryodhana deployed his troops; he paid homage to all the kings on his
side; he set up outposts and deployed soldiers in these to protect the camp.
Then he summoned Karna, Dusasana and Sakuni. First he consulted with
Karna and next with his brother Dusasana and Sakuni together. He
summoned Uluka and spoke to him privately.
He said to Uluka, “O Uluka, you are the son of a master of dice. Go
now to the Pandavas and Somakas and repeat what I say to Yudhishtira, in
Krishna’s hearing.
Say to him, ‘The long awaited war between the Kurus and the Pandavas
is at last upon us. The time has come, Kuntiputra, to make good the boasts
you roared out with your brothers and Krishna, which Sanjaya repeated to
me in the Kuru sabha. Now let us see you actually do everything you so
glibly said you would.
How does your virtuous character allow you, with your brothers, the
Somakas and the Kekayas, to fix your heart on a sinful war? How can you
want the destruction of the very world when you should be the dispeller of
all people’s fears?
O Bharatarishabha, this is the sloka, which Prahlada chanted when the
gods took his kingdom from him: O Devas, the man who always flies the
flag of dharma, whose sins are hidden, is like the cat in this story. Listen to
that excellent story Narada told my father.
O king, long ago, a wicked cat began to live on the banks of the Ganga,
sitting still and with his arms raised above his head in the way of a tapasvin.
Wanting to lull the other creatures there into trusting him, he announced
that he had indeed begun to practice tapasya and had purified his heart. In
time, the birds in that place trusted him and came to praise him. Seeing the
feathered ones come to worship him, the cat, bird-eater that he was,
considered the reason for his tapasya already accomplished.
Time passed, and mice began to come there as well, and they too saw
him as a virtuous creature practising tapasya. Firmly convinced of the cat’s
virtue, they, who had many enemies, decided to make the cat their matulan,
their maternal uncle, and ask his protection for the young and old of their
kind.
They went to the cat and said, “With your grace, we want to live our
lives happily and without fear. You are our friend, and we place ourselves
under your protection. You are devoted to dharma and always engaged in
acquiring punya. Wise One, protect us in the same way as Indra Vajradhari
does the Devas.”
The cat answered the mice, “I do not see how my tapasya and this
protection you ask for are connected. However, I am your well-wisher and I
cannot refuse what you ask. All of you must obey me and do what I say. My
tapasya has weakened me I and cannot move from where I sit. Everyday,
you must carry me to the river for my ablutions.”
The mice agreed and sent all their old and young ones to attend on the
cat. That sinful feline began feeding on the mice and became fat, healthy
and strong. The mice reduced in numbers, while the cat grew fatter daily.
One day, all the mice met together and remarked that their uncle grew fatter
by the day, while their numbers decreased.
A wise mouse called Dindika told his entire tribe to go to the riverside
together and said that he would follow with their uncle the cat. They did as
Dindika said, for his words seemed grave and important to them. The cat
knew nothing of this and ate Dindika that day.
When Dindika did not appear at the river, the worst suspicions of the
other mice were confirmed. A very old mouse called Kilika said to them,
“Our uncle, the cat, does not really want to acquire punya. He is a
hypocrite, and pretends to be our friend while he is really our enemy. The
excreta of a creature that lives only on fruit and roots never contains hair or
fur; and look how he grows fatter by the day, and our numbers dwindle. We
have not seen Dindika for eight days.”
The mice fled in all directions and the cat went back to where he had
first come from.
Sinful Yudhishtira, you are like that cat. You treat your kinsmen in the
same way as the cat did the mice. You have honeyed words of dharma on
your lips, but your actions are a sinner’s. Your devotion to the shastras and
your mildness is only for show. You are no Brahmana. Stop your hypocrisy,
O king, and be a Kshatriya; and you might deserve to be called Dharmaraja.
Win the Earth through your prowess and give gifts to Brahmanas and
offerings to your Pitrs, as you ought. Look to the welfare of your mother,
whom you have distressed for many years; dry her tears and honour her
with victory over your enemies in war. You have humbly asked for only
five villages, and we refused even that. All we wanted was to anger you
sons of Pandu and provoke a war.
Remember that we dismissed the cowardly, treacherous Vidura because
of you; remember, also, how we tried to burn you alive in the house of lac;
at least now, be a man and fight, as you told Krishna you would when he set
out from Upaplavya for the Kuru sabha. You sent a message to us through
him, telling us that you are prepared both for peace or for war. The time for
war has come, Yudhishtira, and I am ready for it. What better way is there
for a Kshatriya to acquire punya than battle?
You were born a Kshatriya; your fame has spread across the world; you
have got weapons from Drona and Kripa; why then, Bharatarishabha, do
you depend on Krishna, who is not in any way better than you by birth, as a
Kshatriya, or in might?”
Uluka, in the presence of the Pandavas say to Krishna, “For your own
sake, as well as for the Pandavas, face me in battle as best you can. Use
your powers of maya and take the form which you took in the Kuru sabha
and, with Arjuna, fight me. A conjuror’s tricks can be frightening but only
provoke rage in the man who stands ready for war. I, too, can use maya,
sorcery, to fly into the sky, to plunge into the bowels of the Earth, to ascend
into Indraloka and to assume many forms. However, it is not by terrifying
another that a man attains his goal. The Creator brings all creatures under
his control by the power of his will alone, and not by conjuring tricks.
You say that you will confer absolute sovereignty on the sons of Pritha
by annihilating Dhritarashtra’s sons in battle. Sanjaya brought me this
message from you. You also said that when we declare war against Arjuna,
it will also be against you. Keep your word now and put forth all your
might for the Pandavas. Show us that you can be a man.
The man, who knows his enemy’s faults and, using his manliness,
makes them suffer, is truly a man. Your fame in the world is unjustified.
The truth will soon be known that there are those in the world who appear
to be manly but are really eunuchs. You were Kansa’s slave, and it does not
befit me as a king to don armour to fight you.”
O Uluka, next give this message to that stupid, ignorant and gluttonous
Bhimasena, who is like a bull without horns, a bullock even. Say to him,
“Prithaputra, you became a cook and called yourself Ballava in Virata’s
city, because of what I did to you. Let the vow you swore before me in the
Kuru sabha not be a lie. Drink Dusasana’s blood if you dare. You have often
boasted that you will kill all Dhritarashtra’s sons in battle. The time has
come to make good that boast. Bhaarata, you always deserve to be plied
amply with food and drink, but there is a great difference between cooking
food and fighting a war. Fight now; be a man. You will lay down your life
and fall on the field, clutching your mace. And all your boasts in the Kuru
sabha shall be proved vain, Vrikodara.”
Then, Uluka, say to Nakula, “Fight us, Bhaarata; we want to see your
manliness, your reverence for Yudhishtira and your hatred for me.
Remember all the suffering that Draupadi has endured.”
Next, say to Sahadeva in the presence of the assembled monarchs,
“Fight now, to the best of your little prowess. Remember all your sorrows
and meet us on the field.”
Then say to Virata and Drupada, “Since the beginning of time, slaves,
however accomplished, have never fully understood their masters; nor have
wealthy kings been able to understand their slaves. Possibly, you pit
yourselves against me assuming that I have done nothing praiseworthy.
Unite now and fight to kill me; do your utmost to accomplish your goal,
which is the same as the Pandavas’.”
Say to Dhrishtadyumna prince of the Panchalas, “Your time has also
come, and your end is near. When you face Drona in battle, you will
discover the harsh truth. Yet, fight for your friends, your kinsmen, and die
trying to accomplish the impossible.”
Next, Uluka, say to Sikhandin, and emphasise these words,
“Gangaputra Bhishma, foremost of all bowmen, will not kill you, since you
became a woman once. So fight fearlessly and put forth your best in battle.
We want to see your prowess.”’
Duryodhana laughs aloud and continues, saying to Uluka, ‘Address
Arjuna once more, in Krishna’s hearing. Say to him, “Kshatriya, either
vanquish us and rule the world, or submit to us and lay down your life on
the field of war. Remember how you suffered when you were banished
from the kingdom; recall the sorrows you endured whilst you lived in the
forest; remember Krishnaa’s torment; and be a man, Pandava. The time has
come to fulfil the purpose for which a Kshatriya woman gives birth to a
son.
Display your might in battle; show us your tejas, your courage, your
manliness, your dexterity and speed with weapons; appease your wrath. Is
there a Kshatriya whose heart would not have broken had he been driven
from his kingdom, as you have, tormented with grief and despondent in
long exile? Is there a man born into a noble house, who is brave and not
covetous of another’s wealth, who would not be enraged when his ancient
kingdom, handed down through the generations, is attacked and seized?
Translate your lofty speeches into deeds. Good men regard the man who
boasts without doing anything as worthless. Recover your kingdom and
your wealth, which are now in the hands of your enemies. These are the
twin objectives of a Kshatriya who wants war; so, Dhanajaya, show us your
might.
We defeated you at a game of dice and we dragged Krishnaa into the
sabha. This alone should have been enough fuel to ignite the wrath of a real
warrior. You have spent twelve long years in the forests, exiled from your
home; and you have spent a year in Virata’s service. Remember the pangs
of banishment, the hardships of your life in the vana, the torment that
Draupadi has suffered, and show yourself to be a man. Vent your righteous
anger on those who spoke cruel words to you and your brothers, for this is
the way of a Kshatriya.
Express your rage; display your might and your knowledge; show us
your lightness of hand. Fight, Kaunteya, and prove your manhood. You
have invoked your astras; the field of Kurukshetra has been cleared; your
horses are strong and fleet; your soldiers have received ample wages. With
Krishna as your sarathy, fight us.
Why do you brag even before you have encountered Bhishma in battle?
You are like the fool who boasts of scaling the summit of Gandhamadana
before beginning to climb it. How can you eye your kingdom without
defeating the invincible Karna, or Salya, or Drona that mightiest of
Maharathas, our Acharya who is Indra’s equal in battle? How vain is your
fond desire to conquer the effulgent Drona, commander of armies, teacher
of the Vedas and archery, master of both bodies of knowledge, open and
hermetic, foremost in the arts of war, unshakeable as a mighty tower, whose
strength knows no diminution. It is like dreaming of the wind moving
Mount Meru! If what you wish for does come to pass, the wind will blow
Sumeru away, heaven will fall to the Earth and the yugas will change their
order and duration.
Which man, Arjuna or anyone else, could hope to escape with his life if
he dares fight Drona? What man who walks the Earth could escape alive
after facing Drona and Bhishma’s arrows in battle? Like a frog in a well,
you do not see the vastness of the mighty armies of the countless kings who
are with me, the armies that look like the celestial host, and which they
protect just as the Devas do their forces. This army is ready for war and as
difficult to ford as the Ganga; the kings of the East, the West, the South and
the North lead it; as do the Kambojas, the Sakas, the Khasas, the Salwas,
the Matsyas, the Kurus of the middle country, the Mlechchas, the Pulindas,
the Dravidas, the Andhras and the Kanchis.
Foolish Arjuna, how can you dare fight against me when I, Duryodhana,
stand in the midst of my elephant legion? We will test your inexhaustible
quivers, your chariot that Agni gave you and your ape banner. Do not brag,
Arjuna, come and fight. Why so much vaunting? Victory in battle comes
from fighting, never from vainglorious boasting. If boastfulness could
indeed garner success, all men would achieve their objectives, for who is
there that cannot boast?
I know that you have Krishna for your ally. I know that your Gandiva is
six cubits long. I know that there is no warrior equal to you. Yet, despite all
this, I still hold your kingdom. A man can never win success merely by
virtue of his lineage. It is Brahma alone who, if he wills it, can turn the tide
of misfortune. For the past thirteen years, I have enjoyed sovereignty while
you wept. I will kill you, your brothers and your kinsmen and continue to
do so.
Where was your Gandiva when you were put up as a stake in the dice
game and we won you for a slave? What happened to Bhima’s might then?
Your deliverance came neither from Bhimasena armed with his mace, nor
from you with your Gandiva, but from the faultless Draupadi. It was the
daughter of Prishata’s house who rescued you all who had been bound in
slavery to work as menials. You were all like de-husked sesame seeds, and
covered by nothing but shame.
Partha, did you not later wear a woman’s braid whilst living in Virata’s
city, and was Bhima not exhausted by cooking in Virata’s kitchens? Is this
what you call manliness or being a Kshatriya? Arjuna, you became a
eunuch, covered yourself in hip- and waist-chains, braided your hair and
taught young girls to dance. All from fear of fighting us. This is how
Kshatriyas punish lesser Kshatriyas.
I will not give up my kingdom out of fear of you or of Krishna. Fight,
with Kesava as your ally. Neither deception, nor conjuror’s tricks, nor
jugglery can frighten the Kshatriya who is armed for battle. Instead, these
pretty tricks will only provoke his wrath. A thousand Krishnas and a
hundred Arjunas will fly from me in panic and in all directions. Encounter
Bhishma in war; you will find it is like butting the hill with your head or
swimming across the vast, deep sea.
My army is like the ocean; Saradwata’s son is its sharks, Vivimsati its
huge snake; Bhishma is its immeasurably powerful tide, Drona as its
unconquerable alligator; Karna and Salya are its fish and whirlpools, the
king of Kambojas is the badavamukha, the horse-headed creature that spits
fire from his mouth; Brihadbala is its fierce waves, Somadatta’s son its
whale, Yuyutsu and Durmarshana its waters, Bhagadatta its wind; Srutayus
and Hridika’s son is its gulfs and bays, Dusasana its current; Sushena and
Chitrayudha are its hippopotami and crocodiles, Jayadratha its submarine
rocks; Purumitra its deeps and Sakuni its shores!
Plunging into this surging ocean with its inexhaustible waves of
weapons, you will see all your relatives and friends killed, and you will
repent. Then your heart will turn away from the thought of ruling the Earth,
like the heart of a sinful man turning away from hope of heaven. Indeed, for
you to win a kingdom is as impossible as for one without tapasya punya to
attain Swarga,” said Duryodhana to Uluka,’ says Sanjaya.”
CANTO 162
ULUKA DUTA GAMANA PARVA CONTINUED
“S anjaya says, ‘The gambler’s son Uluka went to the Pandava camp
and, presenting himself to the Pandavas, addressed Yudhishtira
and said, “You know full well the role of envoys and how they speak. So
you must not be angry with me for repeating Duryodhana’s words exactly
as he told me to.”
Yudhishtira said, “You have nothing to fear, Uluka. Tell us without any
anxiety what the greedy and short-sighted Duryodhana thinks.”
In the midst of the illustrious Pandavas, the Srinjayas, of Krishna of the
great renown, of Drupada and his sons, of Virata and of all the kings, Uluka
delivered Duryodhana’s message.
Sakuni’s son said, “This is what the noble king Duryodhana, in the
presence of all the Kuru heroes, instructed me to tell you. Listen to what he
said, O Yudhishtira.
‘We beat you at dice and dragged Draupadi into the sabha. Any real
Kshatriya would be enraged at this. You were exiled to the forest for twelve
years, and then lived for a year in Virata’s service. Remember the reasons
for your wrath—your exile, and our shaming of Krishnaa—and be a
Kshatriya, O Pandava. Despite his weakened state, Bhima made a vow;
now let him drink Dusasana’s blood. You have worshipped your weapons
and invoked the deities who preside over each of them. The field of
Kurukshetra is clear; the roads are smooth and your horses are well-fed.
Begin the battle tomorrow, with Kesava as your ally.
Why do you boast glibly without having faced Bhishma in battle? Like
the fool who brags of his intention to climb Gandhamadana, without having
set foot on it, you want sovereignty without having vanquished invincible
Karna and Salya the mightiest of men, who is equal to Indra in combat.
Salya is a preceptor of the Vedas and archery, having attained the
ultimate levels in both branches of learning. You wish, in vain, to vanquish
the illustrious Drona, who fights from the front. He is infinitely strong,
unshakeable. We have never heard of the mountains of Sumeru being stirred
by the wind! But the wind will blow away Sumeru; Swarga will fall down
on Bhumi and the very yugas will be reversed if what you said to me comes
to pass. Could any man escape with his life after facing Parantapa Drona in
war, even if he fought from on the back of an elephant, a horse, or from a
chariot?
What creature that walks on Earth could escape with his life, if Drona
and Bhishma attack him in battle and pierce him with their terrible arrows?
You are like a frog in a well, that you do not see the awesome massed
armies of kings, like the very host of the gods. My legions teem with the
kings of the East, West, South and North; with Kambojas, Sakas and
Khasas; with Salvas, Matsyas, Kurus of the middle country, Mlechchas,
Pulindas, Dravidas, Andhras and Kanchis. Indeed, so many nations ready
for battle are uncrossable like the swollen tide of Ganga. O, foolish cousin,
how will you fight me when I take the field with my legion of elephants?’”
Having repeated Duryodhana’s words to Yudhishtira, Uluka turned to
Arjuna and delivered the message Duryodhana sent to him:
“‘Arjuna, why do you brag so much? Fight, instead. Victory comes
from deeds. A war is never won by boasts. If enterprises could succeed just
by boasting, then all men would achieve their goals, for who cannot brag? I
know that you have Krishna for your ally. I know that your Gandiva is six
cubits long. I know that there is no warrior equal to you. Knowing all this, I
still hold your kingdom. A man never wins success merely because of his
lineage. It is the Supreme Ordainer alone who, by his will, turns hostility
into friendship and subservience.
For the past thirteen years have I enjoyed sovereignty, while you were
sunk in grief. And I shall continue to rule, after killing you and your people.
Where was your Gandiva when you were made a slave won at dice? Where,
Phalguna, was Bhimasena’s might then? Your deliverance came neither
from Bhimasena with his mace, nor from you with the Gandiva, but from
the faultless Krishnaa. It was she, the daughter of Prishata’s house, who
delivered you all, who were bound to us in slavery. I think of you as husks,
sesame seeds without kernels, eunuchs. Did you not wear a braid while
living in Virata’s city? Bhimasena tired himself out, working as a cook in
Virata’s kitchens. Is this evidence of your manliness, Kuntiputra? To avoid
facing me in battle, you braided your hair and taught girls how to dance.
This is how Kshatriyas punish Kshatriyas.
I will not give up the kingdom, Arjuna, from fear of Krishna or of you.
Fight us, with him as your ally. Neither deception, nor conjuror’s tricks, nor
jugglery can affright a Kshatriya armed for battle; on the contrary, these
only ignite his wrath. A thousand Krishnas and a hundred Arjunas will fly
from me in all directions. Encounter Bhishma in combat; it is like shattering
the mountains with your head. Penetrate my army; it is like swimming
across the vast and deep ocean. My army is a veritable ocean; Saradwata’s
son is its large fish, Vivimsati its smaller fish, Brihadbala its waves,
Somadatta’s son its whale, Bhishma its mighty current, Drona its
unconquerable alligator, Karna and Salya its fish and whirlpools, Kamboja
its horse’s head vomiting fire, Jayadratha its submarine rock, Purumitra its
depth, Durmarshana its waters and Sakuni its shores.
When, having plunged into this swelling ocean with its inexhaustible
waves of weapons, you wilt from fatigue and have all your relatives and
friends slain, then repentance will grip your heart. Then your heart will turn
away, Partha, from the thought of ruling the Earth, like the heart of a sinner
giving up hope of heaven. Indeed, for you to win a kingdom to rule is as
impossible as for a man without any tapasya to attain Swarga,’” said
Uluka,’ says Sanjaya.”
CANTO 163
“S anjaya says, ‘O Rajan, Uluka repeated these words to Arjuna,

provoking him who is like a venomous snake further. The
haughty, scornful message Uluka brought goaded the already incensed
Pandavas beyond endurance.
They began to flex their mighty arms and, truly like angry cobras,
looked at one another, fire in their eyes. Bhimasena, with his head bent
down and his breath hissing like a great hamadryad’s, turned his blood-red
eyes to look at Krishna. Krishna saw how Bhima suffered and spoke to
Uluka.
He said, “Go now, Uluka, and tell Duryodhana that we have heard and
understood his words. Let it be as he wishes.”
Having said this, Krishna looked once more at the wise Yudhishtira.
Then in the presence of all the Srinjayas, of Draupadi, of Drupada and his
sons, of Virata and of all the other kings, Uluka yet again repeated what he
had already said to Arjuna, like prodding a great and already furious serpent
with a stick.
And he repeated the same message again to Krishna and the others.
Arjuna’s mighty body quivered with rage, and sweat beaded his brow.
The kings saw him like that and were afraid; and the Pandavas’ Maharathas
were greatly agitated to listen repeatedly to Duryodhana’s mocking
message. They were all men of firm equanimity, but now they burned with
anger. Dhrishtadyumna, Sikhandin, Maharatha Satyaki, the five Kekaya
brothers, the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha, the sons of Draupadi, Abhimanyu,
Dhrishtaketu, Bhimasena and the twins jumped up from where they sat,
their eyes crimson, swinging their splendid arms that were decked with red
sandalwood-paste and golden ornaments. Knowing what was in their hearts,
as Bhima sprang up he gnashed his teeth and wet the corners of his mouth
with his tongue. Beside himself with anger, he clenched his huge fists and,
turning his furious gaze on Uluka, spoke to him.
He said menacingly, “Fool, we have heard Duryodhana’s vile message,
sent to taunt us. Now listen to what I say, and, in the hearing of the Suta’s
son and your black-hearted father Sakuni, repeat it to Duryodhana, who
stands protected in the midst of his many Kshatriyas. Say to that sinner
from me:
‘We always want to please our elder brother. That is why we tolerated
everything you did to us. Do you not see this as being fortunate for you? It
was for only the good of our entire vamsa that Yudhishtira Dharmaraja sent
Krishna to the Kurus to try and make peace. But fate drives you to long for
death. Come, fight us! Tomorrow, there will be war. I have sworn to kill you
and your brothers. Sinful fool, do not have the slightest doubt that I will
fulfil my vow.
Varuna’s abode, the ocean, might suddenly flood the continents; and the
mountains might split open, but what my oath will never prove false. Even
if Yama, Kubera, or Rudra himself helps you, the Pandavas will still
accomplish what they have sworn to do. I will drink Dusasana’s blood as I
have sworn. I vow that I will kill any Kshatriya who comes to me in anger,
even if he comes with Bhishma himself before him. All I have said in the
Kuru sabha will come to pass. This I swear by my very soul.’”
When Bhima finishes, Sahadeva, whose eyes have also turned red as
plums, spoke before the assembled forces, in the ringing voice of a great,
proud Kshatriya.
He said to Uluka, “Listen well, sinner, to what I say, and convey this
message to your father:
‘No difference would ever have arisen between us and the Kurus, if
Dhritarashtra had not befriended you. You were born an embodiment of
dissent and to be the instrument of the destruction of Dhritarashtra’s vamsa
and of the whole world.’
O Uluka, from the time we were born your evil father always tried to do
us injury. I will cross the sea of malice and first kill you before his eyes, and
then kill him in the sight of all the warriors.”
Hearing Bhima and Sahadeva, Arjuna smiled and said to Bhima,
“Bhimasena, those who have incited your enmity will not live. Even if they
think they are safe in their homes now, they will surely be caught in death’s
meshes. My brother, Uluka does not deserve to be spoken to harshly. What
is his fault, who is only a messenger, and merely repeats what he has been
instructed to say?”
Then Arjuna Mahabaho addressed his allies and well-wishers, led by
Dhrishtadyumna, saying, “You have heard the foul message of the sinful
son of Dhritarashtra, sent to insult Krishna and especially me, and you are
full of anger because you wish us well. Before Krishna’s might and yours,
all the Kshatriyas of the Earth together, count for nothing. With your leave I
will give Uluka a response to his message, to take back to Duryodhana:
‘When tomorrow comes, I will keep myself at the head of my legions,
and answer to your vile message with the Gandiva, for it is only eunuchs
who respond in words:’”
And all the kings applauded Dhananjaya. Now Yudhishtira Dharmaraja
spoke respectfully to the friendly kings, to each according to his age and as
befitted his rank; and, finally, to Uluka he gave this message for
Duryodhana.
Yudhishtira said, “No good king should patiently bear an insult. I have
heard what you had to say; this is my reply.”
Bharatottama, in response to Duryodhana’s message Yudhishtira, eyes
red with rage, breath hissing like a serpent’s, tongue wetting the corners of
his mouth, and trembling with anger, looked at Krishna and his brothers and
spoke both gently and strongly to Uluka.
Flexing his great arms, he said to the gambler’s son, “Go, Uluka, and
say to Duryodhana, that ungrateful, evil embodiment of violence, that
wretch of his race:
“Malignant one, you always hated us Pandavas and treated us with
deceit. The man who relies on his own strength, calls his enemies to battle,
displays his prowess and makes good his boasts is a true Kshatriya. Be a
Kshatriya and face us in war. Do not come to battle with those whom we
revere at your head. Kaurava, rely on your own might and on that of your
servants when you summon the sons of Pritha to war; be a Kshatriya in
every way. He who declares war on his enemies, counting on the might of
others, is a eunuch.
You think highly of yourself, but you rely on the might of others. Being
so weak and incapable yourself, why do you roar at us so grandly?”
Krishna said, “O Son of Sakuni, take my words, as well, to
Duryodhana:
‘When tomorrow the war dawns on you, show yourself to be a man, O
evil one. You are foolish to think Krishna will not fight because the
Pandavas have chosen him to be a charioteer; that is why you are fearless.
But I say to you that if my anger is ignited, I will consume all the kings
whom you have brought together, as fire burns a heap of straw. But since
Yudhishtira commands me, I shall be a sarathy to Arjuna, and he alone will
actually fight.
But hear me, sinner, even if you hide beyond the three worlds, or deep
in the bowels of the Earth, you will, even there, see Arjuna’s chariot flying
at you tomorrow. You think that Bhima’s boasts are empty, but know that
Dusasana’s blood is already as good as drunk. Know also that, although you
have said a lot, and so haughtily and mockingly, not Arjuna, Yudhishtira,
Bhimasena or either of the twins thinks much of you.’”
CANTO 164
“S anjaya says, ‘Arjuna looked at Sakuni’s son Uluka with angry red
eyes, and then at Krishna and, raising his arms, he said to Uluka,
“The man who challenges and fights his enemies fearlessly, relying on his
own strength, is a Kshatriya. While the man who summons his enemies to
battle, depending on the strength of others, is a disgrace to all Kshatriyas
and is considered the lowest of men. Tell Duryodhana from me, again:
‘Cowardice makes you use the strength of others as your own, and you
depend on them to vanquish your enemies. You have given the command of
your forces to Bhishma, who is the eldest of the Kshatriyas, who is devoted
to dharma, who has his passions under control and who is wise; and by this
you make him face certain death. And then you brag! We know that you
assume that we Pandavas will not kill our Pitamaha. But, Duryodhana,
Bhishma is the first man that I will kill, and in full view of both armies.’
Uluka, go back to the Bhaaratas and tell Duryodhana that I, Arjuna, say
this to him: ‘So be it. Tomorrow the great war will begin. Bhishma, of
tireless might and devotion to truth, has already said to you that the task of
destroying the Srinjaya and Salweya armies is his, and that he can kill
anyone on Earth, excepting Drona; and that you need have no fear of the
Pandavas. His assurances make you presume that the Pandavas will be
easily vanquished and that you will become the undisputed sovereign of the
world; and this fills you with pride. But what you will find is your own
defeat and death.
First of all, I will slay Pitamaha Bhishma before your very eyes. At
sunrise tomorrow come with your chariots and banners to protect your
Senapati, who is firm in his resolve; and watch my arrows fell him, who is
your refuge. Tomorrow, when you see our Pitamaha covered by my arrows,
you will realise the difference between bragging and battle.
Duryodhana, very soon you will see Bhima fulfil the angry oaths he
swore in the Kuru sabha to your bestial brother Dusasana. You will reap the
terrible consequences of vanity, of wrath and cruelty, of arrogance and
boastfulness, of vicious words and deeds, of adharma and sin, of speaking
ill of others, of disobedience to elders, of prejudice and of all your vices.
O you scum of the Earth, how can you hope to live or keep the kingdom
if I, with Krishna beside me, give rein to my anger? After Bhishma and
Drona have been stilled, and after Karna is slain, you will have no hope of
any kingdom, of your son’s lives or your own worthless one. When you
hear of the slaughter of your brothers and sons, and when Bhima strikes you
a final, mortal blow, you will remember all your sins.’
Tell him, Uluka, that I make a vow only once. I swear that everything I
have said will come to pass.”
Now Yudhishtira said, “Repeat my words as well when you go to
Duryodhana. Say to him:
‘Do not judge me by your own dark nature and ways. We are as
different as dharma and adharma. I never wish harm to even the smallest
creatures, ants and other insects, let alone desire the massacre of my
cousins. That is why I asked for just five villages. Why don’t you see the
horrific calamity that threatens you? Your soul is overwhelmed by greed
and lust, and you boast from being deluded. And you ignore even Krishna’s
counsel. But the time for words is past; fight us with all your allies.’
Uluka, also say to the pathetic Kuru prince: ‘I have heard and
understood what you said. Let it be as you wish.’”
Then Bhimasena said, “Uluka, take my message to Duryodhana, who is
an embodiment of sin.
Say to him: ‘You are destined to find a home either in a vulture’s belly
or in Hastinapura. I will fulfil the vow I swore in the Kuru sabha. I swear in
the name of Truth: I will kill Dusasana in battle and drink his blood. I will
kill all your brothers and then smash your manhood, and you will die in
agony. Know, Duryodhana—I am the nemesis of all Dhritarashtra’s sons,
and Abhimanyu will be the scourge of your younger princes. I will gratify
you all with my deeds.
Duryodhana, when I have killed you and your brothers, I will kick your
stamp on your head with my foot in the sight of Yudhishtira Dharmaraja.’”
Nakula said, “Uluka, tell Duryodhana that I have heard and understood
everything he has said. Tell him that I will do exactly as he has asked me
to.”
Sahadeva said, “Tell Duryodhana for me: ‘Your fond hopes will all
prove vain. You will repent, with your sons, kinsmen and your friends, that
you bragged in joyful anticipation of killing us.’”
The two old kings, Virata and Drupada, said to Uluka, “We are glad to
serve a good man. Tomorrow we shall see who is the servant and who the
master, and who will prevail in battle.”
Now Sikhandin said to Uluka, “You must say to Duryodhana, who is
addicted to sin: ‘Watch helplessly, O king, my fierce deeds on the field. I
will kill your grandfather, on whose prowess you depend for victory. I was
created by Brahma to kill Bhishma, and I will do what I was born to in the
sight of all your bowmen.’”
Dhrishtadyumna said to Uluka, “Say to Duryodhana: ‘I will kill Drona
with all his followers; this task is mine and no one else’s.’”
Yudhishtira spoke again, noble and compassionate words: “‘Rajan, I do
not want the slaughter of my kinsmen, and everything that is now sure to
happen is your fault. I have no choice but to sanction what all these great
men around me will do.’
Now either go from here without delay, Uluka, or stay with our
blessings; for we too are your kinsmen.”
Uluka took leave of Yudhishtira and went back to Duryodhana, taking
with him all that had been said; and when he came before Duryodhana, he
repeated everything that Arjuna had told him to say. He faithfully delivered
the messages that Krishna, Bhima, Yudhishtira, Nakula, Virata, Drupada,
Sahadeva, Dhrishtadyumna and Sikhandin had given him; and then what
Arjuna and Krishna had said later.
Duryodhana listened to Uluka, and he ordered Dusasana, Karna and
Sakuni to array their own and the troops of the allied kings for war before
dawn broke. At Karna’s command, messengers mounted their chariots,
camels and horses and rode through the camp, calling out, Into battle
formations before sunrise!”
CANTO 165
“S anjaya says, ‘After listening to Uluka’s messages from

Duryodhana, Yudhishtira also deployed his army led by
Dhrishtadyumna and the others: the vast army of the four kinds of forces—
infantry, elephants, chariots and cavalry—as awesome and immovable as
the Earth herself. The Pandava army was protected by mighty Maharathas
led by Bhima and Arjuna, and was like the ocean, immense, still and calm.
At the head of that sea-like force was the invincible bowman
Dhrishtadyumna, prince of the Panchalas; and he chose Drona as his
particular adversary and target. As Senapati, Dhrishtadyumna picked
individual warriors from the enemy ranks and told his own warriors which
one they would fight. He gave his chariot-warriors battle instructions, each
according to his strengths.
He assigned Karna to Arjuna, Duryodhana to Bhima, Salya to
Dhrishtaketu, Kripa to Uttamaujas, Kritavarman to Nakula, Jayadratha to
Satyaki, and Bhishma to Sikhandin. He pitted Sahadeva against Sakuni,
Chekitana against Sala, and the five sons of Draupadi against the Trigartas.
He set Abhimanyu against Karna’s son Vrishasena as well as against the
rest of the kings, for he considered Abhimanyu superior to Arjuna himself
in battle. He allocated responsibilities to his warriors, individually and
collectively, and finally this Maharatha, brilliant as a blazing fire, reserved
Drona for himself.
And having arrayed the Pandava troops and its maharathas,
Dhrishtadyumna waited coolly for the war to begin, his mind firmly fixed
on victory for the sons of Pandu.’”
CANTO 166
RATHATIRATHA SANKHYANA PARVA
V aisampayana said, “Dhritarashtra says, ‘After Arjuna had sworn to

kill Bhishma in battle, what did my evil sons, led by Duryodhana,
do? Ah, I can already see the sure-handed Arjuna, with Krishna by his side,
killing my uncle Bhishma. And what did that greatest Kshatriya Bhishma,
who is immeasurably wise, say when he heard Partha’s words? Having
accepted the Kaurava command, what did that splendid warrior do?’
Sanjaya tells him everything that Pitamaha Bhishma said.
Sanjaya says, ‘Rajan, having been given the command of the Kaurava
force, Bhishma spoke words to Duryodhana that pleased him greatly.
Bhishma said, “I bow to Lord Kumara, Velayudha, bearer of the
inexorable spear, Senapati of the armies of Devaloka and I gladly accept
command of your army. I know about the affairs of state, about every kind
of battle formation, and how to inspire fighting men to give their best
efforts. I know as much about the deployment of the vyuhas of war and
their strategic movements as Brihaspati himself. I know the methods of
attack and defence that the Devas, Gandharvas and Manavas use; and with
these I will confound the Pandavas. Dispel the fear in your heart. I will fight
the enemy, whilst protecting your army, in keeping with the dharma of war.
Cool the fever of your mind.”
Duryodhana said, “O Gangaputra, Mahabaho, I do not fear the hosts of
the Devas and Asuras combined; then how will I fear these Pandavas with
you as my Senapati and with Drona beside you, fighting for me? With you
both on my side I will surely win this war; why, I could I could even win
sovereignty over the gods.
But tell me, Pitama, who amongst our warriors we count as a Ratha and
who as an Atiratha. Pitamaha, you know the strengths of every warrior on
both sides. I want to hear what you think with all these kings present.”
Bhishma said, “Listen, Rajarajan, and I will tell you who the Rathas and
Atirathas in your army are. In your legions are many millions of Rathas, but
I will name the main ones. Firstly, there is you. Amongst your brothers,
including Dusasana, you are the foremost of all the Rathas. All of you are
skilled fighters, experts at attacking and destroying chariots. You are all
great charioteers when you take the reins of the sarathy, and expert
elephant-riders, as well. You are all doughty mace-fighters, excellent
archers and swordsmen; you also wield impenetrable shields. You are
learned in the astra shastra and ably discharge your duties. You are all
Drona’s and Kripa’s disciples in archery and at others weapons. In the
coming war, the mighty sons of Dhritarashtra will put forth their prodigious
energy to destroy the irresistible Panchalas.
Next come I, the Senapati of your troops. I will vanquish the Pandavas
and extirpate the enemy forces. It does not become me to speak of my own
strengths, but I believe you know me well.
One of the finest among all warriors is Raja Kritavarman of the Bhojas.
He is an Atiratha, and he will accomplish your goal in battle. No man, not
the most skilled warrior, can overcome him. Shooting or hurling his
weapons to great distances, and a master swordsman in close combat, he
will raze the enemy ranks, just as Indra did the Danava hordes.
The lord of the Madras, the mighty Salya, is an Atiratha. He considers
himself equal to Krishna in every battle he fights. He has deserted his
sister’s sons to take your side. In this war he will decimate the Maharathas
of the Pandava army with tidal waves of arrows.
The great archer Bhurisravas, the son of Somadatta, is an Atiratha and
one of your sincerest friends. He has overall command of the heads of all
our chariot divisions. He will wreak havoc among the enemy and swiftly
reduce their numbers.
Jayadratha king of the Sindhus is, in my opinion, equal to two Rathas.
That best of chariot-warriors will display his prowess in battle. He still
smarts from the humiliation the Pandavas meted out to him when he
abducted Draupadi. He practised severe tapasya and obtained a boon most
difficult to acquire, one he will use while fighting the Pandavas themselves.
Harbouring his old hatred, he will fight, reckless of his life, which is well
nigh impossible to take anyway.”’”
CANTO 167

CONTINUED
“S anjaya says, ‘Bhishma said, “Sudhakshina, king of the Kambojas,

is equal to one Ratha. He wants your victory, and he will fight
boldly against your enemies; and the Kauravas will see that the prowess of
this lion amongst Maharathas as he fights for you is equal to Indra’s. His
Kamboja force of fierce chariot-warriors will swarm over the battlefield
like locusts.
Then there is Nila of Mahishmati, clad in blue mail; he is one Ratha.
With his chariot army he will bring bloody havoc to your enemies. He
detests Sahadeva and will fight loyally for you. The princes Vinda and
Anuvinda of Avanti are powerful and seasoned warriors; they are two
Rathas. These two will consume the enemy’s troops with maces, feathered
arrows and swords, with spears and javelins. Lusting for battle, these
Kshatriyas will range across the battlefield like bull elephants sporting in
the midst of a herd, each of them looking like Yama.
The five princely Trigarta brothers are, in my judgment, the best of
Rathas. Pritha’s sons provoked enmity with them outside Virata’s city. Like
great crocodiles churning the stream of the Ganga into high crested waves
will they agitate the ranks of the Pandavas in battle. All five are Rathas,
with Satyaratha being the first among them. They still remember the shame
that Arjuna inflicted on them, many years ago, when he swept through the
land with his white horses, on his campaign to subjugate all the kings of the
Earth. They will give their all and, having already fought many of the
leading Pandava warriors in the past, they will surely slay them now.
Your son Lakshmana and Dusasana’s son are both tigers among men
and unwavering in battle. In the prime of youth, of lithe limbs, and
endowed with powerful energy, these two princes are expert warriors and
could well lead all the Kuru chariots. I believe they are our two best Rathas
and devoted to Kshatriya dharma. They will achieve great feats.
Dandadhara is equal to a single Ratha. Guarded by his own soldiers, he
will fight for you. Raja Brihadbala of the Kosalas, who is blessed with
mighty tejas and strength, is equal to one Ratha. A fierce fighter, this great
bowman is devoted to the Dhartarashtra cause, and will exert himself
powerfully in battle, to the joy of his friends.
Saradwata’s son Kripa is a commander of leaders of chariot forces.
Uncaring of his life, he will consume your enemies at will. Kripa, who was
born in a clump of heath as the son of Mahamuni Saradwata, also called
Gautama, is as invincible as Kartikeya. Burning numberless warriors with
all kinds of astras, he will rage across the field like a blazing fire.”’”
CANTO 168

CONTINUED
“S anjaya says, ‘Bhishma said, “Your uncle Sakuni is equal to one

Ratha. Being the cause of the hostilities with the sons of Pandu,
he will definitely fight. His troops are irresistible when they charge the
enemy and are armed with arsenals of all kinds of weapons; and they are as
swift as the wind.
Drona’s son Aswatthama is superior to all other archers. He is a
profound knower of the astra shastra and his weapons are inexorable. He is
a great Maharatha. Like Arjuna’s arrows shot from the Gandiva,
Aswatthama’s shafts fly in an unbroken line, touching one another. This
best among Rathas, whom I cannot laud enough, can consume the three
worlds, if he sets his mind to it. He has performed austere tapasya and
augmented his fury and energy. Brilliant is his intellect, and Drona has
favoured his son with the gift of devastras.
However, Aswatthama has one great defect, and for that I do not
consider him a Ratha or an Atiratha: he loves his life too much, and holds it
too dear. Yet, there is not a man amongst the warriors of both armies who is
his equal.
From a single chariot he can put the army of the Devas to rout. So
powerful is his powerful body, that he can rive mountains merely by
slapping his bowstring on the leather sleeve of his arm. Blessed with
countless exceptional qualities, Drona’s son of fierce effulgence will range
over the battlefield, as irresistible as Yama with his mace. Lustrous
Aswatthama of the lion’s neck will extinguish your enemies like the fires of
the pralaya do at the end of a yuga.
His father Drona is endowed with great tejas, though old, he is superior
to any younger man. He will perform great deeds in battle; of this I have no
doubt. Standing immovable on the field, he will burn Yudhishtira’s troops
with many fires. The Pandava army will be the dry grass and fuel in which
those fires will be sparked, and the power of Drona’s weapons will be the
wind that fans it into mighty flames. This bull among men is a leader of
Maharathas. The son of Bharadwaja will achieve astounding feats for you.
The venerable Acharya Drona, guru of all the royal Kshatriyas, will
exterminate the Srinjayas. However, he loves Dhananjaya and,
remembering the remarkable virtues Arjuna has acquired, and remembering
that Arjuna is his most beloved disciple, he will never be able to bring
himself to kill him. Indeed, Drona always prides himself on Arjuna’s
accomplishments, and looks on him with more affection than on his own
son. Otherwise, such is his prowess that he can, from a single chariot,
vanquish all the Devas, Gandharvas and Manavas united together, with his
devastras.
Narashardula Paurava is one of your finest Maharathas, and he can
shatter the ranks of enemy chariots. He will attack the enemy from the front
of his own large force and consume the Panchalas like fire burns dry grass.
Satyasravas, the son of Brihadbala, is equal to one Ratha. He will sear
through your enemy’s troops like Death himself. His men, wearing motley
armour and armed with all manner of weapons, will spread across the field,
killing all that stand against them.
Karna’s son Vrishasena is one of your best chariot-warriors and is a
Maharatha. He will devastate your enemy’s forces.
Then there is the great tejasvin Jalasandha, and he is among your
foremost Rathas. Born in Krishna’s vamsa, he is always willing to give his
life in battle. He is a true warrior and will scatter the enemy before him,
whether from his chariot or elephant back. That best of kings is, in my
judgment, a Ratha. He will fight a brutal battle, ready to surrender his life
for your sake, and among his mighty legions, expert in all types of warfare,
he will be fearless.
Brave and like Yama himself, Bahlika is an Atiratha. He rushes
headlong into any encounter and never retreats. He will blow away any
enemy in his path even like Vayu Deva.
Another router of hostile chariot divisions, Maharatha of wonderful
feats in battle, is Satyavan. He knows no fear of war. He will fall like a
blood-storm on those that stand on his way; and in the fierce press of battle
he will achieve all that a Kshatriya should.
The lord of Rakshasas, the feral Alambusha, is a Maharatha.
Remembering his old hatred of the Pandavas, he will kill a countless enemy
fighters. He is the best of Rathas amongst all the Rakshasa warriors and,
with his magical powers and his uncompromising enmity, he will be
merciless on the field.
The great sovereign of Pragjyotisha, the powerful Bhagadatta, is the
best of all elephant-warriors. Once, he and Arjuna fought for days on end,
each avid for victory. Then, for the sake of his friendship with Indra,
Bhagadatta made a treaty of peace with Indra’s son. And during this war,
that king will fight from his formidable elephant’s back like Indra mounted
on Airavata and fighting for the Devas.”’”
CANTO 169

CONTINUED
“‘B hishma said, “The brothers Achala and Vrishaka are Rathas. They
are invincible in battle and will raze your enemies. These Naravyaghras are
the best of Gandharvas and never relinquish their anger. They are young,
handsome and of unworldly prowess.
This brings me to your dearest, most devoted friend Karna, always so
proud of his battle skills, and who constantly goads you into fighting the
Pandavas. You have taken this braggart as your advisor, guide and friend
and elevated him to too high a position. The arrogant fellow is neither a
Ratha nor an Atiratha. Yet he is generous and, deprived of good sense, he
gave away his natural coat of mail and his divine earrings, which made him
invincible. Without his kavacha and kundala, because of his guru
Parasurama’s curse, as well as that of another Brahmana, he is merely an
ardharatha, half a Ratha. When he faces Arjuna in battle, he will not escape
with his life.”
Hearing this, Drona said, “I agree with Bhishma. Karna boasts on the
eve of every battle, and he has fled from every encounter. I judge him to be
only half a Ratha because his generosity in giving away his kavacha and
kundala was reckless and because of his brash and unrestrained ways.”
Karna heard all this and his eyes widened in anger. He glared at
Bhishma and said, “O Pitamaha, I am innocent, but your dislike for me
makes you malign me as you please, with words like arrows at every step. I
tolerate it for Duryodhana’s sake. You calling me an ardharatha makes plain
how worthless you think I am, why, as if I were a coward!
You, Gangaputra, are an enemy of the whole universe, especially of all
the Kurus. But the king is unaware of this. What man but you, Bhishma,
would seek to create envy and discord among us, to sap the united purpose
and energy of these kings, all equals in rank and courage, as you do from
your contempt for their great accomplishments?
Neither years, nor wrinkles, nor wealth, nor possession of friends would
entitle a Kshatriya to regard himself as a Maharatha! It has been said that a
Kshatriya acquires greatness only through might proven on the field, just as
Brahmanas acquire eminence through superiority in their knowledge of
mantras, Vaisyas through wealth and Sudras with age. Influenced by hatred
and envy, and speaking loosely from malice and ignorance, you list Rathas
and Atirathas, capriciously, according to your whim.
May you be blessed, Mahabaho Duryodhana; you be the true judge of
this. Abandon the evil Bhishma, who wrongs you. Once seeds of discord
are sown it is difficult to reunite warriors who have been divided by
cunning comparisons. With some effort, your own army can be reunited in
spirit, but it will be far more difficult to do the same with the armies from
outside. Look how doubt has already raised its head in the hearts of your
warriors. Bhishma subtly weakens us, even as we stand here, before the first
arrow has been loosed in war. Besides, judging the true merits of Rathas is
beyond Bhishma of the limited intellect.
Alone, I, Karna, will withstand the Pandava army. My every arrow is
unerring and deadly; when they face me, the Pandavas and the Panchalas
will fly in all directions, like oxen before a tiger.
Bhishma is old and twisted; he is not the one who should speak of battle
or the dangers of war; he should not be the one to rely on for sage advice.
Indeed, he is fated to be the first victim of destiny. He challenges the whole
world, and deludes himself that no one else is a man or a warrior. It is true
the shastras teach us to heed the elderly. But they do not mean those who
are far too old, for they become children again.
Alone, I would extinguish the Pandava army. However, the fame of that
feat will go to Bhishma. You have made him your Senapati, and recognition
always belongs to the leader and not to those who fight under him. Rajan,
as long as Bhishma lives I will not fight. After Bhishma falls I will fight all
the enemy Maharathas together, and kill them all for you.”
Bhishma said, “I am about to assume the onerous burden of fighting
Duryodhana’s war against the Pandavas. I have thought of this day for
many years and now the time for this dreadful battle is upon us, I still
would not have conflict between the Bhaaratas. It is you, Sutaputra, who
were born for that vile task. It is fated; otherwise, old though I am and you
young, I would quell your lust for war by taking your life.
Your guru, Jamadagni’s son Parasurama, could not do me the least
injury with his unearthly astras; so what could you do? Good men do not
approve of self-praise. O wretch of your vamsa, I speak like this because I
am angry and I am sad.
From my lone chariot, I vanquished all the assembled Kshatriyas of the
world at the swayamvara of the king of Kasi’s daughters and carried away
those princesses. Alone, on so many fields, I stopped the charge of
countless kings with their soldiers.
With you as an embodiment of violence, a great carnage is about to
overtake the Kurus. Yes, Karna, strive to vanquish our enemies; be a man
and fight Arjuna, whom you envy so much and never tire of challenging.
Evil one, I want to see how you come out of that encounter alive.”
Duryodhana said to Bhishma, “Look at me, Gangaputra. The task we
have at hand is dire and grave. Think earnestly of what is best for me. Both
of you will render me great services. I want to hear now of the best of the
enemy’s chariot-warriors, of their Rathas and Atirathas. I want to hear of
the strengths and weaknesses of my enemies. When this night is over our
great war will begin.”’”
CANTO 170

CONTINUED
“S anjaya says, ‘Bhishma said, “I have told you who your Rathas,
Atirathas and Ardharathas are. Listen now to who the Pandavas’
Rathas and Atirathas are. If you truly wish to know, hear, with these kings,
of the Rathas in the army of the Pandavas.
Yudhishtira himself, the son of Pandu and Kunti, is a mighty Ratha.
Without doubt he will course unimpeded through the battlefield like a
blazing fire.
Bhimasena is equal to eight Rathas; none can remotely match him with
the mace or with arrows. With the strength of ten thousand elephants, and
with his enormous pride, his might and energy are superhuman.
The two sons of Madri are both Rathas. In beauty they are like the twin
Aswins, and they are blessed with mighty tejas. Stationed at the head of
their divisions, they will remember the torment you inflicted on them and
range the field like many Indras.
All the Pandavas have noble souls; they are tall like Sala trees, taller
than other men by half a cubit; they are brave as lions and blessed with
awesome prowess. Rajan, all of them have practised brahmacharya and
other stern austerities; they are modest; they have tigerish strength; in
speed, in smiting and crushing foes, they are more than human. During their
campaign of universal conquest before the Rajasuya yagna, each of them
vanquished many great kings. No other men can wield their weapons; no
other men can even string their bows or heft their maces, let alone shoot
their arrows.
In speed, in aim, in eating and in every sport they used to excel all of
you even when you were all boys. With their prodigious might, they will
exterminate this army. War with them is not desirable. Each of them, by
himself, can slay all the kings of the Earth. You saw for yourself, Rajan,
what happened during the Rajasuya yagna. Now they will remember
Draupadi’s sufferings and the abusive, vicious words you spoke after the
game of dice, and they will come to war like so many Rudras.
As for Arjuna Gudakesa, of the reddish eyes, with Krishna as his
sarathy, there is no warrior in either army who is remotely his equal. Let
alone men, I have not heard of any among the Devas, Asuras, Uragas,
Rakshasas and Yakshas, who has been born already or yet to be born, who
can compare with him.
His chariot flies the banner of Hanuman; Krishna is his sarathy;
Dhananjaya himself is the Kshatriya who fights from it; his bow is the
Gandiva; his horses are as fleet as the wind; his unworldly coat of mail is
impenetrable; his two quivers are inexhaustible; he has obtained his astras
from Indra, Rudra, Kubera, Yama and Varuna; and his chariot bears maces
of dread and all sorts of other astras, including the Vajra.
What warrior can equal Arjuna, who killed a thousand Danavas in
Hiranyapura from his lone chariot? Inflamed with wrath, his prowess
beyond your imagination, this Mahabaho will raze your army even as he
protects his own legions.
Dronacharya and I, with no third warrior, can stand against
Dhananjaya’s arrow storms for a time. Yet, when this son of Kunti comes to
war, with Krishna seated before him, his gales of astras will not cease, but
blow like monsoon winds. He is masterly and young, while Drona and I are
both old and worn; we will not last against Nara and Narayana.”
Listening to Bhishma, and now vividly remembering, with a trembling
heart, the valour of Pandu’s sons, and thinking of the war as if it was
already happening before their eyes, the kings’ great arms, decked with
bracelets and smeared with sandal-paste, seemed to hang limp, sapped of
their strength,’ says Sanjaya.”
CANTO 171

CONTINUED
“‘B hishma said, “Draupadi’s five sons are Maharathas. Virata’s son
Uttara is among the best Rathas. The mighty-armed Abhimanyu is a
commander of the leaders of their chariot divisions; this youthful Parantapa
is Arjuna or Krishna’s equal. Gifted with marvellous lightness of hand, and
steeped in the ways of the astra shastra and every kind warfare, he has
untold energy and is firm in his vratas. He will remember his father’s
agonies and put forth all his valour.
Brave Satyaki of the Madhu vamsa is also a commander of leaders of
chariot divisions. Foremost among the Vrishnis and of towering wrath, of
fear he knows nothing. Uttamaujas is also a magnificent chariot-warrior, as
is Yudhamanyu. All the kings own many thousands of chariots, elephants
and horses, and they will fight, uncaring of their lives, to please Kunti’s
sons. They will unite with the Pandavas and sweep through your troops like
fire and wind, burning through and scything down all warriors that confront
them.
Virata and Drupada, bulls among men, are both blessed with awesome
prowess. Both are Maharathas. Though old, they are devoted to Kshatriya
dharma, and will give their utmost in battle. Because of their relationship to
the Pandavas, the energy of these two great bowmen will only swell in tide.
Men become heroes or cowards by the righteousness of their cause.
Motivated by a singleness of purpose, both these aged kings will lay down
their lives to destroy your troops. Fiery in battle, leading great akshauhinis,
these most noble Kshatriyas will accomplish great and terrible feats, and
justify both the confidence that the Pandavas have placed in them and their
relationship with them.”’”
CANTO 172

CONTINUED
“S anjaya says, ‘Bhishma said, “Sikhandin, scion of the Panchalas, is

a subjugator of hostile cities and is among the foremost of
Yudhishtira’s Rathas. He will fight your troops to win great fame. He has a
vast legion of Panchala and Prabhadraka troops to support him. With his
hosts of chariots he will achieve dreadful feats.
Dhrishtadyumna, Senapati of Yudhishtira’s army, disciple of Drona, is a
Maharatha. He is an Atiratha. He will harry his foes and, by himself, sweep
the field clean, as Mahadeva does the worlds with his Pinaka at the Pralaya.
Great warriors will speak in awe of his oceanic chariot forces, which are
like those of the Devas.
Dhrishtadyumna’s son Kshattradharman is young and inexperienced,
and so I consider him only half a Ratha. Sisupala’s heroic son Dhrishtaketu,
who is kin to Pandavas, is a mighty bowman and a Maharatha. This king of
Chedis and his son will perform deeds of valour in battle that are difficult
even for a Maharatha.
Kshattradharman is a conqueror of enemy cities, and he is devoted to
Kshatriya dharma; and his son Kshattradeva is one of the best of the
Pandavas’ Rathas. Then there are the dauntless Panchala warriors—Jayanta,
Amitaujas and the Maharatha Satyajit. They are all noble Maharathas and
will fight like angry elephants. Aja and Bhoja are both Maharathas and will
fight for the Pandavas. Both are gifted with uncanny lightness of hand; they
use every manner of weapon and are exceptional warriors.
Five Kshatriya brothers, related to the Pandavas by blood, are almost
impossible to defeat. They, too, fight with diverse weapons, and are skilful,
fierce and unshakeable. These five who fly blood-red banners, Kasika,
Sukumara, Nila, Sankha, also called Madiraswa, and Suryadatta, are
incomparable Rathas.
Vardhakshemi is a Maharatha. Raja Chitrayudha is a superlative Ratha
and, besides being an asset in battle, he is utterly devoted to Arjuna. The
two Maharathas, Chekitana and Satyadhriti, are tigers among men and two
of the Pandavas’ unrivalled Rathas, as are Vyaghradatta and Chandrasena.
Senabindu, also named Krodhahantri, is a warrior equal to Krishna and
Bhimasena; he will fight with formidable audaciousness. That best of kings
is proud of his achievements in battle. You should think of him as you do of
Drona, Kripa and me. Then there is Kasya, who is truly praiseworthy for his
dexterity with every weapon. This subduer of hostile cities is equal to one
Ratha.
Drupada’s son Satyajit, though young in years, shows great prowess in
battle, and he is equal to eight Rathas. He is Dhrishtadyumna’s equal and,
thus, an Atiratha. He will also accomplish great and savage deeds in battle
in his eagerness to spread the fame of the Pandavas.
Devoted to Pandu’s sons and brave beyond common ken is another
great Ratha—Pandya, bowman of scintillating tejas. The superb archer
Dhridadhanwan is a Maharatha; and Kurusattama Srenimat and Raja
Vasudeva are both Atirathas.”’”
CANTO 173

CONTINUED
“‘B hishma said, “Rochamanas is another Maharatha in the Pandava

army. He will fight against us like a Deva. Bhima’s uncle Kuntibhoja is an
Atiratha. He will fight with the same might as Indra did against the
Danavas, and his renowned warriors are all accomplished and fearless.
Devoted to his nephews, he will achieve extraordinary feats for their sakes.
Bhima and Hidimba’s son, the Rakshasa prince Ghatotkacha is gifted
with powerful magical powers. He is a commander of the leaders of chariot-
divisions. He revels in battle and, using maya, he and his feral Rakshasa
legion will also fight without fear.
All these and many other kings, with Krishna at their head, have
gathered to fight Yudhishtira’s cause. I have listed the main Rathas,
Atirathas and Ardharathas of the Pandava army, and these will lead
Yudhishtira’s fearsome legions, protected by Kiritin Arjuna. I will confront
these warriors in battle, some of whom will fight with sorcery, and all of
whom are fired by a consuming will to win the war; and I, too, am prepared
for victory or for death.
I will ride against Krishna and Arjuna who, with the Gandiva and the
Chakra, are like the Sun and the Moon shining together in the evening sky. I
will face Yudhishtira’s other Maharathas and their swarming troops.
Duryodhana, I have named for you, in their order of importance, the
Rathas, Atirathas and Ardharathas in your army and theirs. I will fight
Arjuna, Krishna and all the other lords of Earth whom I encounter, but I
will neither strike nor kill Sikhandin, prince of Panchalas, not if I see him
rushing at me with his weapons raised.
The world knows how, to please my father, I renounced the kingdom I
inherited and have lived as a brahmachari. I made Chitrangada king of the
Kurus and the child Vichitravirya the Yuvaraja. I swore a pledge in the
presence of all the kings of the Earth that I will never kill a woman or one
who was once a woman. Sikhandin was a woman once. Born as a girl child,
he later changed himself into a man. I will not fight against him.
Also, Rajan, although I will strike down all the other kings I meet on the
battlefield, I could not kill the sons of Kunti.”’”
CANTO 174
AMBOPAKHYANA PARVA
“S anjaya says, ‘Duryodhana said, “Why will you not kill Sikhandin
even if you see him riding at you to take your life? You once told
me that you would destroy the Panchalas and the Somakas; why now this
reluctance, Gangaputra?”
Bhishma said, “Duryodhana, I will not kill Sikhandin, even if I meet
him in battle. Hear why, you and all these other kings.
My father Santanu was renowned throughout the world. When that
virtuous king died I crowned my brother Chitrangada king of the vast Kuru
kingdom. On Chitrangada’s death, in keeping with dharma and with
Satyavati’s acquiesance, I made Vichitravirya king. Vichitravirya was a
mere boy then, and though I had invested him with sovereignty, I ruled in
his name and he looked to me in all things.
When the time came, I wanted to him to wed and began to look for
princesses from a royal house equal to our own. I heard that the three
daughters of the king of Kasi, Amba, Ambika and Ambalika, of unrivalled
beauty, were to hold a swayamvara, and that all the kings of the Earth had
been invited. Amba was the eldest, Ambika the second and Ambalika the
youngest. On a chariot, I rode on my own to the city of Kasi and saw the
three girls clad in finery and bejewelled, and I saw all the kings who had
been invited there.
Bharatarishabha, I seized the three princesses, lifted them into my
chariot and said to the kings, I, Bhishma, son of Santanu, abduct these
young women! O kings, do your best to rescue them. I am taking them away
by force, with all of you as witnesses.
The kings sprang up and shouted to their sarathies to fetch their
chariots. Those Kshatriyas rode after me in their rathas, with weapons
unsheathed—chariot warriors looking like dark clouds massed; those
mounted on elephants, and others on horseback. They surrounded me with
countless chariots, but I vanquished them all, as Indra does Danava hordes.
Laughing, and easily, I cut down the kings’ many-coloured flags
embroidered with gold thread. I felled their horses, elephants and sarathies,
each one with a single arrow. Seeing my lightness of hand, they stopped
fighting and yielded. I returned victorious to Hastinapura and brought the
young princesses to Satyavati, as brides for my brothers, telling her
everything I had done.”’”
CANTO 175
AMBOPAKHYANA PARVA CONTINUED
“S anjaya says, ‘Bhishma said, “Coming before my mother Satyavati,

a daughter of the dasa clan, I saluted her, the mother of heroes.
I said to her, I defeated all the kings and took these daughters of Kasi,
who have their beauty as dowry, to be Vichitravirya’s brides.
Rajan, Satyavati’s eyes streamed tears as she sniffed my head in
affection and she was joyous at my triumph. With Satyavati’s approval the
nuptials approached, when Amba, the Kasi king’s eldest daughter spoke
bashfully to me.
She said, ‘Bhishma, you know dharma well and the shastras. Hear what
I have to say and then do what you think is just. I had already chosen the
king of the Salvas to be my husband before when you took me away from
the swayamvara. He proposed to me privately, without my father’s
knowledge. Can you, O Bhishma of the Kuru vamsa, go against dharma by
forcing someone who longs for another to live in your household? Bear this
in mind and decide what you will do.
The king of the Salvas waits for me, and you must let me go to him. Be
merciful to me, O most righteous of men. All the world knows of your
devotion to dharma.”’”
CANTO 176
“S anjaya says, ‘Bhishma said, “I shared what Amba told me with

my mother Kali, otherwise called Gandhavati, as well as with our
ministers and our priests, and we allowed the eldest princess Amba to leave.
She went to the city of the Salva king with an escort of Brahmana elders
and her own maid.
She went before the king and said, ‘Mahabaho, I have come to you, take
me for your wife.’
But the king of Salva laughed and said to her, ‘Princess, you have
already been taken by another, and I will not marry you. So, go back to
Bhishma. He abducted you and I no longer desire you. When he defeated
the other kings and took you away, you went happily. He humiliated and
vanquished all the kings of the Earth, and I do not want another man’s
leavings. I am a king and a lawmaker, who knows the shastras; how will I
take a woman already given into my home? Devi, go wherever you wish;
do not waste your time here.’
Amba, who was struck by Kama Deva’s subtle arrows, cried to Salva,
‘Ah, do not say this, Rajan, for it is not true. Parantapa, I did not go happily
with Bhishma. He seized me by force, defeated all the kings, and I wept the
whole time. Accept me; I am innocent.
The shastras do not approve of a man abandoning one who loves him. I
told Bhishma about our love, begging him to release me, and I have come
to you with his leave. Besides, Bhishma does not want me for himself; it is
for his brother that he abducted me. He has given my two sisters Ambika
and Ambalika to his younger brother Vichitravirya. O lord of the Salvas, I
swear on my very life that I have never thought of any man but you as my
husband. I do not come to you as a betrothed woman. I speak the truth,
Salva; I swear it on my soul.
Take me as a maiden who comes to you on her own, as one who is not
promised to another, as one who asks for your grace.’
Although she spoke in this vein, Salva rejected the princess of Kasi, like
a snake sloughing off his old skin. Although she entreated him repeatedly,
the king of the Salvas would not relent. Then rage filled Amba and, her
eyes streaming, she cried, ‘You may have cast me out, Rajan, but righteous
people will protect me wherever I may go, for truth is indestructible.’
This is how the lord of the Salvas spurned the princess, who pleaded
with him and sobbed so piteously in grief.
The king of Salva said, ‘Go, go! I am in terror of Bhishma, you of the
lovely hips, and you are Bhishma’s prize.’
Thus evicted by Salva, the princess Amba left his city, crying like an
osprey.”’”
CANTO 177
“‘B hishma said, “As she left the city, sobbing, Amba thought, ‘There is
no woman in the world in as miserable a plight as me. Without family or
friends and cast out by Salva, I cannot return to Hastinapura after begging
Bhishma to let me leave. Who can I blame—myself, or the invincible
Bhishma, or my father who held a swayamvara for me?
Perhaps it is my own fault. I could have leapt off Bhishma’s chariot
when he fought the other kings, and gone to Salva then. My turmoil and
anguish are because I did not do that. I curse Bhishma. I curse my own
wretched and misguided father, who fixed valour as my bride price, as if I
were a commodity to be sold. I curse myself. I curse the king of Salva. I
curse my Creator too. I curse them all, who have been the cause of my
terrible misery.
Human beings suffer what they are destined to; but the cause of my
suffering is Bhishma, and I will avenge myself on him, either through
tapasya or by battle. But is there a king who would dare face Bhishma in
battle, to fight my cause?’
Deciding that she would have revenge on Bhishma, she set out for an
asrama of virtuous Munis, where she stayed the night, protected by them.
The once sweet-smiling devi told them all that had happened to her, to the
smallest detail, of how Bhishma abducted her and how Salva betrayed her
love. She begged their help.
There lived in that asrama a Brahmana of great tapasya called
Saikhavatya, who was a teacher of the shastras and aranyakas. This Muni
said to the suffering princess, from whom pitiful sighs came like her very
breath, ‘Princess, how will we Rishis, who perform tapasya in the forest,
help you?’
Amba said, ‘Be merciful to me. I have renounced the world and wish to
live in the forest. I will practise the severest of tapasya. My suffering is the
result of the sins I committed in ignorance. I have no desire to return to my
family, and grief has its way with me after Salva humiliated me. You are a
godly man, who have washed away your sins; teach me how to perform
tapasya. Be merciful to me.’
The Muni comforted her with examples and explanations from the
scriptures, and he and the other Brahmanas promised to help her.”’”
CANTO 178
“S anjaya says, ‘Bhishma said, “Those Munis then went about their
daily chores, study, penance and worship, thinking all the while
about what they could do for that devi.
Some amongst them said that she should be taken back to her father;
some said she ought to blame me; some thought that they should go to the
king of Salva and persuade him to accept her; some disagreed with this for
he had shamed her in his court.
After some time had passed in such deliberations, Saikhavatya Muni
said to her, ‘Devi, what can sadhus of self-restraint do for you? Do not
renounce the world and devote yourself to a life in the forest. Listen to me;
I speak for your good. Go from here to your father’s palace. Your father, the
king, will do what needs to be done. You can live there happily, in luxury.
You are a woman and, so, your only protector is your father.
Fair child, a woman’s protector is either her father or her husband. Her
husband is her protector when she is happy, but when she is plunged in grief
it is her father she goes to. A life in the wilds is very difficult, especially for
one who is delicate. You are a princess by birth and you are fragile. Devi, a
life in the forest entails many hardships and tribulations, none of which you
have known in your father’s house.’
The other Munis looked at the helpless girl and said, ‘Seeing you alone
in the deep and lonely forest, wild hunters, bandits or even kings may seek
to ravish you. Do not set your heart on a life of sannyasa.’
Amba said, ‘I cannot go back to my father’s house in Kasi, for I am
certain to be shunned by all my relatives. Rishis, I spent my childhood
there, but I cannot return to my father’s city. With your protection, I want to
practise penance, so that someday I can be rid forever of suffering.
Maharishis, I want to be a tapasvin.’
Whilst the Brahmanas deliberated on what to do with her, there came to
that forest the mighty sage, Rajarishi Hotravahana. The Munis paid their
homage to him and welcomed him courteously, offering him padya, arghya
and a darbhasana. After he was seated and had rested a while, the Munis
began to talk to the devi once more, in his hearing.
Hearing the story of Amba and the king of Kasi, Hotravahana grew
distraught. He heard how she spoke and saw how distressed she was, and
that Rajarishi was moved to pity. In fact, Hotravahana was her grandfather,
and he stood up suddenly, tears springing in his eyes; and, taking her onto
his lap, he comforted her lovingly. He asked her in detail about her sorrows
from the beginning, and she told him everything that had happened. He was
filled with sadness when he had heard it all and decided what she should do.
Trembling in some agitation, he said to the tormented girl, ‘Do not go
back to your father’s house. Devi, I am your mother’s father. I will remove
your grief; rely on me, child. Your suffering must be great that you are so
wan and thin. You must go to Jamadagni’s son Parasurama Bhargava. He
will rid you of your deep sorrow. He was Devavrata’s guru and will kill
Bhishma in battle if the Kuru does not obey him. Go to that greatest of all
the Bhrigus, whose tejas and urjas are like the flames of the pralaya. That
Maharishi will set you on the right path.’
The girl, who wept on while he spoke, bowed her head reverentially to
Hotravahana and said to him, ‘I will go to that greatest of sages, but will I
succeed in even catching a glimpse of Parasurama, whose renown echoes
through the world? How will the Bhargava dispel my torment? How will I
find him? Tell me, O my grandfather.’
Hotravahana said, ‘You will find the mighty Parasurama in the great
tapovana on the mountain Mahendra, where he sits in tapasya with many
Rishis learned in the Vedas, many Gandharvas and Apsaras. Go with my
blessings and tell the Mahamuni what I said, after first bowing your head to
him in worship. He is a sage of strict vratas and fathomless ascetic punya.
Tell him whatever you wish for. If you name me, Parasurama will do
anything for you, for he is my devoted friend and always wishes me well.’
Even as Hotravahana was speaking to the princess, Akritavrana, a close
companion of Parasurama’s, arrived there. All the hundreds of Munis and
the Srinjaya king Hotravahana rose, and together they performed all the
rituals of welcome and hospitality and then sat down around him. Delighted
to have him amongst them, they spoke with him on many profound and
wonderful subjects. When silence fell on the sacred gathering, Hotravahana
asked Akritavrana where Parasurama was at the time.
Akritavrana said, ‘Lord, Parasurama always speaks of you as his dear
friend, and I believe he will arrive here tomorrow morning, for he comes
even to see you.
But why has this maiden come to the forest? Whose is she, and what is
she to you? I wish to know all this.’
Hotravahana said, ‘She is the favourite daughter of the king of Kasi, and
her mother is my daughter. She is Amba, the eldest daughter of the king of
Kasi. She and her two younger sisters Ambika and Ambalika were in their
swayamvara in Kasi, for which all the Kshatriya kings of the Earth had
come. Great festivities were underway there, when Santanu’s son, Bhishma
of mighty valour, brushed aside all the kings and abducted the three
princesses. Bhishma of Bharata vamsa took them to Hastinapura and to
Satyavati. He asked his brother Vichitravirya to marry the princesses he had
brought.
Seeing arrangements for the wedding being made, this devi Amba said
to Bhishma, ‘O Kshatriya, in my heart I had already chosen the lord of the
Salvas to be my husband. Knowing dharma as you do, you know that your
brother must not marry me, when my heart is given to another.’
Bhishma consulted his ministers and after deliberation, and with
Satyavati’s consent, gave Amba leave to go to Salva. She went to that king
and told him that she had come with Bhishma’s permission; that she had not
done anything to break adharma and that she had chosen him, Salva, for her
husband.
But Salva rejected her, suspecting her purity. Now she has come to these
sacred forests, fervently wanting a life of tapasya. I recognised her from
what she told me of her parentage. She blames Bhishma for her sorrow.’
Then Amba said to Akritavrana, ‘Holy one, what my grandfather says is
true. I cannot go back to my own city for fear of disgrace and shame. I have
decided to obey whatever Parasurama tells me to do.’
CANTO 179
A kritavrana said, ‘Devi, for which of your two problems do you seek
a remedy? Do you wish that the king of Salva should be persuaded
to marry you? Parasurama Mahatman will certainly urge him to do so for
your sake. Or, if you want to see Gangaputra Bhishma defeated in battle by
Parasurama, Bhargava will gratify even that wish of yours. Let us hear what
Hotravahana has to say further, and what you say as well, and decide today
what should be done for you.’
Amba said, ‘Holy one, Bhishma abducted me without knowing that I
had given my heart to Salva. Bear this in mind, and dharma, when you
decide what I should do. Do what is just, towards both Bhishma and Salva.
I have told you honestly about the root of my grief; now you must decide
what is best for me.’
Akritavrana said, ‘Lovely Devi, what you say is imbued with dharma,
and worthy of you. If Bhishma had not taken you to Hastinapura, Salva
would have married you on Parasurama’s asking him to. It is because
Bhishma carried you away by force that Salva is suspicious of you.
Bhishma is proud of his valour and is crowned with success. Your
vengeance should be directed at him.’
Amba said, ‘Dvija, I too dearly want to kill Bhishma in battle.
Mahabaho, be it Bhishma or Salva, punish the man you think guilty, the one
who has made me suffer.’
With a delicious, balmy breeze blowing, that day passed, and the night
as well, while they discussed Amba’s plight. In the morning, awesome,
splendid Parasurama arrives in that asrama, his matted hair in jata, clad in
deer-skin and carrying his bow, sword and battle-axe.
He came to Hotravahana, and that Rajarishi, all the Munis and the
distressed princess stood up and waited on him with joined hands. They
worshipped Bhargava with offerings of honey and curds, and he sat down in
their midst, and Hotravahana and the great Bhargava began to speak of
many profound and mysterious matters.
Finally, at an opportune moment, Hotravahana said, ‘Rama, this girl is
the daughter of my daughter and the king of Kasi. She needs your blessing
from you. You are the lord of all things; I beg you, listen to what she has to
say.’
Now Parasurama asked the princess to tell him what she wanted to say.
Amba approached Parasurama, who blazed with tejas, like a fire. She laid
her head at his feet in worship, touched them with her two lotus-like hands,
and then stood silently before him. Overwhelmed by grief, and her eyes
bathed in tears, she asked for his protection, for he was the refuge of all
those in distress.
Parasurama said, ‘Tell me what grief you hold in your heart, and I will
do what needs to be done.’
Encouraged, Amba said, ‘O holy one of the great vratas, I seek refuge
with you. Free me from my suffering and raise me out of this ocean of
sorrow.’
Seeing her beauty and her youthful, tender body, Parasurama sat silently
in thought for a time, filled with pity, wondering what she would ask. Then
he asked Amba to tell him everything, and she told him all that had
happened.
Parasurama heard her out and, having first resolved what he should do,
said to the exquisite girl, ‘Beautiful devi, I will send word to Kurusattama
Bhishma. He will do whatever I ask, and if he does not, I will consume him
in battle. Or, if you prefer, I can speak to the heroic king of the Salvas and
tell him to marry you.’
Amba said, ‘O Bhargava, Bhishma allowed me to leave Hastinapura as
soon as he heard that I had already given my heart to the lord of the Salvas.
I went to Salva and spoke to him in forthright words. Doubtful of my purity,
he refused to accept me. O great one, reflect on all this, and in your
wisdom, do what you think is best.
However, Bhishma is the root cause of my distress, for he assumed
control over my life by carrying me away in his chariot. Ah, kill Bhishma
for me, Mahabaho; it is because of him that I suffer so grievously. Bhishma
is covetous, mean and proud of his victory. Anagha, you must punish him.
In my heart I wished for Devavrata Bhishma’s death even while he was
abducting me. Sinless Parasurama, gratify this desire of mine; slay
Bhishma, as Purandara slew Vritra.”’”
CANTO 180
“S anjaya says, ‘Bhishma said, “O Rajan, Parasurama said to the

weeping girl, who repeatedly urged him to kill Bhishma,
‘Daughter of Kasi, I do not take up arms on any account now except on
behalf of Brahmanas. Tell me what else I might do for you.
Both Bhishma and Salva are implicitly obedient to me. Do not grieve, I
will accomplish what you wish for. But I will not take up arms, unless I am
asked to by a Brahmana, for this is the law I live by.’
Amba said, ‘Ah, holy one, somehow dispel my misery, which Bhishma
has caused. Do not delay, kill him!’
Parasurama said, ‘Princess of Kasi, you have only to ask and I will have
Bhishma set your feet on his head.’
Amba said, ‘Parasurama, slay Bhishma, who roars like an Asura. If you
want to allay my torment, let him call you to a duel and kill him there. You
have given me your word that you will help now; you must not break it.’
Now Rishi Akritavrana intervened, ‘Mahabaho, you should not break
your word to this child, who seeks your protection. If, when you summon
Bhishma, he comes and does what you ask, or you humble him in battle, if
he does not, Amba’s wish will be fulfilled and you will not forswear
yourself.
Mahamuni, you swore an oath that after you have conquered all the
Kshatriyas, you would kill any man, be he a Brahmana, a Kshatriya, a
Vaisya or a Sudra, who is an enemy of us Brahmanas. You also swore that
as long as you lived you would not forsake anyone who sought your
protection in fear. You also said that you would slay the arrogant warrior
who vanquished all the Kshatriyas of the Earth.
Lord, Bhishma, scion of Kuru vamsa, has achieved such a victory. Go to
him now, O Bhargava, and humble him.’
Parasurama said, ‘Best of Rishis, I remember that vow I once took.
However, in this instance, I must first use the way of conciliation as best I
can. What the princess of Kasi wants is grave indeed, Brahmana. I will take
her with me and go to Bhishma. If he does not do what I ask, I will kill that
arrogant one. The arrows I shoot do not glance off the bodies of my
enemies, but pass through them. You know this when I fought the
Kshatriyas of the Earth and spilled their blood in rivers.’
Parasurama and the Brahmanas decided to set out from the asrama.
They spent the night there and duly performed their homas and recited their
prayers the next morning; then they set out, intending to kill me.
Rajan, Parasurama came to Kurukshetra with the young princess and his
followers. With the Bhargava at their head, those great Munis arrived on the
banks of the Saraswati,” said Bhishma.’”
CANTO 181
“S anjaya says, ‘Bhishma continued, “On the third day, Parasurama

sent a message to say that he had come to help me.
Hearing that this Rishi of tejas, vast as the ocean had entered our
kingdom, I went to him at once, and in joy. A cow led my retinue, and
many of our family priests went with me, as also other great Brahmanas,
whom we employed for special occasions such as this.
Parasurama accepted the worship that I offered and said to me,
‘Bhishma, having cleansed yourself of desire, what were you thinking when
you abducted the king of Kasi’s daughter during her swayamvara, and then
later when you let her leave? You have sullied her virtue; and, since you
have touched her who will marry her now? Salva spurned her because you
abducted her. Take her for yourself, Narapumgava, and let this princess
fulfil a woman’s dharma. It is not dharma that she be humiliated like this.’
I saw Parasurama’s anguish at the princess’ plight and said to him, ‘O
my guru, there was no way that I could bestow this girl on my brother once
she herself told me that she belonged to Salva; and so I let her go to him. As
for me, I cannot break my vrata and abandon Kshatriya dharma; not for
fear, pity, wealth or lust.’
Parasurama’s eyes rolled, and he said to me, ‘Bharatarishabha, if you do
not do as I say, I will kill you and all your followers this very day,’ and he
repeated this again and again in his fury.
I pleaded with him, but to no avail. I bowed my head before that
Brahmanottama and asked him why he wanted to fight me.
I said, ‘When I was a child it was you who instructed me in all four
parts of the Dhanurveda. I am your sishya, O Bhargava.’
His eyes still red, he retorted, ‘Bhishma, you acknowledge me as your
guru, but you refuse to please me by taking this princess of Kasi for your
wife. I will not be satisfied unless you do what I ask. Take this devi and
safeguard the dharma of your vamsa; you abducted her forcibly from her
swayamvara, and now she cannot find a husband. You must marry her
yourself.’
I said, ‘That I cannot do. I am eager to please you because you were
once my guru. I refused this princess before I was aware of the great evil
that the frailties of women can bring. No man will welcome into his
household a woman whose heart belongs to another, and who is, thus like a
venomous snake. I would never forsake my dharma by breaking my solemn
oath, not even for fear of Indra. Be gracious, or do to me now what you
think is just.
There is a sloka from the Puranas, which Maruta Mahatman once told
me of: A man may disobey the command of even a guru who is filled with
vanity, who does not know right from wrong and who walks a path of
adharma.
You are my guru and I have revered you out of my love for you.
However, you do not know the dharma of a guru, and I would fight you.
But I could never kill a guru in battle, especially if he is Brahmana, and
more so, one who is blessed with boundless tapasya. And so I forgive you.
It is a well known scriptural truth that no guilt attaches to a man who
kills a Brahmana who has taken up arms as if he were a Kshatriya, and who
fights in anger without trying to escape. I am a Kshatriya, and I am devoted
to my dharma. One does not sin, neither does one do any harm, by treating
a person as he deserves. When a man, who is aware of the timeliness of
things, and versed in dharma and artha, is doubtful about anything, he
should, without misgivings, follow his svadharma, for that will give him the
most punya.
O Bhargava, you have violated dharma by asking me to break my vow,
and I have no qualms about fighting you. You know that my prowess is
superhuman, and I will give my all when I face you on the field of
Kurukshetra. Effulgent one, prepare yourself for single combat; take your
position.
My arrows will purify you and you will attain the regions to which your
tapasya has entitled you. I will come to fight you, who so love battle, on
Kurukshetra, where long ago you propitiated your ancestors with sea-like
offerings of Kshatriya blood. There, Bhargava, I will propitiate those slain
Kshatriyas by killing you.
Come, do not delay. On Kurukshetra I will curb your pride, of which the
Brahmanas speak. For long years you have boasted that you single-
handedly slew all the Kshatriyas in the world. And well you could boast, for
in those days Bhishma was not yet born, nor were there any Kshatriyas like
him. Only later did the truly valiant Kshatriyas come into this world.
All your vaunted conquests were against men of straw. The man who
can quell your pride has since been born. I, Bhishma, am that man: the
conqueror of enemy kingdoms. I will crush your pride of old conquests.’
Parasurama said to me, laughing, ‘I am glad that you will do battle with
me, Bhishma. I will come to Kurukshetra with you even now. Yes, I will do
what you want. Come there, and let your mother Jahnavi see you lying dead
on the battlefield, pierced by my arrows and become carrion for vultures,
crows and jackals. Let that Devi, whom the Siddhas and Charanas worship,
Bhagiratha’s blessed daughter who took the form of a holy river and who
gave birth to you, weep today when she sees you lying lifeless on
Kurukshetra, although she does not deserve the grief of such a sight.
Come, Bhishma; follow me, arrogant Kshatriya always hungry for
battle, and bring your chariot and weapons.’
I worshipped Parasurama with my head bent and answered him by
saying Tathaastu.
He strode away toward Kurukshetra, and I went to our city to inform
Satyavati of what had happened. I performed propitiatory rites for victory,
took my mother’s blessings, and made the Brahmanas utter their blessings
over me. I mounted a superb silver chariot yoked to white horses. It was
finely crafted, spacious and covered on all sides with tiger-skin; it had many
great weapons in it. My sarathy was a brave nobleman, an expert horseman
and charioteer, and one who had seen many battles.
I wore a white coat of mail and carried my white bow; and I set out,
Bharatottama. A royal white parasol was held over my head and white
chamaras waved over me. Clad in white silk and with white head-gear, all
my adornments were also white. I rode out of Hastinapura to songs of
praise and to the sound of Brahmanas wishing me victory, and I rode to
Kurukshetra.
Spurred by my sarathy, the steeds, fleet as the wind or the mind, bore
me swiftly to the great encounter. Upon Kurukshetra, Parasurama and I,
both keened for battle, would display our prowess. When I came within
sight of Parasurama I blew a loud blast on my conch. Many Brahmanas and
sadhus who lived in the forest had come to watch our duel. Divine garlands,
celestial music and canopies of clouds were all around and above us, and
the Rishis who had come with Bhargava stood on the periphery of the field.
Suddenly, my divine mother Ganga, who washes the sins of men in her
sacred waters, appeared before me in her human form and said, ‘What is
this that you are about to do? I will go to Jamadagni’s son and beg him not
to fight Bhishma, who is his disciple. My son, you are a Kshatriya; you
must not fight Parasurama; he is a Brahmana.’
She continued to reproach me, ‘My son, Parasurama Bhargava is as
powerful as Mahadeva himself; he once exterminated the entire Kshatriya
varna. You do not know this as I do, who saw it all, and you want to face
him in battle!’
I saluted the Devi reverentially and with folded hands recounted the
events that had taken place at the swayamvara; I told her everything that
happened with the princess of Kasi, and how I had tried to dissuade
Parasurama from fighting me.
My mother Ganga went to Parasurama and beseeched him to desist
since I was his disciple. He said to her that she ought to urge me to obey
him, and that he had challenged me because I refused to do what he
wanted.”
Out of her love for him, Ganga came back to persuade Bhishma to
relent, but the angry Bhishma refused. And just then, Parasurama of the
Bhrigu vamsa came to Bhishma and said they should begin their duel,’ says
Sanjaya.”
CANTO 182
“‘B hishma said, “Smiling, I said to Parasurama, ‘You stand on the

ground and I do not want to fight you from my chariot. Mount a chariot and
put on a coat of mail, if you wish to fight me.’
He also smiled and said, ‘The Earth is my chariot and the Vedas are the
steeds that pull me; the wind is my sarathy and the mothers of the Vedas are
my coat of mail—Gayatri, Savitri and Saraswati. With their protection, I
will fight.’
With that, he covered me with a barrage of arrows; and indeed I saw
him, standing on a supernal chariot equipped with weapons of every kind.
Wondrous was his chariot, created by his will, and great and beautiful, like
a town. Celestial horses were yoked to it, and it was armoured on all sides.
It was decked with ornaments of gold, covered with tough skins, and it bore
the symbols of the Sun and the Moon. Parasurama was armed with a bow
and quiver of arrows, and his fingers were encased in leather gloves. His
friend Akritavrana was his sarathy.
Parasurama repeatedly summoned me to battle, crying, Come, come,
make me a happy man! And so that invincible exterminator of Kshatriya
kind, resplendent like the rising Sun, became my adversary in battle.
He showered me with three bursts of arrows, curbing my horses; I
alighted from my chariot, set aside my bow and walked up to him. I paid
reverent homage to him.
I said, ‘My lord, whether you are equal or superior to me, I will fight
you, my virtuous guru. Bless me and wish me victory.’
He said, ‘The man who desires victory should do as you have. Those
who fight with warriors elder and more eminent than themselves must
perform such homage. Kshatriya, I would have cursed you if you had not
come to me in this way. Go; fight carefully and call on all your patience. I
cannot, however, wish you victory, for I am here to vanquish you. Go, fight
in dharma. I am pleased with you.’
Bowing to him, I quickly returned and, climbing onto my chariot once
more, I blew my conch. The fervid duel between us began. It lasted many
days. Parasurama drew first blood, striking me with nine hundred and sixty
vulture-feather-winged arrows, which covered my horses and my sarathy,
although I myself was unscathed in my coat of mail.
Bowing to the Devas, and especially to the Brahmanas, I said to
Parasurama, ‘Although you have shown scant respect for me, I have paid
you full reverence as my guru. There is another auspicious duty to be
discharged if you want to earn punya. I do not loose my arrows at the Vedas
you have absorbed, or at you as a Brahmana or at your great tapasya. I take
aim at the Kshatriya warrior you have chosen to become. When a Brahmana
takes up weapons he becomes a Kshatriya. Now witness the power of my
bow and the might of my arms. Look how I sever your bow with my single
arrow!’
I shot a sharp broad-headed arrow at him and cut off one of the horns of
his bow, which fell on the ground. I then shot a hundred arrows at his
chariot. They flew through the air like serpents and pierced him. Blood
covered his body and poured out. And he shone in battle, like Mount
Sumeru with molten lava flowing down its sides, or like an asoka tree in
spring when it is covered with red flowers, or the kinsuka tree in bloom.
Angrily, he took up another bow and inundated me with keen, golden-
winged arrows and, like snakes, fire or venom, these vicious barbs of
terrific impetus flashed at me from all sides, piercing me deep and making
me tremble. I gathered myself, and struck Parasurama with a hundred shafts
that were like fire, or the Sun, and which also looked like snakes spitting
venom, and he seemed to swoon away.
Pity surged in me and I lowered my bow, in disgust of battle and
Kshatriya dharma. Grief quite overwhelmed me and I kept saying to myself,
Ah, great is the sin I have committed by observing my dharma. I have sorely
wounded my own guru, who is a virtuous Brahmana, with arrows!
Thousand-rayed Surya, having warmed the Earth, now sank away to his
abode in the west at the close of day; and the duel between the Bhargava
and me ceased.”’”
CANTO 183
“‘B hishma said, “After the day’s battle ended, my sarathy skilfully
drew out the arrows embedded in his own body, from the bodies of our
horses and from mine as well. The next morning, at sunrise, we resumed
battle.
My horses had been bathed, fed, given water and had rested, rolling
luxuriantly in the grass, and they were re-invigorated. Seeing me come, in
my coat of mail, Parasurama refitted his chariot with care. And when I saw
him ride towards me, eager to fight, I put down my bow and got down from
my chariot. I paid him worship, before climbing back on, and now stood
fearlessly before him, ready for battle.
I overwhelmed him with a thick shower of arrows, and he mantled me
with a barrage of shafts in return. His rage mounting, my guru loosed a
storm of serpentine shafts with blazing mouths. I retaliated with lakhs of
arrows, cutting off his barbs before they could reach me.
He now invoked devastras against me, which I repelled with greater
astras of my own; the spirit of war risen in us absorbed both of us entirely.
The thunder of astra fusing with astra rose into the sky. I cast the
Vayavyastra at him, but he quelled it with his Varunastra. And so we fought,
each of us subduing the astras of the other.
Suddenly, he wheeled to my right and struck me squarely through the
chest, and I fainted in my chariot. My sarathy quickly bore me away from
the field. Great was the joy of Akritavrana, Amba and all Parasurama’s
followers, who began to shout with joy when they saw me being borne
away unconscious.
Regaining my senses, I ordered my sarathy to take me back into battle,
for I was recovered. He flicked his reins over the superb wind-swift horses,
which seemed to dance as they flew across the plain, and we were soon
there.
In fury, and now determined to vanquish my adversary, I covered him
with a deluge of arrows that fell from the sky. But the Bhargava shot three
missiles for every one of mine and bisected my arrows in the air. His
followers were joyous again, seeing my countless arrows cloven by his.
Now the urge to kill him seized me. I struck him with an arrow of
blazing effulgence, with Death sitting at its head. He fell unconscious from
his chariot. Exclamations of Oh! and Alas! arose on all sides, and
everywhere was confusion and alarm, as might have been if the Sun were to
fall from the sky.
All the gathered ascetics and the princess of Kasi rushed, in great
anxiety, to where he lay. They embraced him and soothed him with the soft
touch of hands cooled by having been dipped in water, and with assurances
of victory.
Parasurama rose, fixed an arrow to his bow and roared at me, Stay,
Bhishma. You are slain!
The arrow he shot at me pierced my left side and I began to tremble like
a young tree in a gale. Calmly, he killed my horses and, with unearthly
lightness of hand, shot locust-like swarms of winged arrows which
enveloped me in darkness. I, too, loosed arrows beyond count to stem his
tide. Our arrow clouds covered the sky, suspended there interlocked and not
falling down. The Sun’s rays could not penetrate them and the wind could
not pass through them. From their vast friction a conflagration flared up in
the sky. Every arrow burst into flames and fell to the Earth as ashes. Beside
himself with fury, Parasurama loosed crores and crores of deadly barbs at
me; and I shot them into fragments and they fell around us like snakes
chopped up.
Finally, when the shadows of evening fell, my guru withdrew from the
field.”’”
CANTO 184
“S anjaya says, ‘Bhishma said, “The next day, the duel was no less
frightful. Day by day, that Mahatman, master of celestial
weapons, invoked more devastras, of diverse kinds. With no thought for my
life, so difficult to sacrifice, in the ferocity of that duel, I baffled all his
weapons with astras of my own. And, Bhaarata, when his astras proved
ineffectual, Jamadagni’s mighty son cast a fierce and sorcerous lance at me,
blazing like a meteor, with a flaming mouth, filling the whole world with its
effulgence, and like Yama’s very dart. But I cut that missile in three, that
occult weapon which shone like the Sun that rises at end of the yuga.
At this, fragrant breezes began to blow around me. His anger burning
higher, Bhargava loosed a ferocious astra at me. Their forms, Bhaarata, I
cannot describe, but terrible was their lustre and speed. I saw those missiles
flare at me from all sides, interminable tongues of flame, truly like the
twelve suns that arise at the pralaya, and I was filled with fear. Holding my
nerve, I doused the fire of those missiles with a great astra of water, and
never pausing, shot down the twelve with twelve arrows of my own.
Undeterred, Parasurama showered a fusillade of golden-winged darts
over me, with variegated handles chased with gold, which were like comets
afire. I warded them off with my shield and sword so they fell impotent on
the ground. I covered Parasurama’s horses and charioteer with clouds of
gold-shafted arrows. His wrath mounted further to see my barbs like snakes
coming out of their nests, and once more he summoned the devastras.
Locust-like swarms of missiles overwhelmed me, my steeds, my
charioteer and my chariot. Indeed, Duryodhana, my ratha, horses and
sarathy were completely enmeshed by those arrow nets. The yoke, shaft,
wheels and the wheel-spokes of my chariot broke.
When his arrow storm ceased, I, too, covered my guru with a heavy
shower of weapons. That sage of Brahmic punya began to bleed copiously.
I was also densely pierced by his barbs.
When, at last, the Sun set behind the western hills, our savage duel
ended for the day.”’”
CANTO 185
“‘B hishma said, ‘The next morning, Bhargava and I resumed our
contention. From his chariot, he rained a downpour of arrows on me, as
clouds do on a mountain. My sarathy was struck and fell unconscious to the
ground; to my great grief, he succumbed to his injuries.
Rajan, fear gripped my heart, and while I was still numb Parasurama
shot me with an arrow that pierced deep into my chest, and I fell to the
ground with the arrow. Presuming that I was dead, Parasurama roared in
triumph, like a thundercloud. All his followers rejoiced loudly with him,
while the Kurus who had followed me, and all the rest who were watching,
were stricken.
As I lay there, I saw eight ethereal Brahmanas, who shone like the Sun.
They surrounded me and picked me up in their arms. My breathing was
laboured as they held me; and, sprinkling me with water and still carrying
me, they blessed and reassured me repeatedly. Soothed by their words, I got
up, and I saw my mother Ganga standing embodied on my chariot.
O king of the Kurus, it was that great Devi who had held my horses’
reins after my sarathy fell. I worshipped my mother’s feet and my Pitrs, and
I climbed onto my chariot with my weapons. I begged my mother to leave
and took the reins myself and, restraining those steeds gifted with the speed
of the wind, I resumed my duel with Parasurama and we fought until that
day ended.
I shot him with an arrow that pierced his breast, so he lost his grip on
his bow and fell onto his knees, and then out of his chariot, unconscious.
Masses of clouds filled the sky and rained blood. Hundreds of meteors fell
and thunder rolled across the sky, making everything tremble. Rahu covered
the Sun, and violent winds blew. The Earth herself trembled, and vultures,
crows and cranes began to alight in joy, in anticipation of a feast. The points
of the horizon seemed to be on fire, and jackals howled. Drums rang out
spontaneously in cacophony. When the great Parasurama embraced the
Earth all these frightful omens of evil appeared.
All of a sudden, he arose and came towards me, more furious than ever
and ready to fight again. That Mahabaho took up his bow of immeasurable
power and shot a deadly arrow at me; but I struck it down in flight. The
Rishis who watched were filled with horror and pity, but Bhargava felt only
rage. I shot an arrow fulgurant as the fires of the pralaya, but Parasurama of
the fathomless soul baffled my weapon. Clouds of dust obscured the
splendour of the Sun as it moved to the western sky. Night came with its
cool breezes, and both of us suspended our duel till the morrow.
In this way, stopping when dusk came and resuming at daybreak, we
fought relentlessly for twenty-three days.”’’
CANTO 186
“S anjaya says, ‘Bhishma said, “That night, after paying my respects

to the Brahmanas, the Rishis, the Devas, the creatures of the night
and the kings of the Earth, I lay down on my bed, and in the solitude of my
chamber I began to reflect.
I thought to myself, The battle between Bhargava and me has gone on
for many days without my being able to defeat this tejasvin. If indeed I am
going to overcome Parasurama, then let the gods appear before me tonight.
As I lay asleep on my right side, my body fairly mangled by arrows, the
same Brahmanas who had lifted me up when I fell from my chariot on the
field, and who reassured me then, appeared in a dawn dream. They stood
around me and said:
‘Rise, Kurupravira. Gangaputra, have no fear; we will protect you, for
you are our own body. Jamadagni’s son Parasurama can never vanquish you
in battle. Instead, you will conquer him. In another life you commanded the
matchless Praswapastra, which belongs to the Lord of all creatures, and
which Tvashtri forged; it shall be yours again to invoke. Neither
Parasurama nor anyone else but you knows it. Think hard of it, Mahabaho,
and it will come to you on its own.
With the Praswapa, you can vanquish the greatest tejasvins of the world.
But you will not be able to kill Parasurama, so you will not sin by using it
against him. Overpowered by the mighty astra, Parasurama will fall into
sleep, and you will awaken him with the Sambodhanastra.
In the morning, from your chariot, do what we have said. We think of
sleep and death as being the same; Parasurama will not actually die, but fall
into a deathlike slumber. At the right moment, invoke the Praswapastra
gladly and use it against the Bhargava.’
Saying this, those eight lustrous and identical Brahmanas vanished.”’”
CANTO 187
“‘B hishma said, “When the night passed, I awoke and, thinking of my
dream, was filled with joy. Then, Bhaarata, we took to the field again and
fought with so far unprecedented ferocity, so the hairs of all those who
watched stood on end.
Bhargava unleashed a deluge of arrows over me, but I checked it with a
rising shower of my own. Then, filled with wrath at what he had seen the
day before and what he now saw, he hurled an occult spear at me, as hard
and as brilliant as Indra’s Vajra, like Yama’s very mace. It flew towards me,
flaming, hungrily consuming the whole battlefield, before falling on my
shoulder like a bolt of lightning.
Blood gushed from me like streams bubbling down a mountain after
rain. Shaken, stung, I shot a naracha like a venomous snake at him. It struck
him on the brow, ah, turning him so handsome, like a crested hill. He
assumed a fresh archer’s stance, drew his bowstring taut and shot a deathly
shaft at me. It streaked through the air and took me in the chest. I fell on the
ground, covered in blood.
Coming quickly awake, I cast a dazzling missile, another veritable
thunderbolt, which pierced his breast, so he trembled and, his eyes glazing
over, swooned. Akritavrana held him close and comforted him. Waking, his
eyes now turned red as plums, and Parasurama invoked the Brahmastra. I
called upon the same astra myself, and the two weapons fused high above
us and broke into a conflagration that occurs only at the end of a yuga.
The sky was on fire; all the Earth’s creatures were terrified; the Rishis,
the Gandharvas and the Devas panicked; the Earth, her mountains, seas and
trees shook violently; and every living being burned in the energy the fused
astras radiated. As the sky blazed, all ten points of the horizon billowed
with smoke, and sky creatures fell helplessly to the ground.
The whole world with the Devas, the Asuras and the Rakshasas cried
out in terror, and I thought that the time had come for me to invoke the
Praswapastra. At my very thought, the mantras for the astra flashed into my
mind.”’”
CANTO 188
“‘B hishma said, “A tumult of unearthly voices sounded in the sky,

begging me not to invoke the Praswapastra. When I still aimed the astra at
the Bhargava, Narada appeared there and said to me, ‘In the sky, O
Kaurava, are the Devas. They forbid you from what you are about to do. Do
not loose the Praswapastra. Parasurama is a tapasvin of Brahma punya, and
he is also your guru. Never humiliate him.’
As Narada spoke, I saw those eight Brahmanas in the sky. Smiling, they
said to me, ‘Bharatottama, do as Narada says, for it will benefit the whole
world.’
I recalled that astra and invoked, instead, the Brahmastra. When
Parasurama saw the Praswapastra being withdrawn, he exclaimed, Bhishma,
you have vanquished this wretch!
Then he saw before him his father and his grandfathers. They stood
around him and spoke words of consolation to him, ‘Never again challenge
Bhishma or any Kshatriya to a fight, Bhargava, for it is their dharma to fight
and not yours. The study of the Vedas and practice of vratas are a
Brahmana’s greatest wealth. Once, we did indeed command you to take up
arms, and you annihilated all the Kshatriyas of the world. Let this battle
with Bhishma be your last, for you have done enough already. Retreat from
battle, Mahabaho. Our blessings be upon you. Let this be the last time you
pick up a bow. Throw your weapon away and return to your tapasya.
See how the Devas forbid Bhishma. They try to pacify him and make
him desist from this battle; they try to prevent him from fighting against
you, who are his guru, for, they say, it is not proper that he vanquishes you
in battle. They tell him to do you every honour on the field. As his superiors
they forbid him to humiliate you.
Bhishma is the greatest of the Vasus. You are fortunate to be alive. How
can you defeat this son of Santanu and Ganga? Stop, Bhargava. Brahma has
ordained that Indra’s mighty son Arjuna will be the one to slay Bhishma.’
Parasurama answered his Pitrs, ‘I cannot abandon a battle; that is my
solemn vow. I have never yet given up a fight or left any battlefield.
Pitamahas, if you so wish, tell Bhishma to stop, for I cannot.’
Hearing him, the Rishis with Richika at their head came to me with
Narada and said, ‘Bhishma, desist from battle. Honour your guru the
Bhargava.’
I replied, ‘In keeping with Kshatriya dharma I have sworn never to
yield in battle, or turn my back, or allow arrows to strike me in the back.
Not from temptation, distress, fear, or for any gain or wealth, renounce my
dharma. In this I am resolved.’
All those tapasvins and Narada, as well as my mother Bhagirathi, stood
on the battlefield before me. I stood quietly, with my bow and arrows as
before, determined to fight on.
They turned towards Rama once more and said to him, ‘The hearts of
Brahmanas are soft like butter. Be pacified, Bhargava, give up this battle.
You cannot kill Bhishma; and neither can he kill you.’
They stood between us as they spoke and made Bhargava set aside his
weapons. Just then I saw those eight Brahmanas once more, irradiant, and
like bright stars in the sky.
They said to me gently, with great love, ‘Mahabaho, Parasurama is your
guru; you must go to him first. Do what is good for the world.’
When I saw that the Bhargava restrained himself, I too, set aside my
weapons, for the weal of the world. Although I was sorely wounded, I came
before Parasurama and worshipped him.
The Maharishi smiled and, with great affection, said to me, ‘There is no
Kshatriya equal to you on Earth. Go now, Bhishma, for you have pleased
me greatly in battle.’
He summoned the princess of Kasi into our presence and spoke to her
with some regret in the midst of all those Mahatmans.”’”
CANTO 189
“S anjaya says, ‘Bhishma said, “Parasurama said, ‘Devi, in the

presence of all these great ones, I put forth all my prowess and
fought as hard as I could. Even by using the most formidable astras I could
not prevail over Bhishma. Beautiful Amba, go wherever you wish, unless
there is something else you want from me. Seek refuge with Bhishma, for
you have no other now. He has vanquished me in battle.’ The Bhargava
sighed and fell silent.
Amba said, ‘Holy one, it is true what you say: Bhishma of the great
intellect cannot be vanquished, even by the Devas. You have done what I
asked, as best you could. You used tejas that cannot be dimmed and
weapons of all kinds. Yet, you could not conquer Bhishma. As for myself, I
will not go to Bhishma a second time. Instead, I will go to the place where I
might acquire the means to kill Bhishma in battle myself.’
Saying this, Amba left, wild-eyed in anger, my death her sole aim, and
resolved to devote herself to tapasya. Bhargava bid me farewell and, with
the tapasvins, departed for the mountains from where they had come. I also
left on my chariot, praised by the Brahmanas, and when I entered
Hastinapura I told my mother Satyavati everything that had taken place; and
she invoked blessings on me.
I sent forth trusted agents to discover where Amba had gone and what
she did, and these loyal spies brought me regular reports of her, from day to
day. When Amba went into the forest, resolved to perform tapasya,
melancholy and heartache gripped me and I became unwell. No Kshatriya
can vanquish me in battle, other than one who knows Brahman, and who
observes perfectly austere and praiseworthy vratas.
O king, I humbly told Narada and Vyasa all about Amba, and they both
said to me, ‘Bhishma, do not yield to sorrow because of the princess of
Kasi. Who would try to avert destiny by his own efforts?’
Meanwhile, Amba went to live near some asramas and began practising
tapasya so stern that it was beyond human endurance and belief. Without
food, emaciated, dry, with matted-locks and grimy, for six months she lived
only on air, and stood immobile like a post. After this, that devi, now rich in
tapasya, fasted for a year, standing in the waters of the Yamuna. The whole
of the next year, her anger unabated, she stood on her toes, having eaten
only one fallen leaf. In this way, for twelve years, she scalded heaven with
her austerities, and though her relatives tried to dissuade her, she would not
be moved.
She then went to Vatsabhumi tirtha, the retreat of lofty, pious Rishis,
and where Siddhas and Charanas lived. There she bathed frequently in the
sacred waters and wandered about as she pleased. In this way she went to
many tirthas, one after the other. She went to Narada’s asrama, then to
Uluka’s, then to Chyavana’s, then to the place most sacred to Brahmanas,
then to Prayaga the yagnashala of the gods, then to that forest sacred to the
gods, then to Bhogavati, then to the Viswamitra’s asrama, to Mandavya’s, to
Dilipa’s, then to the sacred lake Ramahrida, and then to the hermitage of
Garga. In the sacred waters of all these places the princess of Kasi
performed ablutions, while constantly observing the most difficult of vratas.
One day, from the waters my mother Ganga asked her, ‘Blessed devi,
why do you torture yourself like this? Tell me truly.’
That faultless princess answered with folded hands, ‘O you of the
beautiful eyes, Bhishma vanquished Parasurama. What other Kshatriya king
would venture to face Bhishma in battle when he has his weapons raised? I
am performing the severest tapasya in order to kill Bhishma. I wander over
the Earth with just one purpose—that I obtain the means to kill that
Kshatriya. Devi, in everything I do this is my only goal.’
Ganga said, ‘Devi, what you do is not wise. Weak girl, you will never
achieve your end. If you observe these vratas for Bhishma’s death, and if
you lose your own life whilst doing so, you will become a river in your next
birth, sourceless, its course crooked and filled only by rain water. All the
bathing ghats along your course will be difficult to reach and filled only
during the rainy season. You will be dry for eight months of the year. You
will be full of terrible crocodiles and other frightful monsters. ‘
Speaking to Amba in this way, my mother Ganga, the thrice-blessed
Devi, sent the princess of Kasi away. Amba renewed her tapasya, going
without food and water, sometimes for eight months and sometimes for ten.
She wandered here and there in her passionate quest of holy tirthas until she
came back once more to Vatsabhumi. It is here that she became a river,
filling only during the monsoon, abounding with crocodiles, her waters
flowing a crooked course, and difficult to find or ford. But, O king, because
of her tapasya only half of her turned into this river in Vatsabhumi, while
her other half remained a woman.”’”
CANTO 190
“S anjaya says, ‘Bhishma said, “All the Rishis living in Vatsabhumi

saw how intent the princess of Kasi was in her tapasya, and they
tried to dissuade her from it. The aged ascetics asked her what she wanted,
to which Amba responded, ‘Bhishma cast me out and deprived me of the
dharma of living with a husband. I keep these vratas for his destruction, and
not to gain Swarga. O you of tapasyadhana, I will find peace only with
Bhishma’s death.
I will not rest until I kill the son of Ganga in battle. All my grief is
because of him; he has robbed me of the punya I would have gained by
having a husband; because of him I am neither man nor woman. As a
woman, I no longer have any desire. I want to be a man, for then I can take
my revenge on Bhishma. So, you should not try to keep me from my
penance.’ And she kept repeating this to the munis.
Soon, the divine lord of Uma, the Trisulin, appeared before that
tapasvini who lived amongst the Maharishis. Mahadeva Siva told her to ask
for a boon; she begged for my death.
You shall slay him, were the words Siva said to that devi of the great
strength of mind.
Amba was reassured but said again to him, ‘How can I, a woman, defeat
mighty Bhishma in battle? Umapati, as a woman, my heart is perfectly
calm. However, you have promised me Bhishma’s death. Vrishabdhvaja, do
what you must to keep your word that I will kill Santanu’s son in battle.’
The Devadeva said to Amba, ‘The words I have uttered cannot be false.
Blessed Amba, they will prove true. You will become a man and slay
Bhishma. You will also remember everything about this life even when you
inhabit a new body. You will be born in Drupada’s house and become a
Maharatha. You will be swift in the use of astras, and a fierce warrior; and
you will be skilled in battle. O princess, all that I have said will be come to
pass, in time.’
The god of gods, the Kapardin, who has the bull for his emblem,
vanished while the Brahmanas looked on in awe. Without delay, that
faultless and lovely princess, eldest daughter of the king of Kasi, gathered
wood from the forest and, in the presence of those Maharishis, heaped a
large funeral pyre on the banks of the Yamuna. She lit it, and eagerly
entered the blaze, her heart yet another fire. As she walked into the flames,
she repeatedly reminded herself of her purpose, This I do for Bhishma’s
death.”’”
CANTO 191
AMBOPAKHYNA PARVA CONTINUED
“S anjaya says, ‘Duryodhana said, “Tell me, Pitamaha, how Amba,

having been a woman, later became a man.”
Bhishma said, ‘Duryodhana, the eldest and beloved queen of king
Drupada of the Panchalas was at first childless. Drupada went into the vana
and worshipped Lord Sankara with a fervid tapasya for the sake of sons, for
he wanted to have a son who would kill me.
He begged Mahadeva, ‘Let a son, and not a daughter, be born to me. I
want a son to take revenge on Bhishma.’
Mahadeva said to him, ‘You shall have a child who will be both female
and male. Stop your penance, king, it will not be otherwise.’
Returning to his capital, Drupada said to his wife, ‘Devi, I worshipped
Siva and He said to me that my child would be a daughter first and then
become a man.
And though I asked him repeatedly, all Siva said was, ‘This is fate’s
decree. It will not be otherwise; that which is destined must come to be.’
Drupada’s queen came to Drupada as her fertile time drew near.
Purifying herself, she came to him and in due time she conceived. Narada
told me this. And that lady, of eyes like lotus-petals, held the embryo in her
womb, and Mahabaho Drupada saw to his beloved dear wife’s every
comfort. Kaurava, the queen of that childless lord of the Earth had all her
wishes granted when she gave birth to a beautiful daughter.
The strong-minded queen announced that she had given birth to a son.
King Drupada had all the samskaras prescribed for a male child to be
performed for his daughter, as if she were a son. Drupada’s queen guarded
her secret closely; nobody in the city other than she and Drupada knew the
sex of the child. With faith in what the ever-glorious Siva had said, the
Panchala king also kept the secret, saying, It is a son.
Drupada named the child Sikhandin. But, through my spies and from
Narada’s news, I knew the truth, for I knew from my spies about Amba’s
tapasya and what Siva had promised her.”’’
CANTO 192
AMBOPAKHYNA PARVA CONTINUED
“‘B hishma said, “O Parantapa, Drupada paid careful attention to the

education of his daughter. He taught her writing, painting and all the arts. In
the astra shastra the child became a disciple of Drona. And when the time
came, Sikhandin’s lovely mother urged her husband to find a wife for their
daughter, as if she were a son.
When the king saw that his daughter had reached puberty and her
femininity become apparent, he spoke to his queen.
Drupada said, ‘Our daughter, who fills me with sorrow, has attained
maturity. On the strength of Mahadeva’s word, I have so far kept the truth
secret.’
The queen said, ‘Great king, what Siva says can never be untrue! Why
would the Lord of the three worlds say something that will not happen? If it
pleases you, my husband, listen to what I have to say and then follow your
own heart. Have our child married to a young woman, for Siva words can
never prove false. Of this I am certain.’
The royal couple chose the daughter of the king of the Dasarnakas to be
Sikhandin’s wife. Drupada, lion among kings, made inquiries from all the
kings of the world about the purity of her lineage before he chose this
maiden. And Hiranyavarman of the Dasarnakas gave his daughter to
Sikhandin.
Hiranyavarman was a powerful king, not easy to vanquish. He himself
was irresistible and he had a large army. A while after the wedding,
Hiranyavarman’s daughter attained puberty. Sikhandin returned to
Kampilya and his wife soon knew that her husband was a woman like
herself. Shyly, Hiranyavarman’s daughter told her sakhis and servant-maids
about Sikhandin’s secret.
The women who had come to Kampilya with the Dasarnaka princess
were aghast and sent word to Hiranyavarman. When he heard about the
fraud that had been perpetrated against him, Hiranyavarman was beside
himself, and sent a messenger to Drupada’s palace.
The king’s messenger approached Drupada and said to him in private,
‘Rajan, the king of the Dasarnakas is outraged at the deceit you have shown
him. Sinless one, he is furious and he said these words to you:
Foolish Drupada, you have humiliated me by making my daughter your
daughter’s wife. Now reap the consequence of your vile deception; wait just
awhile, and I will kill you with all your relatives and advisors!’” said
Bhishma.’”
CANTO 193
“S anjaya says, ‘Bhishma said, “Drupada, found out, was numbed by

Hiranyavarman’s message. He made every effort to pacify the
Dasarnaka king; he sent messengers to him with instructions to speak
sweetly and persuasively. King Hiranyavarman, however, having confirmed
that the child of the Panchala king was really a daughter, left Kampilya
immediately.
He sent messages to all his powerful friends about what Drupada had
done. That best of kings mustered a great army to march against Drupada.
Hiranyavarman consulted his ministers, and it was decided that they should
bind Drupada and drag him out of his city; and after installing another king
to rule over the Panchalas, they would kill both Drupada and Sikhandin.
Hiranyavarman again sent a duta to Drupada with the same message, I
will kill you, just wait.
King Drupada was not naturally brave and, because he was guilty, he
was filled with fear. He sent his own messenger again to Hiranyavarman to
placate him; and panic-stricken by now, he went to his wife to discuss the
matter with her.
The terrified king said to his favourite wife, Sikhandin’s mother, ‘The
powerful Hiranyavarman has gathered a large force and is coming here in
rage. My queen, we have both been fools; what are we to do now about
Sikhandin? Hiranyavarman and his allies want to kill me for deceiving him.
O you of the beautiful hips, tell me what you think, and I will decide
what to do. I am in grave peril and so is Sikhandin. Why, my queen, you are
also in danger. For all our sakes, tell me where you think dharma lies.
Although you misled me about my duty towards our son, who is no son
at all, I show you both mercy. So have no fear, and do not let our daughter
be afraid either.
I have indeed deceived the king of the Dasarnakas. Tell me what I must
do now so that everything turns out well?’
Drupada had always known the truth about Sikhandin, but now he
spoke to his wife in the presence of others in this way, to proclaim his own
innocence. And his queen answered him.”’”
CANTO 194
“‘B hishma said, “Sikhandin’s mother openly declared the truth about
her daughter, keeping up the pretence that Drupada had not known the truth.
She said, ‘I was childless, Rajan, and it was from fear of your other
wives that, when she was born, I pretended that our daughter was a son. Out
of your love for me, you did not question me and had all the samskaras for a
son performed, for our Sikhandin. You had her married to the daughter of
the king of Dasarnakas, and, remembering the words of Mahadeva, I
approved of the wedding. I did not try to stop the marriage because Siva
said, She will be born a daughter, and she will become a son.
Thus, subtly, Drupada Yajnasena informed all his counsellors of the
truth, and sought their advice on how to protect his subjects from
Hiranyavarman’s invasion. Although he had himself deceived the king of
the Dasarnakas, he made it seem as if he had not known about Sikhandin’s
sex; and then he turned his undivided attention to the looming threat from
Hiranyavarman.
King Drupada’s city was already well-protected, but he now bolstered
its fortifications. The king and his queen were, however, consumed by the
thought of how to avoid a war. Drupada began to pay fervent homage and
adoration to the gods, and his wife did as well.
Then she said to him, ‘Paying homage to the gods has its benefits and is
approved of by the righteous. What shall I say of those that are plunged in
an ocean of distress? Pay homage to your elders and superiors and worship
all the gods; making bounteous gifts to Brahmanas; pour oblations on the
fire to pacify the ruler of the Dasarnakas. My lord, think of a way of
pacifying Hiranyavarman without a war. The grace of the gods will help
you make peace with him.
Take the counsel of your ministers for the protection of our city. Do
everything they advise, for reliance on the gods, when supported by human
effort, always leads to success. These two must go hand-in-hand; one by
itself cannot be successful. So, consult your advisors and make every
arrangement to defend our city, and also worship the gods.’
While husband and wife were conversing, both full of grief and fear,
their hapless daughter Sikhandin was full of shame and guilt. Thinking that
it was because of her that her parents were in such anguish, she decided to
end her life. She left Kampilya, her heart breaking, and went into a dense
and lonely forest that was the haunt of a formidable Yaksha called
Sthunakarna, for fear of whom no-one ever entered that forest.
In that vana stood a mansion with high walls; it was plastered with clay
and rich with smoke that bore the fragrance of roasted paddy. Sikhandini
entered that mansion and began to emaciate herself by fasting for many
days. The Yaksha named Sthuna, who was a kindly being, appeared before
her.
He said to her, ‘What is the purpose of your endeavour? I will
accomplish it for you; tell me what it is.’
Sikhandini replied, ‘You cannot.’
The Yaksha retorted, smiling, ‘Accomplish it I will! I am a follower of
the Lord of treasures and I can grant boons, princess. I will grant you even
the impossible. Tell me what you want.’
Now Sikhandini told Sthunakarna everything that had happened, in
detail. She said, ‘O Yaksha, my father will soon meet his end. The king of
the Dasarnakas marches against him in rage. Hiranyavarman in his golden
armour is mighty and invincible. Yaksha, save me, my mother and my
father! You have already said you will give me what I want. Through your
grace, Yaksha, I want to become a man in all my parts. Be gracious to me,
great Yaksha.”’
CANTO 195
“‘B hishma said, “Bharatarishabha, the Yaksha heard Sikhandin’s

strange story and saw it was fraught with destiny, when she said, ‘It was all
pre-ordained, and it was ordained for my grief.’
The Yaksha said, ‘Blessed princess, I will do what you wish. Listen,
however, to the condition I have. For a specified time, I will give you my
own manhood, and take your womanhood upon myself. But you must come
back to me at the specified time. Promise me this, and you shall become a
man. I am a ranger of the skies and wander at my pleasure; I have great
powers and I can accomplish whatever I want. Take my boon, and save
your city and all your kin. Swear in truth to return my manhood to me, and I
will do what you want.’
Sikhandin said to him, ‘Holy one of most excellent vows, I will return
your manhood to you. Wanderer of the night, bear my womanhood for a
short time only. After the king of the Dasarnakas, who wears golden mail,
has left my city, I will become a woman once more and you will be a man
again.’
Thus, the two made a pact with each other and exchanged their genders.
The Yaksha Sthuna became a female, while Sikhandin obtained the
resplendent form of the Yaksha.
Sikhandin of the Panchala vamsa entered Kampilya in great joy and
approached his father. He told Drupada everything that had happened and
Drupada heard it and was very glad; and the king and his wife remembered
Mahadeva’s words.
Forthwith, Drupada sent a messenger to Hiranyavarman saying that his
Sikhandin was indeed a son. Meanwhile, the king of the Dasarnakas arrived
suddenly outside Kampilya and despatched a messenger to the Panchala
king, a man who was one of the foremost of Vedic scholars.
The king of the Dasarnakas said to his messenger, ‘O duta, say to that
worst of kings, the ruler of the Panchalas:
O evil-minded one, you chose my daughter as a wife for your daughter.
Today, you will taste the fruit of deception.’
The Brahmana messenger went before Drupada. The king of the
Panchalas, with Sikhandin, offered the duta a cow and honey. However,
without accepting that worship, the Brahmana delivered Hiranyavarman’s
rough message.
The duta said, ‘My lord Hiranyavarman says: O vile Drupada, you have
deceived me. I will kill you and all your counsellors, sons and kin!’
Forced to listen to King Hiranyavarman’s censure in the midst of his
counsellors, Drupada assumed a mild and friendly manner and said, “My
reply to my brother’s words I will send to him with my duta.”
Drupada sent a Brahmana, learned in the Vedas, to Hiranyavarman.
The messenger delivered this message: “Sikhandin is my son, you can
have him examined. Somebody has lied to you; do not believe the liar.”
King Hiranyavarman of the Dasarnakas was filled with sorrow. He sent
some beautiful virgins to ascertain the truth about Sikhandin’s sex. These
maidens returned and told the king that Sikhandin was a powerfully built
man. The king of the Dasarnakas was filled with great joy. He accepted
Drupada’s hospitality and stayed happily with him for a while.
In his joy, he gave Sikhandin much wealth, many elephants, horses,
cows and bulls. For as long as he was there, Drupada treated him
worshipfully, and, before leaving, Hiranyavarman rebuked his daughter for
what she had done. Sikhandin rejoiced that Hiranyavarman left in joy and
with his anger pacified.
Meanwhile, a while after Sikhandin became a man, Kubera, in the
course of his wanderings over the world, borne as always on the shoulders
of men, arrived at the home of the Yaksha Sthuna. From the sky, he looked
down at the Yaksha Sthuna’s palace and saw that it was adorned with
beautiful garlands of flowers, and perfumed with fragrant extracts of fine
grass and other sweet scents. It was decked with canopies, and incense
wafted in the air. Beautiful flags and banners adorned the palace, which was
filled with food and drink of every kind.
Kubera, lord of the Yakshas, saw Sthuna’s glorious abode filled also
with strings of jewels and gems, perfumed with the fragrance of many
different kinds of flowers, well-watered and swept.
He said to the Yakshas in his train, “My mighty ones, grand indeed is
this mansion of Sthuna’s, but why does the wicked one not come out to
greet me, though he knows I am here? He deserves some stern
punishment.”
The Yakshas said, “Lord, the king Drupada had a daughter born to him,
named Sikhandini. Sthuna has given her his own manhood and become a
woman in her place. He remains inside his palace because he is ashamed to
come before you. Now do what you think is right.”
Kubera ordered his chariot to stop there and Sthuna brought before him,
still repeatedly vowing to punish Sthuna. Summoned by the lord of
Yakshas, Sthuna came out and stood before his Lord, head bent in shame.
The Lord of treasures cursed him in anger, “Guhyakas, let this wretched
Yaksha remain a woman!
Sinner, you have shamed all Yakshas by giving your manhood to
Sikhandini and becoming a woman. You have done what no one has ever
done before, and from this day you shall remain a woman and she a man.”
Now all the Yakshas tried to pacify him for Sthunakarna’s sake and
begged him to limit his curse.
Kubera relented, “After Sikhandin’s death, O Yakshas, this one will
regain his own form. So, let the noble Sthuna not worry.”
And the illustrious lord of the Yakshas received worship and departed
with his colourful and wild people, who could travel great distances in short
time. And, thus cursed, Sthuna continued living in his fine sanctuary.
When Hiranyavarman left, Sikhandin came at once to the Yaksha
Sthuna, as he had promised. Sthuna was pleased that the prince had kept his
word, and he told Sikhandin everything that had happened.
The Yaksha said equably, “O Kshatriya, because of you, Vaisravana
cursed me. Go now and live happily amongst men as you please. Both your
arrival and Kubera’s visit were fated, and they could not be avoided.”
Sikhandin went back to his city, full of joy. He worshipped the gods, the
Brahmanas, the great ancestral trees and the crossroads with all kinds of
garlands and costly gifts. Drupada, king of the Panchalas, his son Sikhandin
whose wish had been crowned with success, and his kinsmen, all rejoiced.
The king sent his son Sikhandin, who had once been a woman, to Acharya
Drona as a sishya. With all of you, Sikhandin mastered all four parts of the
astra shastra, as did his brother Dhrishtadyumna.
Rajan, I gathered all this information through my spies whom I set on
Drupada, disguised as fools or blind men.
This is how Maharatha Sikhandin of the Panchalas was born as a girl,
and later became a man. And it was the king of Kasi’s eldest daughter,
Amba, who was born into Drupada’s royal house as Sikhandin.
If Sikhandin comes to fight me, bow in hand, I will not so much as look
at him, let alone attack that prince. The world knows that I have vowed
never to take up arms against a woman, or one who was once a woman, or
one who has a woman’s name, or one who looks like a woman. I will not
kill Sikhandin. Now that I know about this prince’s past, I will not slay him
in battle even if he rides at me with his weapon raised. If I, Bhishma, kill a
woman, the righteous will speak ill of me.” When he heard this,
Duryodhana, after a moment’s reflection, agreed with Bhishma.’
CANTO 196
S anjaya says, ‘When night passed and morning broke, your sons,
standing in the midst of their vast legions, asked their Pitamaha, “O
Gangaputra, Yudhishtira’s army is ready for war; it teems with men,
elephants and horses; Maharathas throng its ranks and protected by these
mighty bowmen—Bhima, Arjuna and others headed by Dhrishtadyumna,
who are all like the rulers of the world—that great force is impregnable,
invincible; it resembles the endless sea. Even the gods cannot perturb it in
battle; how long will it take you to raze Yudhishtira’s army? How long will
Acharya Drona need, and Kripa, and Karna who loves battle? How long
will that Brahmanottama, Aswatthama son of Drona, need? My army has
you all, who have devastras at your command.
I am beset by curiosity. Mahabaho, tell me what I want to know.”
Bhishma said, “First among Kurus, your question about the strength and
weakness of your enemy is worthy. I will tell you of my prowess in battle,
of my own strength and the power of my weapons. One should fight
common soldiers in a simple, straightforward way, but one must use
cunning with those who resort to deception. This is the dharma of a
Kshatriya.
I can indeed raze the Pandava army. Every morning, I can mark ten
thousand common warriors and a thousand chariot-warriors to kill, and
accomplish my task by dusk. So, given time, donning my impenetrable
kavacha and putting forth my tireless urjas, I can entirely destroy the vast
enemy forces. However, if I loose my devastras, which consume thousands
in moments, I can complete the massacre in a month.”
Duryodhana then asked Drona, “Acharya, in how much time can you
annihilate the legions of Pandu’s son?”
Drona said, smiling, “I am old, Mahabaho. My tejas and urjas have both
waned, but with the fire of my astras I can, like Santanu’s son Bhishma,
consume the Pandava army in a month.”
Then Kripa declared that he could finish the enemy in two months.
Drona’s son Aswatthama swore that he would do the same in ten nights;
and Karna, who commanded the most potent astras, claimed he would
achieve that feat in five days.
Bhishma laughed aloud to listen to Karna, “Radheya, your vainglory
will last until you encounter Arjuna, flying into battle on his chariot, with
his conch, bows and arrows, and with Krishna beside him. You can say
anything you like, for talk is cheap.”’
CANTO 197
V
them.
aisampayana said, “When Yudhishtira hears what the Kuru
commanders said, he summons his brothers and speaks privately to
Yudhishtira says, ‘The spies I sent into Duryodhana’s army brought me

news this morning.
They told me that Duryodhana asked Bhishma how long it would take
him to raze our army and Bhishma said he could do it in a month. Drona
declared that he could achieve the same thing in the same time; Kripa
indicated twice that period; so we have heard. Aswatthama, who has
powerful astras, said he would take only ten nights; and Karna, who, also,
can summon the most devastating astras, declared that he could complete
the slaughter in five days.
Arjuna, I want to hear what you have to say. How long will you take to
vanquish the enemy?’
Dhananjaya, of the curly hair, glances at Krishna and says, ‘Bhishma
and all these other warriors are Mahatmans, masters of arms and all the
methods and vyuhas of war. They can, doubtlessly, destroy our forces as
they have said. But, my lord, dispel the anxiety in your heart. With Krishna
beside me, from a single chariot, I, Arjuna, can incinerate the three worlds,
with even the gods, and indeed all living creatures that were, are and will be
in the blink of an eye. This is my belief.
I still command the awesome astra which Mahadeva, Lord of all
creatures, gave me when I fought him hand-to-hand, when he came as a
Vetala; the Pasupatastra is still mine. O Naravyaghra, I have, besides, the
astra that Mahadeva uses to destroy creation during the Pralaya at the end of
a Yuga. Bhishma knows nothing of that astra, nor do Drona, Kripa and
Drona’s son. How can the Sutaputra Karna have any knowledge of it?
However, it is adharma, and a great sin, to use such devastras against
ordinary mortals in war. We will vanquish our enemies in a fair contention.
Then, Rajan, look at all these mighty kings, your allies. They are all
masters of devastras and all eager for battle. After their initiation into the
Vedas, they have all performed the final ritual bath in great yagnas. All of
them are undefeated, and they can vanquish even the host of the Devas in
battle.
You have for your allies these incomparable Kshatriyas: Sikhandin and
Yuyudhana; Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata vamsa; Bhimasena and Madri’s
twins; Yudhamanyu and Uttamaujas; and Virata and Drupada who are
Bhishma and Drona’s equals in battle; Mahabaho Sankha, Hidimba’s
mighty son and his son Anjanaparva, whose strength and prowess defy
description; Sini’s descendant, Mahabahu Satyaki; and Abhimanyu and
Draupadi’s five sons.
And then, you, by yourself, Dharmaraja, can destroy the three worlds. O
you who are blessed with the effulgence of Indra himself, I know, for it is
manifest, that you can turn any man, whom you look upon in anger, to
ashes.’”
CANTO 198
V aisampayana said, “The next morning, under a cloudless sky, led by

Duryodhana, all the kings in his army, prepare themselves for the
great war, what will be the Mahabharata yuddha, against the Pandavas.
They leave Hastinapura and go forth to Kurukshetra like a sea leaving its
bed.
They take ritual baths of purification; they put on royal white robes and
drape garlands around their necks. They pour ritual offerings onto sacred
fires, and when they have received the blessings of their Brahmanas they
take up their weapons and raise their standards. All these kings are knowers
of the Vedas; they are courageous without exception, and have observed
stern vratas. They are great warriors, and men of kingly generosity. Those
mighty lords of the Earth, all of them equally confident of their own
prowess and that of their companions, share the single-minded desire to
attain mukti through battle: the greatest goal of any Kshatriya.
First, the Avantis, Vinda and Anuvinda, the Kekayas and the Bahlikas
go forth with Bharadwaja’s son, Drona, at their head.
Then come Aswatthama, Bhishma and Jayadratha of the Sindhus; the
kings of the southern and the western countries and of the mountainous
regions; Sakuni, king of the Gandharas, all the chiefs of the eastern and the
northern regions, the Sakas, the Kiratas, the Yavanas, the Sibis and the
Vasatis with their Maharathas at the heads of their respective divisions: all
these great chariot-warriors ride in the second legion.
And next: Kritavarman, at the head of his swarming troops; that
Maharatha—the king of the Trigartas; Raja Duryodhana surrounded by his
brothers; Sala, Bhurisravas, Salya and Brihadratha the king of the Kosalas.
All these, with Dhritarashtra’s sons at their head, make up the rear; they are
magnificent warriors, without exception, and, uniting together in
immaculate formations, their armour shimmering like some vast lake of
lustre, they make camp on one side of the hallowed field of Kurukshetra.
Duryodhana has his encampment adorned to look like a second
Hastinapura. Indeed, even the citizens of Hastinapura could hardly
distinguish their city from the sprawling cantonment. By order of the
Kaurava king, there are hundreds of thousands of inaccessible pavilions,
each one as grand as his own, for every king in his army. The tents for the
troops occupy five yojanas of the field, and the lords of the Earth and their
fighting men enter those countless pavilions and tents, all richly appointed
and replete with every excellent manner of provender and comfort, even
like some unimaginable pride of lions.
Rare and of the finest quality are the supplies and comforts Duryodhana
orders for the kings, their footsoldiers, elephants and horses, and all their
followers. He makes more than ample provisions for the engineers, bards,
singers and panegyrists loyal to him, for the vendors and traders, for
prostitutes, spies and the people who have come to witness the great war.”
CANTO 199
V aisampayana said, “Like Duryodhana, Yudhishtira, too, commands

his heroic legions and warriors led by Dhrishtadyumna. He does this
through his Senapati the Panchala prince, through Dhrishtaketu of the
Chedis, Kasis and Karushas, as well as through Virata, Drupada,
Yuyudhana and Sikhandin, and the two other Panchala princes, the peerless
bowmen Yudhamanyu and Uttamaujas.
These warriors in their shining kavachas, adorned with golden kundalas,
blaze like flames in a ghrita-fed yagna fire and are as resplendent as the
great planets in the sky. Yudhishtira Dharmaraja honours all his warriors
and then commands them to take the field. He, also, provides the best of
food and drink for the Mahatman kings, as also for their footsoldiers,
elephants and horses, their camp followers and engineers.
Yudhishtira first has Abhimanyu, Brihanta and Draupadi’s five sons set,
with Dhrishtadyumna at their head; he then sends Bhima and Arjuna with
the second division of his forces. The din that the men make as they harness
their horses and elephants and load the chariots with weapons and other
battle equipment, and the excited shouts of the soldiers, rises into the
heavens. And last of all, the king himself sets out, with Virata, Drupada and
all the other kings come to fight for him.
And the army of fierce bowmen that Dhrishtadyumna leads, which until
now was gathered in one place, now streams into interminable columns, and
looks like the wide and turbulent Ganga. Yudhishtira sends forth his
divisions in formations calculated to bewilder Duryodhana; and at this, he
succeeds.
In Yudhishtira’s first division ride the five sons of Draupadi,
Maharathas; Abhimanyu, Nakula, Sahadeva and all the Prabhadrakas are
part of this vast complement of warriors, as are ten thousand horses, two
thousand elephants, ten thousand foot-soldiers and five hundred chariots.
And Yudhishtira gives charge of this force to Bhimasena.
In the middle division of his army he places Virata and Jayatsena; the
two Maharathas Yudhamanyu and Uttamaujas, those noble Panchala
princes, both of great prowess and both armed with maces and bows; and
Krishna and Arjuna, as well as countless other master warriors who seethe
with rage and warlust. Countless are the valiant horsemen, five thousand the
elephants, all these surrounded by fleets of chariots. A thousand fearless
footsoldiers, armed with bows, swords and maces, march behind them and a
thousand before them, all united in spirit and purpose like a single terrible
Being.
In the oceanic division, in which Yudhishtira himself is, numberless
great kings ride, along with thousands of elephants, tens of thousands of
horses, and thousands upon thousands of chariots and footsoldiers.
Chekitana and the Chedi king Dhrishtaketu march with their own
immense akshauhinis; with them rides the most brilliant Satyaki, best of the
Vrishni Maharathas, whom hundreds of thousands of chariots surround. The
Purusharishabhas Kshattradharma and Kshattradeva bring up the rear,
where, also, are carts, stalls, wagons laden with battle-fatigues, other
conveyances for immense stores of weapons and provisions, and draught
animals, as well; here go thousands of elephants and tens of thousands of
horses.
Yudhishtira goes forth slowly, majestically, his elephant divisions
bringing all the sickly and women, all the emaciated and the weak to watch
the great war; pack animals carry the Pandava king’s treasures, and the
contents of his granaries. The ever truthful and invincible Sauchitti follows
him; and Srenimat, Vasudeva and the king of Kasi’s son Vibhu, as well,
with twenty-thousand chariots, and a hundred million mettlesome horses
with bells on their legs. Twenty-thousand fighting elephants with curved
tusks as long as plough-shares, all of the highest pedigree, and looking like
dark, rolling cloud masses, bring up the rear, ambling behind the kings, in
lordly gait.
Besides these twenty-thousand war-elephants in Yudhishtira’s division,
are seventy-thousand more, in his army of seven akshauhinis. The juice of
musth trickles down their trunks and spills out of their mouths, and they are
like moving mountains with spring water flowing down them.
Thus does Yudhishtira array his awesome army, upon which he relies in
the war against his cousin Duryodhana. Besides these that I have named,
there are others: lakhs of smaller legions of free men, who follow the main
body of Pandava army, roaring as they march. Thousands of warriors
infused with the joy of imminent battle upon them beat thousands of drums
and sound tens of thousands of booming conches,” said Vaisampayana.
The End of Udyoga Parva

Bhishma Parva
Published by
New Delhi 110002
Sales centres:
Kolkata Mumbai
Copyright © Anjuli Kaul 2013

No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a
retrieval system, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the
publisher.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed at Thomson Press India Ltd, Faridabad.
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or
otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated, without the
publisher’s prior consent, in any form of binding or cover other than that in
which it is published.
For Richa, naturally.
And for Akshay, necessarily.

CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
CANTO 1–10 Jambu-khanda Nirmana Parva
CANTO 11–12 Bhumi Parva
CANTO 13–24 Bhagavat-Gita Parva
CANTO 25–42 Srimad Bhagavad Gita
CANTO 43–124 Bhishma Vadha Parva
Appendix for The Bhagavad Gita

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am grateful to Ramesh Menon, my editor, for guiding my learning in this

journey.
And to Jayashree Kumar, my friend, for drawing me into its joys and
struggles and staying by my metaphorical side throughout.
And to Roshan Ghose and Sheila Menon, my gurus, for instructing me
in the ways vital for understanding the world of this compelling epic.
CANTO 1
JAMBU-KHANDA NIRAMAN PARVA
UM! Having bowed down to Narayana, and Nara, the most exalted of
Purushas, and also to the Devi Saraswati, I invoke the spirit of Jaya!
Janamejaya asked, “How did those heroes, the Kurus, the
Pandavas and the Somakas, and the great kings assembled together from
various countries, fight?”
Vaisampayana replied, “O lord of the earth, hear now how those heroes,
the Kurus, the Pandavas, and the Somakas fought on the sacred plain of
Kurukshetra. Seeking victory, the mighty Pandavas, along with the
Somakas, advance against the Kauravas. Accomplished masters of the
Vedas, they take great delight in battle. Eager for success, they and their
legions face the war.
Approaching the army of Dhritarashtra’s son, those invincible warriors
and their troops station on the western part of the plain, facing the east.
Yudhishtira, the son of Kunti, has thousands of tents erected beyond
Samantapanchaka. The whole earth seems then to be empty, divested of
horses and men, destitute of chariots and elephants, with only the children
and the old left at home.
That immense force has come from all of Jambudwipa over which the
sun sheds his rays. Men of all races assemble together and occupy an area
of many yojanas over plains, rivers, hills and forests. That bull among men,
king Yudhishtira, orders excellent food and other things of enjoyment for all
of them and their animals. He fixes diverse code-words for them so that
anyone saying these would be known as belonging to the Pandavas, and
also gives names and badges to all of them for recognition during the war.
Seeing the standard-top of Pritha’s son, the great son of Dhritarashtra,
with a white royal parasol held over his head, in the midst of a thousand
elephants, surrounded by his ninety-nine brothers and allied kings, begins to
dispose his troops against the son of Pandu. Seeing Duryodhana, the
Panchalas, who take delight in battle, are filled with joy and blow on their
booming conches and clash cymbals of sweet sounds.
Watching the happy troops, the hearts of Pandu’s son and Vasudeva fill
with joy. And those tigers among men, Krishna and Arjuna, seated together
in one chariot, blow their celestial conches. And hearing the blast of the
Panchajanya and the echoing blast of the Devadatta, the enemy soldiers are
terrified, even as other animals are filled with fear on hearing the roar of the
lion; many helplessly urinate and even defecate.
A frightful pall of dust arises and nothing can be seen, for, suddenly
enveloped by it, the sun himself seems to have set. A black cloud pours a
shower of flesh and blood over the troops all around. All this seems
macabre and extraordinary. A wind rises, blowing along the earth
numberless tiny stones, and harries the hundreds and thousands of fighting
men.
Despite that, O king, both armies, filled with joy, stand keen for battle
on Kurukshetra like two stormy seas. Indeed, that encounter of the two
armies is wonderful, like that of two oceans when the end of the Yuga has
arrived. The whole world is empty, having only the children and the old left
at home, from that vast army having been mustered by the Kauravas.
O Bharatarishabha, then the Kurus, the Pandavas, and the Somakas
make certain covenants, and agree on the laws governing the different kinds
of combat. In order to fight fairly, men equally circumstanced must
encounter each other. And if, having fought fairly, the combatants withdraw,
they should be able to do so without fear of being attacked. Those who
engage in contests of words should be fought with words. Those that leave
the ranks should never be killed.
A warrior in a chariot should be opposed by another such warrior; one
on the neck of an elephant should have a similar adversary; a horseman
should be met by a horseman, and a foot-soldier, O Bhaarata, should be met
by a foot-soldier.
Guided by considerations of fitness, willingness, daring and strength,
one fighting man should strike another, after giving notice. An unprepared
or panic-stricken opponent must not be attacked. A soldier who is engaged
with another, or is seeking refuge, or retreating, or one whose weapon is
broken, or one unprotected by armour, should never be shot at or struck.
Charioteers, animals yoked to chariots or bearing weapons, men engaged in
the transport of weapons, drummers and blowers of conches, must never be
assaulted.
Having decided on these rubrics of battle, the Kurus, and the Pandavas,
and the Somakas gaze at each other in awe. After positioning their troops,
the exhilaration felt by these powerful and high-souled men is reflected in
their faces, which shine.”
CANTO 2
JAMBU-KHANDA NIRMANA PARVA
CONTINUED
aisampayana said, “Seeing the two armies standing on the east and
the west for the fierce and imminent war, the holy Rishi Vyasa, the
son of Satyavati, learned in the Vedas, that grandfather of the
Bhaaratas, trikalagyani, knower of the past, the present and the future,
seeing everything every time as if they were before his eyes, says these
words in private to the royal son of Vichitravirya, who is distressed and
dejected, thinking of the evil policy of his own sons.
Vyasa says, ‘Dhritarashtra, the day of reckoning for your sons and the
other kings has arrived. Assembled for battle they will kill one another. O
Bhaarata, their hour having come, they will all perish. Bearing in mind the
changes brought on by time, do not grieve. O king, if you wish to see them
fighting, I will grant you vision. Behold the war.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘O Maharishi, I would not like to watch the slaughter
of kinsmen. I will, however, through your powers, listen to the details of
this battle.’”
Vaisampayana continued, “Upon his not wanting to see the battle but
wishing to hear of it, Vyasa, that lord of boons, gives a boon to Sanjaya and
says to Dhritarashtra, ‘O Rajan, Sanjaya will describe the war to you.
Nothing in the war will be hidden from his eyes. Endowed with celestial
vision, Sanjaya will describe the fighting to you. He will have knowledge of
everything.
Sanjaya will know everything: that which is manifest or concealed,
occurring by day or by night, even that which is thought of in the mind.
Weapons will not hurt him and exertion will not fatigue him. This son of
Gavalgani will come out of the battle alive.
As for myself, I will spread the fame of these Kurus, and of the
Pandavas. Do not grieve. This is destiny, O tiger among men. It does not
become you to give way to grief. The war cannot be prevented. As for
victory, it lies with the righteous.
There will be great slaughter in this war. I see numerous omens of terror.
Hawks and vultures, crows and herons, together with cranes, alight on the
tops of trees and gather in swarms. Delighted at the prospect of battle, these
birds look down on the field before them. Carnivorous beasts will feed on
the flesh of elephants and horses. Fierce herons, foreboding terror, and
uttering merciless cries, circle across the centre of the field towards the
south.
In both the twilights of every day, I see, O Bhaarata, the sun, while
rising and setting, covered by headless trunks. Tri-coloured clouds with
their white and red ends and black necks, charged with lightning, and
shaped like maces, envelop the sun at both dawn and dusk. I see the sun, the
moon and the stars to be all ablaze, with no difference in their appearance at
nightfall. I have seen this all day and all night. All of it forebodes fear.
On even the full moon night of the month of Kartika, the moon becomes
invisible, or turns the colour of fire, the sky being of the hue of a lotus.
Many heroic kings and princes, with arms like maces, will be slain and
strewn upon the earth. Every night, in the sky I hear the fierce cries of
battling boars and cats. The idols of the Devas and Devis sometimes laugh,
sometimes tremble; sometimes they vomit blood through their mouths,
sometimes they sweat and sometimes fall down.
Drums, without being beaten, sound, and the great chariots of
Kshatriyas move without being drawn by yoked horses. Kokilas, wood-
peckers, water-cocks, parrots, crows, and peacocks utter fell cries. Here and
there, cavalry soldiers, encased in mail, armed with weapons, shout fiercely.
At sunrise, millions of insects fly everywhere in thick swarms. At both
dawn and dusk, the four quarters of the earth seem to be on fire, and the
clouds, Bhaarata, shower down dirt and flesh.
Arundhati, who is celebrated over the three worlds and applauded by the
righteous, keeps her lord Vasistha at her back. The planet Sani appears to
afflict the constellation Rohini. The sign of the deer in the moon has shifted
from its usual position. A great terror is indicated. A dreadful roaring can be
heard in the cloudless sky. The animals are all weeping, their tears falling
fast.’”
CANTO 3
CONTINUED
yasa says, ‘Cows are giving birth to asses. Men desire sexual
pleasure with their mothers. The trees in the forests exhibit
unseasonal flowers and fruit. Pregnant women, and even those
who are not, are giving birth to monsters. Carnivorous beasts and birds live
and feed together. Ill-omened beasts, some with three horns, some with four
eyes, some with five legs, some with two sexual organs, some with two
heads, some with two tails, some with fierce fangs, are being born, and
maws agape, utter unholy cries. Horses with three legs and strange crests,
with four rows of teeth and horns, are also being born.
O Rajan! Strange sights are seen in your city: the wives of many
Brahmavadis are giving birth to eagles and peacocks, the mare is bringing
forth a calf and the bitch jackals and cocks, while deer and parrots all
screech inauspiciously.
Some women give birth to four or five daughters together, who begin to
dance, sing and laugh as soon as they are born. The coarse laughing,
dancing and singing of the lowest born portend dire events. Infants, as if
drawn by death, fight each other with clubs and break down the little towns
they built while playing.
Many kinds of lotuses and lilies grow on trees. Fierce winds blow and
dust flies everywhere.
The earth trembles frequently and Rahu approaches the Sun. The white
Ketu stays still, having passed beyond the asterism of Chitra. All these
prophesy the destruction of the Kurus. A fierce comet rises, afflicting the
constellation of Pusya. This great thing will bring calamity on both the
armies.
Mars spins towards Magha and Brihaspati towards Sravana. Sani
approaches the nakshatra Bhaga, afflicting it. Sukra, ascending towards
Purva Bhadra, shines brilliantly, and wheels towards and faces the Uttara
Bhadra arranging itself next to a smaller planet. Ketu, blazing like fire
mixed with smoke, is stationary, having attacked the bright star of Jyeshta
so sacred to Indra.
Dhruva burns strongly and turns to his right. Both the Moon and the Sun
afflict Rohini. Ferocious Rahu has taken up his position between the
constellations of Chitra and Swati. The red-bodied, fiery Mars orbits
circuitously, staying aligned with the nakshatra of Sravana over-ridden by
Brihaspati.
The Earth that produces crops each in their season is now covered with
crops of every season. Every barley-stalk is graced with five ears, and every
paddy-stalk with a hundred. When milked after their calves have suckled,
cows, those best of creatures upon whom the universe depends, flow only
blood.
Radiant beams of light emerge from bows, and swords shine brightly. It
appears that the weapons can already see the war before them, as if it is
already being fought. The weapons, the water, and the coats of armour all
assume the colour of fire.
A great slaughter will take place. In this battle between the Kurus and
the Pandavas, O Bhaarata, the earth will be a river of blood and the
standards of warriors its rafts. The wild cries of animals and birds with
blazing mouths are evil omens of dreadful outcomes. A fierce bird with but
one wing, one eye, and one leg, hovering over the sky in the night, screams
in such great anger, so as to make its hearers vomit blood.
It seems, O great king, that all weapons are now shining radiantly. The
lustre of the Saptarishi mandala has been dimmed. Having approached the
asterism of Visakha, Brihaspati and Sani, ablaze, have been still there for a
whole year.
Three lunations twice meeting together in the course of the same lunar
fortnight, the duration of the latter is shortened by two days. On the
thirteenth day, therefore, from the first lunation, according to whether it is
the day of the full moon or the new moon, the Moon and the Sun are
afflicted by Rahu. Such strange eclipses, both lunar and solar, forebode a
great carnage.
Overwhelmed by showers of dust, all the quarters of the earth look
inauspicious. Predicting danger, angry clouds rain bloody showers during
the night. Rahu of fierce deeds also balefully impacts the constellation of
Krittika. Rough winds of evil omen are constantly blowing. All these will
beget a war of numberless sorrows and untold grief.
The Nakshatras are of three types: the Deva, the Asura and the
Manushya. A malignant planet casts its influence upon at least one of each,
foreshadowing terrifying dangers. A lunar fortnight usually consists of
fourteen, fifteen or sixteen days. Never have I known the day of new moon
to fall on the thirteenth day from the first lunation, or the day of full moon
on the thirteenth day from the same. And yet, in the course of the same
month both the moon and the sun have undergone eclipses on the thirteenth
days from the day of the first lunation. These will result in a great massacre
of the earth’s creatures.
Though drinking blood in mouthfuls, the rakshasas are not satiated. The
great rivers are flowing back to their sources, and their waters have become
bloody. The wells are frothing and bellowing like bulls. Meteors, effulgent
like Indra’s thunderbolt, fall in showers with loud hisses. This night will be
followed by direst evil.
People will have to light torches when they emerge from their houses to
assemble and still be enveloped in the encircling thick gloom. Great Rishis
have said that in such circumstances the earth drinks the blood of thousands
of kings.
From the peaks of Kailasa, Mandara and Himavat, thousands of
explosions are heard and hundreds of great crags and peaks come crashing
off their summits. Earthquakes swell the four oceans, which threaten to
break their banks and sweep over the continents to drown the land.
Violent winds filled with sharp pebbles blow and mighty trees fall. In
villages and towns both sacred and ordinary trees are struck by lightning
and felled by savage winds. When Brahmanas pour libations onto the
sacrificial fire, it burns blue, or red, or yellow. Its flames bend towards the
left, giving off a vile stench and loud reports.
Touch, smell and taste, O king, have changed their very nature.
The flagstaffs of warriors tremble continually and emit smoke. Drums
and cymbals shower coal-dust. And from the tops of tall trees all around,
crows, wheeling in circles from the left, utter fierce cries of paka! paka! and
perch upon the tops of standards for the destruction of the kings.
Demented wild elephants, their great bodies shaking in fear, dash here
and there, spraying urine and dung. The horses in our stables are all
melancholy, while our elephants wade into water. O Bhaarata, pay heed to
all these omens, and do what needs to be done so that the world may not be
completely destroyed.’”
Vaisampayana continued, “Hearing these words of his father,
Dhritarashtra says, ‘I think all this has been preordained. A great slaughter
of men will indeed take place. If the kings die in battle observing Kshatriya
dharma, they will be assured a place in those blessed regions where heroes
go when they die and will find only happiness there. These great
Purushavyaghras, who give up their lives in this battle, will win fame in this
world and great bliss in the next.’
O great king, thus addressed by his son Dhritarashtra, that prince of
poets, the Muni Vyasa concentrates his mind in supreme dhyana. After
meditating for a short time, Vyasa says, ‘Without doubt, O king of kings, it
is Time that destroys the universe. It is Time also that creates the worlds.
Nothing here is eternal. Show the path of dharma to the Kurus, to your
kinsmen, relatives and friends. You have the power to restrain them. The
slaughter of kinsmen has been declared sinful. Do not do that which is
disagreeable to me.
Rajan, Death himself has been born in the guise of your son. Killing is
never praised in the Vedas. It can never be beneficial. The members of one’s
race are as the limbs and organs of one’s own body. Those limbs slay him
that destroys them. Although you can well walk the righteous path of
dharma, it is for the destruction of this race and of those kings of the earth
that Time makes you deviate onto the evil path like one in distress.
O Rajan, your kingdom brings calamity upon you. Your virtue has been
greatly diminished. Show your sons the meaning of dharma. You invincible
one, of what value is that kingdom which brings sin upon you? Protect your
good name, your virtue, and your fame. Then alone can you win heaven.
Let the Pandavas have their kingdom, and let the Kauravas have peace.’
While Vyasa Brahmanottama is speaking, sadly, Dhritarashtra, the
eloquent son of Ambika, once more addresses him, ‘My knowledge of life
and death is similar to yours and I know the truth of these things. Yet when
a man’s own interests are involved, he loses his discernment.
Father, I am like any ordinary man. I ask you to extend your boundless
power to us. As a self-controlled soul you are our refuge and our guru. My
sons do not obey me, great Rishi. I too am not inclined to commit this
enormous sin. You are the cause of the fame, the achievements, and the
inclination for virtue, of the Bhaaratas. You are the revered grandfather of
both the Kurus and the Pandavas.’
Vyasa says, ‘Royal son of Vichitravirya, tell me openly what is in your
mind and I will remove your doubts.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘Holy one, tell me about all that happens to those that
will be victorious in battle.’
Vyasa says, ‘The sacred fire glows and its light ascends upwards. Its
flame bends towards the right. It blazes up without being smoky. The
offerings poured on it give out a sweet fragrance. It is said that these are the
indications of future victory. The conches and cymbals emit deep, sweet
sounds. The Sun and the Moon emanate pure rays. It is said that these are
the signs of future success.
Crows, whether stationary or in flight, utter agreeable cries. Those that
are behind them, encourage the warriors to advance; while they that are
ahead forbid all advance. Where vultures, swans, parrots, cranes and
woodpeckers utter delighted cries, and turn towards the right, the
Brahmanas say that victory in war is certain there. Those armies whose
ornaments, armour and standards shine so brightly that one cannot gaze
upon them, and whose horses neigh melodiously, will always defeat their
enemies.
The warriors who utter cheerful, energetic shouts, O Bhaarata, and
whose garlands do not fade, always win in battle. Having penetrated the
legions of their adversaries with cheerful cries, they who utter kind words,
even to the enemy, and warn them before attacking, are victorious. The
objects of the senses, not changing for the worse, become auspicious.
Another indication of a victorious army is the joy among the soldiers at all
times. Other signs of success include favourable winds, clouds and birds,
while clouds and the rainbows bring beneficial rain.
This, O king, is what happens to the armies about to be crowned with
victory, while the opposite happens to those that are about to be destroyed.
Whether the army is small or large, the morale of the combatants is said to
be a sure indication of victory.
One panic stricken soldier can cause even a vast army to take flight. And
when this happens, it frightens even heroic warriors. If such an army is once
broken and put to flight, it cannot be stopped, even like a frightened herd of
deer or a powerful wave of water.
It is impossible to rally a mighty army once routed; why, seeing this,
even those best fighters lose heart. Watching frightened and fleeing soldiers
makes the panic spread in other directions, and soon the whole army is
demoralised and scatters in all directions. And when an army is routed,
even brave leaders cannot rally them.
Always exerting himself with activity, an intelligent man should strive
to win success using peaceful means. It is said that the noblest success is
that which is won through negotiation. That which is achieved by creating
dissension in the enemy ranks is undistinguished. But the victory which is
won by war is the worst.
There are many evils in battle, the first and greatest one being killing.
Even fifty brave men who know one another, who are calm and determined,
and free from family ties, can crush a large army. Even five, six, or seven
men, who are unyielding, can achieve victory.
Vinata’s son Garuda, O Bhaarata, did not ask for the help of many
followers to defeat a great flight of birds. The numerical strength of an
army is not always the reason for its victory. Victory is uncertain. It depends
on chance. Even those who are victorious have to sustain losses.’”
CANTO 4
CONTINUED
aisampayana said, “Having spoken thus to Dhritarashtra, Vyasa

departs. And Dhritarashtra, having heard those words, reflects in
silence and soon begins to sigh repeatedly.
And then, Bharatarishabha, he tells the noble-souled Sanjaya, ‘O
Sanjaya, these kings, these lords of the earth, so brave and taking pleasure
in battle, are in favour of striking one another with a variety of weapons.
They are prepared to lay down their lives for the sake of owning the earth.
Impossible to restrain, they are, indeed, killing one another to increase the
population of Yama’s kingdom. They are incapable of tolerating each other
because of their desire to possess the earth and be prosperous.
Therefore, I believe that the earth must have many wondrous qualities.
Tell me about these, O Sanjaya. Many thousands, millions, tens of millions,
many hundreds of millions of heroic men have come together at
Kurujangala. I want to hear in accurate detail about the locations and sizes
of their countries and cities. Through the power of Vyasa’s boundless tejas,
you are endowed with the light of divine vision and knowledge.’
Sanjaya says, ‘Wise king, I will describe to you the merits of the earth
according to my knowledge. You can see them with your eye of wisdom. I
bow to you, O bull of Bharata’s race.
Creatures in this world are of two kinds, mobile and immobile. By birth
mobile creatures are oviparous, viviparous, and those engendered by heat
and damp. Of these the foremost are the viviparous of which the leading
ones are men and animals. There are fourteen species of animals, O king.
Seven live in forests, and seven are domestic. Lions, tigers, boars,
buffaloes, elephants, bears and monkeys are regarded as wild. Cows, goats,
sheep, horses, mules, asses and men are the seven animals regarded as
domestic by the learned.
These fourteen species of domestic and wild animals are mentioned in
the Vedas, and sacrifices rest upon them. Of creatures that are domestic,
men are foremost, while lions are the foremost of those that live in forests.
All creatures support themselves by living upon one another.
Vegetables are said to be immobile; their five species include trees,
shrubs, creepers, creeping plants living for only a year, and all stemless
grasses. Thus there are a total of nineteen species of mobile and immobile
creatures, and there are five of their universal constituents, the
panchabhutas.
These twenty-four are described as Gayatri Brahman as everyone
knows. He who truly knows these to be the sacred Gayatri, having every
virtue, cannot be annihilated in this world. Everything comes from the Earth
and everything, when destroyed, merges back into the Earth. Bhumi is the
home and refuge of all creatures, and it is eternal. He who has the Earth,
controls the entire universe with its mobile and immobile creatures. It is for
this desire to possess the Earth, that kings kill one another.’”
CANTO 5
CONTINUED
hritarashtra says, ‘O Sanjaya, so knowing of all things on the earth,

the names of rivers and mountains, and its forests, and their
dimensions, give me a detailed description of them all.’
Sanjaya says, ‘Great king, since everything in the universe possesses the
five elements, the wise deem all of them equal. These panchabhutas are
space, air, fire, water, and earth. Their respective attributes are sound, touch,
sight, taste, and smell. In addition to what is notably its own quality, each of
these elements has the attribute or attributes of that or those coming before
it.
The earth, say the Rishis, is the first among them all, possessing as it
does the qualities of the other four, besides what is specially its own. Water
has four attributes but not scent. Fire has three, sound, touch, and sight.
Sound and touch belong to air, while space, akasa, has sound alone.
The existence of all living things depends, O king, on these qualities of
the panchabhutas.
When the universe is held in balance, they exist in their natural state,
separate and independent. When, however, they exist in conjunction with
one another, then creatures with bodies spring into life. This is the
unchanging order of things.
The elements are destroyed and the one succeeding merges into the one
that precedes; and so also do they spring into existence, one arising from
the one before it. All these are immeasurable, their forms being Brahman
itself. In the world creatures consisting of the five elements can be seen.
Men strive to discover their forms by using reason. However, inconceivable
matters should never be sought to be understood by reason. That which is
beyond human nature is an indication of the inconceivable.
But, O Kurunandana, I will describe to you the island of Sudarsana. This
dwipa, Rajan, is formed like a wheel. Rivers and lakes cover it and its
mountains look like a blur of massed clouds; it has many cities and
delightful regions. It is also full of blossoming trees, which bear sweet fruit,
varied crops, and other kinds of wealth. The ocean of salt surrounds it on all
sides.
As a man can see his own face in a mirror, even so is the island called
Sudarsana seen in the lunar disc. Two of its parts seem to look like a pipal
tree, while two others appear like a large hare. It is surrounded on all sides
with an assortment of deciduous plants. Besides these, the rest is covered by
water. I will describe more to you in brief, and the rest later. Now listen to
what I describe in brief.’
CANTO 6
CONTINUED
hritarashtra says, ‘You are intelligent, O Sanjaya, and know the

truth about everything. You have described the dwipa in brief.
Now tell us about the island in detail. Tell me about the size of
the expanse of land that looks like a hare. Then speak of the part resembling
the pipal tree.’”
Vaisampayana said, “Sanjaya says, ‘Stretching from east to west,
between the two oceans, are six mountains of equal majesty. These are
Himavat, Hemakuta, that most excellent mountain named Nishadha, Nila
abundant with lapis lazuli, Sweta as white as the moon, and the mountain
Sringavat made of many metals.
These six mountains are always the abodes of Siddhas and Charanas. A
thousand yojanas lie between each of them, and many delightful kingdoms
are situated there.
These divisions are called Varshas, O Bhaarata. Creatures of diverse
species live in those kingdoms. The land where we are is in the Varsha
named after Bharata. Moving northwards, the next is the Himavatvarsha.
The land beyond Hemakuta is called Harivarsha. South of the Nila range
and north of the Nishadha is a mountain called Malyavat that extends from
east to west. Beyond Malyavat to the north is the mountain Gandhamadana.
Between these two lies the greatest mountain, called Meru, made of
gold. Effulgent as the morning sun, it is like fire without smoke. Both its
height and its depth measure eighty-four thousand yojanas. It stands bearing
the worlds above, below and across.
Four islands are located near Meru: Bhadraswa, Ketumala, Jambudwipa
otherwise called Bharatavarsha, and Uttara-Kuru which is the abode of men
of dharma. The bird Sumukha, the son of Suparna, seeing that all the birds
on Meru had golden plumage, thought that he should leave that mountain
since no distinction could be made between the good, average and lowly
birds. The luminous Sun, the Moon with its attendant nakshatras and Vayu
the Wind-god all circle Meru.
The mountain, O king, is abundant in celestial fruits and flowers, and it
is dotted with sparkling golden mansions. There, on that mountain, the
heavenly beings, the Gandharvas, the Asuras, and the Rakshasas,
accompanied by the Apsaras, frolic and play.
There Brahma and Rudra and also Sakra the king of the Devas,
assemble to perform many kinds of sacrifices with bountiful gifts.
Tumburu, and Narada and Viswavasu, and the Hahas and the Huhus, go
there to praise them with sublime hymns.
The great-souled Saptarishis and Kasyapa, the lord of creatures, go there
on every parva day. Upon its peak, Usanas, Sukra otherwise called the
Kavi, sports with his disciples, the Daityas.
All the jewels and gemstones that we see and all the mountains
abounding in precious stones are of Meru. A fourth part of this is enjoyed
by the holy Kubera. Only a sixteenth part of that wealth is given to men. On
the northern side of Meru is the lovely forest of karnikaras, extending over
a range of hills and covered with the flowers of every season.
There the illustrious Pasupati himself, the creator of all things,
resplendent with his three sun-like eyes, surrounded by his celestial ganas
and accompanied by Uma, wears a chain of karnikara flowers on his neck,
which reach down to his feet. Only the ascetic Siddhas can gaze upon him
for they are truthful, steadfast and practise austere tapasya. Indeed,
Maheswara cannot even be seen by evil men.
From the summit of that mountain, like a stream of milk, O ruler of
men, the sacred and auspicious Ganga, Bhagirathi adored by the most
righteous, gushes like a cataract, with a tremendous sound, falling headlong
into the delightful lake Chandramas.
Indeed that sea-like sacred lake was formed by Ganga herself. While
leaping from the mountains, Ganga, too turbulent to be supported by even
the mountains, was held for a hundred thousand years by Siva, the bearer of
the Pinaka, on his head.
On the western side of Meru, lie Ketumala and Jambu-khanda, both
great seats of humanity. There, O Bhaarata, the span of human life is ten
thousand years. The men all have golden complexions, and the women are
like Apsaras. They dwell in happiness without sickness or sorrow. The men
born there are of the radiance of liquid gold.
On the summits of Gandhamadana, Kubera, the lord of the Guhyakas,
with many Rakshasas and Apsaras, passes his time in joy. Besides
Gandhamadana there are many smaller mountains and hills. The measure of
human life there is eleven thousand years. There, O king, the men are most
energetic, strong and full of good cheer; the women are all very beautiful,
with the complexion of lotus flowers.
Beyond Nila is the Varsha called Sweta, beyond Sweta is
Hiranyakavarsha, and beyond that lies Airavatavarsha, the vast. The last
Varsha in the extreme north and Bharata’s Varsha in the extreme south are
both shaped in the form of a bow.
The five Varshas of Sweta, Hiranyaka, Elavrita, Harivarsha, and
Himavatvarsha lie in the middle, and Elavrita is at the very heart of them
all. Amongst these seven Varshas, the five already mentioned and Airavata
and Bharata that which is further north surpasses the one to its immediate
south in respect of the lifespan, stature, health, dharma, kama and artha of
its inhabitants.
In these Varshas, O Bhaarata, creatures of diverse species co-exist.
Thus is Earth covered with mountains. The majestic mountains of
Hemakuta are otherwise called Kailasa where Vaisravana passes his time
joyfully with his Guhyakas. Immediately to the north of Kailasa and near
the mountains of Mainaka there is a large and beautiful mountain called
Manimaya with golden peaks. Beside this mountain is a great, splendid lake
with crystal-clear waters called Bindusaras with a beach of golden sand on
its shores. There seeing Ganga, since called Bhagirathi after his own name,
the Rajarishi Bhagiratha lived for many years in an awesome tapasya.
Numberless sacrificial stakes made of gems and the Chaitya tree made
of gold can be seen there. It was there that Indra of a thousand eyes and
great fame gained spiritual triumph by performing a thousand sacrifices.
There the Lord of all creatures, the eternal Creator of all the worlds,
Siva of supreme tejas, surrounded by his ghostly attendants, the ganas, is
adored. There Nara and Narayana, Brahma and Manu, and Sthanu are ever
present.
And there the celestial Ganga of three streams, issues out of
Brahmaloka, and first shows herself; she then divides herself into seven
streams, and becomes Vaswokasara, Nalini, the sin-cleansing Saraswati,
Jambunadi, Sita, Ganga and Sindhu. The Supreme Lord himself arranged
for the divine river, beyond human understanding, to flow from that place
down into this world. It is there that since the beginning of creation, on
thousands of occasions, the Devas and Rishis have performed sacrifices,
after every pralaya, when creation begins afresh.
As for the Saraswati, in some parts of her course she becomes visible
and in some parts remains hidden. This celestial seven-fold Ganga is
renowned across the three worlds.
Rakshasas live on Himavat, Guhyakas on Hemakuta, and serpents and
Nagas on Nishadha, while Rishis dwell on Gokarna. The Sweta mountains
are said to be the abode of the Devas and the Asuras. The Gandharvas
always stay on Nishadha, and the regenerate Rishis on Nila. The mountains
of Sringavat also are regarded as the resort of the gods.
Thus, O great king, is the world divided into the seven Varshas. Diverse
creatures, moving and unmoving, are found in all of them. Both
providential and human prosperity are seen in these realms. They cannot be
counted. Those who want their wellbeing believe what I have now told you
about this delightful land in the form of a hare about which you asked.
At the edges of that region are the northernmost and southernmost
Varshas. I have described these as well. The two islands Naga-dwipa and
Kasyapa-dwipa are the two ears of this great land shaped like a hare.
The beautiful mountains of Malaya, whose rocks look like plates of
copper, are another prominent part of Jambudwipa whose shape resembles a
hare.’”
CANTO 7
CONTINUED
hritarashtra says, ‘Tell me in detail, O wise Sanjaya, about the

regions to the north and the east of Meru, as also of the mountains of
Malyavat.’
Sanjaya continues, ‘To the south of the Nila mountain and the northern
side of Meru are the sacred Northern Kurus, O king, which are the home of
the Siddhas. The trees there are always covered with sweet fruits and
flowers. All the flowers are fragrant, and the fruits delicious. Indeed, some
of the trees bear fruits according to the desire of the plucker.
Some other trees are described as milk-yielding. These produce milk
and the six different kinds of food that taste of Amrita. They also provide
cloth and in their fruits lie ornaments to be used by men.
The entire land is covered in fine golden sand. A part of the region has
the radiance of gemstones like rubies or diamonds, or of the lapis lazuli. All
the seasons there are pleasant and the land has no swamps.
The tanks are charming and full of delicious pellucid water. The men
born there have descended from the Devas. All are of pure birth and
extremely handsome. Of the fraternal twins the women resemble Apsaras in
beauty. They drink the milk, sweet as Amrita, from those milk-yielding
trees. Of the twins born there, both men and women possess equal beauty,
both are endowed with similar virtues, and both equally resplendent, grow
up in love, like a couple of chakravakas.
The people of that province are always happy and free from illness.
They live for tens of thousands of years and never abandon one another. A
species of birds called bharunda, who have sharp beaks and great strength,
lift them up when they die and throw them into mountain caves. I have just
described to you, O king, the Northern Kurus briefly.
I will now describe to you the eastern side of Meru. Of all the regions
there, the best is called Bhadraswa, where there is a large forest of
Bhadrasalas, and a huge tree called Kalamra which always bears flowers
and fruit. That tree is a yojana in height and is adored by the Siddhas and
the Charanas.
The men there are fair in complexion, and possess great energy and
strength. The women have the colour of lilies, and are very beautiful to
behold. White and radiant, their faces resemble the full moon; their bodies
are as cool as its rays. All of them are skilled in singing and dancing. The
life span of humans there, O Bharatarishabha, is ten thousand years. They
remain young by drinking the juice of the Kalamra.
To the south of Nila and the north of Nishadha, stands a gigantic Jambu
tree that is eternal. Adored by the Siddhas and Charanas, that sacred tree
grants every wish. This realm has been named Jambudwipa after this tree.
That prince among trees, a thousand and a hundred yojanas tall, touches the
very heavens. The circumference of its fruit measures two thousand five
hundred cubits, and it bursts open when ripe.
These fruit fall on the earth with a loud sound, and then pour out a
silvery juice. That juice of the Jambu becomes a river, and encircling Meru,
reaches the land of the Northern Kurus. If the juice of that fruit is drunk, it
produces peace of mind. After drinking it, no thirst is ever felt again, nor
the weakening effect of ageing.
A type of dazzling gold of the colour of Indragopaka insects called
Jambunada, used for celestial ornaments, is found there. The men born
there look like the morning sun.
On the summit of Malyavat, the fire called Samvartaka can always be
seen, which blazes forth to destroy the universe at the end of the yuga.
There are many small mountains towards the east on its peak, and
Malyavat, itself, measures eleven thousand yojanas. The men born there
have golden-coloured skins and these Brahmavadis are descended from the
world of Brahma.
They perform the severest tapasya, drawing their vital seed up into their
bodies. For the protection of creatures they all enter the Sun. Numbering
sixty-six thousand, they fly before Aruna, surrounding the Sun’s chariot.
Heated by the sun’s rays for sixty-six thousand years, they then enter the
Moon.’
CANTO 8
CONTINUED
hritarashtra says, ‘Tell me, O Sanjaya, the names of all the

Varshas, and of all the mountains, and also about all those that
live on those mountains.’
Sanjaya says, ‘To the south of Sweta and the north of Nishadha, is the
Varsha called Romanaka. The men that are born there are fair in
complexion, of good parentage, and handsome. These men also do not have
any enemies. And they live joyfully for eleven thousand and five hundred
years.
To the south of Nishadha lies the Hiranmayavarsha where the river
Hiranvati flows. There, O king, lives that great bird named Garuda. And the
people there are all followers of the Yakshas, wealthy, and attractive in
appearance. These men are endowed with great strength and happy
dispositions. And they live for twelve thousand and five hundred years.
The mountains of Sringavat, O ruler of men, have three beautiful
summits. One of these is made of jewels and gemstones; another, also made
of all kinds of gems, is adorned with palatial mansions. There lives the self-
luminous lady named Sandili.
From the north of Sringavat upto the sea is the Airavatavarsha, the most
excellent of them all because of the presence of this jewelled mountain. The
Sun gives no heat to this land and men do not age or decay. The Moon and
the stars in the sky are the only source of light.
The men born there have the radiance, complexion and fragrance of the
lotus; even their eyes resemble lotus-petals. With unblinking eyes, and an
agreeable scent, they live without food and have mastery over their senses.
Descended from the heavens, they are all without any sin. They live for
thirteen thousand years.
To the north of the milky ocean, the Lord Hari of unlimited strength
lives in his golden chariot. That vimana, with the speed of the mind, has
eight wheels, with many supernatural creatures in it. It is the colour of fire,
covered with Jambunada gold, and has a powerful energy.
Lord Hari is the lord of all creatures, and enjoys great wealth. The
universe merges into him at the moment of Pralaya, and it again emanates
from him when the desire to create takes him once more. He is the principal
actor, and the One who directs the actions of others. He, O monarch, is
earth, water, space, air, and fire. He is Yagna embodied for all creatures, and
Agni is his mouth.’”
Vaisampayana continued, “When Sanjaya says this, the great
Dhritarashtra becomes absorbed in thought about his sons. Having thought
deeply, and filled with energy, he says, ‘Without doubt, O Suta’s son, it is
Time that ends the universe. And it is Time that again creates everything.
Nothing here is eternal. It is the all-knowing Nara and Narayana that
destroy all creatures. The gods speak of him as Vaikuntha, of immeasurable
might, while men call him Vishnu, one that pervades the Universe!’”
CANTO 9
CONTINUED
hritarashtra says, ‘Tell me Sanjaya about this Varsha that is named

after Bharata, where this senseless force has been collected, a land
which I know both my son Duryodhana and the sons of Pandu want
to possess. Tell me about this place; you are all-knowing.’
Sanjaya says, ‘Listen to me, O king. The sons of Pandu do not covet this
earth. It is Duryodhana who is greedy, and Sakuni, the son of Subala, and
many other Kshatriya rulers who are inimical towards one another.
I will now tell you about Bharatavarsha. This land is loved by Indra, and
also by Manu, the son of Vivaswar. It is the beloved of Prithu, of Vainya, of
the high-souled Ikshvaku, of Yayati, of Ambarisha, of Mandhatri, of
Nahusha, of Muchukunda, of Sibi, the son of Usinara, of Rishava, of Ila, of
King Nriga, of Kusika, of the great Gadhi, of Somaka, and of Dilipa, and
also of many other mighty Kshatriyas.
Let me describe to you that land as I heard of it. Listen to me, Rajan, as I
tell you about what you have asked me. Mahendra, Malaya, Sahya,
Suktimat, Rakshavat, Vindhya, and Paripatra, these seven are the Kala-
mountains of Bharatvarsha. Besides these there are thousands of unknown
mountains that are tall and mighty cloven with wondrous valleys. There are
also many other smaller mountains inhabited by barbarous tribes.
Aryans and Mlecchas, O Kauravya, and many other races drink the
waters of these rivers: the magnificent Ganga, Sindhu, and Saraswati; the
Godavari, and Narmada and the great Yamuna; the Drishadwati, Vipapa,
Vipasa and Sthulavaluka; the river Vetravati, and the Krishna-vena; the
Iravati, Vitasta, Payosyini and Devika; the Vedasmrita, Vedavati, Tridiva
and Ikshumalavi.
They also drink from the Karishini, Chitravaha, and Chitrasena; of
Gomati, and Dhutapada and the mighty Gandaki, of Kausiki, Nischitra,
Kirtya, Nichita and Lohatarini; of Rashasi and Satakumbha, and also the
Sarayu; of Charmanwati, and Vetravati, and Hastisoma, and Disa; of the
river called Saravati, and Venna and Bhimarathi; of Kaveri, Chuluka, Vina,
and Satabala; of Nivara, and Mahila, and Suprayoga; of Pavitra, and
Kundala, and Rajani, and Puramalini; of Purvabhirama, and Vira, and
Bhima, and Oghavati; of Palasini, and Papahara, and Mahendra, and
Patalavati, of Karishini, and Asikni, and the wide Kusachira; of Makari, and
Pravara, and Mena, and Hema, and Dhritavati; of Puravati, and Anushna,
and Saivya, and Kapi, O Bhaarata; of Sadanira, and Adhrishya, and the
great stream Kusadhara; of Sadakanta, and Siva, and Viravati; of Vatsu, and
Suvastu, and Kampana with Hiranwati; of Vara, and the mighty river
Panchami, of Rathachitra, and Jyotiratha, and Viswamitra, and Kapinjala; of
Upendra, and Bahula, and Kuchira, and Madhuvahini: of Vinadi, and
Pinjala, and Vena, and the mighty Pungavena; of Vidisa and Krishna-vena,
and Tamra, and Kapila, of Salu, and Suvama, the Vedaswa, and the mighty
river Harisrava; of Sighra, and Pischala, and the river Bharadwaji, of the
river Kausiki, and Sona, and Chandrama; of Durgamantrasila, and Brahma-
bodhya, and Brihadvati; of Yaksha, and Rohi, and Jambunadi; of Sunasa
and Tamasa, and Dasi, and Vasa, and Varuna, and Asi; of Nila, and
Dhrimati, and the Parnasa; of Pomasi, and Vrishabha, and Brahma-
meddhya, and Brihaddhani.
These they drink from, and many other great rivers, like the
Sadonirmaya and Krishna, and Mandaga, and Mandavahini; and
Mahagouri, and Durga, O Bhaarata; and Chitropala. Chitraratha, and
Manjula, and Vahini; and Mandakini, and Vaitarani, and Kosa, and
Mahanadi; and Suktimati, and Ananga, and Pushpaveni, and Utpalavati;
and Lohitya, Karatoya, and Vrishasabhya; and Kumari, and Rishikulya and
Marisha, and Saraswati; and Mandakini, and Supunya, Sarvasanga.
These rivers, O Bhaarata, are all mothers of the universe and confer
deep punya. Besides these, there are hundreds and thousands of rivers
whose names are not known. I have now recounted to you all the rivers I
remember.
Now listen to the names of the peoples of the various kingdoms. They
are the Kuru-Panchalas, the Salwas, the Madreyas, the Jangalas, the
Surasena, the Kalingas, the Bodhas, the Malas, the Matsyas, the Saubalyas,
the Kuntalas, the Kasi-kosalas, the Chedis, the Karushas, the Bhojas, the
Sindhus, the Pulindakas, the Uttamas, the Dasarnas, the Mekalas, the
Utkalas; the Panchalas, the Kausijas, the Nikarprishthas, Dhurandharas; the
Sodhas, the Madrabhujingas, the Kasis, and the Ati-Kasis; the Jatharas, the
Kukuras, O Bhaarata.
There are the Kuntis, the Avantis, and the further-Kuntis; the Gomantas,
the Mandakas, the Shandas, the Vidarbhas, the Rupavahikas; the Aswakas,
the Pansurashtras, the Goparashtras, and the Karityas; the Adhirjayas, the
Kuladyas, the Mallarashtras, the Keralas, the Varatrasyas, the Apavahas, the
Chakras, the Vakratapas, the Sakas; the Videhas, the Magadhas, the
Swakshas, the Malayas, the Vijayas, the Angas, the Vangas, the Kalingas,
the Yakrillomans; the Mallas, the Suddellas, the Pranradas, the Mahikas, the
Sasikas.
There are the Balhikas, the Vatadhanas, the Abhiras, the Kalajoshakas;
the Aparantas, the Parantas, the Pahnabhas, the Charmamandalas; the
Atavisikharas, the Mahabhutas, O Sire; the Upavrittas, the Anupavrittas, the
Surashatras, Kekayas; the Kutas, the Maheyas, the Kakshas, the
Samudranishkutas; the Andhras, and many hilly tribes, and many tribes
living on lands in the foothills, and the Angamalajas, and the
Manavanjakas; the Pravisheyas, and the Bhargavas; the Pundras, the
Bhargas, the Kiratas, the Sudeshnas, and the Yamunas, the Sakas, the
Nishadhas, the Anartas, the Nairittas.
There are the Durgalas, the Pratimasyas, the Kuntalas, and the Kusalas;
the Tiragrahas, the Ijakas, the Kanyakagunas, the Tilabharas, the Samiras,
the Madhumattas, the Sukandakas; the Kasmiras, the Sindhusauviras, the
Gandharvas, and the Darsakas; the Abhisaras, the Utulas, the Saibalas, and
the Valhikas; the Darvis, the Vanavadarvas, the Vatagas, the Amarathas, and
the Uragas; the Bahuvadhas, the Kauravyas, the Sudamanas, the Sumalikas;
the Vadhras, the Karishakas, the Kalindas, and the Upatyakas; the
Vatayanas, the Romanas, and the Kusavindas; the Kacchas, the
Gopalkacchas, the Kuruvarnakas; the Kiratas, the Varvasas, the Siddhas, the
Vaidehas, and the Tamraliptas; the Aundras, the Paundras, the Saisikatas,
and the Parvatiyas.
There are other kingdoms, O bull of Bharata’s vamsa, in the south. They
are the Dravidas, the Keralas, the Prachyas, the Mushikas, and the
Vanavashikas; the Karanatakas, the Mahishakas, the Vikalpas, and also the
Mushakas; the Jhillikas, the Kuntalas, the Saunridas, and the Nalakananas;
the Kankutakas, the Cholas, and the Malavayakas; the Samangas, the
Kanakas, the Kukkuras, and the Angara-marishas; the Samangas, the
Karakas, the Kukuras, the Angaras, and the Marishas.
There are also the Dhwajinis, the Utsavas, the Sanketas, the Trigartas,
and the Salwasena; the Bakas, the Kokarakas, the Pashtris, and the
Lamavegavasas; the Vindhyachulakas, the Pulindas, and the Valkalas; the
Malavas, the Vallavas, the further-Ballavas, the Kulindas, the Kalavas, the
Kuntaukas, and the Karatas; the Mrishakas, the Tanavalas, the Saniyas; the
Alidas, the Pasivatas, the Tanayas, and the Sulanyas; the Rishikas, the
Vidarbhas, the Kakas, the Tanganas, and the further-Tanganas.
Among the tribes of the north are the Mlecchas, and the Kruras, O best
of the Bhaaratas; the Yavanas, the Chinas, the Kambojas, the Darunas, and
many Mleccha tribes; the Sukritvahas, the Kulatthas, the Hunas, and the
Parasikas; the Ramanas, and the Dasamalikas. These countries are, besides,
the abodes of many Kshatriya, Vaisya, and Sudra tribes.
Then again there are the Sudra-abhiras, the Dardas, the Kasmiras, and
the Pattis; the Khasiras; the Atreyas, the Bharadwajas, the Stanaposhikas,
the Poshakas, the Kalingas, and diverse tribes of Kiratas; the Tomaras, the
Hansamargas, and the Karamanjakas. These and other kingdoms are on the
east and on the north. My Lord, alluding to them briefly, I have told you all.
If the Earth’s resources are properly used according to their qualities and
nature, Bhumi is like an ever-yielding cow, which may be milked for its
fruits of dharma, artha and kama.
Powerful kings who know of dharma and artha have become greedy for
the Earth. They are restless in their craving for this wealth, for which they
are willing to sacrifice their very lives in battle.
Bhumi is the home of both creatures with heavenly bodies and those
with human ones. Wanting to enjoy the pleasures of Earth, the kings have
become like dogs that snatch meat from one another. Their unbounded
ambition cannot be satisfied.
It is for this that the Kurus and the Pandavas are striving for possession
of Earth, by negotiation, creation of discord, bribery, and battle. If Earth is
well nurtured, it becomes the father, mother, children, sky and heaven of all
creatures, O Purusharishabha.’
CANTO 10
CONTINUED
hritarashtra says, ‘Tell me, Sanjaya, in detail, about the lifespan, the
strength, the virtues and vices, the future, past and present, of the
people of Bharatavarsha, of Himavatvarsha, and also of Harivarsha.’
Sanjaya says, ‘Bharatarishabha, the four yugas set in Bharata’s Varsha
are Krita, Treta, Dwapara and Kali. The yuga that comes first is Krita; next
comes Treta; after Treta comes Dwapara; and at the very end, the Kali.
In the Krita Yuga, men live for four thousand years, while in the age of
Treta they live three thousand years. At present in Dwapara, men live on
Earth for two thousand years. In the Kali, however, there is no fixed
measure of life, so much so that men sometimes die while still in the womb,
or soon after birth.
In the Krita Yuga, men are born and have children, in hundreds and
thousands. They have great strength and power, and are endowed with great
wisdom, wealth and beauty. In that age Munis are born with the knowledge
of asceticism and are naturally capable of great tapasya. They have great
souls, are virtuous and truthful in speech.
The Kshatriyas born in that age are agreeable in appearance and able-
bodied. Having great tejas, they are accomplished in the use of the bow,
highly skilled in battle and brave.
In the Treta Yuga, all the Kshatriya kings are emperors ruling vast lands,
which extend from sea to sea. They give birth to invincible warriors, who
enjoy long lives, are heroic, and wield the bow in battle with great skill.
When the Dwapara sets in, all the four varnas born are energetic and
ambitious, wishing to conquer one another.
The men born in the Kali Yuga have little energy, and are given to anger,
greed and dishonesty. Jealousy, pride, anger, deception, malice and
covetousness, O Bhaarata, are the qualities of the creatures in this age. A
small part of the Dwapara Yuga remains before the advent of Kali.
With respect to all qualities the Varsha known as Himavat is superior to
Bharatavarsha, while Harivarsha is more excellent than Himavatvarsha.’
CANTO 11
BHUMI PARVA
hritarashtra says, ‘Sanjaya, you have described Jambu-khanda to me.

Now tell me of its size and expanse. Tell me also, in detail and
without omission, about the extent of the ocean of Sakadwipa, and
Kusadwipa, of Salmalidwipa and Kraunchadwipa. Tell me also of Rahu,
Soma and Surya.’
Sanjaya says, ‘There are many islands, over which the Earth extends. I
will speak of only seven islands to you, and of the Moon, and the Sun, and
the planet Rahu.
The Jambu mountain spreads across eighteen thousand six hundred
yojanas. The extent of the ocean of salt is said to be twice this size. That
ocean is dotted with many kingdoms, and is adorned with precious stones
and corals. It is also covered with mountains made of many metals. Thickly
peopled by Siddhas and Charanas, the ocean is circular in form.
I will now speak to you of Sakadwipa; listen to me, O Bhaarata, as I
describe it. That island is twice the size of Jambudwipa and the ocean is
twice the extent of that island. Indeed, Sakadwipa is surrounded by the
ocean on all sides. The kingdoms there are infused with dharma, and the
men there live eternal lives. How can famine occur there? The people are
all full of forgiveness and great tejas.
I have now briefly described Sakadwipa to you. What else, O king, do
you wish to know?’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘You have given me, wise Sanjaya, a brief
description of Sakadwipa; now tell me everything in detail.’
Sanjaya says, ‘On that island, there are seven mountains strewn with
jewels and have mines of gemstones. There are also many rivers whose
names I will recount to you. Everything there is excellent and delightful.
The first mountain is named Meru. It is the home of the Devas, Rishis,
and Gandharvas. The next mountain is called Malaya, stretching towards
the east. It is there that clouds arise, and from there they scatter in all
directions. The next one is Jaladhara from where Indra daily draws the
finest water. It is from this water that we get seasonal rain.
Over the next high mountain called Raivataka, the constellation of
Revati has been fixed in the sky. Brahma himself has done this.
To the north of this is the lofty mountain Syama. Its beautiful bright
body is made brilliant by ascending clouds. And since those mountains are
dark, the people living there are all dark in complexion.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘A great doubt arises in my mind because of what
you say. Why do the people there have dark complexions?’
Sanjaya says, ‘On all islands, there are fair and dark men, and those
produced by a union of the fair and the dark races. But that mountain is
called the Dark Mountain because all its people are dark. Beyond this lies
the great mountain called Durgasaila, and the next one is called Kesari. The
breezes that blow from that mountain carry sweet fragrances. The height of
each mountain is twice that of the one mentioned immediately before it.
O Kurunandana, the wise say that there are seven Varshas in that island.
The Varsha of Meru is called Mahakasa; that of the water-giving Malaya is
called Kumudottara. The Varsha of Jaladhara is called Sukumara: while that
of Raivataka is called Kaumara; and of Syama, Manikanchana. The Varsha
of Kesara is called Mandaki, and that named after the next mountain is
called Mahapuman.
At the heart of that Dwipa is a mighty tree called Saka equal in height
and breadth to the Jambu tree in Jambudwipa and the people there always
worship the Saka.
In the many delightful provinces of that island, Siva is worshipped, and
it is there that the Siddhas, the Charanas, and the unearthly beings find rest
and rejuvenation. The people are virtuous, and all the four varnas devote
themselves to their svadharma. There is no theft. Freed from decay and
death and gifted with long lives, the people grow as rivers during the
monsoon rains.
The rivers there are full of holy water. Ganga herself, divided into many
streams, is there, as are Sukumari, Kumari, Seta, Keveraka, and Mahanadi;
so also are the rivers Manijala, Chakshus, and Vardhanika, O Bharatottama.
There are other innumerable sacred rivers, from which Indra draws water
for showering rain. It is impossible to recount the names and lengths of all
these rivers. All of them are awesome and sin-cleansing.
There are four sacred provinces known to men on the island of Saka.
They are the Mrigas, the Masakas, the Manasas, and the Mandagas. The
Mrigas are largely inhabited by Brahmanas devoted to their svadharma.
Amongst the Masakas are virtuous Kshatriyas who grant the Brahmanas
their every wish.
The Manasas live by following the duties of the Vaisya order. They, too,
have all their desires fulfilled; they are brave and steadfast in their devotion
to dharma and artha. The Mandagas are all brave and upright Sudras.
In these lands there is no king, no punishment, indeed no person that
deserves to be punished. They are all conversant with and diligently
engaged in the practice of their respective duties and protect one another.
This is what can be said about Sakadwipa.
To listen to the description of this great island also confers merit on the
listener.’
CANTO 12
BHUMI PARVA CONTINUED
anjaya says, ‘O Bhaarata, I will tell you about what is known of the
islands in the north. Listen to me. In the north, the first ocean has
waters of ghee. Then is the ocean whose waters are curds. Next comes the
ocean whose waters are wine, and then is another ocean of water. The
islands double in area as we proceed further north and these oceans
surround them.
In the centremost island is a lofty mountain called Goura made of red
arsenic; on the western island is the mountain Krishna, the favourite abode
of Vishnu. There celestial gemstones are found in abundance, guarded by
Kesava who, inclined to grace, bestows happiness on all creatures.
Along with the kingdoms there, a field of divine Kusa grass in
Kusadwipa and the Salmali tree in Salmalika are adored.
In the Kraunchadwipa the mountain called Maha-krauncha is a mine of
precious stones and is worshipped by all the varnas. On the mighty
Gomanta, rich in all kinds of precious metals, lives the mighty Narayana,
endowed with wealth and eyes like lotus leaves, with those who have
attained moksha.
In Kusadwipa there is another mountain mottled with varicoloured
corals and named after that island itself. This mountain is inaccessible and
made of gold. O Kauravya, there is another splendid mountain there called
Sumida. The sixth is called Harigiri.
These are the six principal mountains. The intervening space between
these mountains doubles, moving further and further towards the north.
The first Varsha is called Audhido; the second is Venumandala; the third
is called Suratha; the fourth is known by the name Kamvala; the fifth
Varsha is called Dhritimat; and the sixth is Prabhakara; the seventh Varsha
is called Kapila. These are the seven successive Varshas.
In these, Devas and Gandharvas, and other beings of the universe, sport
and find their delight. The inhabitants of these Varshas are immortal. There
are no robbers, nor any tribes of Mlecchas. All those who live there are
almost white in complexion and very delicate.
As for the rest of the Dwipas, I will tell you all that I have heard. Listen
with an attentive mind. In the Kraunchadwipa there is a towering mountain
called Krauncha. Next to Krauncha is Vamanaka; and next to Vamanaka
stands Andhakara. And next to Andhakara is that excellent massif Mainaka.
After Mainaka lies the most wonderful of mountains called Govinda; and
after Govinda is the mountain called Nivida.
Rajan, the spaces between these mountains increase twofold. I will now
tell you about the lands that lie there. Listen to me.
The land near Krauncha is called Kusala; that near Vamanaka is
Manonuga; that next to Manonuga is Ushna. After Ushna is Pravaraka; and
after Pravaraka is Andhakaraka. The country after Andhakaraka is
Munidesa. After Munidesa, in the land called Dundubhiswana live Siddhas
and Charanas. The people there are almost white in complexion.
All these lands are inhabited by Devas and Gandharvas. In the island of
Pushkara is a mountain by the same name, rich in jewels and gemstones.
There dwells Prajapati himself praised and worshipped by all the Devas and
Maharishis. A variety of precious stones from Jambudwipa is found there,
and used for diverse purposes.
In all these islands the celibacy, honesty, discipline, health and lifespan
of the inhabitants doubles as one moves northwards.
The land in those Dwipas, O Bhaarata, comprises but one country in
which but one religion prevails. The Supreme Prajapati himself lives there;
he holds the danda of chastisement and protects those islands. He is the
king and the source of their bliss. He is the father, and the grandfather; he
protects all creatures there, mobile or immobile. Cooked food appears by
itself and is enjoyed by the people.
Mahabaho, after these vast lands can be seen Sama, a starshaped land
with four corners, and thirty-three mandalas. There, O Kauravya, live four
grand elephants adored by all. They are Vamana, Airavata, Supratika and
Sarvabhauma. All efforts to calculate the proportions of these four Diggajas
are fruitless. Their length, breadth and width remain unknown.
In those regions winds blow irregularly from all directions and are
caught by those elephants with the tips of their splendid trunks that have the
colour of lotuses and can draw up everything in their path. They then exhale
to release these winds which then arrive on Earth thus allowing all creatures
to breathe and live.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘You have, Sanjaya, told me everything about the
first subject in detail. You have also indicated the positions of the islands.
Speak to me now about what remains.’
Sanjaya says, ‘Indeed, O great king, the Dwipas have all been described
to you. Listen now to what I tell you about the heavenly bodies and about
the size of Swarbhanu. The planet Swarbhanu is large and round with a
diameter of twelve thousand yojanas, and a circumference of forty-two
thousand yojanas, according to the learned of ancient times.
The diameter of the moon is said to be eleven thousand yojanas while its
circumference is declared to be thirty-eight thousand nine hundred yojanas
of the illustrious planet of cool rays.
Anagha, sinless, it has been said that the great, swift, beneficent, and
luminous Sun, is ten thousand yojanas across, and thirty-five thousand eight
hundred around. These are the dimensions estimated here, O Rajan, of
Arka.
The planet Rahu, on account of his great size, eclipses both the Sun and
the Moon at regular intervals. I recount this to you briefly. I have now given
you answers to all your questions. Let peace be yours. I have told you about
the construction of the universe as indicated in the Shastras. Therefore, O
Kauravya, pacify your son Duryodhana.
Having listened to this charming Bhumi Parva, a Kshatriya is endowed
with prosperity, obtains the fruit of his desires, and wins the approval of the
righteous. The king who listens to this on days of the full moon or the new
moon, while carefully observing vows, finds enhancement in his lifespan,
his fame and energy. The spirits of his ancestors are appeased. You have
now heard of all the merits that flow from Bharatavarsha!’
CANTO 13
BHAGAVAT-GITA PARVA
aisampayana said, “Knowing the past, the present and the future, and
seeing all things as if present before his eyes, Sanjaya rushes grief
stricken into court from the battlefield. To Dhritarashtra, who sits
lost in thought, he announces that Bhishma the grandfather of the Bhaaratas
has been killed.
Sanjaya says, ‘I am Sanjaya, O great king. I bow to you. Bhishma, the
son of Shantanu and the grandsire of the Bhaaratas, has been cut down in
battle. That foremost of all warriors, that Pitamaha of the Bhaaratas, is
fallen. That greatest Kshatriya, who embodied the urjas of all archers, that
grandfather of the Kurus, lies today on a bed of arrows.
That Bhishma, on whose strength your son relied as he played the game
of dice, now lies on the battlefield felled by Sikhandin. That Maharathika
who defeated all the kings of the Earth gathered together in a fierce
contention at the city of Kasi, he who fearlessly fought Rama, the son of
Jamadagni, oh, even he has today fallen to Sikhandin.
Resembling the great Indra himself in courage, and Himavat in firmness,
like the ocean in gravity, and the Earth herself in patience, that invincible
warrior with arrows for teeth, a bow for his mouth, and a sword for his
tongue, that lion among men, has been brought to grief by the prince of
Panchala.
That Parantapa, on seeing whom in battledress even the mighty army of
the fearless Pandavas would tremble like a herd of cows facing a lion,
having protected your army for ten nights and having accomplished mighty
and well-nigh impossible feats, has set like the Sun.
He, who like Sakra himself, calmly shot arrows by the thousands, killed
ten thousand soldiers every day for ten days: even he, slain by the enemy,
lies, undeserving on the bare ground like a mighty tree felled by the wind,
as a consequence, Rajan, of your evil counsels.’”
CANTO 14
BHAGAVAT-GITA PARVA CONTINUED
hritarashtra says, ‘How has Bhishma been cut down by Sikhandin?

How has my father, who resembled Vasava himself, fallen from his
chariot? What has become of my sons, O Sanjaya, deprived of the
support of mighty Bhishma, he who was like a divine being, and who led
the life of Brahmacharya for the sake of his father? How do our warriors
feel about the loss of that tiger among men who was filled with great
wisdom, great power and great energy?
Hearing that that great leader of men, that unfaltering Kshatriya, is
fallen, a terrible sadness pierces my heart. While advancing against the
enemy, who followed him and who marched ahead? Who stayed by his
side? Who moved alongside? What brave fighters followed protecting the
rear of that Maharathika, that wonderful archer, that bull among Kshatriyas,
while he penetrated into the ranks of the foe?
While attacking the enemy’s divisions, which warriors opposed that
great luminary of a thousand rays, who spread fear and destruction among
their ranks like the Sun destroying darkness, and who accomplished near
impossible feats in battle among the ranks of Pandu’s sons?
How, indeed, Sanjaya, did the Pandavas stand up to the son of Shantanu,
that invincible Kshatriya, when he attacked them? How did Kunti’s son
conquer the unconquerable one, who, though modest, was a tiger among
men slaughtering the enemy’s ranks with great ferocity, having arrows for
his teeth, a bow for his mouth, and a terrible sword for his tongue?
Oh, how undeserving is he of such a fate, that fierce archer shooting
raging arrows, mounted on this chariot, beheading his foes, that irresistible
hero, irresistible as the fires at the end of the yugas, seeing who in readiness
for battle made the great army of the Pandavas falter in its advance.
Having achieved great feats on the battlefield, destroying the hostile
armies for ten nights, alas, that greatest of Kshatriyas has set like the Sun.
He who, like Sakra himself, loosed an unending stream of arrows, and
killed millions of soldiers in ten days, that descendant of Bharata’s race,
now lies on the bare ground, on the field of battle, a mighty tree uprooted
by the winds, as a result of my evil counsels!
Seeing Shantanu’s son, how could the army of the Pandavas succeed in
striking him down? How did the sons of Pandu fight Bhishma? How is it
that Bhishma fell when Drona lives? When Kripa was near him, and
Drona’s son Aswatthaman also, how could Bhishma, that foremost of
destroyers be himself destroyed?
How could Bhishma who was an Atiratha and who could not be
vanquished by the very gods, be defeated by Sikhandin, the prince of
Panchala? He, who always regarded himself equal to the mighty son of
Jamadagni in battle, he whom Jamadagni’s son himself could not quell, he
who resembled Indra in valour, alas, O Sanjaya, tell me how that hero,
Bhishma, born in the race of Maharathas, was brought down, for without
knowing all the details I cannot regain my composure.
Which great archers of my army did not desert that glorious hero? What
heroic warriors, at Duryodhana’s command, stood protecting him? When all
the Pandavas with Sikhandin in the vanguard moved against Bhishma, did
not all the Kurus stay by his side?
Hard as my heart is, surely it is not unbreakable, for why does it not
break on hearing the news of the fall of Bhishma! In him lay boundless
truth, intelligence, and political acumen. Alas, how was he slain in battle?
Like an imposing cloud, the twang of his bowstring, its roar, his arrows
its raindrops, and the sound of his bow for thunder, that Kshatriya shot his
arrows at the Pandavas and the Panchalas and the Srinjayas who stood at
their side; he struck hostile charioteers like the slayer of Bala smiting the
Danavas.
Who were the heroes that resisted, like the shores of the surging sea,
him that punished enemies, who was a terrible ocean of weapons, an ocean
in which arrows were inexorable crocodiles and bows were the waves?
Who resisted this limitless ocean, without an island, agitated and with no
raft to cross it, in which maces and swords were like sharks, and horses and
elephants like eddies, foot-soldiers like fishes in abundance, and the sound
of conches and drums like its roar?
Who resisted this Kshatriya, this ocean that swallowed horses and
elephants and foot-soldiers, an ocean that devoured enemy heroes and that
seethed with wrath that constituted its Yadava-fire?
When, in Duryodhana’s interests, Bhishma achieved great feats in battle,
who were in his vanguard? Who were they that protected the right wheel of
that tremendous warrior? Who were they that resisted hostile heroes who
came from behind him with patience and vigour?
Who positioned themselves to guard him from the front? Who protected
the fore-wheel as he battled the adversary? Who struck at the Srinjayas
from beside his left wheel? Who were they that defended the irresistible
advance troops? Who protected the flanks of that warrior who has made his
last painful journey? And who, O Sanjaya, fought the enemy heroes in the
general conflict?
If he was protected by our heroes, and if they were protected by him,
why could he not then swiftly humble the army of the Pandavas, invincible
though it may be? Indeed, how could the Pandavas succeed even in striking
Bhishma who was like Siva Parameshti himself, that Lord and creator of all
creatures?
Sanjaya, you speak of the fall of Bhishma; that tiger among men, that
mighty warrior, our refuge upon whom the Kurus were relying to fight the
Pandavas, how was he slain by the enemy? In ancient times, all the Devas
sought that Kshatriya’s assistance to annihilate the Danavas. That foremost
of sons filled with great tejas, on whose birth the famous Shantanu cast
aside all grief, despair, and sorrows, how can you tell me that that
celebrated hero, that great refuge of all, that wise and holy man who was
devoted to his dharma and conversant with the truths of Vedic knowledge,
has been slain?
Accomplished in the use of every weapon and imbued with humility, if
the son of Shantanu, gentle, restrained, yet so intrepid, has been felled, then
I regard the rest of my army as already destroyed. In my judgment,
immorality has now become stronger than righteousness, for the sons of
Pandu desire sovereignty even by killing their venerable elder! In olden
days, Jamadagni’s son Rama, who was acquainted with every weapon and
who was superior to all, when fighting on behalf of Amvya, was defeated
by Bhishma in combat.
You tell me that Bhishma, that greatest of warriors who resembled Indra
himself in his feats, has been vanquished. What can bring greater despair to
me than this? Suffused with great intelligence, he who was not slain even
by that destroyer of hostile heroes, that Rama, the son of Jamadagni, who
repeatedly defeated hordes of Kshatriyas in battle, he has now been laid low
by Sikhandin. Surely then, Drupada’s son Sikhandin, who has quelled that
bravest and most skilful Kshatriya, who commanded the most powerful
weapons, must be superior in energy and strength to the mighty Bhishma!
In that encounter, who were the heroes that accompanied that destroyer
of enemies? Tell me how the battle was fought between Bhishma and the
Pandavas. The army of my son, O Sanjaya, bereft of its hero, is like an
unprotected woman. Indeed, that army of mine is like a panic stricken herd
of cows lost without its herdsman. When he, who was braver than anyone
else, was vanquished, what was the state of mind of my army? What power
remains in our lives, when we have killed our all-powerful father, the most
righteous of men in the world?
Like a man who wishes to cross the sea as he watches his boat sink in
deep waters, my sons, I imagine, are weeping grievously on Bhishma’s
death. My heart must surely be hard that it does not tear apart even on
hearing of Bhishma’s fall. Endowed with vast weapons, intelligence, and
insight, how could that invincible warrior have been quelled?
A man cannot free himself from death using weapons or courage, ascetic
merit or intelligence, firmness or offerings. Indeed, time cannot be
transgressed by anything in the world, when you tell me that Shantanu’s son
Bhishma is fallen. Consumed by grief because of my sons, indeed
overwhelmed with great sorrow, I had hoped for relief from Bhishma.
When he saw Shantanu’s son lying on earth like the Sun fallen from the sky,
what other refuge did Duryodhana seek?
Reflecting on this, I cannot foresee how this will all end, both for our
allies and for our enemies as they range themselves in opposition to each
other.
Sadly the duties of the Kshatriya varna as laid down by the Rishis are
cruel; the Pandavas desire sovereignty even at the cost of the death of
Shantanu’s son, and we too crave it by offering up in sacrifice that great
hero. The sons of Pritha and mine do all observe their Kshatriya dharma
and, thus, incur no sin. This is the path of a righteous man in times of
terrible calamity. The display of valour and great strength has been laid
down among the duties of Kshatriyas.
How, indeed, did the sons of Pandu oppose my father Bhishma in battle?
How were the troops arrayed, and how did he fight against those high-
souled adversaries? How, O Sanjaya, was my father Bhishma cut down, and
what did Duryodhana, Karna, the deceitful Sakuni, the son of Subala, and
Dussasana say when Bhishma fell?
In the house of death that is war, where the chessboard is made up of the
bodies of men, elephants, and horses, where arrows and javelins, mighty
swords and darts kill and maim, who were those wretched gamblers, who
staked their very lives? Who won in this game, who were defeated, who
cast the dice successfully, and who have been killed, besides Bhishma, the
son of Shantanu?
Tell me all, Sanjaya, for I am not at peace, hearing that Devavrata has
been slain, that father of mine, of great and terrible deeds, that jewel of
battle, Bhishma! Anguish like a blade pierces my heart, born of the thought
that all my children will die. As a fire blazes brighter when ghee is poured
on it, you do deepen my sorrow.
My sons must even now be grieving, seeing Bhishma fallen, that great
Bhishma celebrated in all worlds and who took upon himself a heavy
burden. I will listen to all those sad outcomes of Duryodhana’s terrible
folly. Therefore, tell me everything that happened there, everything that
happened in the battle, born of the folly of my wicked son. Confused or
clear, tell me everything, Sanjaya.
Whatever was achieved in the war by the tejas of the great Bhishma who
desired victory; tell me everything and in complete detail of how each battle
between the armies of the Kurus took place.’
CANTO 15
anjaya says, ‘You are deserving and this is a noble question. However,
it does not befit you to blame Duryodhana. The man who incurs evil as
the consequence of his own misdeeds, should not attribute the blame to
others.
Great king, the man who injures others deserves to be killed for his sins.
The upright and blameless Pandavas, along with their friends and
counsellors, look up to you; they have endured their injuries, forgiven them,
and lived peaceably in the forest.
Do not grieve as you listen to the grim stories of horses and elephants,
and powerful kings I have seen by Yoga-shakti. For all this was pre-
destined.
I have bowed before your wise and high-souled father, the Mahatman
Vyasa, who has bestowed upon me the boon of divine understanding, a
sight beyond the vision of the eyes, heightened hearing from a great
distance, a knowledge of other people’s thoughts and of the past and the
future, a knowledge also of the origin of all those who transgress the sacred
ordinances, the delightful power of coursing through the skies, and
protection from all weapons in battle.
Now listen to me carefully as I narrate the romantic and awesome battle
between the Bhaaratas, a battle that makes one’s hair stand on end.
When the combatants were ready and arrayed by the rules of war,
Duryodhana says to Dussasana, ‘O Dussasana, let chariots be moved
swiftly to protect Bhishma, and order our akshauhinis to advance.
I now recollect what I have been thinking for many years about the war
between the forces of the Pandavas and the Kauravas. For us, nothing is
more important than keeping Bhishma safe. If protected he will annihilate
the Pandavas, the Somakas and the Srinjayas.
That pure-souled Kshatriya has said that he will not slay Sikhandin.
Sikhandin was a woman in an earlier birth, and so Bhishma refuses to fight
him. For this, Bhishma should be particularly well protected.
Let all my soldiers take up their positions, and be determined to kill
Sikhandin. Also let the troops from all cardinal directions, skilled in the use
of every kind of weapon, watch over the Pitamaha. Even the mighty lion, if
left unprotected, may be slain by the wolf. We must not allow Bhishma to
be slain by Sikhandin like the lion by the jackal.
Yudhamanyu guards the left wheel and Uttamauja the right wheel of
Arjuna, and thus shielded, Phalguni himself safeguards Sikhandin. O
Dussasana, ensure that Sikhandin, who is protected by Arjuna, and whom
Bhishma will not attack, does not kill Ganga’s son.’
CANTO 16
aisampayana said, “Sanjaya says, ‘When the night passed, loud

exclamations of the kings rend the air. The blast of conches and the
sound of drums resembling the roars of lions, the neigh of horses and
the clatter of chariot wheels, the noise of raucous elephants and the shouts,
clapping of arm-pits, and cries of roaring combatants, all raise a thunderous
noise.
The teeming armies of the Kauravas and the Pandavas, rising before
dawn, complete all their deployments. When the Sun rises, the fierce
weapons of attack and defence, the armour of your sons and the Pandavas,
and the great splendid armies of both sides, are fully seen. Elephants and
chariots, adorned with gold, look radiant like clouds streaked with
lightning. The arrays of chariots look like cities.
Standing there, your father shines brilliantly like the full moon. And the
warriors armed with bows and swords, scimitars and maces, javelins and
spears, and other bright weapons of many kinds, take up their positions in
the ranks. Resplendent standards, belonging to us and the enemy, are seen,
hoisted by the thousands. Thousands of golden banners decorated with
gemstones blaze like fire. They look beautiful even like the armoured
heroes longing for battle.
Countless great Kshatriya commanders, wearing quivers, and with eyes
big as those of bulls, and with hands cased in leather gloves, stand at the
heads of their divisions, with shining weapons raised.
Subala’s son Sakuni, and Salya, Jayadratha and the two princes of
Avanti, Vinda and Anuvinda, the Kekaya brothers, Sudakshina the ruler of
the Kambojas and Srutayudha the lord of the Kalingas, and king Jayatsena,
Brihadbala, king of the Kosalas, and Kritavarman of the Satwata vamsa—
these ten powerful tigers among men, whose arms resemble maces, these
performers of sacrifices and givers of gifts to Brahmanas, stand each one at
the head of an akshauhini of troops.
These and many other kings and princes, maharathikas all, knowers of
statecraft, obedient to the commands of Duryodhana, all sheathed in mail,
are seen at the head of their legions. All of them, wearing black deerskin,
imbued with great strength, accomplished in battle, and cheerfully prepared,
for Duryodhana’s sake, to give up their lives and attain Brahmaloka, stand
there commanding ten powerful akshauhinis.
The eleventh great division of the Kauravas, consisting of the
Dhartarashtra troops, are positioned in front of the great army.
There in the vanguard of that division is Shantanu’s son. With his
helmet, royal parasol, and armour, all in white, we see the unfailingly
mighty Bhishma looking like the risen moon. His standard bears the sign of
a golden palmyra; he himself is mounted on a silver ratha. Both the
Kauravas and the Pandavas gaze upon that hero, looking like the full moon
encircled by white clouds.
On seeing Bhishma, the great archers amongst the Srinjayas, led by
Dhrishtadyumna, appear like little lesser animals looking at a mighty
yawning lion. Indeed, all the warriors led by Dhrishtadyumna tremble in
fear.
These, O Rajan, are the eleven splendid divisions of your army.
So also the seven akshauhinis belonging to the Pandavas are protected
by the greatest Kshatriyas. Indeed, the two armies facing each other look
like two oceans at the end of the Yuga agitated by fierce makaras, teeming
with monstrous crocodiles. Never before did we see or hear of two such
armies encountering each other like these of the Kurus.’”
CANTO 17
anjaya says, ‘Just as predicted by the holy Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa,

the kings of the Earth gather in that manner for the great contention.
On the day the battle begins, Soma approaches the region of the Pitris. The
seven great planets are ablaze as they appear in the sky.
The Sun, as he rises, seems to be split in two, and bursts into flames.
Carnivorous jackals and crows, expecting to feed upon the dead, call out
fiercely from all burning directions.
Every day the Pitamaha of the Kurus, and the son of Bharadwaja, rising
from their beds in the morning, say with dhyana, “Victory to the sons of
Pandu”, while those mighty warriors are pledged yet to fight for your cause.
Your father Devavrata, aware of varna dharma, summons all the kings and
speaks to them.
“Kshatriyas, the broad door into heaven is open to you. Pass through it
to the region of Sakra and Brahma. The ancient Rishis have shown you this
eternal path. Bring honour upon yourselves by fighting with alert minds.
Nabhaga and Yayati, and Mandhatri, and Nahusha and Nriga, were
triumphant in battle and attained bliss. It is a sin for a Kshatriya to die of
sickness at home; to die in battle is his eternal duty.”
Thus addressed by Bhishma, the magnificent kings, in their majestic
chariots, move to the heads of their respective akshauhinis. Only
Vikartana’s son Karna, with his friends and relatives, puts aside his
weapons for the sake of Bhishma. Without Karna then, your sons and their
allies forge ahead, to the ten points of the horizon which reverberate with
their leonine roars.
And their legions shine brightly with white sovereign parasols, banners,
standards, elephants, horses, chariots, and foot-soldiers. And the Earth fills
with the sounds of drums and cymbals, and the clatter of chariot wheels.
And the maharathas, bedecked with golden ornaments and with their bows
streaked with gold, look as resplendent as hills of fire.
And with his large palmyra-standard, bearing five stars, Bhishma, the
Senapati of the Kaurava army, looks like the radiant Sun himself. He orders
your noble archers to take up their positions, which they do with alacrity.
King Saibya of the country of the Govasanas, accompanied by all the
others, goes forth on a royal elephant graced with a banner on its back. And
the lotus-complexioned Aswatthaman rides out prepared for every
contingency, stationing himself at the very head of all the divisions, with his
standard bearing the emblem of the lion’s tail.
And Srutayudha and Chitrasena, and Purumitra and Vivimsati, and
Salya and Bhurisravas, and that mighty maharathika Vikarna—these seven
great archers mounted on their chariots and encased in excellent mail,
follow Drona’s son with Bhishma behind them. The lofty golden standards
adorning their chariots shine brilliantly.
The standard of Drona, that most excellent of acharyas, bears the
emblem of a golden shrine ornamented with a kalasha and a bow. That of
Duryodhana, bearing a jewel-encrusted elephant, guides many hundreds
and thousands of divisions. The rathas of Paurava, the king of the Kalingas,
and Salya, are positioned in Duryodhana’s vanguard.
The king of the Magadhas guides his akshauhini against the enemy on a
bejewelled chariot with his standard bearing the image of a bull. The great
force of the Eastern Kingdoms, protected by the chief of the Angas, Karna’s
son Vrishaketu, and the powerful Kripa, appears like the soft white clouds
of approaching winter.
Stationed in front of his troops, with his silver standard bearing the
emblem of the boar, is the splendid Jayadratha. A hundred thousand rathas,
eight thousand elephants, and sixty thousand cavalry are under his
command.
Commanded by the king of the Sindhus, that vast akshauhini in the
forefront of the army with countless chariots, elephants and horses, is truly
magnificent. With sixty thousand chariots and ten thousand elephants, the
ruler of the Kalingas, accompanied by Ketumat, advances. His majestic
elephants, looking like hills, and adorned with yantras, lances, quivers and
standards, are strikingly beautiful.
The ruler of the Kalingas blazes forth with his lofty standard effulgent as
fire, his royal parasol, golden cuirass, and the chamaras which fan him, all
shining. Ketumat, riding on an elephant and holding a wonderful and
beautiful goad, is also stationed in battle, O king, like the Sun in the midst
of dark clouds.
And king Bhagadatta, fiery with energy and riding on his legendary
elephant, goes out like the wielder of the thunder. And the two princes of
Avanti, Vinda and Anuvinda, regarded as equal to Bhagadatta, follow
Ketumat, riding on the necks of their elephants.
Thus arrayed by Drona and Bhishma, and by Drona’s son, and by
Bahlika and Kripa, the Kaurava vyuha, of numberless divisions of chariots,
appears as if elephants form its body, the kings, its head; and the horses, its
wings. Facing all sides, that fearsome vyuha seems to smile in readiness to
spring upon the enemy.’
CANTO 18
anjaya says, ‘A loud uproar made by the fighting men in readiness for
battle causes the heart to tremble. Indeed, the Earth seems to split into
two with the sounds of conches and drums, the bellows of elephants and the
clatter of chariot wheels. Soon the Sky and the Earth are filled with the
neighing of chargers and the shouts of warriors.
O great Rajan, the troops of your sons and of the Pandavas both tremble
when they face each other. There on that battlefield, elephants and chariots,
decked in gold, are as beautiful as clouds flecked with lightning. And the
standards of your allies, adorned with golden rings, glow like fire. And
those standards of your side and theirs resemble the banners of Indra in his
celestial mansions.
And the heroic warriors, all fitted out in golden coats of mail with the
brilliance of the blazing Sun, themselves look like Agni or Surya. All the
leading Kshatriyas amongst the Kurus, with magnificent bows, and other
weapons ready, with leather gloves on their hands, and with standards,
those mighty bull-eyed archers, stand lordly at the heads of their
akshauhinis.
Protecting Bhishma from behind, among your sons are Dussasana, and
Durvishaha, Durmukha and Dussaha and Vivimsati, and Chitrasena, and
that maharatha Vikarna; also amongst them are Satyavrata and Purumitra,
Jaya, Bhurisravas and Sala.
And twenty thousand maharathas follow them. The Abhishahas, the
Surasenas, the Sibis, and the Vasatis, the Swalyas, the Matsyas, the
Ambashtas, the Trigartas, and the Kekayas, the Sauviras, the Kitavas, and
the dwellers of the Eastern, Western, and the Northern kingdoms, these
twelve brave races are resolute in their determination to fight, heedless of
their lives.
These protect the Pitamaha with an awesome array of chariots. And with
a division of ten thousand war elephants, the king of Magadha follows that
akshauhini. They who guard the wheels of the chariots, and they who
protect the elephants, number a stupendous six million.
And the foot-soldiers that march ahead, armed with bows, swords, and
shields, number many hundreds of thousands. And they fight using also
their nails and bearded barbs. And the eleven akshauhinis of your son, O
Bhaarata, look like Ganga separated from Yamuna.’
CANTO 19
hritarashtra says, ‘Seeing our eleven akshauhinis laid out in battle

formation, how does Yudhishtira, the son of Pandu, with his smaller
number of legions, make his counter-array? How does Kunti’s son,
Sanjaya, create his battle formation against that Bhishma who was a master
of all kinds of vyuhas, Manushya, Deva, Gandharva, and Asura?’
Sanjaya says, ‘Seeing Dhritarashtra’s legions arrayed, Pandu’s son of
virtuous soul, Yudhishtira Dharmatma, says to Arjuna, “We have long
known the wise words of Maharishi Brihaspati, that a small army must be
made to fight by compressing its troops, while the large army may be
stretched out at will. In encounters of the few with the many, the vyuha to
be formed is the suchimukha, the needle-mouthed one. Our troops
compared with the enemy’s are few. Deploy our troops, Arjuna, in
accordance with the precept of the great Rishi.”
Arjuna answers Yudhishtira, “I will create for you an unshakeable and
invincible vyuha known as the Vajra, designed by the very wielder of the
thunder-bolt himself. He who is like the bursting tempest, he who cannot be
defeated by the enemy in battle, Bhima that greatest of smiters, will fight at
our head. That foremost of men, knower of all ayudhas, will be our leader at
the front destroying our adversaries, shattering their very confidence.
Seeing Bhima, awesome in battle, all the enemy soldiers led by
Duryodhana will retreat in panic like smaller animals upon seeing the lion;
Bhima will protect us like a wall and dispel our fears like Indra who gives
refuge to all heavenly beings. There is no living man who can even look
upon Vrikodara of fierce deeds when he is angry.”
Having said this, Dhananjaya moves to form his vyuha. He swiftly
orders his troops into battle-array and advances against the enemy. And the
mighty army of the Pandavas, seeing the Kuru army move, appears itself to
look like the swelling, rushing and powerful current of Ganga. And Bhima,
and Dhrishtadyumna blessed with great tejas, and Nakula, and Sahadeva,
and king Dhrishtaketu, become the leaders of that force.
And king Virata, surrounded by this akshauhini, along with his brothers
and sons, marches in the rear, protecting them from behind. The two radiant
sons of Madri become the guardians of Bhima’s wheels, while the five sons
of Draupadi and the son of Subhadra, all blessed with tejas, protect Bhima
from behind. And that maharathika, Dhrishtadyumna the prince of
Panchala, with the valiant Prabhadrakas, protects those princes from the
rear.
And behind him is Sikhandin, who in turn is guarded by Arjuna, and
who advances with dhyana for the destruction of Bhishma. Behind Arjuna,
to guard his wheels, rides the powerful Yuyudhana and the two princes of
Panchala, Yudhamanyu and Uttamaujas, along with the intrepid Kekaya
brothers, and Dhrishtaketu, and Chekitana.
Bhima, wielding his mace made of the sternest metal, moving with
fierce speed on the battlefield, can dry up the very ocean. And there the
sons of Dhritarashtra with their counsellors, stand looking at him. This, O
Rajan, is what Bibhatsu says pointing out the mighty Bhima to Yudhishtira;
while Arjuna speaks, all the gathered troops bow to praise and worship him.
King Yudhishtira, the son of Kunti, takes up his position at the heart of
his army, surrounded by vigorous overpowering elephants which resemble
moving hills. The high-souled and valorous Drupada, lord of the Panchalas,
stations himself behind Virata with an akshauhini to fight for the Pandavas.
And on the chariots of those kings are high standards bearing diverse
emblems, decorated with beautiful ornaments of gold, and with the radiance
of the Sun and the Moon.
Moving those kings to make space for himself, Maharatha
Dhrishtadyumna, his brothers and sons around him, watches over
Yudhishtira from behind. Transcending the lofty standards on all the
chariots, yours and those of your opponents, is the gigantic Vanara on
Arjuna’s chariot.
Hundreds and thousands of foot-soldiers, armed with swords, spears and
scimitars, advance in front to safeguard Bhima. And ten thousand dauntless
elephants, big as hills, emblazoned with golden armour follow the king like
moving mountains. With temporal juice trickling down their faces, they
resemble great rain clouds, and emit the fragrance of lotus flowers.
And the unconquerable Bhimasena, Mahatman, swinging his fierce
mace that resembles a parigha surely looks as if he can easily crush the
sprawling army of your son. Appearing like the Sun himself, and scorching
the hostile army like fire, it is impossible for the warriors to even look at
him.
This fierce and fearless Vajravyuha, facing all sides, and having bows
for its lightning sign, is protected by the wielder of the Gandiva himself.
Deploying their legions in this manner against your army, the Pandavas
await battle. And protected by the Pandavas, that vyuha is veritably
invincible in the world of men.
And as both armies stand waiting for sunrise, a wind begins to blow,
gentle rain falls with no clouds in sight, and the roll of thunder is heard. Dry
winds blow showering the ground with sharp stones and a thick dust arises
covering the world with darkness. Meteors begin to fall towards the east
and, striking against the rising Sun, shatter loudly into fragments.
As the troops stand ready for battle the Sun rises without his customary
splendour, and the Earth trembles and cracks open reverberantly in many
places. The sound of thunder, O king, can be heard frequently on all sides
and so thick is the billowing dust that nothing can be seen.
And the towering standards of the warriors, furnished with strings of
bells, decked with golden ornaments, garlands of flowers, and rich cloths,
graced with banners and like the Sun in splendour, are shaken by the wind,
and jingle loudly like a forest of palmyra trees with a gale blowing lustily
through.
Thus stand those tigers amongst men, the sons of Pandu, joyful in battle,
having arrayed their legions against the army of your son, sucking as it
were, the marrow of our warriors, with Bhima, mace in hand, stationed at
their head.’
CANTO 20
hritarashtra says, ‘When the Sun rises, O Sanjaya, of my army led by

Bhishma and the Pandava army led by Bhima, which, in joyful
readiness for battle, approaches the other first? To which side are the
Sun, the Moon and the Wind hostile, and against whom do the beasts of
prey utter inauspicious cries? Who are those beautiful and daring young
men? Tell me everything and in detail.’
Sanjaya says, ‘Both armies look equally joyful and equally beautiful like
blooming forests. Both armies abound in elephants, chariots and horses.
Both are vast and terrible to behold, and hostile to each other. Both of them
teem with outstanding warriors organised to conquer the very heavens.
The Kauravas stand facing the west, while the Pandavas face the east,
ready to fight. The troops of the Kauravas appear like the army of the
Danavas, while those of the Pandavas look like the army of the Devas. The
wind begins to blow from behind the Pandavas against the face of the
Dhartarashtras, and the predators howl against your son’s legions. The
elephants of your sons cannot bear the strong odour of the temporal juice
emitted by the majestic elephants of the Pandavas.
And Duryodhana rides on a lotus coloured elephant, with rent temples,
graced with a golden kaksha on its back, and protected by netted steel
armour. He is at the very heart of the Kurus and is extolled by bards and
singers. And a white sovereign parasol with a golden chain and moon-like
brilliance is held over his head.
Sakuni, the lord of the Gandharas, follows, surrounded by his mountain
men. And the revered Bhishma is at the head of all the troops, with another
royal white parasol over him, armed with bow and sword, with a white
helmet, a white banner atop his chariot yoked to white horses, looking
altogether like a white mountain.
In Bhishma’s legion are all the sons of Dhritarashtra, and also Sala of
the Bahlikas; there are also all those Kshatriyas called Amvastas and
Sindhus, and also the Sauviras, and the heroic people of the land of the five
rivers.
And on a golden chariot drawn by red horses stands the valiant
Mahatman Drona, bow in hand, the Acharya of almost all the kings, who
remains behind all the troops, protecting them like Indra. And Saradwat’s
son Gautama, that frontline fighter, that high-souled and mighty archer
familiar with all manner of warfare, accompanied by the Sakas, the Kiratas,
the Yavanas and the Pahlavas, takes up his position at the northern point of
the army.
That immense force which is well guarded by maharathas of the Vrishni
and the Bhoja vamsas, as also by the fighting men of Surashtra, well-armed
and masters of weapons, and which is led by Kritavarman, goes towards the
south of the army. Ten thousand chariots of the Samsaptakas, masterful
warriors all, who were created for either the death or the fame of Arjuna,
and who intend to stay close to and hunt Arjuna, all advance along with the
brave Trigartas.
In your army, O Bhaarata, are a thousand magnificent war elephants to
each of which are assigned a hundred chariots. A hundred horsemen are
given to each chariot; each horseman has ten archers, each of whom is
accompanied by ten foot-soldiers armed with sword and shield. Thus does
Bhishma lay out your legions.
As each day dawns, your great Senapati, Bhishma the son of Shantanu,
sometimes moves your troops in the Manava vyuha, sometimes in the Deva,
sometimes in the Gandharva, and at others in the Asura. Thronged with a
large number of maharathas, and roaring like the very ocean, the
Dhartarashtra army, disposed by Bhishma, stands facing the west for battle.
Unbounded and dreadful as your army is, the army of the Pandavas, though
smaller, appears to me to be colossal and invincible since Krishna and
Arjuna lead it.’
CANTO 21
anjaya says, ‘Seeing the vast Dhartarashtra army ready for battle, king
Yudhishtira, the son of Kunti, gives way to grief. Seeing that
formidable vyuha formed by Bhishma and knowing it to be impenetrable,
the king grows pale and says to Arjuna, “Dhananjaya, how will we fight the
Dhartarashtras who have the Pitamaha as their Senapati?
How will we withstand the unshakeable and invincible vyuha which has
been designed by that destroyer of foes Bhishma of transcendent glory, by
the directions laid down in the scriptures? Parantapa, given the numbers of
our troops we are doubtful of success. How, indeed, will we obtain victory
in the face of this mighty formation?”
Arjuna answers Yudhishtira who is troubled by grief at the sight of your
army, “Listen, O king, to how a few soldiers may defeat a vast army having
many strengths. Since you are without malice, I will tell you the means by
which we can triumph.
The Rishi Narada knows it, as do both Bhishma and Drona. Brahma
himself in olden days during the battle between the Devas and the Asuras
said to Indra and the other celestials, ‘They who desire victory do not
conquer by might and force so much as by truth, compassion, righteousness
and vitality.’
Discriminating then between dharma and adharma, and understanding
what covetousness is and what it is to fight without arrogance, victory lies
with righteousness. Know, O Rajan, that victory is already assured to us in
this war.
Indeed, as Narada says, ‘Where Krishna is, there is victory. Victory is
inherent to Krishna, indeed it follows him. And as victory is one of his
attributes, so is humility. Govinda possesses infinite energy. Even in the
midst of uncountable enemies, he is without pain. He is the most eternal of
Purushas. And victory surely lies where Krishna is.’
Even he, indestructible and impossible to conquer with weapons,
appearing as Hari in olden days, said clearly to the Devas and the Asuras,
‘Who amongst you would be victorious?’ Even the conquered Devas
replied, ‘With Krishna to lead us we will prevail.’ And it was through
Hari’s grace that the three worlds were conquered by the gods led by Sakra.
I do not, therefore, see any reason for you to be dejected, you who have
the Sovereign of the Universe and the Divine Lord of the gods himself
wishing you triumph.”’
CANTO 22
anjaya says, ‘Then king Yudhishtira, laying out his own troops against
the legions of Bhishma, urges them on, saying, “The Pandavas have
now deployed their forces in counter array in keeping with the scriptures.
Fight fairly, you sinless ones, who wish to enter the highest heaven!”
In the midst of the Pandava army is Sikhandin, and his troops are
protected by Arjuna. And Dhrishtadyumna advances in the vanguard,
protected by Bhima. The southern akshauhinis are guarded by that mighty
archer, the handsome Yuyudhana of the Satwatas, who resembles Indra
himself.
Yudhishtira is stationed on a chariot that is worthy of bearing Mahendra
himself, adorned with an excellent standard, mottled with gold and
glittering gemstones, and furnished with golden reins for the horses, in the
midst of his war elephants. His sovereign white parasol with an ivory
handle, unfurled over his head, is resplendent; and many great Rishis walk
around him singing his praises.
Many priests, and regenerate Rishis and Siddhas, chant laudatory
hymns, praying for the destruction of his enemies, with the help of japas
and mantras, potent drugs, and a variety of propitiatory ceremonies. That
Mahatman king of the Kurus, showering the Brahmanas with gifts of cows
and fruit, flowers and gold, along with rich cloths, advances like Sakra,
king of the Devas.
The chariot of Arjuna, with a hundred bells, the best Jambunada gold,
having excellent wheels, possessing the effulgence of fire, and pulled by
white horses, shines brilliant as a thousand suns. And on that chariot whose
banner bears the Vanara emblem, whose reins are held by Krishna, stands
Arjuna with the Gandiva and arrows in hand, peerless archer whom none
can ever equal.
For crushing your sons’ troops, the mighty Bhimasena Vrikodara, who
assumes the most terrifying aspect, who without weapons and with his mere
bare hands pounds men, horses, and elephants into the dust, that Mahabaho
accompanied by the twins, is the protector of the heroic maharathikas of the
Pandava army.
Seeing indomitable Vrikodara, like the towering leader of a herd of
elephants, an enraged prince of sprightly lions, or like great Indra himself in
earthly form, at the forefront of the army, the strength of your fighting men
turns weak with fear, and they begin to tremble like elephants in mire.
And Krishna says to the valiant Arjuna standing in the midst of his
troops, “There is the banner of Kuru’s race, Bhishma, who scorches us with
his wrath and stands rocklike in the midst of his forces. He who will attack
our men like a lion, he who has performed three hundred Aswamedha
yagnas, stands surrounded by great Kshatriyas who envelop his brilliance
like clouds. Great Kshatriya, Purushottama, kill those troops and seek out
that greatest of warriors, Bhishma Bharatarishabha!”’
CANTO 23
anjaya says, ‘Seeing the Dhartarashtra army approach ready for battle,
Krishna says these words to Arjuna.
The Holy One says, “Purifying yourself, O Arjuna, on the eve of the
battle, recite the hymn to Durga to achieve the enemy’s defeat.”
Thus addressed on the eve of battle by Krishna of fathomless intellect,
Pritha’s son Arjuna, alighting from his chariot, recites this hymn with
folded hands.
Arjuna says, “I bow to you, O Mahayoginis, you who are Brahman, you
who dwell in the forest of Mandara, free from decay and dissolution, O
Kali, wife of Kapala, of a black and dusky hue, I bow to you! I submit to
you, Mahakali, wife of Siva, the destroyer of the universe, you who bestow
blessings on your devotees.
O exalted Durga, you who rescue us from danger, you who are blessed
with every auspicious attribute, which has sprung from the Katas, you who
deserve the most devoted worship, fierce one, giver of victory, victory’s
own self, you who bear a banner of peacock plumes, decked with every
ornament, bear a terrible spear, hold a sword and shield, you who are the
younger sister of the lord of cowherds, O Eldest, born amongst the Nanda
cowherds, always fond of buffalo’s blood, born in the race of Kusika, O
Pitambara, you who, assuming the face of a wolf, have devoured Asuras, I
bow to you who take delight in battle!
O Uma, Sakambhari, you who are white in hue, you who are also black,
you who slew the Asura Kaitabha, O tawny-eyed and many-eyed, you who
have eyes the colour of smoke, I venerate you!
You are the Vedas, the Srutis, and the highest virtue; you are auspicious
to Brahmanas performing yagnas. O you who know the past, you who are
ever present in the sacred shrines erected for you in the cities of
Jambudwipa, I bow to you!
You are the Brahmavidya among sciences, and you are that slumber
from which there is no waking. Mother of Skanda, who possesses the six
noblest qualities, Durga, you dwell in the remotest corners of the Earth, and
are described as Swaha and Swadha, as Kala, as Kashta, and as Saraswati,
as Savitri, the mother of the Vedas, and as the Vedanta.
With inner soul cleansed, I praise you. Mahadevi, let me always be
victorious on the battlefield, always minister to me through your grace on
the field of war. You dwell in remote regions, where there is fear, in places
of hardship, in the homes of your worshippers and in Patala. You always
vanquish the Danavas. You are the mahanidra, the great sleep, the illusion,
the modesty and the beauty of all creatures.
You are the twilight and the day, you are Savitri, and you are the Mother.
You are contentment, you are sustenance, and you are light. It is you who
supports the Sun and the Moon and make them shine. You are the wealth of
the prosperous. The Siddhas and the Charanas look upon you in dhyana.”’
Sanjaya continues, ‘Understanding the depth of Arjuna’s devotion,
Durga, who is always graciously inclined towards mankind, appears in the
sky, and in the presence of Krishna, the Devi says, “You will swiftly defeat
your enemies, O Pandava. Invincible one, you have Narayana on your side.
You cannot be vanquished even by the Vajradhari Indra himself.”
The boon-granting Goddess disappears. Having that boon from her, the
son of Kunti now regards himself as already victorious and mounts his
magnificent chariot. And then Krishna and Arjuna, seated on the same
chariot, blow their celestial conches.
The man who recites this hymn rising at dawn, does not fear Yakshas,
Rakshasas or Pisachas. He can have no enemies; he does not fear snakes
and any animal with fangs and teeth; nor does he fear kings. He is certain to
be victorious in all battles, and if bound, he is freed from his shackles. He is
sure to overcome all obstacles, is free from thieves, ever victorious in battle
and has the blessings of Lakshmi Devi for eternity. In health and strength,
he lives for a hundred years.
I know all this through the grace of Vyasa imbued with great wisdom.
However, your evil sons, all entangled out of ignorance in the snare of
death, do not recognise them as Nara and Narayana. Nor do they, ensnared
by death, know that the hour of the end of this kingdom has arrived.
Dwaipayana and Narada, Kanwa and the sinless Rama have all warned your
son. But he does not accept what they say.
Where dharma is, there lie glory and beauty. Where modesty is,
prosperity and intelligence are to be found. And in righteousness, there is
Krishna; and where Krishna is, there is victory.’
CANTO 24
aisampayana said, “Dhritarashtra says, ‘There on that field, Sanjaya,

which army first advances gladly into battle? Whose hearts are filled
with confidence, and who are dispirited and downcast? In that war
which makes the hearts of men tremble, who strikes the first blow, my
forces or those belonging to the Pandavas? Tell me all this, Sanjaya. Among
whose troops do the flowery garlands and balms emit fragrant scents? And
whose troops, roaring fiercely, speak merciful words?’
Sanjaya says, ‘The fighters of both armies are joyful and the flowery
garlands and perfumes of both armies emit equal fragrance. Fierce is the
collision that takes place when the tightly compacted ranks arrayed for
battle encounter each other.
And the sound of musical instruments, mingled with the blast of conches
and the noise of drums, and the shouts of brave warriors roaring fiercely at
one another, reverberate all around. Terrible is the impact of the encounter
of the warriors of both armies, filled with assurance and staring at one
another, with the elephants uttering boisterous grunts.’”
CANTO 251
SRIMAD BHAGAVAD GITA
Aum Sri Ganapatheyah namaha

Aum Sri Saraswatheyah namaha
Aum Sri Krishnayah namaha
Arjuna vishada yoga: The despair of Arjuna
“Dhritarashtra says:
‘Upon the field of dharma,2 field of Kuru, gathered keened for war, my
force and the sons of Pandu, what did they do, Sanjaya?’
Sanjaya says:
‘Seeing the Pandava army arrayed, Duryodhana then
his honoured master approaches; the king says these words:
“Behold this immense army, master, of the sons of Pandu,
deployed by Drupada’s son, your brilliant pupil.
Here, heroes, mighty bowmen, of Bhima and Arjuna equals in war—
Yuyudhana and Virata, and Drupada maharatha;3
Dhrishtaketu, Chekitana, and the valiant Kasiraja,
Purujit and Kuntibhoja, and the Saibya, bull among men.
And Yuddhamanyu the brave and the intrepid Uttamaujas,
Subhadra’s son4 and Draupadi’s princes—surely, maharathas all.
Be aware, also, of the distinguished amongst us, O best of dvijas5,

the commanders of my army—let me name them for you to know.
Yourself and Bhishma and Karna, and Kripa winner of wars;
Aswatthaman and Vikarna, and the son of Somadatta, as well.
And so many other heroes, too, willing to give their lives for me;
myriad weapons they wield, all of them masters of war.
Our army is invincible, defended comprehensively by the might of

Bhishma;
their force is inferior, guarded by Bhima’s strength all around.
And positioned at every ingress, each at your station,
Bhishma alone you must all perfectly protect, surely, from every side.”
To hearten him, the mighty Kuru ancient,6 the grandsire,

a lion’s roar lets out and blows his conch reverberantly.
Then, conches and bugles and trumpets, kettledrums, horns
resound suddenly, all together: that sound was tumultuary.
When, from a magnificent chariot, white horses yoked to it,

Madhava7 and the Pandava,8 also, their divine conches sound.
The Panchajanya, Hrishikesa;9 the Devadatta, Dhananjaya;10
the great conch Paundra blows Vrikodara11 of awesome deeds.
The Anantavijayam, the king, Kunti’s son Yudhishtira;
Nakula and Sahadeva: the Sughosha, the Manipushpaka.
And the Kaasi, supreme archer, and Sikhandi, maharatha;
Dhrishtadyumna and Virata and Satyaki, the unvanquished.
Drupada and all the sons of Draupadi, O lord of the earth,
and Subhadra’s mighty-armed son sound their conches, every one.
That clamour Dhritarashtra’s sons’ hearts pierces;
and sky and earth, also, that fierce uproar shakes.
Now, watching in formation the sons of Dhritarashtra, the monkey-

bannered12 Pandava, when weapons are about to be loosed, raises his bow.
Then, to Hrishikesa he speaks these words, lord of the earth.
Arjuna says:
“Between the two armies, set my chariot, Achyuta.13
So I can look at those arrayed against us, seeking war,
against whom I must fight—before battle begins.
The warriors let me see, that have come together here,
wanting to please Dhritarashtra’s evil-minded son with war.”’
Sanjaya says:
‘Asked this by Gudakesa,14 Hrishikesa, O Bhaarata,15
drawing up that fine chariot between the two armies,
before Bhishma, Drona and all the rulers of the earth,
says, “Partha,16 look at these massed Kurus.”
Then Partha sees standing there fathers and grandfathers,

masters, uncles,17 brothers, sons, grandsons and friends,
fathers-in-law and well-wishers—and in both armies, besides;
the son of Kunti looks closely at all those kinsmen deployed there.
By great pity overcome, stricken, he says this.
Arjuna says:
“I see my kinsmen, Krishna, gathered avid for war.
My limbs turn weak, my mouth is parched;
and my body trembles, and my hair stands on end.
The Gandiva slips from my hands and my skin burns;
and my anxiety I cannot control and the fierce whirling of my mind;
and omens I see, evil, Kesava,
and nor do I see what good can come from killing my kinsmen in battle.
I do not want victory, Krishna, neither kingdom nor happiness;
for what a kingdom, Govinda, what for pleasures or even life?
Those for whose sake we want a kingdom, pleasures or happiness,
they are here for war, leaving their lives and wealth.
Masters, fathers, sons, and grandsires, too;
uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law and other kinsmen;
I do not want to kill them even if they kill me, Madhusudana:18

not for lordship over the three worlds,19 what then of this earth?
Killing Dhritarashtra’s sons, what joy will we get, Janardana?20
We will only find sin ourselves if we slay these sinners.
So we must not kill the sons of Dhritarashtra, who are our kin;
for, after killing our own, how can we be happy, Madhava?21
Even if these, their hearts ruined by greed, see no
atrocity in destroying the clan and no crime in harming friends,
why don’t we realise that we must desist from this sin,
when we see clearly how heinous it is to exterminate one’s race, Janardana?
With the destruction of the clan, ancient family traditions are lost forever;
when dharma is no more, evil takes all that race.
When adharma rules, Krishna, the women of the clan become loose;
when the women are depraved, Vaarshaneya,22 the varnas23 become mixed.
Crossbreeding only casts into hell those that ruin the clan, and the clan,
itself;
their manes surely fall, for the ritual of the offering of rice-balls and holy
water having disappeared.
Through the sins of these clan-destroyers, defilers of the varnas,
lost are sacred traditions24 of caste and family, forever.
Men whose kuladharma has been destroyed, Janardana,
will live forever in hell, as I have heard.
Ah, what a great sin we have decided to commit:

that from greed for the pleasures of kingdom, we are ready to kill our
kinsmen.
While I am unarmed and unresisting,
let Dhritarashtra’s sons kill me on the field of war—that I could still bear.”’
Sanjaya says:
‘Saying this, Arjuna sits down in the back of that chariot, in war;
he casts aside his arrows and bow, his heart plunged in profound anguish.’
_______________
1. The translation of the Bhagavad Gita given here is a verse translation by Ramesh Menon from the
original Sanskrit. It preserves the Sanskrit order of words, and tries to reflect the Sanskrit cadences.
This is not a reworking of Ganguli’s translation.
2. truth; righteousness
3. great (chariot) warrior
4. Abhimanyu
5. the twice-born, the two upper castes; in this case, the Brahmanas
6. Bhishma
7. Krishna
8. Arjuna
9. Krishna; Vishnu
10. Arjuna; lit. ‘winner of wealth’
11. Bhima; lit. ‘wolf-belly’
12. Hanuman
13. Krishna; immaculate one
14. Arjuna; curly-haired; conqueror of sleep
15. Dhritarashtra is a descendant of the ancient king Bharata, after whom Bharata-varsha is named
16. Arjuna; Pritha’s (Kunti) son
17. maternal
18. Krishna, slayer of the demon Madhu
19. Swarga, Bhumi and Patala; heaven, earth and the under-world
20. Krishna
21. Krishna
22. Krishna, scion of the Vrishnis
23. castes
24. dharma, spiritual
CANTO 26
SRIMAD BHAGAVAD GITA CONTINUED
Samkhya yoga: The way of Samkhya25
Sanjaya says:
‘Seeing him so, in the grip of pity, tearful, agitated,
grief-stricken, these words to him speaks Madhusudana.
The Gracious Lord says:

“From where has this stain come over you at this critical time?
This is the way of the base; it does not lead to heaven but fetches infamy,
Arjuna.
Do not go this cowardly way, Partha; it is beneath you;
abandon this vile faint-heartedness, and arise, O bane of your enemies!”
Arjuna says:
“How will I attack Bhishma and Drona in battle, Madhusudana,
with arrows, when they are worthy of worship, Arisudana?26
Surely, without killing one’s masters and noble elders, it is better to live by
begging alms in this world;
else, by killing our masters, if we enjoy wealth and pleasures we shall enjoy
blood-stained spoils.
We do not know which of these would be better for us:
that we conquer them or that they vanquish us!
They whom killing, we would not wish to live—standing before us, the
sons of Dhritarashtra.
The weakness of pity besieges my nature; my mind confounded about what
dharma is, I ask you—
tell me what is unquestionably best for me. I am your disciple;
teach me, I submit to you.
Because I cannot see what can exorcise this anguish that withers my senses,
not if I gained a thriving and unrivalled kingdom on earth, and even
lordship over the gods of light.27”’
Sanjaya says:
‘Speaking thus to Hrishikesa, Gudakesa, scourge of his enemies,
says “I will not fight” and falls silent.
Then, Hrishikesa speaks smilingly, Bhaarata,

between two armies, to him who sorrowed, these words.

“You grieve for those not worth grieving over, and argue as if you were a
wise man discoursing;
not for the dead or for the living do the wise grieve.
Surely, at no time ever did I not exist, or you, or all these kings;
and for sure, not in any future to come will any of us cease to exist.
Just as the indweller passes, in the body, through childhood, youth and old
age,
the soul also assumes new bodies; the wise are not perplexed by this.
Contact between the elements alone, son of Kunti, causes cold and heat,
pleasure and pain;
these come and go, they are evanescent; endure them, Bhaarata.
Whom these cannot perturb, the wise man, O bull among men;
who is the same in sorrow and joy, steadfast, is fit for immortality.
Never does the unreal exists, and the real never ceases to be;
of both these, surely, the end has been seen by seers of truth.
But, know, what pervades all this is immortal;
that everlasting being no one can destroy.
Mortal these bodies; eternal, it is said, the embodied soul;
It is immortal, ineffable—so, fight Bhaarata!
He that thinks of it as being a killer and he who thinks This is slain:

both do not know—it neither kills nor is slain.
This is not born nor ever dies, not in the past, present or future;
un-born, changeless, eternal it is, primeval; it is not killed when the body is
slain.
Knowing this is indestructible, constant, un-born, immutable,
how does a man kill anyone, Partha, whom does he kill?
Even as a man abandons old, tattered clothes and puts on other fresh ones,
the indweller leaves old, worn bodies and enters other new ones.
Weapons cannot pierce it; fire cannot burn it;
water does not wet it, nor dry it, the wind.
Not pierceable, not burnable, not wettable, and also not dryable—
permanent, ubiquitous, abiding, invariable, eternal.
unmanifest, it; inconceivable, it; changeless, it, they say;
So, knowing it is such, you must not despair.
and if you think that it is constantly being born and continually dying,
even then, mighty-armed, you ought not to despair.
For he who is born death is certain, and birth is certain for who dies;
so, over what you believe to be ineluctable, you should not despair.
Unmanifest the source of beings, manifest their interim, Bhaarata;
unmanifest, too, their end; so why grieve for them?
As a miracle, some see it; and others say it is marvellous;

and others learn that it is ineffable; and some, after having learnt,28 still do
not know it.
This eternal spirit is unkillable, in every body, Bhaarata;
so, you must not grieve for any of the living.
And also, looking at your svadharma29 you must not falter;
for, there is nothing higher for a Kshatriya than a war for truth.
Fortuitous and just, an open portal to heaven—
joyful are Kshatriyas, Partha, who find such a war!
But if you do not fight this battle of dharma,

then, forsaking your svadharma and your fame, you will find sin.
Besides, of your ignominy all men will tell forever,
and for the honoured, infamy is worse than death.
That out of fear you quit the battle these maharathas will think;
and in those that once held you in great esteem, you will find contempt.
And your enemies will malign you with vile slander,
scoffing at your prowess; what can be more painful than that?
Either being killed you will attain heaven, or, victorious, enjoy the earth;
so arise, Kaunteya, resolved to fight!
Pleasure and pain equally treat: gain, loss: victory,
defeat; then join battle—you will no sin incur.
I have told you about samkhya;30 to the yoga of buddhi31 now listen;
yoke32 your intellect with this, Partha, the bonds of karma put to sword.
In battle, with this,33 there is no-one killed, no sin to consider;
even the least bit of this dharma preserves from great fear.
In the resolute soul, the mind is one, joy of the Kurus;
many-branched and unending are the thoughts of the irresolute.
With these memorised flowery words those of small vision
eulogise the panegyrics of the Veda, Partha, saying nothing else34 exists.
Their hearts of desire, swarga their ideal, the rewards of births and rites they
seek;
frequent, unvarying rituals, to have pleasure and power, they perform.
To pleasure and power attached, their thoughts beguiled by these;
with devoted mind to attain samadhi35 they do not strive.
With matters of the three gunas36 the Vedas deal; be without the three
gunas,
Arjuna:
free from duality; always established in sattva,37 unattached, serene.
As much use as in a well to a deluge of water everywhere:

so much in all the Vedas to a Brahmana of enlightenment.
You surely have the right to do your karma,38 not to its fruit, at any time;
the fruit of karma should not become your motive, nor be attached to sloth.
Steadfast in yoga, do your duty, renouncing attachment, Dhananjaya;
success and failure becoming the same: that equanimity is called yoga.
Far inferior is ritual to the yoked mind, Dhananjaya;
in wisdom seek refuge: pitiful are those driven by gain.
Mind yoked, you can be free here39 of both good and evil;
so, to yoga devote yourself; yoga is genius at karma.
Performing karma, mind devoted, but its fruit renouncing, wise men,
from the bondage of birth entirely freed,40 come to the place of no sickness.
When beyond this chaos of illusions your mind passes,
then you will arrive at indifference to what you have heard and what you
will hear.41
By the srutis confused:42 when your mind becomes still, unmoving,
in samadhi permanently, then you will find yoga.”
Arjuna says:
“How can you tell a man of resolution, who is founded in samadhi, Kesava?
43
How does a realised one speak? How does he sit, how walk?”
“When a man abandons all desires, Partha, which spring in the mind,
and gratifies himself in just his soul, a man of unshakeable wisdom he is
said to be.
Unaffected by adversity, whose mind, in fortune unmoved to desire;
free of passion, fear and anger, a true muni is called.
Who everywhere is without affection; who, upon finding fortune or
misfortune,
neither exults nor feels aversion, his wisdom is founded.
And when, like a tortoise completely retracts all its limbs, a man
does his senses from their objects of desire, his wisdom is founded.
Through restraint the embodied can refrain from indulging the senses,
but not from desire; even his desires disappear at the vision of God.
Of even, son of Kunti, a restrained man,

his turbid senses forcibly ravish his mind.
All the senses restraining, the sage sits intent on me;
for, one whose senses are tamed, his wisdom is established.
Dwelling on the objects of desire,44 a man becomes attached to these;
from attachment is born desire; from desire anger arises.
From rage comes upheaval;45 from turmoil, the wavering memory;
after the loss of memory, destruction of the mind; when the mind is
destroyed, he dies.
Emancipated from attraction and revulsion, but going among the objects of
the senses,
tamed by the Atman, ruled by the soul, he attains grace.
With grace, of all suffering the end comes;
the tranquil one’s wisdom, surely, is quickly constant.
No wisdom for the wilful, and not for the reckless, faith;
and for the faithless, there is no peace; for the peaceless, from where joy?
Which ever of the ever-roving senses the mind yields to,
that bears his wisdom away, as the wind a boat on the sea.
So, he, Mahabaho, who withdraws completely

the senses from the objects of sensuality, his wisdom is profound.
When night comes for all creatures, is when the ascetic awakes;
what is waking for the rest, that is night for the visionary.
Always still, the ocean, though being filled by water entering into it;
equally, he who contains all desires entering him, acquires peace, not he
who submits to desire.
Leaving the things of desire, who roams the earth, unattached,
without ‘mine’, without ‘I’, he attains peace.
This is the Brahmi state,46 Partha; attaining to this, he is no more tempted;
abiding in this at his final hour, as well, he goes to Brahmanirvana.”47
_______________
25. see appendix for samkhya and yoga
26. slayer of enemies
27. the Devas
28. one who knows, has studied, the Veda; knowing the scriptures
29. inherent caste duty, here as a Kshatriya warrior
30. system of philosophy founded by Kapila muni
31. mind
32. Yoga means to yoke; control, restrain, here.
33. yoga of knowledge
34. higher
35. communion with God, liberation
36. sattva, rajas and tamas
37. the pure guna
38. natural duty
39. in this world
40. repeated birth, death and rebirth
41. srotasi refers to what you will hear in the Vedas, too
42. now confused
43. Krishna
44. sense objects; objects of sensuality
45. ‘delusion’ is the most common translation for sammohah
46. union with Brahman
47. Nirvana: absorption; eternal bliss; highest felicity; union; dissolution in; extinction; death;
vanishment
CANTO 27
Karma yoga: The way of action
Arjuna says:
“If you think knowledge superior to action, Janardana,
then why to this ghastly deed do you commit me, Kesava?
With your seemingly ambiguous words, you only confuse my mind;
say one thing, decidedly, by which I can attain felicity.”

“In this world, two kinds of devotion were of old ordained by me,
O sinless—
the yoga of knowledge for samkhyas, the way of deeds for yogis.
By not doing his duty a man does not achieve freedom from karma;
nor by mere abstention is transcendent perfection attained.
Nor, certainly, can anyone even momentarily ever stay inactive;
because all are helplessly made to act by the Prakriti-born gunas.
He that restrains the organs of karma but continues to dwell in his mind on
the objects of sensuality, that foolish soul is deemed a hypocrite.
But he who, restraining the senses with the mind, Arjuna, engages the
organs of action in karma yoga, dispassionately—he excels.
You must always do your duty; because action is higher than inactivity;
besides, you will not succeed even in keeping your body through inertia.
All karma other than that done as an offering binds this world in rebirth;
for that, act, Kaunteya, free from attachment, consummately.
Together with sacrifice, creating men, of old Prajapati48 said,

‘By this, you will generate and multiply; let this be the yielder of your
wishes.
Adore the Devas by this; let the Devas succour you;
by each other nourished, supreme felicity you will have.
Bound by the nurture of sacrifice, the gods will surely give you the
pleasures you desire;
one who enjoys these gifts, without giving to them, he is certainly a thief.’
The saintly who eat the leftovers of a sacrifice are liberated from all sins;
but the sinful eat sin, who cook food just for themselves.
From food are born beings; from rain, food grows;
from sacrifice, come the rains; sacrifice from karma49 springs.
Karma from Brahma arises, know; Brahma of the Imperishable is born;
so, ubiquitous Brahma always abides in sacrifice.
Hence, this turning wheel, who does not live by it here,50
lives in sin, indulging the senses—in vain, Partha, he lives.
But for him who is devoted only to the Atman,51 and remains absorbed in
the Atman, the man
who, also, is fulfilled only in the soul—for him no duty is ordained.
He surely has nothing to gain here, either by doing or by not doing;
nor does he, among all the living, seek any gain.
Thus, without attachment, always do your duty consummately;
for, by performing karma without attachment man attains the Supreme.
Indeed, only through karma did in absolute perfection abide Janaka52 and
others;
besides, also considering the good of the world, you must act.
Whatever a great man does: all that other men also do;
whatever norm he sets, that all the world follows.
Not for me, Partha, is there any duty in the three worlds,
nor anything to attain that is unattained; and I am always at work.
Surely, if ever I am not at my work, tirelessly,
my path would be followed by men, Partha, of every walk.
Plunged into ruin these worlds, if I did not do my work;
and I would be the cause of crossbreeding,53 diminishing these generations.
As the ignorant perform karma with desire, attachment, Bhaarata,
so must the knowing act, unattached, wanting the weal of the world.
Not creating confusion in the minds of the unknowing attached to karma,
silently the wise man does all his work, yoked, absorbed.
Nature’s essences perform karma, in every way;
he who is beguiled by egoism thinks, ‘I am the doer’.
But he who knows the truth, Mahabaho, about the difference between guna
and karma—
the gunas act upon the gunas—so knowing, is not attached.
Those deluded by the gunas of nature become enmeshed in karma born of
the gunas;
those dull ones that do not know the All54, a knower of everything must not
agitate.
To me all karma consigning, to the Atman your thought;

becoming desireless, dispassionate, do battle, leaving panic.
This my teaching, those men who always follow,
with faith, without derision, are also liberated from karma.
But they who slight this, do not follow my precept,
fools to all knowledge, are, know, lost, insensate.
In concord with his nature, acts even the wise man;
nature, beings obey—what can inhibition achieve?
For the senses, attraction and revulsion towards the objects of sensuality are
inexorable;
no man must come under their sway, for they are his enemies.
Better in one’s own dharma, flawed, than another’s dharma immaculately
done;
death in one’s own dharma is auspicious; another’s dharma is dangerous.”
Arjuna says:
“Then what makes a man to commit sin,
even unwillingly, Vaarshaneya, with force as if coerced?”
“It is desire, it is anger, arisen from the rajoguna55—
voracious, direly sinful, know this, here, for an enemy.
As fire is obscured by smoke and a mirror by dust,
as the womb hides an embryo, so is it hidden by that.
Shrouded, wisdom by this, of the wise the constant enemy,
with lust’s form, Kaunteya, and an insatiable fire.
Senses, mind, intellect, its abode, it is said;
by these confounding, it shrouds the wisdom of the embodied.
So, your senses first control, Bharatarishabha;
kill this malignant thing, for this is the ruiner of knowledge and wisdom.
The senses are lofty, they say; higher than the senses is mind;
and beyond mind is intellect; but past intellect is He.
So, knowing what is beyond the intellect, stilling the self with the soul,
vanquish, Mahabaho, the enemy, lust-formed, unassailable.”
_______________
48. Brahma, the creator; lord of the people
49. action, duty, caste duty, sacred duty
50. in this world
51. Soul; Self
52. the Rajarishi king Janaka, Sita’s father, Sri Rama’s father-in-law
53. varnasamkarasya: anarchy through mixing of the castes
54. the Truth, Brahman
55. the second guna, mode of Prakriti, of the essence of passion
CANTO 28
Gyana yoga: The way of knowledge

“This yoga to Vivaswat56 I revealed, immortal;
Vivaswan to Manu57 taught it; Manu to Ikshavaku58 imparted it.
So, by lineal tradition received, this the Rajarishis59 knew;
after great time, here, the yoga was lost, Parantapa.
That very same have I to you today revealed, the ancient yoga:
for you are my devotee and my friend, because this is the secret supreme.”
Arjuna says:
“Recent your birth, earlier the birth of Vivasvat;
so how do I comprehend this—you first taught him?”

“Myriad births of mine are past, and yours, Arjuna;
these I know, every one; you do not know, Parantapa.
Though un-born, my soul immortal, the Lord of creatures though being,
abiding in my own nature, I incarnate through my soul’s maya.60
Whenever there is a decline of dharma, Bhaarata,
an ascendancy of adharma, then myself I manifest.
For the deliverance of the good and for the destruction of sinners;
in order to establish dharma, I come from age to age.
So, who my divine birth and deeds knows truly,
after leaving the body does not find rebirth; he finds me, Arjuna.
Gone, passion, fear, anger; absorbed in me, sheltering in me,
many, purified by wisdom’s penance, have come to my being.
As they come to me, so do I cherish them;
my path men walk, Partha, on every path.
Those who wish for gain from karma sacrifice here to the gods;
for, speedily in the world of men gain attends on ritual.
The four varnas, my creation: by gunas, karma, divided;
its creator, also, know that I am act-less, immutable.
I am not by karma tainted; I do not desire the fruit of karma;
one who recognises me to be thus, he is not bound to karma.
This knowing, the ancients, too, performed karma, the seekers after
mukti;61
so must you do your duty, as the ancients did of old.
What is karma, what is akarma? By this even the seers are baffled;
of that karma I will tell you, knowing which you will be saved from every
ill.
What karma is must also be understood, and what is forbidden karma;
and what is not karma be known—deep is the way of karma.
Who in work repose sees, and in inactivity ado,
he is wise among men; he is a sage, all his duty done.
Whose every endeavour is without desire’s intent;
whose deeds are burnt in wisdom’s fire, him the wise call a sage.
Renouncing attachment for the fruit of work, always contented,
independent,
though incessantly at work, he does nothing at all.
Desireless, he of restrained mind, leaving all possessions,
just the body doing work, finds no sin.
With whatever chance gives contented, beyond duality, without envy,
and equable in success, failure—though doing, he is not bound.
Whose attachments are gone, who is free, mind founded in wisdom;
who acts only as a sacrifice—all his karma dissolves entirely.
Brahman the sacrifice, Brahman the oblation;

Brahman the fire into which Brahman makes the offering;
Brahman he surely attains through the devotion of Brahmakarma.62
Only with sacrifices to the Devas, some yogis worship;

into the fire of Brahman others sacrifice itself as sacrifice offer.
Hearing, the other senses, some into restraint’s fire offer;
sound, the other objects of sensuality, others into the fire of the senses offer.
All the senses’ karma and the karma of life, others
offer into self-restraint’s yogic fire, kindled by wisdom.
Material sacrifice; penance as sacrifice; with yoga, too, others sacrifice;

sacred study and knowledge, sacrifice the ascetics of stern vows.
Inhaling they offer into exhalation; exhaling into in-breath, as well, others:
prana, apana’s, movement stilling, those devoted to pranayama.
Others curb what they eat, into prana, prana offer;
all these, also, knowers of sacrifice: by sacrifice, their sins expelled.
Eating sacrificial remains, ambrosia, they go to eternal Brahman;
not this world is for the unsacrificing, much less any other, best of Kurus.
So, many kinds of sacrifice are spread across Brahman’s face;

karma-born, know, all these; so knowing, you will become free.
Better than sacrifice of wealth, the devotion of wisdom, Parantapa;
all karma, in entirety, Partha, culminates in wisdom.
That learn, through homage, by inquiry and service:
the wise, seers of truth, will teach you wisdom.
Which knowing, not again will delusion so torment you, Pandava;
with this, all creatures, without exception, you will see in yourself, and in
me.
Even if you, of sinners, of them all, are the greatest sinner,
all distress, by wisdom’s boat, you will surely cross.
Just as its fuel of wood a fire makes ashes, Arjuna,
wisdom’s fire all karma to ashes turns, as surely.
Nothing to equal wisdom in purity exists here;
that, of himself, one evolved in yoga, in time, within himself attains.
He of faith attains wisdom: absorbed, senses restrained;
wisdom gained, to supreme peace, also, he quickly comes.
The ignorant and the faithless and the doubting soul perishes;
not this world, not the next, nor happiness for the doubting soul.
Through yoga renouncing karma, with wisdom severing doubt,
a self-possessed one no karma binds, Dhananjaya.
So, cut away ignorance-born doubt seated in your heart, with wisdom’s soul
sword;
turn to yoga—arise, Bhaarata!”
_______________
56. the Sun god; Surya Deva
57. Surya’s son Vaivaswata Manu: progenitor of the Manushyas or Manavas, humankind
58. Manu’s son, great king, founder of the Suryavamsa, royal house of the Sun, into which Rama was
born
59. royal sages, saintly kings
60. mysterious power of illusion
61. liberation; final salvation
62. working for Brahman; serving Brahman
CANTO 29
Sannyasa yoga: The way of renunciation
Arjuna says:
“Renunciation of karma, Krishna, then again, yoga you extol;
which one of the two is better for me, say for certain.”

“Sannyasa and karma yoga effect liberation, both;
but of the two, doing karma is superior to inaction.
Know him as a constant renunciate, who neither dislikes nor desires;

for, detached from duality, Mahabaho, he is easily freed from bondage.
The callow say that samkhya and yoga are different, not the wise;
for, who is absorbed in one, of both enjoys the fruit.
The condition the samkhyas achieve, that yogis also attain;
and as one, who samkhya and yoga sees, he sees.
But sannyasa, mighty-armed, is difficult to attain without yoga;
the sage yoked to yoga, to Brahman swiftly comes.
Who is absorbed in yoga, pure soul, master of his mind, subduer of the
senses,
who is the soul of all souls—though he does, he is not tainted.
‘I do nothing’ a yukta63 thinks, a knower of truth:
while seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, moving, sleeping,
breathing,
speaking, emitting, ingesting, staring and blinking:
the senses in sensuality are engaged—in this awareness.
Resigning his karma to Brahman, without attachment, who works:

he is not stained by sin, as a lotus leaf by water.
With the body, with the mind, with the intellect, or merely with the senses,
yogis perform karma, leaving attachment—to purify the soul.
The yoked, sacrificing the fruit of karma, attains profound peace;
the unyoked, moved by desire, devoted to the fruit, is bound.
All karma with the mind relinquishing, dwells the restrained one, at ease,
in the city of nine doors,64 the embodied—surely, neither doing nor
causing.65
Neither doer nor deed for the world, the Lord creates;
not union of work with its fruit; only nature acts.
Neither anybody’s sin nor, indeed, their virtue does God assume;
wisdom is shrouded by ignorance; by this the living are deluded.
But whose ignorance is destroyed by knowledge of the Atman,
their sunlike wisdom illumines that, highest.
That their mind, that their soul, that their faith, that their devotion—
they go to non-return, by wisdom their sins destroyed.
A Brahmana endowed with learning, humility; a cow, an elephant,

and even a dog and a dog-eater,66 the wise see as equal.
Even here, they conquer nature, whose minds are founded in equalness;
because Brahman is immaculate, equal, so they abide in Brahman.
Not elated at getting the agreeable and not dejected upon finding the
unpleasant;
mind calm, undeluded, the knower of Brahman in Brahman dwells.
Who is detached from the outward touch,67 finds the bliss in the Atman;
the one yoked in Brahman through yoga, he immortal bliss enjoys.
Surely, the pleasures of the touch of the senses, they are only wombs of
sorrow;
they begin and end, Kaunteya; not in them dwells a wise man.
Who can, even here, before leaving the body, endure
the lust- and anger-born rush, he is a yukta; he is the happy man.
Who joy within, rest within, and also light only within finds;
that yogi dissolution in Brahman, union with Brahman, attains.
Those rishis find Brahmanirvana, whose sins are exhausted,
doubts scattered, minds restrained: to the felicity of all beings devoted.
Freed from lust, anger, yatis, with minds restrained,
live subsumed in Brahmanirvana, those who know the Atman.
Outward objects of sensuality shutting out, and gaze fixed between the
brows;
making equal outward and inward breath, moving within the nose;
with restrained senses, mind and intellect, the sage devoted to liberation,
who has departed desire, fear and anger, he is surely always free.
Enjoyer of sacrifices and penance, great Lord of all worlds,
friend to all beings—me, knowing, he comes to peace.”
_______________
63. a yoked one, who is united with the divine
64. the body of nine inlets
65. anything to be done
66. Chandala
67. of sensual contact, pleasure
CANTO 30
Dhyana yoga: The way of meditation

“Not seeking karma’s fruit, who does his ordained work,
he is the sannyasi and the yogi; and not one without the fire,68 and not him
without ritual.
So, what they call sannyasa, know that is yoga, Pandava;
for, without renouncing desire, no one becomes a yogi.
For the sage who aspires to yoga, karma is the way, it is told;
who has attained yoga, only for him is quiescence the way, they say.
Only when neither to the objects of sensuality attached,
he who renounces all desire is said to have attained yoga.
Raise yourself through the Atman; never abase yourself;
for, only you are your own friend; you alone, your own enemy.
His Atman is his friend only to him who has mastered himself;
for the uncontrolled, his very soul is hostile like an enemy.
Who has conquered himself, who is tranquil, his soul is entirely composed,
in heat and cold, joy and sorrow, also, in honour and ignominy.
In knowledge and wisdom, fulfilled, unshakeable, master of his senses;
that yogi is said to be yoked for whom the clod of earth, a stone and gold
are the same.
With the friend, the companion, an enemy, a stranger, an arbiter, an odious
man, a relative,
as well as a saint and a sinner, he who is equal-minded, excels.
The yogi should constantly yoke himself: in seclusion,

alone, heart and mind controlled, without desire and possession.
In a clean place, setting his seat firm, himself,
neither too high nor too low, with kusa grass, cloth and deerskin, one over
the other.
There, making his mind one-pointed, controlling his thought and senses,
sitting upon the seat, he should absorb himself in yoga, to purify his heart.
Aligning body, head and neck, keeping still and steady;
fixing his gaze on the tip of his nose, and not looking around;
serene, fearless, steadfast in the vow of celibacy;
mind controlled, intent on me, yoked, he sits devoted to me.
Thus yoking himself always, the yogi of subdued mind
to peace, supreme nirvana which abides in me, attains.
Not for one who eats too much is yoga, nor for him who overly fasts;
and not for him given to too much sleep, nor yet for the overly wakeful,
Arjuna.
Who is restrained in food and pleasure, devoted in thought and deed;
moderate in sleep and waking, attains yoga, leaving sorrow.
When the restrained mind is founded exclusively in the Atman,
indifferent to every desire, then he is said to be a yukta.
As a lamp in a windless place does not flicker: similar, it is recorded,

is a yogi of restrained thought, engaged in the yoga of the Atman.
Where thought ceases, curbed by the practice of yoga;
and where, also, the mind sees the soul, and is fulfilled in the Atman;
in which infinite joy, through the intellect experienced, beyond the senses,
he knows; and in which established, he surely does not move from truth;
and gaining which, no other gain he considers as greater than that;
wherein founded, no grief, even the heaviest, shakes him:
that, know—the disunion from union with pain—to be absorption in yoga;
this, with conviction, practise: yoga, with an undismayed heart.
Will-spawned desires, all, renouncing entirely;

with the mind, the host of senses surely restraining, on every side;
by degrees growing still, through firmly restraining the intellect;
in the soul having established the mind, let him not think of anything.
Wherever the restless and fickle mind strays, from there it must be
restrained,
brought back under the sway of just the Atman.
Who is of serene mind, only to this yogi the highest bliss
comes, his passion stilled, his spirit in Brahman, sinless.
Thus constantly devoting himself, the yogi, delivered from sin,
easily communes with Brahman, enjoys infinite bliss.
In all beings the Atman, and all beings in the soul:

the one absorbed in yoga sees everywhere the same.
Who sees me everywhere, and everything sees in me,
to him I am never lost, and he is not lost to me.
As abiding in all beings, who worships me, founded in oneness,

whatever his life, he is a yogi and lives in me.
In the image of himself, who everywhere sees the same, Arjuna,
be it in pleasure or in pain, he is deemed the highest yogi.”
Arjuna says:
“This yoga you have said to be sameness, Madhusudana,
for this I see no enduring stability—out of restlessness.69
Fickle, surely, is the mind, Krishna, turbulent, strong, obstinate;
to control it, I think, is so difficult—like70 the wind.”

“Doubtless, Mahabaho, the mind is difficult to control, unsteady;
but with practice, Kaunteya, and dispassion, it is restrained.
For the unrestrained, yoga is difficult to attain, I agree;
but the restrained soul, striving expediently, can attain it.”
Arjuna says:
“Who cannot control himself, though he has faith, whose mind strays from
yoga,
without attaining consummation in yoga, to what end, Krishna, does he
come?
Does he not, from both fallen,71 and like a rent cloud, surely perish,
unstable, Mahabaho, confounded along the path of Brahman?
This my doubt, Krishna, you must dispel entirely;
none but you, for sure, can effect the undoing of this doubt.”
“Partha, neither here nor hereafter, does he find harm;
for never does any good man, my friend, come to evil.
Having attained worlds of the righteous, living there for countless years,
into a home of the pious and the prosperous, the one fallen from yoga is
nobly born.
Else, born even into a family of yogis of wisdom;
though rare indeed in the world is such a birth.
Thereupon, the evolution of his past life he recovers;
and, with that, strives again for perfection, Kurunandana.72
Also, that same previous practice bears him away, inexorably;
even a seeker after yoga transcends the Veda.73
But the yogi who strives with zealous mind, purified of all sin,
through many lives perfected, then comes to the supreme.
Than the tapasvin74 greater the yogi; also greater than the gyani,75 regarded;
Than the karmi76 greater the yogi—so a yogi become, Arjuna.
Of all yogis, even, who abides in me in his inmost soul,
who devotedly worships me, him I consider the foremost yukta.”
_______________
68. who does not light the sacred fire
69. of mind
70. controlling
71. devotion and yoga
72. joy, child of the Kurus
73. Vedic ritual
74. ascetic
75. man of knowledge, wisdom
76. man of deeds, work
CANTO 31
Gyana Vigyana yoga: The way of knowledge and realisation.

“To me the mind cleaving, Partha, devoted in yoga, taking refuge in me,
without doubt, you will know me in full—listen how.
This knowledge to you, I, together with wisdom, will tell in full,
which knowing, nothing else here will remain to be known.
Among thousands of men scarcely one strives for perfection;
among these seekers, even among sages,77 hardly one knows me in truth.
Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect and also

ego—this my differentiated nature, eight-fold.
This is my lower nature; know my other transcendent nature—
the Living Spirit, Mahabaho, which supports this world.
These two are the womb of all beings, know;
I am all the world’s source and its dissolution, as well.
Than me higher nothing else at all exists, Dhananjaya;
in78 me all this is strung like so many jewels on a thread.
Taste am I in water, Kaunteya; light I am in moon and sun;

Aum in all the Vedas, sound in ether, manliness in men.
The pure fragrance in the earth I am, and brilliance in fire;
life in all beings am I, and austerity in ascetics.
The seed am I of all creatures, know, Partha—eternal;
the intelligence of the intelligent I am; the splendour of the splendid, I.
And I am the strength of the strong; of lust, passion devoid;
in beings, legitimate desire am I, Bharatarishabha.
And whatever sattvik existences, of rajas and tamas there are:
from me alone they are, know—I am not in them; they are in me.
By all these, the three gunas’ manifestations, this whole world,
deluded, does not know me, transcendent, supreme, immutable.
For, this divine, guna-comprised maya of mine is impenetrable;
only who in me refuge, they cross over this maya.
Not in me evil-doers, fools, refuge, lowest of men;
robbed by maya of wisdom, they yield to demonic ways.
Four kinds of men worship me, virtuous ones, Arjuna:

the distressed, the aspirant,79 the material seeker,80 and the wise man,
Bharatarishabha.
Of these the wise man, always in communion, of singular devotion, is the
best;
for, most dear to the wise man I am, and he is dear to me.
Noble are all these, surely, but the gyani I regard as my own self;
Because he, the yoked soul, is absorbed just in me, as his highest refuge.
At the end of many lives, the wise man resorts to me:
‘Because Vasudeva is all’—such a great soul is exceedingly rare.
Through desire they whose wisdom is swayed, worship other gods,

a myriad of rites observing, by their own natures compelled.
Whatever form, however, any devotee wishes to worship with faith,
in just that his faith I make firm.
He, to this faith yoked, that81 to propitiate seeks;
and through that, obtains his wishes, which in truth by me alone are
granted.
But they have an end, the fruits of these small-minded ones;
to the Devas, the worshippers of Devas go; and my devotees come to me.
The Unmanifest as reduced into manifestation: the ignorant regard me;
my supreme nature not knowing—imperishable, unsurpassed.
I am not plain to all, being cloaked by my yogamaya;
this foolish world does not know me: un-born, immortal.
I know equally, Arjuna, past and present
and future beings; but me no one knows.
By desire- and aversion-arisen duality seduced, Bhaarata,
all creatures are born to ignorance, Parantapa.
But whose sins have come to an end, men of virtuous deeds:
they, from duality’s delusion freed, worship me with unswerving devotion.
For liberation from decay, death, who strive, sheltering in me,
they the Brahman truly know, the Atman entirely, and all about karma.
As the Lord of creatures,82 master of gods, the support of sacrifice, me who
know,
with absorbed minds they also know me even at the hour of death.”
_______________
77. Siddhas: the perfect. A Siddha is also a semi-divine being of great purity, characterised by eight
supernatural faculties, or siddhis
78. on me
79. after knowledge; the spiritual seeker
80. of wealth, gain
81. form, deity
82. the elements, the material world
CANTO 32
Akshara Brahma yoga: The way of immortal Brahman

Arjuna says:
“What is that Brahman, what Adhyatma,83 what karma, Purushottama?
and what is called Adhibhutam, what said to be Adhidaivam?
Who is the Adhiyagna, and how: here in this body, Madhusudana?
And at the hour of death how are you known by the restrained soul?”

“Deathless Brahman is supreme; nature is called Adhyatmam;
beings, souls, that which creates, sends forth, is named karma.
Adhibhutam is mortal forms, and Purusha,84 Adhidaivatam;
Adhiyagna even I am, in this body, O most excellent of the living.
And at the time of the end, only me remembering, while leaving the body,
who departs, he comes to mybeing: of this there is no doubt.
Or else, of whatever thinking he gives up the body,
even to that he surely attains, Kaunteya, being ever absorbed in that
thought.
So, at all times, think of me, and fight;
to me your heart and mind offered, to me you will surely come, without
doubt.
Mind engaged in absorption in yoga, not straying,
who meditates, Partha, the supreme Purusha, divine, attains.
Who meditates on the Seer, the Ancient, the Ruler, smaller than the
smallest,
the support of everything, of inconceivable form, Sun-coloured, beyond
darkness,
at the hour of death, mind stilled, with devotion, yoked, and also, with the
power of yoga,
prana fixed firmly between the brows—he, that supreme Purusha attains,
divine.
That Immortal of which Veda knowers speak, which passionless sages
enter;
wanting which, they practice brahmacharya—that condition to you briefly I
will tell.
All inlets85 restrained, and the mind confined in the heart;

in the head fixing the soul’s life-breath, founded firm in yoga,
AUM, the one-syllabled Brahman, uttering, remembering me,
who departs, leaving the body, he goes to the highest destination.
Of nothing else aware, who ever remembers me, with constancy,
to him I am attainable, Partha, to the always yoked yogi.
Attaining me, to rebirth, house of sorrow, impermanent,
great souls do not return—the highest perfection they have reached.
Up to Brahma’s realm, all worlds are subject to rebirth, Arjuna;
but upon me attaining, Kaunteya, there is no experiencing birth again.
A thousand yugas lasts Brahma’s day, who know,

that his night lasts a thousand yugas, they are knowers of day and night.
From the Unmanifest all the manifest come forth at the advent of day;86
at the coming of night, they then dissolve into that same, called the
Unmanifest.
The host of beings, they the same which recur, dissolves,
when night comes, helplessly, Partha, comes forth, when day arrives.
But beyond this existence is another unmanifest unmanisfestation eternal:
He who, when all beings perish, is not destroyed.
This Unmanifest is said to be imperishable: this, which is called the
supreme condition,
whom attaining, they do not return—that is my supreme abode.
He is the supreme Purusha, Partha, but through singular devotion can be
attained—
in whom all beings dwell, by whom all this is pervaded.
Now the times of yogis not returning, and also returning,

when departing hence—those times I will tell you, Bharatarishabha.
Fire, light, day, the bright fortnight,87 the northern course:88
by these departing, those who know Brahman to Brahman go.
Smoke, night, also the dark fortnight, the six months of the southern course:
there, the lunar light, the yogi, obtaining, returns.
The bright, the dark: surely these paths of the world are considered eternal;
going by one, he does not return; by the other he comes back again.
Not, these paths, Partha, knowing, is the yogi deluded, ever;
so, at all times, yoked in yoga be, Arjuna.
By the Veda, by sacrifice, through penance, and also from charity what
good fruits accrue—
the yogi transcends all that, and, this knowing, the supreme place attains,
the primeval.”
_______________
83. the Supreme Soul
84. the Cosmic Person
85. of the body, the senses
86. Brahma’s day
87. when the moon waxes
88. the six months of the sun’s northern course
CANTO 33
Rajavidyarajaguhya yoga: The way of royal knowledge, the royal secret

“Now to you, this deep secret I will reveal, O unenvious,
along with knowledge, wisdom—knowing which, you will be delivered
from evil.
The sovereign knowledge, sovereign secret, sacred, this, supreme,
directly perceived, righteous, most easily practised, immortal.
Men who are faithless in this teaching, Parantapa,
not attaining me, return to the path of this world of death.89
By me is pervaded all this world: in unmanifest form;

in me are all creatures, and not I in them situated.
And not in me are the creatures founded—behold my divine yoga!
The support of beings and not founded in the beings, my soul the
beings’ source.
As in akasa90 is founded, ever, the great wind going everywhere,
even so do all beings in me abide, reflect.
All beings, Kaunteya, into Prakriti pass, mine,
at kalpa’s91 end;
again, these, at kalpa’s beginning, I send forth.
In my own nature resting, I emit, again and again,
this entire host of beings, helpless, in Prakriti’s sway.
And not me do these acts bind, Dhananjaya;
as one indifferent I remain, unattached amidst these works.
Under my rule, nature gives birth to all the moving and the immobile;
because of this, Kaunteya, the world revolves.
Fools mock me, who have assumed a human body:

my supreme nature not knowing—the Great Lord of beings.
Of vain hopes, of vain deeds, of vain knowledge, witless;
and also of Rakshasas’ and Asuras’ deluded nature partaking.92
But great souls, Partha, abiding in divine nature, me worship, single-
mindedly,
knowing93 the source of beings, imperishable.
Always hymning me, and striving, with stern vows;
venerating me with devotion, ever yoked, they worship.
And through the ritual of wisdom yet others sacrifice, worship me:
as one, as apart, as many, universe-faced.
I am the ritual; I am sacrifice; the ancestral oblation, I; I, the herb;

the mantra, I; I alone the clarified butter; I, the fire; I, the offering.
the father, I, of this world, the mother, supporter, grandsire;
That which is to be known, the purifier, Aum, Rik, Sama and Yajus, also.
The goal, sustainer, lord, witness, abode, refuge, friend;
the origin, dissolution, the ground, the receptacle, the seed eternal.
I give heat; I withhold and send forth rain;
immortality and death, also, and reality and unreality—I, Arjuna.
Veda-knowers94 who drink soma and are cleansed of sin, worshipping

me with sacrifices, pray for the passage to heaven;95
they attain the holy world of Indra, enjoy in heaven divine pleasures of the
gods.
They that enjoy the vast world of swarga, when their merit is exhausted
enter the mortal world;
thus, followers of the triune faith, seekers after pleasure, come and go.
With no other thought, they who worship me:

constantly, assiduously, their welfare I support.
Those, too, other gods’ devotees, who sacrifice with faith,

they, also, only to me, Kaunteya, sacrifice;96 not by ancient law.
For, I of all sacrifices am the enjoyer, and the lord, as well;
but they do not know me truly; so, they fall.
Deva worshippers go to the Devas; to the manes go adorers of the Pitris;
To spirits go spirit worshippers; and my worshippers come to me.
A leaf, flower, fruit, water, who, to me, with devotion offers:
that devout offering, of a pious soul, I accept.
Whatever you do, what you eat, that which you sacrifice;
whatever penance you perform, Kaunteya—that make an offering to me.
Thus from good and bad consequences you will be free, the bondage of
karma;
to renunciation and yoga mind yoked, liberated, me you will attain.
The same, I, to all beings: none to me is hateful, none dear;
but those who worship me with devotion, they are in me and I, too, in them.
If even a most sinful one worships me, single-mindedly,
a saint he must be considered, for he has rightly resolved.
Quickly he becomes a righteous soul, eternal peace attains;
Kaunteya, know for certain, never does my bhakta perish.
For, in me, Partha, those who refuge, even they of sinful birth,
women, vaishyas and sudras, they also attain the supreme goal.
How much more then, pure Brahmanas and devout Rajarishis;

this impermanent, unhappy world having found—worship me.
Your mind on me; be my devotee; to mesacrifice; to mebow;
to me you will surely come, thus devoted, your mind on me intent.”
_______________
89. Samsara is also the world of illusions
90. space, sky, cosmic ether. The fifth element
91. see appendix: note on time
92. those that mock me
93. I am
94. knowers of the three Vedas. The Atharva is often not included in Vaishnava texts.
95. Swarga
96. though
CANTO 34
Vibhutih yoga: The way of Brahman

“Yet again, Mahabaho, hear my supreme word,
which to you, I, holding you dear, will tell, wishing your weal.
Neither the hosts of Devas my origin know, nor the Maharishis;
for I am the source of the Devas and the Maharishis, in every way.
Who me, un-born and beginningless, Great God of the world, knows—
undeluded, he, among mortals, from all sin liberated.
Intelligence, knowledge, clarity, patience, truth, self-control, calm;
joy, sorrow; being, non-being; and fear and also fearlessness;
non-violence, equanimity, contentment, austerity, charity, fame, infamy—
born, these dispositions of beings, from me alone, of different kinds.
The great sages, the seven,97 and the earlier four;98 the Manus, also:
of my being, mind, born—from these, this world’s progeny.
This power and work of mine who knows in truth,
he to unfaltering communion is joined—of this, no doubt.
I, of all the source; from me everything begins;
this knowing, me the wise worship, with devotion.
In me their thought, to me given their life, awakening one another;
and speaking of me always; and contented and joyful.
To them, always devoted, worshipping with love,
I give buddhi yoga, by which to me they come.
For these, out of tenderness alone, I their darkness of ignorance,
dwelling in my Self, dispel—with the lamp of wisdom, resplendent.”
Arjuna says:
“The supreme Brahman, the highest abode, absolutely pure, you are,
the Purusha eternal, divine, the primeval God, un-born, immanent,
say all the sages, Devarishi Narada, too,
Asita, Devala, Vyasa; and you yourself tell me so.
All this I hold true, which to me you say, Kesava;
not, surely, Lord, your origin the Devas know, nor the Danavas.99
Only you yourself your soul, with your soul, know, Purushottama,
Source of beings, Lord of beings, God of gods, Lord of the world.
Surely, you alone can tell fully of the divine powers,
with which glories these worlds, you, pervading, abide.
How can I know, O Yogin, you, with constant contemplation?
And in which various forms are you, Lord, to be thought of by me?
Expatiate again on your power and might, Janardana;
for, I am not satiated hearing your words, like nectar.”

“Yes, I will tell you my divine manifestations,
only those which are main, best of the Kurus—there is no end to my extent.
I, the soul, Gudakesa, in all beings’ hearts dwelling,
and I the beginning and middle, and, also, the end of beings.
Of the Adityas I am Vishnu; of luminaries, the Sun, radiant;
Marichi of the Maruts I am; of stars I am the Moon.
Of Vedas, the Sama Veda am I; of Devas, I am Vasavah;100
and of senses the mind, I; in beings I am consciousness.
Of Rudras, Sankara I am; Vittesha101 among Yakshas and Rakshasas;
and of Vasus I am fire; Meru among mountains, I.
And of priests, the chief, I, know, Partha: Brihaspati;
of generals, I am Skanda; of lakes, I am the ocean.
of Maharishis, Bhrigu, I; of speech, the single syllable;102
of sacrifices the Japa yagna103 I am; of mountains, Himalaya.
The Aswattha among all trees, and of Devarishis Narada;
of Gandharvas, Chitraratha; among Siddhas, Kapila muni.
Ucchaisravas among horses, know me to be, nectar-born;
Airavata among elephant lords, and among men, the king.
Of weapons, I, the Vajra; of cows am I Kamadhenu;
and among progenitors, I am Kandarpa;104 of serpents I am Vasuki.
and Ananta I am among Nagas; Varuna of ocean-dwellers, I;
and of the manes Aryaman am I; Yama of regulators, I.
And Prahlada I am of Daityas;105 Time, of reckoners;
and of beasts, the king of beasts, I, and Vainata106 of birds.
The wind among purifiers I am; Rama of weapon-bearers, I;

and among fish the crocodile I am; among rivers I am Jaahnavi.107
Of creations, the beginning and end, also the middle, I, Arjuna;
metaphysics of sciences, the dialectic of debaters, I.
Of alphabets, the a am I and of compounds, the dual;
I alone, eternal Time; the Creator, I, facing everywhere.
And death, taking all, I, and the source of what is to be;
fame, fortune, speech of women, memory, intelligence, fortitude, patience.
The Brihat Saman, also, of hymns, the Gayatri among mantras, I;
of months, Margasirsa, I; of seasons, the flower-mine.108
Of deceivers, gambling I am; the splendour of the splendid, I;
victory I am; effort I am; the goodness of the good, I.
Of Vrishnis, Vaasudeva109 I am; of the Pandavas, Dhananjaya;
of sages Vyasa, also, I; of poets, the poet Usana.110
The rod111 of punishers I am; the strategy I am of conquest seekers;
and the silence, also, I am, of secrets; the wisdom of the wise, I.
And, further, what is the seed of all beings—that, I, Arjuna;
which can exist without me: there can be no being, moving or unmoving.
No end is there to my divine manifestations, Parantapa;
All this that I have said are112 illustrative of my infinite glories.
Whatever existence is glorious, graceful or powerful, surely,
that, know you, from a portion of my splendour is born.
Anyway, of what avail all these knowing, to you, Arjuna?
I pervade all this with an iota of myself, support the Universe.”
_______________
97. Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu and Vasishta
98. Sanatkumara, Sanatana, Sananda and Sanaka
99. demons, sons of Danu
100. Indra
101. Kubera
102. Aum
103. chanting god’s names
104. Kama, god of love
105. demons, sons of Diti
106. Vinata’s son, Garuda
107. Ganga
108. Spring
109. Vasudeva’s son, Krishna
110. Sukra
111. Yama’s danda, rod of chastisement
112. merely examples
CANTO 35
Viswarupa darshana yoga: The way of the vision of the Cosmic Form.
Arjuna says:
“To bless me, the supreme, secret, Adhyatmam, you revealed;
with these words that you spoke, my bewilderment has gone.
Indeed, of the appearance and passing of beings, I have heard extensively
from you, Lotus-eyed; and also your greatness, imperishable.
It is just so: what you have said about yourself, Parameswara—
I want to see your Form Divine, Purushottama!
If you think That can be seen by me, Lord,
Yogeswara, then, to me show your Self Eternal.”

“Behold, Partha, my forms, hundreds and thousands,
of many kinds, divine, vari-coloured and -shaped.
Behold the Adityas, Vasus, Rudras, the two Asvins, also the Maruts;
many previously unseen wonders, behold, Bhaarata.
Here, as one, the Universe, whole, see now, moving and immobile,
in my body, Gudakesa; and whatever else you wish to see.
But you cannot see me with just these your eyes;

I give you divine sight—behold my Sovereign Yoga.”’
Sanjaya says:
‘So saying, then, my king, the Great Lord of yoga, Hari,
shows Partha his supreme Form Divine.
Countless mouths, eyes; countless amazing visions;

countless divine ornaments; countless divine weapons raised;
divine garlands, raiment, wearing; with divine perfumes anointed;
of all wonders, refulgent; infinite, faces everywhere.
In the sky, if a thousand suns were together risen,
light like that might perhaps compare with the splendour of that Great
Being.
There, as one, the Universe, whole, of divisions manifold,

sees, in the God of gods’ body, then, the Pandava.
Then, he, wonderstruck, horripilating, Dhananjaya,
bowing his head before God, with hands folded, speaks.
Arjuna says:
“I see the Devas, O God, in your body, and also all the myriad hosts of
beings,
Brahma, the Lord upon lotus-throne seated, and all the Rishis and Uragas113
divine.
With countless arms, bellies, mouths, eyes: I see your infinite form
everywhere;
neither your end nor middle, nor again your beginning, do I see,
crying, the Maharishi, Siddha hosts
With crowns, maces, and chakras, a mass of light, everywhere shining,
I see you, hard to look at, on all sides with irradiance of fire, blazing sun—
immeasurable.
You, the imperishable, the supreme,114 to be known; you are the universe’s
ultimate basis;
you, the changeless guardian of everlasting dharma; the eternal Purusha,
you, I believe.
Without beginning, middle, end; of infinite power; endless armed; the Sun,
Moon, your eyes,
I see you, burning fire your faces, with your refulgence this universe
searing.
This space between heaven and earth, surely, is pervaded by just you, and
the dishas all;115
seeing this your astounding, dreadful form, the three worlds are terrified,
Mahatman.
Ah, you these hosts of Suras enter; some, in fear, hands folded, give praise;
Svasti!,116 so crying, the Maharishi, Siddha hosts adore youwith hymns of
mighty praise.
The Rudras, Adityas, Vasus, and these Sadhyas; the Viswas, the two Asvins
and the Maruts, and the Usmapas;117
the Gandharvas, the Yakshas, the Asuras, Siddha hosts gaze at you in
wonder, also, surely, all.
Your great Form, many-mouthed, -eyed, Mahabaho, of many arms, thighs,
feet,
many bellies, many fangs, horrible, seeing, the worlds tremble, as also I.
Sky-touching, ablaze, countless-hued, mouth agape, huge blazing eyes:
seeing only you, my inmost soul quails; no stability do I find, nor peace, O
Vishnu.
And seeing your fearful, fanged mouths, like time’s fire flaming,
the directions I do not know, nor find joy—be merciful, Lord of gods,
abode of the universe!
And Dhritarashtra’s sons, all, with the hosts of kings;

Bhishma, Drona, and that Sutaputra,118 also, with our side’s main warriors,
too,
into your fearful jaws, terrible with fangs, rush;
some stick between the teeth; are seen, heads crushed.
As many rivers’ swift waters just towards the ocean flow,
even so, those heroes of the world of men enter your fiery mouths.
As a burning fire moths enter, to perish swiftly,
even so, to perish, these men, also, fly into your mouths at great speed.
You lick,119 devouring on all sides the worlds, entirely, with mouths aflame;
your brilliance covers all the universe, you lustre terrible, searing, O
Vishnu.
Tell me who you are, of dreadful form; salutations to you, best of gods,
have mercy!
I want to know you, the first, for I do not understand what you do.”

“Time I am, world-waster, ancient—the world to annihilate, here, my
mission;
even without you,120 no future have all these, arrayed hostile, the warriors.
So, arise, glory gain: defeating your enemies, enjoy a thriving kingdom;
by me alone these have been killed already—the instrument, only, become,
Savyasachin.121
Drona and Bhishma and Jayadratha and Karna, as also other warrior heroes,
by me slain already, you raze; do not be afraid—fight, you will conquer in
battle, the enemies.”’
Sanjaya says:
‘Hearing these words of Kesava, hands folded, trembling, Kiriti122
bows, again, speaks to Krishna, falteringly, in terror, prostrating.
Arjuna says:
“Rightly, Hrishikesa, by your praises is the world enraptured and
fascinated;
Rakshasas, terrified, flee in all directions, and the Siddha hosts pay homage.
And why not worship you, Mahatman, who are greater than Brahma even,
the first creator;
O Infinite, Lord of gods, Abode of the universe, you are deathless; real,
unreal; and what is beyond that.
You, the first God, the ancient Purusha; you are the supreme home of the
universe;
you are the knower and the known123 and the final resort—by you the
universe is pervaded, infinite-formed!
Vayu, Yama, Agni, Varuna, Sashanka, and Prajapati,124 the great Grandsire
—you.
Hail, hail to you, a thousand times, and again, yet again, hail, hail to you!
Obeisance in front, also from behind, to you; obeisance to you on every
side, O All!
Of endless prowess, boundless compass, you; everything you suffuse, so
you are all.
‘My friend’, so thinking, rashly, whatever I said, ‘O Krishna’, ‘O Yadava’,
‘O friend’, thus,
not knowing This your greatness, out of my carelessness or out of love,
and whatever slight, in jest, was shown, at sport, lying down, seated, while
eating,
alone or, Achyuta, in the presence of others—all that forgive me, O
Incomprehensible.
The father you are of this world, of the moving, the unmoving; you are its
adored and loftiest guru;
none is your equal, how then any greater, in the three worlds, as well, O
unequalled power?
So, bowing, prostrating my body, I worship you, Lord adorable;

as a father his son, a friend his friend, a lover his beloved, you must, Lord,
suffer me.
The never-before-seen, seeing, I rejoice, and with fear my heart is shaken

so;
so, Lord, your other form show me—be merciful, God of gods, home of the
universe!
crowned, with mace, disc in your hands—I want to see you, just as before;
that same form, four-armed, assume, O thousand-armed, universe-bodied!”

“By my grace, to you, Arjuna, this Form Supreme was shown, through my
divine yoga—
resplendent, universal, infinite, primal, which none but you has seen before.
Not by the Veda, sacrifice, learning, not by charity, and not by rituals, not
by fierce penance,
in this form can I, in the world of men, be seen by anyone but you, O
Kurupravira.125
Do not be afraid, nor confounded, seeing this terrible Form, like this, of
mine;
free from fear, with a glad heart, again, then, the same, this my form, see.”’
Sanjaya says:
‘Thus to Arjuna saying, Vaasudeva his own form shows again,
and comforts that terrified, becoming once more the gentle, beautiful
Mahatman.
Arjuna says:
“Seeing this human form of yours, gracious, Janardana,
now, I become calm, return to myself.”
“Most difficult to see, this form which you have seen, of mine;
the Devas, even, always, this form to see are keen.
Not through the Veda, not by tapasya, not through daana, nor yet by yagnas,
can I like this be seen, as you have seen me.
But through devotion, singular, can I like this, Arjuna,
be known, seen, and, in truth, also entered into, Parantapa.
Who for me does work; I his supreme; my devotee, of attachment rid;

without hostility towards any of the living, he comes to me, Pandava.”
_______________
113. serpents
114. the thing to be known
115. the four quarters, directions of the sky
116. hail, peace!
117. manes, ancestors
118. Karna
119. them up, while
120. killing them
121. Arjuna was ambidextrous
122. Arjuna, the crown-wearer
123. knowable, that which is to be known
124. the Gods Wind, Death, Fire, Sea, Moon, Brahma
125. great hero of the Kurus
CANTO 36
Bhakti yoga: The way of devotion.
Arjuna says:
“Thus, always yoked, those devotees who worship you,
and, again, those who do the Imperishable, the Unmanifest—of these,
which have yoga?”

“On me fixing the mind, who, ever absorbed, me worship,
with devotion supreme endowed, them, I the best yogis consider.
But who the Imperishable, ineffable, unmanifest, worship, the ubiquitous
and inconceivable, highest, unmoving, permanent,
restraining all the senses, everywhere even-minded,
they attain me, surely—to the weal of all beings devoted.
The travail greater of them, on the Unmanifest whose minds are set;
for, the way of the Unmanifest is painfully by the embodied attained.
But who all karma to me renounce, on me intent,
with singular yoga, me, through meditation, worship:
of them, I, the deliverer from death, samsara’s126 sea,
become, quickly, Partha—on me whose minds are set.
On me alone your heart set; in me let your mind dwell:

you will live in me, surely, thereafter, beyond doubt.
If your mind you cannot fix on me, steadily,

through the practice of yoga, then, me seek to attain, Dhananjaya.
Abhyasa,127 even, if you cannot do, let my work your highest be;
for my sake, even, work doing, perfection you will find.
If even this you cannot do, in performing yoga for me refuge;
all karma’s fruit renounce, then, with subdued mind.
Better, surely, knowledge than routine; than knowledge meditation is
superior;
than meditation, the sacrifice of karma’s fruit—upon renunciation, peace
follows.
Without aversion towards any creature, friendly and compassionate, only,

without ‘mine’, without ‘I’; equal in pain, pleasure; forgiving;
contended always, the yogi, self-controlled, of firm resolve,
to me given heart, mind—who is my devotee, he is dear to me.
By whom the world is not disturbed; and the world does not disturb him;
from exultation, anger, fear, agitation who is free, he, too, is dear to me.
Independent, pure, competent, indifferent, free from pain;
who all endeavour has abandoned—my devotee, he is dear to me.
Who neither exults nor dislikes; neither grieves nor desires;

good, evil, abandons—that devotee, he is dear to me.
And alike with enemy and friend; also, to honour, dishonour;
in heat, cold, joy, sorrow, the same; free from attachment;
equal in blame, praise; quiet, contented with anything;128
Homeless, of firm resolve—my devotee, a man dear to me.
But who this immortal dharma, as told, follow,
with faith, me the129 goal, those devotees are very dear to me.”
________________
126. the mortal world of delusion, transmigration
127. the exercise, practice of yoga
128. which comes
129. their
CANTO 37
Kshetra Kshetrajna vibhaga yoga: The way of discernment between the

field and its knower.
Arjuna says:130
“Prakriti and Purusha, also; kshetra and kshetrajna, too:
these, I wish to know; knowledge and the known, Kesava.”

“This body, Kaunteya, the field it is called;
this who knows, he is called kshetrajna,131 by those who know.
And the kshetrajna, also, me in every field, Bhaarata;
of kshetra, kshetrajna,132 the knowledge: that, true knowledge, in my view.
and what that field is, and what its nature, and what its transformations,
whence arisen,
and what He133 is, and of what origin—that, in brief, from me hear.
By the rishis, variously, sung, in chhandas,134 diversely, distinctly;
and also in Brahma sutra135 passages, logical, decisive.
The mahabhutas,136 ego, intelligence, and also the unmanifest;
the senses, ten, and the one,137 and five sense pastures;
desire, aversion; pleasure, pain; the organism, consciousness, fortitude—
thus, the field, in brief, is described, with examples.
Humility, integrity, non-violence, patience, uprightness;

serving the guru, purity, stability, self-control;
for the objects of sensuality, aversion; lack of egotism; and also,
in birth, death, old age, sickness—pain, evil, seeing;
detachment, no clinging to son, wife, home, the likes;
and, always, even-mindedness to desired,138 unwanted happenings;
and for me, through exclusive yoga, devotion abiding;
to solitary places resorting; distaste for gatherings of men;
in spiritual wisdom, constancy; the knowledge of truth’s end seeing—
all this gyana is called; ignorance, what is other than this.
That which is known, I will tell you, which knowing immortality is gained;
beginningless, It, supreme Brahman; neither being, That, nor un-being, it is
told.
Everywhere, hands, feet: that; everywhere, eyes, heads, faces;
everywhere, ears—in the world everything enveloping, it dwells.
all the senses’ qualities reflecting, of all the senses devoid;
unattached and also all-supporting; without gunas and experiencing the
gunas.
Outside and within the living, mobile and unmoving, too;

being subtle, that, imperceptible; and far and near, that.
And undivided, in beings, also, seemingly, divided, exists;
and as beings’ support that is known, devourer and creator.
Of lights, also, that the light, beyond darkness, said to be;
knowledge, the known, gained through knowledge, in the hearts of all
seated.
Thus, the field and also knowledge and the known, told in brief;
my devotee, this knowing, to my being attains.
Prakriti139 and also Purusha,140 know, are beginningless, both;

and transformations and also gunas, know—of Prakriti born.
Effect, cause, instrument, agency—Prakriti, it is told;
Purusha, of joy, sorrow’s, experience, the cause, it is said.
For, the Purusha, dwelling in Prakriti, enjoys the Prakriti-born gunas;
the cause, attachment to the gunas: of its birth in good, evil wombs.
Witness and sanctioner, lord, experiencer, great God,
and also the supreme soul, it’s told—in this body, the Purusha transcendent.
Who thus knows Purusha and Prakriti, with the gunas,
whatever his life, he is not born again.
Through meditation, the Atman see, some, in the Atman, with the Atman;
others, through samkhya yoga, and by karma yoga, others.
Yet others, not thus knowing, hearing from others, worship;
and they also, surely, transcend death by devotion to what they hear.141
Whatever being is born, motionless or mobile—
from kshetra and kshetrajna’s union: that know, Bharatarishabha.
Equally in all creatures abiding, the Supreme God,

amidst the perishing, imperishable, who sees, he sees.
For, the same God seeing, everywhere, omnipresent,
he injures not the Atman with the Atman, so attains the final goal.
And only by Prakriti, karma is done, in every way,
who sees, also that the Atman is act-less, he sees.
When the diversity of beings as situated in the one, he sees,
and also, therefrom, their spread, the Brahman he then becomes.
Beginningless, without attributes, this Paramatman, immortal,
though dwelling in the body, Kaunteya, neither acts nor is tainted.
As, being subtle, the ubiquitous ether is not tainted,
so also, everywhere located, in the body, the Atman is not stained.
As one sun illumines this whole world,
so, too, the kshetri142 illumines this entire kshetra,143 Bhaarata.
Between kshetra, kshetrajna, thus, the distinction, with eye of wisdom,

and the deliverance of beings from Prakriti, who know, they attain the
Supreme.”
_______________
130. this verse is not included in many versions. If it is, the number of slokas in the Bhagavad Gita
becomes 701, instead of 700. As in Radhakrishnan’s translation, I have not numbered it here.
131. knower of the field
132. Swami Vireswarananda: matter and spirit
133. the kshetrajna
134. Vedic hymns
135. aphorisms of Brahman
136. the five elements
137. mind
138. and
139. nature, the feminine principle
140. soul, the masculine principle
141. Sruti is also the Veda
142. embodied soul
143. field, universe
CANTO 38
Gunatrai vibhaga yoga: The way of the division of the three gunas.

“Again, the highest I will tell you, of wisdoms the best wisdom;
this knowing, the sages, all, to final perfection from here passed.
This wisdom resorting to, my nature attaining,
at creation, even, they are not born, and not during the dissolution
disquieted.
My womb great Brahma, into which the seed cast I;
to birth all beings, from that, come, Bhaarata.
In all the species, Kaunteya, whatever forms take birth,
of them, great Brahma the womb, I the seed-giving father.
Sattva, rajas, tamas, these gunas, Prakriti-born,
bind, Mahabaho, into the body the dweller imperishable.
Of these, sattva, being pure, is illumining, health-giving,

through attachment to happiness binds, and through attachment to
knowledge, O sinless.
Rajas has passion’s nature, know, from craving, attachment, sprung;
it binds, Kaunteya, with addiction to action, the embodied.
But tamas, ignorance-born, know, deludes all the living;
through rashness, sloth, stupor, it binds fast, Bhaarata.
Sattva to happiness binds; rajas to activity, Bhaarata;
but, wisdom shrouding, tamas to rashness, it is told.
Rajas and tamas subduing, sattva prevails, Bhaarata;

Rajas, the same, over sattva and tamas; tamas, even so, over sattva and
rajas.
When through all doors144 of this body, light radiates,

knowledge: then, know, sattva surely waxes.
Greed, activity, undertaking karma, disquiet, desire—
when rajas increases, these prevail, Bharatarishabha.
Darkness and inactivity, neglect and also delusion:
when tamas increases, these prevail, joy of the Kurus.
Now, while sattva waxes, if to dissolution145 the embodied goes,

then, worlds of the highest sages, taintless, it gains.
In rajas, death finding, among those addicted to karma it is born;
and if dissolved during tamas, in dark wombs it is born.
Of virtuous karma, it is told, sattvik and pure the fruit;
while rajas’ fruit is sorrow, and darkness the fruit of tamas.
From sattva arises knowledge; and from rajas only greed;

heedlessness, delusion, from tamas come, and also ignorance.
Upwards go those founded in sattva; midway remain the rajasas;
those steeped in the vile guna, go downwards, the tamasas.
No other agent than the gunas, when the seer sees,

and what is beyond the gunas knows, to my being he attains.
These gunas transcending, triune, which spring from the body, the
embodied,
from birth, death, old age, pain, is liberated, immortality gains.”
Arjuna says:
“What signs of one who these three gunas has transcended, Lord?
what his deportment, and how does he the three gunas transcend?”

“Light and activity and, even, delusion, Pandava,
he does not shun, when they arise, nor, when they cease, long for.
As if indifferent seated, by the gunas who is not moved;
the gunas act: this knowing, who is still, unwavering.
The same in joy, sorrow, contented; equal146 a clod, stone, gold;
the same to the pleasant, unpleasant; calm; equal to blame of himself, to
praise.
In honour, disgrace, the same; equal to a friend, an enemy;
all endeavours who has renounced—gone beyond the gunas, he is said to
have.
And me who, with unfailing yoga of devotion, serves,
he, these gunas transcends, for becoming Brahman is fit.
For, Brahman’s abode I, immortal and imperishable;
and of eternal dharma, and absolute bliss.”
_______________
144. of perception
145. death
146. for him
CANTO 39
Purushottama yoga: The way of the Supreme Person.
“Root above, branches below, the Aswattha,147 they tell of, imperishable,
of which the chhandas are the leaves; who knows this, he is a Veda knower.
Below and above, extend its branches, guna-nourished,

sense-objects for twigs;
and below its roots stretch, binding in karma the world of men.
Not its form,148 either, is here perceived, not its end, nor beginning, and
neither its foundation.
This aswattha, deep-rooted, with the mighty sword detachment severing,
then, let that condition be sought, going where, there is no returning again;
only to that original Purusha surrender, from whom this ancient world
came.
Without pride, delusion; quelled, the sin attachment; spiritual always; rid of
desire;
liberated from the dualities, called pleasure, pain—the undeluded go to that
state eternal.
Not that, the sun illumines, not moon, not fire;

who go there do not return—that abode supreme, mine.
A mere particle of myself, a living spirit, eternal,149

into the world of jivas the senses, mind the sixth, founded in nature,
draws.150
A body when assuming, and also when leaving it, the Lord
takes all these, leaving, even as the wind scents from their places.
Ears, eyes, and touch, taste, and also smell

dwelling in, and mind, he the sense-objects enjoys.
Departing or dwelling, as also experiencing, while associated with the
gunas,
the deluded do not see;151 they see who have wisdom’s eye.
Striving yogis also, That see, in themselves situated;
even striving, the unrestrained do not see it, unawakened ones.
That lustre of the sun, which the whole world illumines,

that in the moon, and that in fire—that light, know, is mine.
And the earth entering, creatures I support with energy;
and nourish all plants, the moon becoming, sapful.
I the fire become, in creatures’ bodies dwell;
prana, apana,152 uniting with, digest food, the four kinds.
And, of all, I in their hearts am lodged; from me, memory, wisdom, and
their loss;
and in all the Vedas, I alone, the known; Vedanta’s author, and also the
Veda-knower, I.
And two persons in this world: the mortal, and also the immortal;
mortal, all creatures; the unchanging, the immortal called.
But the highest being, another, Paramatman called,
who the three worlds enters, sustains them, imperishable God.
Because the mortal I transcend, and even the immortal surpass,

so, I am, in the world and in the Veda, known as Purushottama.153
Who, thus, undeluded, knows me, Purushottamam,
he, knowing everything, worships me with all his being, Bhaarata.
Thus, this most secret Shastra has been taught by me, O sinless;
this, understanding, wise he becomes; and all his duty done, Bhaarata.”
_______________
147. peepul tree
148. true form
149. becoming
150. to itself
151. the indweller; It
152. inward and outward breaths
153. the Supreme Person
CANTO 40
Daivaasurasampad vibhaga yoga: The way of the distinction between the

divine and the demonic qualities.

“Fearlessness, essential purity, in wisdom’s yoga steadfastness,
charity and self-control and sacrifices, sacred study, austerity, rectitude;
non-violence, honesty, without anger, renunciation, not critical, mercy
for the living, non-covetousness, gentleness, modesty, free of caprice;
vitality, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, without malice, without hubris—
the wealth of one with divine nature born, Bhaarata.
Ostentation, arrogance and great conceit, anger, and also violence,
and ignorance—the endowments of those born, Partha, demonic.
The divine inheritance liberates, the demonic binds, it is thought;

grieve not: you to wealth divine are born, Pandava.
Two kinds of being in the world, the divine and also the demonic;
the divine at length have been spoken of; of the demonic, Partha, from me
hear.
Neither what to do nor what not to, they know, the demonic;
no purity and neither conduct, no truth, in them found.
Unreal, un-founded, they say, the world, God-less,
of continuing origin, nothing other than lust-begotten.
To this view cleaving, lost souls, of small minds,
come forth, of savage deeds, for the destruction of the world, its enemies.
To lust surrendered, insatiable; by hypocrisy, arrogance, conceit, possessed;
through delusion seizing fell designs, they act, sworn to evil.
And to cares boundless, ending in death, surrendered;
sensual enjoyment the highest:154 that this is all convinced;
by desire’s bonds, hundreds, bound; to lust, anger, yielded;
they strive, in order to gratify their desires, unscrupulously, great wealth to
amass.
‘This, today, by me gained; this heart’s desire I will satisfy;
this there is, and this, too, I will have:155 more wealth.
By me156 slain that enemy; and I will kill others, too;
the lord, I; I, the enjoyer; successful, I, strong, happy;
rich, well-born I am; who else is157 like me?
I will sacrifice, give charity, rejoice!’—thus, by ignorance deluded.
By countless fancies confounded, in delusion’s net ensnared;

addicted to satisfying lusts, they fall into foetid hell.
Smug with conceit, obdurate, with wealth’s pride intoxicated,

they sacrifice,158 in name sacrifice, with ostentation, disregarding precept.
To egotism, force, pride, lust and rage given:
me, in their own and other’s bodies, hating, these envious ones.
These, haters vicious, vilest of men, in samsara,
I cast repeatedly only into inauspicious, demon wombs.
Fiendish wombs finding, the deluded, birth after birth,
me far from attaining, Kaunteya, then devolve to the basest state.
Triune, of this hell, the gates, which destroy the soul—

lust, anger and greed; so, these three abandon.
From these the man who is liberated, Kaunteya, gates to darkness, three,
does what is good for his soul, then reaches the supreme condition.
Who scriptural law forsakes, acts by desire’s dictates,

he does not perfection attain, not happiness, not the highest goal.
So, let the Shastras159 be your authority: what may be done, what is
forbidden, to determine;
knowing what the scripture’s laws declare, your karma you must do,
here.”160
_______________
154. aim
155. in future
156. already
157. there
158. only
159. scriptures: the Vedas, the Vedanga/Upanishads, the 18 great Puranas. The Ramayana and
Mahabharata are traditionally only considered Itihasas, histories
160. in this world
CANTO 41
Sraddhatrai vibhaga yoga: The way of the divisions of the three kinds of
faith.
Arjuna says:
“Who scriptural laws forsake, but worship, with faith—
what is their condition, Krishna, sattva, rajas or tamas?”

“Threefold is the faith of the embodied, of their nature born—
sattvik, rajasik and also tamasik; and hear about it.
In concord with his nature everyone’s faith is, Bhaarata:

of his faith’s nature, man—what his faith is, that indeed is he.
The sattvikas worship the Devas; the rajasas do yakshas and rakshasas;
pretas and other kinds of bhutas, tamasik men worship.
Not ordained by the Shastras, violent austerities those men perform,

to pride, egotism yoked, by lust, passion’s force possessed.
Torturing the elements in the body, the senseless,
and me, also, dwelling in the body—these, know, of demonic resolve.
The food, too, by all liked, is of three kinds;

sacrifice, austerity, charity, as well; of the divisions of these, hear.
Longevity, vitality, strength, health, happiness, love, which augment;
succulent, soft, nourishing, tasty—foods dear to the sattvik.
Bitter, sour, salty, hot, pungent, harsh, burning—
foods by the rajasika liked: pain, grief, disease causing.
Cold, insipid, putrid, stale and what is
refuse and also unclean—food to tamasas dear.
By those expecting no reward, the sacrifice which by scriptural decree is
offered,
exclusively as a duty, mind absorbed, that is sattvik.
But aiming for its fruit, and also for display, what
is offered, best of Bhaaratas, that sacrifice, know, is rajasik.
Against law,161 where no food is given, without mantras, without
dakshina,162
of faith devoid, the yagna is tamasik, they say.
Of the gods, the twice-born, gurus, the wise, worship; purity, rectitude,
continence and non-violence—bodily austerity is called.
Speech which no offence causes, and which is truthful, pleasant and benign,
and also regular recitation of the Veda—verbal austerity is called.
Mental calm, gentleness, silence, self-control,

purity of feeling, all these—austerity of mind are called.
With faith transcendent undertaken, this three-fold penance, by men
who wish for no gain, devoted—sattvik is called.
For respect, honour, reverence, the austerity, and which with ostentation
is performed, that, here, is deemed rajasik: fleeting, impermanent.
From foolish belief, the self-torturing, the penance that is practised,
or to others meaning harm—that tamasik is said to be.
‘To give is a duty’: thus,163 to give charity, without164 obligation,

and at a proper time and place—that charity is sattvik regarded.
But that which to be reciprocated, or aiming for its fruit, in future,

and given grudgingly—that charity rajasik is considered.
at the wrong place, time: that charity given, and to the undeserving,
without respect, contemptuously—that tamasic is told.
Aum tat sat—this is declared Brahman’s triad name:

Brahmanas, by this, and the Veda and Sacrifice, were created of old.
So, Aum, thus uttering, acts of sacrifice, charity, austerity are
performed, scripture-enjoined, always by Brahmavadis.165
Tat: thus,166 without desiring their fruit, acts of sacrifice, penance
and various deeds of charity are performed, by liberation seekers.
Reality and goodness, sat for these is used;
for laudable deeds, as well, the word sat, Partha, is used.
In sacrifice, austerity and charity, constancy—sat is called;
and also karma done for that, sat, indeed, is named.
Without faith, oblation,167 gifts,168 austerity performed, and whatever169

done—
Asat it is called, Partha, and is of no account hereafter nor here.”
_______________
161. scriptural
162. the fee paid to priests
163. thinking
164. expecting
165. expounders, followers of the Veda
166. they say
167. offered
168. given
169. else
CANTO 42
Moksha Sannyasa yoga: The way of renunciation, liberation.
Arjuna says:
“Of sannyasa170, Mahabaho, the truth I wish to know,
and about tyaga,171 Hrishikesa,172 separately, Kesinisudana.173

“Desire-impelled karma abandoning, as sannyasa the seers understand;
all karma’s fruit sacrificing, call tyaga, the knowing.
‘Renounced as an evil, all karma,’ say some thinkers;

‘Acts of sacrifice, charity, austerity must not be abandoned,’ and so say
others.
Decisively hear from me about this tyaga, best of the Bhaaratas;

for, relinquishment, Purushavyaghra,174 of three kinds is declared.
Works of sacrifice, charity, these are not be relinquished but surely

performed;
sacrifice, charity and also austerity are purifiers of the wise.
But even these works done, attachment leaving and fruit,
as duty—this, Partha, my decided view, the best.
But with religious duty, the renunciation of175 karma is not proper;
through delusion its abandonment, tamasik is declared.
Painful: so being, a duty; bodily suffering fearing, if it is abandoned—
he, performing merely a rajasik relinquishment, surely does not
relinquishment’s fruit gain.
When just because it ought to be, a prescribed duty is done, Arjuna,

leaving attachment, and also its fruit, that relinquishment is considered
sattvik.
Neither averse to unpleasant karma, nor to pleasant work attached—
the tyagi: of sattva possessed, intelligent, doubts dispelled.
Surely, impossible, for the embodied to renounce karma entirely;

but who the fruit of karma relinquishes, he a tyagi is said to be.
Unpleasant, pleasant and mixed: of three kinds karma’s fruit,

accruing to non-relinquishers after death, but not to sannyasis, ever.
These five, Mahabaho, causes, learn from me,

in the samkhya doctrine mentioned, for the accomplishment of all karma.
The place and also the doer; and the various actions;
the many and different endeavours; and also destiny, the fifth of these.
With body, speech, mind, whatever karma a man undertakes,
whether just or the opposite, these five are its causes.
This being so, who, yet, as the only doer himself
sees, from ignorance, he does not see: a foolish one.
Who no egotism has, whose intellect is not defiled,

though he kills these men, he neither slays nor is bound.176
Knowledge, the known, the knower: the triple impulse to karma;

the instrument, action, the agent, these the three-fold conjunction of karma.
Knowledge and action and agent, of three kinds only, the distinctions of the
gunas,
said to be, in the philosophy of the gunas; respectively, hear, of these, also.
In all beings, the knowledge by which the One, imperishable, is seen,

undivided in the divided, that wisdom, know, is sattvik.
But separately, which knowledge, diverse entities, of various kinds,
perceives, in all creatures—that knowledge, know, is rajasik.
But what, as the whole, to one effect clings, illogically:
The unreal and trivial, that tamasik is said to be.
Which, ordained, without attachment, without attraction or aversion is done,
by one not desiring its fruit, that karma is sattvik called.
But that karma, prompted by desire, or again, with egotistical motives,
done, with great strain, that is rajasik called.
For consequence, loss, violence: disregard, and for capability;
through delusion the karma undertaken, that tamasik is called.
Free from attachment, not egotistical, of fortitude, zeal, possessed;

by success, failure, unmoved—that doer is sattvik called.
Passionate, keenly wanting karma’s fruit, greedy, violent-minded, impure;
by elation, dejection moved—that agent rajasik is deemed.
Unstable, feral, obstinate, deceitful, spiteful, lazy;
morose and procrastinating—that doer tamasik is said to be.
To the divisions of intellect and also fortitude, according to the gunas,

threefold, listen,
told fully, separately, Dhananjaya.
Action and inactivity and what to do, what not to do, fear, fearlessness,
bondage and liberation the intellect which knows, that, Partha, is sattvik.
By which dharma and adharma, and what to do and also what not to,
is erroneously known—that intellect, Partha, rajasik.
Adharma as dharma that which regards, in darkness shrouded,
and all things perversely—that intellect, Partha, tamasik.
The fortitude by which one rules mind, life breaths, senses’ functions,
through yoga unwavering—that firmness, Partha, sattvik.
But the fortitude by which to dharma, kama, artha one clings, Arjuna,
through attachment to the desire for gain177—that firmness, Partha, rajasik.
By which sleep, fear, sorrow, dejection and also arrogance
a fool does not leave—that obduracy, Partha, tamasik.
But of happiness, now, the three kinds, hear from me, Bharatarishabha—
long practice through which enjoyed, and sorrow’s end attained.
That which at first like poison, at the end like amrita,178
that joy sattvika, it’s told, of the soul’s intelligence,179 serene, born.
From contact between objects of sensuality,180 the senses, which arises, at
first like amrita,
but at the end is like poison—that joy rajasik is called.
And which joy, both at first and at the end, binding in delusion the soul,
and which from sleep, sloth, heedlessness arises—that tamasik is deemed.
There is not on earth or, again, in heaven among the gods,

a being that is free from these Prakriti-born three gunas.
Of Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Sudras, Parantapa,
their duties are divided, by their innate qualities.
Serenity, self-control, austerity, purity, forbearance, and also uprightness;
knowledge, wisdom, belief in God—a Brahmana’s duties, of his nature
born.
Valour, boldness, fortitude, skill, and even in war not fleeing;
generosity and lordliness—a Kshatriya’s duties, of his nature born.
Farming, tending the cow, commerce—a Vaishya’s karma, nature born;
karma of the essence of service, a Sudra’s, also of his nature born.
Each to his own duty devoted, man attains perfection;

in his own karma absorbed, how perfection one attains, that hear.
From Whom beings arise; Who all this pervades:
through one’s own karma Him worshipping, perfection a man achieves.
Better in one’s own dharma, imperfectly, than in another’s dharma,

immaculately;
by one’s naturally ordained karma doing, one incurs no sin.
The karma one is born to, Kaunteya, though flawed, one must not abandon;
for, all endeavours by faults, even as fire by smoke, are clouded.
Unattached, his intelligence, everywhere; mind conquered; desire gone;

to inaction’s perfection supreme, through renunciation, he comes.
Finding this perfection, Brahman, also, how he finds learn from me,
in brief, Kaunteya, that consummation of knowledge, transcendent.
With intellect, pure, endowed, and firmly the mind restraining,
sound and objects of sensuality leaving, and likes, dislikes, rejecting;
living in solitude, eating little, controlling speech, body, mind;
in dhyana yoga181 absorbed, always, in dispassion sheltering;
egotism, force, arrogance, lust, anger, possessions,
forsaking, without ‘mine’, peaceful—to become Brahman, he is fit.
Becoming Brahman, clear-souled, he neither sorrows nor desires;

alike to all beings, for me devotion he finds, supreme.
Through devotion, me, he knows, how much and what I am, in truth;
then, me truly knowing, he enters into me.
Even182 all karma always doing, in me sheltering,

through my grace, he attains the eternal state, immutable.
Through thought, all karma to me renouncing; me the ultimate;
to buddhi yoga resorting, on me your heart constantly fix.
On me your thought,183 all difficulties by my grace you will cross;

but if you, from pride, do not listen, you will perish.
If, ego indulging, ‘I will not fight’, you think:
Vain this resolve of yours—your nature will compel you.
By your own nature-born karma, Kaunteya, bound,
what you do not want to do—being deluded—even that you will do,
helplessly.
God in all beings’ hearts, Arjuna, dwells,

deluding184 all creatures, as185 upon a contrivance, with maya.
To Him alone for refuge go, with all your heart, Bhaarata;
by his grace, supreme peace you will find, the place eternal.
Thus, to you, has the wisdom, more secret than secrets, been told by me;
reflect on it fully, and do as you wish.
Of all the most secret, again, hear: my supreme word;

since dearly loved you are by me, so I tell you, for your good.
Mind186 on me; to me be devoted; to me sacrifice; to me prostrate;
to me you will surely come—truly, I promise you, who are dear to me.
All duty abandoning, to me, the sole refuge, come;

I will liberate you from every sin, do not grieve.
This, you must not to the in-austere, nor the devotionless, ever,
nor one who has no wish to listen, tell, nor me who derides.
Who this supreme secret to my devotees teaches,
the highest devotion to me performs, to me surely comes, without doubt.
Nor is there among men anyone who to me does dearer service than he;
nor will there be than he, to me, another, dearer on earth.
And who studies this sacred conversation of ours,
through knowledge’s sacrifice, by him, I adored will be—this, my view.
Faithful and without cavil, who just listens, that man:
he, too, liberated, to blessed worlds attains, of those of virtuous deeds.
Has this been heard, Partha, by you, with singular thought?

has your ignorant delusion been dispelled, Dhananjaya?”
Arjuna says:
“Dispelled my delusion, understanding gained, through your grace,
Achyuta;
I stand firm, doubts gone; I will do as you say.187”’
Sanjaya says:
‘So, I, between Vaasudeva and Partha, great souls,
this converse heard, wondrous, making my hair stand on end.
Through Vyasa’s grace heard I this secret, supreme
yoga, from the Lord of yoga, Krishna, directly, as he told it himself.
O king, I remember, again and again, this wonderful conversation

of Kesava, Arjuna, sacred, and thrill with joy, over and over.
And as I repeatedly recall that Form, most awesome, of Hari,
great my astonishment, O king, and I tremble with joy again and again.
Where the Lord of yoga, Krishna, where Partha the bowman:

there, fortune, victory, prosperity, eternal justice—this, my belief!’”
Aum shanti shanti shanti.

Hare Krishna.188
_______________
170. renunciation
171. relinquishment
172. Krishna
173. Krishna, Vishnu: slayer of the demon Kesin
174. best of men; tiger among men
175. such
176. by what he does
177. the fruit of karma
178. nectar
179. in the sense of realisation, enlightenment
180. and
181. meditation
182. while; though
183. fixing your thought on me
184. whirling, spinning, turning around
185. if mounted
186. fix your
187. your bidding
188. Appendix for the Bhagavad Gita at the end of this volume
CANTO 43
BHISHMA VADHA PARVA
aisampayana said, “Sanjaya says, ‘Upon seeing Dhananjaya once

again take up his arrows and Gandiva, the mighty Pandava
maharathas utter a tremendous shout. And those heroes, the
Pandavas and the Somakas, and those who followed them, filled with joy,
blow their sea-born conches. And drums, and pesis, and krakachas, and
cow-horns are beaten and blown together, to make a loud uproar.
And then there come the Devas, with Gandharvas and the Pitris, and the
hosts of Siddhas and Charanas, wanting to witness the sight; and a host of
most blessed Rishis accompany Indra of a hundred sacrifices leading them,
to witness that great slaughter.
Then, seeing the two armies, that look like two oceans, ready for the
encounter and restlessly moving, Yudhishtira Dharmaraja takes off his coat
of mail and puts aside his excellent bow, and quickly alighting from his
chariot, with joined hands, goes quietly on foot towards his Pitamaha
Bhishma, facing the east, towards the direction where the enemy army
stands.
Seeing this, Arjuna hastily alights from his chariot and follows
Yudhishtira, accompanied by his brothers. And Krishna also follows; and
the chief kings of his army, filled with anxiety, also follow Yudhishtira.
Arjuna says, “What are you doing, O king, that abandoning your
brothers, you go on foot, facing east, towards the enemy?”
Bhima says, “Where are you going, O king of kings, having cast off
your armour and weapons, towards the enemy warriors, leaving your
brothers?”
Nakula says, “You are my eldest brother, O Bhaarata; seeing you go this
way, I am afraid. Tell us, where do you go?”
Sahadeva says, “When these vast and powerful forces are by our side
ready to fight, where do you go, O king, in the direction of our enemies?”’
Sanjaya continues, ‘Yudhishtira of restrained speech says nothing but
walks on towards the enemy army. The high-souled, wise Krishna smilingly
says to them, “I know his purpose. He will fight the enemy only after
having paid his respects to all his superiors: Bhishma, Drona, Kripa and
Salya.
It is heard in histories of olden times that he who fights against those
that are his superiors, after having paid his respects, according to dharma, to
his preceptors, those revered in years, and his kinsmen, is sure to be
victorious in battle. This is my view as well.”
When Krishna says this, loud exclamations can be heard among the
ranks of Dhritarashtra’s son, but the Pandava army remains perfectly still.
Seeing Yudhishtira, the heroic warriors of Dhritarashtra’s son speak among
one another, “This one is a wretch of his race. It is clear that he is coming in
cowardly terror to Bhishma’s side. Yudhishtira, with his brothers, is seeking
Bhishma’s protection.
When Dhananjaya protects him, and Bhima, and Nakula, and Sahadeva
also, why does the eldest son of Pandu come here in fear? Though
renowned through the world, he could never have been born in the
Kshatriya varna, for he is weak and his heart is filled with fear at the
prospect of battle.”
Then those soldiers all praise the Kauravas. Rejoicing with cheerful
hearts, all of them wave their cloths. All the fighting men there then censure
Yudhishtira and his brothers and Krishna too. The Kaurava army, having
disdained Yudhishtira, becomes perfectly still. What would this king say?
What would Bhishma say in reply? What would proud Bhima say, and what
Krishna and Arjuna? What, indeed, has Yudhishtira to say?
Both the armies are filled with great curiosity. Meanwhile, penetrating
the hostile vyuha bristling with arrows and spears, Yudhishtira, surrounded
by his brothers, walks quickly towards Bhishma. Seizing his feet with his
two hands, the royal son of Pandu speaks to Shantanu’s son who stands
there ready for battle.
Yudhishtira says, “I salute you, O invincible one. We will wage war
against you. Grant us your leave to do so. Give us also your blessing.”
Bhishma says, “Had you not thus come to me in this battle, I would have
cursed you, O Bhaarata, to bring about your defeat. I am gratified, my son.
Fight then and let victory be yours. O son of Pandu, whatever else you
desire, may you obtain it in battle. Ask us also for any boon you want and if
it is in my power to give, then you will not be defeated.
A man is the slave of wealth, but wealth is no one’s slave. This is the
truth and I have been bound by the Kauravas with their wealth. It is for this
reason, Kurunandana, that I speak these words like a eunuch. Bound am I
by the Kauravas with wealth. Beyond battle, what do you desire?”
Yudhishtira says, “Wise Pitamaha, keeping my welfare in mind, from
day to day, look after my interests. Do battle, however, for the Kauravas.
This is my prayer to you.”
Bhishma says, “Rajan, what help can I give you in this? I shall, of
course, fight for your adversaries. Tell me plainly what you have to say.”
Yudhishtira says, “Bowing to you, I ask you, O Pitamaha, how shall we
vanquish you who are invincible in battle? Tell me this for my benefit, if
you see any good in it.”
Bhishma says, “I do not, O son of Kunti, see the warrior who, even if he
were the Lord of the Devas himself, can defeat me in battle when I fight.”
Yudhishtira says, “My salutations to you, Pitamaha! And that is why I
ask you this. Tell us how your own death may be achieved by your enemies
in battle.”
Bhishma says, “I do not see the man who can quell me in battle. The
time of my death has also not yet arrived.”’
Sanjaya continues, ‘Saluting him again, Yudhishtira accepts Bhishma’s
words with a bow of his head. And that Mahabaho, along with his brothers,
goes towards the chariot of Acharya Drona amidst all the soldiers who
watch him. Saluting Drona and walking around him in pradakshina, the
king speaks to that invincible warrior.
Yudhishtira says, “With your leave, Acharya, I will fight with dharma,
and thus permitted by you, O sinless one, I will defeat all my enemies.”
He now goes to get the blessings of Acharya Kripa, who says, “If,
having resolved to fight, you had not come to me, I would have cursed you,
O king, for your complete overthrow. A man is the slave of wealth, but
wealth is no one’s slave. This is so true. Since I have been bound with
wealth by the Kauravas, I must fight for them. I therefore speak like a
eunuch in asking you: besides battle, what do you desire?”
Yudhishtira says, “Sorrowfully, I ask you, Acharya, to listen to what I
say.” Saying this, the king, greatly troubled and confused, stood silent.’
Sanjaya continues, ‘Understanding, however, what he intended to say,
Gautama Kripa says, “I cannot be killed, Rajan. Fight and triumph. I am
gratified by your coming. Rising every morning I will pray for your victory.
I say this to you sincerely.”
Hearing Kripa’s words, and paying him due respect, Yudhishtira goes to
where the ruler of the Madras stands. Saluting Salya and walking around
him in pradakshina he says to that invincible warrior, words that are for his
own benefit.
Yudhishtira says, “With your leave, invincible one, I will fight without
incurring sin, and so defeat my valiant enemies.”
Salya says, “If, having resolved to fight, you had not come to me thus, I
would have cursed you to be routed in battle. I am gratified and honoured
by you. Let it be as you wish. I grant you leave: fight and be victorious.
Speak, O Kshatriya, what do you need? What shall I give you?
Under these circumstances, beyond battle, what do you wish? A man is
the slave of wealth but wealth is no one’s slave. This is the truth. I have
been bound with wealth by the Kauravas, and so I speak to you like a
eunuch: I will grant you your cherished desire. Besides battle, what do you
wish?”
Yudhishtira says, “Think daily of what is for my greatest good. Fight,
according to your pleasure, for the sake of my enemy. This is the boon that I
seek.”
Salya says, “Given these circumstances, tell me how I can support you?
I must, of course, fight for your enemy, having been bound by the Kauravas
with their wealth.”
Yudhishtira says, “O Salya, the boon I want is the one I sought during
the preparations for the war: that you must weaken the energy of the Suta’s
son Karna during battle.”
Salya says, “I grant you your wish, son of Kunti. Go, fight at your
pleasure. I shall ensure your victory.”’
Sanjaya continues, ‘Having obtained the permission of his maternal
uncle, the ruler of the Madras, Yudhishtira, surrounded by his brothers,
comes out of that vast army.
Krishna goes up to Radha’s son on the battlefield. And on behalf of the
Pandavas, Krishna says to Karna, “I have heard, Karna, that because of
your hatred of Bhishma you will not fight. Come to our side, O Radheya,
and remain with us as long as Bhishma is not slain. After Bhishma is killed,
you can fight for Duryodhana, if you have no preference for any of the
sides.”
Karna says, “I will not do anything that is offensive to Dhritarashtra’s
son, Kesava. Devoted to Duryodhana’s good, know that I have offered up
my life for him.” Krishna stays silent, and rejoins the Pandavas.
Amidst all the fighting men, Yudhishtira loudly exclaims, “He who will
choose us now shall be our ally!”
Seeing them, Yuyutsu says cheerfully to Yudhishtira Dharmaraja, “I will
fight under your banner in war, against the sons of Dhritarashtra, if you will
accept me, sinless one!”
Yudhishtira says, “Come, all of us will fight against your foolish
brothers, Yuyutsu. Krishna and we all say to you: we accept you,
Mahabaho, fight for my cause. It appears that both the thread of
Dhritarashtra’s line as also his funeral rites rest upon you. Splendid prince,
accept us who receive you. The wrathful and evil-minded Duryodhana will
cease to live.”’
Sanjaya continues, ‘Yuyutsu, abandoning the Kauravas, your sons,
crosses over to the army of the Pandavas, to the beating of drums and
cymbals. Yudhishtira, again joyfully puts on his radiant coat of armour.
Those bulls among men mount their respective chariots and they
organise their troops in battle formation as before. They cause hundreds of
drums and cymbals to be sounded. They roar like lions. Seeing those tigers
among men, the sons of Pandu, on their chariots, the allied kings, with
Dhrishtadyumna and others, once more set up shouts of joy.
Observing the nobility of the Pandavas, who had paid due honour to
those that were deserving of it, all the gathered kings praise them. And the
kings talk with one another about the friendship, the compassion, and the
kindness to kinsmen, displayed at the proper time by those high-souled
ones. Excellent! Excellent! These are the words spoken everywhere,
together with eulogies about those famed heroes.
As a result of this, the minds and hearts of everyone present are drawn
to them. The Mlechchas and the Aryas there, who saw or heard of what the
Pandavas had done, all weep, deeply moved. Those great warriors, of
terrific tejas, cause large drums and pushkaras by the hundreds and
thousands to be sounded; they blow their milk-white conches.’
CANTO 44
BHISHMA VADHA PARVA CONTINUED
hritarashtra says, ‘When the legions of both my side and that of the
enemy are thus arrayed, who strikes first, the Kauravas or the
Pandavas?’
Sanjaya says, ‘Hearing the words of his elder brother, your son
Dussasana advances with his troops, with Bhishma at their head. The
Pandavas, led by Bhima, also advance with joyful hearts, wanting battle
with Bhishma. Leonine shouts, the noise of krakachas and the blare of cow-
horns, and the sound of drums and cymbals, rise on all sides. The fighting
men of the enemy assail us, and we too charge against them with loud
shouts. The ensuing uproar is deafening.
In that terrible encounter, the vast armies of the Pandavas and the
Dhartarashtras shudder for that reverberance of conches and cymbals, like
forests shaken by the wind. The clamour of the hordes of kings, elephants
and horses, rushing against one another in that evil hour, is as loud as that
of tempestuous oceans.
And when that din, making one’s hair stand on end, arose, Mahabaho
Bhima begins to roar like a bull. Bhima’s roars resound above the clamour
of conches and drums, the grunts of elephants, and the leonine shouts of the
warriors. Indeed, the shouts of Bhima transcend the neighing of the
thousands of horses in both armies.
Hearing Bhima roaring like thunderclouds, his voice like the report of
Sakra’s thunder, your warriors are terrified. At those roars of that Kshatriya,
the horses and elephants all urinate and excrete as other animals do at the
roar of the lion. Thundering like a deep mass of clouds, and assuming an
awful form, Bhima falls upon your sons.
Duryodhana, Durmukha and Dussaha, and that maharathika Dussasana,
and Durmarshana, and Vivimsati, and Chitrasena, and the mighty
maharatha Vikarna and also Purumitra, and Jaya, and Bhoja, and the valiant
son of Somadatta, shake their splendid bows like masses of clouds streaked
with flashes of lightning.
Drawing from their quivers long arrows resembling snakes that have just
cast off their skins, they surround that mighty archer charging towards
them, covering him with flights of arrows like the clouds shrouding the sun.
The five sons of Draupadi, and the majestic warrior Saubhadra, and
Nakula, and Sahadeva, and Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata’s race, attack those
Dhartarashtras, rending them with arrows like mountain peaks with bolts of
lightning. In that first encounter of the awe-inspiring twang of bowstrings
and their flapping against the leather gloves of the fighting men, no warrior,
on either side, retreats.
Bharatarishabha, I saw the lightness of hand of Drona’s disciples, in
particular those who, shooting countless arrows, always succeed in finding
their target. And the sound of bowstrings is unceasing, and the blazing
arrows flare through the air like meteors falling from the sky.
All the other kings stand as silent spectators witnessing that dread
encounter of kinsmen. Those maharathikas remember the old injuries
sustained at one another’s hands, and wrathfully strive in battle, Bhaarata,
always challenging each other aloud.
The two armies, of the Kauravas and the Pandavas, teeming with
elephants, horses and chariots, look exceedingly beautiful on the battlefield
like figures in a painting. The other kings all take up their bows. And the
Sun himself is veiled by the dust raised by the soldiers.
They attack one another, at the heads of their respective troops, at the
command of your son. The uproar of the elephants and the horses of those
kings dashing into battle mingles with the leonine shouts of the warriors
and the blast of conches and the sounds of drums. The tumult of that ocean,
having arrows for its crocodiles, bows for its snakes, swords for its
tortoises, and the bounding leaps of warriors for its gale, resembles a real
surging sea. And kings in thousands, commanded by Yudhishtira, along
with their forces, fall upon your son’s legions.
The encounter between the warriors of the two armies is intense, and no
difference can be seen between the men of the two warring sides, whether
battling, or retreating in disarray, or rallying again to the fight. In that
terrific and dreadful melee, Pitamaha Bhishma is most radiant, dominating
that teeming host.’
CANTO 45
anjaya says, ‘On the morning of that fateful day, the war that mangled
the bodies of many kings begins. And the deafening shouts, the
leonine roars of the Kauravas and the Srinjayas, both wanting victory in
battle, resound through earth and sky. And a tumultuous pandemonium is
heard mingled with the flaps of leather gloves and the blast of conches.
Like roaring tigers, the men shout against one another.
The sound of bowstrings stretched by gloved hands, the heavy tread of
foot-soldiers, the furious neighing of horses, the falling of sticks and iron
hooks on the heads of elephants, the clash of weapons, the jangle of the
bells of elephants as they rush against one another, and the rumble of
chariots like thunderclouds, mix to produce a clamour that makes one’s hair
stand on end.
And all the Kaurava warriors, reckless of their very lives and their
intentions cruel, charge, with standards raised, against the Pandavas.
Bhishma himself, taking up a bow that resembles the rod of Yama, charges
Dhananjaya on the field. Arjuna of flaming tejas, seizes up the celebrated
Gandiva, and rushes against Ganga’s son. Both these tigers among the
Kurus are determined to kill each other.
The mighty son of Ganga, despite a searing attack on the son of Pritha,
cannot make him falter. And so also Arjuna cannot make Bhishma waver in
battle.
The great archer Satyaki rides against Kritavarman. The battle duel
these two is fierce and makes the hair of onlookers stand on end. With loud
yells, Satyaki strikes Kritavarman, and Kritavarman smites Satyaki, and
each weakens the other. Pierced all over with arrows, these maharathas
shine like two blossoming kimsukas in spring bedecked with blood flowers.
The awesome young Abhimanyu battles Brihadbala. Soon, however, the
ruler of Kosala cuts off the standard and kills the sarathy of Subhadra’s son.
Abhimanyu wrathfully pierces Brihadbala with nine arrows, and with two
more that parantapa cuts down Brihadbala’s standard, and with yet another,
kills one of the protectors of his chariot wheels, and his charioteer as well.
And the two continue to exhaust each other with vicious arrows.
Bhima faces your son Duryodhana, that maharathika, proud and
pompous, who had so harmed the Pandavas. Both princes are tigers among
men and maharathas. And on the battlefield, they cover each other with
showers of arrows. And seeing these high-souled warriors fight, all are
amazed.
Dussasana charges maharathika Nakula and pierces him with countless
barbs which can pierce an enemy’s very vital organs. Laughing, the son of
Madri severs his adversary’s standard and bow, and strikes him with
twenty-five fine arrows. In the ferocious encounter, your powerful son kills
Nakula’s horses and cuts down his standard.
Durmukha assails the mighty Sahadeva, covering him with a storm of
shafts. The heroic Sahadeva fells Durmukha’s charioteer with a razor-tipped
arrow. Both men, irrepressible in fight, attempt to strike terror into each
other with vigorous shafts.
King Yudhishtira himself faces the ruler of the Madras, who breaks
Yudhishtira’s bow in his hands. Throwing aside the riven bow, Kunti’s son
takes up a stronger bow and one that can loose arrows more swiftly. With
wrathful cries and unerring aim, he covers the Madra king with deadly
shafts.
Dhrishtadyumna, O Bhaarata, rushes against Drona in wrath, and the
great Drona breaks the unyielding bow of the high-souled prince of
Panchala that always finds its deadly mark. He looses a terrible shaft that is
like the rod of Yama; this barb pierces the body of the Panchala prince.
Swiftly snatching up another bow and fourteen arrows, the son of Drupada
stabs Drona with a fluent volley. In high rage, they battle fiercely on.
The impetuous Sankha encounters Somadatta’s son who is equally
impulsive in battle and, asking him to stop and fight, shoots him in his right
arm. The son of Somadatta strikes Sankha through the shoulders. The duel
that follows between these two proud Kshatriyas soon becomes as ferocious
as an encounter between the Devas and the Danavas.
Maharatha Dhrishtaketu of immeasurable soul and great wrath storms
against Bahlika, himself an embodiment of rage. With a leonine roar,
Bahlika draws blood from Dhrishtaketu with a shower of keen shafts. The
king of the Chedis swiftly pierces Bahlika with nine savage arrows. Like
two incensed elephants, they duel in thunderous rage.
They confront each other, appearing even like the planets Angaraka and
Sukra.
The feral Ghatotkacha encounters the brutal and mighty rakshasa
Alambusha like Sakra facing Bala in battle. And Ghatotkacha, O Bhaarata,
pierces the rakshasa with ninety keen shafts.
Alambusha strikes Bhima’s son copiously with his straight and wild
wooden barbs. Lacerated, they shine like the mighty Sakra and the powerful
Bala during the ancient Devasura yuddha.
Sikhandin rides against Drona’s son Aswatthaman, only to be deeply
wounded with a long arrow, making him tremble. Sikhandin also strikes
Drona’s son deep with an elegant shaft, and they continue in this vein with
various kinds of barbs, plain and exotic.
Virata, the Senapati of a vast legion, swiftly advances to face Bhagadatta
in battle, and covers Bhagadatta with a shower of arrows like the clouds
showering rain upon a mountain breast. But Bhagadatta, that lord of the
earth, swiftly envelops Virata with his own arrow cloud like thunderheads
might the risen sun.
Kripa, son of Saradwat, rushes against Brihadkshatra, king of the
Kaikeyas, and shrouds him in a barrage of arrows. Brihadkshatra also rains
arrows down on the incensed son of Gautama. And having killed each
other’s horses and cloven off each other’s bows, those two soon find
themselves deprived of their chariots. In rage, they approach each other to
fight with swords. And dreadful and unparalleled is the duel which ensues
between them.
King Drupada wrathfully attacks Jayadratha, king of the Sindhus, who is
cheerfully awaiting battle. Jayadratha stabs Drupada with three arrows and
Drupada pierces him with a brace of barbs in return. And the battle between
them, also, is awesome and fierce, and brings great satisfaction to all
onlookers for it resembles a conflict between Sukra and Angaraka.’
CANTO 46
anjaya says, ‘Bhaarata, I will now describe to you the clashes between
hundreds and thousands of foot-soldiers, who abandon all restraint.
Here the son does not recognise the father, or the father the son of his loins;
the brother does not acknowledge the brother, nor the sister’s son his
maternal uncle. The maternal uncle does not acknowledge the sister’s son,
the friend not the friend.
The Pandavas and the Kauravas fight as if possessed by demons. Some
mighty warriors fall with their chariots shattered. The axle rods of chariots
break as they clash against shafts, and the spikes of chariot yokes against
spikes of chariot yokes.
And some warriors unite together to fight others that are similarly
together, all wanting to kill. Some chariots, obstructed by other rathas,
cannot move. Lofty elephants with rent temples fall upon other elephants,
rending one another in many places with their tusks. Others encountering
massive tuskers with arched howdahs and standards on their backs, and
trained to fight with their tusks, scream in agony.
Disciplined by training and goaded by pikes and hooks, elephants not in
rut attack those in demented musth. And some leviathans, encountering
those in rut, run in all directions, screeching like cranes. Many towering
mastodons, well-trained, and with juice trickling down from rent temples
and mouth, lacerated by swords, spears and arrows in their vital parts,
trumpet awfully and fall dead, shaking the earth. Some utter frightful cries
and run in all directions.
The broad-chested, powerful foot-soldiers that protect the elephants are
armed with pikes and bows, and bright battle-axes, and with maces and
clubs mounted with iron spikes, and short arrows, and lances, and brightly
polished swords; they, too, charge in all directions seeming determined to
kill each other. And the swords of brave fighters, steeped in human blood,
shine brightly.
And the sound of the swords of Kshatriyas as they whirl and fall upon
the vital parts of enemies is sickening. The heartrending wails of the hosts
of fighting men, crushed with maces and clubs, and cut down with well-
tempered swords, and pierced with the tusks of elephants, and grained by
tuskers, calling upon one another, can be heard, Bhaarata, ah, like the cries
of those cursed to hell.
Horsemen, on flying chargers with outstretched tails resembling the
plumage of swans, dash against one another. And hurled by the riders, long-
bearded golden barbs, polished and sharp, fall like snakes. Some heroic
horsemen, on agile coursers, leaping high, hew off the heads of warriors in
their chariots.
Here and there a maharatha, finding a host of cavalry within range,
decimates them with arrows. Many incensed elephants bedecked with
trappings of gold, and looking like newly-risen clouds, trample the horses
underfoot to bloody pulp. Some elephants, struck on their frontal globes and
flanks, and mangled by spears, scream horribly.
Massive tuskers, in the bewildering commotion, fling down and crush
horses along with their riders; and some, overthrowing horses and riders
with the points of their tusks, roam about smashing chariots with their
standards.
Some majestic bull elephants, bursting with a surfeit of energy and
gushing temporal juice, kill horses and their riders with trunks and legs.
Nimble arrows, polished and pointed, so like snakes, fall upon the heads,
the temples, the flanks, and the limbs of these great beasts.
And polished javelins, meteoric, hurled by noble arms, fall on all sides,
piercing coats of mail in scarlet bursts and penetrating the bodies of men
and horses. Many, drawing polished swords from sheaths made of the skins
of leopards and tigers, cut down the enemy with fell strokes. Others, though
themselves attacked and with gashed bodies, angrily fall upon their foes
with swords, shields and axes.
Some tuskers, dragging down and hurling chariots and their horses with
their trunks, begin to wander in all directions, exhorted by the cries of those
behind them. The men, some pierced by spears, some dismembered by
battle-axes, and some crushed by elephants and others trodden down by
horses, and some slashed by chariot wheels, and others by axes, cry out
plaintively to their kinsmen.
Some call out to their sons, and some to their fathers, and some to
brothers and other kinsmen. Some call to their maternal uncles, and some to
their sister’s sons. And some call out to others, on this frightful battlefield.
Countless warriors lose their weapons, or have their thighs broken.
Others with arms torn off or with gaping wounds, wail loudly, desperately
wanting to live. And some, with a little remaining strength, tortured by
thirst, and lying gasping on the field of battle, on the bare ground, beg for
water. And some, soaking in pools of blood, O Bhaarata, censure
themselves and your sons gathered for battle.
Brave Kshatriyas, who having injured one another, do not abandon their
duels or cry out. Instead, lying on the battlefield, they roar with joyful
hearts, and in great fury, they bite their own lips. They glower at one
another with faces rendered fierce by the furrowing of their brows. And still
others, enduring the pain caused by arrows and ghastly wounds, with
strength and tenacity, remain perfectly still and silent.
Other maharathikas, deprived of their own chariots, and flung down and
wounded by elephants, ask to be taken up on to the chariots of others. Many
look glorious with their wounds like blooming kinsukas. In all the legions,
countless cries can be heard, rising into the heavens.
And in this awful war that destroys Kshatriyas, the father kills the son,
the son kills the father, the sister’s son cuts down the maternal uncle, and
the uncle the sister’s son. Friend fells friend, and all kinsmen one another.
Such is the slaughter in this conflict of the Kauravas with the Pandavas.
In that monstrous war of no mercy, the forces of the Pandavas,
approaching Bhishma, begin to waver.
Mahabaho Bhishma, with his silver standard graced with the sign of the
palmyra with five stars, sitting on his majestic chariot, shines like the full
moon under Meru’s peak.’
CANTO 47
anjaya says, ‘After most of the morning of that terrible day passes in
that awesome engagement, so destructive of the most magnificent
men, Durmukha and Kritavarman, and Kripa, and Salya, and Vivimsati,
urged by your son, ride to Bhishma to protect him. Shielded by those five
maharathas Bhishma penetrates the Pandava host.
The palmyra standard of Bhishma glides through the Chedis, the Kasis,
the Karushas, and the Panchalas. With broad-tipped arrows, that Kshatriya
razes the enemy, cutting off heads, and shattering chariots with their yokes
and standards. Bhishma seems to veritably dance on his chariot as it courses
along its path.
Elephants, struck by him in their vital parts, shriek dismally.
Abhimanyu, mounted on his chariot yoked to excellent tawny steeds,
charges at Bhishma’s chariot in fury. With his standard adorned with a
golden karnikara tree, he draws near Bhishma and the five maharathas who
protect him. Abhimanyu strikes the standard of the palmyra-bannered
warrior with a keen shaft, and hotly engages Bhishma and his defenders.
Piercing Kritavarman with one arrow, and Salya with five, Abhimanyu
draws blood from the great patriarch with nine more. And with one shaft
brilliantly shot from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch, he cuts off his
adversary’s gold standard.
With another barb, piercing through every defence, he severs the head of
Durmukha’s sarathy from his body; with another, he breaks Kripa’s gold
bedecked bow. With a flurry of jagged shafts, this young maharatha strikes
so furiously, he also appearing to dance the while.
And seeing the lightness of his hand, the Devas are gratified. The deadly
accuracy of Abhimanyu makes the other maharathas, headed by Bhishma,
look upon him as being as much an archer as Arjuna himself. Sounding a
twang even like that of the Gandiva, while stretched and re-stretched, his
bow seems to revolve like a circle of fire.
Bhishma charges forward and pierces Arjuna’s son with nine seething
barbs; in turn, Abhimanyu burns the standard of that warrior of great tejas,
while Bhishma strikes Abhimanyu’s charioteer.
And Kritavarman, and Kripa, and Salya also, shoot Abhimanyu, but he
stands before them like the Mainaka mountain. Though surrounded by these
maharathas of the Dhartarashtra army, he continues to rain a ceaseless storm
of arrows upon them.
He obstructs their mighty weapons with his tumult of arrows, and
showering Bhishma with them, he sends up a joyful roar. And in this battle
with Bhishma, the strength of Abhimanyu’s handsome young arms is
wonderful to see. Despite this prowess, Bhishma also looses his arrows at
him. But Subhadra’s son wards them off, and fells Bhishma’s standard with
nine arrows. And seeing that wondrous feat, the soldiers there set up a loud
shout.
Bedecked with jewels, Bhishma’s lofty silver standard, bearing the
device of the palmyra, falls to the ground. Seeing this, the proud Bhima sets
up a great roar to cheer on the son of Subhadra.
The irresistible Bhishma now invokes powerful devastras to appear. The
Pitamaha of immeasurable soul envelops Abhimanyu with thousands of
mystic arrows. Ten great archers and maharathas of the Pandavas swiftly
advance in their chariots to protect the youthful hero Virata with his son,
and Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata’s race, and Bhima, the five Kekaya
brothers, and Satyaki.
As they recklessly fall upon him, Bhishma pierces the prince of
Panchala with three sizzling shafts, and Satyaki with ten. And with one
winged, razor like arrow, shot from his bow fully drawn bow, he cuts off
Bhima’s standard. That standard made of gold and bearing the device of a
lion, plunges from Bhima’s chariot. Bhima enraged stabs Bhishma with
three arrows, Kripa with one, and Kritavarman with eight.
And Uttara, the son of Virata, seated on a tusker with upraised trunk,
attacks the king of the Madras. Salya, however, succeeds in checking the
unparalleled speed of that prince of elephants racing towards his chariot.
Uttara wrathfully sets his leg upon the yoke of Salya’s chariot, and kills his
four magnificent horses.
Salya remains in that chariot, and hurls an iron spear like a venomous
snake at Uttara. The lance pierces Uttara’s coat of mail and he falls dead
from his elephant’s neck, with the hook and the lance loosened from his
grasp. And Salya takes up his sword and, leaping down from his chariot,
severs the enormous trunk of that mighty elephant. His coat of mail pierced
all over with a torrent of arrows, and his trunk hacked, the elephant cries
out and falls dead.
Salya hastily climbs into Kritavarman’s splendid chariot. Seeing his
brother Uttara slain and seeing Salya with Kritavarman, Virata’s son Sweta
blazes up in fury, like a fire on which ghee is poured. Stretching his
majestic bow that resembles the bow of Sakra himself, the mighty Sweta
rushes forward to kill Salya.
Surrounded on all sides by a host of chariots, Sweta moves towards
Salya’s chariot raining arrows at him. And seeing him charging like an
incensed elephant, seven of your maharathas, Rajan, surround him on all
sides, to save the king of the Madras from a certain death.
Those seven warriors are Brihadbala king of the Kosalas, and Jayatsena
of Magadha, and Rukmaratha, the gallant son of Salya, Vinda and
Anuvinda of Avanti, and Sudakshina, king of the Kambojas, and
Jayadratha, lord of the Sindhus and the kinsman of Brihadkshatra. The
stretched bows of these high warriors, decorated with many colours, look
like flashes of lightning in the clouds. And they all rain unceasing arrows
on Sweta’s head like the clouds tossed by the wind that pour rain on the
mountain breast at the end of summer.
That brilliant Kshatriya, enraged, strikes their bows with seven swift
broad-headed arrows, and continues to assail them. And in the same
moment as their bows are riven, they all instantly take up other bows. And
they shoot seven arrows at Sweta.
And again that Mahabaho of immeasurable soul breaks these other bows
with seven shafts. Their anger mounting, the maharathas whose bows have
been riven, seize seven lances, roar loudly, and cast those seven javelins at
Sweta’s chariot. Those fiery spears, which course through the air like
comets, with the sound of thunder, are all cleaved by seven uncanny shafts
before they can reach that most excellent warrior, master of the most fearful
astras.
Taking up a missile which can pierce every part of the body, he
unleashes it at Rukmaratha. And this powerful weapon, with a force greater
than that of a thunderbolt, pierces Rukmartha’s body and he falls
unconscious in his chariot. His charioteer fearlessly carries him away,
unconscious, before the eyes of all.
Taking up six other arrows adorned with gold, Mahabaho Sweta cuts off
the standard-tops of his six adversaries. That chastiser of enemies, piercing
their horses and charioteers, and raining ceaseless barbs upon these six
fighting men, moves towards the chariot of Salya. And seeing that
commander of the Pandava forces moving swiftly towards Salya’s chariot, a
loud uproar of anxious cries rises up in your army, O Bhaarata.
Your valiant son, with Bhishma at the head of his forces, and supported
by noble Kshatriyas and vast troops, advances towards Sweta’s ratha, and
rescues the Madra king from the jaws of death. A hair-raising battle erupts
between your soldiers and those of the enemy, one in which chariots and
elephants are all embroiled in bedlam. The old Kuru Pitamaha rains a flurry
of arrows upon Abhimanyu and Bhima, and the maharathika Satyaki, and
upon the ruler of the Kekayas, and Virata, and Dhrishtadyumna, and upon
the Chedi troops.’
CANTO 48
hritarashtra says, ‘When that brilliant archer Sweta advances towards

Salya’s chariot, what do the Kauravas and the Pandavas do, Sanjaya?
And also what does Bhishma do? Tell me, I entreat you.’
Sanjaya says, ‘Rajan, hundreds and thousands of noble Kshatriyas, all
brave maharathas, placing Sikhandin in the vanguard, and displaying their
strength to your royal son, want to rescue Sweta. And they move swiftly
towards Bhishma’s chariot, bedecked with gold, to kill that meridian
warrior. The battle that follows is hair raising to watch.
I will describe to you that astonishing and chilling battle between your
troops and those of the enemy. Bhishma empties many chariots of their
maharathas by sloughing off their heads with a barrage of arrows. Imbued
with energy equal to that of the sun, he shrouds the very sun with his shafts;
he eliminates his enemies that encircle him, like the rising sun dispels the
surrounding darkness.
The son of Shantanu shoots hundreds of thousands of arrows that claim
the lives of countless Kshatriyas. He cleaves the heads of countless valiant
fighting men. Elephants cased in spiked armour fall like mountains peaks
struck by lightning.
Chariots are seen entangled with one another. One chariot lies upon
another chariot, and one horse upon another. And reckless chargers bear the
corpses of daring young riders, hanging from their saddles with their bows
still in their lifeless hands.
With swords and quivers as yet attached to their bodies, and loosened
coats of mail, hundreds of men lie dead on the ground, sleeping on beds
worthy of heroes. Charging against one another, falling down and rising up
again, and charging once again, they fight hand to hand. Wounded deep by
each other, they reel on the battlefield.
Incensed elephants rush in all directions, and hundreds of maharathas
are slaughtered. Chariots and their riders are crushed on all sides. And they
fall upon each others’ chariots, and are killed by the arrows of another. A
maharatha can be seen to plunge from a height, his charioteer also having
been slain.
A thick pall of dust rises, and it is only by the twang of a hostile bow
that the presence of an opponent is known to an embattled fighter. From the
pressure upon their bodies, warriors gauge their enemies. And they fight on
with arrows, guided only by the sound of bowstrings.
The very hiss of the arrows shot by the fighting men at one another
cannot be heard. And so loud is the sound of drums that it seems to pierce
the ears. In that tumultuous uproar making the hair stand on end, the name
of the warrior called out as he shows his prowess, cannot be heard. The
father does not recognise the son of his loins.
As a wheel breaks, or the yoke is torn off, or a horse killed, the
maharatha is flung from his chariot, along with his sarathy. Many daring
fighters, deprived of their rathas, are seen to take flight. Some are killed,
while others are struck in their very vitals: but none escape unscathed, when
dreadful Bhishma attacks the enemy.
In that burning, awesome fray, Sweta slaughters a vast number of the
Kauravas. And he kills hundreds upon hundreds of noble princes with his
inexorable arrows; in every direction, he smashes the bows and cuts off the
heads of hundreds of great warriors, their arms decked with angadas.
Sweta annihilates maharathas and splinters chariot wheels, the chariots
themselves, and shreds standards both small and large and precious, and
numerous horses, and a multitude of men. As for me, fearing Sweta, and
abandoning the magnificent Bhishma, I retreated from the battle and now
stand before you, Rajan.
And all the Kauravas, though armed for war, desert Bhishma, and stand
like spectators beyond the range of arrows. Joyful in the hour of widespread
gloom, that tiger among men, Bhishma, alone stands unshakeable like
Meru.
Melting the enemy, like the sun at winter’s end, he stands in the shining
radiance of his chariot like the irradiant sun. And that great archer shoots a
tempest of arrows and mows down the enemy.
And being slaughtered by Bhishma in that fierce fight, the enemy
warriors break ranks and flee from him, as if from a dire inferno.
Encountering the prodigious Sweta, Bhishma alone stands calm and
undaunted. Devoted to the cause of Duryodhana, he begins to ravage the
Pandava warriors. Uncaring for his life, which is so precious to all men, he
fearlessly destroys the Pandava army.
Seeing Sweta strike down the Dhartarashtra legions, your father
Bhishma charges him. Sweta covers Bhishma with a fusillade of arrows.
And Bhishma also cloaks Sweta in a shroud of shafts. And roaring like two
bulls, they fall upon each other, like colossal maddened elephants or two
raging tigers.
Thwarting each other’s weapons with their own, those bulls among men,
Bhishma and Sweta, fight, each to kill the other. In a single day the angry
Bhishma can obliterate the Pandava army, if Sweta did not protect it.
Seeing Sweta holding off the Pitamaha, the Pandavas are filled with joy,
while your son becomes despondent. Supported by his allies, Duryodhana
garners his troops and wrathfully attacks the Pandava host.
Momentarily turning away from the son of Ganga, Sweta begins to
energetically slaughter your son’s forces like a violent wind uprooting trees.
Beside himself with wrath, having routed your army, the son of Virata
advances again towards Bhishma.
And those two high-souled maharathas, both blazing arrows, battle each
other like Vritra and Vasava of old. Drawing his bow to the fullest stretch,
Sweta pierces Bhishma with seven shafts. Bhishma swiftly checks his
adversary like an incensed elephant curbing an angered rival.
Sweta, who delights the Kshatriyas with his prowess, strikes Bhishma,
who in return stabs him with ten shining barbs. Yet that glorious warrior
stands still like a mountain. Sweta gores Shantanu’s son with twenty-five
shafts, filling all those around them with wonder.
Smiling and licking the corners of his mouth, Sweta shatters Bhishma’s
bow into ten pieces with ten perfect arrows. Then aiming a plumed iron
barb, he cleaves the palmyra on top of Bhishma’s standard.
Seeing the standard of Bhishma cut down, your sons think that Sweta
has killed the Pitamaha. The elated Pandavas, thinking the same, blow their
conches. Seeing the palmyra standard of the great Bhishma laid low, a
furious Duryodhana urges his troops into battle. And they all converge to
protect Bhishma who was in danger.
To both his forces and to bystanders, the king says, "Either Sweta will
die today, or Bhishma!"
Hearing Duryodhana, his maharathas swiftly advance to protect the son
of Ganga. With great alacrity, Bahlika and Kritavarman, and Kripa, and
Salya also, O Bhaarata, and the son of Jarasandha, and Vikarna, and
Chitrasena, and Vivimsati surround Bhishma, and shower Sweta with a high
storm of arrows.
That celebrated Kshatriya adroitly checks those angry opponents,
displaying his own dexterity. Stopping them like a lion might a herd of
elephants, Sweta smashes Bhishma’s bow with a singing cloud of arrows.
Bhishma takes up another bow and pierces Sweta, Rajan, with feathered
barbs. Sweta animatedly strikes Bhishma with numerous shafts before
everyone’s eyes.
Duryodhana is distraught seeing Bhishma, that most excellent Kshatriya,
thwarted in battle by Sweta, and your whole army is alarmed. And all who
see great Bhishma, mangled by Sweta’s arrows, believe him to be dead.
Enraged, seeing his standard fallen and the Dhartarashtra army checked,
Bhishma looses a refulgent volley at Sweta. But Sweta, magnificent
maharatha, wards off Bhishma’s arrows, and once again rives the
Pitamaha’s bow with a thick and heavy shaft.
Beside himself, Bhishma flings aside that bow and takes up another
bigger and stronger one. Aiming seven flat, whetted arrows, he kills
Sweta’s four horses with four, cuts down his standard with two, and with
the seventh, provoked beyond all measure, cuts off his charioteer’s head.
The stricken Sweta jumps down from his chariot. Bhishma attacks him
from all sides with dense, relentless broadsides of arrows. Bleeding from
many wounds, Sweta leaves his bow on his abandoned chariot and seizes up
an occult golden lance.
Taking up that fierce astra which resembles the rod of Yama and could
slay Death itself, Sweta furiously cries to Bhishma, “Stop and watch me,
best of men!” And that great young hero hurls the serpentine lance,
displaying his valour on behalf of the Pandavas. Loud exclamations arise
among your sons, as they see that awesome missile in all its splendour. And
launched by Sweta’s arm, that ayudha like a snake that has just cast off its
skin, falls like a meteor from the sky. Without the slightest quiver of fear,
Bhishma cuts the shining thing that blazes through the air into nine
fragments with eight winged arrows.
All your forces roar in jubilation. The son of Virata, seeing his lance of
power desiccated, stands shocked, trembling suddenly, uncertain like one
touched by the arrival of his final hour. But his rage still high, Sweta
masters himself, and smiling, takes up a recondite mace to kill Bhishma.
His eyes ruby red, and even more like a second Yama now, he assails
Bhishma like a swollen river dashing against rocks.
So knowing of the strengths of others, knowing that Sweta’s gada is
impossible to thwart, Bhishma leaps down from his chariot to escape that
sorcerous weapon. Sweta whirls the heavy mace in fury and casts it at
Bhishma’s chariot like Siva himself. And the mace, intended for Bhishma’s
destruction, reduces his chariot, its standard and its charioteer, its horses
and its shaft, all to ashes. On seeing great Bhishma reduced to fighting on
foot, many maharathas like Salya rush to his rescue.
Mounting another chariot and rather dejectedly stretching his bow,
Bhishma slowly advances towards Sweta; he hears a celestial voice, an
asariri in the skies, fraught with his own good, which says, “Mahabaho
Bhishma, strive without losing a moment. This is the hour fixed by Brahma
for your victory over this one.”
Hearing those words spoken by the celestial voice, Bhishma joyfully
moves towards Sweta to kill him. Seeing maharatha Sweta fighting on foot,
many great Pandava warriors rush to his rescue: Satyaki, and Bhimasena,
and Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata’s race; and the five Kekaya brothers, and
Dhrishtaketu and Abhimanyu of great energy.
And seeing them, Bhishma, along with Drona and Salya and Kripa,
arrests them all like a mountain stopping the force of the wind. When all the
high-souled warriors of the Pandava side are thwarted, Sweta cleaves
Bhishma’s bow with a sword. Throwing aside that bow, the Pitamaha,
having heard the celestial message, decides it is time to slay Sweta.
Though baffled by Sweta’s genius, maharatha Bhishma seizes up
another bow, as splendid as that of Sakra himself, and instantly strings it.
He advances towards Sweta alone, though the prince is surrounded by those
tigers among men with Bhima at their head.
Seeing Bhishma near, Bhima pierces him with sixty shafts. But Bhishma
checks Bhima, Abhimanyu and the other maharathas with awesome astras.
He also strikes Satyaki with a hundred arrows, Dhrishtadyumna with twenty
and the Kekaya brothers with five.
Holding up all those great archers with his own deadly fire, the
Pitamaha advances purposefully towards Sweta. Invoking an inexorable
weapon of Death, Bhishma sets it to his bowstring. And that winged shaft,
imbued with the force of the Brahmastra, is watched by the Devas and
Gandharvas, and Pisachas and Uragas, and Rakshasas at the moment
Bhishma releases it.
In an eruption of blood, that blazing ayudha plunges cleanly through
Sweta’s coat of mail and his body and passes into the earth, with a flash
akin to lightning. Like the setting sun that divests the earth of light, the astra
passes through Sweta, carrying away his life. Thus slain in battle by
Bhishma, we see that young tiger among men fall to the ground like a
crumpled mountain peak.
And all the maharathas of the Kshatriya race on the Pandava side
lament. Your sons and all the Kauravas are elated. Seeing Sweta slain,
Dussasana dances in joy on the battlefield to the loud music of conches and
drums.
When that magnificent archer, that jewel of battle, is killed by Bhishma
the other Pandava archers led by Sikhandin tremble in fear. Arjuna and
Krishna slowly withdraw the men for the nightly rest. Bhaarata, the forces
of both sides withdraw with frequent roars. And the Partha maharathas
enter their quarters downcast, thinking of the dreadful slaughter of their
splendid commander.’
CANTO 49
hritarashtra says, ‘When Sweta is killed, how do the Panchalas, those

mighty archers, on the Pandava side, respond? Hearing that Sweta
has been slain, what transpires between his comrades and his
opponents that retreat before them?
Sanjaya, hearing of our victory, your words please me. My heart feels no
shame in remembering our wrongdoing. The Pitamaha of Kuru’s race is
ever triumphant and devoted to us.
As for Duryodhana, having provoked war with that intelligent son of his
uncle, on one occasion he looked for the protection of the sons of Pandu as
he was anxious and afraid of Yudhishtira. At that time, abandoning
everything, he was despondent. In view of the skill of the Pandavas, and
thwarted and ensnared on all sides, Duryodhana for some time showed
honourable behaviour, and placed himself under their protection.
Why, therefore, Sanjaya, has Sweta, who was loyal to Yudhishtira, been
killed? Indeed, this magnificent prince has been hurled down to patala by a
number of these despicable enemies of ours.
Bhishma does not support the war, nor does Acharya Drona; neither
Kripa nor Gandhari likes it. Sanjaya, nor do I like it; neither does Krishna
of Vrishni’s race, nor Yudhishtira; nor Bhima, nor Arjuna, nor the twins,
Nakula and Sahadeva, bulls among men. Always warned by me, by
Gandhari, by Vidura, by Rama the son of Jamadagni, and by the high-
souled Vyasa also, the depraved and corrupt Duryodhana, with Dussasana,
always following the evil counsels of Karna and Subala’s son, has behaved
maliciously towards the Pandavas, and so great misfortune has fallen upon
him.
After the killing of Sweta and the victory of Bhishma, what does the
enraged Partha, with Krishna, do in battle? Indeed, it is Arjuna that I fear,
and these fears cannot be dispelled. He is so very brave and powerful. He
can decimate his enemies with his arrows. The son of Indra, and equal to
Upendra, the younger brother of Indra, he is a warrior whose fury and intent
are never futile. When you behold him on the field of war, what is your
state of mind?
Valiant, familiar with the Vedas, resembling the Fire and the Sun in
radiance, and owning knowledge of the Aindrastra, this Kshatriya of
immeasurable soul is always victorious. His weapons always descend on his
enemies with the force of the thunderbolt and he is blindingly quick in
drawing his bowstring.
The formidable son of Drupada is also endowed with great wisdom.
What does Dhrishtadyumna do when Sweta is killed? I am certain that the
implacable hearts of the Pandavas burn for the injustices heaped upon them
and the death of Sweta. Thinking of their wrath I am never at ease, by day
or by night, on account of Duryodhana. How does the great war unfold?
Tell me all about it, Sanjaya.’
Sanjaya says, ‘Listen carefully, Rajan, to the account of your own
wrongdoings. It is not fitting for you to attribute their outcome to
Duryodhana. Your understanding is much like the construction of an
embankment after the waters have disappeared, or like the digging of a well
when the house is on fire.
With the passing of the morning, and the killing of Sweta by Bhishma,
Virata’s son Sankha, that grinder of the enemy, always delighting in battle,
seeing Salya stationed with Kritavarman on his chariot, suddenly blazes in
anger, as does a fire when ghee is poured on it. Stretching his immense bow
that is like the bow of Indra himself, he rides to kill the king of the Madras,
supported on all sides by a legion of chariots. And Sankha shoots a torrent
of arrows as he dashes towards Salya’s chariot.
Seeing him come like an enraged elephant, seven of your maharathas
surround Salya to save him from the jaws of death. Mahabaho Bhishma,
thundering like the very clouds, and taking up a bow six cubits long, rides
swiftly at Sankha.
And seeing great Bhishma charge, the Pandava host trembles like a skiff
tossed in a storm. Arjuna swiftly places himself in front of Sankha to
protect him from Bhishma. And the duel between Bhishma and Arjuna
begins. Loud exclamations arise among the gathered. One army blurs into
the other, and all are filled with wonder.
Salya alights from his great chariot, and savagely kills Sankha’s four
horses with his mace. Sankha jumps down from his chariot and, sword in
hand, runs to Arjuna’s chariot where he is safe, and mounts it. A dense
cloud of arrows from Bhishma’s chariot covers all the sky and the earth.
The arrows that fall from that most excellent archer’s deadly cloud
annihilate the Panchala, the Matsya, the Kekaya and the Prabhadraka horde
and rills of blood flow on Kurukshetra.
Leaving Arjuna Savyasachin, the perfectly ambidextrous bowman,
Bhishma dashes towards Drupada, king of the Panchalas, surrounded by his
forces. And he shrouds his beloved kinsman with a dazzle of arrows. Like a
forest consumed by fire at winter’s end, the troops of Drupada are
obliterated.
Bhishma stands in that battle like a radiant smokeless fire, or like the
sun himself at noon scorching everything with his heat. The Pandava
fighting men are unable to even look at him. In terror, they look around for
a protector, and seeing none, seem like a herd of trembling cows.
The Pandava forces, slaughtered or retreating dejectedly, lament
dispiritedly while being pursued.
Bhishma, with bow always drawn in a circle, shoots fiery shafts like
virulent poison, creating a continuous stream of arrows in all directions;
that hero of rigid vows kills the Pandava maharathas naming each aloud as
he picks them off one by one. When the Pandava troops have been routed
and crushed, corpses askew strewn across the battlefield, the sun sets and
nothing can be seen.
And then, Bharatarishabha, beholding Bhishma, proudly standing before
them, the Parthas withdraw their forces for the night.’
CANTO 50
anjaya says, ‘When the troops have been withdrawn on the first day,
and when Duryodhana is elated seeing Bhishma in full fury of battle,
Dharmaraja Yudhishtira hastily approaches Krishna, accompanied by all his
brothers and his allies.
Filled with great despair thinking of his rout, and seeing Bhishma’s
dominance, he says to Krishna, “See how Bhishma of terrible prowess
consumes my forces with his arrows like fire consuming dry grass. How
can we even look at that high-souled warrior who is sweeping through my
men like flames fed with ghee?
Watching that purushavyaghra with his mighty bow, my men flee,
excoriated by his barbs. Enraged Yama himself, or Indra armed with the
Vajra, or even Varuna with Paasa in hand, or Kubera with his mace may be
defeated. But maharatha Bhishma is impossible to overcome. I am
drowning in the fathomless ocean called Bhishma, without a boat to rescue
me.
Kesava, it is from my abysmal ignorance that I have Bhishma as my
adversary in war. I want to quit this terrible massacre and take sannyasa in
the forest. To live there is preferable to sacrificing these earthly kings to
Death come hunting us in the form of Bhishma.
Bhishma is a master of the greatest astras, and he will annihilate my
army. My fighting men are like insects rushing into a raging fire to their
certain death. In fighting for a kingdom, I am being led only to sure
destruction.
My gallant brothers also bear arrows for my sake, having lost both
sovereignty and happiness for the love of me, their eldest brother. We
regard life highly, and it is too precious to be so lightly sacrificed. During
the rest of my days I will practise the severest tapasya. I will not anymore
be the cause of the deaths of my friends and my kinsmen.
The resplendent Bhishma, with his divine weapon, ceaselessly thwarts
thousands of my maharathas, the most excellent of great warriors. Tell me,
Krishna, without delay, what should I do for my own good?
As for Arjuna, I see that he is an unmoved spectator in this battle. Only
great Bhima, remembering Kshatriya dharma, fights with all his strength.
With his mighty mace, this high-souled Kshatriya achieves the most
difficult victories over foot-soldiers and horses, chariots and elephants. But
this hero cannot in fair fight destroy the enemy even in a hundred years.
Only your Arjuna can achieve this with his Devastras.
He looks on indifferently as we are overpowered by Bhishma and
Drona. The unceasing astras of Bhishma and Drona raze all our Kshatriyas.
Unquestionably, the raging Bhishma and his allies will annihilate us.
Krishna, go look for that great archer, that maharatha, who can extinguish
Bhishma like rain clouds a forest fire. Then with your blessings, the sons of
Pandu, their enemies defeated and their kingdom restored, will be at peace
with their kinsmen.”
Having said this, Yudhishtira, with a grieving heart and mind in turmoil,
remains silent in reflection for a long time. Seeing the son of Pandu stricken
with grief, Krishna lifts the spirit of the Pandavas saying, “Do not mourn,
lord of the Bhaaratas. It does not befit you to lament, when your brothers
are all brave archers renowned the world over.
I also am engaged in working towards your welfare, as are the revered
maharathas Satyaki and Virata and Drupada, and Dhrishtadyumna of
Prishata’s line. All these kings and their legions honour you and are devoted
to you. Maharatha Dhrishtadyumna, who commands your army, wants your
welfare, as also Mahabaho Sikhandin, who is the one certain to kill
Bhishma.”
Hearing these words, before the assembled men and in the presence of
Krishna, Yudhishtira says to Dhrishtadyumna, “You of Prishata’s lineage,
listen to my words which must not be violated. Approved by Vasudeva, you
have been our Senapati. As Kartikeya was the Senapati of the divine forces,
in bygone days, so also are you for the Pandava army.
Use your prowess, O tiger among men, and exterminate the Kauravas. I
will follow you along with Bhima, and Krishna also, and the sons of Madri,
all united together, the sons of Draupadi in full armour, and all the other
valiant kings.”
Dhrishtadyumna says, “Ordained by Shambhu himself, I am the
proclaimed destroyer of Drona. I shall wage war against Bhishma, and
Drona and Kripa, and Salya and Jayadratha, and all the proud kings on the
Kaurava side.”
When that most glorious of princes, that slayer of enemies, the son of
Prishata, says this defiantly, the Pandava warriors are once more filled with
great unyielding courage and heart, and roar loudly.
Yudhishtira says to Dhrishtadyumna, “Form the vyuha called
Krauncharuma. This formation was the one advocated by Brihaspati to
Indra in ancient days when the Devas and the Asuras fought, and it
devoured enemy hosts. Unseen before, dazzle the Kauravas with its power.”
Thus addressed by that god among men, Yudhishtira, like Vishnu by
Indra, Dhrishtadyumna places Arjuna in the vanguard of the army at dawn.
And Dhananjaya’s standard, crafted by divine power at Indra’s command,
waves gloriously in the crisp morning air.
Decked with the colours of the Indradhanusha, the rainbow, that
standard coursing through the air looks like an edifice of vapour which
seems to glide along its chariot. And the bearer of the Gandiva, adorned
with jewels, and that standard beside him, looks doubly brilliant, like
Brahma with the Sun, and the Sun with the Self-created One.
King Drupada, surrounded by a host of fighting men, becomes the head
of that vyuha. And the two kings Kuntibhoja and Saibya become its two
eyes. And the ruler of the Dasarnas, and the Prayagas, with the Daserakas,
and the Anupakas, and the Kiratas are its neck, Bharatarishabha.
Yudhishtira with the Patachcharas, the Hunas, the Pauravakas and the
Nishadas, so also the Pisachas, with the Kundavishas, and the Mandakas,
the Ladakas, the Tanganas, and the Uddras, and the Saravas, the
Tumbhumas, the Vatsas, and the Nakulas, become its right wing. And
Nakula and Sahadeva place themselves on the left wing.
On the joints of the wings are ten thousand chariots, and on the head a
hundred thousand; on the back of the vyuha are a hundred million and
twenty thousand rathas, and on the neck a hundred and seventy thousand.
On the joints of the wings and their tips move majestic elephants, like
blazing mountains. And the rear is protected by Virata with the Kekayas,
and the ruler of Kasi and the king of the Chedis, with thirty thousand
chariots.
Forming this mighty vyuha, the Pandavas, eager for sunrise, await battle
in armour. And their white royal parasols, rich and sparkling, as brilliant as
the sun, bedazzle on their elephants and chariots.’
CANTO 51
anjaya says, ‘Seeing the awesome Krauncha vyuha, formed by Pandu’s

son of immeasurable energy, your son approaches Acharya Drona, and
Kripa, and Salya, and Somadatta’s son, and Vikarna, and Aswatthaman
also, and all his brothers, led by Dussasana, and other mighty Kshatriyas
gathered for battle, and speaks these judicious and pleasing words, “Armed
with diverse weapons, you are all familiar with the shastras. Each of you
maharathas is singly capable of decimating the sons of Pandu with their
legions. How much more then we can accomplish when you are united. Our
forces, protected by Bhishma, are beyond measure, while theirs, protected
by Bhima, are limited.
Let the Samsthanas, the Surasenas, the Venikas, the Kukkuras, the
Rechakas, the Trigartas, the Madrakas, the Yavanas, with Shatrunjayas, and
Dussasana, and that admirable Vikarna, and Nanda and Upanandaka, and
Chitrasena, along with the Manibhadrakas, protect Bhishma with their
fighting men.”
Then Bhishma and Drona and your sons form a mighty vyuha for
resisting that of the Parthas. And Bhishma, surrounded by a vast fighting
force, advances like the king of the Devas himself. And that mighty archer,
the son of Bharadwaja, endowed with immense tejas, follows him with the
Kuntalas, the Dasarnas, and the Magadhas, and with the Vidarbhas, the
Melakas, the Karnas, and the Pravaranas also.
The Gandharas, the Sindhusauviras, the Sibis and the Vasatis with all
their legions follow Bhishma, that ornament of battle; and Sakuni, with all
his warriors, protects him. King Duryodhana, with all his brothers, with the
Aswalakas, the Vikarnas, the Vamanas, the Kosalas, the Daradas, the
Vrikas, as also the Kshudrakas and the Malavas, advances spiritedly against
the Pandava army.
And Bhurisravas, and Sala, and Salya, and Bhagadatta, and Vinda and
Anuvinda of Avanti, guard the left flank. And Somadatta, and Susarman,
and Sudakshina, the ruler of the Kambojas, and Satayus, and Srutayus, are
on the right flank. Aswatthaman, and Kripa, and Kritavarman of Satwata’s
race, with a very large akshauhini, are at the rear of the army. And behind
them are the kings of many lands, Ketumat, and Vasudana, and the powerful
son of the king of Kasi.
All the forces on your side joyfully await battle, blowing their conches
with delight, and roaring like lions. Hearing these happy shouts the revered
and powerful Bhishma also roars and blows his conch. Conches and drums,
and many kinds of pesis and cymbals are sounded by others, setting up an
upsurge of pulsating noise.
Krishna and Arjuna, both on a majestic chariot yoked to white horses,
blow their beautiful conches decked with gold and jewels. Hrishikesa blows
the Panchajanya, and Dhananjaya the one named Devadatta. Bhima of
terrible deeds blows the enormous Paundra, and king Yudhishtira blows the
Anantavijaya, while Nakula and Sahadeva blow upon the Sughosa and
Manipushpaka.
The ruler of Kasi, and Saibya, and maharathas Sikhandin and Satyaki,
and Dhrishtadyumna, and Virata, and that awesome archer, the king of the
Panchalas, and the five sons of Draupadi, all blow their conches and set up
leonine roars. And the great uproar of these Kshatriyas reverberates
thunderously through the earth and the sky.
Thus, Rajan, the Kauravas and the Pandavas advance against each other
eager to scorch each other in further battle.’
CANTO 52
hritarashtra says, ‘When the two armies stand ready in battle

formation, how do those excellent warriors begin their attack?’
Sanjaya says, ‘When all the forces are arrayed, the fighting men
wait, in full armour, with their beautiful standards raised. And seeing the
Kaurava army looking like the boundless ocean, your son Duryodhana,
standing within it, commands his forces into fight.
The soldiers, with savage intent, abandoning all caution, charge the
Pandavas, with standards aloft. The battle is fiercely fought and makes
one’s hair stand on end. The chariots and elephants blur into each other.
And vigorous, beautifully feathered shafts shot by maharathas rain down on
the elephants and horses.
Mahabaho Bhishma of awesome prowess, encased in mail, takes up his
bow, and approaching them, looses a torrent of arrows on the valiant son of
Subhadra, and maharatha Arjuna, and the king of the Kekayas and Virata,
and Dhrishtadyumna, as also upon the Chedi and the Matsya warriors.
And that mighty Pandava vyuha wavers at Bhishma’s onslaught.
Terrible is that encounter, terrible the Kuru grandsire. Horses and riders,
and maharathas, fall swiftly. The Pandava chariot akshauhinis melt away.
Then that tiger among men, Arjuna, seeing the supreme Bhishma,
angrily says to Krishna, “Press forward towards the Pitamaha. Bhishma
incensed will annihilate our army for Duryodhana’s sake. And this Drona,
and Kripa and Salya and Vikarna, united with Dhritarashtra’s sons headed
by Duryodhana, and protected by this awesome archer, will slaughter the
Panchalas. I must stop him.”
Krishna cautions him saying, “Be careful, Dhananjaya, as I take you
towards the Pitamaha’s chariot.” And he drives Arjuna’s celebrated chariot
towards Bhishma’s.
With numerous banners waving, with handsome steeds resembling a
flight of white cranes, with a raised standard bearing a roaring Vanara,
Arjuna, the friend of friends, swiftly draws up on his chariot of sunlike
radiance and the thunder of clouds, razing the Kaurava and the Surasena
hordes.
Dashing like an incensed elephant he terrifies brave warriors felling
them all round with his shafts, and encounters Bhishma, protected by the
forces headed by Saindhava and by the fighting men of the East, and the
Sauviras and the Kekayas. Who other than Bhishma, Drona and Karna can
advance in battle against the bearer of the Gandiva?
Bhishma strikes Arjuna with seventy-seven arrows and Drona shoots
him with twenty-five, and Kripa with fifty, and Duryodhana with sixty-four,
and Salya with nine; and Drona’s son, that purushavyaghra, with sixty, and
Vikarna with three barbs; and Saindhava with nine and Sakuni with five.
And Artayani pierces Pandu’s son with three thick shafts.
Though pierced from all sides with sharp arrows, Mahabaho Arjuna
does not falter; he is like a mountain struck by straws. In response, this
Kiriti of immeasurable soul pierces Bhishma with twenty-five and Kripa
with nine barbs, and Drona with sixty, and Vikarna with three shafts, and
Artayani with three, and Duryodhana also with five.
And then Satyaki, and Virata and Dhrishtadyumna, and the sons of
Draupadi, and Abhimanyu, all ride up, surrounding him for protection. The
prince of the Panchalas, supported by the Somakas, advances towards the
great Drona, who guards Bhishma.
Maharatha Bhishma swiftly stabs the son of Pandu with eighty fierce
arrows, greatly pleasing your soldiers. Hearing the shouts of those
maharathikas, Arjuna joyfully enters into their midst raining fire upon them.
Watching his troops struggle in battle against the son of Pritha,
Duryodhana says to Bhishma, “This mighty son of Pandu, with Krishna,
felling all our troops, cuts away our roots, even while you and Drona live. It
is on your account that Karna has laid aside his weapons, and does not fight
against the Pandavas. O son of Ganga, Arjuna must be killed!”
Bhishma Pitamaha saying, “Fie on this cruel Kshatriya dharma!” rides
towards Arjuna’s chariot. And all the kings, seeing both those warriors with
white horses yoked to their chariots, roar like lions and blow their conches.
Drona’s son and Duryodhana, and your son Vikarna, encircle Bhishma and
stand prepared; and so also do all the Pandavas, surrounding Dhananjaya.
And the battle begins.
Bhishma pierces Arjuna with nine shafts; Arjuna strikes him in return
with ten, probing his very vitals. With a thousand adroit missiles, Arjuna,
famed for his archery, shrouds Bhishma in a net of arrows. Bhishma
responds with a like mesh of his own. And both are pleased, and both
delighting in battle, contend with each other without either gaining any
advantage.
The flights of arrows from Bhishma’s bow are dispersed by Arjuna’s
shafts. And so the torrents of arrows shot by Arjuna, cleaved by the arrows
of Ganga’s son, all fall tamely to the ground. Arjuna strikes Bhishma with
twenty-five keenly whetted barbs. Bhishma strikes Partha with nine.
And these two glorious warriors, those Parantapas, sport with each
other, piercing each other’s chariots, horses, shafts and wheels. Suddenly
Bhishma strikes Krishna squarely in his chest with three sizzling barbs, and
Krishna bleeds red, Rajan, like a flowering kinsuka.
Infuriated at seeing Krishna wounded, Arjuna strikes Bhishma’s sarathy
with three searing arrows. Both maharathas strive against each other,
without success. The dexterity of their charioteers allows them to display
beautiful circles and advances and retreats with their chariots. They
zealously seek any slight opening to strike, frequently changing positions.
Both Kshatriyas blow their conches echoingly, the boom of which
mingles with their leonine roars; those maharathas twang their bows
deafeningly. The resonance of their conches and the rattle of their chariot
wheels agitate the very Earth, which begins to tremble and make cavernous
sounds.
No one detects any weakness in either of them. Both are strong and
courageous, and a match for the other. Guided by his fleeting standard, the
Kauravas seek refuge in Bhishma; the Pandavas are inspired by Arjuna’s
moving banner. Seeing this stunning display of prowess, all present are
filled with wonder.
No one, Bhaarata, observes any difference between the two, just as no
one finds lapses in a man of dharma. At times, both become perfectly
invisible in the prevailing clouds of arrows. At times, both are clearly seen.
The Devas with the Gandharvas and the Charanas, and the great Rishis
watching this, say to one another, “These wrathful maharathas cannot be
defeated by the Devas, the Asuras and the Gandharvas. This breathtaking
battle will be held in awe in all the worlds. Indeed, such a war will never
take place again.
Bhishma cannot be overcome by even brilliant maharatha Arjuna
raining down arrows. So also Arjuna, who cannot be vanquished by the
very gods, will not be defeated by Bhishma. As long as the world itself
lasts, so will this battle continue without an outcome.” We hear these words
in praise of both embattled warriors.
While these two are engaged in displaying their magnificent dexterity,
other soldiers of both armies kill one another with sharp-edged swords,
polished battle-axes, innumerable arrows, and a variety of weapons. Brave
fighting men continue to fell each other in the murderous war.
And the clash between Drona and the prince of the Panchalas is terrible
too.’
CANTO 53
hritarashtra says, ‘Tell me, Sanjaya, how that great archer Drona and
the Panchala prince of Prishata’s race fight, each striving to put forth
his utmost. I regard destiny to be superior to exertion, considering
that Bhishma could not escape Arjuna in battle. Indeed, when enraged,
Bhishma can destroy all mobile and immobile creation; then why can he not
kill the son of Pandu?’
Sanjaya says, ‘Listen attentively, Rajan, to the story of this awesome
war. The son of Pandu cannot be defeated by the very gods led by Indra.
With a range of arrows Drona pierces Dhrishtadyumna and fells his
charioteer. He also strikes Dhrishtadyumna’s four horses with four brilliant
shafts. The daring Dhrishtadyumna strikes Drona’s body deep with nine
arrows and arrests him.
Bharadwaja’s son, of great prowess and immeasurable soul, shrouds the
wrathful Dhrishtadyumna with his arrows. And he takes up a forbidding
missile, like a second rod of death, as powerful as Indra’s Vajra. Seeing that
astra aimed by Drona, fearful shouts arise among the fighting men.
We watch Dhrishtadyumna’s prowess as he stands alone like a
mountain, adamant. He cuts down that blazing arrow flying towards him
like his own death, and rains a storm of barbs on Drona. Seeing that
incredible feat of Dhrishtadyumna’s, the Panchalas with the Pandavas roar
in delight.
Always seeking Drona’s death, that fire prince hurls a spear at him,
decked with gold and stones of lapis lazuli, like a thunderbolt. Drona smiles
and cuts it into three slivers. Seeing his missile frustrated, Dhrishtadyumna
looses a gale of arrows on Drona. Containing that squall, maharatha Drona
smashes the Panchala prince’s bow in his hands.
His bow riven, Dhrishtadyumna casts a mace weighty as a mountain at
Drona. As it flies for Drona’s life, we witness the astounding dexterity of
Bharadwaja’s son. By a nimble movement of his chariot, he avoids that
golden arcane mace, in a wink, and looses a clutch of inscrutable golden-
winged shafts at Prishata’s son. These pierce Dhrishtadyumna’s armour
drinking his blood.
The high-souled Dhrishtadyumna takes up another bow, and strikes
Drona with five barbs. Those two bulls among men, both covered in blood,
look quite beautiful, like two blossoming kinsukas in spring.
Drona again breaks Drupada’s son’s bow in his hands. That profound
Kshatriya, the Acharya with arrows, like clouds lashing a mountain with
rain. Roaring like a lion, he fells his enemy’s sarathy and his four horses
from his bay in the chariot; elegantly, fiercely he cuts away the leather
glove that protects Dhrishtadyumna’s right hand.
His bow broken, deprived of his chariot, his horses slain, and charioteer
overthrown, the prince of Panchala begins to alight from his ruined ratha,
mace in hand, ready to display great prowess. But before he can leap down,
Bhaarata, Drona smashes his mace into fragments with arrows swifter than
seeing. Ah, that is breathtaking to see!
The stalwart prince of the Panchalas, that Mahabaho, takes up a grand
shield decked with a hundred moons, and a mighty sword, and dashes out,
like a ravenous lion towards an incensed elephant to kill Drona. With
lightness of hand and power, we see Bharadwaja’s son curb Prishata’s son
with a spate of arrows.
Yet for all his great power, Drona cannot himself advance, for the
maharatha Dhrishtadyumna stands resolute and unmoving, warding off
those arrow clouds with his shield with unmatched skill. Bhima swiftly
moves to help Dhrishtadyumna. He stabs Drona with seven arrows, and
forces him to clamber on to another chariot. Duryodhana cries at the king of
the Kalingas, with his large force, to protect Drona.
The fearsome Kalinga legion charges against Bhima at your son’s
command. And Drona, abandoning the prince of Panchala, faces Virata and
Drupada together. Dhrishtadyumna advances to support Yudhishtira. A
fierce fight breaks out between the Kalingas and Bhima, making one’s hair
stand on end; it quickly swells into an encounter that threatens to destroy
the universe.’
CANTO 54
hritarashtra says, ‘How does the king of the Kalingas, that

commander of a vast army, goaded by my son, fight Bhima of
stupendous feats, that Kshatriya ranging over the field of war with
his mace like Death himself?’
Sanjaya says, ‘Driven by your son, the mighty king of the Kalingas,
accompanied by a colossal force advances on Bhima’s chariot. And Bhima,
supported by the Chedis, charges that army, replete with chariots, horses
and elephants, and bristling with powerful weapons, flying towards him
with Ketumat, the son of the king of the Nishadas.
And Srutayus also, lively and armoured, followed by his troops in battle
formation, rides with king Ketumat to assail Bhima. The lord of the
Kalingas with thousands of chariots, and Ketumat with ten thousand
elephants, and the Nishadas encircle Vayu’s mighty son.
With Bhima at their head, the Chedis, the Matsyas and Karushas, along
with others, plunge wildly at the Nishadas. A fierce and majestic battle
erupts between Bhima and his enemies, all avid to kill one another, a terrific
fray that resembles the clash between Indra and the host of Diti’s sons. The
uproar of that horde reverberates like the booming ocean.
The fighting men fell one another, transforming the battlefield into a
cremation ground strewn horribly with flesh and flowing blood. The
warriors, in their frenzy of killing, cannot distinguish friend from foe, and
so men strike down their own. Ah, feverish is the encounter between the
few and many, between the Chedis on one side, and the Kalingas and the
Nishadas on the other.
After briefly displaying fierce valour, the Chedis abandon Bhima, and
turn away. Unruffled by the desertion, the son of Pandu takes on the
Kalingas single-handedly. The mighty Bhima stands unwavering, and
inundates the Kalinga legions with torrents of arrows.
That mighty archer, the king of the Kalingas, and his son the maharatha
Sakradeva, both strike Bhima painfully. Mahabaho Bhima fights back
bravely, but his horses are felled by Sakradeva’s volleys. Seeing Parantapa
Bhima without a chariot, Sakradeva attacks him fervently with a gale like a
cloudburst at the end of summer.
Bhima remains in his horseless chariot, and hurls an iron mace at
Sakradeva. The son of the Kalinga king plunges to the ground, with his
standard and sarathy, dead. Seeing his son killed, maharatha Srutayush
surrounds Bhima with thousands of chariots.
Bhima discards his mace and takes up a sword. Crimson eyed with
anguish and wrath, the great Kalinga rubs his bowstring, takes up an arrow
deadly as a king cobra, and shoots it at Bhima. Bhima cleanly divides that
coursing arrow in two with his imposing sword. And he roars in triumph,
terrifying the soldiers.
In deranged fury, the Kalinga launches fourteen bearded stone-whetted
shafts at Bhima, who in a blur smashes those arrows surging through the
sky into bits with his sword. Bhima, husky bull among men, attacks
Bhanumat. Bhanumat envelops Bhima with a shower of arrows, and makes
the sky echo with a resounding shout. Bhima responds with strident roar
after roar, like an angry tiger.
Hearing him roar so awfully, the Kalinga army grows fearful. That army
suddenly sees Bhima as being more than a mere man. Levering himself by
its tusks, Bhima, sword in hand, leaps onto the back of Bhanumat’s
elephant, and slices through Bhanumat with his magnificent sword,
bisecting his trunk in a flash of scarlet.
Having killed that prince of the Kalingas, Parantapa Bhima dissevers the
neck of his tusker which falls to the ground with a deafening bellow, like a
cliff whose base has been eroded by the heaving sea. Leaping down from
that dying elephant, the prince of Bharata’s race stands once again on the
ground, his mighty chest heaving, sword in hand and impervious as ever.
Destroying numberless elephants on all sides, he wanders across the
battlefield, looking like a moving wheel of fire, decimating akshauhinis of
cavalry, elephants, chariots, and hordes of foot-soldiers.
And that lord among men, the mighty Bhima, moves hawklike, cleaving
the bodies and heads of elephants and their riders with his keen-edged
sword. On foot and furious, he strikes fear into his bravest opponents and
baffles them single-handedly, like Yama during the pralaya. Only the
foolish dare challenge him rashly as he roams the battleground, sword in
hand.
That hulking, terrifying Kshatriya smashes the shafts and yokes of
chariots, also killing their warriors. Bhima displays all kinds of movements,
so surprisingly agile and graceful for one of his bulk: he turns, and wheels,
makes side-thrusts, jumps, runs, and leaps high. He races forwards and flies
upwards. And some are mangled, struck by his sword through their very
vitals, and others beheaded.
Many elephants, Bhaarata, some with their trunks and tusks severed,
others with their temporal lobes slit open, deprived of riders, kill their own
ranks and fall down with plaintive cries. And broken spears, and the heads
of elephant drivers, and beautiful caparisons of elephants, and dazzling
golden chords, and collars, and arrows and mallets and quivers, many kinds
of war machines, and beautiful bows, short arrows with polished heads and
hooks, and iron goads for driving elephants, bells of many shapes and tones,
and hilts decked with gold, are seen tumbling to the ground along with
horsemen past count.
And with elephants spread on the ground with parts of their bodies and
their trunks cut, or killed, the field appears to be spread with fallen hills.
That bull among men, having killed those majestic tuskers, moves on to
raze the horses, and also fells their riders. Savage and ferine is the battle
between him and them.
We see hilts and traces, and radiant golden saddle girths and covers for
the backs of horses, and bearded shafts, and costly swords, and coats of
mail, and shields, and beautiful ornaments scattered all around in that virile
encounter. Bhima covers the earth with blood as if it were dotted with
crimson lilies.
The mighty son of Pandu leaps high and dragging some maharathas
down, fells them and their standards with his sword. Filled with entirely
boundless energy, that Kshatriya sometimes lunges, or dashes on all sides,
along many sudden paths; and the fighting men all look on in wonder.
And some he kills with his legs, and others he drags down, thrusting
them into the earth. Some he strikes with his sword, and others he petrifies
with his roars. Some men are thrown to the ground by the force of his
thighs as he runs through them; others escape hastily, terrified to see him.
Yet again, the vast and vigorous force of the Kalingas rushes at the
dreadful Bhima and surrounds him. Seeing Srutayush at the head of the
Kalinga forces, Bhima charges him. The Kalinga king pierces Bhima’s
chest with nine whistling arrows. Like an elephant pierced with a goad,
Bhima blazes up in anger, like a fire fed with ghee.
Ashoka, that most excellent sarathy, brings up a golden chariot for
Bhima to mount. The son of Kunti swiftly climbs on and rides at the ruler
of the Kalingas, calling out to him to halt.
The mighty, infuriated Srutayush looses a luculent volley at Bhima,
flaunting his marvellous lightness of hand. Struck forcefully by nine shafts
from Kalinga’s bow, Bhima shivers like a snake beaten with a rod. With a
growl he raises his bow and kills the Kalinga king with seven massive iron
shafts.
With another two arrows he brings down the two powerful protectors of
Srutayush’s chariot wheels. He despatches Satyadeva and Satya to
Yamaloka. Of immeasurable soul, Bhima has Ketumat’s life with a mad
flurry of arrow and spear. Supported by a force of many thousands, the
Kshatriyas of the Kalinga country rise in incensed froth to confront the
raging Bhima.
With spears and maces, swords and battle-axes, hundreds upon hundreds
of the Kalingas besiege Bhima. Grandly foiling their torrents of missiles,
the mighty one takes up his mace and again leaps from his chariot.
Bhima on his fresh rampage kills another seven hundred brave
Kshatriyas; that Parantapa sends two thousand more Kalingas to their death.
Ah, truly wonderful, even by his lofty norm, is his feat. Thus does Bhima of
awesome prowess fell teeming bands of the Kalingas.
Elephants deprived of their riders by Bhima, and stricken with arrows,
blunder frenetically across the battlefield, trampling their own men, with
deafening roars, like masses of clouds driven by the wind. Mahabaho
Bhima, sword in hand, triumphantly and stridently blows his conch.
And that blast makes the Kalinga forces tremble, all of them absolutely
panic-stricken. The warriors and the animals quake in terror for Bhima
charges down many paths, impetuously, in every direction, like a prince of
tuskers, roaring, leaping high time and again. His enemies are flung into a
trance.
The Kalinga army shudders in dread of Bhima like a vast lake agitated
by a great crocodile. And seeing Bhima’s wondrous feats, the Kalinga
forces flee in all directions. When they rally again, the Pandava Senapati
Dhrishtadyumna, Bhaarata, orders his own troops to fight.
Obeying their Senapati, many warriors of the Pandava army led by
Sikhandin surge towards Bhima with their akshauhinis of consummate
chariots. Dharmaraja Yudhishtira follows them with a grand elephant force
the colour of clouds. Exhorting his men, the son of Prishata, surrounded by
so many great warriors, takes upon himself the protection of one of Bhima’s
flanks.
There exists no one on earth who is more cherished by the prince of the
Panchalas than Bhima and Satyaki; indeed he values them more highly than
his life. As that Parantapa, the son of Prishata, watches Mahabaho Bhima
rampaging among the Kalingas, he roars in exultation. He blows his conch
and lets out a leonine roar. And Bhima, seeing the red standard of
Dhrishtadyumna’s chariot decked with gold and yoked with horses white as
pigeons, is reassured. Soon enough he remounts his own chariot again.
Dhrishtadyumna of immeasurable soul advances to rescue Bhima
beleaguered by the Kalingas. And both those Kshatriyas, Dhrishtadyumna
and Bhima, of pulsating tejas, noticing Satyaki at a distance, furiously fall
upon the Kalingas.
And that bull among men, Satyaki Yuyudhana, grandson of Sini,
foremost of victorious warriors, swiftly rides to defend the flanks of Bhima
and Prishata’s son. Bow in hand, fighting ferociously, he devastates the
enemy’s ranks. Bhima lets flow a crimson river, a bloody current floating
the shredded flesh of the Kalinga fighting men.
Beholding Bhima the men cry out, “This is Yama himself fighting
against the Kalingas in Bhima’s form!” Hearing those cries, himself
encircled by armed adversaries, Bhishma breaks free of his encirclement
and rides at Bhima.
Satyaki and Bhima, and Dhrishtadyumna rush at Bhishma’s silver
chariot decked with gold. And all of them surround Ganga’s son and pierce
him, each with three scathing barbs.
Bhishma pierces each of those mighty archers with three straight shafts.
And checking those maharathas with thousands of arrows, loosed in
moments, he kills Bhima’s horses. Resplendent with golden armour and
filled with tejas, Bhima stands firm on that horseless chariot and launches a
spear at Bhishma’s chariot, which the Pitamaha cleaves in two before it can
reach him.
Bhima seizes a mighty mace made of Saikya iron and leaps down from
his chariot. Dhrishtadyumna swiftly takes him into his own chariot and
carries him to safety in plain view of all the soldiers.
Satyaki kills Bhishma’s sarathy with a single arrow, and Bhishma is
borne away from the battlefield by his horses with the speed of the wind.
Bhima remains in the midst of his men, burning like a mighty fire
consuming dry grass as he kills all the Kalingas. None of your warriors,
Bharatarishabha, dare to oppose him.
And revered by the Panchalas and the Matsyas, he embraces
Dhrishtadyumna and then Satyaki. In the presence of Dhrishtadyumna,
Satyaki, tiger among the Yadus, of unthwarted prowess, gladdens Bhima by
saying, “By our good fortune the king of the Kalingas, and his son Ketumat,
and their kinsman Sakradeva, indeed, all the Kalingas, have been killed.
With the strength of your arms alone, the vast legions of the Kalingas
teeming with elephants, horses and chariots, noble Kshatriyas, and brave
fighting men, have been decimated.”
Having said this, the long-armed grandson of Sini, that Parantapa,
climbs back into his chariot and embraces the son of Pandu. That maharatha
begins to slaughter your forces vigorously augmenting Bhima’s efforts.’
CANTO 55
anjaya says, ‘As the morning passes, and the destruction of chariots,
elephants, horses, horsemen and foot-soldiers and cavalry continues,
Dhrishtadyumna engages with the three maharathas, Drona’s son, Salya,
and the high-souled Kripa.
And the valiant heir of the king of Panchala kills the celebrated steeds of
Drona’s son with a storm of arrows. Deprived of his animals, Aswatthaman
climbs into Salya’s chariot and showers him with his shafts.
Seeing Dhrishtadyumna battling Aswatthaman, the son of Subhadra
rushes forward, loosing a tide of fire. He pierces Salya with twenty-five
arrows, Kripa with nine, and Aswatthaman with eight. Drona’s son
retaliates, striking Arjuna’s son with a fusillade of winged shafts; Salya
stabs him with twelve, and Kripa with three fierce barbs.
Your grandson Lakshmana storms at Abhimanyu and a duel between
them ensues. Duryodhana’s vehement son covers Abhimanyu in a fury of
arrows. His feat, O king, appears truly wonderful!
The magnificent Abhimanyu blithely shoots five hundred arrows at his
cousin, in a flash. Lakshmana responds by carving up his adversary’s bow
in his hands, seeing which all the warriors send up a loud shout. That
Parantapa, the son of Subhadra, discards his broken bow and seizes up
another strong one.
The two young bulls among men defy each other ferociously, drawing
rich, royal blood. Seeing his powerful son afflicted by Abhimanyu,
Duryodhana himself rides to where the cousins fight feverishly. All the
enemy kings surround the son of Arjuna with hosts of chariots. Invincible in
battle and equal to Krishna himself in prowess, that resplendent Kshatriya
remains unperturbed. Seeing Subhadra’s son in the midst of fierce fighting,
Arjuna rushes to rescue him. The kings allied to the Kauravas, led by
Bhishma and Drona, with their chariots, elephants and horses, briskly attack
Savyasachin.
A pall of dust, raised by foot-soldiers and horsemen, horses and chariots,
obscures the sky. Coming within range of Arjuna’s arrows, those thousands
of elephants and hundreds of kings cannot advance. All the creatures there
wail loudly and darkness cloaks every direction.
The violation of the Kauravas assumes a fierce and dreadful mien.
Neither the sky nor the sun, nor any of the cardinal points of the earth can
be distinguished for Arjuna’s tempest of arrows.
Many elephants have the standards cut down from their backs, and many
maharathas their horses killed. Some commanders of chariot akshauhinis
can be seen wandering purposelessly on foot, bereft of their chariots. And
other maharathas, their arms graced with angadas, roam aimlessly with their
weapons.
Fearing Arjuna, riders of horses and elephants abandon their beasts, and
flee in all directions. Kings are felled by Arjuna’s arrows or plunge to the
ground from chariots and elephants and steeds. With his terrible volleys,
Arjuna, fierce-faced, dissevers the upraised arms of warriors grasping
maces and swords, or spears, quivers, arrows, bows, hooks, or standards.
Bhaarata, we see spiked maces shattered, and mallets, and bearded
shafts, and short arrows, and swords, and sharp battle-axes, and spears and
shields smashed into shards, and coats of mail and standards, and other
weapons of all kinds, and parasols furnished with golden staves, and iron
goads, and whips, and traces strewn across the battlefield in stacks.
There is no warrior who can face Arjuna in battle; whoever advances
against him is killed. When all your fighting men scatter, Arjuna and
Krishna blow their conches.
Bhishma sees the routed host and smilingly addresses the brave son of
Bharadwaja, “The daunting, with Krishna in his chariot, frustrates all our
forces. He cannot be overpowered today by any means; today he is like
Siva at the end of the yuga and we cannot rally our legions, vast though
they be.
Look how our forces scatter. The setting sun is about to reach that best
of mountains, the sunset mountain Asta. Bharatarishabha, I think that the
hour has come for us to withdraw our army. Our warriors are weary and
panic-stricken and cannot fight anymore.”
Having said this to Acharya Drona, Maharatha Bhishma orders the
retreat of your army. And thus at nightfall, both sides withdraw.’
CANTO 56
anjaya says, ‘With the arrival of dawn, Parantapa Bhishma gives the
order for the Kaurava army to prepare for battle. The son of Shantanu,
eager for the victory of your sons, forms the Garuda vyuha.
And on the beak of that Garuda is Bhishma himself. Its two eyes are
Drona and Kritavarman of Satwata’s race. The famed Aswatthaman and
Kripa, supported by the Trigartas, the Matsyas, the Kekayas, and the
Vatadhanas, stand at its head. Bhurisravas and Sala, and Salya and
Bhagadatta, and the Madrakas, the Sindhu-Souviras, and the Pancha-
Noadas, together with Jayadratha, are placed on its neck.
And upon its back is Duryodhana with his followers. Vinda and
Anuvinda of Avanti, and the Kambojas with the Sakas, and the Surasenas,
Rajan, form its tail. The Magadhas and the Kalingas, with all the tribes of
the Daserakas, encased in mail, form the vyuha’s the right wing. And the
Karushas, the Vikunjas, the Mundas, and the Kaundivrishas, with
Brihadbala, are its left wing.
Arjuna, seeing this vyuha, forms another with Dhrishtadyumna to
oppose it. The son of Pandu forms the commanding crescent moon vyuha.
Surrounded by kings of many lands, abundantly armed, stationed on the
right horn, Bhima dazzles. Beside him are those maharathas Virata and
Drupada; next to them is Nila bearing deadly weapons. After Nila stands
the maharatha Dhrishtaketu, surrounded by the Chedis, the Kasis, the
Karushas, and the Pauravas.
Dhrishtadyumna, and Sikhandin, with the Panchalas and the
Prabhadrakas, supported by other forces, are stationed in the centre,
Bhaarata, ready for battle. And there also stands Yudhishtira Dharmaraja
surrounded by his akshauhini of elephants. Next to him are Satyaki and the
five sons of Draupadi. Immediately beyond is Iravan. After these are
Bhima’s son Ghatotkacha and those maharathas, the Kekayas.
On the left horn of that vyuha stands that best of men, he whom
Janardana, the preserver of the Universe, protects. It is thus that the
Pandavas form their powerful vyuha to counter and destroy your sons and
their allies.
Conches boom and the war between your forces and those of the enemy
begins again. Chariots and elephants charge one another and blur on grim
Kurukshetra. Hordes of elephants and hosts of chariots can be seen
everywhere rushing wildly forward to effect the destruction of the enemy.
The roar of the chariots swiftly moving to either join the general fray or
to fight individually is fused with the thunder of drumbeats. The shouts and
yells of the dauntless warriors on both sides as they cut each other down
reaches the very heavens.’
CANTO 57
anjaya says, ‘After the two armies have been disposed in battle
formations, maharatha Arjuna wreaks great carnage on the
commanders of the enemy’s hosts of chariots with his arrows. Despite being
slaughtered by him, who is truly like Siva at the end of the yuga, the
Dhartarashtras persevere to fight the Pandavas.
Wanting to win blazing glory, unrelenting and absorbed in their task,
scorning death, they break the Pandava ranks in many places and are also
themselves broken. In places, Pandava and the Kaurava troops both briefly
scatter and flee.
Nothing can be distinguished. A swirling dust arises and shrouds the
very sun. The cardinal and subsidiary directions are a haze; the warriors are
guided only by the indications of colours, passwords, names and tribal
distinctions. Protected by great Drona, the vyuha of the Kauravas remains
whole and steadfast. So also the formidable Pandava vyuha holds firm,
defended by Arjuna and Bhima.
Chariots and elephants, in close ranks, and hordes of fighting men of
both the armies, clash vigorously. In that savage fight, riders on horses kill
one another with polished swords and long spears. Maharathas cut each
other down with golden-winged arrows. And elephant-riders mow down
others with broad-headed shafts and lances.
Hosts of doughty foot-soldiers cheerfully slaughter others with short
arrows and battle-axes. Maharathas kill elephants and their riders; and are
in turn slain by the latter. Bharatarishabha, the horseman fells the maharatha
with his spear, and is in turn flung down to the ground by the chariot
warrior. In both the armies, the foot-soldier kills the maharatha only to be
razed by another rathika. Elephant-riders fell horse-riders, and horse-riders
fell warriors on the backs of elephants.
All this seems all too awesome and so very bloody. Roars and screams
of slayer and slain thicken the air and men quit their bodies in their
thousands, each moment, and the air is a denseness of the shocked or
bemused spirits of fighting men.
Everywhere foot-soldiers, elephant-riders and horse-riders despatch
each other; and strewn with broken standards and bows, spears and
housings of elephants, costly shawls and feathered barbs, maces and spiked
clubs, kampanas and arrows, mottled coats of mail and kunapas, iron hooks,
and polished swords, and golden winged shafts, the gore-slicked battlefield
shines as if with floral wreaths.
The earth, mired with chunks of hewn off flesh and spilt blood, becomes
impassable with the corpses of men and horses and elephants killed in that
most dreadful war. Drenched with human blood, the dust settles, and the
cardinal points become perfectly clear once again. Many headless bodies
rise up in macabre pageant to intimate the end of the world. And in that fell
and gruesome battle, maharathas can be seen escaping in all directions.
Then Bhishma and Drona, and Jayadratha, king of the Sindhus, and
Purumitra, and Vikarna, and Sakuni the son of Subala, all leonine and
invincible in battle, break through the ranks of the Pandavas. Bhima and
Ghatotkacha, and Satyaki, and Chekitana, and the sons of Draupadi,
supported by their allies, begin grinding down your forces and your sons,
like the Devas razing the Danavas.
And those bulls among Kshatriyas, smiting one another, are awesome to
behold; covered in blood, dripping blood, they glow like kinsukas. The
foremost warriors of both armies, striking down their opponents, look like
the luminous planets in the sky.
Your son Duryodhana, supported by a thousand chariots, storms at the
Pandavas and Ghatotkacha, the Rakshasa. The Pandavas, with a great host
of fighting men, charge the Parantapas Bhishma and Drona.
The diadem-decked Arjuna furiously attacks all the foremost among the
enemy kings. Abhimanyu and Satyaki ride against the forces of Subala’s
son Sakuni. A bloodthirsty encounter breaks out again between the two
sides both of whom yearn for victory, a battle that makes one’s hair stand on
end.’
CANTO 58
anjaya says, ‘Then those kings, seeing Arjuna in battle, furiously hem
him round with thousands of chariots and shroud him with a dark and
dense cloud of arrows. And they hurl shining spears, and maces, and spiked
clubs, and feathered barbs and battle-axes, and mallets and bludgeons at his
chariot—braids of eerie lighting flashing.
With golden shafts Arjuna thwarts that shower of weapons coursing
towards him like a flight of locusts. Watching the superhuman lightness of
that hand, the Devas, the Danavas, the Gandharvas, the Pisachas, the
Uragas and the Rakshasas cry out: “Magnificent, truly magnificent!”
The daring Gandharas, led by Subala’s son with a vast force, encircle
Satyaki and Abhimanyu. With diverse astras, Sakuni’s warriors shatter the
chariot of the Vrishni hero. Satyaki abandons his chariot and swiftly mounts
Abhimanyu’s. The two begin to slaughter the army of Subala’s son.
Drona and Bhishma steadily dwindle the forces of Yudhishtira
Dharmaraja with jagged shafts furnished with the feathers of the kanka bird.
The son of Yudhishtira and his uncles, Madri’s twins, now savagely raze
Drona’s legions in plain sight of both vast armies. That hair-raising battle
can be likened to the one between the Devas and the Asuras in ancient
times.
Bhima and Ghatotkacha achieve stupendous feats; until, riding up in
fury, Duryodhana thwarts them both. We see Hidimbi’s son displaying his
prowess and even transcending his father. Enraged, Bhima shoots
Duryodhana squarely through his chest, smiling the while. Duryodhana
slumps onto the floor of his chariot and faints. His charioteer quickly bears
him away to safety, and the forces supporting Duryodhana break rank and
scatter.
Pursuing them, Bhima hunts the fleeing Kaurava army with inexorable
archery.
Even before the eyes of Drona and Bhishma, blazing Dhrishtadyumna,
foremost of warriors, thins their army with stunning flurries from his great
bow. The Acharya and the Pitamaha together cannot stop your son’s host
from breaking ranks and fleeing from the terror that the Panchala prince
brings.
When those thousands of maharathas have fled in all directions,
Subhadra’s son and Satyaki, that bull of Sini’s race, together in the same
chariot, attack the army of Subala’s son. And Sini’s grandson and that bull
of the Kuru vamsa are radiant like the sun and the moon together in the sky
after the last lunation of the dark fortnight.
Arjuna yet furiously rains down his remitless arrow storms on your
army in mighty cloudbursts. Trembling like children, the Kaurava army
flees his terror and his slaughter. Seeing their army run from battle, the
enraged Bhishma and Drona move to stop its retreat.
Duryodhana himself comforts the fighting men and prevents a further
flight of his unnerved forces. All the maharathas stop when they see your
son. The common soldiers, seeing them halt, stop of their own accord;
ashamed and wanting to display their courage to one another, Rajan, your
army rallies like the surging sea at moonrise.
Seeing his legions revive, Duryodhana quickly rides upto Bhishma and
says, “Pitamaha, while you are alive, and Drona, master of weapons, with
Aswatthama and all our other friends, still alive, and that mighty archer
Kripa, it is dishonourable that my army should take flight.
The Pandavas are not any match for you or for Drona, or for Drona’s
son, or for Kripa. Pitamaha, you are favouring the sons of Pandu by
disregarding this massacre of my army. You should have told me before this
war began that you will not fight against the Pandavas.
Had you and Drona said this, I would have reflected upon the course I
should pursue with Karna. If I do not deserve to be abandoned by you both
in battle, O bulls among men, fight with your full powers.”
Hearing these words, Bhishma laughs and, rolling his eyes in anger, says
to your son, “Many a time, I spoke to you in the interest of your good. As
long as Krishna is with them, the Pandavas are invincible even against the
Devas.
However, what my age and strength permit, best of kings, I will do in
this war. With your kinsmen, witness it today! In the sight of all, single-
handedly I will contain the sons of Pandu as they lead their forces with all
their kin. I will kill ten thousands of their men each day.”
Thus addressed by Bhishma, your son has conches blown and drums
beaten in joy. And the Pandavas also, hearing that loud uproar, blow their
conches, and sound their drums and cymbals.’
CANTO 59
hritarashtra says, ‘After his dreadful vow made when stirred by the
words of my son, what, Sanjaya, does Bhishma do to the sons of
Pandu; what do the Panchalas do to the Pitamaha? Tell me all, O
Sanjaya.’
Sanjaya says, ‘After the passing of that morning, as the sun moves on
his westward course, and after the high-souled Pandavas are victorious,
Bhishma, knower of every nuance of dharma, protected by a vast force and
by all your sons, rides on his ratha yoked to the swiftest horses towards the
Pandava army.
As a result of your sinful policy, O king, a horrific battle breaks out
between us and the Pandavas. The twang of bows and the flapping of
bowstrings against leather gloves, unite to make a tumult like the cracking
of mountains.
“Stay! Watch me! Know this one! Turn back! Stand! I await you—
strike!” These roars resound everywhere. And the sounds of tumbling
golden coats of mail, of crowns and diadems, and of standards, resemble the
clatter of stones onto a great bed of rock. Heads and arms decked with
ornaments fall by the thousands upon the field of the awful sacrifice of
living men.
Some warriors, with heads severed from their bodies, continue to stand,
weapons in hand or armed with drawn bows. Soon a ghastly turbulent river
of blood flows, choked with lifeless dismembered men and hewn limbs, and
the corpses of elephants its jutting rocks. It flows from the bodies of horses,
men, and elephants, delighting swarming raucous vultures and jackals, and
it races towards the ocean of the next world. A war such as this one, Rajan,
fought between your sons and the Pandavas, has never been seen or heard
before.
The bodies of slain soldiers render the field impassable for chariots. And
dead elephants lying on the ground make Kurukshetra appear to be covered
with the peaks of blue hills. And, ah, the battleground, strewn with
multicoloured coats of mail and turbans, is also as beautiful as an autumn
sky.
Some fighting men, though sorely wounded, can be seen charging
joyfully and proudly against the enemy. Many fallen on the field, cry out,
“O father, O brother, O friend, O kinsman, O companion, O uncle, do not
abandon me!” Others shout, “Come! Come back! Why are you frightened?
Where do you go? I stand firm in battle, do not be afraid.”
In that deathly conflict, Bhishma, with bow drawn to a circle, looses
astras like deadly snakes. Raining down a continuous tempest of arrows in
all directions, that hero of rigid vows strikes the Pandava maharathas
naming each one. Displaying his unearthly skill, and dancing as it were
along the path of his chariot, he appears to be present everywhere, like an
ubiquitous circle of fire.
The Pandavas, along with the Srinjayas, behold that lone Kshatriya as
multiplied a thousand-fold; all who are there regard Bhishma as having
multiplied himself with maya. Having seen him now in the east, the next
moment they see him in the west. Having seen him in the north, the next
instant they see him in the south. Thus the son of Ganga fights that war.
None among the Pandavas is able to even gaze upon him. They see only the
bankless, seamless blaze of arrows radiating from his bow.
Valiant warriors, seeing him butcher their ranks, lament loudly. And,
kings in thousands attempt to face the Pitamaha, who seems to fly over the
field in a superhuman way, falling into the fire, the conflagration that is the
enraged Bhishma, like senseless insects that fly into a flame, only to be
devoured.
Not a single shaft of that warrior is futile; each one claims a life, felling
men, elephants and horses without favour. With a single arrow he kills a
mighty tusker like a hill being riven by the Vajra. Another single shaft does
to bring down two or three armoured elephant-riders standing together.
Whoever approaches Bhishma, that tiger among tigers among men, is
seen for but a moment before slumping to the ground. And being
annihilated by Bhishma of incomparable prowess, that vast host of
Yudhishtira Dharmaraja scatters in all directions. Assailed by Bhishma’s
simoom of arrows, the immense Pandava army trembles despite the
presence of Krishna and Arjuna.
The gallant efforts of the heroic leaders of the Pandava army cannot
check the flight of the maharathas afflicted by Bhishma’s volleys; the
prowess that routs this great legion equals that of Indra himself.
Yudhishtira’s army is so completely dispersed, that no two men can be seen
together.
Chariots and elephants and horses are pierced all over, and standards
and shafts of chariots strewn across the field. The Pandava forces cry out in
anguish. The father strikes the son and the son strikes the father; and friend
challenges the dearest of friends to battle to death as if goaded by destiny.
Many of the Pandava allies flee, dishevelled and distraught, flinging off
their coats of mail. Loudly, dismally, the Pandava army wails and screams
as it witnesses the best of its maharathas appearing as bewildered as a herd
of cows lost in a terrible jungle.
Krishna, observing the rout of the army, stops the chariot and says to
Arjuna, “The hour you awaited has arrived, Partha. Strike Bhishma now
before you are lost. Remember, in an assembly of kings you said, ‘I will
slay all the warriors of Dhritarashtra’s sons, headed by Bhishma and Drona;
why, I will not leave a single man who fights against me alive.’
Son of Kunti, Parantapa, make those words true. Bibhatsu, look at your
legions being routed on all sides. Seeing Bhishma looking like Rudra
himself with open maw, watch how Yudhishtira’s allies flee. Terrified they
run, like weaker beasts on seeing the lion.”
Arjuna replies, “Plunging through this sea of the hostile host, drive the
horses to where Bhishma stands. I will overwhelm that invincible warrior,
the revered Kuru Pitamaha.”
Krishna drives his silvery horses to where Bhishma’s chariot stands,
chariot that shines like the sun, impossible to even gaze upon. Seeing
Mahabaho Arjuna charging at Bhishma, the mighty army of Yudhishtira
rallies for battle.
Bhishma, that foremost of Kuru warriors, roars like ten lions, and
swiftly shrouds Arjuna’s chariot with a gale of arrows. In a moment, that
chariot, with standard and charioteer, becomes invisible. Patiently,
fearlessly, Krishna guides his horses wounded by Bhishma’s barbs. And
Arjuna takes up his celestial bow, whose twang resembles the roar of
thunderclouds, and cleaves Bhishma’s bow with a clutch of jagged shafts.
The Pitamaha takes up another and strings it in a flash; with his two
hands, he stretches that bow whose reverberations are like thunder. But
Arjuna, excited with wrath, severs that bow as well.
The son of Shantanu applauds Arjuna, saying, “Excellent, Mahabaho,
son of Pandu! Magnificent Dhananjaya, such a marvellous feat is truly
worthy of you. I am pleased with you. Fight hard against me.”
Having praised Arjuna, Bhishma seizes up another great bow and
unleashes a fiercer storm on Arjuna’s ratha. Krishna displays divine skill
guiding that chariot in sharp, impossible circles, frustrating Bhishma’s
transcendent archery. But tireless Bhishma soon strikes both Krishna and
Arjuna with subtle, whetted barbs. And pierced by those shafts, those two
tigers among men look like two roaring bulls with the gashes of horns on
their bodies.
In high dudgeon, Bhishma covers the two Krishnas from all sides with
an unprecedented fusillade, which makes Krishna shiver. Laughing loudly,
Bhishma fills even blue Krishna with wonder.
Mahabaho Krishna contrasts the prowess of Bhishma with the mildness
of Arjuna; he sees Bhishma loosing incessant firestorms of arrows, looking
like the all-consuming sun himself in the midst of the two contending
armies. And marking that that Kshatriya ancient was killing the best of
Yudhishtira’s warriors, bringing havoc to the legions as if Pralaya had
arrived, Kesava of the fathomless soul, slayer of enemy hosts, thinking that
Yudhishtira’s army will be annihilated, cannot bear what he sees.
He thinks, “In a single day this Bhishma can kill all the Daityas and the
Danavas. How easily then will he crush the sons of Pandu with their forces
and allies. The vast Pandava army is again being scattered. And the
Kauravas, seeing the Somakas routed, fight in high spirits, much to
Bhishma’s delight.
Protected by my kavacha, I will stop Bhishma today for the sake of the
Pandavas. I will lighten their burden. As for Arjuna, though struck with
keen shafts, he still hesitates, out of his reverence for Bhishma.”
While Krishna thus reflects, Bhishma again looses a deep and violent
swarm of arrows at Arjuna’s chariot. All the cardinal directions are
completely shrouded. And neither the sky nor the quarters nor the earth nor
the brilliant sun can be seen. The gusts of winds that blow are mixed with
smoke, and all the points of the compass are agitated.
And Drona, and Vikarna, and Jayadratha, and Bhurisravas, and
Kritavarman, and Kripa, and Srutayush and the ruler of the Amvashtas and
Vinda and Anuvinda, Sudakshina and the rulers of the western kingdoms,
and the tribes of the Sauviras, the Vasatis, and the Kshudrakas, and the
Malavas, swiftly advance towards Kiritin, at Bhishma’s command.
The grandson of Sini sees that Arjuna is surrounded by hundreds of
horses and foot-soldiers, chariots and colossal elephants. Seeing both
Krishna and Arjuna encircled, Satyaki rides swiftly forward. Coming to
Arjuna’s side like Vishnu to the aid of Indra, that noblest archer charges the
gathered enemy.
In grand exhilaration, he addresses Yudhishtira’s host of fighting men
who, cowed by Bhishma, their elephants, steeds, chariots and standards
slain, mangled and shattered, roaring, “Brave Kshatriyas, where do you go?
This is not the dharma of the righteous as proclaimed by the ancients.
Excellent heroes, do not break your vows. Keep your Kshatriya dharma!”
Unable to bear the flight of the army, marking the mildness with which
Arjuna fights, and seeing Bhishma’s forceful exertions, and the Kauravas
rushing in from all sides, Krishna, younger brother of Vasava, and protector
of all the Dasarhas, cries to the intrepid and famed Satyaki, saying, “O hero
of Sini’s race, let they who retreat go. And let they who remain, let them
also flee.
I will fling Bhishma down from his chariot, and vanquish Drona, too,
and all their followers. No one in the Kaurava legions will escape my wrath.
I will kill Bhishma of high vows with my Sudarshana. Killing those two
greatest of maharathas, Bhishma and Drona, and their forces, O my Satyaki,
I will please Arjuna and Yudhishtira, and Bhima, and the twin Aswins. And
killing all the sons of Dhritarashtra and all their allies, I will joyfully deliver
unto king Ajatashatru a kingdom today.”
Saying this, Vasudeva’s son releases the reins of his horses, leaps off the
chariot, and materialises over his right hand his beautiful chakra whirling,
sharp as a razor, as radiant as the sun, with the force of a thousand
thunderbolts. Making the earth tremble under his step, Krishna runs towards
Bhishma.
And that Parantapa, the younger brother of Indra, charges Bhishma in
the midst of his forces, like a lion wanting to kill a prince of elephants
blinded with fury, proudly awaiting the attack. The fringes of Krishna’s
yellow pitambara robe flutter in the air like a lightning-charged cloud in the
sky.
That lotus-like Sudarsana, having for its stalk the beautiful arm of
Saurin, is as beautiful as the primeval lotus, bright as the morning sun,
which springs from the navel of Vishnu Padmanabha. Krishna’s anger is the
morning sun that makes that lotus sway. And the exquisite leaves of that
lotus are as sharp as a dagger’s edge.
Krishna’s body is the beautiful lake, and his right hand the stalk that,
springing from it, holds the shining lotus. Seeing him, in wrath and roaring
loudly, armed with that chakra, all creatures howl piercingly, thinking that
the destruction of the Kauravas is imminent. With his chakra, Krishna looks
like the Samvarta fire that appears at the end of the yuga to consume the
world. And the preceptor of the universe blazes like a fierce comet risen to
consume all creatures.
Seeing that Avatara advancing with the Sudarsana, Bhishma standing in
his chariot, bow and arrow in hand, cries fearlessly, “Come, come, Lord of
the Devas, you who dwell in all the universe! I bow to you, you who are
armed with mace, sword and Saranga.
Lord of the universe, cast me down from this chariot, O you who are the
refuge of all creatures in this war. Krishna, were I to be slain here by you,
great will be my fortune both in this world and the next. You show me
exalted regard, Lord of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas. My fame will be
celebrated in all the three worlds.”
Hearing Shantanu’s son, Krishna charges him and says, “You are the
cause of this great slaughter on earth. You will see Duryodhana killed today.
A wise minister who walks the path of dharma must restrain a king addicted
to the evil of gambling. That despicable one who transgresses dharma
should be abandoned as one whose intelligence has been led astray by
destiny.”
Hearing this, the royal Bhishma says to the Lord of the Yadavas,
“Destiny is all powerful. The Yadavas abandoned Kamsa for their own
good. I said this to Dhritarashtra but he paid no heed. Destiny perverts the
listener’s understanding and, to his own detriment, he cannot receive good
advice.”
Meanwhile, leaping off his chariot, Mahabaho Arjuna runs towards
Krishna and seizes him by his two hands. That supreme deity is incensed,
and, though seized, he forcibly drags Jishnu after him, like a tempest
bearing away a single tree. The high-souled Arjuna forcefully holds
Krishna’s feet, as he rushes towards Bhishma, and succeeds, Rajan, in
stopping him with great difficulty at the tenth step.
And when Krishna halts, bedecked with a beautiful gold garland, Arjuna
joyfully bows down to him and says, “Subdue your anger. You are the
refuge of the Pandavas, O Kesava. I swear by my sons and my brothers that
I will not retreat from what I have pledged myself to. Krishna, at your
command I will annihilate the Kauravas.”
Hearing Arjuna’s vow, Krishna grows calm; he is gratified. And devoted
to the cause of that most excellent Kuru, he once more mounts his chariot,
still armed with his chakra. And that Parantapa takes up the abandoned
reins, and blowing on his conch the Panchajanya, he fills all of the earth and
the sky with its blast.
Seeing Krishna, decked with necklace and angada and earrings, with
curling eyelashes coated with dust, and with teeth of perfect whiteness, take
up his conch again, the Kuru heroes cry out stridently. The clash of cymbals
and drums, and the thunder of chariot wheels and the clatter of smaller
drums, mingle with those leonine shouts to become a fierce uproar. And the
twang of Arjuna’s Gandiva, like the roll of thunder, fills the sky and all the
quarters of the earth. Its burning shafts flare out in all directions.
The Kaurava king, with a vast force, along with Bhishma and
Bhurisravas, arrows in hand, resembling a comet risen to consume a
constellation, dashes against him. Bhurisravas hurls seven spears with
wings of gold at Arjuna, while Duryodhana flings a brutal lance; Salya
launches a mace, and Bhishma looses an astra.
Arjuna stops Bhurisravas’s spears with seven shafts, and cleaves the
lance hurled by Duryodhana with another. He thwarts the blazing pike, as
luminous as lightning, cast by Bhishma, and the mace of the ruler of the
Madras, with two mighty arrows of his own.
Then drawing with both hands and with great energy his magnificent
Gandiva, he invokes with fitting mantras the awesome Mahendra astra to
appear in the sky. With it, that maharatha, decked with diadem and a
garland of gold, produces an intense storm of flaming arrows that frustrates
the Kaurava host.
Those shafts from Arjuna’s bow sever arms, bows, standard-tops, and
chariots; they pierce the bodies of the enemy kings and their imposing
tuskers and horses. Arjuna fills the cardinal and subsidiary directions with
his awe-inspiring arrows and makes the hearts of his adversaries tremble
with the twang of Gandiva.
The blast of conches, the beat of drums and the sonorous rumbling of
chariots are silenced by the resonance of the Gandiva. Following that
reverberation, king Virata and other Kshatriyas, and the brave Drupada, the
king of the Panchalas, all joyfully advance towards Arjuna.
All your warriors are fearful and become rooted to where they stand
when they hear the Gandiva. None dare to venture to the place from where
the sound springs. In that terrific war of kings, valiant warriors are killed
along with maharathas and their sarathies. And elephants with resplendent
golden howdahs and beautiful standards, pierced with broad-headed shafts,
fall dead, their bodies truncated by Arjuna.
Struck by Partha’s winged wide shafts, the standards of many kings
stationed at the heads of their yantras and Indrajalas are cut down. Hordes
of foot-soldiers and maharathas, and horses and elephants, fall rapidly on
the battleground, their limbs paralysed, or themselves killed, by Arjuna’s
arrows.
Rajan, many fighting men have their armour and bodies perforated by
the all-powerful Mahindra astra. And with his deadly shafts, Arjuna makes
a vile river of blood course across the battlefield, formed by the twisted
bodies of the warriors, with their fat as its froth. The bodies of slain
elephants and horses form its banks.
Its mire consists of the entrails, the marrow, and the flesh of men, while
Rakshasas are the majestic trees on its banks. And a profusion of human
skulls, covered with hair, forms its floating morass; heaps of human bodies,
forming its sandbanks, cause the current to flow in a thousand directions.
The coats of mail strewn all over form its hard pebbles.
Its banks are infested with jackals and wolves, cranes and vultures,
crowds of Rakshasas and Pisachas, and packs of hyenas. And they that are
alive gaze upon that terrible river of fat, marrow and blood, caused by
Arjuna’s arrows, the river that embodies man’s cruelty, like the great
Vaitarani.
Seeing those outstanding warriors of the Kaurava army decimated by
Phalguni, the Chedis, the Panchalas, the Karushas, the Matsyas, and all the
Pandava allies roar jubilantly in unison to terrify the Kaurava fighting men.
Their triumphant shouts proclaim the victory of Arjuna, who razes the
Kaurava legions, though they are protected and led by the noblest men, the
greatest maharathas, mighty leaders of akshauhinis; Arjuna terrifies them
like a lion frightens herds of small animals.
And then the bearer of Gandiva himself and Krishna roar in delight. The
Kauravas, with Bhishma, and Drona and Duryodhana and Bahlika, are
savagely wounded by Arjuna’s weapons. Watching the setting sun, and
seeing the irresistible Aindrastra spread out as if to invite the end of the
yuga, they withdraw their forces for the night and rest.
Famed for crushing his enemies, the victorious Arjuna, having achieved
a great feat, seeing the sun turn red as dusk approaches, also retires with his
brothers to their camp.
Then when darkness is about to descend, there arises a terrible lament in
the Kaurava camp. And all cry, “In today’s battle Arjuna has killed ten
thousand maharathas and seven hundred elephants! All the forces of the
western kingdoms, and all the tribes of the Sauviras, and the Kshudrakas
and the Malavas, have been annihilated. Arjuna has achieved a mighty feat
indeed. There is no other who could do this.
Srutayush, the ruler of the Amvashtas, and Durmarshana, and
Chitrasena, and Drona, and Kripa, and the ruler of the Sindhus, and
Bahlika, and Bhurisravas, and Salya, and Sala, and other warriors united in
hundreds, along with Bhishma himself, have been defeated today by the
angry son of Pritha, Arjuna, that most wondrous of warriors.”
Talking thus among themselves, Bhaarata, all your soldiers leave the
battlefield and enter their tents. Petrified by Kiritin, your warriors enter
their beautiful tents illuminated by countless torches and lamps.’
CANTO 60
anjaya says, ‘Next morning, the incensed Bhishma, supported by an

enormous force, at the head of the Bhaarata army, advances against the
enemy. And Drona and Duryodhana and Bahlika, and also Durmarshana
and Chitrasena, the mighty Jayadratha, and other royal warriors, backed by
massive legions, surround him on all sides. Protected by those magnificent
maharathas, Bhishma shines forth like Indra in the midst of the Devas.
The colourful standards, red, yellow, black and brown, waving in the air,
on the backs of the elephants in the vanguard, look beautiful. The entire
army, with Bhishma and other chariot warriors, with their elephants and
horses, glows, like a mass of clouds charged with lightning, or like dark
thunderheads gathered in the sky during the monsoon.
The Kaurava army, ready for battle and led by Bhishma, charges
towards Arjuna like the turbid current of the Ganga rushing towards the sea.
Filled with many kinds of mighty forces, and having in its wings a
profusion of elephants, horses, foot-soldiers, and chariots, Arjuna, with the
great Vanara on his banner, sees that vyuha like a dense mass of
approaching clouds.
That Kshatriya mahatman, bull among men, upon his chariot furnished
with a lofty standard, yoked to white horses, riding at the head of his own
great army presses forward against the enemy.
Seeing the warrior with the wild Hanuman on his banner, lofty standard
and chariot shaft wrapped in costly sheath, with Krishna Yadupumgava, his
charioteer in battle, your sons and all the Kauravas are dismayed. Your
army gazes upon that most excellent vyuha with four thousand elephants at
each corner, protected by maharatha Arjuna with astras ready.
This vyuha of the Pandavas is as wonderful at the one formed just
yesterday by Dharmaraja Yudhishtira, the like of which has never been seen
or heard before by men.
Thousands of drums are pounded, and the deafening sound of conches,
the blast of trumpets, and many leonine roars arise from every legion. The
twang of countless bows stretched by noble warriors and the blowing of
conches, silence that din of drums and cymbals.
The sky resounds with the booming of the conches and, diffused with an
earthly dust, is awesome to behold; the sky looks like a vast canopy spread
overhead. Seeing that canopy, the fighting men charge into battle.
Maharathas are overthrown by maharathas, with their sarathies, horses,
chariots, and standards. Elephants fall to the ground, attacked by elephants,
as do foot-soldiers struck by other foot-soldiers. Racing horsemen are felled
by horsemen with spears and swords. And all this seems amazing.
Beautiful shields decked with golden stars and radiant like the sun lie
smashed on the field, riven by battle-axes, lances and swords. Many
maharathas, gored and mangled by the tusks and the trunks of elephants,
collapse along with their charioteers; many are struck down by other chariot
warriors. Hearing the cries of riders and foot-soldiers pierced by the tusks
or crushed by the massive legs of elephants as they charge in close ranks,
other warriors fall senseless to the ground.
As the horsemen and foot-soldiers fall fast, and elephants, horses and
chariots scatter in fear, Bhishma, surrounded by maharathas, glimpses him
who has the mighty Vanara on his standard. The five Palmyra bannered
warrior, attacks the diademed Arjuna, the Kiritin, whose chariot, because of
the swift horses yoked to it, and the power of his mighty astras, blazes with
energy like lightning.
And so against that son of Indra who was like Indra himself, advance
many warriors headed by Drona and Kripa, and Salya and Vivimsati, and
Duryodhana and Somadatta’s son.
The gallant Abhimanyu, son of Arjuna, master of all weapons and
protected by golden armour, attacks those warriors; and he of most
wondrous feats, thwarts their mighty weapons, fiery like the adored Agni
himself, on the sacrificial altar, invoked with mantras.
Bhishma of great tejas, letting a veritable river of the blood of his
enemies, avoiding Subhadra’s son, encounters Arjuna himself.
With sparkling coronet and bright garlands, with his Gandiva of
wonderful mien and twang as loud as thunder, shooting cataracts of arrows,
Arjuna foils the astras of Bhishma. And that invincible Kshatriya, with
Hanuman on his banner, looses a towering gale of shafts upon the son of
Shantanu.
Your troops watch that swarm of arrows shot by Arjuna dispersed by
Bhishma like the maker of day dispelling the darkness of night. And the
Kurus and the Srinjayas, and all the men there, behold that clash between
those two supreme heroes, Bhishma and Dhananjaya, distinguished by the
dreadful twanging of their bows.’
CANTO 61
anjaya says, ‘Drona’s son, and Bhurisravas, and Chitrasena, and the
son of Samyamani also, all attack Subhadra’s son, who fights back
single-handedly with great urjas against those five tigerish men, like a
young lion against five tuskers. None among them equals Krishna’s nephew
in bravery, in lightness of hand or in the knowledge of astras.
Seeing his son, that Parantapa, displaying his prowess, Arjuna sets up a
leonine roar. And seeing your grandson, Rajan, thus afflicting your army,
your warriors encircle him. The valiant son of Subhadra, advances
cheerfully against the Dhartarashtra host. His powerful and radiant bow is
seen to be relentlessly stretched, always ready to strike.
Piercing the son of Drona with one shaft, and Salya with five, he
overthrows the standard of Samyamani’s son with eight. With another
whetted arrow he cleaves the snakelike golden spear hurled at him by
Somadatta’s son. The heir of Arjuna cuts down his many deadly shafts and
kills his four horses.
Bhurisravas, and Salya, and Drona’s son and Samyamani, and Sala,
terrified by this display of arms, cannot stand before him. Goaded by your
son, the Trigartas and the Madras, with the Kekayas, numbering twenty-five
thousand, all excellent men skilled in the science of weapons and
unconquerable in war, surround Arjuna and his son to destroy them.
The Senapati of the Pandava army, the prince of the Panchalas, sees
their chariots surrounded. Leading thousands of elephants and chariots, and
hundreds of thousands of horsemen and foot-soldiers, he stretches his bow
in great wrath, and advances against that horde of the Madras and the
Kekayas.
That division of the Pandava army, protected by this brilliant archer, and
consisting of chariots, elephants, and horsemen, is so majestic as it
advances. Moving towards Arjuna, that perpetuator of Panchala’s race
pierces Saradwat’s son’s shoulder with three keening arrows. He swiftly
strikes the Madrakas with ten shafts, killing him who protects Kritavarman
from the rear.
With a thick shaft, that Parantapa slays Damana, the heir of the high-
souled Paurava. The son of Samyamani stabs the indomitable Panchala
prince and his charioteer with ten arrows each. Though wounded,
Dhrishtadyumna merely licks the corners of his mouth, resolutely, and
cleaves his enemy’s bow.
The prince of Panchala attacks his adversary with twenty-five arrows
and kills his horses, and both the protectors of his flanks. Bharatarishabha,
Samyamani’s son, standing on that horseless chariot, looks intently at the
son of the famed Drupada. Taking up a terrible sword of steel, Samyamani’s
son walks towards the Panchala prince who awaits him in his chariot.
The Pandavas, the soldiers and Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata’s race watch
him come like a surging wave, a snake falling from the skies. Dazzling like
the sun, he whirls his sword and advances with the tread of an incensed
elephant.
As Samyamani’s son, sword and shield in hand, nears his enemy’s
chariot, the enraged prince of Panchala takes up a mace and smashes his
head. The young warrior plunges to the ground, dribbling blood and brains,
with his shining blade and shield loosened from his grasp. And so, having
killed his opponent, Dhrishtadyumna wins great glory.
Upon the slaying of that maharatha and most excellent archer, loud
lamentations can be heard among your troops. Beside himself at seeing his
son killed, Samyamani charges towards the invincible fire prince of
Panchala. All the kings of both the Kaurava and the Pandava armies watch
those two noble maharathas lock in battle.
The Parantapa Samyamani strikes down the scion of Prishata’s race with
three shafts much like a mahout of an elephant felling a mighty tusker with
hooks. Thus does Salya, that jewel among kings, pierce the valiant son of
Prishata in the chest. And another battle begins.’
CANTO 62
hritarashtra says, ‘I regard destiny to be superior to exertion,

Sanjaya. This is clear to me as I watch my son’s army being
decimated by the Pandava host. You always describe my forces as
being slaughtered, and you speak of the Pandavas as being unslain and
cheerful. Indeed, you speak of mine as stripped of manliness, felled and
falling, even as they fight uncompromisingly and strive hard for victory.
You portray the Pandavas as achieving victory and my sons as becoming
progressively weaker. I incessantly hear of countless causes of unbearable
and poignant sorrow caused by Duryodhana’s deeds. I do not see, Sanjaya,
the means by which the Pandavas may be diminished and my sons can
triumph in this war.’
Sanjaya says, ‘This great evil has ensued from you, Rajan. Listen now
with patience to the annihilation of men, elephants, horses and maharathas.
Dhrishtadyumna, wounded by Salya’s nine shafts, pierces the ruler of the
Madras with many steely arrows. We watch the awesome prowess of
Drupada’s son as he swiftly impedes Salya.
The battle between them is brief, and they fight vigorously without rest.
Salya rives Dhrishtadyumna’s bow with a tempered shaft; he covers him
with a deluge of arrows like a cloudburst on a mountain’s breast during the
monsoon. While Dhrishtadyumna is being attacked, Abhimanyu wrathfully
charges towards the chariot of the ruler of the Madras. Nearing it, he stabs
Artayani with three sizzling barbs.
To oppose Abhimanyu, your warriors quickly surround Artayani’s
chariot. And Duryodhana, and Vikarna, and Dussasana, and Vivimsati and
Durmarshana, and Dussaha, and Chitrasena, and Durmukha, and
Satyavrata, and Purumitra position themselves to defend that chariot.
Incensed, Bhima, and Dhrishtadyumna, and the five sons of Draupadi
one by each Pandava, and Abhimanyu, and the twin sons of Madri and
Pandu attack the Dhritarashtra army with a rage of astras. They fight to kill
one another, Rajan, as a result of your evil deeds.
When those ten enraged maharathas clash with the enemy ten, the other
maharathas of both armies stand still like spectators, and gaze. Those
powerful warriors bellow stridently and strike one another with myriad
astras. With ever rising anger, they roar fiercely and challenge each other.
They unite and fight the enemy with deadly, mighty weapons.
Choleric Duryodhana pierces Dhrishtadyumna with four shafts.
Durmarshana pierces him with twenty, and Chitrasena with five, and
Durmukha with nine; he shoots Dussaha with seven, and Vivimsati with
five, and Dussasana with three barbs. Dhrishtadyumna resists each of them
expertly with twenty-five arrows of his own.
Abhimanyu pierces Satyavrata and Purumitra each with ten shafts. The
sons of Madri shroud their uncle with sheets of lean missiles. And all this
appears wonderful. Salya attacks his nephews, those two excellent
maharathas who want to counter their uncle’s exploits; but the sons of
Madri do not falter.
The mighty Bhima, seeing Duryodhana, and wanting to end the very
war, takes up his mace. Beholding Mahabaho Bhima with raised mace and
looking like the peak of Kailasa, your sons flee in terror. Duryodhana,
incensed, goads the Magadha legion of ten thousand majestic tuskers to
attack. Surrounded by that legion and placing the ruler of Magadha before
him, Duryodhana rushes at Bhimasena.
Watching that legion of elephants coming towards him, Vrikodara, mace
in hand, leaps down from his chariot with a lion’s roar. Armed with that
awesome mace, having the weight and strength of adamant, he charges like
Siva himself with cavernous mouth agape.
Like a slayer of Vritra among the Danava host, Bhima ranges across the
battleground killing elephants with his mace. With his frequent roars, that
make the heart and mind tremble, the elephants cower and cannot move.
The sons of Draupadi, and the son of Subhadra, and Nakula and
Sahadeva, and Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata’s race, protecting Bhima’s rear,
move swiftly behind him, and stop all by loosing a barrage of arrows, truly
like the very clouds pouring rain on a mountain’s breast. From the backs of
elephants, those Pandava warriors sever the heads of their adversaries with
exquisite shafts.
The heads of elephant-riders, and arms decked with ornaments, and
hands still holding iron-hooks, falling fast, resemble a downpour of strange
rocks. The headless bodies of those riders on the necks of the beasts they
rode look like crownless trees on mountain peaks. And we see mighty
elephants felled and falling, killed by Dhrishtadyumna.
The ruler of the Magadhas goads his elephant which looks like Airavata
himself towards the chariot of Subhadra’s son. Parantapa Abhimanyu kills it
with a single shaft. After killing his elephant, Abhimanyu cuts off that
king’s head with a silver-winged arrow.
Bhima penetrates that horde of elephants and meanders about, crushing
those royal beasts around him like Indra crushing the mountains of yore.
We watch Bhima kill those tuskers, each with but a single stroke of his
mace, like hills riven by thunder. Numerous elephants as grand as hills
perish, having their tusks broken, or temples, bones, backs, or frontal lobes
shattered. Others lie dead, with foaming mouths. Many mighty elephants,
with frontal lobes smashed, vomit streams of blood. And some, from fear,
lie down on the ground side by side like a range of hills.
Smeared with their fat and blood, and almost bathed in their marrow,
Bhima roams over the field like Siva himself; whirling his blood-soaked
mace, he is terrible to behold, like Rudra armed with his Pinaka. Being
crushed by the raging Bhima, those massive tuskers run wildly in pain,
trampling their own warriors.
All the while, the daring archers and maharathas, led by Subhadra’s son,
guard that awesome Kshatriya, whirling his gory mace, dripping the blood
of elephants, like the Devas protecting Indra. Of terrible soul, Bhima now
truly looks like none but Sankara.
Indeed, Bhaarata, displaying his strength on all sides, we see Bhima like
Siva dancing his Tandava at the end of the yuga; his heavy and resounding
mace resembles the club of Yama, it echoes with the sound of Indra’s
thunderbolt. His bloodthirsty mace, smeared with marrow and hair, seems
to be the Pinaka annihilating all creatures during Rudra’s rage.
As a herdsman chastises his herd of cattle with a goad, Bhima smites
that elephant legion with his club. Slaughtered by Bhima and pierced with
the arrows of the warriors who protect his rear, the elephants scatter,
crushing your chariots. Driving away those great beasts from the field like a
mighty wind great clouds, Bhima stands like the wielder of the Trisula on a
cremation ground.’
CANTO 63
anjaya says, ‘When that elephant akshauhini is destroyed, your son

Duryodhana rouses his entire army, commanding his warriors to kill
Bhima. The whole awesome force rushes towards Vrikodara. That vast host,
a challenge for the very Devas, impossible to cross like the surging sea at
the full or new moon, teeming with chariots, elephants and horses,
resounding with the blast of conches and the beating of drums, with
countless foot-soldiers and maharathas, and shrouded by the swirling dust it
raises, that sea of hostile forces, is arrested by Bhima, like the shore
containing the ocean. We are wonderstruck by Bhima’s superhuman exploit.
With his mace, he fearlessly checks all those kings cholerically attacking
him, with their steeds and chariots and elephants. Withstanding that vast
force with his mace, Bhima stands in that fierce melee as unyielding as
Meru.
And in that tremendous encounter, his brother and sons, and
Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata’s race, and the sons of Draupadi and
Abhimanyu, and the undefeated Sikhandin do not cravenly abandon him.
Taking up his hefty mace made of Saika iron, Bhima charges the warriors of
your army like Mahadeva turned to ire. Grinding a multitude of chariots and
throngs of horsemen into the earth, Bhima roves across the battleground
like the fire consuming all at the end of the yuga.
Pandu’s son of infinite prowess smashes a host of chariots just with his
legs like iron and kills another host of your fighting men. He crushes your
troops with such ease, like an elephant ploughing through a forest of reeds.
Dragging down maharathas from their chariots, and horsemen from their
horses, and foot-soldiers as they stand their ground in your son’s forces,
Mahabaho Bhima demolishes them all with his mace like the mighty wind
risen uprooting frail trees.
Slaughtering elephants and horses, smeared by now richly with fat,
marrow, flesh and blood, his mace looks gruesome indeed. With the bodies
of warriors and horsemen lying scattered, Kurukshetra appears like Yama’s
abode. Bhima’s mace, that bludgeon of death with the brilliance of Indra’s
Vajra, is like the Pinaka of Rudra claiming all living creatures.
That swinging mace is fiercely resplendent like the Khatvanga of Siva at
the end of the yuga. Seeing him routing that enormous force, your fighting
men are dismal. Wherever Bhima casts his eye, there all the warriors seem
to melt away.
Beholding Vrikodara consuming those legions, himself impregnable,
Bhishma charges at him on his chariot radiant like the sun and with the
sound of thunderous clouds, covering the sky with his gale of arrows like a
misty rain-filled awning.
Seeing Bhishma charging him like another Rudra, Mahabaho Bhima
attacks him fiercely. At that moment, that foremost Kshatriya of Sini’s race,
the matchless Satyaki, also assails the Pitamaha, killing so many of the
enemy as he gloriously rides, filling your son’s army with fear. Your
warriors, Bhaarata, cannot stop or stand up to him at all, flying along with
his silvery horses, spraying splendid winged shafts.
Only the Rakshasa Alambusha pierces him with ten shafts. Satyaki
shoots Alambusha with four arrows and continues on his careen. Watching
that recalescent warrior whirl through his enemies, scything through the
foremost of Kaurava fighting men, and roaring loudly all the while, your
warriors shower him with clouds of arrows. But their deadly rain falls as
onto a mountain’s breast of rock. They cannot impede that gallant hero who
looks like the noon-day sun in full glory.
Everyone is despondent, except for Somadatta’s son, Bhurisravas, who,
seeing the maharathas of his side dispersed, charges against Satyaki with his
mighty bow.’
CANTO 64
anjaya says, ‘Bhurisravas, excited with great wrath, pierces Satyaki

with nine arrows. Before the eyes of all, Satyaki stabs the Kaurava
warrior with nine shafts of his own. Duryodhana and his brothers surround
Somadatta’s son as he fights passionately.
The Pandavas quickly encircle Satyaki, protecting him. Ever furious
Bhima, mace raised, roars his challenge at all your sons led by Duryodhana.
Supported by thousands of chariots, your son Nandaka attacks Bhima with
arrows winged with the feathers of the kanka bird.
Duryodhana strikes Bhima in the chest with nine shafts. Mahabaho
Bhima, standing in his chariot, says to his sarathy Vishoka, “These heroic
and mighty sons of Dhritarashtra, all maharathas, are furious, and want to
kill me. I will slaughter all of them today. So steer my horses carefully into
battle.”
O Dhritarashtra, saying this, Pritha’s son strikes your son with a rash of
gold decked arrows. And he pierces Nandaka with three barbs in his chest.
Duryodhana stabs the mighty Bhima with six shafts and Vishoka with three.
Duryodhana calmly cuts off Bhima’s resplendent bow at its grasp with three
arrows of incredible aim.
Bhima, bull among men, cannot bear to see Vishoka wounded by
Duryodhana; he seizes another excellent bow to kill your son. Drawing a
crescent-tipped winged arrow, he cleaves Duryodhana’s bow in his hands.
Roaring, your son discards it and plucks up a more robust one.
Aiming a fearful shaft blazing like Yama’s danda, Duryodhana strikes
Bhima. Deeply and painfully pierced in his chest, the mighty one drops
down in his chariot and faints. Unable to endure seeing Bhima wounded,
the illustrious maharathas of the Pandava army, led by Abhimanyu, with
unwavering accuracy, loose a harmattan of arrows upon your sons.
Bhima regains consciousness and first covers Duryodhana with a hail of
shafts. That gallant son of Pandu pierces Salya with twenty-five golden-
winged barbs. Salya is carried off in a swoon from the battleground.
Your fourteen sons, Senapati, Sushena, Jalasandha, Sulochana, Ugra,
Bhimaratha, Bhima, Virabahu, Aolupa, Durmukha, Dushpradarsha, Vivitsu,
Vikata, and Sama, face Bhima. Unitedly they charge Bhima and with eyes
red with anger wound him deeply with countless arrows.
Mahabaho Bhima, licking the corners of his mouth like a wolf amidst
smaller creatures, falls upon them with the ferocity of Garuda. With a
crescent-tipped shaft, Bhima decapitates Senapati. Exultant, laughing all the
while, that towering Kshatriya kills Jalasandha with three arrows. Smiting
Sushena, he dispatches him to Yama. And with a single barb he hacks away
the stately head of Ugra, beautiful as the moon, decked with turban and
adorned with ear-rings.
With seventy arrows, Bhima kills Virabahu and his horses, standard and
charioteer. The smiling Bhima slays both the brothers Bhima and
Bhimaratha. In that great war, Bhima also fells Sulochana. The rest of your
sons, seeing indomitable Bhima roused like that, flee.
Bhishma addresses all the maharathas of his army saying, “Bhima,
excited with wrath, can annihilate the mighty sons of Dhritarashtra and
every other maharatha, all united together, regardless of their knowledge of
weapons, and their valour. All of you must attack and kill that son of
Pandu.”
Hearing this, the vast legions of the Dhritarashtra army rush at Bhima.
Bhagadatta, on his elephant of rent temples, dashes to where the massive
Pandava stands. He mantles Bhima with countless arrows, like the clouds
covering the sun.
But those intrepid maharathas of the Pandava army cannot bear seeing
that shrouding of Bhima by the torrent of Bhagadatta’s shafts, and they
surround Bhagadatta, raining arrows on him. They also pierce his elephant
with showers of barbs. Struck by the awesome shafts of those maharathas,
that elephant of the ruler of the Pragjyotishas, with blood flowing down his
body, appears as strikingly handsome as a mass of clouds stained by the
sun’s rays. With temporal juice pouring down, that elephant Supritika is
goaded by Bhagadatta to race forward, shaking the earth with his tread.
The Pandava maharathas, gazing upon the beast’s dreadful appearance,
lose all courage. King Bhagadatta, lion among men, forcefully strikes
Bhima in the chest with a straight shaft of great length. Bhima faints and
falls to the floor of his chariot, holding onto his flagpole. Seeing the fear of
the enemy maharathas and an unconscious Bhima, Bhagadatta roars
exultantly.
Seeing his father Bhima fainted, the feral Rakshasa Ghatotkacha is
incensed and vanishes from sight using maya. Creating a macabre illusion,
he reappears the next moment in a form so prodigious and fierce as to fill
the hearts of the timid with nameless dread. Riding on an Airavata created
by his maya shakti, the other celebrated elephants, Anjana, Vamana, and
Mahapadma, follow him.
Ridden by Rakshasas, those massive tuskers, with juice profusely
trickling down in three lines, thunder into battle. Ghatotkacha spurs his own
elephant forward to demolish Bhagadatta and his great beast. The other
mastodons, each endowed with four tusks, goaded by huge and sinister
Rakshasas, attack Bhagadatta’s elephant from every side, goring him,
shooting him with savage arrows.
Wounded by excruciating shafts, Supritika bellows boomingly as loud as
Indra’s thunder. Hearing those deafening cries, Bhishma says to Drona,
Suyodhana and all the kings, “The mighty Bhagadatta, battling the evil son
of Hidimbi, is in distress. The Rakshasa is formidable, and the king beside
himself with anger. They will slaughter each other. Loud shouts of the
rejoicing Pandavas can be heard, as can the agonised cries of king
Bhagadatta’s terrified elephant.
Let us all ride to save the beleaguered king or he will be killed! Warriors
of great urjas, do not delay. The battle becomes even fiercer, making one’s
hair stand on end. That legion’s commander is of high varna, brave, and
devoted to us. O my heroes of unfading glory, we must save him.”
Hearing Bhishma’s words, all the kings of the Kaurava army, led by
Drona, charge towards Bhagadatta, sovereign of the Pragjyotishas. Seeing
them come, the Panchalas with the Pandavas, led by Yudhishtira, pursue
them. Ghatotkacha, mighty prince of Rakshasas, roars shatteringly as he
sees the enemy legion press forward.
Hearing that roar and seeing those battle elephants, Bhishma says to
Drona, “I do not wish to fight today with the evil son of Hidimbi. Mighty
and vigorous, he is so well supported at the moment that even Indra could
not vanquish him. He has a deadly aim. As for us, today our animals are
tired. We have been crushed by the Panchalas and the Pandavas. I would
not like a fresh encounter with them just now. Order our army to withdraw.
Tomorrow we will fight anew.”
Hearing these words of the Pitamaha, the Kauravas, terrified of
Ghatotkacha and ready to use nightfall as a pretext, obey him promptly.
After the Kauravas have withdrawn, the conquering Pandava lions roar and
roar in victory, and their roars echo with the blast of conches and mingle
with the notes of flutes. Bhaarata, in this way did the Kauravas and the
Pandavas led by Ghatotkacha fight each other on that day.
The Kauravas, overcome with shame at being decimated and humiliated
by the Pandavas, retire downcast to their tents. And those maharathas, the
sons of Pandu, lacerated by arrows and wearied by the fighting, also retire
to their camp led by Bhima and Ghatotkacha. Joyfully, they praise these
two heroes. Their triumphant shouts mingle with the music of horns. Those
sounds make the very earth tremble, carving the hearts of your sons.
Thus those Parantapas retreat into their tents. Duryodhana, stricken by
the death of his brothers, is forlorn, overcome with grief and weeping. He
passes the hours in meditation, anguish over the killing of his brothers
burning him.’
CANTO 65
hritarashtra says, ‘Hearing of those feats of the Pandavas, before

whom the very Devas appear powerless, my heart, Sanjaya, is filled
with awe and fear. Hearing also of the humiliation of my sons, I
dread the outcome of this war. Vidura’s words trouble me. Everything that
has occurred appears to be the will of fate.
Led by Bhishma, The warriors of the Pandava army confront and
annihilate our exceptional fighting men who are led by Bhishma and are so
skilled in using every weapon. What ascetic penances have the high-souled
and mighty sons of Pandu performed, what boon have they obtained, what
science is known to them, that they do not diminish like stars in the sky? I
cannot bear that my army is being slaughtered by them. This divine and
cruel punishment has fallen on me alone.
Tell me everything truly, Sanjaya, that explains the invincibility of the
Pandavas and the vulnerability of my sons. I am drowning in this ocean of
anguish and cannot see the other shore. I am like a man thrashing to cross
this vast ocean by just the strength of my two arms. I know that a great
calamity has engulfed my sons. Certainly, Bhima will crush them. I do not
see any hero who will be able to protect them. Their death, in this war, is
assured.
I implore you, O Suta, to tell me everything about the true cause of all
these events. Seeing his troops retreating from the melee, what does
Duryodhana do? And what the respected Bhishma and Drona, and Kripa,
and Subala’s son, and Jayadratha, and that forceful archer, Drona’s son, and
mighty Vikarna? Wise Sanjaya, watching my sons withdraw, what do the
Pandavas resolve to do?’
Sanjaya says, ‘Listen carefully, Rajan, and having heard, understand
this. Nothing is the result of a spell, or the outcome of chimera of any kind.
Nor have the sons of Pandu created any new terrors. They are mighty, and
fight fairly in this war. Seeking glory, the sons of Pritha always cleave to
dharma, even when their own lives are at risk.
Having both great wealth and strength, they continue to battle, never
straying from righteousness. And victory lies with the virtuous. This is why
the sons of Pritha are unassailable and always victorious. Your sons are evil
and sinful. They are cruel and shameful in what they do. This is why they
are being diminished.
Your sons’ actions towards the Pandavas have been devious and
ruthless. The sons of Pandu have always disregarded these offences. On
many occasions your sons have humiliated them. Let them now reap the
terrible fruit, like poison, of that persistent course of sins. Rajan, you too
will harvest that fruit, along with your sons and kinsmen, since you could
not be persuaded to return to dharma despite the counsel of your well-
wishers.
Repeatedly forbidden by Vidura, by Bhishma, by the high-souled Drona,
and by me also, you would not understand, disregarding what we said for
your good, like a sick man refusing medicine that would save him. Instead
believing your sons’ opinions, you considered the Pandavas already
defeated. Again, listen to me about the true cause of the Pandava victory.
Parantapa, I will tell you what I have heard.
Duryodhana asked the Pitamaha this very question. Seeing his brothers,
all mighty chariot warriors, routed in battle, your grief-stricken son humbly
goes to the wise Bhishma during the night and asks him this same thing.
Rajan, I will tell you all about it.
Duryodhana says, “Drona and you, and Salya, and Kripa, and Drona’s
son, and Kritavarman the son of Hridika, and Sudakshina the ruler of the
Kambojas, and Bhurisravas, and Vikarna, and Bhagadatta of exceeding
prowess, are all deemed maharathas. All are dvija, and prepared to sacrifice
their lives in battle.
It is my view that these are a match for even the hosts of the three
worlds combined. All the warriors of the Pandava army jointly cannot
oppose your prowess. A doubt has risen in my mind. Explain it to me.
Whom do the Pandavas rely on to repeatedly subdue us?”
Bhishma says, “Listen to me, Suyodhana. I frequently advised you about
this but you did not listen. Bharatarishabha, make peace with the Pandavas.
This will benefit both the world and you. Enjoy this earth with your
brothers and be happy, gratifying all your well-wishers and delighting your
kinsmen.
Although I beseeched you, you did not heed my counsel. You have
always scorned the sons of Pandu. The outcome has now overwhelmed you.
Listen also to the reason why the tireless Pandavas cannot be slain.
There is not, was not, nor will be, in all the worlds a warrior who can
overpower the sons of Pandu who are all protected by the wielder of the
Saranga. Knowing dharma as you do, listen to that ancient history, itihasa,
which was narrated to me by sages of restrained souls.
In olden days, all the Devas and the Rishis, united together, waited
respectfully on the Pitamaha Brahma upon the mountains of
Gandhamadana.
And the Lord of all creatures, seated in their midst, saw a wonderful
luminous chariot in the sky. Having gained knowledge of it through dhyana,
calmly joining his hands, Brahma, with delighted soul, greeted the highest
Divine Being. The Rishis and the Devas, beholding this form in the sky, all
stood up with folded hands, their eyes fixed on that wonder of wonders.
Worshipping him duly, Brahma, the Creator of the universe, aware of
Brahman, conscious of the highest rectitude, spoke these noble words:
‘With your form, you endow magnificence upon the universe. You are
indeed the protector of the universe. O most Supreme One, the universe is
your creation. You are Vasudeva. Therefore, I seek refuge in You who are
the soul of yoga and the highest God. Victory to You who are the Supreme
Deity!
Victory to You who personify all the good of the worlds. Victory to you,
Lord of yoga, who are omnipotent. Victory to You who both precede and
succeed yoga. With the lotus springing from your navel, and having all-
embracing eyes, victory to You who are the Lord of the Devas. O Holy
Being of the past, the present, and the future, victory to You, the
embodiment of gentleness!
You are the sun of suns. The receptacle of countless attributes, the
refuge of all things, may You triumph. You are Narayana, too deep to be
fathomed. Wielder of the Saranga, may victory be yours.
Unsullied and blessed with every attribute, having the universe for your
form, may you always prevail. Lord of the universe, Mahabaho, one who
blesses the worlds, victory to You. O great Snake, mighty Varaha, O first
Cause, with tawny hair, all-powerful One, may You always be victorious!
Saffron-robed Lord of the cardinal and the subsidiary directions, You,
who pervade all the universe, are infinite and eternal, the manifest and the
unmanifest. You that are the immeasurable Akasa, with all your senses
under control, who attains what is good, You that are immeasurable, You
who alone know your own nature, victory to You!
You are profound and vast; you grant all wishes, One without end,
known as Brahman, You that are eternal, the Creator of all creatures, ever
successful and wise, are familiar with dharma, the One who confers victory,
You of mysterious Self, You are the soul of all yoga. You who cause
everything to be born, who are the knowledge of the selves of all beings,
Lord of the worlds, victory to you. Svayambhu, most blessed, you are also
the veritable Destroyer.
Inspirer of all thoughts, dear to all conversant with Brahman, ever
creating and destroying, controller of all wishes, Supreme Lord, the cause
of amrita, You are all-existent, nityasya. You are the first to appear at the
end of the yuga, guardian of victory, Divine Lord of the Lord of all
creatures, from whose navel springs the lotus, mighty and, arisen from
Yourself, embodying the great elements in their primeval state, You who are
the soul of all rites and rituals, victory to You who grants everything!
Bhumi Devi represents your two feet, the cardinal and the subsidiary
directions your arms, and the sky your head. I am your form, the Devas
your limbs, and the sun and the moon are your two eyes. Tapasya and satya
born of dharma and yagna are your strength. Agni is your energy, Vayu is
your breath, and the waters have sprung from your sweat. The Aswins form
your ears, and Saraswati is your tongue. The Vedas are your knowledge,
and upon you rests this Brahmanda. Lord of yoga and yogins, we do not
know your extent, your measure, your energy, your prowess, your power,
your origin.
Vishnu, we worship you fervently, with vows and ceremonies, as the
Supreme One, and depend upon you. The Rishis, the Devas, the
Gandharvas, the Yakshas, the Rakshasas, the Pannagas, the Pisachas, the
Manavas, animals and birds, were all created by me on Earth through your
grace.
Krishna, with the lotus springing from your navel, O you of large
expansive eyes, you dispel all despair and are the refuge and guide of all
creatures. The Universe is your mouth and the Devas delight in your
blessings. Through your grace the Earth is freed from terrors.
Therefore, take birth in the Yaduvamsa. Establish dharma, slay the sons
of Diti, and uphold the universe. Vasudeva, I sing your supreme mystery
through your own benevolence.
Having created the divine Sankarshana out of your own self by yourself,
Krishna, you then made yourself as Pradyumna born of yourself. From
Pradyumna you created Aniruddha known as the eternal Vishnu. And it was
Aniruddha who created me as Brahma, the support of the universe. Created
out of Vasudeva’s essence I have, therefore, been created by you.
Krishna, dividing yourself into amsas, take birth among human beings.
Slaughtering the Asuras there for the bliss of all the worlds, establishing
virtue, and winning fame, You will again realise Yoga.
The regenerate Rishis on Earth and the Devas are devoted to you and
sing of your wonder, pronouncing all your names. Mahabaho, all classes of
creatures depend on you, having taken refuge in You who grants boons. The
regenerate ones sing of you being Setu, the world’s bridge to salvation,
having no beginning, middle and end, possessing unlimited Yoga.’”’
CANTO 66
anjaya says, ‘Bhishma says, “Then the Lord of the worlds said to
Brahma in a soft rumbling voice, ‘Through Yoga, I know what you
desire. It will be as you wish.’
And saying this, he disappeared. Then the Devas, Rishis and
Gandharvas, filled with great wonder and curiosity asked Brahma, ‘Who is
that one that you worshipped with such humility and praised so highly? Tell
us.’
The celebrated Pitamaha replied to all the Devas, the regenerate Rishis,
and the Gandharvas, in sweet tones, ‘He who is called TAT, He who is
Supreme, He who exists now and for all time, He who is the highest Self,
He who is the Soul of beings, and who is the great Lord, it was to Him that
I spoke. I pleaded with the Lord of the universe, for the good of the
universe, to take his birth among men in the family of Vasudeva.
I said to Him: Take birth in the world of men to slaughter the Asuras!
Those fierce and strong Daityas and Rakshasas, killed in unworldly battle,
have been born among men. Incarnating in a human womb, You will live on
the Earth accompanied by Nara.
Those ancient and excellent Rishis, Nara and Narayana, cannot be
defeated in battle by even all the Devas united. Of immense effulgence,
those Rishis when born together in the world of men will not be recognised
by fools.
He, from whose Self, I, Brahma, the Lord of the whole Universe, have
sprung, that Vasudeva, that Supreme One, is worthy of your adoration.
Imbued with great tejas, and holding the conch, the discus, and the mace, he
should never be regarded as a mere man. He is the Unmatched Mystery, the
Ultimate Refuge, the Supreme Brahman, and the Greatest Glory.
Unmanifest and eternal, he cannot perish. He has been praised as
Purusha, though no one can understand him completely. The Creator has
extolled him as the Supreme Energy, the Supreme Felicity, and the Supreme
Truth.
Therefore, Vasudeva of vast capacities should never be considered as
just a man, not by all the Asuras and the Devas led by Indra. Someone who
speaks of Hrishikesa as only a man is a fool and a wretch.
People who disregard that Yogin of illustrious soul for entering into
human form are blind. They labour under darkness who do not know that
Divine luminary, that Soul of the mobile and the immobile creation, that
one bearing the Srivatsa on his chest, that one of dazzling brilliance, that
one from whose navel has sprung the primeval lotus.
He who disdains that high souled one, the wearer of the divine crown
and the Kaustubha ruby, one who dispels his friends’ fears, sinks into deep
darkness. Vasudeva should be adored by all.’
Having said these words to those Devas and Rishis, the illustrious
Brahma, dismissing them all, returned to his own abode. The Devas and the
Gandharvas, and the Munis and the Apsaras, having heard those holy words
of Brahma, were delighted and returned to Devaloka. I myself heard this
about Krishna from Rishis of cultured souls speaking in their assembly.
You who know the Shastras well, I heard this from Rama, the son of
Jamadagni, and Markandeya of great wisdom, and Vyasa and Narada.
Having learnt all this and heard of the illustrious Vasudeva as the Eternal
Lord, the Supreme God of all the worlds, and the great Master, from whom
Brahma himself has sprung, I ask: why should not that Vasudeva be adored
and worshipped by men?
You were forbidden by great sages who asked you never to go to war
with that Vasudeva armed with his bow as also with the Pandavas. Your
foolishness prevented you from comprehending what they said. I hence
consider you a wicked Rakshasa. You are also enveloped in ignorance. It is
for this reason that you hate Krishna and Arjuna, for who else among men
would hate the divine Nara and Narayana?
It is for this, Duryodhana, that I say to you that this one is Eternal and
Unfading, pervading the whole Universe, Unchanging, the Ruler, Creator
and Upholder of all, and the truly Existent. He supports the three worlds.
He is the Supreme Lord of all mobile and immobile creatures, and He is the
great Master. He is warrior, He is Victory, He is Vanquisher, and He is the
Lord of all nature.
He is full of goodness and without all the qualities of tamas and rajas,
darkness and passion. Where Krishna is, there is righteousness; and where
righteousness dwells, there is victory. It is by the Yoga of his Supreme
Excellence, and the Yoga of his Self, that the sons of Pandu are supported.
Therefore, they will surely triumph.
To the Pandavas he imparts understanding permeated with
righteousness, and strength in battle; and He always protects them from
danger. He is the Eternal God, pervading all beings, and ever blessed.
Known as Vasudeva, he is humbly served by all, Brahmanas and
Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras, who, fulfilling their own dharma, worship
Him with restrained hearts.
Towards the close of the Dwapara Yuga and the beginning of the Kali
Yuga, it is He who is praised with songs of devotion by believers. It is that
Vasudeva who creates, yuga after yuga, the worlds of the Devas and
Manushyas, all the cities encircled by the sea, and all the regions where
men live.”’
CANTO 67
anjaya says, ‘Duryodhana says, “In all the worlds Vasudeva is known
as the Supreme Being. Pitamaha, I want to understand his origin and
glory.”
Bhishma says, “Vasudeva is the Supreme Being. He is the God of all
Gods. With eyes like lotus petals, there is none more exalted than him.
Markandeya speaks of Govinda as the Most Wonderful and the Most High,
as the All-being, as the All-soul, as the Highest soul, and as the Supreme
Purusha.
He created Water, Wind, and Fire. That Divine Master created this
Earth. That Supreme Being of illustrious soul and all kinds of Tejas laid
himself down on the ocean and slept in Yoga. From his mouth He created
Fire, and from his breath, the Wind. Of unfading glory, He created from his
mouth Vak, the Word and the Vedas.
It was thus that he created first the Worlds and also the Devas along with
the many classes of Rishis. And he created the decay and death of all
beings, as well as birth and maturity. He is Dharma itself. He grants us
boons and desires. He is the Actor and Action, and He is himself the Divine
Guru.
He created the Past, the Present, and the Future; He is the Creator of the
Universe. Of illustrious soul, He is the magnificent Preceptor. He created
Sankarshana, the First-born of all creatures. He created the divine Sesha
Ananta, who supports the Earth with all her creatures and mountains.
Of matchless Tejas, the regenerate ones know Him through Yoga.
Sprung from the secretions of his ear, the fierce and merciless Asura
Madhu, who intended to and almost destroyed Brahma, was slain by
Vasudeva. And so the Devas and the Danavas, the Manavas and Rishis call
Janardana the slayer of Madhu, Madhusudana.
The great Varaha, the great Narasimha, He is the Three-stepped Vamana.
He is the Mother and the Father of all living creatures. There never was, nor
will be, any more excellent than He of eyes like lotus petals.
He created the Brahmanas from His mouth and the Kshatriyas from His
arms; from His thighs He fashioned the Vaisyas, and from His feet the
Sudras. One who serves Him dutifully, observing vows with ascetic
austerities on days of the full-moon and the new-moon, is sure to obtain the
Divine Kesava, that refuge of all embodied creatures, that essence of
Brahman and Yoga.
Kesava is the higher Energy, the ancestor of all the worlds. The sages
call Him Hrishikesa. All should know Him as the Acharya and the
Pitamaha. Him with whom Krishna is delighted, attains eternal regions of
blessedness.
He who is fearful should seek Kesava’s protection; and he who
repeatedly reads this stuti, achieves happiness and prosperity. Those who
attain Krishna are never deceived; Janardana always sustains those who are
frightened.
Rajan, knowing this truly, Yudhishtira, has wholeheartedly sought
refuge in Krishna, the Lord of Yoga, and the Lord of the Earth.”’
CANTO 68
hishma says, “I will recite this hymn that Brahma himself sang. In
ancient times, this hymn was imparted by regenerate Rishis and the
Devas to men:
‘Narada described you as the Acharya and the Supreme Lord of the
Devas and all the Sadhyas and the heavenly beings, and as one who knows
the nature of Brahman. Markandeya spoke of you as the Past, the Present,
and the Future, the sacrifice of sacrifices, and the austerity of austerities.
The celebrated Bhrigu said that you are the God of the gods and all
creatures, the ancient form of Vishnu. Dwaipayana said that you are
Vasudeva of the Vasus, who establishes Sakra. When mortals were being
born, the sages described you as Daksha, the Father of creation.
Angiras said that you are the creator of all beings. Devala said that your
body comprised the unmanifest, your mind the manifest, and that all the
Devas are produced by your breath. The heavens are filled with your heads,
and your arms support the Earth. In your stomach are the three worlds and
you are the Eternal Being.
Even thus do men exalted by asceticism know you. You are the Sat of
Sat, with Rishis gratified with sight of the Atman. With royal sages of
liberal minds, resolute in battle and with ethical aims, you, destroyer of
Madhu, are the only refuge.’
The Supreme Being, Hari, is thus adored and worshipped by
Sanatkumara and other ascetic yogis. I have now described the truth about
Kesava to you, both in brief and detail. Turn to him in love.”’
Sanjaya continues, ‘Hearing this sacred story, your son begins to revere
both Kesava and the Pandava maharathas. Then, O Rajan, Bhishma says to
Duryodhana, “You have now heard about Krishna’s glory and about Nara.
You also now know why Nara and Narayana have incarnated among men.
You have also been told why those heroes are invincible and have never
been defeated in war, and why also no one can kill the sons of Pandu in war.
Krishna greatly loves the sons of Pandu. And so I say: Make peace with the
Pandavas. Curb your passions and enjoy the Earth with your mighty
brothers. By disregarding the divine Nara and Narayana, you will be
destroyed.”
Having said these words, the Pitamaha becomes silent, and dismissing
King Duryodhana, enters his tent. Duryodhana also returns to his tent, after
paying his respects to Bhishma. And then, Bharatarishabha, he lies down to
sleep.’
CANTO 69
anjaya says, ‘When the night passes and the sun rises, the two armies
face each other again. Each side moves forward in united and furious
ranks to overcome the other. And as a result of your evil deeds, the
Pandavas and the Kauravas advance, encased in armour and in battle
formation.
The vyuha that Bhishma protects from all sides is that of the Makara, the
great crocodile. The Pandavas also form and protect their vyuha. Maharatha
Bhishma rides with a large akshauhini of chariots. Chariot warriors, foot-
soldiers, elephants, and horsemen, all follow him, positioned in assigned
places.
Seeing them ready for battle, the Pandavas deploy their forces in the
invincible Syena vyuha. On that vyuha’s beak shines the formidable Bhima.
The invincible Sikhandin and Dhrishtadyumna are its eyes. In its head is the
heroic Satyaki of indomitable prowess.
On its neck stands Arjuna vibrating his Gandiva. Upon its left wing is
the high-souled and blessed Drupada with his son supported by an
akshauhini of all forces. And the king of the Kekayas, with an akshauhini,
forms the right wing of that vyuha. On its back are the sons of Draupadi,
and Subhadra’s wonderful son. And at its tail is the heroic and excellent
Yudhishtira himself, supported by Nakula and Sahadeva.
In the battle that ensues, Bhima penetrates the Kaurava vyuha of Makara
through its mouth, and approaching Bhishma, covers him with stern arrows.
Mighty Bhishma looses his deadly weapons, baffling the Pandava forces.
And when the Pandava fighting men are thus confounded, Arjuna swiftly
strikes Bhishma with a thousand shafts. Countering Bhishma’s weapons,
Arjuna, supported by his own spirited men, erupts into battle.
Maharatha Duryodhana, seeing the bloody carnage wreaked on his army
and remembering the slaughter of his brothers, rushes up to Drona and says
to him, “Acharya, ever my well-wisher, relying on you and on the
Pitamaha, we hope to defeat the very Devas in battle, let alone the sons of
Pandu who are floundering with neither energy nor prowess. O blessed one,
fight today so that the Pandavas are annihilated.”
At this, Drona plunges into the Pandava vyuha before Satyaki’s very
eyes, who quickly retaliates to stop the son of Bharadwaja. The battle that
follows is pitched and fierce. Roused, the great Drona, smiling the while,
pierces the grandson of Sini with ten shafts in his shoulder. Bhima shoots
Drona with a rash of arrows, seeking to protect Satyaki. Infuriated, Drona,
Bhishma and Salya shroud Bhima with their fire. Abhimanyu and the sons
of Draupadi wound those armed warriors with their sharpest barbs.
In that brutal contention, the great archer Sikhandin charges against
Bhishma and Drona who have fallen upon the Pandavas. Firmly grasping
his bow, whose twang is the roar of clouds, that Kshatriya, obscuring the
very sun with his volleys, ferociously attacks his adversaries. The Pitamaha,
finding Sikhandin before him, avoids him, remembering his once
womanhood.
Spurred on by your son, Drona, wanting to protect Bhishma, presses
forward. Sikhandin quickly turns on Drona, avoiding the Pitamaha, fearing
that warrior who is like fire that appears at the end of the yuga. Duryodhana
moves to protect Bhishma with a vast legion.
And the Pandavas, resolved on victory, also press forward, and the
encounter between the two sides, both seeking fame and triumph, is
breathtaking, indeed like the Devasura yuddha of old.’
CANTO 70
anjaya says, ‘Bhishma, son of Shantanu, fights awesomely to protect

your sons from Bhima. The battle between the kings of the Kaurava
and the Pandava armies is shocking and bloody, annihilating great
Kshatriyas. From that war, a tumult rises, reaching the very heavens.
Deafening is that bedlam, as tuskers scream and horses whinny, while
conches blast and drums pound, and mighty enemies roar at one another
like contending bulls in a cow-pen. Severed heads fall ceaselessly, like
some grisly rain of weird rocks from the sky.
Bharatarishabha, countless heads lie strewn across the battlefield, with
bright earrings and ornamented turbans. And the earth is covered over with
limbs hacked away with broad-headed shafts, and bejewelled arms; with
bodies sheathed in gleaming, red-stained armour, with braceleted arms, with
moon-like faces and kohl-tinted eyes; limbs of elephants, horses and men
lie everywhere. Dust swirls everywhere in a thick cloud, and bright
weapons flash like lightning. The sound of all the weapons together is the
roar of thunder.
The horrible war between the Kauravas and the Pandavas lets flow a
bloody river, sprung from a million wounds made by the incessant tirade of
arrows loosed by invincible Kshatriyas upon Kurukshetra. Bleeding from
that gale of vicious barbs, the elephants of both armies shriek, and course
furiously in all directions. Everything is hidden in the twang of virile bows
and the mighty flapping of bowstrings against the leathern gloves of
incensed and heroic fighting men.
On Kurukshetra, looking like a lake of blood, stand headless trunks,
briefly; kings determined to kill their enemies charge reckless at them;
mighty warriors, with club-like arms, slaughter one another with barbs,
maces and swords; riderless horses and elephants, pierced with arrows,
plunge wildly in all directions; many soldiers on both sides leap high and
fall, heads stricken off.
In the battle between Bhima and Bhishma, ever-growing heaps of arms
and heads, as also of bows and maces and spiked clubs, and hands and
thighs, of legs, and jewels and bracelets, are strewn over the field. Across
that dreadful field, Rajan, masses of unretreating elephants, horses and
chariots can be seen. Kshatriya warriors, moved by destiny, decimate one
another with maces, swords, spears, and arrows. Heroic and skilled fighting
men contend with bare arms that resemble spiked iron clubs.
Other valiant men of your army fight the Pandava host, killing
thousands with clenched fists and knees, slaps and blows. The fallen and
falling warriors, and those lying on the ground wounded and in agony,
make the fell field a horrible spectacle; maharathas, bereft of their chariots,
still holding their swords, always eager to kill, attack one another in mad
rage.
Surrounded by a large Kalinga akshauhini, with Bhishma at its van,
Duryodhana charges the Pandavas. The Pandava warriors supporting Bhima
ride wildly, intently against Bhishma with their fine horses and lumbering
elephants.’
CANTO 71
anjaya says, ‘Seeing his brothers and the other kings battling Bhishma,
Arjuna storms towards him, weapons raised. Hearing the blast of the
Panchajanya and the twang of the Gandiva, and seeing his standard, we are
terrified. That standard bears the emblem of a lion’s tail and looks like a
mountain blazing in the sky. Beautiful and of divine workmanship, it is
flecked with many colours, looking like a rising comet on a horizon
unobscured by any trees.
All the warriors see the Gandiva, chased with purest gold, as
magnificent as a great flash of lightning amidst dense clouds in the sky.
While razing the soldiers of your army, Arjuna’s shouts are like the
thunderous roars of Indra himself; the slaps of his palms are deafening.
Like a cloud mass charged with lightning, bolstered by a raging wind,
Arjuna relentlessly looses his arrows on all sides, completely shrouding the
ten points of the compass. He of the terrifying astras advances rapidly
towards the Pitamaha. We that watch are struck senseless and cannot
distinguish the East from the West.
Bharatarishabha, your men are bewildered and depressed, their animals
tired, their horses slaughtered; huddling close to one another, together with
your sons, they seek Bhishma’s protection. And in that battle Bhishma
becomes their protector.
Fearstricken maharathas leap from their chariots, horsemen from the
backs of their steeds, and foot-soldiers fall where they stand. Hearing the
thunder of the Gandiva, all your fighting men flee, shutting their ears.
With many swift horses of the Kamboja breed, surrounded by thousands
of Gopas with a large Gopayana force, and supported by the Madras, the
Sauviras, the Gandharas and the Trigartas, surrounded by all the principal
Kalingas, along with king Jayadratha accompanied by all the kings, and
supported by a large force of diverse races with Dussasana at their head,
and fourteen thousand leading horsemen, spurred by your son, the great
Kamboja king encircles Sakuni, son of Subala, to protect him.
All the sons of Pandu, united, again desiccate your forces from their
chariots and animals. And the dust raised by maharathas, horses and foot-
soldiers, flecked generously with spraying blood, renders Kurukshetra
hideous, like a dark precinct of hell.
With a vast legion of elephants, horses and chariots, armed with spears,
barbs and arrows, Bhishma fights Arjuna Kiritin. The king of Avanti
engages the lord of the Kasis, and the ruler of the Sindhus, Bhima. With his
sons and advisors, Yudhishtira battles Salya, his uncle, the famed ruler of
the Madras. Vikarna engages with Sahadeva, and Chitrasena with
Sikhandin. The Matsyas fight Duryodhana and Sakuni, while Drupada and
Chekitana, and the maharatha Satyaki encounter the high-souled Drona and
his son Aswatthaman. Kripa and Kritavarman both charge against
Dhrishtadyumna.
Thus, all over the field, storming bodies of horses, elephants and
chariots break upon each other. Although there are no clouds in the sky,
flashes of lightning are seen on high. Every direction is darkened by flying
clouds of dust raised by the hostile forces. Fierce meteors fail with loud
reverberations. Violent winds blow swirling the dense dust everywhere. The
sun is eclipsed by these. And all the warriors, wielding weapons, are choked
by that dust and swoon.
The roar of weapons, discharged from the arms of the fearless, missiles
which can cut through armour like knives through butter, rises to another
tumult. Bharatarishabha, those weapons of stellar brightness, illuminate the
sky. Dappled leather shields plated with gold are scattered all around. Heads
and limbs are seen falling on all sides, cut down with radiant swords and
spears. Their chariot wheels, axles and carriages smashed, their horses
killed, valiant maharathas plunge to the ground, their proud standards
toppling about them.
The horses of these slain chariot warriors, dragging their riderless
chariots, mangled with weapons, finally crash to the ground. Some
excellent horses, despite having their limbs mangled with arrows, continue
to run, dragging their chariot yokes behind them. Maharathas, their
sarathies and horses are all flattened like meat on a cook’s board by
powerful tuskers.
Many elephants, smelling the temporal juice of others, sniff the air
repeatedly through wrinkled trunks. And the whole field is strewn with hilly
corpses of these massive beasts, slaughtered by arrows, fallen along with
their howdahs and mahouts. Many elephants, with their standards and
riders, are trampled by others goaded on by their riders. Terror stalks
Kurukshetra in every sinister guise.
Swinging thick trunks, the colossal war beasts, each one an Airavata,
shatter chariot shafts all around; and many maharathas, with the jalas of
their chariots cracked, are dragged by the bloodthirsty elephants from their
rathas by their long hair, like branches of trees, and smashed again and
again on the ground, crushed into shapeless heaps. Other enormous tuskers
drag tangled chariots as if they were lotus stalks in lakes, and run bellowing
in all directions.
And so we see that Kurukshetra grimly, copiously, adorned with the
bodies of horse-riders and foot-soldiers, maharathas and their standards.’
CANTO 72
anjaya says, ‘Sikhandin, with Virata the Matsya king, swiftly nears the
invincible Bhishma. Arjuna encounters Drona and Kripa, and Vikarna
and many other brave kings, all powerful archers; he also faces that mighty
bowman, the ruler of the Sindhus, supported by his friends and kinsmen and
many kings of the west and the south.
Bhima marches against your malicious son Duryodhana, and also
against Dussaha. Sahadeva advances against those invincible warriors,
Sakuni and the maharatha Uluka, those great archers, father and son.
Maharatha Yudhishtira, so treacherously treated by your son, presses
forward against the Kaurava akshauhini of elephants.
And that son of Pandu and Madri, the valiant Nakula, who can reduce
any enemy to tears, faces the excellent Trigarta maharathas. Satyaki and
Chekitana, indomitable, and the mighty son of Subhadra ride against Salya
and the Kekayas. The unassailable Dhrishtaketu and the Rakshasa
Ghatotkacha break upon your sons’ chariots.
Maharatha Dhrishtadyumna, Senapati of the Pandavas, opposes fierce
Drona. Thus those fearless and heroic archers of your army and the
Pandavas engage in battle.
When the sun is overhead and the sky brilliantly illuminated by his rays,
the Kauravas and the Pandavas massacre one another. Beautiful chariots,
draped in tiger skins, race across the field, their flags and pennants
fluttering in the wind. Warriors let out leonine roars as they contend
fiercely.
Furious and wonderful to watch is the encounter between the noble
Srinjayas and the Kauravas. Arrows fly thickly in every direction, covering
the sky, the sun and every point of the compass.
The splendour of polished barbs looking like blue lotuses, of bearded
spears hurled like thunderbolts, of tempered swords, of flecked coats of
mail, and of the ornaments worn by the fighting men, light up the sky and
the earth with blinding radiance. And Kurukshetra shines with the
brightness of embattled kings as if with the lustre of the sun and the moon.
Brave maharathas, tigers among men, glow in that battle, Rajan, like the
planets in the sky.
Maharatha Bhishma challenges the mighty Bhima before the eyes of all.
Bhishma’s golden-winged arrows strike Bhima. Bhima looses a serpentine
astra at Bhishma, who cleaves that tangential weapon as it courses towards
him with a flight of straight shafts. With another, he breaks Bhima’s bow in
two.
Satyaki flies up in his ratha and recklessly pierces Bhishma with a
constellation of shimmering barbs shot from his bowstring drawn to his ear.
Bhishma fells Satyaki’s sarathy, while his horses bolt. Swift as the mind or
a storm, they run wildly over the battleground.
Roars, yells, shouts and cries rise all around from the horrible melee:
Run, seize, check the horses, hurry!
And this uproar follows Yuyudhana’s chariot. Bhishma meanwhile
begins to destroy the Pandava forces like Indra killing the Danavas. But the
Panchalas and the Somakas, though suffering, courageously attack the Kuru
grandsire. Other Pandava warriors, led by Dhrishtadyumna, determined to
thin the ranks of your son’s army, charge at Bhishma.
In this manner, the warriors of your army, headed by Bhishma and
Drona, fearlessly harry their enemies. Then the warriors ride away from
their many contentions and other fresh battles begin.’
CANTO 73
anjaya says, ‘Virata pierces Bhishma with three shafts; he strikes his
opponent’s horses with three golden winged arrows. Aswatthaman, the
deadly maharatha, shoots Arjuna through his chest with six whistling barbs.
Arjuna rives Aswatthaman’s bow and strikes him deep with five shafts.
Incensed, Drona’s son snatches another great bow and pierces Arjuna with
ninety whetted arrows and Krishna with seventy.
Arjuna and Krishna breathe deeply and pause to take thought. Firmly
grasping the Gandiva in his left hand, Arjuna fits some vicious astras to his
bowstring, and looses them at Aswatthaman. They plunge through the
armour of Drona’s son and drink his blood. But Aswatthaman does not
flinch. With his heart set firm on protecting Bhishma, he unleashes his own
robust volley back at Arjuna. And since he has faced the two Krishnas
undaunted, the Kaurava legions roar his praises.
Aswatthaman has been taught the great astras by his father Drona, and
he fights without fear.
“He is the son of my Acharya. He is Drona’s beloved son. He is a
Brahmana, and worthy of my respect,” thinks Arjuna. And so he is lenient
towards Drona’s son. He avoids him, and instead decimates your other
forces with terrible swiftness.
Duryodhana strikes Bhima with ten keen golden shafts winged with
feathers of vultures. With a roar, Bhima seizes up a powerful bow which
can despatch any enemy, and ten terrific arrows. He aims those shafts,
draws his bowstring to his ear, and pierces the Kaurava king’s wide chest.
The pendant of Duryodhana’s necklace, surrounded by those arrows, shines
like the sun in the sky encircled by the planets.
Hissing like a beaten snake, Duryodhana responds in fury, covering
Bhima with a rash of golden barbs. Thus your two mighty sons battle and
draw blood from each other, looking like two Devas.
Abhimanyu assails Chitrasena with a haze of arrows and Purumitra with
seven. Piercing Satyavrata with seventy shafts, Arjuna’s son is like Indra
himself in battle, as he seems to dance on the battleground drawing geysers
of blood and sowing death all around.
Chitrasena attacks him with ten missiles, Satyavrata with nine, and
Purumitra with seven. Abhimanyu is covered in blood, but he smashes
Chitrasena’s formidable bow, and strikes him deep through his breast with a
potent shaft.
The wrathful kings of your army, magnificent maharathas, together stab
Abhimanyu with barbs beyond count. And Abhimanyu, knower of the
deadliest astras, shrouds them in supernal arrows. Seeing the splendid
young Kshatriya consume your army like a blazing fire burning dry grass in
summer, your sons surround him. As Abhimanyu devours your forces, he
glows like a god on the profound and dreadful field of death.
Seeing him like that, Rajan, your grandson Lakshmana rounds on him.
In a flash, Maharatha Abhimanyu pierces Lakshmana and his charioteer
with six fleet shafts. Lakshmana responds with a flare of his own barbs.
And this duel between the young princes is glorious.
Abhimanyu kills his four horses and his sarathy, and charges at
Lakshmana, who looses a snakelike astra at Abhimanyu’s chariot.
Abhimanyu easily foils that ayudha, and Kripa rides up quickly to bear
Lakshmana away from the field in full sight of all the warriors.
The fighting spreads like a dread disease, with men killing and dying
thickly on every side. The great archers of your army and the maharathas of
the Pandava host slaughter each other without pause, recklessly.
Kurukshetra is a yawning portal to Yamaloka through which fervid hosts of
warriors flow into death, in dark tide. With wild, dishevelled hair, deprived
of armour and chariots, and their bows riven, the Srinjayas fight the
Kauravas with their bare arms.
Mahabaho Bhishma continues to vigorously massacre the soldiers of the
Pandava army with his divine weapons. And the earth is covered with the
fallen bodies of elephants, horses, chariot warriors and horsemen.’
CANTO 74
anjaya says, ‘Mahabaho Satyaki takes up a fresh powerful bow and

covers the field of Kurukshetra in a swathe of death. He is like a
looming cloud of murder, as he draws his arrows, fits them to his bowstring
and unleashes his bankless storms all round him in a seamless blur.
Seeing him blaze like a fire of the pralaya, Duryodhana sends ten
thousand chariots against him. Satyaki is unmoved; he kills those
maharathas in a flash flood with his divine weapons. He flares on towards
Bhurisravas. Noble Bhurisravas, stricken to watch the decimation of the
Dhartarashtra army, charges Satyaki in blind rage. Drawing his vast bow
like Indra’s, he looses a towering masterly salvo of thousands of shafts at
the Vrishni. The warriors who follow Satyaki cannot endure that fulminant
fire and scatter in all directions, abandoning their invincible leader.
Satyaki’s mighty sons, celebrated maharathas all, cased in shining mail,
bearing diverse weapons and flying fine standards, advance towards the
great Bhurisravas, with his pennant with the emblem of a yupastamba, a
sacrificial stake. They cry at him, “Kinsman of the Kauravas, come and
fight us, jointly or separately. Either defeat us in battle and win fame, or be
crushed by us and die!”
Proud of his strength, Bhurisravas roars back, “Kshatriyas, you speak
nobly! Fight me jointly and vigilantly. For I will kill all of you in battle.”
Those heroic archers energetically cover that lone Parantapa in a deluge
of arrows. That majestic battle between Bhurisravas and those united
against him is fought in the afternoon. The ten Kshatriyas, Satyaki’s sons,
rain unending storms on Bhurisravas, hiding him in a shroud of ferocious
shafts. But none finds a mark on his leonine body, for he cuts them down
with unworldly dazzling archery. All the while the Vrishni heroes press in
on Bhurisravas, surrounding him, drawing nearer each moment. With
incredible genius and prowess, whirling round and round in his ratha, he
breaks their bows in their hands and sloughs off their handsome heads in
scarlet explosions. And they plunge to the ground like majestic trees felled
by thunder.
Seeing his mighty sons killed, Satyaki roars deafeningly and rushes at
Bhurisravas. They thrust their chariots against each others. They destroy
each other’s horses. They leap down to the ground from their useless
chariots. Taking up mighty swords and great shields they charge into each
other, glow radiantly, those purushavyaghras. But then, armed with a
mighty sword, Bhima streaks up to Satyaki and spirits him away in his
chariot. And your son Duryodhana takes Bhurisravas into the safety of his
chariot.
In that great war, the Pandavas fight vigorously, spiritedly against
maharatha Bhishma. Near sunset, Arjuna massacres twenty five thousand
maharathas. These had been sent by Duryodhana against him, but he
destroys them entirely before they can even approach him, burning them
with astras like insects by a blazing fire.
The Matsyas and the Kekayas, all masters of astras, surround Arjuna
and Abhimanyu to bolster them. Just then the sun disappears, and all the
fighting men are exhausted.
His horses tired, Bhishma orders the withdrawal of the forces. And the
armies of the Pandavas and the Kauravas, both anxious and shaken by the
day’s carnage, return to their camps. The two armies rest for the night in
accordance with the laws laid down for war.’
CANTO 75
anjaya says, ‘Having rested the night, most sleeping only fitfully with
nightmares of the dreadful day raging through their sleep, at dawn of
the next morning, the Kauravas and the Pandavas emerge again for battle.
A deafening roar rises from fearless, still excited Kshatriya maharathas
as they ready themselves to take the field. And great tuskers trumpet as they
are readied for the day’s conflict, and foot-soldiers shout, at least to
embolden themselves, as they wear their armour, and restless horses
whinny, their eyes wild. The boom of conches and the beat of drums
resound again across Kurukshetra.
King Yudhishtira addresses Dhrishtadyumna saying, “Mahabaho, deploy
the forces in the Makara vyuha that will scorch the enemy,” and maharatha
Dhrishtadyumna arrays his rathikas in that formation of the great crocodile.
Drupada and Arjuna form the war beast’s head, Sahadeva and Nakula its
two eyes, and mighty Bhima is its snout. Subhadra’s son and the sons of
Draupadi and the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha, and Satyaki, and Dharmaraja
Yudhishtira are positioned at its neck. King Virata, with a large akshauhini,
becomes its back, supported by Dhrishtadyumna and his vast force. The
five Kekaya brothers comprise its left flank, and that tiger among men,
Dhrishtaketu, and Chekitana of great prowess, are its right flank, to protect
the vyuha.
The great reptile’s two feet are formed by the maharathas Kuntibhoja
and Satanika, solidly supported. And the illustrious Sikhandin, surrounded
by the Somakas and Iravat, make up the tail of the Makara.
Having shaped this wondrous formation, the armoured Pandavas, Rajan,
stand ready for battle at dawn. With elephants and horses, chariots and foot-
soldiers, with raised standards and unfurled parasols, with weapons
gleaming, they march against the Kauravas.
Seeing the Pandava vyuha, Bhishma forms a great Krauncha vyuha,
formation of the crane. On its beak is Drona. Aswatthaman and Kripa form
its two eyes. Kritavarman, most excellent archer, with the king of the
Kambojas and with the Bahlikas is stationed on its head. In its neck are
Surasena and your son Duryodhana, surrounded by many other kings.
The ruler of the Pragjyotishas, along with the Madras, the Sauviras, and
the Kekayas, followed by a massive force, make up its chest. Susarman,
king of Prasthala, with his legion forces, stands in full armour as the left
wing. The Tusharas, the Yavanas and the Sakas, along with the Chulikas,
form the right wing of that vyuha. And Srutayush and Satyatish and
Somadatta’s son stand in the rear protecting the others.
The Pandavas charge the Kauravas. The sun rises above the horizon as
the battle begins. Elephants advance against elephants, horse-riders against
horsemen, chariot warriors against others like them, and also against war
elephants in the war to end all others.
Maharathas attack riders of elephants, who bear down on horsemen.
Foot-soldiers engage with maharathas, horse riders with foot-soldiers. All
the fighting men storm against each other in battle.
The Pandava army, protected by Bhima and Arjuna and the twins, seem
beautiful as the night spangled over with stars. And your army also, with
Bhishma and Kripa, and Drona and Salya, and Duryodhana, shines like the
sky sparkling with luminous planets.
Powerful Bhima, seeing Drona, wildly attacks the Acharya’s akshauhini
of swift horses. The spirited Drona pierces Bhima with nine iron arrows,
deeply wounding his arms and legs. Bhima, roused, kills Drona’s sarathy.
The adroit son of Bharadwaja, himself guiding his horses, begins to
consume the Pandava army like fire consuming a stack of cotton.
Slaughtered by Drona and Bhishma, the Srinjayas along with the Kekayas
flee. Your troops also, mangled by Bhima and Arjuna, are benumbed and
they stand still, like a magnificent lioness in her pride. In this war that
annihilates Kshatriyas, both armies suffer grievously.
We are overwhelmed by the sight of men fighting frenziedly,
unconcerned for their very lives. In this war, the Pandavas and the Kauravas
oppose each other with all their energies and weapons.’
CANTO 76
hritarashtra says, ‘Our army is skilled, resourceful and has diverse

forces. It is organised, deployed expertly and should be invincible. It
is loyal to us. It is obedient, and free from the vices of drunkenness
and licentiousness. Its abilities are proven. The soldiers are neither very old
nor very young. They are neither thin nor fat. They are robust, muscular and
healthy.
They are well armed and armoured. They are proficient in the use of all
kinds of astras. They fight skilfully with swords, maces and even bare arms.
They are well trained in the use of spears and arrows of many kinds.
The men are fit, adept in mounting and alighting from the backs of
elephants, in marching forward, attacking and retreating, and in effectively
striking the enemy. They have been often tested in their handling of
elephants, horses and chariots. They are paid soldiers, hired not because of
their lineage, or on the basis of their earlier associations with us; neither
have we chosen them in order to favour them.
They are upright and honest; their kinsmen have been treated well by us
in the past. We have esteemed them highly for their services. They are all
eminent and capable men.
They are in turn led by many dynamic and famed warriors, rulers of the
earth, celebrated all over the world. Countless illustrious Kshatriyas, who
have freely allied with us, with their forces also protect them.
Our army is like the vast ocean filled with the water of a myriad rivers
flowing from all directions. It has countless elephants, and its chariots,
though wingless, fly even like birds. Warriors are the waters of that ocean,
and the horses and other animals are its lashing, terrifying waves. Swords,
maces, spears and arrows are the oars of our vast and numberless craft. Rich
in emblems and jewels, adorned with cloth inlaid with gold and gems, the
charging horses and elephants are the stormy winds that make that ocean
surge.
Our host resembles the vast, shoreless, raging ocean. It is defended by
Drona and Bhishma, and by Kritavarman and Kripa and Dussasana, and
others headed by Jayadratha. It is also protected by Bhagadatta and Vikarna,
by Drona’s son, and Subala’s son, and Bahlika, and by other mighty and
high-souled Kshatriyas.
That our army is being destroyed is only due to Destiny, Sanjaya.
Neither men nor highly blessed Rishis have ever before seen such
preparations for war on earth. That such a vast and loyal force, deployed so
scientifically, can be slaughtered in battle can only be the outcome of
Destiny. All this appears strange and inexplicable.
Vidura had often given useful and wise advice. But my evil son
Duryodhana would not accept it. I believe that Vidura foresaw all that is
happening now; and hence he gave his counsel. Or it may be that all these,
in every detail, has been predetermined by God, for that which is ordained
by the Creator must happen and not otherwise.’
CANTO 77
anjaya says, ‘You are the victim of this calamity because of your own
weakness. Bharatarishabha, you, and not Duryodhana, clearly saw that
what was done to the Pandavas was wrong.
That the game of dice was ever played was your folly. And it is your
fault that this war against the Pandavas has been fought. Having done
wrong, you must now face the outcome. One reaps the fruit of one’s own
actions. You must now reap the fruit of your sins in this life and the next.
Rajan, be calm and accept the unfolding tragedy; listen to my narration of
the battle.
Having smashed your awesome vyuha with his shafts, Bhima advances
upon Duryodhana’s younger brothers. Mighty Bhima sees Dussasana and
Durvisaha, Dussaha and Durmada and Jaya, Jayasena and Vikarna and
Chitrasena and Sudarsana, and Charuchitra and Suvarman and Duskarna
and Karna, and other maharathas of the Dhartarashtra host approach him;
he attacks your vyuha protected by Bhishma.
Seeing him amidst them, these warriors cry, “Let us kill Bhima!” and
Bhima is surrounded by his indomitable cousins. He resembles the burning
sun encircled by the malevolent planets at the end of the yuga.
Though besieged in the very heart of the Kaurava vyuha, Bhima is
fearless, like Indra surrounded by the Danavas in the ancient battle between
the Devas and the Asuras. Thousands of maharathas engulf him with deadly
arrows. Valiant Bhima ignores the sons of Dhritarashtra and slaughters
many other mighty Kaurava warriors fighting from chariots and from the
backs of elephants and horses.
Then, knowing that his cousins are determined to kill him, Bhima sets
himself to exterminate them all. Leaping down from his chariot, mace in
hand, he begins to destroy the enemy.
As he penetrates the Kaurava army, Dhrishtadyumna turns away from
Drona whom he has been fighting and swiftly advances towards Subala’s
son Sakuni. Killing so many warriors of your army, he notices Bhima’s
empty chariot. He sees Bhima’s sarathy Visoka, and is distraught.
Filled with sudden sorrow, and in a choking voice, he asks Visoka,
“Where is Bhima who is as precious to me as life itself?”
Visoka replies humbly, “Bhima commanded me to wait here, while he
strikes out alone into the heart of the Dhartarashtra host vast as the ocean.
He cheerfully said to me, ‘Wait here with my horses for some time, until I
kill those who are determined to kill me.’ Seeing him storm ahead, mace in
hand, all our fighting men were elated. Bhima smashed through the enemy’s
mighty vyuha in his awesome way.”
Hearing Visoka’s words, Dhrishtadyumna says to him, “My life would
be worthless if I deserted Bhima in battle. If I return without Bhima, what
will the Kshatriyas say about me? What will they say when they know that
while I was on the battlefield Bhima charged alone into the enemy vyuha?
The Devas led by Indra curse those who abandon their comrades in war
and return unharmed themselves! Brave Bhima is my friend and kinsman.
He is devoted to me, and I too love that Parantapa dearly. I will go where he
has gone. Watch me raze the enemy like Vasava slaying the Danavas.”
Dhrishtadyumna rides right through the enemy, along the path opened
up by Bhima and marked by elephants crushed under his mace. He sees
Bhima consuming the Kaurava host, felling Kshatriya warriors like a storm
ravaging trees. Maharathas and horsemen, foot-soldiers and tuskers scream
aloud as he slaughters them. Your men cry in anguish as he massacres them.
The Kaurava warriors surround Bhima and shower him relentlessly with
their arrows. Dhrishtadyumna sees Bhima attacked from all sides; mangled
with shafts, on foot, and vomiting the poison of his anger, mace in hand, he
looks like Siva at the end of the yuga. Dhrishtadyumna moves towards him
and takes him into his chariot; he plucks out the shafts from his body, and
embraces him in the sight of the enemy.
Duryodhana, seeing this, says to his brothers, “Dhrishtadyumna has
allied with Bhima. Let us attack and kill him. We must be on the offensive
and not wait for the enemy to strike us.”
Goaded by their eldest brother’s command, the Dhartarashtras, with
raised weapons, hurtle towards Dhrishtadyumna, looking like fierce comets
at the hour of universal dissolution. Like clouds shrouding a mountain with
torrential rain, these Kshatriyas loose a volley of arrows on him, wielding
their beautiful bows, making the earth shiver with the twang of their
bowstrings and the rattle of their chariot-wheels.
But Dhrishtadyumna, proficient in all kinds of warfare, does not falter
for a moment. Seeing your sons ready to kill him, he uses the Pramohana
astra against them, again looking for all the world like Indra facing the
Danavas. The Pramohana of sleep instantly makes the Kaurava princes
weak and they swoon. Seeing your sons faint, your forces flee in all
directions, with their horses, elephants and chariots.
Drona advances towards Drupada and pierces him with three searing
shafts. Drupada, remembering his earlier enmity with Drona, leaves the
battlefield. Drona blows his conch triumphantly, and the Somakas are
terrified on hearing that blast.
Wielder of weapons, Drona, full of tejas, now hears of your sons being
overwhelmed by the Pramohana astra, and rides in a flash to where they
struggle vainly to remain conscious. Drona sees Dhrishtadyumna and
Bhima careering across the battleground. And the maharatha watches your
sons rendered unconscious. He uses the Prajna astra to make powerless the
Pramohana loosed by Dhrishtadyumna. Your sons recover and again storm
ahead to fight Bhima and Dhrishtadyumna.
Yudhishtira says to his warriors, “Send twelve brave maharathas, led by
Abhimanyu, to Bhima and Prishata’s son. Let them find out about those two
warriors. I am anxious.”
Those Kshatriyas sally forth at mid-day. The Kekayas and the sons of
Draupadi, and Dhrishtaketu, supported by a large force and with
Abhimanyu at their head, form the Suchimukha vyuha and drive deep into
the Dhartarashtra chariot akshauhini.
Your forces, already terrified by Bhima and Dhrishtadyumna, cannot
withstand the charge of those maharathas led by Abhimanyu. They are
weak like an unprotected woman.
With standards flecked with gold, the Pandava warriors cleave swiftly
through the Kaurava ranks to rescue Dhrishtadyumna and Bhima. Seeing
them approach, Bhima is elated and, with a glad roar, continues to demolish
your soldiers.
The heroic Dhrishtadyumna sees the Acharya advance towards him, to
protect your sons. He has the chariot of the king of the Kekayas take Bhima
away, while he himself engages the superlative Drona.
With a broad-headed shaft Parantapa Drona cuts down
Dhrishtadyumna’s bow even as the Panchala prince rides recklessly towards
him. Remembering his loyalty to Duryodhana, he also shoots hundreds of
arrows after Prishata’s son.
Dhrishtadyumna seizes another bow and pierces Drona with seventy
whetted shafts, all golden winged. Drona again severs his bow and
slaughters his four horses with four incredibly excellent barbs, and also kills
his charioteer with a heavy shaft. Mahabaho Dhrishtadyumna leaps off his
chariot and climbs onto Abhimanyu’s colossal ratha. Right before Bhima
and Dhrishtadyumna, Drona makes the Pandava army with all its chariots,
elephants and horses tremble in fear.
Seeing that army devastated by Drona, all its maharathas cannot stop its
flight. Slaughtered by Drona, that army heaves like a stormy sea. Seeing the
Pandava army reduced, your forces are jubilant. Seeing the fiery Acharya
consume the enemy, all your warriors roar loudly in praise of Drona.’
CANTO 78
anjaya says, ‘On recovering, Duryodhana again looses a tide of arrows

at Bhima. And again those maharathas, your sons, unite and bravely
oppose the great Pandava. Mahabaho Bhima mounts his chariot and rides
straight at your sons. He takes up a golden bow, with the power to
overcome any enemy, and he covers your sons with his wrath.
Duryodhana strikes him deep with a spear. Roaring, Bhima draws his
bow in a circle and pierces Duryodhana through his arms and his chest with
three fierce barbs. But the king stands firm like a prince of mountains.
Seeing those great Kshatriyas fight, Duryodhana’s younger brothers
renew their resolve to kill Bhima and attack him again, prepared to die if
they must. The mighty Bhima charges them like an elephant charging
another. With untold power, Bhima strikes your son Chitrasena with a long
arrow, and your other sons with many kinds of swift and golden-winged
shafts.
Dharmaraja Yudhishtira meanwhile sends his twelve maharathas led by
Abhimanyu to follow Bhima. These ride towards your sons. Looking at
those Kshatriyas on their chariots, resembling the Sun himself or a radiant
fire, beautiful and resplendent in their golden ornaments, your mighty sons
turn away from Bhima. The Pandavas, however, are determined not to let
them leave the battle alive.’
CANTO 79
anjaya says, ‘Abhimanyu, along with Bhima, hunts and dismays all
your sons. The maharathas of your army, including Duryodhana, see
Abhimanyu and Bhima united with Dhrishtadyumna in the very middle of
the Kaurava forces; they seize their bows and ride swiftly at those three
warriors.
Ah, such a dreadful battle there is that afternoon, Rajan, between the
two armies. Abhimanyu kills Vikarna’s horses and pierces him with twenty-
five fine arrows. Maharatha Vikarna abandons that chariot and mounts
Chitrasena’s shining one.
Abhimanyu envelops those two brothers of Kuru’s race, standing
together on one chariot, with a barrage of shafts. Durjaya and Vikarna stab
Abhimanyu with five iron barbs. Abhimanyu stands firm like the mountain
Meru.
Dussasana fights valiantly with the five Kekaya brothers. All these feats
are more awesome than can be told. The Pandavas furiously round on
Duryodhana and each of them pierces your son with three arrows. Your
indomitable prince, too, shoots each of them with whetted shafts. Thus
pierced and drenched in blood, he glows like a mountain with rivers of
muddy water running down its sides.
And the mighty Bhishma persists against the Pandava army like some
herdsman belabouring his recalcitrant herd. The twang of the Gandiva is
heard repeatedly as Arjuna slaughters his opponents on the right of the
army. In that corner of the battlefield thousands of headless bodies of both
sides can be seen still standing macabre among the living forces. And
Kurukshetra resembles an ocean with blood for its water, with arrows as its
currents. The elephants are its islands and horses its waves. Chariots form
the boats that bold men use to cross that ocean. Thousands of brave
warriors, with arms amputated, without armour, and hideously mutilated, lie
on the ground.
With the bloody bodies of massacred elephants, the battleground looks
as if scattered with hills. What a sight! Not a single warrior in both armies
is less than eager to fight. And so they battle on: those daring warriors of
both your army and that of the Pandavas, seeking victory and glory.’
CANTO 80
anjaya says, ‘At sunset, Duryodhana charges Bhima, always to kill

him. Seeing him come with loathing in his heart, Bhima says, “The
awaited hour has come. If you do not yield, I will kill you today.
By killing you I will dispel Kunti and Draupadi’s sorrows, and all our
anguish during our exile in the forests. You arrogantly humiliated the sons
of Pandu. O son of Gandhari, you will reap the fruit of all your sins today.
You always listened to the vicious counsel of Karna and Subala’s son,
and, dismissive of the Pandavas, you had treated us unjustly. You ignored
Krishna who had pleaded with you for peace. Jubilantly you had sent
haughty, mocking messages to us through Uluka. Today I will kill you and
all your kinsmen, and avenge all the insults and suffering you inflicted on
us.”
Bhima stretches his bow, takes up many terrible shafts that shimmer like
lightning, and looses thirty-six of them at Duryodhana. Flaming they fly at
his cousin like thunderbolts. With two shafts, Bhima smashes Duryodhana’s
bow in his hands, and strikes his charioteer with two more. With four shafts
he kills Duryodhana’s four horses; with another two he cuts down the king’s
royal parasol. With three others he fells the Kaurava’s magnificent, jewel
worked standard, which falls to the earth like a flash of lightning from the
clouds. All the gathered rulers see that radiant Kaurava standard, bearing
the emblem of a great tusker, adorned with precious stones, plunge to the
ground, and Bhima roars triumphantly.
Smiling, maharatha Bhima stabs Duryodhana with ten shafts like a
mahout piercing a colossal elephant with his hook. The mighty king of the
Sindhus, with many brave warriors, swiftly sets himself at Duryodhana’s
flank, while maharatha Kripa quickly takes the seething Duryodhana onto
his own chariot. The king, deeply wounded by Bhima and suffering,
collapses on its platform.
Jayadratha surrounds Bhima with thousands of chariots to have his life.
Dhrishtaketu and Abhimanyu, and the Kekayas, and the sons of Draupadi,
all clash with your sons. And the high-souled Abhimanyu strikes each of
them with five straight shafts that appear like dark lightning or guises of
Yama.
They, in turn, unleash a storm of arrows at Abhimanyu, like black
clouds pounding Meru with rain. But brilliant Abhimanyu makes your sons
tremble like Indra did the mighty Asuras during the ancient Devasura
yuddha. In a moment, he shoots fourteen broad-headed shafts like snakes at
Vikarna; as if dancing in battle, Abhimanyu destroys Vikarna’s standard and
kills his charioteer and horses.
Subhadra’s resplendent son covers every direction around him with
astounding gales of arrows, shafts that can pierce the best armour. Plumed
with feathers of the kanka bird, these barbs pass right through Vikarna’s
body and enter the ground like hissing snakes. And decked with gold,
drenched in Vikarna’s blood, they seem to vomit blood on the earth.
Seeing Vikarna wounded, his brothers charge the maharathas led by
Abhimanyu and engage the heroes of the Pandava army, who shine like so
many suns.
Durmukha pierces Srutakarman with five shafts, breaks his standard
with a single shaft and strikes his sarathy with seven. Advancing, he
butchers his enemy’s horses, as swift as the wind and wearing bright
armour, with six arrows, and kills his charioteer too.
Srutakarman stands firm on his horseless chariot and casts a meteor-like
astra at Durmukha; that weapon cuts through Durmukha’s kavacha and
plunges into the ground behind him, glowing all the while. Sutasoma helps
Srutakarman into his chariot, in plain sight of all the forces.
The heroic Srutakirti storms at Jayatsena. Your son severs Srutakirti’s
bow with a horse-shoe headed arrow. Seeing his brother’s bow broken,
brave Satanika rides up swiftly roaring like a lion. In a blink, Satanika
pierces Jayatsena with ten shafts, and then bellows his victory like a wild
elephant trumpeting.
Satanika stabs Jayatsena deeply in the chest; Dushkarna who is near his
brother Jayatsena, breaks Satanika’s bow. The mighty Satanika seizes
another powerful bow and, roaring dreadfully, looses a tide of arrows at
Dushkarna before Jayatsena arrests him with some serpentine nagapasas.
Recovering in a moment, Satanika destroys Dushkarna’s bow with one
fell barb, kills his charioteer with two more, and pierces Dushkarna himself
with seven unerring astras. That flawless warrior slaughters all Dushkarna’s
swift glossy horses with twelve sharp shafts. Satanika strikes Dushkarna
deeply through his chest and Dushkarna plunges to the ground like a tree
felled by lightning.
To avenge Dushkarna’s death, five maharathas surround Satanika
determined to kill him. They attack him with dense volleys. The five
Kekaya brothers press forward to protect Satanika. Seeing them advance,
your sons fly at them like elephants thundering at other colossal tuskers.
Your sons Durmukha and Durjaya, and the youthful Durmarshana and
Satranjaya and Satrusha, all celebrated warriors, plunge red-eyed at the five
Kekaya brothers. They ride on splendid chariots that look like fortified
cities, yoked to bejewelled horses and bearing beautifully coloured
standards; those Kshatriyas carry formidable bows, and wearing beautiful
coats of mail they penetrate the enemy force like lions entering one forest
from another.
A pitched earthshaking battle erupts, in which chariots and elephants are
shattered and mangled. With untold hatred, they fight until sunset; countless
warriors on both sides are killed. Thousands of great chariot-warriors and
horsemen are strewn over the battlefield, like rag dolls now, drenched in
crimson.
In rage, Bhishma continues his massacre of the Pandava forces with
banks and banks of straight shafts, streaming ceaselessly from his matchless
bow. His arrows annihilate the Panchala fighting men. Having savagely
reduced the ranks of the Pandavas, the Pitamaha withdraws his forces and
retires to his camp.
And seeing Dhrishtadyumna and Bhima both safe, Yudhishtira is
relieved and he also leaves the field and enters his tent.’
CANTO 81
anjaya says, ‘Those Kshatriyas return to their tents, blood-spattered

and with the hatred and enmity in their hearts undimmed. They praise
each other for their glorious feats of the day and spend the night, some in
deep sleep, others tossing and turning in their beds from the dark and
violent dreams which plunge through their sleep. The next morning finds
them again in full armour and ready for battle, which is now their very life
to them; no other thought occupies their minds.
Duryodhana is anxious, and with blood still oozing from his wounds,
asks his Pitamaha, “Our fierce forces carry countless standards. They are
perfectly drilled and deployed. Yet the Pandava maharathas penetrate our
vyuha, slaughter our men, and escape unharmed.
They humble us and win fame in battle. Smashing through our Makara
vyuha, powerful as the Vajra, Bhima wounded me with terrible shafts each
like a Yama danda. I was baffled by him. Even now I cannot regain my
composure. Pitamaha only you can help me kill the sons of Pandu and
achieve victory.”
Foremost of all wielders of weapons, and imbued with great tejas,
Bhishma understands Duryodhana’s anguish; though inwardly despondent,
he cheerfully says, “My child, I truly exert myself wholeheartedly, to crush
the Pandava forces and bring you victory and joy, O king. For your sake I
do not hesitate.
The Pandava’s allies in this war are many and magnificent. Celebrated
maharathas, they are more than merely brave and great masters of astras.
Tireless, they spew forth their righteous anger. They hate you, Suyodhana,
and swelling with prowess, they will not be easily defeated. I will fight
them with my whole soul, risking my life. For your sake, for your glory, I
will stake my life.
For you, my child, I would consume all the worlds with the Devas and
the Daityas, not just your enemies on this battleground. And I will fight the
Pandavas, and do whatever pleases you.”
Hearing these words, Duryodhana is reassured and filled with hope and
joy. He cheerfully orders his forces, along with the allied kings, to advance.
And his army of chariots, horses, foot-soldiers and elephants moves regally
forward.
And sensing their king’s fresh confidence, that vast force, armed with
every kind of weapon, is also full of joy. It looks wonderful with its
elephants, horses and foot-soldiers. And its colossal tuskers, brightly
caparisoned, formed in massive akshauhinis, and skilfully goaded, look the
most resplendent. Many royal Kshatriyas, all accomplished in the use of
diverse weapons, are seen amidst your forces. And the dust, red as the
morning sun, raised by the chariots and foot-soldiers and elephants and
horses as they move across the field, is deeply beautiful, even as it swirls up
to obscure the face of the sun.
And the vari-coloured banners on the chariots and elephants wave in the
air and look like many-hued lightning in clouds in the sky. The din raised
by the twang of stretched bows is like the roar of the ocean when the Devas
and the Asuras churned it together during the Krita Yuga, to fetch up the
Amrita.
The stately and accomplished army of your sons, consisting of a great
variety of fighting men, roar and shout fiercely, looking like the clouds of
the Pralaya that appear at the end of the yuga.’
CANTO 82
anjaya says, ‘O Bharatarishabha, Bhishma once again addresses your

thoughtful son with these pleasing words:
“Drona and I, and Salya and Kritavarman of Satwata’s race, and
Aswatthaman and Vikarna, and Bhagadatta and Subala’s son and Vinda and
Anuvinda of Avanti, and Bahlika with the Bahlikas, and the mighty king of
the Trigartas and the invincible ruler of the Magadhas, Brihadbala the king
of the Kosalas, and Chitrasena and Vivimsati and thousands of maharathas
with lofty standards, excellent horses mounted by superior riders, many
incensed tuskers with the juice of rut trickling from their mouths and
temples, and numberless brave foot-soldiers from many lands, are all
prepared to fight for you.
These, and many others, are ready to lay down their lives for you,
capable as they are of defeating the very gods in battle. I will however
advise you again in your best interests.
The Pandavas are unconquerable even by the gods. With Krishna for an
ally they are equal to Mahendra himself in prowess. As for myself, I am at
your command. Either I shall crush the Pandavas or they will overcome
me.”
Saying this, Bhishma applies a poultice of medicinal herbs to
Duryodhana’s wounds and these heal instantly, magically.
At dawn, with a clear sky overhead, the valiant Bhishma, consummate
master of vyuhas of all kinds, himself organises his fighting men in the
Mandala vyuha, the formation of the Galaxy, bristling with weapons. And it
still abounds in outstanding warriors, elephants and foot-soldiers.
It is protected on all sides by thousands of chariots, and with legions of
horsemen armed with swords and spears. Near every elephant are seven
chariots, and besides every chariot are seven horsemen. Behind every
horseman are seven archers, and behind every archer are seven soldiers
with shields. Thus, your army, assembled by mighty maharathas and
protected by Bhishma, stands ready to fight.
Ten thousand horses, and as many elephants, and ten thousand chariots,
and your sons, all covered in mail, the heroic Chitrasena and many others,
all guard the Pitamaha. Thus Bhishma is protected by those intrepid princes,
and they in turn are safeguarded by him. And Duryodhana in his coat of
mail sits on his chariot, graceful and resplendent like Sakra himself.
Your sons let out thunderous shouts, and the clatter of chariots and the
sound of musical instruments is deafening. The mighty and impenetrable
Mandala vyuha of the Dhartarashtras created by Bhishma begins to move
westwards. It is invincible and so beautiful to behold.
Seeing the Mandala vyuha, Yudhishtira himself arrays his forces in the
Vajra vyuha. When all the akshauhinis of chariot-warriors and horsemen are
suitably stationed, he roars like a most noble lion. The warriors of both
armies advance; a thirst for battle, they want to destroy the other’s vyuha,
leaving not a single enemy alive.
Bharadwaja’s son Drona rides against the king of the Matsyas, and his
son, Aswatthaman, against Sikhandin. And king Duryodhana himself
strikes out at the son of Prishata. Nakula and Sahadeva attack the king of
the Madras.
And Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti charge against Iravat. Many kings
unite to oppose Arjuna. Bhima challenges the son of Hridika, while
Abhimanyu faces your sons Chitrasena and Vikarna and Durmarshana.
Hidimbi’s son, Ghatotkacha, that prince of the Rakshasas, charges the
mighty Bhagadatta, king of the Pragjyotishas, like one incensed elephant
against another. The Rakshasa Alambusha, Rajan, with rising anger, battles
the indomitable Satyaki surrounded by his Vrishni warriors. And
Bhurisravas fights with vim against Dhrishtaketu.
Dharmaraja Yudhishtira advances against king Srutayush. Chekitana
challenges Kripa. Other Kaurava fighting men confront maharatha Bhima.
And thousands of other kings armed with spears, arrows, maces, and spiked
clubs surround Arjuna.
Arjuna says to Krishna, “Behold, O Madhava, the Dhartarashtra troops,
assembled by Bhishma conversant with every kind of vyuha. Look at these
myriad daring warriors who seek to fight me. Kesava, look, there stands the
lord of the Trigartas with his brothers. Today I shall kill them all, Janardana,
before your eyes.”
Saying this, Arjuna rubs his bowstring to warm it, pulls it to affright his
foes and overwhelms that host of kings with his arrows. And those
celebrated archers also cover him in gales of shafts, like monsoon clouds
filling a lake with their torrents. Strident roars are heard in your army as the
two Krishnas are mantled in a deluge of arrows. Seeing this from on high,
the Devas, the celestial Rishis, and the Gandharvas with the Uragas are
awestruck.
Arjuna, enraged, invokes the Aindra astra. We can only marvel at his
impossible prowess, as he repels his enemies’ scathing volleys, effortlessly.
Thousands of kings, horses and elephants are direly wounded by Arjuna’s
unearthly archery; others are each pierced with two and three of his barbs
and quickly flow blood.
The wounded warriors seek Bhishma’s protection. The Pitamaha comes
to their rescue as they flounder in the bottomless ocean that is Arjuna’s
mystic archery. Rajan, as they scatter in fear and confusion and tangle with
other warriors, your broken ranks appear like a sea heaving in a storm.’
CANTO 83
anjaya says, ‘When the battle rages on, after Susarman stops fighting,
and the other valiant Kshatriyas of the Kaurava army are routed by the
high-souled son of Pandu, indeed, after your army has been tossed like a
slight fleet of boats upon a great and turbulent ocean, and Bhishma has
charged swiftly against the chariot of Vijaya, Duryodhana, seeing Arjuna
straddle Kurukshetra like Yama come hunting, rides up and speaks
comfortingly to those belaboured, lacerated kings, and to the mighty
Susarman in the vanguard.
Duryodhana says, “This Bhishma, the son of Shantanu, uncaring for his
very life, will fight wholeheartedly against Arjuna. United, exert
yourselves, and protect Bhishma as he forges at the enemy.”
All the akshauhinis rally and follow the magnificent Pitamaha. Mighty
Bhishma charges to confront Arjuna, who also thunders towards him on his
splendid chariot yoked to white horses, flying his standard bearing the
fierce Vanara, who gives vent to the most bloodcurdling cries and roars.
Your entire army, seeing the diadem-decked Dhananjaya advancing into
battle, cries out in terror. And your forces cannot gaze upon Krishna, as he
stands, reins in hand, a fiery, magnificent sun.
The Pandavas also cannot look at Bhishma, who, with his white horses
and gleaming bow, resembles Sukra rising in the sky. The son of Shantanu
is ringed by the noble Trigarta warriors led by their king with his brothers
and sons, and by many maharathas.
Drona strikes the king of the Matsyas with his winged shafts. He cuts
down Virata’s standard with a single arrow, and his bow with another.
Virata, Senapati of a vast akshauhini, discards the cloven bow and swiftly
takes up another that is strong and resilient. He seizes many blazing arrows
resembling poisonous snakes, stabs Drona with three of these and his four
horses with four. He fells Drona’s standard with another barb, and his
sarathy with five. Cracking Drona’s bow in his hands with yet another shaft,
he enrages that bull among Brahmanas.
Drona kills Virata’s horses with eight long shafts, and then his charioteer
with one. Virata has to leap down from his chariot whose horses have been
slaughtered. Virata, that most excellent maharatha, mounts his son Sankha’s
chariot. Riding together, father and son powerfully resist Drona with a
refulgent wrath of arrows.
In fury, Drona strikes Sankha with a missile like a serpent spitting
venom. This shaft pierces Sankha’s chest and he falls to the ground bathed
in his own spraying gore. He plunges down from his chariot, before his
father’s eyes, his bow and arrows falling out of his grasp. Seeing his son
killed, Virata flees howling in shock and terror, flees from the awful Drona
who looks like Death with mouth agape.
Drona rapidly thwarts the vast Pandava host. Sikhandin strikes Drona’s
son in his forehead with three sharp darts. Aswatthaman glows like Meru
with its three golden peaks. Incensed, in less than a blink of the eye,
Aswatthaman overwhelms Sikhandin’s charioteer and cuts down his
standard, horses and weapons, covering them all in a swathe of arrows.
Sikhandin, scorcher of enemies, leaps off his horseless chariot. Taking up a
gleaming sword and shield, he moves as he wishes, wrathfully and sharply
like a hawk. Aswatthaman cannot kill Sikhandin and all are filled with
wonder.
Aswatthaman looses thousands of arrows at his enemy but mighty
Sikhandin wards them off with his whirling sword and shield, as if in
another dimension of time. Drona’s son shoots Sikhandin’s radiant shield
decked with a hundred moons into shards, and cuts his sword in two. He
now stabs Sikhandin himself with a volley of winged arrows.
Sikhandin whirls the remaining length of his snake like blade, and hurls
it at Aswatthaman like lightning. Drona’s son shoots that blade into slivers
even as it flies at him, brilliant like the fire that blazes at the end of the
yuga. And he strikes Sikhandin himself with countless solid iron arrows.
Deeply wounded and in agony, Sikhandin climbs onto Satyaki’s chariot.
Satyaki pierces the feral Rakshasa Alambusha all over, on every side,
deeply with his lusty arrows. That prince of Rakshasas shatters Satyaki’s
bow with a crescent-tipped shaft, then draws blood from Satyaki himself
with countless other barbs. Using his Rakshasa’s maya to create a
formidable illusion, he shrouds Satyaki with torrents of fire and water, and
storms of very real sharp missiles.
The grandson of Sini displays breathtaking prowess as he remains
undaunted by that ferocious fusillade. The son of Vrishni’s race intones a
profound mantra and launches the Aindra astra, which he had from his guru
Arjuna. The astra burns down that demonic illusion and envelops
Alambusha in a torrid arrow storm. Wounded sorely by that exceptional
Kshatriya, Alambusha flees to avoid facing Satyaki.
Defeating that prince of Rakshasas, unbeatable by Maghavat himself,
the grandson of Sini flings back his handsome head and roars and roars
before your stunned forces. The indomitable Satyaki now begins to
decimate and scatter your fighting men at will.
Meanwhile, O Rajan, Dhrishtadyumna covers your son in a shroud of
fire. Your royal Suyodhana stands rocklike and undaunted. He strikes
Dhrishtadyumna with sixty shafts, and in a wink with thirty more. And all
these feats seem amazing. The Pandava Senapati responds by smashing
your son’s bow in fury. That maharatha slaughters your son’s four horses,
and pierces him with seven finely-honed arrows.
Your son, so strong and vigorous, leaps from his horseless chariot, and
runs straight at the son of Drupada wielding a raised sword. The mighty and
loyal Sakuni quickly takes Duryodhana into his own chariot. Having routed
their king, Drupada’s fire prince begins to raze your forces like Indra killing
the Asuras.
Kritavarman swathes maharatha Bhima with his shafts, overwhelming
him like a mass of clouds hiding the sun. That nemesis of enemies, Bhima,
only continues to furiously shoot arrows at Kritavarman, laughing in glee.
That atiratha of the Satwatavamsa, outshining everyone, boldly strikes
Bhima with a ceaseless stream of lean missiles. The colossal Bhima kills
Kritavarman’s four horses and strikes down his sarathy and his beautiful
standard; and masterful Bhima stabs Kritavarman with many kinds of
arrows.
Pierced all over, his limbs mangled, Kritavarman runs to Vrishaka’s
chariot, in the sight of both Salya and your son. Fury unabated, Bhima
begins to butcher your men all around. He beats them to pulp, like Siva
with his mace.’
CANTO 84
hritarashtra says, ‘I hear you speak of the countless awesome single

contests between the Pandavas and my warriors. You do not
mention, however, Sanjaya, the heroism or high spirits of anyone of
my side. You talk of the cheerful and invincible sons of Pandu, and of mine
as being listless, dejected and vulnerable in battle. Unquestionably, all this
is Destiny.’
Sanjaya says, ‘Bharatarishabha, your fighting men display strength and
courage to their utmost. But just as the sweet waters of the celestial Ganga
turn salty when they meet the sea, so is the valour of your sons rendered
futile when they meet the heroic sons of Pandu in battle.
They exert themselves forcefully, and accomplish the most difficult
feats: you should not censure your forces. It is your sins, and those of your
sons, that have resulted in this horrific destruction of the world, all this
shameful and bloody waste and ruin.
It does not befit you, Rajan, to mourn what you have caused. The duty
of kings in this world is not merely to protect their lives. Wishing to win the
realms of the righteous, they fight daily, thrusting into enemy akshauhinis,
with the heavens alone as their aim.
In the bright morning, widespread carnage ensues, yes, even like in the
Devasura yuddha, the first of all wars. Hear of it with undivided attention.
The two lustrous princes of Avanti, those mighty archers, rush at Iravat.
The battle that breaks out between them is brutal, making one’s hair stand
on end. The incensed Iravat strikes the divine brothers with a luminous and
deadly volley, which they cut down in a shower of sparks. Hotly the three
battle their only thought to have the enemy’s life; so feverishly do they fight
that they cannot be distinguished one from the others in the rage of arrows
with which they darken earth and sky.
Iravat kills Anuvinda’s four horses with four terrific shafts, and
demolishes Anuvinda’s bow and standard with another two, all of which
pierce the general cloud of arrows all round. And this feat is truly
wonderful.
Abandoning his chariot, Anuvinda leaps onto Vinda’s. From that single
ratha, the inspired brothers of Avanti unleash an elemental fury of missiles
at the high-souled Iravat. Those golden arrows course through the air and
cover the sky. Cut to the quick, Iravat creates a thunderhead of shafts in the
sky and they lash down in a cataract on the two splendid maharathas and
fell their sarathy.
When their charioteer falls dead to the ground, the unrestrained horses
run amok, dragging the chariot wildly behind them. In some satisfaction,
Iravat begins to consume your foot-soldiers all around him. And the mighty
Dhartarashtra host, thus slaughtered, reels like a man drunk on poison.
Mounted on his black ratha, its flag flying high, that prince of
Rakshasas, Hidimbi’s looming son Ghatotkacha charges Bhagadatta. The
king of the Pragjyotishas rides his prince of elephants, Supritika, even like
Indra did Airavata in the battle of antiquity provoked by Taraka’s
molestation.
The Devas, the Gandharvas, and the Rishis all assembled in the subtle
akasa cannot distinguish between Ghatotkacha and Bhagadatta. As the
infuriated king of the Devas once infused the Danavas with fear, so does
Bhagadatta terrify the Pandava warriors. And stricken on all sides, they
look around vainly for a protector among their ranks.
The son of Bhima stands valiant with darkly glimmering defiance on his
chariot, while other maharathas melt away disheartened. When the Pandava
forces rally, there rises a deafening roar among your fighting men.
Ghatotkacha, O Rajan, pours down a thunder shower of arrows on
Bhagadatta, as the clouds of the monsoon do on Meru’s great summit.
Bhagadatta foils every falling shaft from the Rakshasa’s bow, and strikes
Ghatotkacha deeply in all his marmas, the vital parts of his hulking body,
lancing agony through him. That prince of the Rakshasas does not waver
for a moment but stands still like a mountain pierced.
Rage mounting, the Pragjyotisha king hurls fourteen spears, all of which
the magnificent Rakshasa cuts in slivers. Mahabaho Ghatotkacha stabs
Bhagadatta with seventy keening shafts, each one like Indra’s Vajra.
But laughing all the while, Bhagadatta slaughters the Rakshasa’s four
horses. Ghatotkacha remains steadfast on his ratha and launches a deadly
javelin at Bhagadatta’s elephant. The mountain king smashes that swift
golden lance hurtling wildly towards him into three harmless stalks.
Ghatotkacha flees terrified, like Namuchi, that foremost of the Daityas, did
from Indra in the primordial battle.
Having defeated that daring Kshatriya, unassailable even by Yama
himself or Varuna, king Bhagadatta with his elephant begins to crush the
Pandava forces like a wild tusker trampling the lotuses in a lake.
Salya of the Madras fights his sister’s sons, the twins. And he
overwhelms them with salvos of arrows. Sahadeva shrouds his dead
mother’s splendid brother with arrows like clouds veiling the sun. Covered
by these shafts, the king of the Madras is delighted, and the twins also are
satisfied for their mother Madri’s sake.
Maharatha Salya kills Nakula’s four horses. Nakula leaps down from his
own chariot and mounts his brother’s. Standing on one ratha, the two
brilliant Kshatriyas draw their bows in circles and pound Salya’s chariot
with a battery of arrows. That purushavyaghra remains unmoved as a
mountain. Laughing, happy to see his nephews’ prowess, he also inundates
them with arrows.
Sahadeva charges at Salya, adroitly stabbing him with a powerful astra.
Like Garuda’s beak, the arrow pierces the Madra king and he falls in a faint
in his chariot. Seeing him felled by the superb twins, and unconsciousness
and prostrate, his sarathy steers him away to safety. Watching Salya’s
chariot leave the field, the Dhartarashtras are shocked, crestfallen, thinking
he is dead.
Having bested their uncle, the twins blast their conches and roar
triumphantly. They fly exultantly, Rajan, towards your forces like Indra and
Upendra at the Daitya host.’
CANTO 85
anjaya says, ‘At noon, seeing Srutayush, Yudhishtira goads his horses
at that Kshatriya. He attacks Srutayush, that chastiser of foes, striking
him with nine keen shafts. Foiling those arrows, the illustrious Srutayush
pierces Yudhishtira with seven barbs loosed in a single moment, which
pierce his armour, spilling his blood and sapping the Dharmaraja’s tejas.
Though painfully wounded, the son of Pandu shoots a missile formed
like a boar’s ear into Srutayush’s breast and fells his standard from his
chariot with another shaft. Seeing his proud standard destroyed, Srutayush
strikes Yudhishtira with seven emerald arrows. The Dharmaraja is inflamed,
and flares up like the fire that blazes at the end of the yuga consuming all
creatures.
Seeing the son of Pandu’s towering wrath, the Devas, the Gandharvas
and the Rakshasas tremble on high, and the very universe is disturbed. And
they fear that Yudhishtira will incinerate the three worlds that very day. And
the Rishis and the Devas pray for peace. Still enraged and frequently licking
the corners of his mouth, Yudhishtira looks like the sun that rises at the end
of the yuga. Rajan, all your warriors fear for their lives.
With perfect composure, mighty Yudhishtira cleaves Srutayush’s bow at
its very grasp, and before the eyes of all the fighting men, he strikes
Srutayush with a long arrow squarely though that king’s chest. Summarily,
the Pandava king despatches Srutayush’s horses and his charioteer.
Srutayush abandons his horseless chariot and flees, and a wave of shame
courses through Duryodhana’s army. And now Yudhishtira begins to
decimate your men at will, like Yama himself with mouth agape come
hunting to Kurukshetra.
All see Chekitana of the Vrishnis cover maharatha Kripa Gautama with
an extravagance of arrows. Cutting these down in flight, Kripa son of
Saradwat shatters Chekitana’s bow and fells his sarathy. Kripa kills
Chekitana’s horses, and the two warriors that protected his flanks.
Chekitana leaps down from his chariot with a mace in his hands.
Dashing forward, he kills Kripa’s horses and his charioteer with five
sickening, bloody blows. Kripa, too, jumps down from his useless ratha and
from the ground looses sixteen flashing arrows at Chekitana in the blink of
an eye. Those barbs pierce cleanly through that noble Kshatriya and plough
into the earth. Blossomed in blood flowers, in pain and enraged, Chekitana
flings his mace at Kripa, like Purandara when he wanted to kill Vritra.
Gautama pulverises that gleaming gada coursing at him with a thousand
arrows shot in an instant. Chekitana draws his sword and charges Gautama,
who discards his bow, and drawing his own polished blade, also rushes
towards his opponent. Both mighty warriors flay each other with their
glinting weapons, sparks flying. Both bulls among men are wounded and
fall onto the Earth, mother of all creatures. Exhausted, they faint.
Karakarsha, moved by friendship, rides up, and that invincible Kshatriya
quickly lifts Chekitana into his chariot. And your brother-in-law, the
intrepid Sakuni, swiftly helps maharatha Kripa onto his ratha.
Dhrishtaketu strikes the son of Somadatta in his chest with a blur of
ninety shafts. And adorned with those arrows, Somadatta’s son looks like
Surya Deva with his burning rays.
Bhurisravas destroys maharatha Dhrishtaketu’s chariot and kills his
sarathy and his horses. Seeing him defenceless, Bhurisravas cloaks
Dhrishtaketu with a veil of fine arrows. Dhrishtaketu abandons his chariot
and mounts Satanika’s. Encased in golden armour, maharathas Chitrasena,
Vikarna and Durmarshana unite to attack the son of Subhadra. A fierce
battle ensues between them and Abhimanyu, like the struggle of the body
with vata, pitha and kapham, wind, bile, and phlegm.
Abhimanyu, tiger among men, smashes your sons’ chariots, but does not
kill them, remembering Bhima’s vow to kill all the sons of Dhritarashtra
himself. Arjuna sees Bhishma, invincible even against the Devas,
advancing to save your sons from the terrible young Abhimanyu, already a
maharatha among maharathas.
He addresses Krishna, “Urge your horses, Hrishikesa, to where those
indomitable maharathas gather. Guide our horses so that the enemy does not
annihilate our forces.”
Krishna steers the chariot yoked to white horses into battle. Seeing
Arjuna advance on your army, a loud clamour is heard among your fighting
men. As he nears the kings protecting Bhishma, Arjuna addresses
Susarman, “I acknowledge you both as excellent warriors and as our dire
enemy. Today you will taste the harsh fruit of your sins. Today I will send
you to the resting place of your ancestors.”
That commander of chariot akshauhinis, Susarman, makes no reply to
Arjuna’s threat. Riding at Bibhatsu, with a large host of his allies, he
surrounds him, and, supported by your sons, envelops him in a billowing
gale of arrows, which hide the face of the sun.
Another dreadful battle breaks out between your army and that of the
Pandavas, in which blood runs like water.’
CANTO 86
anjaya says, ‘Mighty Arjuna, pierced by Susarman and his host,

inhales deeply and dissects the bows of those maharathas with his own
arrow storm; he draws copious blood from all their bodies. Many of them
fall bleeding on the ground. The limbs of some lie dissevered, and the heads
of others roll, cut cleanly from their neck. Some die with bodies twisted and
their coats of mail mangled. Struck by Arjuna’s tremendous arrows, they
plunge to gory death.
Seeing this carnage, Susarman, king of the Trigartas, yet advances on
his chariot. And thirty-two other maharathas, who had been protecting the
rear of those slain warriors, also attack Arjuna. Surrounding him, drawing
their powerful bows in circles, they assail him relentlessly with deadly fire.
Wounded by their deluge, Arjuna is incensed, and kills them all with six
extraordinary shafts. Having slain sixty maharathas in moments and their
legions in a few more, the glorious Kshatriya is exhilarated and he dashes
ahead to kill Bhishma.
Seeing his allies overthrown, Susarman of the Trigartas still rushes at
Arjuna with some other kings in his vanguard. Watching them press
forward, the Pandava legion led by Sikhandin charges at them to protect
Dhananjaya’s chariot.
Arjuna turns and unleashes another arrow storm from the Gandiva at
Susarman and his Samsaptakas. Eager to confront Bhishma, great Arjuna
sees Duryodhana and some other kings led by the sovereign of the Sindhus,
guarding the Kuru grandsire. Erupting into a grand inspiration of unearthly
archery, sublimely thwarting the warriors who protect Bhishma, Arjuna
who knows no fear adroitly avoids Duryodhana, Jayadratha and others, and
forges on to engage the awesome son of Ganga.
Dharmaraja Yudhishtira also nimbly avoids the Madra king Salya, who
has been assigned to harry him, and, along with Bhima and the sons of
Madri, rides furiously at Bhishma.
Dominating the field of war as ever, peerless Bhishma faces the unified
onslaught of the sons of Pandu, never wavering. The dexterous Jayadratha
takes careful aim and with gusto smashes the bows of all those Pandava
maharathas. Always wrathful, Duryodhana strikes Yudhishtira, Bhima,
Arjuna and the twins with a firetide of flaming shafts. Pierced roundly by
Kripa and Sala and Chitrasena, Rajan, the Pandavas appear like the Devas
attacked by the united Daitya hordes in ancient times.
Yudhishtira sees Sikhandin flee when Bhishma, with some disdain,
consumes an astra loosed by the Panchala prince, and the Dharmaraja is
stirred to anger. He cries at Sikhandin, “In the presence of your father, you
had sworn to me that you would kill Bhishma. That was your solemn oath.
Why do you not fulfil it now? O Kshatriya, do not neglect your vow.
Defend your virtue, your noble race and your honour.
Look how Bhishma burns my troops with his fiery shafts, consuming
them like Death himself. Your own bow is riven and you are repeatedly
vanquished by Shantanu’s terrible son. Where do you go, deserting your
kinsmen and brothers? This does not befit you.
Ah, you are terrified, and the colour fades from your face to watch
indomitable Bhishma, and our army routed and in retreat. But you do not
yet know that Arjuna has joined this dreadful fray. O celebrated Kshatriya,
why are you afraid of Bhishma today?”
Hearing Dharmaraja Yudhishtira, harshly though the Dharmaraja speaks,
Sikhandin is quickly reassured, and turns back to fight, once more his sole
and fervid purpose to destroy great Bhishma. As that prince rides back with
verve into battle, Salya greets him with a flaming agneyastra. The son of
Drupada, powerful as Indra himself, is undaunted, by that weapon,
luminous as the fire that burns at the end of the yuga. Sikhandin stands
firm, and invokes a Varunastra, and douses Salya’s flames with a great tide
of water in the sky. The Devas in the akasa and the kings of the earth all
watch that awesome spectacle in wonder.
Meanwhile, the noble Bhishma breaks Yudhishtira’s bow and cuts down
his standard. Seeing Yudhishtira suddenly seized by fear, Bhima sets aside
his bow and arrows, and, seizing a club, rushes roaring at Jayadratha on
foot. Jayadratha riding in a circle pierces Bhima from all sides as the great
Pandava runs at him, with five hundred whetted arrows each like a
Yamadana. Calmly ignoring those barbs, the daring Vrikodara, incensed,
turns his fury on Jayadratha’s horses, foaled in Aratta, the kingdom of the
Sindhus, and slaughters them all in explosions of blood.
Seeing Bhima fighting on foot, your son, the unrivalled Chitrasena, who,
also, resembles the king of the Devas, swiftly attacks him from his chariot
with astras. Mace in hand, Bhima bellows like ten wild bison and storms
recklessly at your prince. Seeing Bhima’s raised rod of Death, the Kauravas
abandon your brave son and run like terrified boys.
In that fierce and bewildering fray, O Bhaarata, Chitrasena is undaunted
as he watches that blood-dripping club flung by Bhima’s tremendous hand
course towards him through the air. Taking up a shining sword and shield,
he leaps down from his chariot like a lion from the top of a cliff, to fight on
foot. In that moment, falling on them like some meteor from the sky,
Bhima’s mace crushes Chitrasena’s magnificent chariot, its horses and its
sarathy. Watching your son’s heroic and narrow escape, your forces are
elated and shout triumphantly to applaud his deed.’
CANTO 87
anjaya says, ‘Your son Vikarna dashes up to Chitrasena and lifts him
on to his own chariot. As the relentless war, fought at terror’s very
heart, continues, Bhishma attacks Yudhishtira. The Srinjayas, despite their
chariots, elephants and horses, tremble to see the utterly frightening
grandsire, and they believe Yudhishtira to be near his end.
Yudhishtira, accompanied by the twins, presses forward towards
Bhishma, most illustrious archer, tiger among tigers among men. He
shrouds Bhishma with thousands of arrows, clouds hiding the sun. And
those countless arrows, so skilfully shot by Yudhishtira, reach the son of
Ganga in distinct flights of hundreds and thousands.
And Bhishma responds by releasing a myriad shafts that are like dense
locust swarms. In a flash, Bhishma mantles Kunti’s son in several
cerements of arrows which he looses in tide upon tide. Yudhishtira, stung,
responds with an elongated nagapasa with venomous jade scales.
Maharatha Bhishma destroys Yudhishtira’s shaft in the air with a horse-shoe
headed arrow.
Bhishma slaughters Yudhishtira’s gold decked horses and the Pandava
king abandons his horseless chariot and swiftly mounts Nakula’s. Bhishma,
conqueror of hostile cities, confronting the twins in battle, covers them
entirely with his arrows. Seeing his afflicted brothers, Yudhishtira begins to
seriously plot Bhishma’s end.
He goads his friends and allies to the deed, crying, “Unite and kill
Bhishma!” Hearing these words, the kings surround the Pitamaha with
many chariots. But Bhishma, almost playfully, fells the maharathas, one
after the other with his transcendent archery.
The Pandavas helplessly watch Bhishma thundering all over the
battlefield, Bhishma like a young lion in a forest amidst a herd of deer.
Roaring, he terrifies the bravest warriors; all the gathered Kshatriyas before
him are like lesser animals before a lion. They see his swirling majestic
movements in his chariot as being like a blazing wind-blown inferno
devouring a heap of dry grass.
And Bhishma beheads maharathas like a forester felling ripe fruits from
palmyra trees with stones. And those heads of helmeted soldiers fall upon
the earth with the clatter of cascading rocks.
As that dreadful battle rages, utter chaos reigns among the armies. The
carefully deployed legions of both armies fall into complete disarray. And
the Kshatriyas challenge one another to individual combat.
Sikhandin charges at the Pitamaha, shouting to him to stop and fight.
But Bhishma thinks of the princess Amba that Sikhandin once was, and
disdaining him, advances against the Srinjayas who are delighted at seeing
him approach. They cheer deafeningly and blast their conches.
Another bloodthirsty battle erupts in which chariots and elephants are
mangled, and a thousand good fighting men die each moment. And the day
passes as in a scarlet nightmare.
Dhrishtadyumna, prince of the Panchalas, and maharatha Satyaki are
tormented by a barrage of arrows and spears aimed at them. With riptides of
fire they begin to burn columns and columns of your warriors. Though
under fiery siege, your forces do not retreat, but fight back bravely by now
determined to die for honour if they must. Slaughtered by the illustrious son
of Drupada, they cry out in anguish and fall in waves into the sea of blood
which spreads everywhere and congeals upon sacred ground.
Hearing the desperate screams of those dying legions, maharathas Vinda
and Anuvinda of Avanti ride in a froth at Dhrishtadyumna at his horrible
sacrifice of living men. Abruptly killing his horses, they envelop him in
deadly storms of dark arrows. The prince of the Panchalas leaps off his
chariot and mounts that of the noble Satyaki.
King Yudhishtira, supported by a vast akshauhini, rides against the two
enraged princes of Avanti. And your son surrounds them defensively.
Arjuna fights against many bulls of the Kshatriya race, like Indra against
the Asuras. Drona, always ready to defend your son, begins to devour the
Panchalas like fire consuming a heap of cotton. Your other sons, Rajan,
loyal to Duryodhana, surround Bhishma, and confront the Pandavas.
When the evening sun turns red, Duryodhana says to your forces,
“Hurry!” And as the sun sets behind the western hill, and the soldiers
accomplish difficult feats, the ghastly river of blood flows and swells,
infested by jackals.
And the battlefield turns hideous, full of spectres, and the jackals howl,
portending further evil. Thousands of Rakshasas and Pisachas and other
flesh eaters and blood drinkers are seen all round.
Having routed the kings led by Susarman and their soldiers, in the very
midst of their akshauhini, Arjuna returns to his tent. And Yudhishtira and
his brothers, followed by his men, withdraw to theirs.
Bhima, too, having brought deadly havoc among Duryodhana’s
warriors, returns to his tent. And Duryodhana, with his troops, after
defending Bhishma successfully another savage day, turns back to his.
And Drona, and Drona’s son, and Kripa, and Salya, and Kritavarman of
the Satwata vamsa, all of the Dhartarashtra army, retire to their tents.
Satyaki too and Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Prishata, shepherding their
army, withdraw towards theirs.
Thus those fearless chastisers of enemies, your forces and the Pandavas,
stop fighting at sunset. Both the Pandavas and the Kauravas enter their tents
and praise one another.
Making arrangements for the protection of their fearless legions through
the night, having their watch posts manned, they pluck out the day’s arrows
from their bodies and bathe in many kinds of water. And Brahmanas
perform propitiatory rites for them, and poets sing their praises.
Those illustrious men amuse themselves with singing and instruments.
And for a while the whole place resembles heaven itself! Those bulls
among men do not speak of the war. And when both armies sleep,
exhausted men and elephants and horses, they are serene and beautiful to
watch.’
CANTO 88
anjaya says, ‘Having passed the night in sound sleep, at daybreak the
Kauravas and the Pandavas once more advance into battle. As they
come onto the battleground again, a great deep sound like the roar of the
ocean is heard.
Duryodhana, and Chitrasena, and Vivimsati, and that most excellent
maharatha Bhishma, and Drona, all united and in full armour, expertly array
the Kaurava vyuha against the Pandavas. Fierce as the stormy sea, with
horses and tuskers for its billows and current, the Pitamaha leads that
dwindled but still vast army, supported by the Avantis and the Malavas, the
people of the southern kingdoms.
Beside him is the noble son of Bharadwaja, with the Pulindas, the
Paradas, and the Kshudraka-Malavas. The valiant and stalwart Bhagadatta
is in your ranks, along with the Magadhas, the Kalingas, and the ghoulish
Pisachas.
Behind Bhagadatta is Brihadbala king of the Kosalas with the Melakas,
the Tripuras, and the Chichilas. Next to Brihadbala is the brave Trigarta,
king of the Prasthala, surrounded by a vast number of the Kambojas, and by
Yavanas in thousands.
Next to the lord of the Trigartas, Bhaarata, advances that mighty
Kshatriya, Aswatthaman son of Drona, filling the earth with leonine roars.
Alongside is king Duryodhana himself with his entire army, surrounded by
his magnificent brothers. Behind Duryodhana rides Kripa the son of
Saradwat.
Thus, that mighty vyuha, resembling the turbulent ocean, presses into
battle. And standards and royal white parasols, beautiful bracelets and
costly bows, shine radiantly. Watching the enemy advance, maharatha
Yudhishtira says to Dhrishtadyumna, “‘Behold that oceanic vyuha! O son of
Drupada, create another swiftly to contain and destroy it.”
The gallant Dhrishtadyumna forms the Sringataka vyuha, which is
known to raze all other vyuhas. At its horns are Bhima and Satyaki, with
thousands of chariots, horsemen and foot-soldiers. Near them is Arjuna,
with his chariot yoked to white horses driven by Krishna. In the centre
stand Yudhishtira and Madri’s twin sons.
Other royal archers, all knowers of the vyuha shastra, with their forces,
fill the remaining spaces. Abhimanyu, and Virata, the sons of Draupadi and
the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha are told to bring up and defend the rear.
Having created this awesome vyuha, the noble Pandavas stand on the
field, longing for battle and eager for victory. And the crashing of drums
mingles with the blast of conches; the leonine roars of the soldiers and the
slapping of their armpits are thunderous and fill every direction.
Those mighty warriors advance, and stare across Kurukshetra, field of
dharma, chasmic field of death, unwinkingly. After a moment’s perfect
silence they erupt into fierce roars and yells, challenging each other, and
attack! The war on the crack of the ages between your sons and their
enemies, their cousins, resumes beneath its enveloping canopy of wrath.
Quickly lethal shafts fall like showers of serpents with mouths agape,
and polished gleaming barbs rain down like gashes of lightning. Glittering
maces loosed from bright slings fly up and whistle down over the enemy in
batteries of thunder and blue swords and leather shields decked with a
hundred moons look wondrous as they adorn the field of endless death.
The two hostile armies look at once awful and resplendent, like the
Devas and Asuras fighting each other. In every direction they storm against
one another, and the air is a thick hoarseness of roars and screams.
Celebrated maharathas crash violently into others, the yokes of their
chariots tangling with those of their opponents. The friction of the tusks of
elephants as they collide sets off flashes of fire and smoke.
Warriors on the backs of elephants, struck through with spears, fall like
loosened rocks from hillsides. And the spectacle of foot-soldiers, fighting
with bare arms or impaling one another with spears, is both magnificent and
poignant.
With unending banks of arrows of every size and description, Kaurava
and Pandava warriors mow each other down as if in some terrible game, a
nightmare difficult to conceive. Bhishma charges the Pandavas, filling the
air with the clatter of his chariot, while the twang of his bowstring petrifies
his enemies all over again.
The resolute Pandava maharathas, led by Dhrishtadyumna, roar
stridently and rush at him. This ignites a general battle between the foot-
soldiers, chariot warriors, and elephants of both sides, in which countless
bright fighting men, old and young, killing and dying, become tangled with
one another, their bodies and already written destinies.’
CANTO 89
anjaya says, ‘The Pandavas cannot even look upon Bhishma who rages
over the battleground scorching every side like the Sun himself. The
Pandava army, commanded by Yudhishtira, attacks the son of Ganga who
destroys everything around him with blazing tides from his noble bow.
In elation, Bhishma razes the best of the Srinjaya and the Panchala
archers. Yet the Panchalas and the Somakas continue to attack him with no
thought for their lives. Bhishma severs the arms and heads of their
maharathas. He smashes their chariots. And the heads of horsemen fall like
eerie hail as they are hewn off in vermilion blasts.
We see countless war elephants, paralysed by Bhishma’s astras,
sprawled like hills on the ground, their riders crushed under them. None
among the Pandavas can resist Bhishma, but only the formidable Bhima.
Bhima rides to face his Pitamaha in battle, scything a bloody path through
the Kaurava ranks, who roar or scream at him even as kills them. The
jubilant Pandavas too roar like lions to see the carnage Bhima inflicts on the
enemy.
Duryodhana, surrounded by his brothers, protects Bhishma. Inexorable
Bhima still thunders up and beheads Bhishma’s charioteer. Uncontrolled,
his horses run wildly from the field, dragging their chariot behind them.
Bhima decapitates Sunabha with horse-shoe headed arrow, so that son of
yours falls out from his chariot. Seven of his brothers watch this cool brutal
slaying and cannot bear it.
Adityaketu and Bahavasin, Kundadhara and Mahodara, and Aparajita,
and Panditaka and the invincible Visalaksha, dressed in silver-flecked
armour and carrying splendid weapons, attack Bhima in fury. Mahodara
pierces Bhima with nine thunderbolt like arrows, quite like Indra assailing
the great Asura Namuchi.
Adityaketu stabs him with seventy shafts and Bahavasin with five.
Kundadhara strikes him with ninety barbs and Visalaksha with seven. And
that conqueror of enemies, the maharatha Aparajita makes Bhima’s mighty
body a home for countless smoking barbs. And Panditaka also pierces him
with three shafts.
Bhima does not flinch, instead he laughs, roars, in echoing peals and
roars to make your sons’ blood run cold. His bow firmly held in his left
hand, Vrikodara of the cavernous appetites sloughs off your son Aparajita’s
most handsome head. And that head falls to the ground and rolls some way
like some grisly ball.
While both armies watch transfixed, Bhima cuts your son Kundadhara’s
body in two with an exceptional sword-headed arrow. His next shaft, Rajan,
is aimed at Panditaka and its rips through his armour so his heart bursts in a
hot red font, and passing clean through your son’s body, that irresistible
barb burrows into the ground like a snake entering its hole after claiming its
marked victim.
In great joy now, for he thinks of all the pain and shame your sons
inflicted on him in the past, he cuts away Visalaksha’s head. Bhima strikes
the mighty Mahodara square through his chest with an interminable arrow
which excoriates this next son of yours and your prince plunges lifeless to
the ground. Slashing down Adityaketu’s royal chatra with one light like
shaft, he beheads this boy of yours as well with another. Animated, roaring,
roaring all the while, Bhima next kills Bahavasin in a bright red flash of
gore.
Suddenly remembering the solemn oath that dreadful Bhima swore in
the Kuru sabha, that he would kill every one of your sons, your other
princes panic and flee from him. Stricken, sobbing, wailing to watch the
brutal death of his brothers, Duryodhana roars at his forces, “There stands
Bhima, preening. Destroy him!”
And your sons, those famed archers, seeing their brothers killed,
painfully remember the wise and precious warning and counsel of the
dignified and upright Vidura. For whatever nemesis he warned them of they
now see unfolding before their eyes. Indeed, Rajan, everything that Vidura
warned you of is coming to pass on Kurukshetra, field of dharma, field of
death. But then you were blinded not just in your eyes, but your very heart
by your greed, your foolishness and your inordinate love for your sons.
Ah, to watch that mahabaho decimating the Kauravas, it is amply clear
that Bhima has undoubtedly been born to kill all your sons.
Overwhelmed by sorrow, Duryodhana rides up to Bhishma, and laments,
“Bhima slaughters my brave brothers in battle like animals in a hunt. Our
forces fight courageously, but they are failing. You seem to be an indifferent
spectator, unconcerned about our fortunes. What terrible path have I taken?
Ah, behold my evil destiny.”’
Sanjaya continues, ‘Hearing Duryodhana’s sad and cruel outburst,
Bhishma’s eyes fill with tears, and he says, “I said this before, as did Drona,
Vidura, and the revered Gandhari. O my child, you did not understand it
then. Parantapa, I have long ago determined that neither I nor Drona will
leave this war alive.
But I also tell you this: Bhima will kill all whom he targets in this war.
So muster your fortitude, and firmly resolved on battle, fight the sons of
Pritha, making only Swarga your goal. As for the Pandavas, with Krishna
on their side, they cannot be vanquished by the very Devas. Be resolute and
brave; fight, O Bhaarata!”’
CANTO 90
hritarashtra says, ‘Seeing so many of my sons killed by a single man,

Sanjaya, how do Bhishma and Drona and Kripa respond?
Day after day my sons are being slaughtered. Ah, I believe they
are being overtaken by dark destiny; for they seem unable to find victory
and always appear to face defeat. If my sons are being overcome despite
Drona and Bhishma, and the high-souled Kripa, and Somadatta’s gallant
son, and Bhagadatta, Aswatthaman and other invincible heroes being with
them, it can only be the will of fate.
Though reproached by me, Bhishma and Vidura, heinous Duryodhana
paid no heed to what we said. Gandhari, too, warned him, but the dissolute
Suyodhana did not realise his folly. And his folly now results in the death of
my reckless sons at the hands of Bhima, day after day in battle.’
Sanjaya says, ‘You yourself did not then understand Vidura’s august
words spoken for your good, but they have now come true. Vidura said,
“Restrain your sons from gambling.”
Like a man whose hour is come, refusing the remedy which can save
him, you did not listen to the counsel of your well-wishers. The words of
the righteous are being fulfilled and the Kauravas now perish for
disregarding what the wise Vidura and Drona and Bhishma and other well-
wishers warned them about. Why, O king, the dark omens portending the
unthinkable tragedy which would ineluctably unfold were in evidence even
when you refused to listen to their dire warnings.
It is far too late now and you cannot turn time back. So listen instead to
my narration of the war exactly as it happens.
At noon, the battle turns even more savage and bloody. At the command
of Dharma’s son, the Pandava forces charge Bhishma yet again, always
seeking to kill him. Dhrishtadyumna and Sikhandin, and maharatha Satyaki,
with their spirited legions, ride at Bhishma as he stands alone like some
great and unassailable column of light and death looming over Kurukshetra.
Maharathas Virata and Drupada, with all the Somakas, attack the
solitary Bhishma. And the Kaikeyas, and Dhrishtaketu, and Kuntibhoja,
armoured and bolstered by their forces, advance against the grandsire.
Arjuna and the sons of Draupadi, and the fierce Chekitana press forward
against all the kings commanded by Duryodhana who protect Bhishma. The
noble Abhimanyu, terrible Ghatotkacha, and the smouldering Bhima fall
upon the remaining Kauravas.
These three Pandava legions begin to slaughter the Kauravas, and the
Kauravas also kill their enemy in ever mounting numbers. Drona assails the
Somakas and the Srinjayas, meaning to raze them from the face of the earth.
Shrill cries of anguish rise among the brave Srinjayas as they are mown
down by Drona’s remorseless tide of fire.
Countless Kshatriyas, struck by Drona, shudder and writhe in agony like
men in the grip of some terrible disease. All over the field wounded men
moan, some scream in pain, some groan hollowly like men dying of thirst
or starvation.
And so also, like a second Yama, Bhima ravages the Kaurava forces.
The river of blood swells and surges frothing across Kurukshetra and every
moment hundreds of souls increase the population of Yama’s kingdom.
Bhima runs amok among the elephant akshauhini of the Kauravas, striking
the great beasts down at will with arrows and mace, so their trumpeting
rings horribly with the screams and mortal cries of dying men and their
blood foams copiously into the ankle-deep lake of gore which spreads
across the field of horror.
Struck with Bhima’s shafts, some of those tuskers plunge to the ground,
some are paralysed and cannot move, some bellow in pain, while others run
dementedly everywhere crushing men and chariots of both armies. Majestic
elephants, their trunks cut off and limbs mangled, scream like cranes, and
briefly pirouette ungainly before plummeting to the ground, shaking the
earth.
Nakula and Sahadeva are at the Kaurava horsemen. Thousands of the
finest horses, wearing garlands of gold on their heads and golden jewels on
their necks and chests, are butchered by the radiant twins. The earth is
strewn with handsome fallen steeds. Some have had their tongues cut away;
some lying limbs askew with wild eyes, their flanks heaving; some whinny
weakly in agony, while others are still, no movement or breath stirring in
them and their noble spirits fled. The field of war presents a strange and
unnerving sight, adorned with fallen horses of many breeds and colours.
The very earth looks fiercely resplendent, with the bodies of countless
kings killed by Arjuna; and with broken chariots, slashed banners and
brilliant parasols, with rent chamaras and fans, and mighty ayudhas
smashed in pieces, with garlands and gold necklaces, with jewelled
bracelets, with heads still decked with ear-rings, with crowns fallen from
royal heads, with standards, with jutting bases of beautiful chariots ruined,
O Rajan, and with traces and reins Bhumi Devi is as radiant as she is in
spring when strewn with flowers. But with such a grim and eerie splendour.
Bhaarata, thus the Pandava host is devastated when Bhishma and Drona,
and Aswatthaman, and Kripa and Kritavarman fight with their utmost
ferocity, while your army also faces similar devastation when the Pandava
heroes unleash their long withheld simmering rage and put forth their
might.’
CANTO 91
anjaya says, ‘As that war greater and more horrible than any other
continues to claim brave Kshatriyas all around, Sakuni charges the
Pandavas. Hridika’s son of the Satwata vamsa also rides at them.
Suddenly, joyfully, as if some hidden tide has turned in their favour,
your warriors encircle the Pandava army; their horses are the best of the
Kamboja breed and those born in the northern plains, those of Aratta and
Mahi and Sindhu, Vanayu’s white horses, and those of the mountain
kingdoms. The Tittiri horses, swift as the winds, surround the Pandavas.
And with swift, mail-covered horses, decked with gold, Parantapa Iravat,
son of Arjuna, rides at the Kaurava legion.
Iravat is the son of Arjuna, born to the daughter of the king of the Nagas
who was vulnerable and despondent when her husband was killed by
Garuda. Childless, she was given to Arjuna by Airavat. Partha took her to
be his wife for she desired him. Thus that son of Arjuna was born to the
wife of another.
Abandoned by his uncle who hated Arjuna, he was raised among the
Nagas, protected by his mother. He grew up handsome, strong and
accomplished, with unassailable strength and many occult powers. Hearing
that Arjuna had gone to Indraloka, he promptly went there. He approached
his father and greeted him with folded hands. He introduced himself to
Arjuna, saying, “I am Iravat. Blessed are you, and I am your son.”
He reminded Arjuna of the circumstances of the Kshatriya’s meeting
with his mother. Arjuna embraced his son who was so like him in heroic
deeds, and exulted. Mahabaho Iravat was then joyously commanded by
Arjuna, “When the war begins, you shall fight for us.” Agreeing happily,
Iravat left.
And now at the hour of battle he presents himself, with many swift and
beautifully coloured horses. Decked with gold ornaments, they glide across
the field like swans on the surface of a lake. Those stallions dash headlong
against yours and both fall to the ground with a reverberation like the swish
of Garuda’s wings. And the horse-riders hack one another down. The
riderless chargers of both sides break free and scatter wildly in every
direction.
Their strength sapped by receiving so many arrows upon their splendid
bodies, their horses killed under them, brave Kshatriya horsemen stagger
exhaustedly on Kurukshetra and die. When those legions of horses diminish
and only a few survive, the younger brothers of Sakuni ride out of the
Kaurava vyuha to the front, mounted on fresh, rested, well trained chargers,
neither old nor young, swift and forceful as a gale.
Those six powerful brothers, Gaya, Gavaksha, Vrishava, Charmavat,
Aarjavam, and Suka storm out of the Kaurava vyuha. They are supported
by Sakuni and by their ardent fighting men, all wearing armour. Breaking
through the hitherto inviolable Pandava legion of horsemen, those
indomitable and jubilant Gandhara warriors penetrate deep into it, longing
for victory or death and the bliss of heaven.
Seeing these exhilarated warriors, Iravat says to his bejewelled Naga
soldiers, “Destroy these, their astras and their beasts.” And his uncanny
fighters, many of them half human and half great serpents, begin to cold-
bloodedly harvest the onrushing cavalry of spirited Dhartarashtra warriors.
Watching their horsemen being coolly erased by Iravat’s nerveless
legion, the distraught sons of Subala charge Iravat and surround him. Their
forces attack Iravat and his Naga cavalcade with spears, and gory
pandemonium rules all Kurukshetra.
Pierced with deep spears and drenched in blood pouring free from his
wounds, Iravat looks like an elephant repeatedly pierced with a hook.
Though wounded deeply in his chest, back, and thighs, he faces his
adversaries alone and never wavers, not for a moment, Arjuna’s heroic son.
Iravat stuns his rivals with a tornado of arrows so they swoon. That
parantapa rips out the spears from his body, and flings them back at the sons
of Subala striking them deep. He charges them with sword and shield in
hand to kill them. They recover consciousness and attack him ferociously.
Undaunted, Iravat continues to run at them, blade upraised. So swiftly does
he weave and run, that even on their fleet chargers they cannot accost him.
His enemies ring him round and try to capture him. But as they near him
that parantapa hacks off their arms in a flurry and hacks away the legs of
some. Their ornamented arms and weapons fall, and Arjuna’s terrifying
Naga son cuts off their heads all around.
Only the wounded Vrishava, Rajan, escapes alive from Iravat. Seeing
those valiant Kshatriyas killed in moments, Duryodhana says to the sinister
Alambusha, master of maya, who loathes Bhima for having killed his
brother Baka once, “Look how Iravat has slaughtered my troops. You, too,
have maya at your command and can go anywhere at will. You loathe
Arjuna. Now kill his son in battle.”
Alambusha roars like a lion and, with the fiendish Rakshasas of his
akshauhini, wielding weirdly shining spears, charge Iravat. With the
remainder of the Kaurava horsemen, too, Alambusha rushes at the mighty
Iravat, who covers him in blizzard of arrows in the twinkling of an eye.
Immediately, the Rakshasa begins to uses sorcery against the Naga prince.
He conjures illusory chargers ridden by Rakshasas armed with spears and
axes.
Two thousand die in moments in the battle between Iravat and
Alambusha, and the two of them quickly come face to face like Vasava and
Vritra. As Alambusha closes on him, Iravat cleaves his bow with his sword,
and, whirling like some dervish, cuts down the Rakshasa’s arrows all round
him.
Alambusha flies up into the air and flitting here and there, changing his
form moment to moment, tries to confound Iravat with maya. But Iravat can
also shift his shape at will, and baffles Alambusha with his chimeras, and
swiftly hacks off the fiend’s arms and legs, shredding them with lightning
sword strokes.
But lo, Alambusha reappears in a wink, now with a youthful appearance.
Making illusion is natural to rakshasas, and they can choose their age and
form at will. The Rakshasa’s severed limbs join magically together and are
now darkly splendid and rippling with youth and vigour. With a howl,
Iravat hacks at Alambusha with his axe, like a woodsman cutting down a
tree, mangling him again so his blood flows in rills. Alambusha’s horrible
roaring echoes across the field entirely patinaed with a skin of blood.
Yet again, Alambusha’s desiccated body rejoins miraculously and now
assuming a more macabre form than any he yet has, he rushes forward to
try to seize Iravat bodily. Arjuna’s son never flees a battle. Quickly a great
Naga, a kinsman of his mother, appears at his side, and through that uncle’s
maya, Iravat is surrounded by his serpentine kin.
Surrounded by glimmering emerald-scaled Nagas, Iravat assumes a
form as vast as Ananta himself. He then mantles monstrous Alambusha in a
writhing mass of snakes. The Rakshasa reflects for only a moment and,
assuming the form of Garuda, devours those snakes and Iravat’s uncle with
them. Seeing that Naga of his mother’s line consumed through illusion,
Iravat is momentarily confounded. In that moment, the Rakshasa kills him
with his sword; Iravat’s crowned head, lovely as a lotus, beautiful as the
moon, rolls to the ground.
When Arjuna’s noble son is slain by the Rakshasa, the Dhartarashtra
legions erupt in celebration. Conches boom and drumrolls fill the air thick
with ghosts of men and their beasts dying in thousands all the while, and
hardly aware yet they have been killed.
What a bloodletting there is on both sides in the war on Kurukshetra.
Horses and elephants and foot-soldiers are killed by rampaging tuskers,
gored and trampled. And glossy steeds and countless elephants are felled by
swarming foot-soldiers. Maharathas annihilate chariots and warriors in
numbers that cannot be counted or told as death’s hurricane swirls on, only
mounting in savagery by the passing day, by the hour.
Unaware of his son’s death, Arjuna continues to decimate the kings who
shield Bhishma. The warriors of your army and the Srinjayas sacrifice their
lives by the thousands as libations in the yagna fire of war. And having lost
their swords and bows, many maharathas, with dishevelled hair, fight with
their bare arms.
Bhishma kills so many maharathas with supernal astras of wind, fire and
shafts of solid water and the Pandava forces tremble before him. He
massacres horses, elephants, horsemen and chariot warriors without favour,
the river of blood surging before him most of all. Surely, Bhishma’s
prowess appears equal to Sakra’s.
The fearsome valour of Bhima and Parshata is no less than Bhishma’s,
and scintillating handsome Satyaki’s no less than theirs. Yet on this day the
Pandavas are most fearful when they see Drona put forth his might. They
think: “Drona can destroy us and our forces singlehandedly. What can he
not do when he has a legion of maharathas with him?” Even Arjuna thinks
like this and is afraid to watch his Acharya sow death all around him as
casually as a farmer sowing seeds in a fertile, darkling field.
With every passing hour of war, the warriors of both sides become more
ruthless and cruel, as if demons possess them and impel them to commit
every atrocity they can. Quickly the war, which began with noble covenants
being made between both armies, degenerates in this horrible contention
that is like a fell carnage between two Rakshasa hosts.’
CANTO 92
hritarashtra says, ‘Tell me, Sanjaya, how does Arjuna respond when
the Pandavas learn that Iravat is dead?’
Sanjaya says, ‘Seeing his cousin Iravat slain, the Rakshasa
Ghatotkacha roars terribly again and again in anguish. And the earth, with
her oceans and mountains and forests, trembles. The sky and the four
quarters of the world shudder.
Hearing those roars, the legs and arms of warriors quiver, and they
sweat profusely. Your army is terrified. Everywhere, your soldiers stand
frozen, like a herd of tame elephants fearing the charging lion.
With shattering roar after roar, Ghatotkacha assumes a truly terrifying
form; with a raised flaming spear, encircled by many fierce Rakshasas all
wielding astras, he charges in wrath like Siva at the end of the yuga. Seeing
him come like some plague and his own troops scatter in absolute panic,
Duryodhana, roaring like a pride of lions, rides headlong at the wild
Rakshasa loosing a rage of flaming arrows at Ghatotkacha. Behind
Duryodhana rides the king of the Vangas, with ten thousand great tuskers
with musth juice trickling down.
The sight of your son with a legion of elephants angers Ghatotkacha
further and his slanted eyes seem to spew flames. A pitched battle, that
makes the hair stand on end, breaks out between him and Duryodhana.
Seeing the lumbering elephant force towering on the horizon, the infuriated
Rakshasas rush at it, weapons in hand, thundering forward like clouds
charged with lightning, with chilling cries and yells. With sword and arrow,
spear and mallet and rough hewn axe, they begin to raze that elephant host.
They kill majestic tuskers with great rocks and uprooted trees. As the
Rakshasas demolish the elephants, we see some of the mighty beasts with
their frontal globes smashed, some bathed entirely in their own blood,
others with their limbs mangled or trunks sliced off leaving blood spraying
hollow stumps whistling.
As his elephant host is laid waste, Duryodhana charges the Rakshasa
horde recklessly. He looses cataracts of arrows at Ghatotkacha’s legion of
night, killing any number of those dark and excellent warriors. Inflamed,
Suyodhana strikes four of the best and most dangerous Rakshasas, Vegavat,
Maharudra, Vidyujihva and Pramathin, with four particularly deadly arrows
and swathes the entire fell force in a calorific mantle of arrows. Many
handsome and magnificent Rakshasas perish.
Bhima’s wild son blazes up at your son’s success. He draws his
resplendent bow and charges Duryodhana. But your son is unperturbed at
seeing Ghatotkacha storming towards him like Yama at Siva’s bidding.
With fiery eyes, Ghatotkacha says to Duryodhana, “Today I will be
released from my debt to my elders, and my mother; they were exiled by
your vile game of dice. You dragged Drupada’s daughter Krishnaa, in her
period and clad in a single garment, into the Kuru sabha and humiliated her.
Your persecution did not end there, and at your command, Jayadratha of the
Sindhus tried to ravish her in the forest. Wretched Duryodhana, if you do
not surrender, I will avenge all those injuries today!”
With that, Hidimbi’s son bites his lower lip with his fangs, and licking
the corners of his mouth with his long sharp tongue, covers Duryodhana in
a scathing tide of arrows.’
CANTO 93
anjaya says, ‘Duryodhana calmly bears that storm of arrows, hard even
for the Danavas to withstand, like a bull elephant, lord of his herd,
enduring the rains. Bharatarishabha, your son is in grave danger, but
heedless of it he looses twenty five keen arrows, which flash to strike great
Ghatotkacha, like poisonous snakes on the chest of Gandhamadana. Pierced
by those shafts, blood trickles down the Rakshasa’s body and he looks like
an elephant with rent temples and juices flowing down.
Ghatotkacha turns his attention on Duryodhana, to kill your son no less.
He seizes up an enormous spear, which could rive even a mountain. He
chants an arcane mantra over it and it begins to blaze with light, like a
comet, like a streak of lightning in his awesome hands. The Rakshasa raises
it high above his head to cast it at Duryodhana, certainly impaling him,
having his life.
Even as the recondite and dreadful thing burns and fizzes in
Ghatotkacha’s hand, Bhagadatta king of the Vangas, riding an elephant
taller than any other, the peerless Supritika, thunders and sets himself
squarely between Suyodhana and the Rakshasa, shielding your son
completely.
Ghatotkacha fumes to see his intention foiled and casts his incendiary
lance at Bhagadatta’s elephant instead. Supritika gives a most abysmal
bellow as the fiery ayudha strikes him with a huge explosion, blasting a
gaping hole in his side, blowing his great heart to shreds, and slowly, his
eyes screaming a legend of grief and pain that lord of all mountain
elephants buckles at his knees and falls over dead, shaking the earth.
Bhagadatta leaps down to save his life, with a heartbroken roar to see his
beloved beast die.
Duryodhana is anguished to see that prince among elephants killed and
his troops give way to the wave of despair that sweeps over them and they
run in dismay in every direction. But steadfast himself, cleaving to his
Kshatriya dharma and his dignity, and full of fresh wrath, the Kaurava king
unleashes an astra seemingly made of the flames of the pralaya at
Ghatotkacha.
With alacrity, Ghatotkacha thwarts that burning shaft in flight. He seems
to grow even taller with the mahima siddhi he commands and looming like
some great shadow over the cowering Kaurava legions, his eyes shining
crimson red with rage, he gives a roar truly like a thundercloud’s, so your
warriors stand rooted and trembling before him. Again and again,
Ghatotkacha roars and all Kurukshetra quakes to hear him.
Hearing him, Bhishma rides up to Drona and says, “Hidimbi’s son is
battling Duryodhana and no creature on earth can quell Ghatotkacha. O
blessed one, go and protect the king or the Rakshasa will have his life
today. Hurry Drona, and all your parantapas, this is our highest dharma!”
Drona and the other maharathas rush towards where the king of the
Kauravas stands facing the roaring Rakshasa. They meet Duryodhana and
Somadatta, Bahlika and Jayadratha, Kripa and Bhurisravas and Salya, and
the two princes of Avanti, along with Brihadbala, Aswatthaman and
Vikarna, Chitrasena and Vivimsati, all in the thick of the wheeling,
whirling, blood spraying battle.
Thousands of other maharathas and their legions press forward to defend
your son who is being cornered. Seeing those invincible forces dash
towards him, Ghatotkacha stands unyielding as the Mainaka mountain, bow
in hand, surrounded by his fiendish kinsmen armed with clubs and mallets
and many astras.
The Rakshasas on one side and the best of Duryodhana’s akshauhinis on
the other launch into a mortifying battle. The twang of bows everywhere is
like the ear-splitting cracks of burning bamboos cracking at their knots. The
clatter of weapons falling upon coats of mail is as deafening as mountains
shattering. Spears hurled by noble arms course through the sky like snakes.
Ghatotkacha raises his enormous bow, roars like a pride of lions, and
cleaves Drona’s bow with a strange, curved arrow. He fells Somadatta’s
standard with another broad-headed one. He pierces Bahlika with three
shafts through his chest. He strikes Kripa with one arrow and Chitrasena
with three. With another swift one from his fully stretched bow, he strikes
Vikarna in the shoulder. Spouting blood, Vikarna falls to the floor of his
chariot.
The Rakshasa vigorously drives fifteen shafts into Bhurisravas; they
pierce through his armour and flesh and enter the earth. He smashes the
chariots of Vivimsati and Aswatthaman. They drop the reins of their horses,
and fall to the ground.
With another crescent-tipped arrow he fells Jayadratha’s standard
bearing the emblem of a golden boar; with a shaft he rives the Sindhu
king’s bow. In frightful rage, he kills the king of Avanti’s four horses with
four unerring barbs. With another well tempered shaft, he stabs king
Brihadbala deep, and the wounded king stumbles in his chariot. Never
pausing, Ghatotkacha looses a clutch of serpentine narachas, which pierce
the celebrated Salya.’
CANTO 94
anjaya says, ‘Having scattered all your warriors, the rampant Rakshasa
attacks Duryodhana, at which many indomitable warriors of your army
rise up to kill Ghatotkacha.
Those maharathas draw their mighty bows and charge at him, roaring
like a countless lions. Surrounding him, they lash him with arrows like
clouds belabouring a mountain with torrential rain. Deeply struck and in
agony Ghatotkacha is like an elephant pierced repeatedly with a cruel hook.
Then, like Garuda, he soars up into the sky, from where he thunders like
stormclouds, and his fierce roaring resounds in every direction.
Hearing the Rakshasa’s roars, Yudhishtira says to Bhima, “Listen to
Ghatotkacha! For certain he is battling the maharathas of the Dhartarashtra
army. The Pitamaha stands always ready to slaughter the Panchalas and
Arjuna fights to protect them. Mahabaho, both these tasks demand your
immediate attention; go and support Hidimbi’s son who is in grave danger.”
Bhima advances swiftly, terrifying the enemy with his tigerish roars that
sound like the ocean at full moon. The valiant Satyadhriti and Sauchiti, and
Srenimat and Vasudana, and the powerful son of the king of Kasi, all follow
Bhima Vrikodara. Countless other rathikas led by Abhimanyu, and by the
sons of Draupadi, and the bold Kshatradeva, and Kshatradharman, and Nila
follow these. To protect Ghatotkacha they encircle him with a great force of
chariots and six thousand war elephants.
Their loud shouts and roars, the thunder of their horses’ hooves and the
clatter of their chariot wheels make the earth shudder. Hearing that tumult,
your anxious forces, ever fearing Bhima, turn ashen. Leaving Ghatotkacha,
they flee. An unrelenting battle breaks out between those high-souled
warriors and yours. Maharathas unleash astras at each other.
The war makes the brave exult and strikes terror into the hearts of the
timid, as horsemen and elephant warriors face each other, and foot-soldiers
and maharathikas. Absolutely possessed by the spirit of battle and
bloodlust, they fight blindly, in rage.
In that seething ferment of chariots, horses, elephants, and foot-soldiers,
a pall of dust rises from chariot wheels and the running feet of men and
animals. Impenetrable, like red smoke, it obscures Kurukshetra. The
warriors cannot distinguish friend from enemy. The father does not
recognise the son, nor the son the father, in that vicious, unfeeling war
which makes one’s hair stand on end.
The ceaseless ominous whine of coursing weapons and the roars and
screams of fighting men are like the howls of dead souls in torment. The
blood of men and their beasts flows in frothing rivers; warriors’ hair upon
dissevered heads form its ghastly weeds and moss. Indeed, severed heads
fall like hail on Kurukshetra. The earth is scattered with headless corpses of
men, alongside mangled bodies of elephants and hacked limbs and bodies
of horses.
Maharathas pursue each other and loose elemental astras to consume the
enemy. Chargers, goaded by their riders, dash against others and fall down
dead, their wild eyes glazing over in death. And men with burning, mad
eyes, who have lost their weapons, dash against each other breastplate on
breastplate, helmet on helmet, and fall stunned. Cruelly prodded by their
mahouts, elephants gore other elephants disembowelling one another.
Covered with bleeding wounds, their backs decked with standards, they are
seen locked horribly, inextricably into each other like clouds charged with
ivory lightning.
Some lie on top of others; some have their frontal lobes split with
spears; they run wildly thundering like roaring clouds. Some, with their
trunks lopped off, others with mangled limbs, plunge to the ground like
mountains shorn of their wings of old by Indra. Other majestic tuskers bleed
copiously, their sides ripped open; they look like mountains with red muddy
streams gushing down their sides after a cloudburst. Others, riderless and
pierced with arrows and spears, are like mountains shorn of their peaks.
Some of the great beasts are blind with fury, with juice streaming down
their temples and cheeks and over their maddened eyes; no longer guided or
restrained by any goad, for their riders have fallen, they trample hundreds
of chariots, horses and foot-soldiers.
Horses, attacked by horsemen with bearded arrows and spears,
whinnying in pain and rage and helplessness, careen at their assailants,
disturbing all the points of the compass. Noble maharathas, encountering
others, all fight without fear, recklessly. All those that fight on that abysmal
field seek earthly glory or eternal life as they hew and smite and loose
coruscating tumults of arrows.
Then, their spirits suddenly broken by the primeval brutality of it all, the
Dhartarashtra troops quit the battle and flee the field.’
CANTO 95
anjaya says, ‘Duryodhana is incensed on seeing his forces decimated

and he charges Bhima. With his bow luminous as lightning, he
envelops Pandu’s son with a wither of arrows. He cleaves Bhima’s bow
with a crescent-moon-tipped winged shaft. He ruptures his detested
enemy’s chest with a missile with the power to split mountains. Pain
screaming through him in a flash, yet Bhima remains tenacious, clasping his
golden flag pole.
Seeing his father spurting blood, Ghatotkacha blazes up like a wrathful
inferno. With booming shouts, a swarm of Pandava maharathas, led by
Abhimanyu, attacks Duryodhana.
Seeing them, Drona says to your maharathas, “The Pandava maharathas,
with Bhima at their head, hem Duryodhana in. They terrify our own
warriors with squalls of fire. The king is in mortal peril, fly to protect him!”
Led by Somadatta your rathikas fall upon the Pandava ranks. Kripa and
Bhurisravas and Salya, and Drona’s son and Vivimsati, and Chitrasena and
Vikarna, and Jayadratha, and Brihadbala, and the two princes of Avanti,
encircle Bhima in a ring of protection. The Pandavas and the Dhartarashtras
encounter each other a mere twenty paces apart.
Mahabaho Drona bends his colossal bow and strikes Bhima with twenty
six shafts. He bedevils Vrikodara with a luciferous volley like a cloudburst
upon a mountain. Mighty Bhima swiftly pierces his Acharya with ten barbs
through his left side. Frail with age, and tormented by pain, Drona faints on
to the floor of his chariot. Roaring, Duryodhana dashes at Bhima with
Aswatthaman beside him.
Seeing them come, each like a Yama at the end of the yuga, Bhima
seizes a mace, and, leaping off his chariot, he stands like a hill on the field,
unyielding. Why, he is like the imposing Kailasa, as Aswatthaman and
Duryodhana attack him fervidly. Bhima, who knows no fear, runs straight
toward them mace aloft. So terrible is his face that the Kaurava aim great
astras at him to stop him somehow. Led by Drona, they harangue him from
every side. Such is the immediate danger to his life and such his disdain for
it, that the host of Pandava maharathas, led by Abhimanyu, dash forward,
all of them ready to sacrifice their lives to save him.
Looking like a mass of blue clouds, heroic Nila charges Aswatthaman.
A famed archer himself, he had long desired a duel with Drona’s son. He
strikes Aswatthaman with an irruption of winged shafts, even like Sakra
who chastised Viprachitti, the Danava who once terrified the Devas and the
three worlds.
Blood drenched in moments, infuriated, Aswatthaman draws his
bowstring and, with a twanging as loud as Indra’s thunder, unleashes a
refulgence of flaming barbs at Nila. He fells Nila’s standard and four horses
with six rutilant shafts. With a seventh, he find Nila’s chest and Nila,
gushing blood, slumps down in his chariot.
Seeing Nila swoon, Ghatotkacha, with his invincible Rakshasas, falls
upon Aswatthaman, who turns calmly to ride directly at his assailants.
Quick as light, deadly as venom spitting king cobra, Drona’s son despatches
a host of Rakshasas in Ghatotkacha’s vanguard. His anger stoked,
Ghatotkacha uses powerful maya to create a great and demonic illusion.
Aswatthaman stands bewildered and momentarily afraid. Your men run
from that hellish vision, as part of which they see one another, though alive
and breathing, lying dead, convulsed by death’s spasms on the field of all
horrors.
Drona and Duryodhana, Salya and Aswatthaman, and other noble
Kaurava archers scatter before Ghatotkacha’s fell sorcery. In his
hallucinatory illusion, all your maharathas appear as being already routed,
and all your allied kings slain. Meanwhile, the Pandava maharathas raze
thousands of your horses and horsemen. Wailing, your legions escape to the
safety of their tents.
Bhishma and I cry out to them, “Fight, do not run away! This is merely
Rakshasa maya conjured up by Ghatotkacha.”
Panic-stricken, they pay no attention to us, they do not stop. Watching
this flight, the Pandavas regard themselves victorious. Along with
Ghatotkacha they roar like lions. The air resounds with their shouts, the
blast of their conches, and the throbbing of their drums.
By dusk, your entire army has been routed and scattered by
Ghatotkacha.’
CANTO 96
anjaya says, ‘After that rout, Duryodhana approaches Bhishma and,

with a humble salutation, tells him about the defeat at the hands of
Ghatotkacha.
Dejectedly he says to the Pitamaha, “O sire, relying on you, just as the
Pandavas rely on Krishna, I began a fierce war with the Pandavas.
Parantapa, I and my eleven akshauhinis obey your command. Despite this, I
have been routed in battle by the Pandavas drawing on the powers of
Ghatotkacha.
Ah, this consumes my limbs like a fire burning down a dry tree. O
Parantapa, with your support and blessings, I want to crush Ghatotkacha
myself. It befits you to fulfil my desire.”
Bhishma says to Duryodhana, “O king, you should always conduct
yourself suitably. Protect yourself in battle under every circumstance. Fight
against Dharmaraja Yudhishtira, or with Arjuna, or with the twins, or with
Bhima. In accordance with varnadharma, a Kshatriya must only contend
with another Kshatriya.
Myself, and Drona, and Kripa, and Drona’s son, and Kritavarman of the
Satwata race, and Salya, and Somadatta’s son, and that maharatha Vikarna,
and your valiant brothers led by Dussasana, will all combine to fight the
Rakshasa. Or if you are inconsolable at the carnage he brought to your
legions, let Bhagadatta, who is equal to Purandara himself in war, fight
Ghatotkacha.”
And Bhishma says to Bhagadatta, “Advance swiftly, Rajan, against the
son of Hidimbi. Engage that savage Rakshasa with caution, like Indra in
ancient times did Taraka. You have divine weapons; your prowess is great.
You, who have vanquished many Asuras in the past, are a true match for
Ghatotkacha on the field. Backed by your vast forces, kill that bull among
Rakshasas.”
Hearing Bhishma’s words, Bhagadatta advances towards the enemy,
roaring like a lion. Seeing him approach like a storm of thunderheads, many
Pandava maharathas furiously move against him: Bhima, Abhimanyu and
Ghatotkacha, the sons of Draupadi, and Satyadhriti, and Kshatradeva, and
the rulers of the Chedis, and Vasudana, and the king of the Dasarnas.
Mounted on his great new elephant, Bhagadatta charges into battle. A
truculent encounter erupts. Forceful shafts, shot by maharathas, fall on
elephants and chariots. Majestic trained tuskers with rent temples fall upon
one another. Blind with rage, with temporal juice trickling down their
bodies, they gore one another with column-like tusks.
Regal horses, ridden by warriors armed with spears, are goaded to
fearlessly fly at each other. And thousands of foot-soldiers, attacked by
legions of foot-soldiers with spikes and arrows, plunge to the ground, their
legion spirits quitting their carved and mangled bodies in thick swarms.
Roaring maharathas slaughter their daring adversaries with livid
coruscations of barbed arrows.
In that battle which makes one’s hair stand on end, the famed
Bhagadatta, mounted on his elephant of rent temples with juice trickling
down in seven streams, which makes him look like a mountain with seven
rivers gushing down after heavy rain, like Indra himself riding Airavata,
attacks Bhima in fury. Riding on the head of his massive beast, he looses a
fulmination of arrows on the hulking Pandava.
King Bhagadatta unleashes that volley on Bhima like clouds lashing rain
on to a mountain at the end of summer. Incensed, Bhima kills more than a
hundred fighting men that protected Bhagadatta’s rear and flanks in a
sanguinary flash.
Wrath surges up in Bhagadatta and he goads his elephant straight at
Bhima’s chariot, why, even like some unimaginable arrow from a great
god’s bow! Bhima leads a host of Pandava maharathas directly at the
attacking elephant. These warriors are the five Kekaya princes and
Abhimanyu, the five sons of Draupadi and the ruler of the Dasarnas,
Kshatradeva and the ruler of the Chedis, and Chitraketu. They wield divine
astras with consummate skill and prowess, and they quickly surround their
opponent’s elephant.
That majestic tusker, stabbed with many arrows, streams blood from his
wounds, and looks resplendent like a mountain plastered with red mud after
the rains. The ruler of the Dasarnas rides his elephant out towards
Bhagadatta. Bhagadatta’s beast contains the attack like a continent the
surging sea. Seeing this remarkable resistance, even the Pandava troops
applaud and marvel.
The ruler of the Pragjyotishas is enraged and casts fourteen spears at the
Dasarna king’s regal mammoth. Like snakes entering anthills, these pierce
the tusker’s gold-decked armour. Deeply pierced and sorely wounded, that
elephant’s fury subsides and it swiftly retreats. As it flees, it mows down the
Pandava host of its own side like a gale smashing down young trees.
With their elephant defeated, the maharathas of the Pandava army roar
like lions and setting Bhima at their head, storm at Bhagadatta loosing all
manner of arrows and astras at him. Bhagadatta is unmoved by these
weapons and the legion that surges roaring at him; instead, he goads his
great prince among elephants at them, prodding it with his hook and spurred
boots. That elephant provoked with hook and spur seems to assume the
form of the Samvarta fire that destroys everything at the end of the yuga.
Crushing hordes of chariots, elephants and horses with their riders, it
thunders about in every direction, pounding down foot-soldiers by the
thousands. The vast legions of the Pandavas shrink like leather exposed to
fire.
As Bhagadatta thins the Pandava vyuha, Ghatotkacha, with fiery eyes
and blazing face, charges towards him. Assuming a terrible form alight with
rage, he seizes a bright lance that can penetrate a mountain and hurls the
flaming thing at Bhagadatta’s elephant. Seeing it course towards him, the
ruler of the Pragjyotishas cuts it in two with a crescent-headed arrow, and
the golden spear plunges into the earth like Indra’s thunderbolt.
With a shout, Bhagadatta takes a glittering spear and in a fluid blur casts
it at Ghatotkacha, who leaps up into the air and seizes it in his hand. The
Rakshasa snaps it like a twig against his knee before the eyes of the
assembled kings. All this appears awesome. The Devas, the Gandharvas
and the Munis are wonderstruck. And the Pandava warriors, led by Bhima,
also cry out their praises at what Ghatotkacha incredibly does.
Bhagadatta cannot endure these exultations. He roars, draws his radiant
bow, and shoots a scintillation of fire shafts at all the Pandava maharathas.
He strikes Bhima with one arrow and Ghatotkacha with nine. He shoots
Abhimanyu with three, and the Kekaya brothers with five. With his bow
drawn in a circle, he pierces Kshatradeva’s right arm deeply so that the
Kshatriya’s bow falls from his hand.
Bhagadatta strikes the five sons of Draupadi with five arrows; he kills
Bhima’s horses; with three feathered shafts, he cuts down Bhima’s standard
bearing the lion emblem. And with three more searing arrows he pierces
Bhima’s charioteer Visoka, who plunges to the floor of his chariot in agony.
Bhima leaps down from his chariot with his mace. All your forces are
terrified, watching him with gada upraised, looking like a mountain peak.
As Bhima and Ghatotkacha are battling the ruler of the Pragjyotishas,
Arjuna appears, slaying the enemy on all sides. He sees his embattled
brothers and radiates tides of fire in every direction. Duryodhana swiftly
moves his legion of chariots and elephants. Arjuna charges that Kaurava
akshauhini on his chariot of white horses.
Riding his elephant, Bhagadatta crushes the Pandava ranks, and storms
towards Yudhishtira. A fierce battle begins between Bhagadatta and the
Panchalas, the Srinjayas and the Kekayas. Bhima narrates the details of the
slaughter of Iravat to Krishna and Arjuna.’
CANTO 97
anjaya says, ‘Hearing of his son Iravat’s death, Arjuna’s eyes glisten
with tears and he sighs deeply. He says to Krishna, “Ah, the wise
Vidura Mahatman surely saw this terrible destruction of the Kauravas and
Pandavas clearly with his mind’s eye. And so did he warn Dhritarashtra
repeatedly.
Krishna, the Kauravas have killed so many of our heroes, and we have
killed many of theirs. What contemptible deeds have been done in the
pursuit of kingdom and wealth! I curse these that have led to such slaughter
of kinsmen.
For him who is penniless, even death would be better than acquiring a
fortune by killing his relatives. Krishna, what will we gain by destroying
our own blood and lineage? Duryodhana, Sakuni and Karna are to blame
for the extermination of the very Kshatriya race.
I now understand, Mahabaho, that Yudhishtira was wise to ask
Suyodhana for only half the kingdom, indeed for only five villages. And
even that was not given. Seeing so many brave warriors lying dead on the
field, I curse myself and curse the dharma of a Kshatriya.
I continue to fight only so that I am not called weak and cowardly.
Otherwise, this war repulses me. Ah, drive the horses forward towards the
Dhartarashtra army; let me continue with this bloodthirsty sacrifice. There
is no time to lose.”
And Krishna goads those fleet white horses forward, while your troops
are disturbed like the stormy ocean at high tide. The battle between
Bhishma and the Pandavas is dreadful and deafening like thunder.
Your sons surround Drona like the Vasus surrounding Vasava, and storm
into battle against Bhima. Bhishma and maharathas Kripa, Bhagadatta and
Susarman advance against Arjuna. Kritavarman and Bahlika attack Satyaki.
And king Amvashta sets himself before Abhimanyu. Other great chariot-
warriors clash with each other. On every side, the war is ever more fierce
and gruesome.
Bhima is a fire that blazes up with offerings of ghee. Your sons shroud
him with arrows, but that Kshatriya, his body and litheness like a tiger’s,
licks the corners of his mouth in savage glee. Bhima kills your son
Vyudoroska with a horseshoe-headed arrow; with another keen shaft, he
blows Kundalin’s heart to shreds like a great lion killing a small cub. He
covers your other sons who are close in gusts of fire, killing Anadhriti, and
Kundabhedin, and Virata, and Dirghalochana, and Dirghabahu, and Subahu,
and Kanykadhyaja, who topple lifeless from their chariots, Bharatarishabha,
looking like mango trees sprouted with red blossoms in spring.
Your other sons flee from Bhima as if from Yama himself. Drona
envelops him in a shroud of arrows. But Bhima is irresistible, his prowess
astounding as he continues to massacre your sons in the face of Drona’s
best efforts to thwart him. Bhima laughing aloud wildly, magnificently foils
Drona’s intense volleys, while he continues to feed the blood and corpses of
your sons to yawning thirsty Kurukshetra. He sports among your sons like a
tiger among a herd of deer. Like some mythic wolf, Vrikodara terrifies your
sons and kills them one after the other.
Meanwhile, Bhishma, Bhagadatta and Kripa oppose the daring Arjuna.
Dhananjaya thwarts the astras of his adversaries with his own, and kills
many leading warriors of your army.
Abhimanyu divests king Amvashta of his chariot with a flurry of arrows.
Amvashta leaps out of his ruined ratha in shame, hurling his sword at the
high-souled Abhimanyu. And he hastily mounts the chariot of Hridika’s
son, while Abhimanyu shatters his sword in the air. The Pandava warriors
marvel at the inspired archery of Subhadra’s son and cheer loudly. Others
led by Dhrishtadyumna continue to raze your forces, which still stand
valiant, fighting on, facing death squarely.
With great feats of daring, the war swells and plunges on, claiming
thousands of lives across grisly Kurukshetra every moment. Brave fighting
men seize one another by the hair, fight with their nails and teeth, fists and
knees, heads and hands and swords, and strapping arms. With frightening
vigour they slaughter each other.
Father and son kill one another. The soldiers fight desperately using all
their limbs. Beautiful bows with golden arrows slip from the hands of fallen
warriors, and precious jewels and gleaming feathered shafts lie scattered
thickly across the killing field; glistening arrows resemble snakes with shed
skins.
Golden swords with ivory handles, and shields dappled with gold, lie
fallen on the field, blood slicked, glistening under the hazy sun. Arrows,
axes, swords and spears, many decked with gold, beautiful coats of mail,
and heavy and spiked clubs, and howdahs of elephants, and yak tails, and
fans, are strewn everywhere.
Lifeless maharathas, still clasping their weapons, look as if they are still
alive, biting bloodied lips. Their arms and legs shattered with maces and
heads smashed with clubs, or crushed by elephants, horses and chariots,
foot-soldiers lie like broken puppets on the crimsoned earth. The earth
laden thickly with the corpses of horses, men and elephants, looks beautiful,
Rajan, as if dotted with hills great and small. How copiously Kurukshetra of
the terrible blood sacrifice is covered with arrows, axes, swords, spears,
cudgels, satagnis and mangled bodies.
Bleeding profusely, warriors lie with limbs askew, some silent in death,
others moaning in anguish. What a sight the Earth presents! Smeared with
sandalwood paste and wearing fine leather gloves and golden armlets,
severed arms of powerful warriors are to be seen everywhere one looks;
also mighty, shapely thighs like the trunks of elephants, and fallen
bejewelled turbaned heads; and all this fills the field of dread with strange
and poignant beauty.
The field of the Kurus, stained with blood, covered with bloodied coats
of armour and radiant ornaments, looks as if on fire. Like a beautiful
woman adorned with jewels, Bhumi appears eerily lovely with scattered
ornaments, bows, arrows with golden wings, smashed chariots with silvery
bells, and horses with tongues lolling out, with standards, quivers, banners
and great conches of heroes, and elephants with severed trunks—with all
these.
Wounded elephants groan in agony and appear like shifting mountains.
Colourful mantles and finely wrought hooks studded with stones of lapis
lazuli, and bells, flecked cloths and deerskin, neck-chains and golden
girdles that once adorned majestic tuskers, are spread across the ground as
if in some great and bizarre exhibition.
Various devices lie broken by golden darts, and embroidered saddles of
horses, caked with mud. The hacked arms of horsemen, decked with
bracelets, are everywhere, along with shining spears and swords, and
turbans fallen off noble heads.
The earth looks like the star-strewn sky with crescent-headed arrows,
crushed saddles of ranku deer skin, and glistening jewels from the coronets
of kings. It glows with the resplendent parasols, yak tails and fans, and with
faces, bright as the lotus or the moon, of daring Kshatriyas, with gleaming
ear-rings and elegant beards, who lie lifeless.
Thus the two armies annihilate each other in the fight. The warriors are
exhausted in body and spirit; the events and sights of the day have been
splendid and horrifying beyond imagining; until, dark night sets in and
nothing can be seen. The Kauravas and the Pandavas withdraw their armies.
Retiring to their tents, they rest for the night.’
CANTO 98
anjaya says, ‘Duryodhana, Sakuni, Dussasana and the invincible Karna

sit together and evaluate their situation. How can the sons of Pandu
and their allies be defeated? This is the subject of their discussion.
Duryodhana says to them, “Drona, Bhishma and Kripa, and Salya and
Somadatta’s son do not challenge the Pandavas. I do not know why.
Unopposed, they are destroying my forces. Karna, I am being weakened
and my weapons exhausted. I am baffled by my adversaries; I feel that even
the Devas cannot vanquish them. My mind is filled with doubt; how can I
quell the Pandavas in battle?”
Karna replies, “Do not be distressed, O lord of the Bhaaratas, for I will
achieve the end you desire. Let Bhishma withdraw from the great war.
When he puts down his weapons, I will kill the Parthas and the Somakas,
before Bhishma’s eyes.
I swear I will do this. Indeed, Bhishma shows mercy towards the
Pandavas everyday. He cannot defeat those maharathas. Bhishma is proud
in battle. He enjoys the fight. Why would he subdue the Pandavas, for then
the war itself will end?
Go to Bhishma’s tent, and ask the revered Pitamaha to set aside his
weapons. When he does this, consider the Pandavas dead, slain along with
all their supporters and kinsmen by me alone.”
Thus addressed by Karna, Duryodhana says to his brothers, “Dussasana,
get ready to accompany me.” He says to Karna, “Parantapa, I will persuade
Bhishma to consent to what you ask, and then promptly come to you. After
Bhishma retires from the fight, you will destroy the enemy.”
Accompanied by his brothers, your son sets out like He of a hundred
sacrifices accompanied by the Devas. Dussasana makes him mount on his
horse. Adorned with bracelets, with a crown on his head, and ornaments on
his arms, he shines brilliantly as he goes forth. Smeared with fragrant
sandalwood-paste, bright as the burnished gold of the bhandi flower,
wearing spotless garments, Duryodhana goes forth like a great lion, looking
like the glowing sun in the sky.
And as that tiger among men goes towards Bhishma’s tent, many
celebrated archers follow him. His brothers also accompany him, like the
Devas walking behind Vasava. Other gallant men, riding on horses,
elephants and chariots, go with him.
Like the Devas surrounding Sakra, his well-wishers assemble in hordes
to protect him. Adored by all the Kauravas, Duryodhana rides slowly,
regally towards Bhishma’s tent.
He raises his right arm, like an elephant’s trunk with which he can crush
all enemies, and accepts the homage paid to him by the bystanders who
stand with folded hands raised above their heads. As he canters along, he
hears the sweet voices of the people of many lands. He is praised by their
bards and poets. That great king responds with equal respect to all.
Many high-souled men stand around him with golden lamps burning
with perfumed oil. Duryodhana looks radiant like the moon surrounded by
blazing planets. Attendants with head-gear decked with gold, with canes
and jhariharas in hand, gently part the crowd.
The king reaches Bhishma’s tent and dismounts from his horse. He
greets the Pitamaha and sits on a golden seat covered with an ornate cloth.
With hands folded, tearful eyes, and in a grieving voice, he says to
Bhishma, “Parantapa, under your protection, we could defeat the very
Devas and Asuras led by Indra. What can I say, then, of the gallant
Pandavas, their kinsmen and friends?
Son of Ganga, be merciful. Kill the sons of Pandu like Mahendra
destroying the Danavas. I will slay all the Somakas and the Panchalas, and
the Karushas along with the Kekayas: these were your words to me. Stand
by those words.
Kill the Parthas, and the Somakas. Honour your promise. If your love
for the Pandavas, or loathing towards me, sways you to spare them, then
allow Karna to fight. He will put a swift end to them along with their allies
and kinsmen.”
Having said this to Bhishma, your son Duryodhana falls silent.’
CANTO 99
anjaya says, ‘Bhishma is saddened by your son’s dagger like words.

But he does not reply with a single harsh word. He is overwhelmed
with grief and anger, sighs deeply and reflects silently for a long time.
Looking up, as if angrily swallowing the world with the Devas, Asuras,
and Gandharvas, Bhishma speaks calmly to Duryodhana, “Why do you stab
me with such sharp words? I always try hard to achieve your interests. For
this I am prepared to sacrifice my life in this battle.
The Pandavas cannot be defeated. This is clear ever since the brave son
of Pandu pleased Agni in the Khandava vana, after vanquishing Sakra
himself in battle. O Parantapa, Arjuna rescued you when you were captured
by the Gandharvas; even that was a clear sign.
On that occasion, your brave brothers fled, as did Radha’s son. What
Arjuna did even then clearly revealed his prowess. In Virata’s city, he
single-handedly subdued us all. That was a sufficient indication.
He defeated and disrobed both Drona and me. That was ample evidence.
When the cows were stolen, he overcame Aswatthaman and Saradwat. This
surely should have shown you what he is.
Having easily quelled Karna, who boasted loudly of his manliness,
Arjuna took his robes and gave them to Uttara. That should have been
unmistakable proof for you. Arjuna defeated the Nivatakavachas who were
invincible even to Vasava. How much clearer could it be, Suyodhana?
Who can hope to defeat such a hero, and besides one protected by the
Protector of the Universe armed with sankha, chakra and gada? Krishna has
infinite power, and is the Destroyer of the Universe. He is the highest Lord
of all, the God of Devas, the eternal Paramatman. He is eulogised by
Narada and other great Rishis.
But, ah, you are foolish and do not know what should be said and what
should not. To a man on the point of death, all trees appear to be made of
gold. Son of Gandhari, you see everything as being the opposite of what
they truly are. Having provoked war with the Pandavas and the Srinjayas,
fight them now. Let us see you not moan and whine like a boy, but fight like
a man.
As for me, I will bring death to the Somakas and the Panchalas,
avoiding only Sikhandin. If killed, I will go to Yama’s abode; if I kill them,
I will give you joy.
Once, Sikhandin was born in Drupada’s palace as a woman. Upon
receiving a boon, she became a man. She is Sikhandini. I cannot kill him
even to save myself. She is the same Sikhandini created by Brahma. Sleep
peacefully tonight. Tomorrow I will fight so fiercely that men will
remember the battle as long as the world lasts.”
Duryodhana comes away with these words. He bows to the Pitamaha
and returns to his own tent. He dismisses his attendants. He enters his tent
and sleeps. At dawn he rises, and orders the royal warriors, “Gather our
forces. Today Bhishma will slay all the Somakas.”
Bhishma regards Duryodhana’s lamentations as commands to himself.
Saddened, and deploring his servile position, he thinks carefully about a
possible duel with Arjuna.
Duryodhana anticipates Bhishma’s plan and commands Dussasana,
“Deploy the chariots to defend Bhishma. Press all our twenty two legions
into battle formation. The moment that we have been thinking about for
years, the slaughter of the Pandava army and seizing the whole kingdom,
has arrived.
For this, our first duty is to protect Bhishma. Well guarded, he will
protect us and kill the Parthas in battle.
Bhishma said to me, ‘I will not kill Sikhandini, for he was a woman
once and I will not face him in battle. The world knows that, to honour my
father, I gave up a vast kingdom. I will not kill any woman or anyone who
was once a woman. This is the truth by which I live and the dharma I will
never break.
Sikhandin was first born a woman. You have heard that story as I have
narrated it to you before the war began. Killing herself first and taking birth
as a daughter, she who was once the princess Amba of Kasi has become a
man. She will fight me, but I will never aim an arrow at her.
Other Kshatriyas who fight for the victory of the Pandavas, I will
consume them all with devastras.' These were the wise Bhishma’s words to
me.
Our first and last duty is to protect the son of Ganga. If a lion is left
unprotected in the jungle, he can be killed even by a wolf. We cannot allow
the Pitamaha to be slain by Sikhandin like the lion by the wolf. Let Sakuni
and Salya, Kripa and Drona, and Vivimsati safeguard Bhishma. If he is
safe, our victory is assured.”
Hearing Duryodhana, all surround Bhishma with a majestic legion of
chariots. Your sons position themselves around him and ride into battle. As
they advance the earth and the sky shudder and strike fear into the hearts of
the Pandavas.
The Kaurava maharathas stand around Bhishma, in full armour, backed
by that resplendent chariot force and by their elephants. They hold their
positions to protect the Pitamaha even like the Devas watching over Indra
in the war against the Asuras.
Duryodhana says to his brother, “Yudhamanyu protects the left wheel of
Arjuna’s chariot, and Uttamaujas his right wheel. Arjuna in turn protects
Sikhandin. Dussasana, see that Bhishma is never left unprotected for even a
moment so that Sikhandin might attack him.”
With his surging forces, Dussasana rides with Bhishma in the vanguard
of the Kaurava army. Seeing Bhishma encircled by so many chariots,
Arjuna says to Dhrishtadyumna, “Prince of Panchala, place Sikhandin
before Bhishma today, and I myself will be your brother’s protector.”’
CANTO 100
anjaya says, ‘Bhishma advances with his forces. He ranges them in the
sweeping, encompassing Sarvatobhadra vyuha. Kripa and
Kritavarman, and maharatha Saibya, and Sakuni, and Jayadratha of the
Sindhus, and Sudakshina king of the Kambojas take their positions at the
forefront of the army and the vyuha, along with Bhishma and your sons.
Drona and Bhurisravas, and Salya and Bhagadatta, guard the vyuha’s
right flank. Aswatthaman and Somadatta, and those maharathas, the two
princes of Avanti, with a vast host, protect the left. Surrounded by the
Trigartas, Duryodhana places himself in the middle, ready for the Pandavas.
Maharathas Alambusha and Srutayush, position themselves behind that
vyuha and the whole army.
Your mail-clad warriors form this enveloping vyuha and they look like
flames upon Kurukshetra.
Yudhishtira and Bhima, Nakula and Sahadeva, in glistening armour,
position themselves in the vanguard of their vyuha, in front of all their
fighting men. Dhrishtadyumna and Virata, and maharatha Satyaki stand
ready, hungry for battle. Sikhandin and Arjuna, the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha,
Mahabaho Chekitana, and the valiant Kuntibhoja, all encircled by their
forces, stand prepared. Abhimanyu and Drupada, and the five Kaikeya
brothers, all in their chariots, are splendid to behold, weapons at the ready.
Having formed their mighty vyuha, the Pandavas serenely wait for the
conches to boom, the drums to roll and the day’s fighting to begin. Today,
the kings in your vyuha and their warriors set Bhishma at their head and
with a tumult of blaring sankhas and deafening roars, they charge out
against the Parthas. The Pandavas, led by Bhimasena, rush out against
Bhishma seeking victory.
Roaring and shouting, blowing their krakachas and cow-horns, beating
their drums and cymbals, the Pandavas forge into battle. We respond to
their call with the pounding of our drums, and clash of cymbals and
conches; roaring like lions, we attack our enemies furiously.
Those sounds from both armies mingle like two surging seas and the
warriors of the two armies charge wildly into the ranks of the enemy, so that
in moments there are no longer two great forces facing each other but a
single throng of men all intent on killing one another as brutally as they can.
The earth shudders with the clamour of that vast collision.
Birds scream and wheel in the sky. The radiant sun dims. Fierce winds
blow, portending ever greater terrors. Jackals roam howling, foretelling
another horrible carnage. All corners of the earth seem to be on fire, and
dust rains down.
A rain of hewn limbs and spurting, splashing blood falls on to the earth.
And tears fall from the eyes of weeping animals. In their distress they
urinate and defecate. The cries of the Rakshasas drown every other roar and
shout of the battle. Jackals and vultures, and crows and dogs wheel at the
perimeter of the holocaust and also in the air above the canopy of arrows
and spears that quickly covers Kurukshetra.
Ominous meteors collide against the sun and fall to the earth, foreboding
incomprehensible tragedy. The blast of conches and drums shake the
Pandava and the Dhartarashtra hosts like forests in a hurricane. The uproar
of the two armies, kings, elephants and horses, which face each other in that
malevolent hour, resembles that of a raging ocean.’
CANTO 101
anjaya says, ‘Riding his tawny horses, the dashing Abhimanyu charges
Duryodhana’s host, his bow flaring arrows. Bharatarishabha, your
warriors cannot withstand him, as he plunges into the sea of Kaurava hordes
with his wealth of astras.
Subhadra’s son kills many Kshatriyas with deadly shafts that are like
venom-spitting cobras and rods of death. Phalguni’s son truncates
maharathas and their chariots, horses and riders, elephant-warriors and their
tuskers. The kings of the earth are delighted, and laud these feats and those
who achieve them, regardless of whether they are ally or enemy.
Abhimanyu tosses those Kaurava legions about like a storm that scatters
a heap of cotton in every direction. Like elephants stuck in mire, your men
flounder without a protector. Having routed them, Abhimanyu stands like a
fire which blazes pure and smokeless. Like insects drawn irresistibly to a
fire but consumed by it, your warriors cannot endure that Parantapa.
Abhimanyu looks like Vasava himself armed with his Vajra.
His gold inlaid bow flashes like lightning amidst clouds as it courses
through the enemy in its magnificent archer’s hand, loosing endless shafts
like swarms of bees from trees blossoming in the forest. No one is able to
strike or contain Abhimanyu, as he careers over Kurukshetra in his golden
chariot. Riding swift as the wind, the sublime youth baffles Kripa and
Drona, Aswatthaman and Jayadratha. He consumes your forces, his bow
always bent in a circle, his chariot also wheeling in a circle, resembling the
bright halo sometimes seen around the sun.
Seeing him lustily decimating the enemy, brave Kshatriyas think that the
world contains two Arjunas. The vast host of the Bhaaratas reel under that
golden prince’s onslaught like a drunken woman. He routs them
everywhere, terrifying maharathas and delighting his friends, like Vasava
who pleased the Devas when he vanquished Mayaa.
Your warriors roar in anguish even like thunderclouds. Hearing that
awful wail like the turbulent sea raging at full tide when lashed by violent
winds, Duryodhana says to Rishyasringa’s Rakshasa son Alambusha,
“Abhimanyu single-handedly destroys my army like Vritra routing Indra’s
legions. You, who know war so well, must challenge him for it seems none
else can. Ride swiftly, Alambusha, and kill the preening sons of Arjuna.
And led by Bhishma and Drona, we will kill Arjuna himself.”
That dreadful Rakshasa charges into the fray, his roars like
thunderclouds rumbling, and the Pandava host trembles. Why, many
warriors are so terrified by those roars that they fall dead. Jubilant, dancing
in glee, it appears, in his chariot, Alambusha advances towards Abhimanyu
with bow drawn round. On reaching Arjuna’s son he begins to despatch his
supporters. Alambusha dwindles the Pandava legion, like Balasura once did
the divine host.
Carnage and rivers of blood flow once more when the Rakshasa assails
the Pandava force with thousands of immaculate arrows. Terror-stricken,
the Pandava army flees his slaughter. Ravaging the enemy like an elephant
trampling lotus-stalks, Alambusha now rides at the Pandavas themselves.
The five sons of Draupadi attack the Rakshasa like five planets plunging at
the Sun. They torment him as the five planets afflict the Moon at the end of
the yuga.
Prativindhya pierces the Rakshasa with shafts as heavy and sharp as
battle-axes, which can cleave any armour, drawing geysers of blood from
the Rakshasa, who looks like clouds stabbed by the sun’s rays. Lacerated by
golden-winged shafts, he looks like a mountain with peaks ablaze.
The Pandavas wound him grievously with gusts of arrows that look like
angry snakes. Alambusha is enraged like the king of the Nagas himself.
Pierced all over by those maharathas, he faints and remains unconscious for
a long time. Awakening, he jumps up with a fulminant roar and using the
mahima siddhi grows to twice his size, and in fury carves up their bows,
arrows and standards. Baring great fangs in a hideous smile, he shoots them
each with five seething shafts.
Wild Alambusha dances in his chariot, and kills their horses and
sarathies. Burning, he stabs them with thousands of every kind of fell barb.
That night ranger dashes forward now to kill the beleaguered sons of Pandu.
Seeing them tormented by the Rakshasa, Abhimanyu attacks him. The
battle between him and the Rakshasa compares with that between Vritra and
Vasava. The maharathas of both armies witness that encounter. Their eyes
bloodshot, both warriors seem to be aflame with wrath, and regard each
other as the fire that burns at the end of the yuga.
The duel between them is like the ancient one between Sakra and
Sambara in the war between the Devas and Asuras.’
CANTO 102
hritarashtra says, ‘Sanjaya, how does Alambusha resist Abhimanyu

who so imperiously dominates our maharathas? How does the son of
Subhadra face Rishyasringa’s son? Tell me all this in detail, exactly
as it happened. How do Bhima, and Ghatotkacha, Nakula and Sahadeva,
and maharatha Satyaki, and Arjuna confront my forces? You are a master
narrator, Sanjaya; tell me everything.’
Sanjaya says, ‘I will describe the merciless, tumultuary duel between
Alambusha and Abhimanyu. I will also describe Arjuna’s prowess in battle,
and the marvellous feats of Bhima, Nakula and Sahadeva, and the
achievements of your warriors led by Bhishma and Drona.
Alambusha roars at Abhimanyu to stand and fight and then charges him.
Abhimanyu whirls around to face his father’s sworn enemy. Mounted on
their chariots, like Deva and Danava, man and Rakshasa confront each
other. Alambusha owns the hermetic powers of maya, while Abhimanyu is
accomplished in the use of divine astras.
Abhimanyu strikes the Rakshasa with three sizzling shafts, and yet again
with five. Alambusha pierces Abhimanyu’s chest with nine barbs like a
mahout goading his elephant with his hook. In a wink, he looses a scathing
volley of a thousand shafts at Arjuna’s superb son. Incensed Abhimanyu
makes a bloody home in the Rakshasa’s hirsute breast for nine steely
arrows, which delve deep into Alambusha’s innards. The bloodied Rakshasa
looks like a mountain lush with flowering kinsukas. The Rakshasa bears
those golden-winged shafts and glows like a mountain on fire.
Alambusha shrouds Abhimanyu, equal to Mahendra himself, in clouds
of smoking arrows. Like Yama dandas these pass through Abhimanyu into
the earth. Abhimanyu’s golden shafts plunge through the Rakshasa and also
enter the ground. Alambusha retreats before the prince’s scintillating
barrage of arrows, like Mayaa repulsed by Sakra. Quickly the Rakshasa
invokes sorcery, mantling the field in perfect darkness using maya. All the
warriors on Kurukshetra are lost in that blind night. Abhimanyu is hidden
by it, and friend and enemy cannot be distinguished.
Abhimanyu calls forth the blazing Suryastra and Alambusha’s illusional
night is dispelled in a moment, and everything is visible again. With
renewed ferocity Abhimanyu covers the Rakshasa with a solid swath of
brilliant arrows.
Now Alambusha creates a slew of magical illusions, hunts of sinister
beasts and monsters bound at Arjuna’s son from every side. Abhimanyu
dissipates them all with knowing astras. His every sorcery pierced and
made impotent, and bleeding from countless wound mouths that
Abhimanyu opens all over his devilish body, Alambusha flees in terror from
the lustrous prince.
After routing the devious Rakshasa, Abhimanyu begins to demolish
your forces, truly like a maddened tusker wading into a lake of lotuses.
Seeing the field being richly strewn with his warriors’ corpses, Bhishma
looses a tremendous volley at Abhimanyu, shrouding him in a wave of
arrows.
Swiftly, numerous maharathas of the Dhartarashtra army encircle that
angelic and terrible young Kshatriya and strike him repeatedly. So
resembling his father and equal to Krishna in profound valour, Abhimanyu
demonstrates his stunning genius worthy of both his vamsas. He astounds
his gathered enemies with archery not yet seen on Kurukshetra.
Seeing his precious magnificent son hemmed in, Arjuna arrives at the
place where Abhimanyu continues to raze your warriors with breathtaking
ease. Immediately Bhishma rides at Arjuna, like Rahu approaching the Sun.
Supported by chariots, elephants, and horses, your sons surround the
Pitamaha as he comes. And the Pandavas ride with Arjuna and a feverish
battle breaks out.
Kripa stabs Arjuna with twenty-five arrows, as Dhananjaya engages
Bhishma. Like a tiger attacking an elephant, Satyaki pierces Kripa with
countless whetted shafts. Enraged, Gautama bloodies his chest with nine
arrows like time. Sini’s grandson draws his bow round and looses a deadly
astra him at Kripa, but fiery Aswatthaman cuts it down as it flames at the
old Acharya. Satyaki leaves Kripa and charges Drona’s son like Rahu flying
to devour the Moon. Aswatthaman rives Satyaki’s bow in two, and launches
a fury of barbs at the bright Vrishni.
Satyaki seizes up another colossal bow and strikes Aswatthaman with
six searing arrows through his chest and arms, drawing a howl of pain from
him. Aswatthaman faints and falls to the floor of his chariot, clinging on to
its flagpole. Regaining his senses in a moment, he looses a long shaft at
Satyaki, which passes right through the handsome body of Sini’s grandson,
and plunges into the earth like a young snake entering its hole after the end
of winter.
Another arrow shatters Satyaki’s standard. Drona’s son roars like five
lions and covers his adversary in a rain of arrows as the clouds do the sun at
the onset of the monsoon. Like the sun from behind clouds, Satyaki
emerges undimmed, and shrouds the son of Drona with twisting sheets of
arrows, vicious windings. Aswatthaman unravels them unscathed. Anger
mounting, with a roar, Satyaki unleashes a thousand arrows in a moment, a
deadly relucent torrent of shafts. Seeing his son afflicted like the Moon by
Rahu, Drona storms at Satyaki, striking him deep with a streak of lightning
from his great bow.
Satyaki turns away from Aswatthaman and pierces Drona with a scourge
of twenty stinging barbs. Immediately, Arjuna rushes at Drona, and these
two, guru and sishya, assail each other like the planets Budha and Sukra in
the sky.’
CANTO 103
hritarashtra says, ‘How do those famed warriors, Drona and Arjuna,

face each other in battle? The son of Pandu is as dear as a son to
Drona. Arjuna worships the Acharya. Both maharathas delight in
war, and both are awesomely powerful. How do they battle each other?’
Sanjaya says, ‘In battle Drona remains distant from his love of Arjuna.
Arjuna focuses on his dharma as a Kshatriya and does not recognise his
teacher but only an enemy. Kshatriyas never turn away from battle. They
are detached, and fight their fathers and brothers.
Arjuna stabs Drona with three scalding shafts. Drona remains
unperturbed. Arjuna covers the Acharya in a mantle of arrows. Drona
blazes up in anger at the heart of the dreadful war, like a fire in a dense
forest. Drona covers Arjuna with myriad arrows. Duryodhana sends
Susarman to protect Drona’s flank. The king of the Trigartas swathes
Arjuna in countless iron-tipped missiles, beautiful like cranes flying
through the sky. They pierce Arjuna like birds vanishing into a fruit laden
tree. Arjuna roars and savages Susarman and his son with riptides from the
Gandiva.
Despite the towering attack, and quite ready to die, they do not retreat.
They target Arjuna’s chariot and the Pandava faces their onslaught like a
mountain receiving a cloudburst. Partha’s prodigious archery is superhuman
as, almost with disdain, he scatters his enemies’ combined, virile flurries of
fire, cutting down their storms of arrows as if he were facing some boys in
battle, why like a high wind scattering fleecy clouds. The Devas and
Danavas congregated in the firmament acclaim his feat.
Arjuna invokes the Vayavya astra against the Trigarta legion. A mighty
gale sweeps across Kurukshetra, shaking the sky, felling trees, and blowing
away enemy chariots and soldiers like bits of straw. Drona looses the
Sailastra, which makes Arjuna’s squall abate and calm returns to all
quarters. But, fearing Arjuna now that they have seen some part of his
actual prowess, the Trigarta maharathas are despondent and leave the
battlefield.
Duryodhana and Kripa, and Aswatthaman, and Salya, and Sudakshina,
the king of the Kambojas, and Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, and Bahlika
supported by the Bahlikas, surround Arjuna with their chariots. Bhagadatta
and the mighty Srutayush encircle Bhima with an akshauhini of elephants.
And Bhurisravas, and Sala, and Subala’s son attack the twins with luminous
whetted arrows. Along with your sons, Bhishma rides to surround
Yudhishtira.
Bhima watches that legion advance and licks the corners of his mouth
like a hungry lion. He seizes his mace, leaps off his chariot again, terrifying
your warriors. The elephant-warriors besiege him from all sides. At the very
heart of your sons’ forces, Bhima looks like the sun in the midst of dark
clouds. And like the wind that scatters those clouds, the Vayuputra swings
his mace all around him in scarlet eruptions to slaughter your son’s elephant
legion. The shrill trumpeting of those tuskers and Bhima’s dreadful roars
shake the very earth; covered with gashes inflicted by the tusks of the
elephants, Bhima blossoms in blood like a flowering kinsuka.
Seizing some of the elephants by their tusks, he rips them out and then
with those tusks smashes other elephants on their round foreheads and kills
them like Siva himself. Like Rudra, his body and mace are drenched in
blood. A few surviving tuskers run in every direction, crushing their own
ranks as they blunder away from the fearful Bhima. Duryodhana’s frantic
forces quit the field any way they can.’
CANTO 104
anjaya says, ‘At high noon a bloody battle breaks out between
Bhishma and the Somakas. Bhishma denudes the Pandava ranks with
thousands of immaculate arrows, every one claiming a life. He crushes
them like a herd of bulls grinding paddy clumps under their hooves.
Dhrishtadyumna and Sikhandin, and Virata and Drupada attack
maharatha Bhishma with a torment of arrows. Bhishma pierces
Dhrishtadyumna and Virata each with three exquisite barbs, and aims a long
lance at Drupada. Wounded, shamed by Parantapa Bhishma, those
maharathas are like snakes stamped upon. Sikhandin darts within range and
besieges the Pitamaha with countless arrows. Bhishma does not shoot back,
still regarding his enemy as a woman.
Dhrishtadyumna skewers Bhishma with three lean shafts through his
arms and chest. Drupada pierces him with twenty-five barbs, Virata with
ten, and Sikhandin with another twenty-five. Bhishma is covered in blood,
and looks quite magnificent like an ashoka in full carmine bloom. Bhishma
shoots them each with three arrows. He cracks Drupada’s bow with a broad-
headed shaft. Drupada seizes another bow and strikes his adversary with
five barbs quick as one. He stabs Bhishma’s sarathy with three shafts.
Draupadi’s five sons, the five Kaikeya brothers and Satyaki, all led by
Yudhishtira, charge Ganga’s son to protect the Panchalas and
Dhrishtadyumna. All your warriors attack the Pandava host to defend
Bhishma.
Another pitched battle ensues, resulting in another carnage. Maharathas
kill maharathas. Soldiers, elephant-riders and horse-riders kill others with
inhuman, heartless projectiles. Riderless chariots are hauled wildly across
death’s abysmal field. Careening blindly, these crush countless men and
mow horses down; they dash everywhere like the wind strewing cloud
forms across a sunset sky, bathing it in stains of blood.
With sparkling ear-rings, bright garlands and bracelets, handsome as the
sons of Devas, surpassing Vaisravana in wealth and Brihaspati in
intelligence, great rulers of vast kingdoms, brave maharathas left without
their chariots, run like ordinary men in every direction.
Mighty tuskers, their skilled riders slain, crush friendly ranks and run
wildly until they fall. These mammoths, their armour cut away by arrows
and spears, flowing blood from all over their massive bodies, roar like
clouds and scatter in all directions. The chamaras and dappled standards,
their golden parasols, and the dazzling spears of their riders lie in ruins
everywhere.
Elephant-riders of both armies, their mounts slain, run on foot in that
awful melee. Thousands of horses with golden ornaments gallop away from
death’s field. Armed with swords, but without horses, horsemen run from
their assailants.
Elephants continue to dash against other elephants, crushing foot-
soldiers and horses on their way. They smash countless chariots; chariots
ride tilting over fallen horses lying in their path. Horses trample foot-
soldiers under their hooves. Thus, O Rajan, they massacre one another and
mercy has fled this war entirely.
The river of blood swells every hour, frothing across Kurukshetra with a
hundred tributary streams. Fallen bows obstruct its straight course, and the
hair of dead warriors forms its moss. Smashed chariots are its islands, and
arrows beyond count create its eddies. Horses make up its fish; heads of
tuskers its boulders; butchered elephants are the river’s crocodiles. And
coats of mail and helmets form its froth.
Bows still clutched by fallen warriors regulate its swift current and
swords are its tortoises. Banners and emblems stand like forlorn trees on its
banks. And bodies of men are its banks relentlessly consumed by the russet
river. Countless carnivores are its swans, drinking thirstily of its sanguine
waters.
That river swells not the ocean but Yama’s kingdom. Noble and fearless
maharathas try to cross that river with their chariots, elephants, and horses
for rafts and boats. Like the river Vaitarani bears the dead to Yama’s realm,
so does that bloody river on Kurukshetra sweep along diffident and
unconscious men.
The Kshatriyas look upon that horrible carnage and exclaim, “Alas, the
very race of Kshatriyas will perish from Duryodhana’s sin. Deluded by
greed, why, O Dhritarashtra, was he so envious of the virtuous Pandavas?”
Such cries are accompanied by others that praise the sons of Pandu.
Hearing these reproaches, Duryodhana says to Bhishma and Drona and
Kripa and Salya, “Fight without pride. Why do you delay?”
The murderous war caused by a game of dice, resumes between the
Kauravas and the Pandavas.
Son of Vichitravirya, you see now the dreadful outcome of disdaining
the advice of your true friends. Neither the Pandavas nor their forces and
allies, nor the Kauravas, fear for their lives in this war. And for this very
reason, Rajan, of savage Kshatriya dharma, such a terrible destruction of
kinsmen is underway on Kurukshetra, ah, caused either by Destiny or your
wicked design.’
CANTO 105
anjaya says, ‘With banks of razor like arrows Arjuna kills the warriors
who ride with Susarman. Susarman strikes Arjuna with an angry
volley. He pierces Krishna with seventy barbs and Arjuna again with nine.
Serenely, Arjuna continues to kill Susarman’s men.
Those maharathas flee from Arjuna as if Death himself had come to
hunt them at the end of the yuga, for indeed the Dwapara Yuga is drawing
to its end and the Kali, age of wrath, is rising near. Some of the Trigartas
jump down from their horses, some from their chariots, others clamber
down from their elephants and flee. Others swiftly escape on their very
mounts and chariots. Foot-soldiers throw away their weapons in panic, and
run helter-skelter with no thought for their comrades. Though stridently
forbidden by Susarman and other noble kings, they desert their armies.
Seeing this rout, Duryodhana, together with Bhishma, mounts a driving
attack against Arjuna to protect Susarman. While his men take to their heels
all around him, Duryodhana is unyielding and, surrounded by his brothers,
continues to engage the enemy with undiminished vigour.
To protect Arjuna, the other Pandavas advance on Bhishma. Aware of
Phalguni’s prowess, they still dash forward roaring, and the Pitamaha
relentlessly dwindles the Pandavas army with every moment, his every
arrow a killer. At noon, absolute, bloody, chaos reigns on Kurukshetra so it
seems unclear whether the war between cousins is being fought in the realm
of the living or the dead, whether on Bhumi or in Yamaloka.
Striking Kritavarman with five arrows, the triumphant Satyaki kills
thousands of Dhartarashtra men with uncanny archery so like his master
Arjuna’s. King Drupada, having already drawn blood from his old and
hated enemy, his boyhood friend Drona, strikes the Acharya with seventy
shafts, all loosed in a moment, and Drona’s sarathy with another nine.
Bhima roars like some mythic tiger after wounding his great granduncle,
king Bahlika. Chitrasena wounds Abhimanyu deep with a brace of torrid
shafts, and the luminous Abhimanyu adorns Chitrasena’s broad breast with
three perfect barbs. Locked in battle, the two are as glorious on the field as
Venus and Saturn in the sky. Then, in a flash, Abhimanyu kills his noble
adversary’s horses and charioteer and maharatha Chitrasena leaps off his
chariot and mounts Durmukha’s.
Drona repeatedly carves slivers off Drupada’s ratha, and remembering
their enmity of such long standing, the Panchala king retreats with his swift
horses.
Bhima kills Bahlika’s horses and sarathy. Finding himself in grave
danger, Bahlika jumps down from his chariot and mounts Lakshmana’s and
they ride away from dreadful Bhima.
Satyaki thwarts Kritavarman, who fights for Duryodhana, and looses a
plethora of every kind of barb upon the Pitamaha whom Kritavarman
protects. Piercing Bhishma with sixty whetted feathered shafts, the ebullient
Satyaki seems to dance on his chariot, brandishing his bow. Bhishma shoots
an extraordinary iron arrow at the Vrishni, flecked with gold, serpentine and
beautiful as a Naga woman.
But Satyaki intercepts it with another astra and both exceptional
weapons explode into flames and lunge harmless to the ground like
extinguished meteors. Satyaki seizes up a shimmering golden spear and
casts it like a streak of lightning at Bhishma. It flies at the Kuru ancient like
his very death coming to claim a doomed man. Quicker than seeing,
Bhishma trisects it with two lean horseshoe-headed arrows and it falls to the
ground in three strips, undone.
Possessed by the murderous spirit of war, yet smiling the while,
Parantapa Bhishma strikes Satyaki through his chest with nine arrows in an
incredibly close and neat cluster. With their chariots, elephants and horses,
the Pandava warriors besiege Bhishma from every side to rescue Satyaki.
Yet another general fray, always more bloody than the ones gone before,
breaks out between the Pandava and the Kaurava hosts, both seeking glory,
both wanting victory more than life itself.’
CANTO 106
anjaya says, ‘Seeing Bhishma seethe upon Kurukshetra, encircled by

the Pandavas, like the sun in the sky by monsoon clouds, Duryodhana
says to Dussasana, “Parantapa Bhishma is surrounded by the Pandavas.
Your only charge is to protect him. If we guard him well, our Pitamaha will
destroy the Panchalas and the Pandavas. Defending Bhishma is our first and
highest dharma, for he is our protector and our main hope. Surround him
with your legions, Dussasana, and make sure he comes to no harm!”
Dussasana surrounds Bhishma with a vast force and stands ready to
fight anyone who threatens his grandsire. With thousands of horsemen
carrying shining spears, swords and standards, forming a confident legion,
together with twice as many proficient foot-soldiers, Subala’s son Sakuni
assails Nakula, Sahadeva and Yudhishtira.
Duryodhana sends ten thousand horsemen to attack the Pandavas. As
they fly like so many Garudas, the earth trembles and groans under their
horse hooves, the din of which resounds like a bamboo forest on fire. They
raise a cloud of dust as they hurtle across the battlefield, obscuring the sun.
They unnerve the Pandava host like a flight of swans that disturbs a lake
while descending on it. Nothing can be heard above their loud neighing.
Yudhishtira and the sons of Madri contain their charge like the shore the
surging sea at high tide. Those three maharathas mow down line after line
of horsemen with tides of arrows. Themselves wheeling across the
battleground, the three Pandava brothers display some incredible archery in
concert as they decapitate those onrushing lines of horsemen while never so
much as scratching any other part of their bodies.
Felled with swords and arrows, heads drop like fruits from tall trees.
Everywhere riders and their horses fall dead to the ground. Many horses
bolt in fear like deer on seeing lions. And the Pandavas blow their conches
and beat their drums in triumph.
Duryodhana is crestfallen to see his forces demolished again and says to
Salya, king of the Madras, “Before your eyes, Yudhishtira and the twins
have routed our army. Mahabaho, you are powerful and irresistible. Stop
Yudhishtira, like the continent that resists the ocean.”
Salya rides at Yudhishtira with a legion of chariots. As he rushes at
Yudhishtira like a tidal wave, the Pandava calmly strikes Salya through his
chest with ten thudding shafts. Nakula and Sahadeva assail him with seven
more. Salya, whose very name means to menace, to harry, pierces them
each with three arrows, and further stabs Yudhishtira with sixty keen darts.
Enraged, he makes the twins bleed with two shafts each. Parantapa Bhima
sees Yudhishtira within Salya’s reach, as in the jaws of Death, and rushes to
his defence.
And as the sun begins to set, one more dark and destructive battle
begins.’
CANTO 107
anjaya says, ‘Bhishma bestrides the yawning field and his great bow
radiates arrows in every direction, every shaft claiming an enemy
soldier’s life or drawing blood from a Pandava maharatha. Yet he fights
without rancour even with deep sadness in his aged heart, and even for this
is more terrible. He strikes Bhima with twelve arrows and Satyaki with
nine. Stabbing Nakula with three barbs, he shoots Sahadeva with seven.
Yudhishtira he pierces through his arms and chest with twelve faultless
shafts. Lacerating Dhrishtadyumna with a flat flight of barbs, that mighty
old lion roars deafeningly.
Nakula stabs him with twelve arrows and Satyaki with three.
Dhrishtadyumna shoots him with seventy shafts and Bhima with seven.
Yudhishtira pierces the Pitamaha with twelve barbs. Drona attacks Satyaki
and Bhima at once, stabbing them each with five whetted arrows like Yama
dandas. Bhima and Satyaki retaliate without a moment’s pause.
Rulers of the eastern, western and northern regions, the Sauviras, the
Kitavas, the Malavas, the Abhishahas, the Surasenas, the Sibis, and the
Vasatis, vigorously assail Bhishma despite his endless barrage of arrows.
Other kings of various realms loose many astras of fire, water and air at the
Pandavas themselves.
The Pandavas surround the Pitamaha. Encircled and doubly defiant, the
aged lion blazes like a forest fire, continuing to raze the enemy army with
transcendent archery. His chariot is his fire-chamber; his bow its flames;
swords, arrows and maces are his fuel; his shafts are sparks; and Bhishma
himself becomes the fire that consumes his adversaries.
Bhishma shrouds the Pandava hosts with golden-winged shafts decked
with the feathers of vultures, with nalikas, and dirghastras, elongated barbs.
He fells elephants and chariot-warriors. He makes the Pandava legion of
chariots look like a forest of palmyras shorn of their leafy heads. He
decimates riders of horses, elephants and chariots without favour. Hearing
the thunder of his bowstring and the thunderclaps of his palms as he looses
his tirades of fire, all the soldiers tremble.
His arrows shot from his bow pierce through armour like through butter.
And again, endlessly, we see riderless chariots dragged across the battlefield
by their yoked horses. Fourteen thousand celebrated and noble maharathas,
with golden standards, of the Chedis, the Kasi, and the Karushas, stand firm
and ready to sacrifice their lives; they do not retreat, and are swiftly
despatched, in blasts of gore, along with their horses and elephants, by
Bhishma like Siva with mouth agape.
We see thousands of chariots with smashed axles, terraces and wheels.
The ground is covered with wrecked chariots, arrows, axes, ruined coats of
mail and the mighty bodies of maharathas, which seem to glow on even
after life has left them. Maces and arrows, quivers and bows, swords, and
jewelled severed heads lie scattered in profusion; as do gloves and felled
standards, and riven bows.
Riderless elephants and horse-riders lie dead as if they are mere clods of
earth, so plentiful are they. The most valiant efforts of the Pandavas cannot
any more rally their maharathas who lose their nerve and flee before
Bhishma’s relentless arrow storms. By himself the Kuru Pitamaha disperses
that teeming force of fighting men with the ageless energy of Indra. With its
chariots, elephants, horses and standards felled, the Pandava army in
disarray laments loudly and scatters. Driven by ruthless destiny, fathers,
sons and friends kill one another, on and on.
The Pandava warriors tear off their armour and run dementedly in all
directions, like terrified bulls lowing in despair, and running wild and
unrestrained from the great terror which is Bhishma.
Seeing the Pandava army disbanding, Krishna reins in Arjuna’s chariot,
and says to his warrior, “The awaited hour has arrived. Strike now, O tiger
among men, or you will be lost. You said, in Sanjaya’s presence, in the
assembly of kings in Virata’s city, ‘I will kill all Duryodhana’s warriors and
their followers, including Bhishma and Drona, if they oppose me in battle.’
Son of Kunti, O Parantapa, honour your words now. Remember your
Kshatriya dharma; fight fearlessly.”
Arjuna, troubled and unsure, says, “I can seize the kingdom,
slaughtering the innocent, or accept exile in the forest. These are my
choices. Which of these should I strive for? Spur the horses on, Krishna; I
will obey you. I will kill the invincible Bhishma.” Krishna goads the silvery
white horses to where Bhishma stands dazzling like the sun.
Seeing Arjuna riding at Bhishma, Yudhishtira’s host rallies to the fight.
Roaring, the Pitamaha shrouds Arjuna’s chariot in an opacity of arrows so it
is hidden from view. Krishna adroitly urges the wounded horses on. Arjuna
raises the Gandiva and slashes Bhishma’s bow into pieces. Bhishma
promptly strings another bow. Arjuna breaks this one as well. Bhishma cries
out in some delight, “Wonderful, Mahabaho! Well done, son of Kunti.”
Bhishma takes up another beautiful bow and looses a crescendo of
arrows at Arjuna’s chariot. Krishna skilfully manoeuvres his horses and
avoids the searing volley. Yet some shafts find their mark, and those two
tigers among men look like two angry bulls gored by horns in a fight.
Meanwhile, yet again, Krishna sees that while Bhishma, positioned
between the two armies, unleashes his firestorms of arrows, scorching
everything like the Sun himself, and killing Yudhishtira’s warriors
relentlessly, proclaiming, as it were, the end of the yuga, Arjuna still
hesitates and turns mild when faced with his grandsire.
Leaving Arjuna’s horses, Krishna leaps off the chariot in fury. His eyes
crimson, his body burning with terrible light, and the whip in his hand his
only weapons, the Lord of the universe runs straight at Bhishma, like some
great lion, his strides appearing to cleave the earth, and his heart set on
killing the Kuru ancient.
All the assembled warriors can only watch, rooted and stunned as they
see Krishna rush Bhishma. “Bhishma is dead!” they cry. Their shouts of
dismay are loud and fearful.
Dark as lapis lazuli, clad in yellow silk, Krishna streaks towards
Bhishma, like a thunderhead charged with lightning. Like a lion at an
elephant, or a great bull thundering at another, Krishna roars as he storms at
Bhishma.
Seeing the Dark One come with cosmic fury on his brow and in his
eyes, Bhishma stands perfectly calm and fearlessly draws his great bow.
Serenely he says to Krishna, “Come, O you with eyes like lotus petals. O
Lord of the Devas, I bow to you. O best of the Satwatas, kill me today in
this great war, for, Govinda, I will be blessed in every way if I die by your
hand in battle. Krishna, the honour in the three worlds is mine today. Kill
me as you please, for I am your slave.”
But Arjuna has leapt down from his chariot and running after Krishna,
seizes the Blue God in his arms, restraining him. Krishna hardly seems to
notice Arjuna and drags him along as if he were not there at all. At the tenth
step, Arjuna falls to the ground and stops Krishna by clinging to his legs.
Arjuna cries in despair to the terrifying Lord, “Stop, Krishna! You must
not break your vow that you will not fight or men will say that Krishna is a
liar. This burden is mine and I will kill the Pitamaha. I swear by my
weapons, by truth, and my punya that I will do everything in my power to
destroy all my enemies. Watch me now and I will effortlessly quell this
great maharatha, even like the crescent moon being extinguished at the end
of the yuga, at the moment of final destruction.”
Krishna’s brow is still like thunder, but he remains silent and allows
Arjuna to lead him back to their chariot. The moment of absolute dread
passes and the universe breathes again!
Bhishma once more envelops the two Krishnas in a cloud of arrows,
while continuing to consume the Pandava ranks like the sun sapping the life
force of all things in summer. The Pitamaha kills two Pandava soldiers for
every life that the sons of Pandu claim from his own army. Without being
able to even look upon him who blazes like the noonday sun, thousands of
helpless dispirited warriors perish at Bhishma’s hands.
Fearful and grown timid, the Pandavas themselves are powerless before
Bhishma’s super-human feats in war. Unprotected, their forces flee like a
herd of cows swarmed by an army of ants, his millions of arrows.
The Pandavas, too, cannot bear to look upon that maharatha who turns
his fire on Yudhishtira, their king. As the sun sets ever so slowly for the
decimated Pandava army, and too swiftly for the triumphant Kauravas, the
exhausted soldiers withdraw from the battlefield.’
CANTO 108
anjaya says, ‘Even while they fight like figures in a nightmare scathed
by the many flares of Bhishma, the sun sets and in the deep twilight
nothing can be seen, not the corpses now past all count with which the
awesome grandsire has strewn Kurukshetra. Yudhishtira sees the remnants
of his devastated forces throw down their weapons and eagerly quit the
battlefield before the conches have been sounded for the day’s slaughtering
to end. But Bhishma stands still blazing in the gloom of dusk, still
unleashing his arrow storms all around him. The shaken Pandava king
orders the conches to be blown for the armies to withdraw.
In honour, Bhishma also withdraws his legions, and all the wounded and
weary maharathas, those left alive, return to their tents.
As they have their wounds inflicted by Bhishma tended, the Pandavas
reflect on how entirely terrible and invincible their Pitamaha had been
through the day he has won so resoundingly for the Kauravas, and they are
deeply distraught. Across the darkling field on which numberless corpses
lie under the stars, Duryodhana and the Kauravas eulogise Bhishma’s
exploits as the old lion makes his way to his tent with some satisfaction
surrounded by your jubilant sons.
Night, that quietens all creatures, sets in. In that intense hour, the
Pandavas, the Vrishnis and the Srinjayas confer. Those noble ones,
experienced in deliberations, discuss the courses that lie before them.
Yudhishtira says sombrely to Krishna, “Ah, look how the Pitamaha
savaged our men like an elephant trampling a forest of reeds. We dare not
even look at him, while he consumes my army like a raging fire. He is
grown as fierce as the poisonous Takshaka. Yama can be defeated, even
Indra armed with the Vajra, or Varuna, noose in hand, or the Lord of the
Yakshas with his mace. But Bhishma cannot be killed.
Krishna, I am helpless, and drown in anguish, when I face Bhishma in
battle. I will go into the forest and take sannyasa. That would benefit me. I
do not want to fight this hopeless war any more. Bhishma conquers us
always. Riding against him, I am like an insect that flies into a fire only to
meet certain death. By foolishly fighting for a kingdom, I am being
destroyed.
My brave brothers have all been wounded, look how they still bleed.
Out of their love for me, their eldest brother, they lost their kingdom and
followed me into exile. For my sake, Krishna, you also suffer. Life is so
precious and now even that is threatened. If I survive this war, I will devote
the rest of my days to the performance of penance and good deeds. If you
bear us good will, Krishna, tell me what I should do, without forsaking the
duties of my varna, my Kshatriya dharma.”
Krishna speaks kind, comforting words to Yudhishtira, “Son of Dharma,
you are unwavering in your commitment to truth; do not be sad, blessed as
you are with Parantapas for brothers. Arjuna and Bhima are imbued with
the energy of the Wind and Fire. The twin sons of Madri are as valiant as
the king of the Devas.
Honour our friendship; use me and achieve victory. I will fight with
Bhishma myself. Only command me and I will show you my prowess in
war. If Arjuna will not, I will challenge Bhishma and kill him, in the very
sight of the Dhartarashtras. If you think that killing noble Bhishma will help
you triumph, I will single-handedly destroy the Pitamaha. My prowess is
equal to Indra’s in battle. I will overpower that Kshatriya of great weapons.
He, who is an enemy of the Pandavas, is also my enemy; and my
detractors are yours. Your brother Arjuna is my friend, kinsman, and
devotee. I will cut off my flesh and sacrifice it for Arjuna’s sake. He, too,
will give up his life for me. This is our sacred bond, and we will protect
each other.
So command me: how should I fight? At Upaplavya, Arjuna vowed that
he would kill Bhishma. Now he must honour his words with deeds. If he
asks me to, I will fulfil what he swore he would do, unquestioningly.
Otherwise, he must accomplish the task himself. It is not difficult for him,
he can kill Bhishma easily, for this Arjuna can achieve feats that others
cannot.
He can annihilate the very Devas, along with the Daityas and the
Danavas. What then of Bhishma? Bhishma is old now, dull, his strength
reduced by his years, and he cannot stand against Arjuna, if Arjuna once
decided that he will indeed bring Bhishma down.”
Yudhishtira says, “It is as you say, Mahabaho. When you both are
united, not Bhishma or all the Kaurava maharathas together can stand
before you. Krishna, with you by my side I am certain to have victory and
everything that I might wish for. With you as my defender, I can overcome
the very Devas with Indra at their head. And Bhishma, though he is the
greatest maharatha, can also be vanquished.
But, Krishna, for my own honour and truth, I cannot let you break your
vow that you would not actually fight. Give me the support you promised,
but without actually fighting yourself. Bhishma said to me, ‘I am obliged to
fight for Duryodhana and against you. But you can always come to me for
advice.
Krishna, Bhishma might still help me regain my kingdom by telling me
what I should do. Taking you with us, we will all go to the Pitamaha once
again and ask him how he can be killed. Let us go to him even now and I
will do whatever he tells me to in battle. He is honourable and a man of
unswerving dharma. His heart lies with us and he will tell me how I can win
this war.”
Yudhishtira’s eyes are moist and his voice is low as he says, “We were
orphans, mere children, and our Pitamaha raised us with his love. Ah, how
cruel this Kshatriya dharma is that today I must go and ask my grandfather
how I can kill him.”
Krishna says to Yudhishtira, “Wise king, I approve of what you say.
Bhishma is an unrivalled maharatha, the greatest master of astras. He can
kill an enemy with just a look from his eyes. Yes, let us go to him and ask
him how he himself can be killed. He will answer truthfully, especially if
you are the one that asks this question. Let us go to him even now and ask
him how we can win this war.”
The Pandavas and Krishna set aside their armour and weapons and go
towards Bhishma’s tent; they enter, and bow to him. The Pandavas pay him
obeisance and worship, and ask for his blessings.
The Pitamaha, Mahabaho Bhishma, says warmly to them, “You are
welcome, my sons. Welcome to you Arjuna. Welcome Yudhishtira
Dharmatma, and you also, my Bhima. Welcome Nakula and Sahadeva. Tell
me why you have come to me at this hour. What can I do for you? Let it be
anything, however demanding, and I will do it wholeheartedly.”
His head bowed, Yudhishtira replies, “Pitamaha, wise Bhishma, tell us
how we can win this war and have our kingdom back. Tell us how we can
end this terrible slaughter of men. You, great Kshatriya, are invincible on
the field of battle, you leave no chink through which an enemy might strike
you down. As long as you live, we can never hope to win this war. O
Pitamaha, tell us how you can be killed!
Your bow is always drawn and streams tides of arrows razing my army.
Day after day, we see you, Parantapa, mounted on your chariot, blazing like
a second sun, as you consume our chariots and horses, men and elephants.
Bharatarishabha, there is no man who can defeat you, and you wreak
destruction on us with your arrows. Pitamaha, tell me how we can triumph
against you in battle, regain what is rightfully ours, and prevent any more
bloodshed.”
Bhishma says to Yudhishtira, “‘As long as I live, you cannot win. This is
the simple truth. Sons of Pandu, only if you vanquish me can victory be
yours. Indeed, if you want to win this war, you must kill me immediately
otherwise your cause will be lost. I gladly give you leave to strike down me
in any way. Why, I would be the happiest one if you did so for I hate this
war in which I must fight against you. After you kill me, the others can all
be slain. I do not ask you to do this, I, your Pitamaha, command it.”
Yudhishtira says, “Tell us how we can defeat you in battle, you who are
like the mace wielding Siva himself. Indra, Varuna, or Yama may be
quelled, but not the Devas and Asuras united under Indra’s command can
overcome you.”
Bhishma says, “What you say is true, Mahabaho. As long as I fight with
my bow and my astras, I cannot be defeated by the Devas and Asuras led by
Indra. But if I lay down my weapons, these brothers of yours, these
maharathas can surely kill me. I never fight against one who has discarded
his weapons, who has fallen, who has lost his armour, whose standard has
collapsed, or who is fleeing from battle; nor will I confront anyone who is
afraid, who humbles himself before me, or one who is weak and vulnerable,
or a man who has only one son, or a vulgar lowly man. And I will never
bear arms against a woman or a man who bears a woman’s name.
This is my old resolve. I will never fight if I see an inauspicious sign.
Sikhandin, son of Drupada, brave and tenacious in war, fights on your side;
he was once a woman, a royal princess, before he became a man. We all
know how this happened and the reasons for it.
Let Arjuna set Sikhandin in front of him, and then attack me. When I see
that inauspicious sight, that ill omen in the form of a prince who was once a
woman, I will never attack him. I will put down my bow and Arjuna must
seize that moment to strike me down me with his arrows, piercing me
through every limb and organ, from every side.
Even if I lay my weapons down, other than Krishna and Arjuna, there is
nobody from any of the three worlds who can kill me in battle. Setting
Sikhandin before him, let Arjuna, with his Gandiva and every astra, strike
me down from my chariot. Then, and only then, will your victory be
assured. Do as I have told you, Rajan, and after I have fallen you will surely
kill all the Dhartarashtras.”
The Pandavas listen numbly to what their grandsire says. They can only
bow in silence to acknowledge the terrible counsel he gives them. Taking
the dust from his feet, they return grimly to their tents.
Arjuna hears Bhishma’s awful advice, he sees how his beloved Pitamaha
is ready, so eager to die, and he is filled with shame and anguish. He cries to
Krishna, “Krishna, how can I do what Bhishma asks me to? How can I kill
our Pitamaha, who is so great and wise, and the eldest of our race?
In my childhood, I would climb onto his lap and playfully smear his face
and body with dust. He is my father Pandu’s father. As a child I once called
him father as I clambered on his lap; and he said: I am not your father, but
your father’s father. That was his reply.
How can I kill someone who said those words to me? Ah, let my army
perish and let me also die. I do not care if we lose this war, but I will never
fight my Pitamaha. And how can I even think of killing him in the
cowardly, shameful way that he commands me to? Ah Krishna, save me
from this sea of grief in which I am drowning. Tell me what you think!”
Krishna says, “Having once sworn to kill Bhishma, how can you now
break your solemn vow, without violating your sacred dharma as a
Kshatriya? Arjuna, you must strike Bhishma down, for you cannot win this
war unless you kill Ganga’s invincible son. And he has told you the only
way by which he can be sent to Yama’s realm, and you are the only one
who can do this thing.
The Devas decided this a long time ago and what is destined to happen
must happen. It cannot be otherwise. You alone, not even Indra, can
conquer Bhishma, who is like Siva with mouth agape. Fearlessly kill the
Kuru Pitamaha.
My words are but those that Brihaspati said to Sakra. One should kill
even an old person, however meritorious and revered, if he comes as an
enemy, indeed one must kill anyone who comes to destroy you. Arjuna, this
is the eternal dharma of Kshatriyas; they must fight, protect their subjects,
and perform sacrifices, without hatred.”
Arjuna says, “Sikhandin will certainly become the cause of Bhishma’s
death, for as soon as he sees the prince of the Panchalas my Pitamaha will
put down his bow. We will keep Sikhandin in front of us, I will thwart the
other archers who surround him and thus we will vanquish Bhishma.
Sikhandin will fight Bhishma alone. I know that he will not strike
Sikhandin, for he was once a woman.”
Yet again, Krishna gives Arjuna the courage he needs for the great and
violent deed. Having decided on their course, at Bhishma’s own counsel
and with his leave and blessings, the Pandavas feel relieved and hopeful
again. And past midnight, these bulls among men retire to sleep.’
CANTO 109
hritarashtra says, ‘How did Sikhandin ride against Bhishma, and

how did Bhishma press forward against the Pandavas? Tell me
everything, Sanjaya.’
Sanjaya says, ‘At dawn, to the beating of drums and the clash of
cymbals, and the blast of milk white conches, the Pandavas advance into
battle, setting Sikhandin before them. They form a daunting vyuha.
Sikhandin is positioned in the vanguard. Bhima and Arjuna defend his
chariot wheels. The sons of Draupadi and Abhimanyu ride behind the
Panchala prince. In turn, Maharathas Satyaki and Chekitana guard them.
Behind them is Dhrishtadyumna surrounded by the Panchalas. Behind
Dhrishtadyumna ride Yudhishtira and the twins, filling the air with roars.
They are followed by Virata, surrounded by his troops.
Alongside Virata is Drupada. And the five Kaikeya brothers and the
valiant Dhrishtaketu protect the rear of the Pandava army. Having prepared
their vyuha, the Pandavas, taking their lives in their hands, charge your
army by first light.
The Kauravas place maharatha Bhishma at the head of their army and
advance against the Pandavas. That indomitable Kshatriya is protected by
your mighty sons. Behind him are Drona and Aswatthaman.
Bhishma is followed by Bhagadatta surrounded by his elephant
akshauhini. Behind Bhagadatta are Kripa and Kritavarman. Behind them
are Sudakshina of the Kambojas, and Jayatsena of the Magadhas, and
Sakuni and Brihadbala. Countless other kings, all great archers, protect the
rear of your army.
Every day, Bhishma forms vyuhas, sometimes like those of the Asuras,
sometimes similar to those of Pisachas, at other times comparable to ones of
the Rakshasas. The battle between the two forces begins yet again;
sweeping into each other, both forces recommence the great slaughtering,
the blood sacrifice on Kurukshetra.
The Parthas with Arjuna leading them place Sikhandin before them all,
and attack Bhishma with every kind of arrow and astra maiming and killing
your warriors in waves. Nakula, Sahadeva and maharatha Satyaki
vigorously annihilate your forces.
Such is the carnage the Pandavas bring to your warriors this day, from
every side, that it does not take them long to scatter and flee from the
rampaging maharathas. Felled by the whetted arrows of the Pandavas and
the Srinjayas, your troops cannot defend themselves.’
Dhritarashtra says, ‘Tell me, Sanjaya, what does Bhishma do when he
sees my army afflicted by the Parthas? How does that greatest Kshatriya,
that Parantapa, storm the Pandavas and slaughter the Somakas?’
Sanjaya says, ‘I will tell you what Bhishma does when attacked by the
Pandavas and the Srinjayas. In great heart after the night’s secret meeting
with Bhishma, the Pandavas assail your son’s forces, slaughtering all in
their path. Seeing their inexorable, bloody advance, seeing his men,
elephants and horses razed at will, Bhishma blazes up in wrath.
Uncaring of his life, that greatest maharatha unleashes a tornado of
every kind of shaft at the enemy, elongated arrows, calf-toothed and
crescent-headed ones, and many others. He covers the five mighty
Pandavas in sheets of fire, holding them up; countless elephants and horses
he kills; and that bull among men unseats so many maharathas from their
chariots, riders from their horses, elephant-warriors from the backs of their
beasts, and strikes fear into the hearts of the enemy.
All together, the Pandava warriors charge maharatha Bhishma, like the
Asuras assailing Indra in unison. He brings them up sharply with a storm of
stone-whetted arrows, each like Indra’s thunderbolt, and so fierce his very
countenance, that the enemy quails to look at him. Like Sakra himself, his
vast bow is always drawn in a circle, and arrows flare from it in tide.
Watching their Pitamaha, your sons are awestruck and humbled. The
Pandavas are as shaken as they look at Bhishma dominate Kurukshetra as
he pleases as the Devas were dejected by the feats of the Asura Viprachitti.
They have neither the nerve nor the prowess to face that Kshatriya who
looks like Siva with mouth agape.
On that tenth day of the great Mahabharata yuddha, the day on which
the Dwapara Yuga ends and the Kali Yuga actually rises over the world,
Bhishma devours Sikhandin’s akshauhini like a fire burning down a dry
forest. Resembling an angry Naga, or indeed Siva goaded by Yama himself,
Sikhandin pierces the flaming Kuru grandsire squarely through his breast
with three sizzling shafts. The surprised, wounded Bhishma sees that it is
Sikhandin who has struck him.
Incensed, yet Bhishma laughs and says, “Whether you attack me or not,
I will never fight with you. You remain the same Sikhandini, the princess
Amba whom the Creator first made.”
Sikhandin’s eyes turn red, and licking the corners of his mouth he says
to Bhishma in a ringing voice, “I know you, Parantapa, to be the
exterminator of the race of Kshatriyas. I have also heard of your battle
against your guru, Jamadagni’s son. I have heard a great deal about your
superhuman prowess. Despite all that I have heard, I will fight you today.
What satisfies the Pandavas is also what I want; Parantapa, I will not
only fight you but surely kill you today. I solemnly swear this. You have
heard me now; do whatever you must. Whether you resist me or not, you
will not escape alive. O mighty, ever-triumphant Bhishma, look at this
world for the last time.”
Having loosed these word barbs, Sikhandin pierces Bhishma with five
straight shafts. Arjuna urges the Panchala prince on, “Sikhandin, I am
behind you, and the enemy will not stand before my arrows. Attack
Bhishma and kill him now!
If you return without killing Bhishma today, you will be ridiculed by all.
Kill him now, so that we may not be mocked in this great war. I will protect
you from the Kaurava maharathas. Kill Bhishma, O Sikhandin!
I will contain Drona and his son, and Kripa, and Suyodhana, and
Chitrasena, and Vikarna, and Jayadratha of the Sindhus, Vinda and
Anuvinda of Avanti, and Sudakshina of the Kambojas, and the mighty
Bhagadatta, and Salya of the Magadhas, and Somadatta’s son, and
Rishyasringa’s son Alambusha and his fierce Rakshasas, and Susarman and
the Trigartas, and all the other Kaurava maharathas.
I will contain them all like a continent does the surging sea. Destroy the
Pitamaha even now!”’
CANTO 110
hritarashtra says, ‘How does Sikhandin attack the noble and

righteous Bhishma? Which Pandava maharathas, armed with astras
and seeking victory, protect Sikhandin? On the tenth day of the war,
how does Bhishma fight the Pandavas and the Srinjayas? I cannot bear the
thought of Sikhandin meeting Bhishma in battle. When Sikhandin attacks
Bhishma what happens to the Pitamaha’s chariot and to his bow?’
Sanjaya says, ‘Neither Bhishma’s bow nor his chariot is in the least
damaged in that battle. He continues to mow down the enemy with deadly
banks of arrows. Thousands of your maharathas and elephants and horses,
led by the Pitamaha, advance into battle. Bhishma fulfils his word given to
Suyodhana to massacre the Pandava forces. The Panchalas and the
Pandavas can in no way withstand the magnificent Kshatriya and he
destroys their forces as he likes.
On the tenth day, Bhishma scythes through the enemy with his countless
shafts. Rajan, the sons of Pandu cannot remotely contain him for he is truly
like Siva with his flaming trident come to Kurukshetra. Then Arjuna, with
Krishna at his chariot head, appears and the perfectly ambidextrous
Savyasachin is at your maharathas like some dreadful plague.
Roaring like a lion now, the greatest of them all, he seems to be
everywhere, so prodigious is Krishna’s chariotry, and the Pandava’s bow,
the peerless Gandiva, appears to have life of its own for it seems to hang in
the air, always drawn in a round of flames, so one cannot see that awesome
archer’s hands or any apparent movement from them, while firetides of
unearthly arrows flare in seamless spate from his chariot, incinerating the
enemy all around him wherever he goes.
Your warriors are petrified, and either stand rooted while this Kshatriya
like one they have never seen the like of before, while this bowman like
Yama strews the field with their corpses, reduces them to ashes, or they flee
like small animals at the growl of the lion.
Duryodhana, alarmed, cries to Bhishma, “Look at Arjuna, white horses
yoked to his chariot, driven by Krishna, consuming your army like a flame
of the pralaya burning a forest. O great Kshatriya, see how he devours our
men, thinning our army by a thousand lives every moment.
My maharathas are as hard pressed as some cowherds in the jungle
trying to control their stampeding herd attacked by a two great lions. From
every side Arjuna and Bhima beset my legions and my men are butchered,
and those that still live are terrified, their spirits broken. Satyaki, and
Chekitana, and the twin sons of Madri, and the terrific Abhimanyu hunt
with Arjuna and Bhima, and panic sweeps through my legions and they flee
as they can.
Dhrishtadyumna and Ghatotkacha also put my men to rout so their
blood flows again in rills. Ah, in this carnage, I see no one other than you,
with your divine powers, who can prevent the Pandava maharathas from
winning this war within the hour. Pitamaha, save us or we are lost!”
Bhishma ponders these words, and says slowly to your son,
“Duryodhana, listen calmly to what I say. I vowed that I would kill ten
thousand noble Kshatriyas every day, and return triumphant from the
battlefield. I have fulfilled that vow!
Even today I will achieve a great feat as you watch me. I will either kill
the Pandavas or die. Tiger among men, today I will free myself from my
debt to you by sacrificing myself while leading your army.” And Bhishma
attacks the Pandava host.
The Pandavas oppose the son of Ganga who stands at the heart his
forces seething like an angry snake. He annihilates thousands of warriors on
that tenth day of the war. Like the sun sucking the earth dry of her moisture,
he exhausts the regal ranks of the Panchala maharathas. He kills ten
thousand spirited elephants, ten thousand horses with their riders, and two
hundred thousand foot-soldiers; like a smokeless fire, Bhishma blazes like a
flame which burns at its brightest just before being extinguished.
And none among the Pandavas can even look at him who is like the sun
fixed in the northern solstice. The heroic Pandavas and the Srinjaya
maharathas still storm at him in waves. Battling the countless warriors who
surround him, Bhishma looks like Meru’s steep slopes covered by dense
clouds.
Your sons surround Bhishma with a vast protective force. Another fierce
battle between the Kauravas and the Pandavas ensues.’
CANTO 111
anjaya says, ‘Watching Bhishma ablaze, more fearsome than he has

yet been, Arjuna says to Sikhandin, “Ride towards the Pitamaha. Do
not fear him today. For it is I who ride behind you and I who will strike him
down from his chariot today.”
Sikhandin charges Bhishma, and Dhrishtadyumna and the radiant
Abhimanyu ride with him, their bows streaming many fires. Splendid in
their armour, old Virata and Drupada, and Kuntibhoja also attack Bhishma
before your son’s eyes. And Nakula, Sahadeva, and Yudhishtira too, along
with the other warriors ride at only Bhishma.
As for your Kshatriyas, listen, O Rajan, as I speak of them who advance
so bravely, united against the Pandava army. Like a young tiger attacking a
bull, Chitrasena charges Chekitana who is harrying Bhishma. Kritavarman
holds up Dhrishtadyumna who is threateningly close to the Kuru Pitamaha.
Somadatta’s son fearlessly attacks Bhima who is also furiously trying to
make Bhishma’s great frame a home for his powerful arrows. Vikarna
creates a magical wall of shafts between Nakula’s gales of barbs and the
grandsire.
Kripa prevents Sahadeva from approaching Bhishma’s chariot.
Durmukha storms against the mighty Ghatotkacha who also wants to kill
just the son of Ganga. Duryodhana stops Satyaki from advancing.
Sudakshina, king of the Kamabojas, engages and holds up Abhimanyu as he
nears Bhishma’s chariot. And Aswatthaman foils both Virata and Drupada.
Drona somewhat easily contains Yudhishtira who also is bent just on
having Bhishma’s life today. Showing incredible skill today, Dussasana
thwarts Arjuna himself who, with Sikhandin before him, is dashing towards
Bhishma, lighting up the ten quarters of the world with his shining astras.
Other warriors of your army clash with the Pandava maharathas
advancing against Ganga’s majestic son.
Dhrishtadyumna rides at Bhishma alone, crying to his forces, “Look at
Arjuna storming at Bhishma. Be without fear today and attack just the son
of Ganga. Bhishma will be helpless to harm you today. Why, Vasava
himself cannot face Arjuna in battle, then what to say of Bhishma who,
though he great indeed and courage incarnate, is also old and weak?”
Hearing this from their Senapati, the Pandava maharathas are jubilant
and rush all together towards Bhishma’s chariot. Many excellent men of
your army spiritedly resist those Kshatriyas hurtling hungrily towards
Bhishma.
To shield him from the hunting Arjuna, Dussasana fearlessly attacks the
Pandava. The other sons of Pandu assail your mighty sons who surround
Bhishma’s chariot. It is wonderful to see Arjuna stopped short by
Dussasana. As the shore contains the surging sea, your son Dussasana holds
up the storming son of Pandu.
Both of them are excellent maharathas. Both are invincible. Both
magnificent to behold, they resemble the sun and the moon. Both are
incensed, and both want to kill the other. They fight like Mayaa and Sakra
in olden days.
Dussasana stabs Arjuna with three shafts and Krishna with twenty.
Enraged to see Krishna bleed, Arjuna looses a hundred shafts at Dussasana,
which flash through his armour and draw spouts of blood. Dussasana strikes
Arjuna in the chest with five barbs, and upon his brow with three whetted
shafts. These project from his head, making him look like Meru with lofty
peaks. Looking like a radiant kinsuka, your son harangues Arjuna in that
duel.
Inflamed like Rahu on a full moon night, Arjuna unleashes a flurry of
arrows winged with the feathers of the kanka bird, and wounds Dussasana
deeply. Arjuna cleaves Dussasana’s bow and smashes his chariot with three
shafts, and looses countless arrows like barbs of death at your son. But
splendid Dussasana swiftly thwarts them in flight. All this appears so
marvellous.
Dussasana strikes Arjuna with a hundred shafts and the angry Partha
replies with flocks of searing arrows that plunge into Dussasana’s body like
swans diving into a lake. Covered in his own blood and staggering from the
wounds of Arjuna, your son now runs towards Bhishma’s chariot. He seeks
Bhishma out like a drowning man clings to an island.
Finding refuge, your heroic Dussasana once more rains arrows at
Arjuna, even like Purandara resisting Vritra. Though he is so mighty and
powerful, his best efforts to vanquish Arjuna are in vain.’
CANTO 112
anjaya says, ‘Alambusha thwarts Satyaki and rides towards Bhishma

to offer his protection. The incensed Satyaki strikes the Rakshasa with
nine dire arrows. Alambusha responds with nine shafts as well. Satyaki
unleashes a storm of arrows at the Rakshasa, who, roaring dreadfully,
responds in kind. Deeply injured by Alambusha, Satyaki laughs off his
wounds. Bhagadatta stabs him with more keenly whetted shafts like a
mahout piercing a tusker with his hook.
Satyaki turns away from Alambusha to vent his wrath upon Bhagadatta,
who calmly breaks the shining Vrishni hero’s massive bow in his hands.
Satyaki Yuyudhana seizes another and pierces Bhagadatta deeply, drawing
small fonts of blood from his great frame. Bhagadatta licks the corners of
his mouth and flings a most deadly iron spear, shimmering with gold and
lapis lazuli, fierce like Yama’s rod, at his enemy.
Satyaki cuts down that coursing shaft even as it flies at him, and it falls
lustreless, like a burnt out meteor. Duryodhana surrounds Satyaki with
many chariots.
He says to his brothers, “Kauravas, ensure that Satyaki does not escape
from this encirclement. If he is killed, consider the vast host of the
Pandavas also destroyed.” Before Bhishma’s eyes, those Kaurava
maharathas attack Satyaki all together.
The king of the Kambojas sees Abhimanyu sweeping towards Bhishma
and rides to bar his way. In a flash, Arjuna’s son strikes Sudakshina with
sixty four shafts. The Kamboja pierces Abhimanyu with five arrows and his
charioteer with nine, to defend Bhishma. The duel between these two is
ferocious and wonderful.
Meanwhile, Sikhandin continues to advance towards the Pitamaha.
Destroying the teeming Kaurava army, maharathas Virata and Drupada also
press their way towards Bhishma but they are confronted by an infuriated
Aswatthaman.
Virata strikes Drona’s son, that ornament of battle, sharply, as he dashes
at them, and Drupada pierces him with three heavy shafts. Aswatthaman
looses a fuming volley at the twain. With awesome archery the two old
warriors serenely thwart Aswatthama’s arrow storm.
Like an incensed elephant charging another in a forest, Kripa rides at
Sahadeva who is also advancing upon Bhishma. He strikes Sahadeva with
seventy golden shafts. The son of Madri cleaves Kripa’s bow in his hands
and pierces his first acharya with nine barbs.
Seizing another great bow, Kripa shoots ten immaculate barbs at
Sahadeva in the space of a wish. Possessed by the single thought of killing
Bhishma, annoyed at being thus held up, Sahadeva unleashes an altogether
more savage clutch of missiles at his aged master’s chest. And another
zealous duel begins.
Parantapa Vikarna, also wanting to protect Bhishma, strikes Nakula with
sixty shafts and Nakula replies with a hot salvo of seventy-seven barbs.
Quickly, those purushavyaghras battle like two bulls in a herd over a cow.
For Bhishma’s sake, too, your son Durmukha whirls at Ghatotkacha who is
slaughtering your army as he also rides at Bhishma. Hidimbi’s son opens a
deep gash in Durmukha’s breast with one arrow like time. Durmukha only
roars at the wound, even in elation, and stabs Ghatotkacha with sixty keen
darts.
Dhrishtadyumna, also, sweeping down on Bhishma and Hridika’s son
Kritavarman, obstructs him. Drupada’s fire prince looses a sear of five
molten shafts at Kritavarman and strikes him with another fifty iron barbs
in his chest, most of which glance off his mail. Dhrishtadyumna swift as the
mind shoots nine more burning arrows, winged with the feathers of the
kanka bird at the Yadava prince.
They battle impassionedly for Bhishma’s sake, as fiercely as Vritra and
Vasava. Bhurisravas assails Bhima who is also advances ever nearer the
mighty Bhishma. That grand Kuru warrior pierces Bhima’s commodious
chest with a telling golden-winged arrow; so awesome does Bhima look as
dramatic as the Krauncha mountain did of old when it bore Lord Skanda’s
barb. Ablaze, the two Kshatriyas, Purusharishabhas both, loose livid rivers
of missiles, bright as sunflares, at each other. Bhima fights, longing for
Bhishma’s death, while Somadatta does to secure Bhishma’s victory, and
each matches the other’s stunning feats.
Drona arrests the careen of Yudhishtira storming towards Bhishma. The
Prabhadrakas tremble hearing the roar of Drona’s chariot that is like the
rumble of massed thunderheads, and that vast Pandava host cannot advance
even a step because of Bharadwaja’s formidable son.
Your tenacious son Chitrasena impedes the fierce Chekitana, also riding
at Bhishma. Chekitana attacks him vigorously, and scintillating is the duel
between these two. Though Dussasana powerfully obstructs Arjuna’s path
to Bhishma, that irresistible Pandava overwhelms him and forces your son
to retreat. Arjuna strews the field with Kaurava corpses at his majestic,
inexorable will, and the other Pandava maharathas also decimate your
legions which try to keep Bhishma safe.’
CANTO 113
anjaya says, ‘Like an incensed elephant, Drona penetrates the Pandava

ranks, and mows them down on every side with his godlike archery.
Drona, knowing interpreter of omens, sees the signs of an age ending
and another rising all around him and says to Aswatthaman who also
ravages the enemy on every side, “This is that day on which Arjuna will put
forth all his prowess to have Bhishma’s life.
My arrows leap out from their quiver by themselves. My bow seems to
yawn. My astra seems unwilling to obey me, and I feel a great
despondence. Animals and birds cry relentlessly in fearful voices. Vultures
fly down and vanish under the feet of the Bhaarata forces.
The Sun appears dull. The four quarters are on fire. Everywhere the
Earth seems to wail and tremble in some great fear. Kankas, vultures and
cranes cry out repeatedly warning of some dreadful evil. Jackals scream and
wheel in inauspicious apradakshina also predicting grave danger.
Immense meteors seem to flare down from the heart of the Sun. The
Parigha constellation appears around Surya Deva, shrouding his light. The
Sun and Moon look threatening, foretelling a massacre of Kshatriyas. The
statues in the temples of the Kauravas tremble and laugh and dance and
weep, as if they have gone mad. The glowing crescent moon rises with
horns turned down. The bodies of the kings in the Kaurava army appear
pale, and though clad in armour, they are strangely dull.
The blast of Panchajanya and the twang of Gandiva resound all around
both armies, above every other sound. Today, bearing all his astras, Arjuna
will surely mow his way through all our maharathas and mount his attack
on Bhishma.
The pores of my body contract, and all my hope drains from me, when I
think of the coming battle between Bhishma and Arjuna. Ah, look! Keeping
the deceitful Panchala prince before him, even now Arjuna rides at the
Pitamaha. Bhishma has said that he will not kill Sikhandin because this
prince was born a woman, and only later became a man.
That mighty son of Yajnasena is himself the most inauspicious omen.
Bhishma will never fight with such an unnatural one. Ah, my son, fear grips
my heat in a vice knowing that every moment Arjuna draws nearer the
revered Pitamaha.
Yudhishtira’s anger, which has been restrained so long, the very thought
of Arjuna fighting his beloved grandsire, and me, a Brahmana taking to
arms in a war, all portend the gravest tragedy. Arjuna is imbued with untold
tejas; he is powerful, brave, and a great master of weapons. Apart from
loosing his arrows farther and more powerfully than any other man, he too
is a sure reader of omens.
So strong, intelligent and tireless is Arjuna that not the Devas with
Vasava at their head can defeat him in battle. He has the most virulent astras
and he is called Vijaya because he never loses a battle but always triumphs
in war. Avoid him, my son, and ride to defend Bhishma from this terrible
son of Pandu.
Today we shall see such carnage that not even this war among all wars
has yet shown us. The beautiful golden armour of heroic Kshatriyas will be
riven by his arrows, and Arjuna will cut down their flags, and bearded
javelins in flight, and bows, and bright pointed spears, and glittering arrows,
and the standards on the backs of their elephants.
O my son, this is not the time to care for our lives. Focussed on heaven,
fame and victory, go and fight. There, the Vanara-bannered Arjuna crosses
the treacherous river of battle in his chariot, the river that has blood for its
currents and shattered chariots, dead elephants, and horses for its islets.
Regard for Brahmanas, self-restraint, liberality, asceticism, and noble
conduct are to be found in Yudhishtira alone; for his brothers he has Arjuna,
the mighty Bhima, and the twin sons of Madri by Pandu; and he has
Krishna of the Vrishni vamsa for his protector.
His body has been purified by the flames of tapasya, and Yudhishtira’s
anger, born of grief, is directed at the black-souled son of Dhritarashtra and
this righteous anger is what destroys the Bhaarata host.
There comes Arjuna; with Krishna as his sarathy and refuge he advances
irresistibly and lays waste the entire Dhartarashtra army. Look, he terrifies
our host like a great whale stirring up an ocean with towering waves. Listen
to the frantic sad cries of our army.
Charge against the heir of the Panchala king. I will ride against
Yudhishtira. The heart of his vyuha is difficult to penetrate. Inaccessible as
the depths of the sea, it is guarded on all sides by Atirathas. Satyaki, and
Abhimanyu and Dhrishtadyumna, and Bhima, and the twins, all protect
Yudhishtira.
Dark as the younger brother of Indra, and standing like a tall sala tree,
behold Abhimanyu storming ahead at the head of the Pandava host, like a
second Arjuna! Seize your mighty weapons, and with your great bow ride
against Sikhandin and Bhima.
Who doesn’t want their son to live long? However, I now observe the
dharma of a Kshatriya, and I assign this task to you. Ah, look where
Bhishma also razes the swarming Pandava host. O son, the Kuru Pitamaha
is equal to Yama or Varuna himself in battle.”’
CANTO 114
anjaya says, ‘Hearing what Drona says, Bhagadatta and Kripa and
Salya and Kritavarman, and Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, and
Jayadratha of the Sindhus, and Chitrasena and Vikarna and Durmarshana,
these ten warriors of your army, supported by a legion of diverse soldiers,
boldly face Bhima, wanting to win fame in the war for Bhishma’s sake.
Salya strikes Bhima with nine arrows, and Kritavarman stabs him with
three, and Kripa with nine. And Chitrasena and Vikarna and Bhagadatta,
each pierce him with ten barbs. Jayadratha strikes him with three, and
Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti each with five shafts.
Duryodhana attacks him with twenty arrows. In return Bhima
relentlessly pierces each one of those kings, those maharathas of the
Dhartarashtra army. He shoots Salya with seven arrows and Kritavarman
with eight. And he cleaves Kripa’s bow in two. He pierces Kripa once more
with seven shafts. And he strikes Vinda and Anuvinda with three barbs
each.
Bhima strikes Durmarshana deep with twenty arrows, Chitrasena with
five, Vikarna with ten, and Jayadratha with five; and once more flaying the
king of the Sindhus with three astras, Bhimasena roars loudly with delight.
Kripa, maharatha, angrily stabs Bhima with ten polished shafts. Pierced
like an elephant by a goad, Bhima’s eyes turn red in a moment and he
looses a vicious salvo at Kripa, drawing founts of blood from his old
master. Splendid as Yama, as he appears at the end of the yuga, Bhima kills
Jayadratha’s horses with three scarlet explosions, and also his charioteer.
Maharatha Jayadratha leaps down from his horseless chariot and looses a
squall of keen shafts at Bhima.
Bhima destroys Jayadratha’s bow with two broad-headed arrows. His
bow broken, his chariot stranded, his horses and sarathy killed, Jayadratha
mounts Chitrasena’s chariot. Triumphant Bhima draws blood from all the
maharathas before him; celebrant, he smashes Jayadratha’s chariot into
pieces in the very sight of all the Kaurava army. Watching Bhima’s dreadful
feats, Salya roars out a challenge to him; he looses a gale of gleaming barbs
at the monumental Pandava.
Kripa and Kritavarman and the valiant Bhagadatta, and Vinda and
Anuvinda of Avanti, and Chitrasena, and Durmarshana, and Vikarna, and
Jayadratha all attack Bhima in concert. Irrepressible Bhima stabs each of
them with hot clutches of arrows, five for each one. And he harries Salya
with seventy shafts loosed in the twinkling of an eye, and again with ten
more. Salya drives nine steaming arrows through him, and then five more.
With another broad one he pierces Bhima’s charioteer deep.
Seeing his charioteer Visoka wounded deep, with a terrible cry, Bhima
drills three searing shafts into the arms and chest of the Madra king; he
riddles the other maharathas each with three perfectly straight arrows and,
throwing back his massive head, lets out a deafening, lion’s roar.
Those mighty archers gore Bhima, probing his very vitals. Wounded, he
yet remains still, like a mountain drenched by lashing rain clouds. That
Pandava maharatha, that celebrated Kshatriya, wrathfully reams the ruler of
the Madras with three light like arrows; he punishes the ruler of the
Pragjyotishas with a hundred.
He castigates Kripa with countless barbs and, with astounding dexterity,
cleaves Kritavarman’s bow with a single shaft—all this in a breathtaking
instant. Kritavarman, parantapa, scourge of his enemies, takes up another
bow and strikes Bhima right between his eyes with a fine long arrow.
Having pierced Salya with nine iron arrows, and Bhagadatta with three,
and Kritavarman with eight, Bhima chastens the others led by Kripa, each
with two shafts. These warriors reply with calid flurries, making blood
flowers sprout on great Bhima. They scathe him with diverse astras, but
Bhima remains nonchalant and courses effortlessly across the battleground,
spraying Kurukshetra liberally with enemies’ blood. Hundreds of thousands
of arrows rain down on him from every side.
Bhagadatta casts a fierce golden javelin spear at him; the Sindhu king,
Mahabaho, flings both a javelin and a battle-axe at Bhima in wrath, to
remember the humiliation this Pandava inflicted on him once in the forest.
Kripa unleashes a satagni of a hundred flames at Bhima, and Salya a single
arrow as fulgurant. The other archers each aim five punitive shafts at him.
The son of Vayu cleaves Bhagadatta’s missile along its deadly length; he
pulverises Jayadratha’s axe as if were a stem of sesame. He douses the
satagni with five occult shafts winged with the feathers of the kanka bird,
blows Salya’s one arrow of dread into dust. Proud Bhima, who knows
neither doubt nor fear, cuts every other arrow flying at him in three. And he
strikes each of those illustrious archers who attacked him with blinding
archery that rivals, why, now exceeds, his brother Arjuna’s.
As the war burns on, Arjuna sees Bhima devouring the enemy on all
sides like Yama and rides towards him on his chariot. The warriors of your
army watch those two enkindled sons of Pandu come together, and their
spirits tremble.
Arjuna has only a single intention today—to kill Bhishma. Setting
Sikhandin before him, he nears Bhima who has been battling the ten
Kaurava maharathas by himself; Arjuna descends on those fierce ten like
some dreadful plague. In a wink he strikes all of them with arrows that fling
them back in their chariots or strike them down.
In some alarm, Duryodhana cries to Susarman, the Trigarta king, “Great
Susarman, fly taking your Trigarta host with you. Let the earth drink the
blood of Pandu’s sons Dhananjaya and Vrikodara today!”
Roaring, his host of sterling archers riding with him, Susarman, king of
the Trigartas, lord of Prasthala, swoops on Bhima and Arjuna and surrounds
them with thousands of chariots. A stupendous duel spumes up between
him and Arjuna.’
CANTO 115
anjaya says, ‘With shafts of fierce precision, Arjuna envelops

maharatha Salya who fights him gallantly. Arjuna pierces Susarman
and Kripa with three arrows each.
Atiratha Arjuna torments your army all around him; he adorns
Bhagadatta and Jayadratha, and Chitrasena, and Vikarna, and Kritavarman,
and Durmarshana, and those two maharathas, the princes of Avanti, each
with three barbs winged with the feathers of the kanka and the peacock.
Jayadratha, whom Siva blessed, putting forth his best fight, pierces
Arjuna and also Bhima from Chitrasena’s chariot. Salya and Kripa both
strike Arjuna with diverse arrows, which burrow deeply into his virile form.
Your sons led by Chitrasena, Rajan, each pierce Arjuna and Bhima with
five arrows like daggers.
Kunti’s two prodigious sons, both maharathas without compare, Bhima
and Arjuna, begin to pound the mighty Trigarta host. Then Susarman looses
nine extraordinary arrows at Arjuna, all of which find their mark, and
roaring loudly terrifies the Pandava forces.
Other noble Kshatriyas rack Bhima and Dhananjaya with many whetted
golden winged shafts. Standing amidst them, those two bulls of the Bharata
vamsa only ever more look magnificent and they seem to tantalise their
opponents like two furious lions hunting in a herd of cows.
The two peerless Kshatriyas cleave their most valiant adversaries’ bows
and barbs and fell the heads of countless warriors. Innumerable chariots
they smash, hundreds of horses they kill, and so many elephants, along with
their riders, in that tumultuary and dreadful battle. Chariot warriors and
untold numbers of horsemen and elephant-riders are slain outright or seen
convulsing in death’s final spasms all over Kurukshetra. And the earth is
covered with the corpses of elephants, horses and foot-soldiers, and chariots
destroyed in many ways.
Arjuna’s prowess is wonderful to behold, as he thwarts his enemies and
slaughters them in droves. Kripa, and Kritavarman, and Jayadratha, and
Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti remain resolute. And as if inspired at being
opposed by any, Bhima and Arjuna appear to raise the level of their archery
and where hundreds died at their hands each moment now thousands perish
and the rout of the fierce Kaurava host swells exponentially. The enemy
kings loose millions of arrows with peacock feathers at Arjuna’s chariot.
Dazzling, thought-swift Arjuna cuts all these missiles down as in some
dream and in the same moment, it seems, annihilates his challengers.
Inflamed to watch this, Salya strikes Arjuna in his chest with some
broad headed shafts. With five startling barbs, Arjuna breaks Salya’s bow
and shreds his leather gloves, and pierces him deep in his body. Snatching
up another powerful bow, the Madra king furiously attacks Arjuna with
three arrows and Krishna with five. He gores Bhima in the arms and the
chest with nine shafts.
At Duryodhana’s urgent command, Drona and the Magadha king ride
swiftly to where Arjuna and Bhima massacre the mighty Kaurava army at
will. As his rides up, Jayatsena pierces Bhima of terrible weapons with
eight serrated arrows. Bhima looses a flash of fifteen searing shafts at him.
With another broad-headed arrow he fells Jayatsena’s charioteer from his
chariot head, and the Magadhan’s unrestrained horses dash wildly away and
carry him out of battle in the sight of all the troops.
Drona, seeing an opening, stabs Bhima with eight unusual barbs with
heads like a frog’s mouth. Bhima, always delighting in battle, wheels round
and strikes the Acharya with five heavy arrows, and O Bhaarata, with sixty
more fleet ones.
Arjuna looses countless iron barbs at Susarman himself, while also
demolishing his Trigarta forces like a high wind dispersing massed clouds.
Bhishma and Duryodhana, and Brihadbala, king of the Kosalas, wrathfully
advance upon Bhima and Dhananjaya. At this, the gallant Pandava warriors
and Dhrishtadyumna charge against Bhishma who is pressing forward like
Yama with mouth agape.
Sikhandin sees the Pitamaha of the Bhaaratas; he charges fearlessly and
jubilantly towards that greatest maharatha. All the Parthas with Yudhishtira
at their head, uniting with the Srinjayas and setting Sikhandin in their van,
come hunting Bhishma. With Bhishma at their head, all the warriors of your
army confront all the Pandava legions with Sikhandin in their van. That
pitched battle between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, fought for
Bhishma’s victory or his death, is the fiercest and most terrifying one yet.
Indeed, on that fateful tenth day, first of the fell Kali Yuga, age of
vileness and wrath, in that brutal game of war, being played out on sacred,
bloodied Kurukshetra, field of dharma, Bhishma becomes the stake
wagered, his life the precious thing on which the success or defeat of your
army depends.
Dhrishtadyumna roars his command at all his men, “Charge against the
son of Ganga. Be fearless, O you wonderful maharathas!”
Hearing their Senapati’s call to the moment of a great reckoning, the
Pandava host swarms towards Bhishma, themselves roaring, ready to lay
down their lives to achieve holy, priceless victory. Great Jaya! Maharatha
Bhishma receives that storming host like a continent withstanding the
surging sea.’
CANTO 116
hritarashtra says, ‘Sanjaya, how does mighty Bhishma fight the

Pandavas and the Srinjayas on the tenth day of the war? How do the
Kauravas oppose the Pandavas? Describe the great endeavour of that
jewel of battle.’
Sanjaya says, ‘I will tell of how the Kauravas fight the Pandavas, and
the details of their battle. Day after day, Arjuna Kiritin obliterates countless
maharathas of your vast army with his astras. The triumphal Bhishma also
wreaks great carnage upon the Pandavas. O Parantapa, seeing Bhishma
ablaze at the head of the Kurus, and Arjuna at that of the Panchalas, it is
hard to say who will be victorious.
On the tenth day, when Bhishma and Arjuna face each other, there is an
unprecedented bloodbath on Kurukshetra. Bhishma slaughters thousands of
unknown but heroic warriors, all resolute in battle. Scorching the Pandava
army for ten days, Mahabaho Bhishma fights without the slightest care for
his life, and magnificently, yet with sorrow in his noble heart. And on this
day of moment, he wishes fervently that he may not take any more noble
lives discharging his terrible Kshatriya dharma, and he wishes for his own
death.
Seeing Yudhishtira near him, he says, “Wise Yudhishtira, listen to my
righteous words. I no longer want to save my body. I have already killed
countless great warriors. If you want to truly please me, your Pitamaha, set
Arjuna with the Panchalas and the Srinjayas in your van, and exert yourself
to the utmost to take my life.”
Understanding him, Yudhishtira presses forward with the Srinjayas.
Also having heard what Bhishma said, Dhrishtadyumna goads his legions
forward.
Yudhishtira cries with as much rage as grief, “Fly at Bhishma and kill
him even now! Arjuna will protect you, as will Dhrishtadyumna and Bhima.
Srinjayas, do not fear Bhishma today. With Sikhandin before us, we will
surely vanquish the Pitamaha.”
Determined to either triumph or die, led by Sikhandin and Arjuna, the
Pandava host essays at Bhishma giving their all and with nothing to lose.
Many powerful kings, urged on by your son Suyodhana, along with Drona
and his son and a vast force, with Dussasana at the head of all his brothers,
also fly toward Bhishma at the very heart of all the unspeakable and
resplendent butchery.
Keeping Bhishma at their head, your legions spiritedly engage with the
Pandavas led by Sikhandin. Supported by the Chedis and the Panchalas, the
Vanara-bannered Arjuna, keeps Sikhandin before him, and storms at his
Pitamaha. Satyaki clashes first with Drona’s son, and Dhrishtaketu with
Puru’s descendant; Yudhamanyu grimly fights Duryodhana and his legion.
Virata leads his heroes against Jayadratha’s.
Parantapa, Vardhakshatra’s heir encounters Chitrasena of the most
excellent bow. And Yudhishtira faces the haranguing Salya at the head of
his forces. Bhima, purest, mightiest and most unalloyed of all Kshatriyas in
spirit, roaring, always roaring in exultation at being in battle at last, storms
yet against the Kaurava elephants.
Dhrishtadyumna, fire prince of Panchala, along with his brothers,
furiously attacks the unconquerable Drona, foremost of all wielders of
weapons. Parantapa Brihadbala, who flies the lion on his standard, hurtles
at Abhimanyu whose standard bears the karnikara flower. With countless
kings going with them, your sons advance upon Sikhandin and Arjuna.
When these warriors clash, the earth trembles.
Seeing Bhishma approach, both armies fall into disarray and become
hopelessly entangled, flailing out with sword and spear, covering the air
with a single dense cloud of arrows. Great is the commotion they make,
those warriors inflamed with rage charge madly, bloodthirstily at one
another. The tumult rings all around, a ceaseless deafening din, shattering
the eardrums of warriors so blood oozes down their necks before those
necks are hewn.
The blast of conches and the tigerish roars of fighting men form what
appears to be an unending bellow of pain from the wounded earth’s very
womb. The radiance of the bracelets and crowns of all the heroic kings,
equal to that of the sun or the moon, is dimmed by the dust raised by flying
hooves, thundering elephants’ charges, the running feet of millions of foot-
soldiers, the whirling swerving wheels of numberless chariots; against this
dark thunderhead of dust and smoke, the flash of weapons everywhere is
like braids and streaks of lighting.
The twanging bows, the stentorian hum of arrows like that of black bee
swarms beyond count disturbed, the booming conches, the pounding drums,
and the dementedly barbarous clatter of chariot-wheels, of both the armies,
is numbing. And the sky darkens deeper by the moment with rich flights of
bearded barbs, spears, swords wildly flung and the ceaseless rain of fell
astras.
Maharathas and horsemen cut each other down as if offering rivers of
noble blood to the earth in some ghastly sacrifice in that awesome war, at
once so abominable and so irresistibly beautiful. And elephants gore down
elephants, and foot-soldiers butcher foot-soldiers. And the war on that tenth
day, being fought for Bhishma’s life, between the Kauravas and the
Pandavas assumes an incrementally hideous aspect, while it is also like a
fight between two hawks for a fine piece of flesh. The crimson river of
death foams ever higher and darker on bleeding, incomparable
Kurukshetra.’
CANTO 117
anjaya says, ‘Abhimanyu displays his prowess before Bhishma, and

challenges your mighty eldest son. Duryodhana strikes Abhimanyu
through his chest with nine straight arrows, and in a flash with three.
Arjuna’s son hurls a fierce and strange lance resembling Yama’s rod at
Duryodhana’s chariot. Your son cleaves it along its length as it courses
towards him.
Seeing his spear plummet, Abhimanyu seizes his bow and strikes
Duryodhana deep with three shafts through his arms and breast. Quicker
than the eye sees, that scintillating young maharatha stabs the Kaurava king
with a blur of ten barbs making a neat feathered circle of quivering arrows
on his wide chest.
And the duel between those two Kshatriyas, one fighting to kill Bhishma
and the other to vanquish Arjuna, is brutal and breathtaking to watch, and
gratifying to the senses; it is praised by all the kings.
The son of Drona, that bull among Brahmanas and chastiser of enemies,
bloodies Satyaki’s chest with a salient arrow. The grandson of Sini also
pierces all his vital limbs with nine signal shafts winged with the feathers of
the kanka bird. Aswatthaman stabs Satyaki’s arms and breast with nine
horned barbs, and then with thirty significant shafts more. That celebrated
bowman of the Satwatavamsa returns the fire cardinally, covering
Aswatthaman in blood.
Maharatha Paurava swathes Dhrishtaketu with his remarkable volleys
and fairly mangles him. But the formidable Dhrishtaketu is unmoved and
looses a jagged volley of lightning bolts at Paurava. Paurava smashes
Dhrishtaketu’s bow, and roaring loudly, strikes him repeatedly with a clutch
of keen arrows. Dhrishtaketu seizes another bow and gouges Paurava with
an astonishing salvo of seventy-three shafts all shot in the heart of a
moment.
Those two illustrious archers cover each other with arrows. Each
shatters the other’s bow, and each kills the other’s horses. They face each
other with gleaming swords drawn, and bull’s hide shields, one adorned
with a hundred moons and the other with a hundred stars. They run at each
other like two lions in the forest, over a lioness in heat. They wheel around
in elegant circles, advance and retreat, and display other dancelike
movements, all the while looking for an opening to strike the adversary.
Growing impatient, Paurava roars at Dhrishtaketu to stop and fight, and
swiftly strikes him on his mail-covered collar bone, a mighty blow. Not
flinching, the Chedi king fetches Paurava a powerful stroke on his shoulder,
so some blood flies from the wound. In a blink, they rain a dreadful flurry
of cuts, thrusts and wild swings on each other, so that both fall to the
ground. Your son Jayatsena takes Paurava into his chariot and bears his
away from the field, while Sahadeva bears Dhrishtaketu away.
Chitrasena, having already pierced Susarman with manifold arrows,
looses a fresh salvo of sixty-nine burning shafts at him. The incensed
Susarman wounds your son all over his body with hundreds of barbs.
Chitrasena, infuriated, retaliates with thirty penetrating shafts, and
Susarman strikes Chitrasena again.
In that battle for Bhishma’s life, Subhadra’s son further swells his fame
and honour when he flays Brihadbala, drawing that maharatha away from
Arjuna, and then marching towards Bhishma. The Kosala king attacks
Abhimanyu with five heavy iron shafts, and then with twenty more.
Abhimanyu stabs Brihadbala with eight similar missiles, which Brihadbala
only shrugs off and Arjuna’s son lifts his archery to rive Brihadbala’s bow
in his hands, and strikes him again thirty barbs swifter than light.
Brihadbala takes up another bow and covers the brilliant youth of just
sixteen summers in fire.
Both Kshatriyas, one so young and the other seasoned and mature, are
such masters of war, that the duel between them is surely reminiscent of the
contention between Indra and Bali during the Devasura yuddha in time out
of mind.
Bhima, wild and bloody amongst the elephants, looks as resplendent as
thunderous Sakra after splitting lofty mountains. The screams and dismal
bellows of the great beasts, big as cliffs, that he strikes down as he pleases,
fill the world. Hillocks of antimony, the tuskers lying dead across
Kurukshetra with their round temples cloven by terrible Bhima are like
mountains scattered over the earth.
Well protected, Yudhishtira attacks Salya, king of the Madras, who loses
no time turning on his assailant. Jayadratha of the Sindhus strikes Virata
with nine keen arrows, and seamlessly with thirty more. Commanding a
vast legion, Virata makes a home in Jayadratha’s chest for thirty polished
shafts. And radiant are those two, the lord of the Matsyas and the ruler of
the Sindhus, both armed with beautiful bows, swords and other weapons,
wearing dazzling armour, and flying brilliant pennants.
Drona encounters Dhrishtadyumna and mounts a ferocious attack on the
prince sworn, why, born to kill him. Smashing Drupada’s son’s bow, Drona
excoriates him with a hum of fifty barbs. That parantapa raises another bow
and vents his wrath on the Acharya with a fiery volley. Maharatha Drona
slices those arrows along their length even as they flare at him, and looses
five keening barbs at his old enemy Drupada’s prince. Dhrishtadyumna,
roaring, hurls a knobbed golden mace at the Brahmana warrior and Drona
nervelessly shatters it with fifty arrows loosed in a blink.
Dhrishtadyumna launches a most refined astra at Drona, who
effortlessly foils it with a clutch of nine smoking barbs, unsettling the
Pandava Senapati. Rajan, thus they fight, master and disciple, both inspired
to draw upon their deepest skills, during this duel fought for the life of
Bhishma.
Arjuna, meanwhile rushes towards Bhishma like one king elephant at
another, showering ceaseless fire over his Pitamaha. Bhagadatta arrests
Arjuna’s dangerous careen, setting his massive Supratika between the
marauding Pandava and the Kuru grandsire and lashing down a gale of
arrows from his height. Arjuna storms straight at Bhagadatta, unleashing a
fury of silver shafts at his towering beast, so that Bhagadatta quickly turns
away and thunders down upon Drupada’s chariot.
Again, Arjuna sets Sikhandin before him and courses on towards
Bhishma, who is all he sees before him, his only real target. With loud yells
and roars, hordes of your brave fighting men assail Arjuna, who so calmly
sows death all around him, in a carmine flash flood. And, ah, all this
appears wonderful.
Like the high wind scattering fleecy clouds in a summer sky Arjuna
disperses your son’s akshauhinis, all the while thinning them, thinning them
dreadfully. Each moment, Sikhandin of the single obsession that has
possessed him through two strangest lives, heralding his advent with an
endless stream of wooden arrows, plunges ever nearer Bhishma.
As for Bhishma, his chariot is his fire-chamber. His bow is the flame of
that fire. And swords, shafts and maces are its fuel. The arrows he shoots
are the blazing sparks that consume Kshatriyas in that grisly war. As a
raging fire rolling across a field of dry grass with the wind, Bhishma burns
gloriously as he unleashes his divine astras.
And he decimates the Somakas that follow Arjuna into battle; that
effulgent maharatha attenuates the other Pandava legions that ride with
Arjuna with swarms of golden-winged shafts. Bhishma fills all the
directions, with his leonine roaring, and endlessly strews the awful field of
dharma with corpses of chariot warriors and horses with their riders. He
reduces the massed chariots to look like palm forests with their leafy heads
severed. He strips horses, elephants and chariots of their riders, a thousand
each moment.
Hearing the twang of his bow and the slap of his palms against his
bowstring, like rolling thunder, terror sweeps through the Pandava ranks;
even your own fighting men are affrighted. Not an arrow shot by the
daunting Pitamaha misses its mark. They do not just pierce or slay his
numberless victims; his barbs plough right through their armoured bodies in
bright red eruptions and enter the earth behind them. What count is there of
chariots careering across the field of death, with riders and sarathies slain
and yoked horses dragging them on all sides with the speed of the wind?
Fourteen thousand noble maharathas, all ready to sacrifice their lives,
with gold-worked standards, great warriors belonging to the Chedis, the
Kasis, and the Karushas, attack Bhishma, Kshatriya who can only be Siva
himself with mouth agape; in moments they are destroyed along with their
horses, chariots and elephants.
Rajan, not a single maharatha of the Somakas returns alive from that
encounter with Bhishma. Seeing his prowess, all know that none who dares
ride against Bhishma this day will escape with his life. And indeed, after the
massacre of the Somakas, no rathika will approach Bhishma anymore, but
only Arjuna Swetavahana of the white horses, with Krishna as his
charioteer, and Sikhandin, prince of Panchala.’
CANTO 118
anjaya says, ‘Sikhandin storms within range of Bhishma and strikes

him squarely through his chest with ten broad-headed arrows. The son
of Ganga merely looks at Sikhandin as if to kill him with withering disdain.
Bhishma will not shoot back at Sikhandin.
Sikhandin pauses, bemused. Arjuna cries at the Panchala prince, “Do
not hesitate, Sikhandin. Destroy Maharatha Bhishma, for you alone can.
This is the truth. Kill him, Purushavyaghra, kill him now!”
Like a dreamer waking, Sikhandin covers Bhishma in a tirade of every
kind of arrow. Ignoring these, Bhishma only looses his own shafts at
Arjuna; he also razes the Pandava ranks behind these two. Like grim clouds
occluding the sun, the Pandavas, with their vast hosts, push forward to
engulf Bhishma.
Bharatarishabha, though surrounded on all sides, that Kshatriya without
equal continues to consume the advancing legions like the forest fire does
countless trees. Dussasana’s shining prowess is wonderful to see as he
battles Arjuna to protect the Pitamaha. Even his enemies laud his sheer
courage as he fights alone and gloriously against all the Pandavas, and they
cannot resist him.
Dussasana smashes the chariots of so many maharathas. With deadly
salvos he fells mighty archers from horseback, powerful rathikas and
elephants. The great beasts thunder away from the terror and pain of the
incandescent Dussasana; flowing blood from the wounds he inflicts on
them they scatter in all directions.
Like a fire that blazes more fiercely when fuelled, so does your son rage
against the Pandava host. And no Pandava maharathika dares to advance
against him as he is then, other than Arjuna with his white horses and
Krishna for his sarathy. And, watched by all the warriors, Arjuna, the
Vijaya, ineluctably quells the flaming Dussasana and flashes past him
towards Bhishma. Though beaten, your son, still relying upon Bhishma’s
invincible might, comforts his forces and continues to fight fiercely against
the Pandavas. Arjuna is radiant; his body seems to blaze with light as he
scythes through his enemies.
Sikhandin pierces the Pitamaha with many arrows deadly as lightning
and fatal as a snake’s venom. But all the Panchala prince’s missiles have
little impact as Bhishma receives them smiling, as if with delight. Even as a
man whose body is fevered by summer heat welcomes torrential rain so
does awesome Bhishma seem to welcome Sikhandin’s arrows.
All the assembled Kshatriyas behold Bhishma as a great and fierce
being, more than merely a man, who relentlessly devastates the Pandava
warriors. Duryodhana says to his troops, “Attack Arjuna from all sides.
Bhishma will protect you.”
The Kaurava forces shed their fears and charge the Pandavas.
Duryodhana says again to them, “With his lofty standard with the golden
palmyra, Bhishma stands resolute, protecting the honour and the power of
all the Dhartarashtra warriors. The very Devas cannot defeat him. What
then to say about the Pandavas who are mere mortals? Kshatriyas, do not
flee when you face Arjuna. I myself will fight the Pandavas, and be your
support.”
Hearing your son’s words, Rajan, enraged warriors of the Videhas, the
Kalingas, and the many tribes of the Daserkas fall upon Phalguni. And
many belonging to the Nishadas, the Sauviras, the Bahlikas, the Daradas,
the western and northern kingdoms, the Malavas, the Abhighatas, the
Surasenas, the Sibis, the Vasatis, the Salwas, the Sakas, the Trigartas, the
Ambashtha, and the Kekayas, also swoop down on Arjuna, like swarms of
insects upon a fire.
Arjuna aims his devastras at the maharathas leading their akshauhinis;
he makes ashes of them, like a fire swallowing insects. As he creates
thousands upon thousands of arrows with his astras, his Gandiva dazzles.
Wounded by those arrows, their grand standards torn, those Kshatriyas,
even united, cannot so much as draw near Arjuna. Assailed by Kiritin’s
shafts, rathikas fall with their standards, horsemen with their horses, and
elephant riders with their elephants. Soon the earth is covered with the
fleeing forces of those kings, routed by Arjuna’s arrows.
Having crushed the Kaurava army, Arjuna looses a storm of arrows at
Dussasana. The iron shafts pierce through him, and enter the earth like
snakes through ant-hills. Arjuna kills Dussasana’s horses and his charioteer.
With twenty barbs he smashes Vivimsati’s chariot, then strikes that
prince with five straight shafts. Attacking Kripa and Vikarna and Salya with
a terrific volley, he demolishes their chariots. Defeated, they flee, along
with Dussasana and Vikarna and Vivimsati.
Victorious over those maharathas, Arjuna blazes like a god on
Kurukshetra. Unleashing waves of arrows on every side, even like the sun
streaming rays, Partha overcomes many other kings. Bhaarata, killing them
disdainfully with his unearthly archery, he makes another bloody river flow
between the Kaurava and Pandava hosts.
Elephants and horses and maharathikas are slaughtered by chariot
warriors. And many chariot warriors are trampled by elephants, and many
horses are butchered by foot-soldiers. The bodies of elephant-riders and
horsemen and chariot warriors are hacked to pieces, which, along with their
heads, tumble to the ground.
And the field of the dread war, Rajan, is strewn with the corpses of
princes, maharathikas all falling or fallen, decked with ear-rings and
bracelets. The bodies of warriors bisected by chariot wheels, or crushed by
elephants, also lie scattered. And foot-soldiers and horse riders flee.
Elephants and maharathikas plunge to the earth on all sides. Numerous
chariots, with their wheels, yokes and standards smashed, lie strewn across
Kurukshetra, as if by some vengeful god’s hand. Dyed with the gore of
numerous elephants, horses and chariot warriors, the earth looks beautiful
like a red cloud in the sky.
Dogs, crows and vultures, wolves and jackals, and other terrifying
beasts and birds howl and screech, hungering for dead flesh. Many fell
winds blow from all sides. And Rakshasas and Pisachas can be seen with
monstrous and ghoulish visages roaring fiercely. Golden strings and costly
banners flap in the unnatural wind. Thousands of royal parasols and lofty
chariots with splendid standards lie ruined on the ground.
Before all the archers, Bhishma invokes an agneyastra and aims it at
Arjuna. His kavacha glittering, Sikhandin rides between the Kuru ancient
and Arjuna and attacks Bhishma fiercely. Bhishma promptly withdraws the
blinding astra of flames. Arjuna of the white steeds continues to raze your
forces, letting ever more streams of blood, while Bhishma is a helpless
spectator to the massacre of his army.’
CANTO 119
anjaya says, ‘Resolved to fight to the death, the teeming legions of

both armies are ranged against each other, tenacious Kshatriyas ranged
in vyuhas which have long since been violated. And no more, as had been
agreed before the war began, do rathikas exclusively fight other chariot
warriors, or foot-soldiers against foot-soldiers, or horsemen face other
horsemen, or elephant-warriors other elephant-warriors. Instead, possessed
completely by the feral spirit of war they attack each other wildly,
chaotically, like men gone mad.
Ghastly devastation sweeps both armies, as elephants and men fight
each other without distinction.
Then Salya and Kripa, and Chitrasena, and Dussasana, and Vikarna,
mounted on their shining chariots, bring swift terror to the Pandava host.
Savaged by those great Kshatriyas, the Pandava army reels and lurches like
a boat tossed on the ocean by the wind. Like the biting cold that chills the
blood of soft cows, Bhishma ploughs through the forces of sons of Pandu.
Immaculate and absolute mayhem rules Kurukshetra. Celebrated Arjuna
fells your mighty tuskers like bulging clouds; his arrows drink the blood
and claim the lives of great rathikas by now past all count. Struck by
tempests of arrows and spears, whole elephant legions fall trumpeting. And
oh, the battlefield looks eerily magnificent with the lifeless bodies and
heads of warriors still adorned with sparkling ornaments.
Watching the Pitamaha exert himself against the storming Arjuna, your
sons draw near him and surround him with their forces. Wanting to give up
their lives and attain swarga this very day, they ride fearlessly at the
Pandavas. Remembering all the insults and injuries inflicted upon them by
you and your son, the noble Pandavas, eager for revenge and victory,
joyfully engage your sons and their army.
The Pandava Senapati Dhrishtadyumna roars to his men, “Somakas and
Srinjayas, attack Bhishma!” And though wounded by innumerable arrows,
they charge at the son of Ganga. Himself in the grip of the fury of battle, the
Pitamaha turns on the Srinjayas. When he was a boy, Bhishma learnt the
astra shastra from great Parasurama, who imparted to him knowledge of
mighty devastras which could consume hostile armies. Using that
knowledge now, the Kuru ancient wreaks havoc on the enemy ranks, killing
ten thousand great warriors every day.
Bharatarishabha, on the tenth day, Bhishma single-handedly slaughters
ten thousand elephants. He kills seven famed maharathikas of the Matsyas
and the Panchalas; he kills five thousand foot-soldiers, one thousand
tuskers, and ten thousand horses and horsemen.
Having razed the troops of all the kings who have come to war for the
Pandavas, he kills Satanika, Virata’s beloved brother. The incomparable
Bhishma annihilates a thousand Kshatriyas with his broad-headed
inexorable shafts. He cuts a russet swathe through the Kshatriyas of the
Pandava army as they advance towards him following Arjuna.
Enveloping the Pandava host with dense barrages of arrows, with fire,
water and wind of awesome devastras, Bhishma stands imperious at the
head of the Kaurava forces. On the tenth day of the war, he stands between
the two armies, bow in hand, and none of the kings can even look at him,
for he burns like the mid-day sun in the summer sky. As Sakra scorched the
Daitya host in battle, even so does Bhishma sear the Pandava army.
Seeing the Kuru Pitamaha’s torrid prowess, Krishna says blithely to
Arjuna, “‘There between the two armies stands Bhishma, the son of
Shantanu, devouring our ranks. Only you can withstand Bhishma’s arrows.
Only you can bring him down. Kill Bhishma today, Arjuna, or this war will
be lost.”
The Vanara bannered Arjuna lifts his archery and shrouds Bhishma, his
chariot, horses and standard with his blistering arrow storm. But serenely
Bhishma cuts Arjuna’s every shaft down.
Dhrishtaketu, Bhima, Dhrishtadyumna, Nakula and Sahadeva,
Chekitana, and the five Kaikaya brothers, and Mahabaho Satyaki and
Subhadra’s son, and Ghatotkacha, and the five sons of Draupadi, and
Sikhandin, and the valiant Kuntibhoja, and Susarman, and Virata, and
countless powerful Pandava warriors have been wounded by Bhishma’s
arrows, and they all seem plunged in an ocean of despair, until Arjuna
arrives to rescue them.
Protected by Arjuna, Sikhandin seizes a mighty astra and charges
toward Bhishma alone. The indomitable Arjuna makes short and bloody
work of those who surround and follow Bhishma, and then himself attacks
the Pitamaha. Satyaki, and Chekitana, and Dhrishtadyumna, and Virata, and
Drupada, and Madri’s twin sons, all led and shielded by Arjuna, attack
Bhishma. And Abhimanyu, and the five sons of Draupadi, with raised
weapons, also storm against him.
All those unwavering maharathas pierce various parts of great
Bhishma’s body with deadly barbs. Disregarding them entirely, Bhishma
plunges ahead into the Pandava ranks with undimmed assurance.
Effortlessly he thwarts all the arrows they rain down upon him and strikes
them with terror and death.
Glancing frequently at Sikhandin, always with a mocking smile, always
remembering this prince was born a woman, he does not aim a single arrow
at him. Instead he kills seven maharathikas of Drupada’s akshauhini.
Confused and despairing shouts arise amongst the Matsyas, the Panchalas,
and the Chedis, who unitedly attack that preternatural Kshatriya. With vast
numbers of foot-soldiers and horses and chariots, and with unending volleys
of arrows, they engulf Bhishma, son of Bhagirathi, that devourer of his
enemies, like clouds hiding the sun.
Truly now, the war is turned as awesome as the Devasura yuddha of old
at its most brutal, and Arjuna Kiritin sets Sikhandin before him and strikes
Bhishma repeatedly with transcendent archery, with terrible fusillades.’
CANTO 120
anjaya says, ‘Keeping Sikhandin in front, the Pandavas surround

Bhishma and rain wave upon wave of arrows at him. All the Srinjayas
unite to strike him with hundred-flamed satagnis, with spiked maces and
battle-axes, clubs and bearded barbs, golden winged shafts and spears and
Kampana, arrows with heads shaped like the calf-tooth and myriad other
missiles.
His coat of mail is pierced all over; he is wounded in every vital part and
blood gushes from all him limbs; but Bhishma feels no pain. And to his
enemies, he looks like the fire that blazes at the end of the yuga. His bow
and arrows are the apocalyptic flames of that fire. The flight of his astras is
like the winds of the pralaya. The clatter of his chariot wheels is its heat,
and his weapons are its blinding brilliance. His beautiful bow forms its
fierce tongue and the bodies of heroic warriors he slays is the source of its
energy.
Bhishma blasts his scarlet way through hosts of chariots that encircle
him and emerges triumphant from the welter of that seething throng.
Ignoring the king of the Panchalas and Dhrishtaketu, he penetrates deep
into the Pandava army. He stabs the six Pandava maharathas, Satyaki and
Bhima, Arjuna and Drupada, Virata and Dhrishtadyumna, with a many
headed dragon of arrows which can melt any armour on earth.
Those maharathas foil Bhishma’s beast of barbs and strike him
forcefully with ten barbs, always closing in on him still. Sikhandin
continues to pierce great Bhishma’s body with his golden winged arrows,
and Bhishma never offers him any response. And protected by Sikhandin,
Arjuna dashes at Bhishma and smashes his bow in his hands.
The seven maharathas, Drona and Kritavarman, Jayadratha and
Bhurisravas, Sala and Salya, and Bhagadatta cannot bear to watch this
affront. Inflamed, they assail Arjuna; they cover him with elemental
devastras and the thousands of shafts that these divine weapons spew. As
they charge Arjuna’s chariot, their roaring is like that of the raging ocean at
the end of the yuga: kill, bring up our forces, take, pierce, hack them down!
These shouts resound all around.
Hearing that tumult, the Pandava maharathas fly up to defend Arjuna.
Satyaki, and Bhima, and Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata’s race, and Virata and
Drupada, and the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha, and the wrathful Abhimanyu:
enraged, and bearing mighty bows, they advance like seven storms. And the
battle that breaks out between them and the Kaurava warriors makes one’s
hair stand on end, even on this tenth blood-soaked day of the war, for it is
like the battle of the Devas against the Danavas.
Guarded by Arjuna, the Kiritin, Sikhandin strikes Bhishma with ten
deep arrows after the Pitamaha’s bow was broken. He strikes Bhishma’s
charioteer with another volley, and fells his standard with yet another.
Bhishma takes up another colossal bow. That too is riven by Arjuna with
three barbs. Bhishma seizes up another, quick as thinking, but ambidextrous
Arjuna, switching the Gandiva from hand to hand, breaks that one as well,
and, indeed, every other bow which his Pitamaha picks up.
Bhishma licks the corners of his mouth and takes up a spear charged
with an astra which can split a mountain. He hurls it furiously at Arjuna’s
chariot. Watching it course towards him like lightning, Partha looses five
thick arrows swift as the mind and shatters Bhishma’s recondite missile into
five pieces. And it plummets, extinguished, like a flash of lightning
separated from a mass of clouds.
Bhishma flares up in anger. That Kshatriya, that conqueror of enemy
cities, now says to himself, “With a single bow I could kill all the Pandavas,
if they were not protected by Mahavishnu himself.
But I will not fight them for two reasons: because they cannot be slain
and because Sikhandin is a woman. When my father married Kali, he
granted me two boons: that no one could kill me in war, and that I could
choose the time of my death. I believe that this is the fitting hour, and I
should now wish my own death.”
Knowing Bhishma’s resolve, the Rishis and the Vasus in the sky say,
“We commend your decision, O son! Do as you have resolved and
withdraw your heart from battle.” As they finish speaking, a fragrantly
moist and auspicious breeze blows along a natural direction. Heavenly
cymbals clash and a shower of bright unearthly flowers rains down upon
Bhishma.
Only Bhishma hears the words spoken by the Rishis and the Vasus. And
I hear them through the power given to me by the Muni. The hearts of the
Devas are full of anguish at the thought of Bhishma, that favourite son of all
the worlds, falling from his chariot.
Having heard those divine words, though deeply pierced already,
Bhishma of great tapasya attacks Arjuna more violently than ever. Incensed,
Sikhandin strikes the Pitamaha in the chest with nine sharp arrows.
Bleeding profusely, yet Bhishma remains fearless, and unyielding as a
mountain during an earthquake. With a ferocious laugh, Arjuna draws his
Gandiva, strikes the son of Ganga with twenty five barbs, and then roaring
he pierces him through every limb and vital organ with a fiery sermon of
hundreds of arrows.
Maharatha Bhishma remains unmoved and returns Arjuna’s mighty fire,
shaft for shaft. As for Sikhandin’s whetted arrows with golden wings, they
make not the least impression on the Kuru grandsire.
Still keeping Sikhandin before him, and his rage quickening each
moment, even as if he finds himself hurtling, now helplessly, toward some
great and fateful moment in time, Arjuna continues to advance towards
Bhishma and once more breaks the bow in his hands. Striking Bhishma
with ten punitive arrows, he cleaves the Pitamaha’s standard with another.
Pounding Bhishma’s chariot with ten explosive shafts, he makes him
shudder.
The son of Ganga takes up an even greater bow. But no sooner does he
heft it than Arjuna slices it into three slivers with a trinity of broad-headed
shafts. And thus the son of Pandu destroys all Bhishma’s bows in that duel.
Suddenly the last vestige of resistance within Bhishma, the pure
Kshatriya, gives way and with it Bhishma no longer wants to fight Arjuna.
Arjuna strikes him with another tremendous volley of twenty five thudding
shafts. Dripping blood, down his noble face and his magnificent body,
Bhishma says to Dussasana, “Behold Arjuna, this magnificent Pandava
maharathika, who has single-handedly pierced me with countless arrows.
Not even Indra can vanquish Arjuna in battle. As for me, even united, the
Devas, Danavas and Rakshasas cannot quell me. What then of maharathas
among men?”
Even while Bhishma is speaking, Arjuna, still with Sikhandin before
him, continues to attack his Pitamaha.
Deeply wounded by Arjuna’s unearthly shafts, Bhishma says to
Dussasana with a smile, “These arrows coursing at me in a straight line,
whose touch is like lightning, are not Sikhandin’s but Arjuna’s. They plunge
easily through my impenetrable armour, strike me with the force of
mushalas and shake me with their ferocity. These shafts are not Sikhandin’s.
Hard as the Brahmana’s rod of punishment and with an irresistible force
like lightning, these arrows ravage my very prana. These are not
Sikhandin’s. Each as forceful as a mace or a jagged club, these arrows
destroy my strength like messengers sent by Yama himself. These are not
Sikhandin’s. Like angry serpents, flicking their tongues, these barbs eat into
my vitals. These are not Sikhandin’s—these that cut through me like the
biting cold of winter that kills cows.
Other than the valorous wielder of Gandiva, the Vanara-bannered
Jishnu, all other kings, even united, cannot harm me in the least.”
And then, once more Kshatriya fire blazes up in the old warrior, like a
lamp burning high just before it is put out, and Bhishma unleashes a terrible
astra at Arjuna as if to destroy all the Pandavas with that single weapon.
Before all the great warriors of your army, Arjuna truncates the incendiary
shaft with three light like arrows, and it falls harmlessly to the ground.
Ready for either death or victory, Bhishma takes up a sword and a golden
shield. Before he can even alight from his chariot, Arjuna shatters that
shield into a hundred pieces. All this, my lord, is breathtaking.
Yudhishtira goads his forces on crying, “Charge at Ganga’s son. Do not
be afraid!” And roaring all together, as if in some god’s gigantic voice, they
attack that solitary warrior from all sides with bearded shafts and long
spears, axes and swords, with calf-toothed and thick arrows.
Longing for Bhishma’s triumph, your sons surround him also roaring
like lions. On that tenth day of the great war, when Bhishma and Arjuna
face each other in that final contention, the two armies, with everything at
stake this momentous day, fight a battle like none yet seen, inundating
Kurukshetra with noble warriors’ gore. An abysmal whirlpool of killing and
dying rises and spins wildly where the two armies collide, even like the
vortex that occurs where the Ganga meets the ocean. And the bloody Earth
assumes a fierce form. Her even and rough surfaces can no longer be
distinguished; the swollen tide of blood covers them.
Although pierced in all his limbs and vital organs, Bhishma stands
serene, having annihilated ten thousand warriors. At the head of his forces,
Arjuna breaks through the very heart of the Kaurava legions. With white
horses yoked to his whirling chariot, he terrifies us with his astras, and your
men flee from the nightmared field.
The Sauviras, the Kitavas, the kings of the eastern, western and northern
regions, the Malavas, the Abhishahas, the Surasenas, the Sibis, the Vasatis,
the Salwas, the Sayas, the Trigartas, the Ambashthas, the Kaikeyas, and
many other illustrious warriors, all mutilated by implacable, paramount
Arjuna, desert Bhishma and flee.
The Pandava hosts encircle Bhishma and overwhelm the Kauravas that
protect him. Kill, hack them to pieces, show no mercy, drink his blood, off
with their heads! These are the unmitigated roars and yells which ring out
around Bhishma’s chariot.
Having killed so many thousands, now every inch of Bhishma’s body is
pierced by arrows, most of them Arjuna’s keen shafts. And then, with a
final echoing roar, with his head to the east, just before sunset, before your
sons’ very eyes, mighty, mighty Devavrata falls out of his chariot and onto
to the waiting, grieving earth.
When Bhishma falls, the sky is rent with the sad cries of the Devas and
of earthly kings. Seeing the high-souled Pitamaha fall, our hearts fall with
him. That greatest of all maharathas, that Mahabaho, plunges to the ground
like Indra’s standard cut down, and the earth shakes.
With arrows protruding from him all over, his body never touches the
ground. O Bharatarishabha, at that awful moment a miracle reveals him
lying on a bed of arrows all plunged deep into his own body! Cloud scud
into the sky at that twilight hour and bathe his resplendent, bleeding form
with a soft, cool, fragrant shower; and Bhumi Devi trembles.
Fallen Bhishma observes that the sun is in the southern solstice, and he
does not allow himself to die, for it is Dakshinayana still and an
inauspicious time. The very sky is full of divine voices saying, “Why does
Ganga’s son, that foremost of all men, give up his life during the southern
declension?”
Hearing them, Bhishma replies, “I am alive!”
Although fallen, Bhishma waits for Uttarayana, the northern declension,
to die. Learning of his resolve, Ganga, the daughter of Himavat, sends some
great Rishis to him. They come as swans who dwell on the Manasa lake,
and fly down together to Bhishma, where he lies on his bed of arrows.
Those Rishis alight from the sky and walk around him in pradakshina.
Knowing well that it still Dakshinayana, while the Sun is on his southern
journey, they say to one another, “Being such a Mahatman, why should
Bhishma pass from the world during the southern declension?”
Having said this, they fly up and towards the southern direction.
Knowing Bhishma sees them and reflects for a moment. And he says to
them, “I will not leave this world as long as the sun is in the southern
solstice. I will die when the Sun resumes his northern journey, during
Uttarayana. O swans, I swear this to you. I will keep my breath in this
broken body until the northern declension.
I can choose the hour of my death, it was my father’s boon to me and let
his boon be proved true. I will stay alive, and die only when the Sun
resumes his northern course during Uttarayana. I will hold life within this
body and I have the power to decide the time of my death.” Having said
these words to the swans, Bhishma continues to lie upon his bed of arrows.
The Pandavas and the Srinjayas rejoice when they see Bhishma fall, and
your son is aghast when the Pitamaha is overthrown. All the Kauravas are
stricken, benumbed. Led by Kripa and Duryodhana they stand transfixed,
tears leaking from their disbelieving eyes. Overcome, they remain
motionless for a long time; as if frozen in that abyssal moment, they no
longer fight the Pandavas.
When the unslayable Bhishma of untold tejas is felled, all the Kauravas
think that the destruction of the Kuru king is now certain. Routed by
Arjuna, in the midst of their fallen heroes, themselves mangled, they are all
bemused, not moving a muscle, not knowing what to do.
The daring Pandavas, raise massive arms that look like spiked maces,
and exult in their victory and blow their great conches. And the Somakas
and the Panchalas rejoice. Thousands of trumpets are blown, and the mighty
Bhima slaps his arm-pits and roars and roars above the shocked silence,
peals of thunder.
When Bhishma falls, the warriors of both armies put down their
weapons. Some then scream loudly and some flee, while others faint. Some
condemn the ways of the Kshatriya varna while others praise the fallen
Bhishma.
The Rishis and the Pitris all extol Bhishma of lofty vows; the departed
ancestors of the Bhaaratas also honour Bhishma. Meanwhile, wise Bhishma
himself, the noble son of Shantanu who knows the final Yoga, the
communion described in the Vedanta, prays silently. He is quiet, and awaits
his hour.’
CANTO 121
hritarashtra says, ‘Alas, deprived of Bhishma, god-like

Brahmacharin, what is the state of my warriors, O Sanjaya? The very
moment that Bhishma did not attack Sikhandin, even though he
despised him, I knew that the Kurus would soon be vanquished by the
Pandavas.
Ah, I am dejected to hear of the Pitamaha’s fall. What can be a heavier
sorrow than this? My heart must surely be made of stone that it does not
break into a hundred pieces on hearing of Bhishma’s end! Tell me of his
achievements for, alas, the war has claimed even he who was invincible.
I cannot bear that Devavrata should be killed in battle. He who could not
be overcome by Jamadagni’s son himself, even with divine astras, alas, he
is now felled by Drupada’s son Sikhandin, that paltry prince of Panchala.’
Sanjaya says, ‘Overpowered in the twilight hour, the Pitamaha Bhishma
dismays the Dhartarashtras and delights the Panchalas. Falling onto the lap
of the Earth, he lies on his bed of arrows without his body touching the
ground.
When he plunges from his chariot, despondent cries are heard among all
creatures. When that great tree of shelter of the Kurus, the ever victorious
Bhishma, plummets, the Kshatriyas of both armies are astounded. Seeing
Bhishma overthrown with his standard, his armour desiccated, the Kauravas
and the Pandavas are both grief-stricken. And the sky darkens and the Sun
himself is dimmed. The Earth seems to cry out when Bhishma is cut down.
This one is the foremost of those with knowledge of the Vedas! He is
unsurpassed in this learning! This is what all men say of that
Purusharishabha as he lies on his bed of a thousand arrows.
Once, discovering that his father Shantanu had been struck by Kama, he
resolved to draw up his vital seed and to remain a brahmacharin
throughout his life—this is what the Rishis, Siddhas and the Charanas say
of Bhishma as he lies on his bed of arrows.
When Bhishma, the Pitamaha of the Bhaaratas, is struck down, your
sons stand as if in a nightmare, bewildered, disbelieving, not knowing what
to do next. Their hearts and faces are suffused with sadness. Their splendid
appearances are dull. They hang their heads low in shame.
The victorious Pandavas, on the other hand, stand jubilantly at the head
of their forces; and they blow their golden conches. As thousands of
trumpets blast celebrantly, we see the mighty Bhima, drenched in blood,
looking like some gory phantasm, prancing about, dancing, roaring, even
singing in delight, having himself slaughtered countless enemy maharathas,
among them many of your sons.
The Kauravas are crippled in spirit. Karna and Duryodhana sigh deeply.
When Bhishma falls, cries of anguish and dismay are heard all around, and
great confusion sweeps your son’s ranks.
Seeing Bhishma fall, your son Dussasana swiftly rides into Drona’s
akshauhini. Duryodhana had given charge of protecting Bhishma’s life to
his younger brother, with his legion. Dussasana is now surrounded by a sea
of abject, shocked fighting men. The Kauravas surround him wanting to
hear what he has to say.
Dussasana gives Drona the grave tidings, and the Acharya staggers as if
struck by an astra and falls down in a dead faint. When he recovers, he
stops the Kuru army from continuing the battle. Seeing the Kauravas hold
back, the Pandavas send messengers on horseback to forbid their forces also
from fighting on. The kings of both armies remove their armour and move
towards Bhishma.
Thousands of other warriors too put down their weapons and advance
towards the high-souled Bhishma, like the Devas towards Indra. The
Pandavas and Kauravas approach Bhishma, lying on his bed of arrows, and
bow reverently to him.
Bhishma speaks to the Pandavas and the Kurus who stand sorrowing
and silent before him. He says, “Welcome to you, blessed ones! Welcome to
you, maharathas! I am pleased to see you, who are the equals of the very
Devas.” His head lolls back awkwardly unsupported. Bhishma says, “My
head need a pillow, fetch me one.”
The assembled kings rush away and bring back many soft and fine
pillows. The Pitamaha refuses them all. That purushavyaghra says with a
laugh, “These are not fitting for a Kshatriya’s bed.” Seeing the world’s
greatest maharatha, Arjuna, he says “Dhananjaya, Mahabaho, my head
hangs back. Give me a pillow that you regard fitting.”’
CANTO 122
anjaya says, ‘Stringing the Gandiva and bowing, Arjuna, with tear-
filled eyes, says, “Command me, you invincible one, greatest of all
Kshatriyas, O foremost among the Kurus, for I am your slave! What should
I do, Pitamaha?”
Bhishma says, “My head droops. O Phalguna, quickly get me a pillow
for my bed. You are the most outstanding archer. You know Kshatriya
dharma, and you are both wise and noble.”
Arjuna says, “So be it,” and sets himself to the task. He raises the
Gandiva and, with Bhishma’s leave and chanting mantras, drills three
arrows into the ground beneath the Pitamaha’s head, to be its support!
Bhishma is satisfied and he praises Arjuna.
Looking at all the Bhaaratas there, he says to Dhanajaya, “Son of Pandu,
you have given me a fitting pillow for a fallen Kshatriya. Had you done
otherwise, I would have cursed you. Mahabaho, a Kshatriya should sleep on
the battlefield on even such a bed of arrows.”
Bhishma then says to the gathered kings and princes, “Look at the
pillow that Arjuna has given me. I will lie on this worthy bed until the sun
turns north again at Uttarayana. Those kings who come to see me then will
watch me die. When the Sun moves towards Vaisravana on his swift chariot
yoked to seven horses, only then will I leave my body even like the dearest
friend.
Dig a ditch around me, O kings. Lying upon these hundreds of arrows, I
will worship the Sun. As for you, forsake your enmity and stop fighting.”’
Sanjaya continues, ‘Now some physicians and men skilled in drawing
out arrows, bring the tools of their trade. Seeing them, Bhishma says to
your son, “Dismiss these physicians with gifts, after paying proper respect
to them. I have no need for them now. I have won the highest and most
praiseworthy state ordained for Kshatriyas!
Lying on this bed of arrows, it is not proper for me to accept any
treatment. I should be burnt with these arrows in my body.” Duryodhana
honours and dismisses the physicians. The rulers of different realms who
witness this display of great Bhishma’s steadfast virtue are moved to
wonder.
The Pandavas and the Kauravas together draw near Bhishma Mahatman
lying on his magnificent bed. They pay him worship and circumambulate
him three times in pradakshina; posting guards around him, those
Kshatriyas, with bodies drenched in blood, retire to their tents in anguish,
reflecting on what they have seen this dreadful day, the first of the Kali
Yuga.
Krishna comes to the Pandavas, as those maharathas sit together both
elated and grief-stricken at the fall of Bhishma, and says to Yudhishtira,
“Your victory is the outcome of your good fortune. Through good fortune
alone the indomitable Bhishma has fallen. Or perhaps it is destiny that he
who was a master of every weapon found you, O king of dharma, as his
enemy and has been consumed by your wrathful eye!”
Dharmaraja Yudhishtira replies feelingly, “Krishna, through your grace
comes victory, and through your fury defeat! You dispel the fears of those
who worship you. You are our refuge. It is no surprise that they whom you
have always protected in battle, in whose welfare you have always been
engaged, Kesava, should triumph. With you as our protector, I do not regard
anything as surprising, fortunate or wonderful!”
Krishna answers with a smile, “O best of kings, only you can speak such
words!”’
CANTO 123
anjaya says, ‘The next morning, all the kings, the Pandavas and the
Dhartarashtras go again to the Pitamaha. They worship that
incomparable Kshatriya, lying on his hero’s bed, and stand before
him with folded hands. Thousands of maidens shower powdered
sandalwood, cooked rice grains over him; they drape auspicious garlands of
flowers on him.
And women and old men and children, and countless other spectators to
the gruesome war, all approach Bhishma like earthly creatures wanting to
gaze at the setting sun. Hundreds of thousands of conches boom and
trumpets resound, and actors, mimes, and skilled craftsmen draw near the
aged Pitamaha to pay homage.
The war pauses, as the Pandavas and the Kauravas put aside their
armour and weapons and together come to that Parantapa. And once more,
as in earlier times, they stand there together, kinsmen and enemies, and
speak to each other amiably. That assemblage of hundreds of Bhaarata
kings, adorned by Bhishma in their very midst, is glorious like a gathering
of the Devas in Swarga. And they honour him like the Devas adore Brahma.
Though his body is broken by the very arrows on which he now lies, and
they sear pain through him like burning fire, Bhishma shows hardly any
sign of agony. Almost unconscious because of his wounds, Bhishma looks
at the kings and asks for water. Those Kshatriyas bring him many beautiful
jars of cool, crystalline water, and other exquisite drinks besides.
Seeing all that sweet water and wine, Bhishma says curtly, “I am now
distanced from worldly pleasures and this fine water and wine is of no use
to me. I am lying on a bed of arrows, waiting for the return of the Moon and
the Sun!” Thus reproaching the kings in a low voice, he says, “I want to see
Arjuna.”
Mahabaho Arjuna comes forward, stands with folded hands, and says,
“What shall I do?”
The righteous Bhishma says to him, “My body burns with your shafts
and I am in agony. My mouth is parched. Give me water, O Arjuna. You are
a great archer, and only you can give me water to quench my thirst.”
Arjuna says, “I will, Pitamaha.”
He mounts his chariot, and stretches the Gandiva. Hearing the twang of
his bow and the slap of his palms like a thunderclap against his bowstring
terrifies the armies and the kings. That maharatha mounts his chariot and
circles the fallen Pitamaha. Before both vast hosts, chanting mantras to
invoke the Parjanyastra, Arjuna shoots a candescent arrow into the ground,
slightly south of where Bhishma lies.
Nectar-like in scent and taste, a spring of pure, auspicious and cool
water gushes out of the earth and up into Bhishma’s lips. And with that jet
of water Arjuna slakes the thirst of Bhishma, that bull among the Kurus, of
godlike deeds and prowess.
Watching that Sakra-like feat of Arjuna’s, all the kings are amazed; and
seeing his superhuman ability, the Kurus tremble like cows shivering in the
cold. The gathered sovereigns of the world wave their pennants in
admiration. And the deafening blast of conches and the pounding of drums
are heard all over the battlefield.
His thirst quenched, Bhishma praises Arjuna before all the kings saying,
“O Mahabaho, this is not as amazing as it seems, O son of Kuru’s race, for,
you of immeasurable effulgence, even Narada spoke of you as the ancient
Rishi Nara!
With Krishna for your ally, you will accomplish things that even Indra
may not try to achieve. Those who know such things recognise you as the
destroyer of the entire race of Kshatriyas. You are the supreme archer. You
are the most superior man. Just as humans are the best of all animals, and as
Garuda is the foremost of all avians; as the Ocean is the best among all
water bodies, and the cow foremost among all quadrupeds; as the sun is the
most brilliant among all luminous bodies and Himavat among all
mountains; as the Brahmana is among all varnas, you are the greatest
archer!
Duryodhana did not listen to what Vidura and Drona and Rama and
Janardana and I, and also Sanjaya repeatedly said to him. Rashly, foolishly,
he ignored our most earnest advice. Beyond all counsel, he will die at the
hands of Bhima!”
Hearing these words, Duryodhana is plunged in dejection. Bhishma
says, “Listen to me, O king, and at least now discard your anger. You have
seen how Arjuna created this spring of water like amrita for me. No one
else on earth can achieve such a feat.
The weapons of Agni, Varuna, Soma, Vayu, and Vishnu, those of Indra,
Pasupati, and Paramesthi, and those of Prajapati, Dhatri, Tashtri, Savitri,
and Vivaswat—in this world of men, all these are known only to Arjuna.
Yes, Krishna also knows them. But there is no one else.
Not even if the Devas and Asuras unite can they defeat this son of Pandu
in battle. His powers are more than superhuman. Make peace with this
mighty warrior, this ornament of battle. Before great Krishna is moved to
complete wrath, king of the Kurus, it is dharma for you make peace with
the heroic sons of Pandu. As long as a few of your brothers still remain
unslain, let peace, O Rajan, be struck. Before Yudhishtira, with eyes blazing
fury, entirely annihilates your forces, let peace be made. Before Nakula, and
Sahadeva, and Bhima exterminate your army, you must befriend the
Pandavas again.
Let this war end today with my death. Make peace with the Pandavas;
listen to me, Anagha, and do as I say! Only this can still save you, and
indeed the entire Kuru vamsa. Put aside your rage and make peace with
your cousins.
What Arjuna has achieved is enough. Let Bhishma’s death renew love
between the sons of Dhritarashtra and those of Pandu. Let the surviving
warriors live. Relent, O Rajan! Give half the kingdom to the Pandavas. Let
Dharmaraja Yudhishtira go to Indraprastha. Do not be small-minded or
incite further bloodshed; this will only bring you eternal disgrace among the
kings of the earth.
With my death, let peace come to all. Let all the rulers of the earth
embrace and mingle joyfully with one another. Let father be united with
son; let sister’s son join his uncle. Ah Suyodhana, if ignorance and
foolishness keep you from listening to me, you will repent greatly. This is
the truth. Stop this war now!”
Having said this kindly to Duryodhana in the midst of the gathered
kings, Bhishma falls silent. The arrows burn his body and, withdrawing his
mind from the pain with dhyana, he applies himself to yoga.
Your son disregards what Bhishma has told him, those words of dharma
which might still have saved him, like a dying man refusing medicine.’”
CANTO 124
anjaya says, ‘After Bhishma shuts his eyes and falls silent, all the
assembled kings return to their encampments. When he hears that
Bhishma has been struck down, Radha’s son Karna comes alone to
him, in some fear. He sees that most illustrious Kshatriya lying on his bed
of reeds.
With eyes closed, he approaches Bhishma and falls at his feet. His voice
choking, Karna says, “O Lord of the Kurus, I am Radha’s son, whom you
always looked upon with hate whenever I was near.”
Bhishma opens his failing eyes, asks the guards around to withdraw, and
suddenly he embraces Karna with one arm, like a father holding his son,
and speaks to him lovingly. “Come, come near me. You are my adversary
who always challenges me. If you had not come to me, I would have been
sad indeed.
You are Kunti’s son, not Radha’s. Adhiratha is not your father.
Mahabaho, I heard this from Narada and from Krishna. And it is true. Ah
Karna, I do not bear you any grudge. I only spoke harshly to you to weaken
your resolve.
You of excellent vows, you speak ill of the Pandavas for no reason. You
were born out of wedlock and that is why you have said and done whatever
you have. Through pride, and keeping the company of base men, you have
come to hate men of worth. And so I spoke unkindly about you in the
Kaurava camp.
I know too well that your prowess in battle is irresistible. I also know of
your deep reverence for Brahmanas, your courage, and your charity. You
are like a Deva and there is none like you among men. I wanted to prevent
this war between brothers and that is why I always spoke cruelly and
contemptuously about you, for I knew that Duryodhana depended on you to
win this war for him. And, my child, as a warrior and an archer you are
Arjuna’s equal in battle, why, even Krishna’s peer!
O Karna, you rode by yourself to Kasi with your bow and vanquished all
the kings there single-handedly to get a bride for Duryodhana. The
invincible Jarasandha, who always boasted of his great prowess, was no
match for you in battle and you quelled him.
You are devoted to Brahmanas; you always fight fairly. In strength and
vigour, you are equal to a child of the Devas and superior to all men. I have
never felt any true anger towards you and that which I showed is now
dispelled. For I have learnt that men’s best efforts cannot prevent Destiny
from taken its course, having its way.
O Parantapa, the valiant sons of Pandu are your brothers. Mahabaho, if
you want to gratify me, your Pitamaha, join them. O Suryaputra, let this war
end with me. Even today let all the kings of the Earth who remain alive be
freed from danger!”
Karna says, “I know this, Mahabaho! It is as you say. I know I am
Kunti’s son, and not the son of a Suta. But I was abandoned by Kunti, and I
have been raised by a Suta. Having enjoyed the wealth and friendship of
Duryodhana, I cannot betray his trust now. Like Krishna who fights
resolutely for the Pandavas, I too am willing to sacrifice my possessions,
my body itself, my children, and my wife, for Duryodhana’s sake. It is
fitting for a Kshatriya to die on the battlefield, and not from disease or old
age!
Relying upon Suyodhana I have always chosen to oppose the Pandavas.
This choice will run its full course. It cannot be changed. Who dares, O
Bhishma, to challenge Destiny? Who can prevail against what is written in
the stars before we are even born?
Pitamaha, you saw and spoke of various signs and omens which
portended the destruction of the world. I know only too well that Arjuna
and Krishna cannot be conquered in battle. Still we will fight them. And I
will overcome Arjuna in war! This I am determined to do. I cannot put
aside this hatred I have for the Pandavas. Readily and unwaveringly, I will
face Arjuna in battle. I am firm in my resolve, so give me your leave to go
to war.
Now that you have fallen, I will fight. This is my only wish. Ah
Pitamaha, forgive me any cruel words that I may have spoken to you, or any
angry or callous deed which I might have directed against you.”
Bhishma says, “I allow you to fight, Karna, if you cannot root out this
loathing in your heart. Fight, moved by the wish to attain Swarga! Without
anger and spite, serve your king righteously with all your power and
courage.
You have my leave, Karna! Achieve what you seek. Through Arjuna
you will attain what is possible by fulfilling the dharma of a Kshatriya. Free
of pride, fight vigorously and well, for a Kshatriya’s source of happiness
lies in a just war. For a long time I tried to make peace between the sons of
Pandu and the sons of Dhritarashtra. But, Karna, I failed. This is the truth.”’
Sanjaya says, ‘Having obtained Bhishma’s forgiveness and his blessing,
Karna takes the dust from his Pitamaha’s feet, bows deeply to him, mounts
his chariot and rides towards Duryodhana’s tent.’”
End of Bhishma Parva

APPENDIX FOR THE BHAGAVAD GITA
1. Samkhya
Notes directly quoted from Sanskrit-English dictionary of Vaman Shivram

Apte:
1. Relating to numbers. 2. Calculating, enumerating. 3. Discriminative.
4. Deliberating, reasoning, a reasoner. 5. Of one of the 6 systems of Hindu
philosophy, attributed to the Sage Kapila. The philosophy is so called
because it enumerates 25 tattvas or true principles; its chief objective is to
enter the final emancipation of the 25th tattva, the Purusha or Soul, from the
bonds of this worldly existence—the fetters of phenomenal creation—by
conveying a correct knowledge of the 24 other Tattvas and by properly
discriminating the Soul from them. It regards the whole universe to be a
development of an inanimate principle called Prakriti q.v., while the
Purusha is altogether passive and simply an onlooker. Samkhya agrees with
the Vedanta in being synthetical and thus differs from the analytical Nyaya
or Vaiseshika; but its great point of divergence from the Vedanta is that it
maintains two principles that Vedanta denies, and it does not admit God as
the creator of the universe, which the Vedanta affirms.
2. Yoga
Also from the dictionary of Vaman Shivram Apte:

1. Joining, uniting. 2. Union, conjunction. 3. Deep and abstract
meditation, contemplation with the Supreme Spirit. 4. The system of
philosophy established by Patanjali, which is considered to be the second
division of the Samkhya philosophy, but is practically reckoned as a
separate system. The chief aim of the Yoga philosophy is to teach the means
by which the human soul may be completely united with the Supreme Spirit
and thus secure absolution; and deep abstract meditation is laid down as the
chief means to securing this end, elaborate rules being given for the proper
practice of such Yoga or concentration of mind.
3. For further details on Samkhya and Yoga philosophy, see:
1. ‘Samkhya and Yoga. Two classical Hindu “paths of insight”, by

Professor Russell Kirkland, University of Georgia.
2. Samkhya and Yoga, Encyclopaedia Britannica article.
3. Samkhya and Yoga, Wikipedia.
4. Classical Samkhya and Yoga: An Indian Metaphysics of Experience.
Mikel Burley (Routledge. July, 2006).
4. Kalpa
A NOTE ON HINDU TIME
365 human years make one year of the Devas and Pitrs, the Gods and the
manes.
Four are the ages in the land of Bharata: the krita, the treta, the dwapara
and the kali. The krita yuga lasts 4800 divine years, the treta 3600, the
dwapara 2400, and the kali 1200; and then, another krita yuga begins.
The krita or satya yuga is the age of purity; it is sinless. Dharma,
righteousness, is perfect and walks on four feet in the krita. But in the treta
yuga, adharma, evil, enters the world and the very fabric of time begins to
decay. Finally, the kali yuga, the fourth age, is almost entirely corrupt, with
dharma barely surviving, hobbling on one foot.
A chaturyuga, a cycle of four ages, is 12,000 divine years, or 365 x
12,000 human years long. 71 chaturyugas make a manvantara; fourteen
manvantaras, a kalpa. A kalpa of 1000 chaturyugas, 12 million divine years,
is one day of Brahma, the Creator.
8,000 Brahma years make one Brahma yuga, 1,000 Brahma yugas make
a savana, and Brahma's life is 3,003 savanas long.
One day of Mahavishnu is the lifetime of Brahma.’
THE COMPLETE
MAHABHARATA
Drona Parva
Born in 1951, S.B. Pillay is a retired Indian Audit and Accounts Service officer. He was educated at
St Xavier’s High School (Delhi), Loyola College (Kolkata), and received his master’s degree from
Loyola College in Chennai. He went on to study Law at St Xavier’s College, Mumbai.
During an illustrious career in the IA&AS, he worked all over India and abroad, as well, and has
a deep insight of Indian life. He was director general of the NAAA in Shimla and retired as
additional deputy CAG in 2011.
He has always been an avid reader and is the author of several comic and satirical pieces.
THE COMPLETE
MAHABHARATA
Volume 6
Drona Parva
S.B. Pillay
Published by
New Delhi 110002
Copyright © S.B. Pillay 2014

ISBN: 978-81-291-3261-1
First impression 2014
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent,
resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated, without the publisher’s prior consent, in any form of
binding or cover other than that in which it is published.
To my wife Anita
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
Canto 1–29 Dronabhisheka Parva

Canto 30–81 Abhimanyu-vadha Parva
Canto 82–148 Jayadratha-vadha Parva
Canto 149–180 Ghatotkacha-vadha Parva
Canto 181–199 Drona-vadha Parva

it still remains the only full English prose rendering of the epic by any
Indian.
reader. Our aim has not been to write a scholarly translation of the great
epic, but an eminently readable one, without vitiating either the spirit or the
Ramesh Menon
Series Editor
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks to my old friend Ramesh Menon, who brought me to this project.

And to Kadambari Mishra, who proofread this volume.
CANTO 1
DRONABHISHEKA PARVA
A UM! Having bowed down to Narayana, Nara, the foremost of

Purushas, and to Devi Saraswati, I invoke the spirit of Jaya!
‘Janamejaya said, “O regenerate Rishi, what does the powerful and
disconsolate Dhritarashtra, his eyes bathed in tears, do when he hears that
Sikhandin, prince of the Panchalas, has felled his sire, the incomparable
Bhishma of matchless tejas? His son Duryodhana wants to vanquish the
sons of Pandu, mighty bowmen all, through Bhishma, Drona and other
maharathas, and have undisputed sovereignty. Tell me, O Tapodhana, you
of the wealth of penances, what the scion of the Kurus does after Bhishma,
greatest of all bowmen, falls.”
‘Vaisampayana replied, “When he hears that his sire has fallen,
Dhritarashtra is filled with anxiety and sorrow, and has no peace of mind.
While he is plunged in grief, Gavalgana’s son Sanjaya, who has returned
that night to Hastinapura, visits the son of Ambika. With a cheerless heart
and anxious for his son’s victory, the king in great distress laments and then
questions Sanjaya, ‘Tell me, Sanjaya, after weeping for the felled
mahatman, the invincible Bhishma of terrible prowess, what did the
Kauravas do next, sunk as they were in an ocean of grief? Indeed, now that
the swelling forces of the Pandavas would strike fear into even the three
worlds, what did the assembled kings do after the Bharatarishabha
Bhishma’s fall?’
Sanjaya says, ‘Listen attentively, Rajan, and I will tell you what
happened after great Bhishma’s fall.
Your warriors and the Pandavas both reflect on the dharma of the
Kshatriya and are filled with wonder and joy. Then, following their
swadharma, they all bow to the maharatha and make a bed of straight
arrows for him, as well as a pillow, and also arrangements for his
protection, all the while engaging one another in pleasant converse. The
Kshatriyas bid Ganga’s son farewell and circumambulate him in
pradakshina; looking at one another with angry red eyes and urged by fate,
they take the field once more to do battle again.
The best part of the day has passed, when the divisions of your army
and those of the enemy, sally forth with a blast of trumpets and the beat of
drums. With hearts filled with wrath and touched by fate, they engage each
other again, disregarding the wise counsel of Ganga’s son Bhishma. Due to
your folly and your son’s folly and the fall of Bhishma, Death himself
seems to summon the Kauravas with all the kings allied to them.
Deprived of Devavrata and filled with great anxiety, the Kurus resemble
a herd of goats and sheep without a herdsman lost in a forest teeming with
beasts of prey. Indeed, the Kuru army looks like the firmament without its
stars, like the sky without the planets, like the earth with her crops all burnt,
like an oration flawed by bad grammar, like the ancient Asura sena after
Mahabali was struck down, like a beautiful bride deprived of her husband,
like a river whose waters have dried up, like a doe who has lost her mate
and is surrounded in the vana by wolves, or like a spacious mountain cave
with its lion killed by a Sarabha. Indeed, O king, the Bharata army is like a
frail boat on the bosom of the ocean, tossed by a tempest blowing from
every side.
Hard pressed by the heroic and inexorable Pandavas, the Kaurava host,
its steeds, maharathas and elephants are distressed, helpless and panic-
stricken. With the frightened kings and the common soldiers no longer
relying upon one another, the army deprived of Devavrata seems to sink
into the deepest Patala.
Then the Kauravas remember Karna, who, indeed, is equal to Bhishma
himself. All hearts turn to the greatest of all wielders of weapons, the one
resembling a Guest resplendent with gyana and tapasya, even as the
suffering heart of a man turns to a friend who can allay his distress. The
kings then cry out, “Karna! Karna! The son of Radha, our friend, the
Sutaputra, who is ever prepared to lay down his life in battle! The
illustrious Karna, with his followers and friends, did not fight these ten
days. O, summon him quickly!”
In the presence of all the Kshatriyas, Bhishma, during the enumeration
of valiant and mighty maharathas, called Karna an ardharatha, although that
bull among men is equal to two maharathas! Thus did Bhishma slight Karna
who is easily the greatest of all rathas and atirathas, he whom all Kshatriyas
respect, he who would venture to fight even Yama, Kubera, Varuna and
Indra!
In anger at this insult, Rajan, Karna vowed, “As long as you live, O
Bhishma, I will never fight! And if you succeed in slaying the sons of
Pandu in battle, I will, with Duryodhana’s leave, retire to the forest and take
sannyasa. But if, Bhishma, the Pandavas kill you and you find swarga, then
I will fight from a single chariot, and kill all those whom you regard as
great maharathas.”
Having said this, and with your son’s approval, Karna Mahabaho did
not fight for the first ten days of the war. The awesome Bhishma slew a
multitude of Yudhishtira’s warriors but when he is struck down, your sons
think of Karna, like men wanting to cross a river thinking of a boat.
Your warriors and sons, together with all the kings, cry out in unison,
“Karna!” And they all say, “This is the time to display your valour.”
We look to the invincible Karna, whom Jamadagni’s son Parasurama
taught the astra shastra! He, Rajan, can save us from great peril, why, even
like Govinda always rescues the Devas from the gravest dangers.”
To Sanjaya who thus repeatedly lauds Karna, Dhritarashtra sighs like a
snake and says, ‘I understand that your hearts are all turned towards
Vikartana and Radha’s son Karna and depend on the hero of the Sutas who
is always ready to give his life in battle. I hope that shura will not belie the
expectations of the grieving Duryodhana and the Kauravas, all of whom
look to him for sanctuary. With Bhishma, the refuge of Kauravas fallen, will
Karna, greatest of bowmen, fill the void he left and strike fear into the
hearts of the enemy and crown my sons’ hopes of victory with success?’”
CANTO 2
DRONABHISHEKA PARVA CONTINUED
“S anjaya says, ‘Then Karna, Adhiratha’s son of the Suta varna,

knowing that Bhishma has fallen, comes like a brother who wants
to rescue your son’s army from the distress into which it has fallen. Indeed,
hearing that Santanu’s son, the maharatha of unfading glory, has been struck
down from his chariot, Karna, greatest of all wielders of bows, swiftly joins
the battle, coming to rescue the Kuru host which is like a boat sunk in the
ocean, like a father to save his children.
Karna addresses the soldiers, “When Bhishma parantapa, who
possessed firmness, intelligence, prowess, vigour, truth, self-restraint and
all the virtues of a Kshatriya, and also devastras, humility, modesty,
pleasing speech and freedom from malice, the slayer of the enemies of
Brahmanas, in whom these attributes resided as permanently as Lakshmi in
the moon, alas, has fallen, I regard all the other Kshatriyas as already slain.
Due to the eternal connection of all things with karma, nothing exists in this
world that does not perish. When Bhishma Mahavrata has been felled, who
can say with certitude that tomorrow’s sun will rise? When he, endued with
prowess equal to that of the Vasus, born of the tejas of the Vasus, when he,
the sovereign of the earth, has fallen, do you grieve then for your
possessions, your children, for this very Bhumi, the Kurus and this host?”
Thus does Karna, with a dismal heart and eyes filled with tears, attempt
to console your sons. Hearing what he says, your sons and their soldiers,
initially wail and weep copious tears. However, when the dreadful battle is
rejoined, the Kaurava akshauhinis, urged on by the kings, once more set up
loud shouts, and Karna, bull among maharathas, speaks to the great chariot
warriors of the Kaurava army, words which bring great joy.
Karna says, “In this transient world, I regard all things as ephemeral for
they continually flit towards the jaws of Death. Still, with all of you present,
how could Bhishma, bull of the Kurus, immovable as a hill, be struck down
from his ratha? The son of Santanu even now lies on the ground like the
Sun himself fallen from the firmament and the Kuru kings are scarcely able
to face Arjuna, like trees that cannot bear the mountain-wind. Let the
burden to protect this helpless and despondent Kuru army, whose greatest
warrior the enemy has already cut down, now devolve on me. In this
fleeting universe, since the greatest of all Kshatriyas has been laid low, why
should I have any fear of battle? Rampaging through this field, I will
despatch the Pandavas to Yama. I hold honour and fame as the highest
objectives in the world and I will annihilate them in battle, or be slain and
sleep on the field of war.
Yudhishtira possesses determination, intelligence, virtue and might;
Bhima is equal to a hundred elephants in strength; Arjuna is young and is
the son of Indra, the king of the Devas; thus, even the gods cannot easily
vanquish the Pandava force. They include in their ranks, the twins, each like
Yama himself, Satyaki and Devaki’s son Krishna. Approaching them is like
entering the jaws of Death from which no coward can return.
As the wise meet growing ascetic power with their own tapasya, so
should force be opposed by force. Truly my mind is fixed firmly upon
fighting the enemy and protecting my own. O sarathy, today I will defy the
enemy’s might and vanquish him on this Kurukshetra. I will not allow this
feud between cousins to continue. When the troops are broken, he who
helps in the endeavour to rally them is truly a friend. I will either achieve
this deed of dharma worthy of an honest man, or casting off my life, I will
follow Bhishma. I will either slay all my enemies united, or killed by them,
find for myself the regions reserved for heroes. O Suta, I know that this is
what I must do when women and children cry for help, or when
Duryodhana’s power sustains a diminution. Therefore will I today vanquish
the foe in this terrible war, heedless of my very life; I will protect the Kurus
and destroy the sons of Pandu and all my other enemies banded together.
And then I will bestow undisputed sovereignty on Dhritarashtra’s son.
Let me don my golden kavacha, bright and radiant with jewels and
gemstones, and my crown, effulgent as the sun, let me take up my bows,
and arrows that resemble fire, poison or serpents. Let also sixteen quivers
be tied to my chariot in their proper places and let a number of superior
bows be stocked in it as well. Let also shafts, spears, heavy maces and my
conch worked with gold, be got ready. Fetch my many-coloured, beautiful
and brilliant gold standard, with the lustre of the lotus and bearing the
device of an elephant; clean it with a fine cloth and deck it with garlands
and cover it with a mesh of wires. O Suta’s son, bring me some fleet horses,
not lean, of the hue of tawny clouds, bathed in water sanctified with
mantras and caparisoned in trappings of bright gold. Quickly bring me such
an excellent ratha, decked with garlands of gold, adorned with gems bright
as the sun or the moon, stored with every weapon and yoked to superb
steeds. Bring me also a number of strong bowstrings for my bows; bring me
quivers, large and full of arrows, and armour for my body. Bring me also
with haste, every auspicious thing needed before setting out for battle, the
brass and gold vessels full of curd. Bring garlands of flowers and tie them
to the limbs of my body. Let drums be beaten for victory!
Then fly to where Arjuna Kiritin, Vrikodara, Dharmaputra Yudhishtira
and the twins are. I will either kill them, or being killed by them, follow
Bhishma. Arjuna, Krishna, Satyaki and the Srinjayas are a force that cannot
be conquered by the kings. But even if all-destroying Death himself, with
unremitting vigilance, is to protect Arjuna, I will still have his life; or go
myself to Yamaloka like Bhishma. Truly I say to you, I will ride into the
very midst of those Kshatriyas. The kings that are my allies are not
provokers of feuds, or of weak attachment to me, or of unrighteous souls.”
And so, riding on a wonderful, rich and mighty chariot, with an
excellent flagstaff and to which are yoked the best horses, fast as the wind,
decked with gold, auspicious and flying a noble standard, and whose
rumble resembles the rumbling of clouds, Karna rides forth fully prepared
for battle. Worshipped by the greatest of Kuru maharathas, even like Indra
by the Devas, the mahatman and fierce archer, of immeasurable energy like
the Sun himself, rides leading a large force to the heart of the battlefield
where Bharatarishabha Bhishma has paid his debt to nature.
Handsome and with the splendour of fire, the son of Adhiratha, the
matchless bowman and mighty warrior, then mounts his radiant chariot and
shines like Indra riding on his celestial vimana.’”
CANTO 3
“S anjaya says, ‘Seeing the Pitamaha, the venerable Bhishma, that

destroyer of all the Kshatriyas, the soul of dharma, and of infinite
tejas, that matchless archer shot down from his chariot by Arjuna with his
devastras and lying on a bed of arrows, looking like the vast ocean dried up
by mighty winds, the hope of your sons for victory disappears along with
their peace of mind. He was always an island for men sinking in the
fathomless ocean in their endeavours to cross it; and that Kshatriya now lies
covered with arrows that coursed in a stream as continuous as that of the
Yamuna, looking like Mainaka of awesome splendour struck down by
Indra. He lies prostrate on the earth like the sun fallen from the firmament,
he who looks like the inconceivable Indra himself after his defeat of long
ago by Vritra. The depriver of all warriors of their very senses, the greatest
of all shuras, the idol and ideal of all bowmen, bull among men, your
Pitamaha Bhishma Mahavrata, the grandsire of the Bharatas, has been
struck down in battle, covered with Arjuna’s terrible shafts, and lies on a
Kshatriya’s bed.
Adhiratha’s son Karna alights from his chariot in great sorrow, numb
with grief and in tears. He approaches on foot and with joined palms, says
reverentially, “I am Karna. Be you blessed! O Bhaarata, open your eyes and
look at me and speak sacred and auspicious words to me. Certainly no man
can enjoy in this world the fruits of his pious deeds, when you, venerable in
years and devoted to dharma, lie mortally wounded on the ground. O
Kurusattama, I do not see that there is anyone else among us who is
remotely your equal in filling the treasury, in counsels, in the deploying of
troops in the vyuhas of war and in the use of weapons. Alas, you who are
endowed with a righteous intellect and have always protected the Kurus
from every danger and killed numberless warriors are now on your way to
the realm of the Pitris.
From this day, the Pandavas, energised by this success, will slaughter
the Kurus like tigers hunting deer. Today the Kauravas, familiar with the
force of the twang of the Gandiva, will view Arjuna with complete terror,
like the Asuras do Vajradhari Indra. Today, the sound of the arrows shot
from the Gandiva, like heaven’s thunder, will fill the Kurus and all other
kings with absolute fear and like a raging conflagration devours a forest, the
shafts of the Kiritin will consume the Dhartarashtras. In the parts of a forest
through which fire and wind flare together, they burn all plants, vines and
trees. Without doubt, Arjuna is such a surging fire and Krishna is like the
wind. The blast of the Panchajanya and the twang of the Gandiva will fill
all the Kaurava troops with abject terror and panic.
Without you, when Arjuna rides at them, our kings will hardly bear the
thunder of his monkey-bannered chariot. Who among the kings, save you,
can match him whose feats in battle the wise say are all superhuman?
Superhuman was the battle that he fought with the Mahadeva of three eyes.
From Him he obtained a boon that men of unsanctified souls can never
attain. Delighted by the duel, Siva blessed the son of Pandu and gave him
his own astra. Who is there to vanquish him whom even you could not
defeat although you vanquished the fierce destroyer of the very Kshatriya
race, Parasurama, whom the Devas and the Danavas worship?
I am skilled and can withstand the son of Pandu, that greatest of
Kshatriyas. With your leave and blessing, I will even kill this valiant and
ferocious warrior who is like a snake of virulent poison and who slays his
enemies with just the looks from his eyes!”’”
CANTO 4
“S anjaya says, ‘After listening to Karna, the aged Kuru Pitamaha,

with a happy heart, gives this valuable advice, “Like the ocean to
rivers, like the Sun to all luminous bodies, like men of dharma to Truth, like
fertile soil to seeds, like the clouds to all creatures, be the refuge of your
relatives and friends! As the Devas depend on him of a thousand eyes, let
your kinsmen look to you. Be the conqueror of your enemies and the
enhancer of the joys of your friends. Be to the Kauravas what Vishnu is to
the dwellers of swarga.
O Karna, for Dhritarashtra’s son you once conquered the Kambojas of
Rajapura. In Girivraja, you defeated many kings, among whom Nagnajit
was the greatest, as well as all the Ambashtas, the Videhas and the
Gandharvas. You forced the Kiratas, so fierce in battle, who dwell in the
fastness of Himavat, to accept Duryodhana’s sovereignty. You subdued all
the Utpalas, the Mekalas, the Paundras, the Kalingas, the Andhras, the
Nishadas, the Trigartas and the Balhikas. In many other countries, Karna,
driven by just the wish to benefit Duryodhana, you crushed many vamsas
and kings of great tejas.
Like Duryodhana, with his kinsmen, relatives and friends, be you also
the refuge of all the Kauravas. In words of blessing I command you, go and
fight the enemy. Lead the Kurus in battle and bring victory to Duryodhana.
You are my grandson just as Duryodhana is. According to the law, all of us
also are as much yours as Duryodhana’s! The wise say that the
companionship of the righteous with other men of dharma is a superior
relationship to the one with those born of the same womb. Therefore, regard
the Kaurava army as your own and protect it even as Duryodhana would.”
Karna reverentially touches Bhishma’s feet, bids him farewell and joins
the other Kaurava archers. Looking at the vast and matchless Kuru army he
encourages and exhorts the well-armed and broad-chested warriors. All the
Kauravas led by Duryodhana are overjoyed and seeing the Mahabaho
Karna take the field and station himself at the head of their army; eager
again for battle, they receive him with loud shouts, slapping of armpits,
leonine roars, twanging of bows and diverse other kinds of loud bold
sounds.’”
CANTO 5
“S anjaya says, ‘Seeing Karna Purushavyaghra mount his chariot,

Duryodhana is filled with joy, and says, “With your protection,
this army now has a proper leader. Let us decide our strategy and what we
can achieve with our might.’
Karna replies, “Tell us yourself, O Naravyaghra, for you are the wisest
of kings. No one can know better what to do than the one who is the most
concerned. All these kings want to hear what you have to say. And I am
sure that you will say nothing that is amiss.”
Duryodhana says, “Bhishma was our commander, our aged and
seasoned senapati, mighty, learned and supported by all our warriors. He
achieved great glory, massacred vast numbers of my enemies, and served us
by fighting with dharma for ten days. He achieved the most difficult feats
but now that he is fallen, who, Karna, do you think is fit to be our senapati
after him? Without a senapati, an army cannot fight a war for even a short
while. You are the greatest warrior among us. An army without a general is
like a boat without a helmsman or a chariot without a charioteer. Like a
merchant who falls into every kind of distress when he is unacquainted with
the ways of the country he visits, an army without a senapati is exposed to
every kind of danger and loss. Therefore, look among the noble warriors of
our host and identify a commander who can succeed the son of Santanu. All
of us, without hesitation, will accept anyone you choose as the one fit to
lead us.”
Karna says, “All these best of men are mahatmans, and every one of
them deserves to be our senapati. There is no need for any minute
examination since all of them are highborn and masters of the art of war;
they all own prowess and intelligence, and are heedful men who know the
shastras. They are all wise and resolute in battle. Yet, since not all of them
can at once be the supreme commander of our forces, we must choose just
one of them in whom there are special and exceptional merits to be our
senapati. All of them regard one another as equals and if you honour one
among them, the others will be discontented and will no longer fight
wholeheartedly for you.
Drona, however, is the Acharya of all these warriors; he is venerable in
years, and worthy of reverence. Therefore, let this greatest of all warriors be
made our senapati. Who else is worthy of becoming our supreme leader,
when the invincible Drona, foremost of men who know the Brahman, equal
to Sukra or Brihaspati, is among us? Among all the kings in your army,
Bhaarata, there is not a single warrior who will not gladly follow Drona
when he takes the field. Drona is the foremost of all our commanders, our
greatest warrior, and the first among all intelligent men. Besides, Rajan, he
is your guru. So, Duryodhana, make him the senapati of your forces without
hesitation or delay, even as the Devas made Kartikeya theirs in their war
against the Asuras.”’
CANTO 6
“S anjaya says, ‘Hearing what Karna says, king Duryodhana

addresses Drona, who stands amongst the troops. “For the
superiority of the varna of your birth, for the nobility of your parentage, for
your learning, your age and intelligence, for your prowess, skill,
invincibility, knowledge of the world, policy, self-conquest, as well as for
your tapasya and your gratitude, superior as you are in every virtue among
these kings, there is none who will make a better senapati than you. Protect
us, therefore, as Indra did the Devas. With you as our general, we will, O
best of Brahmanas, vanquish our enemies.
As Kapali among the Rudras, Pavaka among the Vasus, Kubera among
the Yakshas, Vasava among the Maruts, Vasishta among Brahmanas, the sun
among light-givers, Yama among the Pitris, Varuna among aquatic beings,
as the Moon among the stars, and Usanas among the sons of Diti, so are you
the greatest of all lords of armies. Therefore, be you, O Anagha, our lord in
war. Let these eleven akshauhinis be obedient to your command. Deploy
these men for battle and destroy our enemies like Indra slaying the
Danavas. You lead us all, even like Pavaka’s son Kartikeya at the head of
the celestial host.
We will follow you into battle, like bulls following the leader of a herd.
You are a fierce and great archer, and besides, seeing you stretch your bow
at the head of our forces, Arjuna will not strike. Without doubt,
Naravyaghra, if you become our senapati, I will vanquish Yudhishtira with
all his followers and kinsmen in this war.”
After Duryodhana says these words, all the kings in the Kaurava army
cry “Jaya! Jaya Drona!” They delight your son with a tremendous shout.
The troops, with Duryodhana at their head, filled with joy and eager to win
great renown, begin to glorify that best of Brahmanas. Then, Rajan, Drona
addresses Duryodhana.’”
CANTO 7
‘D rona says, “I know the Vedas and their six angas. I am also
familiar with the science of human affairs and know the Saivastra
and diverse other weapons. I will attempt to display all the virtues that you
have attributed to me, while I fight the Pandavas. However, O king, I will
not be able to kill Drupada’s son Dhrishtadyumna, for he was born to kill
me. I will fight the Pandavas who will not fight me with happy hearts and I
will raze the Somakas.”
Thus permitted by Drona, your son, Rajan, then makes him senapati of
his forces with the rites laid down in the shastras. The kings in the Kaurava
army led by Duryodhana perform the investiture of Drona as the supreme
commander of their forces, even like the Devas led by Indra in the ancient
days, performing the investiture of Skanda.
The pounding of drums and the blare of conches follow this ritual—the
expression of the Kaurava army’s joy. They honour Drona with such cries
as greet one’s ears on a festive day, with auspicious invocations by
Brahmanas, and gratify him with cries of Jaya! from the foremost of
Brahmanas and with the dance of mimes and other players. The Kaurava
warriors regard the Pandavas as already vanquished.
Then maharatha Drona, Bharadwaja’s son, now senapati of the Kaurava
army, deploys his troops for battle, and goes forth to the field with your
sons to engage the enemy. The ruler of the Sindhus, the king of the
Kalingas and your son Vikarna, all clad in mail, take up their positions on
Drona’s right side, supported by Sakuni and a squadron of great horsemen
belonging to the Gandhara tribe, bearing bright lances. Kripa, Kritavarman,
Chitrasena, and Vivimsati, led by Dusasana, protect the left flank supported
by the swift cavalry of Kambojas led by Sudakshina, the Sakas and the
Yavanas. The rear guard is comprised of the Madras, the Trigartas the
Ambashtas, the westerners, the northerners, the Malavas, the Surasenas, the
Sudras the Maladas, the Sauviras, the Kaitavas, the easterners and the
southerners with your son Duryodhana at their head.
The Suta’s son, Karna, at the head of the bowmen, adds prowess to the
advancing force and gladdens the warriors of their army. His blazing, large
and tall standard bearing the device of the elephant’s girth rope, shines with
an effulgence like that of the sun, gladdening his own akshauhinis; seeing
Karna, no one anymore regards Bhishma’s death as a calamity and the
kings, along with the Kurus, are rid of their grief.
Large numbers of warriors huddle together and tell one another,
‘Finding Karna on the field, the Pandavas will never be able to face us in
battle. When Karna can vanquish the very Devas with Indra at their head,
what can the sons of Pandu do, who are of little energy and strength? The
Mahabaho Bhishma spared the Parthas in battle, but Karna will kill them
with his scorching shafts.’ Speaking thus to among themselves and filled
with elation, they advance boldly, applauding and worshipping Radha’s son
Karna.
Drona arrays our legions in a Sakata vyuha, the cart formation, Rajan,
while the serene Yudhishtira chooses the vyuha of the Krauncha, the crane,
for his army. At the head of their formation are those two greatest of all
men, Krishna and Dhananjaya, flying their banner with the device of the
great Vanara. The inspiration of the whole army and the refuge of all its
bowmen, Partha’s banner, imbued with immeasurable tejas as it floats in the
sky, seems to illumine the entire host of Yudhishtira Dharmatman. The
potent standard of Arjuna seems like the blazing sun that rises at the end of
the yuga to consume the world.
Among archers, Arjuna is the best; among bows, the Gandiva is the
foremost; among all beings, Krishna is the first; and among all kinds of war
chakras, the Sudarshana chakra is the greatest. Bearing these four
embodiments of tejas, Swetavahana in his chariot takes up his position at
the front of the enemy army, quite like the fierce chakra upraised to strike.
Thus, the two greatest warriors stand at the very head of their respective
forces—Karna at the head of your army and Dhananjaya at the head of the
hostile one. Both excited with wrath and each wanting to kill the other,
Karna and Arjuna glower at each other.
When Bharadwaja’s son, maharatha Drona rides into battle like a storm,
the very earth seems to tremble with a deep, chasmal wailing. The thick
dust raised by the wind envelops the sky and the sun like a canopy of tawny
silk. Though the firmament is cloudless, a shower of pieces of flesh, bones
and blood falls on the earth. Vultures, hawks, cranes, kankas and crows in
thousands, incessantly fall upon the Kaurava troops. Jackals howl and many
fierce and terrible birds repeatedly wheel to the left of your army, in evil
omen, impatient to eat flesh and drink blood; showers of blazing meteors,
illuminating the sky and with their tails spread wide, fall on the field
echoing with loud and uncanny sounds. And when the senapati of the
Kaurava army rides forth, the wide disc of the sun, Rajan, seems to emit
flashes of lightning and peals of thunder. One sees these and many other
fierce portents, indicating an imminent devastation of Kshatriyas.
Battle erupts again between the armies of the Kurus and the Pandavas,
each wanting to annihilate the other. So loud is the din that it seems to fill
the whole world; and the Pandavas and the Kauravas, all masters of war, all
in the grip of battle’s consuming rage, strike each other with every manner
of weapon, all determined to win the war.
Drona of blazing glory rides recklessly, furiously at the Pandava host,
spraying hundreds of arrows at the enemy every moment. The Pandavas
and the Srinjayas reply, O king, with their own searing fusillades. But
swiftly routed by Drona, the vast host of the Pandavas and the Panchalas
break ranks, like flights of cranes buffeted irresistibly by a dread wind.
Invoking a slew of devastras, in moments Drona dreadfully besieges the
Pandavas and the Srinjayas, while their blood sprays everywhere. Drona
slaughters the Panchala forces led by Dhrishtadyumna, like Indra the
Danavas. The Acharya lances terror through the enemy ranks.
Then, spurred to blind rage, Yagnasena’s son, maharatha
Dhrishtadyumna, master of devastras looses storms of recondite shafts at
Drona’s troops and rends them savagely all around, hundreds of men falling
to his towering archery. He, the Pandava senapati, slaughters as many of
Drona’s men as the Acharya does his. The mighty-armed Drona quickly
rallies his forces around him, and charges Drupada’s son ablaze on
Kurukshetra. Like an enraged Maghavat attacking the Danavas, Drona
assails the Pandava and the Srinjaya ranks, so powerfully and remorselessly
that they break ranks and flee before the terrible Brahmana like a herd of
small animals set upon by a great lion. The mighty Drona devastates the
Pandava force like the fabled ring of fire that protects the chalice of amrita.
It is truly amazing, wondrous, O Rajan, how Drona mounted on his
magnificent ratha even like a city coursing through the sky, his horses past
superb, his sarathy masterful, his flagstaff like shining crystal, and his
banner flapping wide in death’s wind, strikes perfect and absolute terror
into the hearts of the enemy and wreaks unprecedented carnage among
them.’”
CANTO 8
“S anjaya says, ‘Seeing Drona furiously destroy horses, riders,

maharathas and elephants, the Pandavas surround him.
Yudhishtira tells Dhrishtadyumna and Arjuna, “Carefully surround the pot-
born Drona with our men and check the slaughter he brings to us.”
The maharathas Arjuna and Dhrishtadyumna, along with their soldiers,
challenge Drona’s wild onslaught. The Kekaya princes, Bhimasena,
Subhadra’s son, Ghatotkacha, Yudhishtira, Nakula and Sahadeva, Virata of
the Matsyas, Dhrishtadyumna and the five sons of Draupadi, all exhilarated,
and Dhrishtaketu, Satyaki, the fierce Chitrasena, the maharatha Yuyutsu,
and many other kings who follow the sons of Pandu, all achieve diverse
feats in keeping with their lineage and prowess, while now Drona looks on
in frustrated rage.
Further inflamed, the invincible Brahmana warrior standing erect in his
ratha yet consumes the Pandava host like a tempest dispelling cloud masses.
Tilting from all sides at chariot-warriors, horses, foot-soldiers and
elephants, Drona, despite his years, careens over the field like a young man.
His thoroughbred chestnut horses, fleet as the wind, covered in blood, are
beautiful and awesome. Yudhishtira’s soldiers flee when they see him
razing their ranks like an angry Yama. And as some take flight, others rally,
some look at him dazed, and others remain on the field, the noise they make
is tumultuous and terrible. The fearful din, which delights the brave and
makes the timid tremble, fills all the sky and the earth. And once more
Drona, roaring out his own name like a battle cry, makes himself still more
awful, scourging his enemies with hundreds of arrows.
Indeed, though old, the mighty Drona even looks half his years as he
rides everywhere loosing his tides of arrows at the Pandava legions like
Death himself, striking off heads and arms decked with ornaments,
emptying chariots in gory blasts, all the while uttering tigerish roars. At his
terrifying roars and the force of his shafts, the enemy warriors, my lord,
shiver like a herd of cows beset by deep winter’s cold.
Kurukshetra resounds with the rumble of Drona’s chariot, the twanging
of his bow. His shafts fly in thousands from his bow, enveloping all the
points of the compass, and fall upon enemy elephants, horses and
horsemen, chariots and foot-soldiers.
The Panchalas and the Pandavas unflinchingly advance on Drona, who,
with his mighty bow, resembles a dread fire with arrows and astras for its
leaping flames. Countless elephants, foot-soldiers and horsemen he
despatches to Yama and turns the battleground into bloody mire. Invoking
mighty astras and spraying his shafts thickly on every side, Drona soon
covers all the points of the compass, so that among millions of foot-
soldiers, chariots, horsemen and elephants, one can see nothing save
Drona’s arrows. The pennant on his chariot is all that one sees, flashing here
and there like streak lightning amidst all the other chariots.
The irrepressible Drona attacks the five princes of Kekaya, Drupada of
the Panchalas, and then dashes against the akshauhini of Yudhishtira
Dharmaraja.
Bhimasena, Arjuna, Satyaki, the sons of Drupada, the ruler of Kasi, the
son of Saibya, and Sibi himself, gladly and with loud roars, swathe him
with their arrows. Shafts in thousands, with wings of gold, shot from
Drona’s bow, pierce right through the bodies of the elephants and the young
horses of these warriors, and plunge into the earth, their feathers dyed in
blood. Strewn with chariots and the prostrate forms of numberless warriors,
elephants and horses torn by the Brahmana’s shafts, Kurukshetra looks like
the sky covered with banks of black clouds.
Ever seeking victory for your sons, Drona rampages to decimate the
divisions of Satyaki, Bhima, Dhananjaya, Subhadra’s son, Drupada, the
king of Kasi, and excoriates many other Kshatriyas as well. Indeed,
achieving these and many other terrible feats, that maharathin scorches the
world like the sun as he rises apocalyptic at the end of the yuga.
After Drona entirely destroys more than two Pandava akshauhinis of
brave and resolute warriors, the canny hero Dhrishtadyumna Mahabuddhi
finally slays the Brahmana shura with the golden chariot; and Drona attains
mukti, the highest state. Indeed, Rajan, it is only after he has brought the
most horrific carnage to the Pandava and Panchala legions with his astras,
letting rills of blood on hallowed ground, do they finally kill him.
When the Acharya dies, a loud uproar from all creatures and all the
troops fills the sky. Resounding through heaven, earth and the intermediate
space and through the cardinal and the subsidiary directions, one hears the
loud cry “O Fie!” from all beings; and the Devas, the Pitris, and his friends;
all watch that incomparable maharatha, the son of Bharadwaja, slain. With
this triumph, the relieved and overjoyed Pandavas give vent to leonine
shouts, and the earth trembles with their celebrant roaring.’”
CANTO 9
“D hritarashtra asks, ‘How did the Pandavas and the Srinjayas kill
Drona, who was such a matchless warrior? Did his chariot break
down in the fight? Did his bow break while he was shooting at the enemy,
or was Drona careless at the moment when he was killed? Sanjaya, how
could Prishata’s son kill the greatest of Brahmanas, that invincible hero
gifted with such speed of hand, who could loose torrents of gold-winged
shafts to great distances in the twinkling of an eye, who was a master of all
the forms of warfare, of astounding skills, self-restrained, and also a master
of the devastras?
It is plain to me that destiny is superior to effort and exertion since
Dhrishtadyumna has killed the magnificent Drona, maharatha of unfading
glory, who was always cautious, who achieved incomparable feats in battle,
the Brahmana who verily embodied the four kinds of weapons. Ah, alas,
you tell me that the same Drona, Acharya of archery, is slain!
Oh, hearing that the hero who rode his bright ratha covered with tiger
skins and adorned with the purest gold is dead, I cannot contain or drive out
my burning grief! Undoubtedly, Sanjaya, no one dies of grief from
another’s end, since, wretch that I am, I am still alive after hearing of
Drona’s death. Destiny is truly all-powerful and all effort fruitless. Surely,
my heart is made of adamant, since it does not break into a hundred pieces
after hearing of Drona’s death. How can Death take him whom Brahmanas
and Kshatriyas alike came and served to acquire instruction in the Vedas
and divination and archery? Oh, I cannot brook the killing of Drona; it is
even like the ocean drying up, or Meru being uprooted from his place, or
the sun falling from the sky.
He restrained the evil, and protected men of dharma, and now he has
given up his life for the wretched Duryodhana! He was equal to Brihaspati
or Usanas himself in intelligence and upon his ability rested the hope of
victory that my evil sons entertained. Alas, how was he slain?
Did his great, strong, keenly-trained, chestnut Sindhu horses,
caparisoned in golden mesh, swift as the wind, yoked to his mighty chariot
and drawing it so wonderfully, always neighing joyfully and invincible to
every weapon, and always protecting him in the midst of war, grow
suddenly weak and collapse? How did they overwhelm those Sindhu steeds
of wonder that drew Drona’s chariot, which could calmly face the sound of
elephants trumpeting in war, the blare of conches and the pounding of
drums; which were unmoved by the twanging of bows and showers of
arrows and other weapons; those steeds that were ominous by their very
appearance, never short of breath, exhausted or in pain? When such were
the horses that drew his golden ratha, why could he not cross the sea that is
the Pandava army?
What feats did Drona achieve in battle, the warrior who always drew
tears from other Kshatriyas, and upon whose knowledge of weapons all the
best archers of the world rely! What all did this mighty man of dharma do
in battle?
Who were the maharathas who challenged that doer of fierce deeds, the
best of all the bowmen, first among shuras, who was like Indra himself?
Did the Pandavas flee on seeing him, mighty and strong on the golden
chariot, and invoke devastras? Or, did Dharmaraja Yudhishtira and his
brothers with Dhrishtadyumna for their binding cord, fall upon Drona after
surrounding him with their troops on all sides? Arjuna with his faultless
arrows must have checked all the other chariot-warriors, and then, protected
by Partha, Dhrishtadyumna must have brought death to the mighty
Acharya. Possibly the brave Kekayas, Chedis, Karushas, Matsyas and the
other kings surrounded the Acharya, like ants crawling over a snake, even
while he was engaged in some difficult feat, and so allowing the wretched
Dhrishtadyumna to bring him down.
How could the venerable Brahmana, master of the four Vedas with their
angas and the Itihasas the fifth Veda, the refuge of all Brahmanas as the
ocean is of rivers, that blazing parantapa, who lived both as a Brahmana and
as a Kshatriya, alas, meet his end at the point of a weapon?
A proud spirit, he had yet to often endure humiliation and to suffer
much pain on my account. However undeserving, he met his end at the
hands of his pupil Arjuna. Such a dharmatman and yuddhavira, whose feats
all bowmen in the world looked up to—alas, how could men greedy for
riches kill such a one? Foremost in this world, like Indra in swarga, of great
might and energy, alas, how could the Parthas kill him, like a whale being
killed by smaller fish? He, from whose presence no challenger could ever
escape with life, he whom, while he lived, the two sounds of the Vedas
being chanted by those learning Vedic lore and the twang of bows, never
left; he who was never dispirited or dejected, alas, that Naravyaghra, that
shura endowed with prosperity and never vanquished in battle, that warrior
of prowess equal to that of the gaja or the simha, has been slain!
Sanjaya, I cannot bear the very thought of his death. How could
Dhrishtadyumna, in the sight of all the greatest men in the world, murder
the invincible Drona whose might was unequalled and his fame never
tarnished?
Who fought in Drona’s van, protecting him, and who, riding by his
side? Who guarded his rear and who were the maharathas who shielded the
right and the left wheels of Drona? Who were before him while he strove in
battle? Who were they, who reckless of their lives, met death with him and
joined him on his last journey? Did any of these Kshatriyas assigned to
protect Drona prove false and abandon him in battle, thus letting the enemy
kill him while he was alone? However great the danger, Drona would never
turn his back on battle from fear. How then did the enemy kill him? Even in
great distress, Sanjaya, an illustrious man should demonstrate his prowess
to the full measure of his might. All this was in Drona. Ah, Sanjaya, I am
losing my mind! Let us stop this speech a while until I regain my reeling
senses.’”
CANTO 10
‘V aisampayana said, “Saying this to Sanjaya, Dhritarashtra, in

extreme grief and distressed about the hopelessness of his son,
Duryodhana’s, victory, falls unconscious onto the ground. His attendants
rush forward to fan him and sprinkle him with perfumed cold water, while
the royal Bhaarata women surround him, weeping, gently rub him with their
soft hands; and slowly lifting him up from the ground, seat him on his
throne. He remains insensate and still, until a tremor passes through his
body and he slowly regains consciousness.
He begins to question Sanjaya again about the incidents that occurred
on the battlefield.
Dhritarashtra asks, ‘Ajatasatru Yudhishtira who, like the risen sun,
dispels darkness with his own light, who charges an enemy like an inflamed
tusker in musth, whom no other herd leader can arrest, rushing eagerly
towards a female elephant in heat—which of my warriors keep him at bay
when he charged Drona? Who are the Kshatriya heroes that surrounded that
best of glorious men, who killed so many of my brave men, that intelligent,
courageous king of unbaffled prowess, who, bent on victory, could single-
handedly consume the entire host of Duryodhana with just his terrible
glances, that resplendent archer, that self-restrained king whom the whole
world reveres?
Which valiant men of my army surround the invincible prince, Kunti’s
son Bhimasena, bowman of unfading glory, Naravyaghra, hero of gigantic
fame and untold valour, strong as ten thousand elephants, when he rushed
wildly at Drona?
When Arjuna, maharatha of exceeding tejas, came looking like a mass
of clouds discharging thunderbolts, loosing showers of arrows like Indra
pouring down rain, and making all the points of the compass resound with
the slapping of his palms and the rattle of his chariot-wheels; when he
whose bow is like the lightning’s flash, whose chariot too resembles a cloud
with the sound of its wheels its thunder, the hum of whose arrows is so very
fierce, whose wrath resembles a dreadful thunderhead and who is as quick
as the mind or the tempest; who always strikes an enemy deep in his very
vitals, who is terrible to look at, who like Yama himself bathes all the points
of the compass with human blood and who, with awful visage and fierce
noise, wielding the Gandiva, lashes my warriors led by Duryodhana with
arrows whetted on stone and fletched with vultures’ feathers—alas, when
that hero of great intellect descended upon you, what was your state of
mind?
When Arjuna, with Hanuman upon his banner, obstructed the sky with
dense swarms of arrows, what was your state of mind? Did Partha advance
upon you, slaying your troops at will, with the Gandiva pealing in his
hands, accomplishing great feats on the way? Did he take your lives like the
tempest destroying gathering cloud-masses or felling forests of reeds by
blowing through them? Who is there that can face the Gandivi in battle?
Just hearing that he leads the enemy’s forces, the heart of every
opponent would seem to be broken. In the war in which the troops tremble
and even great Kshatriyas are terrified, who stood firm by Drona and which
cowards abandoned him from fear? Who, reckless of their lives, met Death
himself, facing them squarely in the shape of Dhananjaya who can vanquish
even unworldly adversaries in battle?
My troops cannot withstand the impetus of Swetavahana and the
twanging of the Gandiva that is like the thunder of the very clouds. Why, I
believe the very Devas and the Asuras united together cannot conquer the
chariot that has Vishnu himself for its charioteer and Dhananjaya for its
warrior.
When the son of Pandu, Nakula, delicate, young, intrepid and so
handsome, gifted with exceptional intelligence, skill, wisdom and prowess,
invincible in battle, attacked Drona with loud roars, which shuras of my
army contained him?
When Sahadeva, who resembles an angry snake of virulent venom, that
invincible hero of the white steeds, who observes laudable vows, is resolute
and modest attacked us, which Kshatriyas of our army encircled him?
O Sanjaya, which of my warriors resisted Satyaki who, having crushed
the mighty host of the Sauvira king, took for his wife the beautiful, perfect-
limbed Bhoja maiden, that bull among men Yuyudhana, gifted with
decisiveness, awesome courage and brahmacharya, that maharatha always
keeping dharma, never unhappy, never vanquished, who in battle is equal to
Krishna and is regarded as Krishna’s second self, who, through Arjuna’s
tutelage has become the greatest of bowmen, why, equal to Partha himself.
Who resisted Satyaki, at least trying to keep him away from Drona?
Know, O Sanjaya that Satyaki of the Satwata vamsa, Yuyudhana
greatest hero of the Vrishnis, is equal to Parasurama himself in his
knowledge and genius in the use of weapons. Ability, fame, truth,
determination, intelligence, heroism, the knowledge of Brahman, and of the
great astras, are all to be found in him, as the three worlds are in Krishna.
Which Kshatriyas of my host confronted this peerless bowman, the
indomitable Satyaki whom not the Devas can contain?
Which of my warriors surrounded Uttamaujas, greatest among the
heroic Panchalas, ever achieving wondrous feats at arms, high-born,
favourite among champion warriors, devoted to Arjuna, born just to destroy
my evil, equal to Yama, Vaisravana, Aditya, Mahendra, or Varuna, fearless
maharatha always ready to lay down his life?
Who opposed that singular Chedi warrior Dhrishtaketu, ally of the
Pandavas, when he charged Drona?
Who resisted the heroic Ketumat, slayer of prince Durjaya, even when
Durjaya took refuge in Girivraja? Who kept the predatory Ketumat away
from Drona?
Which of my Kshatriyas challenged the Naravyaghra Sikhandin,
Yagnasena’s son who knows the strengths and weaknesses of his own
nature, who is man and also woman, who is always unperturbed in battle,
the Kshatriya who became the cause of Mahatman Bhishma’s fall? Who
kept Sikhandin away from Drona?
O which Kshatriyas of my army defied the greatest hero of the Vrishnis,
the noble Abhimanyu, Subhadra’s son, that most transcendent of all archers,
the intrepid son of Arjuna more accomplished than Dhananjaya himself, in
whose weapons truth and brahmacharya dwell, who is equal to Krishna in
tejas and Dhananjaya in urjas, who in splendour is equal to Aditya and in
intelligence to Brihaspati, who is like Yama himself with yawning maw?
Which of my heroes contained the youthful and radiant Abhimanyu when
he charged Drona? What was your state of mind when that Parantapa of
boundless vigour plunged towards the Acharya?
Which Kshatriyas surrounded the Purushavyaghras, the sons of
Draupadi, when like rivers rushing towards the sea they hurtled at Drona?
Who tried to keep those children, the heroic sons of Dhrishtadyumna—
Kshatranjaya, Kshatradeva, Kshatravarman and Manada, who gave up all
boyishness and sport for twelve years to observe stern vratas and to wait
upon Bhishma to acquire the astra shastra from him? Who kept those
ferocious youths away from the Acharya?
Who defied the great archer Chekitana, whom the Vrishnis regard as
superior in battle to a hundred other maharathas, to keep him away from
Drona?
O, which of the Kshatriyas of my army attempted to stop the onrush of
the five Kekaya brothers, valiant, virtuous, irresistible in fight and of
exceptional skills and prowess, who have the hue of the Indragopaka insect,
clad always as they are in red coats of mail, with red weapons and red
banners, cousins and fervent supporters of the Pandavas? Who faced those
heroes when they rode at Drona to have his life?
Which champion from my army withstood Yuyutsu, lord of war, first
among great bowmen, of unerring aim and prodigious strength,
Naravyaghra whom many vengeful kings battled for six months at
Varanavrata but could not quell him, and who, in a swayamvara at Varanasi,
overthrew the prince of Kasi with a broad-headed arrow, and seized a young
princess for his wife?
Which Kshatriyas of my host confronted the mighty, mighty
Dhrishtadyumna, raised almost in Drupada’s lap, the fire-born prince who is
the chief counsellor and senapati of the Pandavas, who so hates
Duryodhana, who was born to kill Drona, when he attacked the Acharya,
breaking through my ranks, destroying all my warriors in battle in scarlet
tide?
The Maharatha Saibya measured this earth on his chariot as if with a
leather belt, and as a substitute for all other sacrifices, performed without
hindrance ten Aswamedha yagnas with ample and excellent food, drink and
gifts offered in profusion. He rules his subjects as if they are his children,
gives away in sacrifices kine as numerous as the grains of sand in the
Ganga; he whose feats none among men has or will ever be able to imitate,
and after the performance of which, the very Devas once cried out, “We do
not see in the three worlds with their mobile and immobile creatures anyone
other than Usinara’s son, who ever was, is, or will ever be born, who has
acquired the rarest realms in the after-life unattainable by other men.” O,
Sanjaya, who in my army stood firm against this Saibya, Usinara’s
grandson, while he attacked Drona?
Which heroes of my army encircled the chariot-division of Parantapa
Virata, king of the Matsyas, when it neared Drona on the field?
Who kept the gigantic Ghatotkacha away from Drona, that heroic
Rakshasa who always puts forth his inhuman strength for the Pandavas’
victory, Ghatotkacha who owns great powers of maya, apart from enormous
strength and superhuman prowess, he who was born to Bhima in the course
of a single day and of whom I entertain such terrible fears?
Who, Sanjaya, can remain unconquered by those who are prepared to
lay down their lives in battle? How can the sons of Pritha meet with defeat,
when they have the greatest of all beings, Krishna, wielder of Saringa, for
their refuge and benefactor? He is, indeed, the Master of all the worlds, the
Lord of all, the Eternal One! Narayana Divyatman, of infinite power, is the
refuge of men in battle. The wise tell of his unearthly feats. Ah, let me also
recite them with devotion, so that I may recover my composure and
resolution!’”
CANTO 11
“S anjaya says, ‘Yes, as I saw everything that happened with my own

eyes, I will describe how Drona falls, slain by the Pandavas and
the Srinjayas.
After he is appointed senapati of the Kaurava army, Bharadwaja’s son,
Drona maharatha, says to your son in the midst of all the troops, “O Rajan,
how can I thank you for honouring me with the command of your legions
after the son of Ganga? What desire of yours can I now fulfill? Ask any
boon that you wish.”
Having consulted with Karna, Dusasana and others, Duryodhana says to
the Acharya, “If you will give me a boon, seize Yudhishtira alive and bring
him here to me!”
Drona replies, gladdening all the men there, “Praise be to Yudhishtira,
Kunti’s son, whom you wish only to capture O invincible one. Why do you,
Duryodhana, who are a strategist, not seek Yudhishtira’s death? It is
wonderful that he has no enemy wishing his death. Do you want him to live
to preserve your race from extinction, or having vanquished the Pandavas in
battle, are you keen to establish brotherly relations with them by giving
back their kingdom? Auspicious was the birth of the intelligent prince
Yudhishtira Mahabuddhi. He is truly called Ajatasatru—the man with no
enemies, for even you have affection for him.”
Hearing these words of Drona, the feeling that is ever present in your
son’s heart is plainly exposed. Not even a Brihaspati can conceal the
expressions of his countenance! Your son filled with joy, answers, “By
killing Kunti’s son in battle, Acharya, victory cannot be mine. The very
Devas cannot slay all of them and if Yudhishtira is slain, Arjuna or he
among them who survives, will surely annihilate us. Yudhishtira, however,
is truthful in his promises. If brought here alive and defeated once more at
dice, the Pandavas will again go into the vana, for they are all obedient to
their eldest brother. Such a victory will be an enduring one. This is why I do
not wish to kill Dharmaraja Yudhishtira but to take him alive.”
Ascertaining this crooked purpose of Duryodhana, Drona, conversant
with the truths of the science of artha and gifted with great intelligence,
reflects a little and gives him the boon, circumscribing it in the following
way. Drona says, “If Arjuna does not protect Yudhishtira, you can consider
the eldest Pandava as already brought captive to you. As for Arjuna, the
very Devas and the Asuras together, led by Indra, cannot face him in battle.
It is for him that I dare not do what you ask of me. Without doubt, Arjuna is
my sishya and I am his Acharya. He is, however, young, blessed with great
good fortune, and set upon achieving his purposes. He has obtained many
astras from Indra and Rudra; and, besides, you have provoked him direly. I
dare not, therefore, do what you ask.
However, if Arjuna is removed from the battle by whatever means, you
may regard Yudhishtira as already taken. Since our victory rests upon his
being captured alive, and not upon his death, we can accomplish this by
stratagem, O bull among men! Seizing the king devoted to truth and
dharma, this very day, I will yield him up to you. But only if he faces me in
direct battle for at least a moment, and if you can lure Arjuna away from the
field. For otherwise Yudhishtira cannot be captured.”
After Drona promises that he would seize Yudhishtira, but if Arjuna is
far from him, your foolish sons consider the Dharmaraja as already taken.
Duryodhana knows Drona’s partiality for the Pandavas and in order to make
Drona fulfil his given word, he proclaims Drona’s oath before all his
troops.’”
CANTO 12
“S anjaya says, ‘When your troops hear of Drona’s vow to capture

Yudhishtira, they roar their approval, mingling their lusty yells
with the whistling of their arrows and the booming of their conches.
Dharmaraja Yudhishtira, however, soon learns of Drona’s oath and his
intention through his spies. He brings together all his brothers and the other
kings of his army and tells Arjuna, “You have heard, Naravyaghra, of
Drona’s plot. Take such measures that will prevent him from capturing me.
It is true that Drona has sworn his pledge but its success or failure depends
on you. Therefore, stay and fight today in my vicinity so that Drona will not
keep his word given to Duryodhana.”
Arjuna says, “Just as I can never cause the death of my Acharya, I can
never give you up, my brother. O Yudhishtira, I would rather sacrifice my
life in battle than fight against my guru. This son of Dhritarashtra wants
sovereignty by taking you his captive in battle. He will never succeed. The
Sky with its stars may fall down, the Earth herself may split in pieces, but
Drona will not take you his captive as long as I am alive, not even if
Vajradhari Indra or Vishnu at the head of the Devas comes to help him. As
long as I live, Rajan, do not have any fear of Drona, although he is the
greatest of all warriors. I further assure you that my word is never broken
nor does what I swear ever remain unfulfilled. I do not recollect ever having
spoken an untruth, ever being defeated, or leaving the least part of a vow
unfulfilled.”
Then, Rajan, small and big conches, drums and cymbals are sounded
and beaten in the Pandava camp. The noble Pandavas roar and shout, and
the awful twanging of their bowstrings and the slaps of palms reach into the
high heavens. Hearing the loud booming of conches that arises from the
camp of the mighty sons of Pandu, your divisions also sound diverse
instruments.
Your legions and the enemy’s forces slowly advance against each other
in battle order and soon savage, bloodcurdling battle breaks out again
between the Pandavas, the Kurus, Drona and the Panchalas. The Srinjayas
fight vigorously but cannot make headway as Drona himself shields his
forces. So also, your son’s best maharathas cannot beat back the Pandava
army, for the diademed Arjuna Kiritin protects it. Guarded by Drona and
Arjuna, both sides appear as if to stand quite still, like two blossoming
forests in the silence of the night.
Then Drona, mounted on his golden chariot, like the magnificent Sun,
bursts headlong through the ranks of the Pandavas, smashing them down at
will. The Pandavas and the Srinjayas are afraid and feel as if this single
mahatejasvin warrior upon his racing ratha has multiplied into many
maharathas. Drona’s terrible shafts fly in all directions, petrifying his
opponents and he is indeed like the Sun himself at mid-day shedding a
thousand rays of light all around. Just as once the Danavas could not face
Indra, there is no one among the Pandavas who is able to face the raging
son of Bharadwaja. After he confounds the hostile troops, Drona swiftly
begins to decimate the legion led by Dhrishtadyumna, mowing them down
with his incessant volleys of arrows which cover all the points of the
compass.’
CANTO 13
“S anjaya says, ‘Seeing Drona, wrathful warrior in his golden

chariot, causing great havoc among the Pandava host and
destroying their divisions like a forest-fire consuming a vana, the Srinjayas
tremble in fear.
In battle, the twang of the maharatha’s taut bow resounds like roaring
thunder. Fierce arrows that Drona shoots with light like speed decimate
chariot-warriors, horsemen, elephant-warriors and foot-soldiers, along with
their elephants and horses. Showering down arrows, like roaring clouds
helped by the wind raining hailstones at the close of summer, he brings
terror to the hearts of the enemy. Raging through the hostile ranks and
petrifying the troops, the mighty Drona swells the unnatural fear that his
enemies feel. The gold-decked bow on his fleeting ratha is like the streak of
lightning in a mass of dark clouds.
The shura, firm in truth, wise and always devoted to dharma, causes an
awful river of angry current to flow there, such as seen only at the end of
the Yuga. The river has its source in the recklessness of Drona’s wrath and
is haunted by thronging carnivores. Fighting men are the waves that cover
its surface, and great heroes constitute the trees on its banks whose roots the
river’s current constantly erodes. Its waters are the blood shed in the battle,
chariots are its eddies, and elephants and horses form its banks. Coats of
mail are its floating lilies, the flesh of men is the mire on its bed, the fat,
marrow and bones of fallen animals and men are the sands on its banks, and
fallen head-gear is its froth.
The battle itself is the canopy above its surface; lances, the fish with
which it abounds, and it is uncrossable for the vast number of slain men,
elephants and horses that fall into it. The impetus of shafts loosed constitute
its flow, corpses the timber floating on it; chariots its tortoises; heads the
stones strewn on its banks and bed; swords and scimitars its fish in
profusion; chariots and elephants form its lakes and it is decked with many
adornments. Maharathas constitute hundreds of little whirlpools and blood-
damp earth its wavelets. Though it can easily be crossed by men of
exceptional valour, the timid can never ford the dread river of death. Heaps
of bodies pile up on sandbanks, obstructing its navigation, and it is the
seething haunt of kankas, vultures and other birds of prey.
It bears away thousands of maharathas to Yama’s abode. Long spears
are the snakes that infest it in profusion and the living combatants are the
fowl frolicking on its waters; torn chatras, parasols, are its swans, and
diadems the smaller birds that adorn it. Wheels are its turtles, maces its
alligators, and arrows its smaller fish. It is home to frightful swarms of
crows, vultures and jackals.
The river carries away hundreds of those that Drona kills in battle to the
region of the Pitris. Dammed by these numerous bodies floating upon it, the
hair of slain warriors and animals are like its moss and weeds. The
inexorable and awesome Drona causes even such a river to flow there,
terrifying the timid, magnifying their fears.
While Drona is thus desiccating the enemy army everywhere, the
Pandava warriors led by Yudhishtira rush at him from all sides. Seeing this,
your brave soldiers counter attack from every direction and a hair-raising
battle ensues. Sakuni, full of a hundred kinds of deceit, attacks Sahadeva
and pierces his charioteer, standard and chariot, with many keen shafts.
Sahadeva, however, remaining unruffled, first cuts down Saubala’s
standard, breaks his bow, strikes his charioteer and carves splinters from his
ratha; and he then pierces Sakuni himself with sixty shafts like
thunderbolts.
Seizing up his mace, Sakuni jumps down from his fabulous chariot and
fells Sahadeva’s charioteer with a blow, so the sarathy falls out of his ratha.
Then, Rajan, those two heroic and mighty warriors, both on foot and armed
with gadas, battle like the peaks of two mountains.
Drona and Drupada, king of the Panchalas, draw blood from each other
with braces of searing arrows. Bhimasena strikes Vivimsati sharply, but
Vivimsati remains wonderfully unmoved. Serenely he cuts down
Bhimasena’s horses, standard and bow winning the worship of all the
witnessing troops. The incensed Bhima cannot brook this and in a blur kills
Vivimsati’s pedigreed horses, at which the mighty Vivimsati, taking up a
shield and sword, jumps down and charges Bhimasena and they fight like
two demented elephants.
The heroic Salya, laughing the while, pierces, as if in jest, his own
beloved nephew Nakula with a flurry of arrows, mainly to annoy him.
Nakula, however, in a hot flash shoots down his uncle’s horses, royal
parasol, standard and charioteer, and blows his conch in echoing triumph.
Dhrishtaketu engages Kripa, wards off diverse kinds of arrows Kripa
looses at him, pierces him with seventy fiery barbs and then cuts down the
device of his standard with three perfect arrows. Kripa replies with a thick
shower of shafts and the fight between the Brahmana and Dhrishtaketu
rages on.
An amused Satyaki bloodies Kritavarman squarely through his chest
with a special long arrow and then strikes him in a wink with seventy more.
The Bhoja replies in kind but like swiftly coursing winds failing to move a
mountain, Kritavarman cannot move Satyaki at all or affright him in the
least.
The Pandava senapati strikes Susarman deeply in his vitals and is
himself stabbed with a lance through his shoulder-joint. Virata, with his
energetic Matsya warriors, manfully resists Vikartana’s son and this feat of
the Matsya king is a deed of great valour for he singly contains an entire
legion with his immaculate archery.
King Drupada engages with Bhagadatta, and the combat between these
two warriors is quite beautiful to watch. Bhagadatta, bull among men,
lacerates Drupada, his sarathy, his standard and whole chariot with a myriad
of arrows. The wrathful Drupada swiftly strikes the maharatha squarely
through his chest with a flawless shaft. The two great warriors, Somadatta’s
son Bhurisravas and Sikhandin, masters of every kind of weapon, fight a
fierce duel that terrifies all. Bhurisravas covers Yagnasena’s son Sikhandin
with a heavy downpour of arrows and is in turn pierced with ninety shafts,
making him tremble.
Both capable of creating a hundred illusions, and swelling up with
pride, Hidimbi’s son Ghatotkacha and Alambusha, fierce Rakshasas, battle
each other in the most astonishing manner, using their powers of maya,
vanishing and reappearing at will—each set on vanquishing the other.
The fierce Chekitana fights Anuvinda, and they range right across the
field, causing great amazement. Lakshmana fights Kshatradeva fiercely,
even like Vishnu, long ago, against the Asura Hiranyaksha. The mighty
Paurava roars at Abhimanyu as he attacks him wildly. Abhimanyu retaliates
fiercely but Paurava envelops him in a mantle of arrows. Arjuna’s
marvellous son fells his antagonist’s standard, parasol and rives his bow. He
pierces Paurava with seven arrows and with another five strikes deep his
charioteer and horses, gladdening his own troops, and then repeatedly roars
like a lion.
In a blur, Abhimanyu fits an arrow to his bowstring that is certain to
take Paurava’s life. Seeing this, Kritavarman, Hridika’s son, with two
thunderbolt like shafts, breaks both Abhimanyu’s bow and arrow.
Abhimanyu flings aside his broken bow, takes up a bright sword and a
shield decked with many stars, and whirling these at great speed, he careens
across the field, putting his prowess on display. Whirling them overhead
and then brandishing them fiercely, and leaping high himself, he makes no
difference between using blade and shield for defence and vicious attack.
He leaps suddenly onto the axle-shaft of Paurava’s ratha, gives a mighty
shout and next moment is in the chariot and seizes Paurava by his hair,
meanwhile breaking his sarathy’s neck with a terrific kick, and cutting
down his proud standard with a fluent stroke of his sword. Abhimanyu
raises Paurava up high, like Garuda a snake from the bottom of the sea,
agitating the waters. All the kings see Paurava helplessly flung down and
dragged about on his chariot floor, his hair disheveled, and looking like an
ox deprived of its senses and on the point of being killed by a lion.
Jayadratha cannot bear to watch Paurava being so roughly mishandled;
seizing up a sword and a shield that bears the device of a peacock, decked
with a hundred little bells hung in rows, he jumps down from his chariot
with a roar. Abhimanyu sees the king of the Sindhus, lets Paurava go and
springs like a launching hawk from that warrior’s ratha, landing lithely on
the ground. Like some dancer, he effortlessly wards off with his sword and
shield the javelins, arrows and swords that his enemies aim at him, showing
off the strength of his own arms.
Mighty Abhimanyu once more raises his great sword and shield, and
now rushes at Vriddhakshatra’s son, a sworn enemy of his father, why, like
a tiger rushing at an elephant. Both shuras, they joyfully fall on each other,
just like a tiger and a lion with claw and tusk. No one finds any difference
between them in the swinging strokes and the flashing thrusts and parries of
their swords and shields. They circle each other gracefully, quite
beautifully, and seem like two winged mountains of old.
Abhimanyu bends low and thrusts out with his sword, and in a blink
Jayadratha dances aside and swings down mightily from above with own
blade but it breaks in shards against the gold-plated shining shield of
Arjuna’s son. Jayadratha hastily retreats six steps and in the twinkling of an
eye, is back on his own chariot. The duel with the sword over, Abhimanyu
also climbs back into his own chariot. Ten enemy kings of the Kuru army
now unite and surround him, but still eyeing Jayadratha, mighty
Abhimanyu continues to whirl his sword and brandish his shield and lets
out a deafening roar of triumph.
Having bested Jayadratha, Abhimanyu proceeds to burn the Kaurava
legions like the Sun scorching the world at midday. Salya casts a vicious
iron spear at him, decked with gold and like a blazing flame. Abhimanyu
jumps up high and catches it in flight, as Garuda may a mighty snake in the
air. Seeing this, all the kings together give a great howl and in a flash
Arjuna’s son casts Salya’s own spear back at him like a streak of lightning.
Looking like, a snake that has recently cast off its slough, the missile kills
Salya’s charioteer in a burst of blood and fells him from the ratha. Virata,
Drupada, Dhrishtaketu, Yudhishtira, Satyaki, Kekaya, Bhima,
Dhrishtadyumna, Sikhandin, Nakula and Sahadeva, and the five sons of
Draupadi all exclaim, “Uttamam! Excellent!”
Diverse kinds of sounds fill Kurukshetra—the loud hum of arrows,
leonine shouts, all exhorting the aggressive son of Arjuna. Your sons cannot
bear these sounds and all of them suddenly surround Abhimanyu and cover
him with hails of arrows like clouds pouring down rain on a mountain-
breast. The parantapa Salya storms up to support your sons and
remembering the death of his own charioteer, attacks Abhimanyu
furiously.’”
CANTO 14
“D hritarashtra says, ‘O Sanjaya, you have described to me many

awesome duels. Hearing about them, I envy those that have eyes.
All men will speak of this battle between the Kurus and the Pandavas,
which reminds one of the great and wonderful wars of ancient times
between the Devas and the Asuras. Ah, I am agog to listen to your narration
of this stirring battle. Tell me more about the duel between Salya and
Abhimanyu.’
Sanjaya says, ‘Seeing his charioteer killed, Salya, with his iron mace
upraised, jumps down in rage from his ratha; at which, Bhima hefts his own
huge gada and rushes at Salya who looks like the blazing Yuga-fire or the
Destroyer Himself, armed with his cudgel. Abhimanyu, too, plucks up a
remarkable mace like the Vajra itself, and taunts Salya, crying, “Come!
Come on!”
Bhimasena, though, persuades his nephew to stand aside, and advances
on Salya who stands immovable as a hill, calmly watching Bhima come
towards him like a tiger at an elephant. The blare of trumpets, thousands of
conches booming, roars and shouts and the sound of drums then erupt and
cries of “Jaya! Jaya!” arise among hundreds of Pandava and Kaurava
warriors charging towards each other.
There is no one among all the kings, O Bhaarata, other than the king of
the Madras who can bear the might of Bhimasena in single combat;
similarly, who else in the world, save Vrikodara, can withstand the
illustrious Salya’s mighty mace? Grasped by Bhima, his prodigious gada,
bound in hempen strings mixed with wires of gold and magnificent to
behold, shines so brilliantly. And Salya’s mace, adorned with beautiful
circles, looks like a blaze of lightning. Both of them bellow like bulls, circle
each other, and standing as they do with their maces slightly bent, truly
resemble a hillocky pair of horned bulls. The duel between the two lions
among men is in every way evenly matched. Bhimasena strikes Salya’s
formidable mace with his own, and draws a burning cascade of sparks. And
Bhima’s gada, struck by Salya, is like a beautiful tree covered by fireflies at
eventide, during the monsoon.
The mace that Salya hurls at Bhima lights up the sky; likewise, the gada
that Bhima flings at his enemy scorches Salya’s forces like a meteor falling
from the sky. Both wonderful maces strike each other like hissing she-
snakes and we see flashes of fire. Like two great tigers mauling each other
with their talons, or like two mighty elephants goring each other with their
tusks, the titanic warriors circle, striking one another with utmost violence;
and soon, covered with blood, they look like a couple of flowering
Kinsukas. The sound of the blows of the maces wielded by those two lions
among men is as loud as Indra’s thunder; and it echoes on all sides. Soon,
they are so battered that they can hardly move, like hills stricken by
lightning. Yet, both of them are still full of vigour and, moving in smaller
circles, quickly fall upon each other again like two bull-elephants, the
leaders of their herds, and pound each other with their iron maces, and then
fall down at the same moment like a pair of Indra’s massive sacrificial
stakes!
In a wink, Maharatha Kritavarman darts up to Salya lying breathless
and senseless on the field, hauls him up into his chariot and bears him away.
Immediately, reeling like a drunk, Bhima gets up and stands ready, gada in
hand, for further fight. Seeing Salya of the Madras turn away from the
battle demoralizes your sons, along with their elephants, foot soldiers,
horsemen and chariot-warriors. Sensing victory, the Pandavas quickly
attack the frightened men of your army, who break ranks and flee in all
directions, like masses of clouds scattered by the wind.
The triumphant Pandava maharathas are resplendent in that moment,
Rajan, like blazing fires. Elated and joyful, they let out loud yells and roars,
blow their conchs, beat their drums, large and small, clash cymbals and
sound other instruments.’”
CANTO 15
“S anjaya says, ‘Seeing your army comprehensively routed, Rajan,

Karna’s son, the valiant Vrishasena, single-handedly comes to
their defence, creating an astounding mayic illusion with his astras. He
sends flights of thousands of arrows of blinding effulgence soaring in all
directions, like the rays of the sun in mid-summer, and striking men, horses,
chariots and elephants, destroying chariot-warriors and horsemen, who fall
like trees broken by the wind, in their thousands. Watching this single
warrior wheel fearlessly on the field, all the kings of the Pandava army
unite to surround him. Nakula’s son, Satanika, attacks him and strikes him
with ten keen barbs, but in a flash Vrishasena breaks his bow and cuts down
his standard.
The other sons of Draupadi, anxious to rescue their brother, charge
Vrishasena and shroud him with their arrows. Immediately, many
maharathas led by Aswatthama dash up to defend Vrishasena and lash the
mighty sons of Draupadi with all kinds of shafts, which fall like rain on
mountain breasts. The Pandavas join the fray. The ensuing battle between
your troops and those of the Pandavas is fierce and enthralling, indeed like
the Devasura yuddha of old.
Having stoked intense enmity between them for past wrongs, in the grip
of wrath, the heroic Pandavas and Kauravas fight savagely, even like
Garuda and the mighty Nagas battling in the sky. With Bhima, Karna,
Kripa, Drona, Aswatthama, Dhrishtadyumna and Satyaki, the battlefield is
lustrous, terrible and resplendent as the all-destroying Sun that rises at the
end of the Yuga. The brutal and awesome contention is surely like the
Devasura yuddha of yore. Roaring like the swollen sea, Yudhishtira’s host
brings slaughter to your army, and even your maharathas flee the fight.
Seeing the debacle, Drona rallies them, crying, “Kshatriyas do not run!”
Drona of the red steeds, now fuming with rage, is like Indra’s four-
tusked elephant Airavata, and surging forward he scatters the Pandava
soldiers, penetrates deep into their host and attacks Yudhishtira. Yudhishtira
responds with a fever of arrows fletched with the feathers of the kanka bird,
drawing blood on his Acharya. Drona breaks Yudhishtira’s bow in his hands
and forges ever closer to the Pandava king.
Kumara, renowned prince of the Panchalas, protector of Yudhishtira’s
chariot-wheels, confronts the advancing Drona, like a continent receiving
the surging sea. Seeing Drona, that bull among Brahmanas, contained by
Kumara, loud shouts of “Uttamam! Wonderful!” are heard from the
Pandava warriors.
Excited and his blood risen, Kumara roars and roars, and pierces Drona
deep with an arrow through his chest. Holding up the dangerous Acharya,
though tiring, the mighty Kumara shows amazing lightness of hand, and
strikes Drona with a thousand shafts. But then, the incensed Drona, bull
among men, kills valiant Kumara, Kshatriya of dharma, who knew both
mantras and astras well.
The inexorable Brahmana plunges on, loosing firestorms of arrows in
every direction, mowing down your legions at his august will. He strikes
Sikhandin with twelve arrows, Uttamaujas with twenty, Nakula with five,
Sahadeva with seven, Yudhishtira with twelve searing shafts, each of the
five sons of Draupadi with three barbs, Satyaki with five, Virata with ten.
He attacks each of the Pandavas, one after the other, and beleaguers their
entire host. All the while, he is advancing on Yudhishtira, seeking to capture
him. Yugandhara looms before the threatening Drona, and holds him up for
a while. He only provokes the raging Drona, like the ocean whipped into
fury by the tempest. The Acharya strikes him with a fusillade of immaculate
arrows in the heart of a moment, and then with a wedge-headed shaft
beheads him, and brave Yugandhara falls out of his chariot.
Virata, Drupada, the Kaikeya princes, Satyaki, Sibi, Vyaghradatta, the
Panchala princes, the valiant Singhasena and many others rush forward to
protect Yudhishtira from the marauding Drona. They surround Drona to
slow him down, while he burns on loosing riptides of fire on every side.
Vyaghradatta, prince of the Panchalas, strikes Drona with fifty keen barbs,
and the Pandava troops shout in exultation. Singhasena also draws blood
from the Brahmana; Drona bristles and then, throwing back his head, gives
such a dreadful roar that even those Pandava maharathas feel terror touch
their hearts. Red-eyed Drona glares, twangs his bowstring like thunder and
charges the pair that dares confront him. With two perfect wedge-headed
arrows, he decapitates both Singhasena and Vyaghradatta. Flaring on,
harrying the other maharathas of the Pandavas with remitless tirades of
arrows, he stands before Yudhishtira’s chariot, like all-destroying Yama
himself.
Then, Rajan, loud cries of The king is slain! are heard among
Yudhishtira’s warriors; seeing Drona’s fearsome, ineluctable prowess, many
cry in dismay, Today Dhritarashtra’s son will have victory for Drona has
captured Yudhishtira!
But even as black despair grips them, Arjuna Swetavahana thunders up
on his chariot of white steeds and suddenly stands implacable between the
Brahmana and his brother. He comes bringing carnage with him, leaving a
river of blood in his terrible wake, whose eddies are broken chariots and the
severed limbs, heads and bodies of brave warriors, whose froth is floating
arrows, whose fish are spears and other weapons clutched in the hands of
fallen men, river that bore them in swift tide to where spirits of the departed
dwell. Driving the enemy before him like wretched animals on a hunt,
Arjuna Kiritin breaks like a flash-flood upon Drona’s divisions and mantles
them in a thick cloud of deadly arrows, every shaft claiming a life.
No one can distinguish when he sets his arrows to his bowstring or
looses them; it is a single uninterrupted motion, without pause or let, a fluid
blur, a dance, a tandava of slaughtering. Neither the four cardinal directions,
nor the firmament above, nor the earth, Rajan, can be distinguished, for the
singular darkness of Arjuna’s arrows, engulfing all. And then the Sun also
sets in a pall of dust, and friend and enemy cannot be told apart. Drona, so
close to taking Yudhishtira alive, is frustrated and lets out a howl that
reaches into the very sky.
The day’s battle ends, and Drona and Duryodhana, Arjuna and the
others slowly withdraw their denuded legions. The Pandavas, the Srinjayas
and the Panchalas are full of relief and joy, and praise Partha as the Rishis
eulogise the Sun. Having thus vanquished his enemies, a happy Arjuna,
rides slowly to his tent at the very rear of the rest of the army, with Krishna
for his companion. Standing on his beautiful chariot decked with the
costliest of sapphires, rubies, gold, silver, diamonds, corals and crystals, the
son of Pandu is glorious as the Moon in a firmament spangled with stars.’”
CANTO 16
“S anjaya says, ‘The troops of both the armies retire in disciplined

order to their tents, Rajan, according to the divisions and the
subdivisions to which they belong.
Having withdrawn the legions, Drona, in great sadness, says to
Duryodhana “I told you that when Arjuna is with Yudhishtira, he cannot be
captured even by the very Devas. Look how, although all of you fell upon
him, Partha frustrated all of you. Do not doubt me when I say that Krishna
and Arjuna are invincible. If, however, Swetavahana Arjuna can somehow
be lured away from Yudhishtira’s side, I say to you that Yudhishtira will be
your captive. Let someone challenge Arjuna to a battle and draw him away
to a far corner of the field from where he cannot return without vanquishing
the challenger. While Arjuna is away, I will penetrate the Pandava host and,
in the very sight of Dhrishtadyumna, seize Yudhishtira. This I swear I will
do, but only if the son of Dharma stands alone before me for at least a
moment in battle. And surely, that single feat of mine will benefit us more
than defeating the whole Pandava army!”
Hearing this from Drona, Susarman, king of the Trigartas, who is
present there with his brothers, says, “Arjuna constantly wrongs and
humiliates us, Rajan, although we have done him no injury. Remembering
all those humiliations, we burn in anger and cannot sleep at nights. With
some good fortune, Arjuna will confront us on the field and we will have
revenge on him, which will not only suit your purpose but also bring us
renown. We will lure him out of the very field and kill Arjuna. We solemnly
swear that today the Earth will be either without Arjuna or without the
Trigartas. Our oath will never prove false.”
The five brothers Satyaratha, Satyavarman, Satyavrata, Satyeshu and
Satyakarman also endorse what he says. With ten thousand chariots, they
come to Duryodhana, having sworn their oath on the battlefield. The
Malavas, the Tundikeras with a thousand chariots, and Purushavyaghra
Susarman, lord of Prasthala, with the Mavellakas, the Lalithyas, and the
Madrakas, also with ten thousand rathas, and his brothers, with another ten
thousand chariots from diverse realms, also come.
They bring fire and each prepares for lighting one for himself. They
take up ropes of Kusa grass and after they don remarkable coats of mail,
they bathe in ghrita, put on robes of Kusa grass and tie their bowstrings as
girdles around their waists. These Kshatriyas, who have given away
hundreds and thousands of cows and gold nishkas as gifts to Brahmanas,
who have performed many yagnas, who have been blessed with children,
who have nothing more to achieve in this world, who have earned blessed
regions in the hereafter, who are prepared to lay down their lives in battle,
who have devoted their souls to the attainment of fame and victory, now
only want to reach those unearthly kingdoms through dharma yuddha, those
realms attainable by yagnas, with abundant dakshina to Brahmanas and
through sacred rites, the chief among which are Brahmacharya and study of
the Vedas. Having each gratified Brahmanas by giving them gold, cattle,
fine clothes, and having addressed one another in loving discourse, those
Kshatriyas kindle their sacred fires and take the solemn vow to either kill or
be killed by Arjuna.
In ringing voices they declare in the hearing of all men, “Those realms
shall be ours that are reserved for men of mahavratas, worlds which are not
for those who drink wine, or have adulterous relations with their guru’s
wife, steal from Brahmanas, enjoy the king’s favour without satisfying its
conditions, or who abandon those who seek protection, who slay a rival out
of selfish greed. Those exalted worlds are not for those who set fire to
homes, who kill kine, who wound others with words or deeds, who harbour
malice against Brahmanas, who from folly do not seek the companionship
of their wives in their season, who seek the congress with women on the
day they are to perform the Sraddha for their ancestors, who harm
themselves, who misappropriate what is given to them in trust for
safekeeping, who destroy learning, who have battle with eunuchs, who
follow mean base men, who are atheists, or those who abandon their sacred
fires, their mothers, and who are generally sinners.
May we lose those lofty, sacred worlds if we return from the field
without killing Dhananjaya, or if we run from him on the field in fear.
While if we do indeed achieve the most difficult feat in the world, of killing
Arjuna, we will indeed attain to those most blessed realms of felicity and
grace!”
Having said these words, sworn the grave oath for which they are
henceforth called the Samsaptakas, Rajan, those Kshatriya shuras go forth
into battle, and loudly challenge Arjuna, summoning him to the
southernmost part of Kurukshetra. Thus challenged, Arjuna, tiger among
men, subjugator of hostile cities, immediately says to Yudhishtira, “I never
refuse a challenge. It is a sacred vow I have sworn. These men, Susarman
and his brothers, themselves sworn to conquer or die, have challenged me
to battle. You must give me leave to kill Susarman with all his followers, O
Purusharishabha, for I cannot brook their arrogance and I say to you that
these enemies are already dead.”
Yudhishtira says, “You know, my child, what Drona has resolved to
accomplish. You must not let him succeed in keeping his vile word given to
Duryodhana. Drona is endowed with great prowess. He is a shura,
accomplished in arms and tireless, and he has vowed to seize me.”
Arjuna says, “Rajan, this Satyajit will protect you today in battle. As
long as Satyajit lives, the acharya will never succeed in taking you. If,
however Satyajit is slain in battle, you must not remain on the field for a
moment, even if all our other warriors surround you.”
Yudhishtira then gives Arjuna leave to face the Samsaptakas; the king
embraces his brother lovingly and chants many mantras of blessing over
him. After he makes this arrangement for Yudhishtira’s protection, the
mighty Partha rides against the Trigartas, like a hungry lion hunting a herd
of deer. Filled with joy at Arjuna’s absence from Yudhishtira’s side,
Duryodhana’s men are eager to capture Yudhishtira. Both armies plunge
furiously at each other, like the Ganga and the Sarayu in spate in the season
of rains, when both rivers are swollen with water.’”
CANTO 17
“S anjaya says, ‘The Samsaptakas, sworn to kill Arjuna or die, are

full of delight as they take their stand on a level part of the field,
arraying their chariots in the vyuha of the Half-moon. Seeing Arjuna Kiritin
come towards them, they give vent to lusty shouts that fill the sky and all
the points of the compass. Because it is an open plain covered only with
men, their roars create no echoes.
Seeing them so full of joy, Dhananjaya, with a small smile, tells
Krishna, “Look, the Trigarta brothers, who are about to die, are full of
delight when they should weep instead. Or, perhaps this is their moment to
rejoice, since they will go to those transcendent realms that cowards can
never attain.”
Arjuna comes upon the arrayed ranks of the Trigartas, takes up his gold
embellished conch, the Devadatta, and blows it with great force, filling the
place with its blare, suddenly terrifying the Samsaptaka chariot legion, and
all their animals, who stand, petrified, with staring eyes, ears, necks and lips
paralysed. They urinate helplessly and some even vomit blood.
When they regain composure, they quickly form their ranks and loose
their arrows all together in a stream at Arjuna. The mind-swift Pandava
invokes fifteen astras and shoots down all those thousands of shafts in
flight, before they can reach him. The Samsaptakas strike Arjuna with ten
arrows each, and he, them with three. Each of them pierces Arjuna with five
shafts; he, with two of storm force.
They shower Arjuna and Kesava with a downpour as thunderclouds do
when they open. Thousands of arrows fall upon Arjuna, like swarms of bees
on a flowering stand of trees in the forest. Thirty of these gold-winged
barbs pierce Arjuna’s crown of adamant and stick there, so he seems to
wear golden ornaments, and shines like the newly risen sun.
With a wedge-headed arrow, Arjuna shreds Subahu’s leathern shield; he
covers Sudharman, Sudhanwan and Subahu in searing fire. They find
Partha with ten arrows each, and he, the monkey-bannered shura, strikes
them all with rashes of arrows, also cutting down their golden standards. He
breaks Sudhanwan’s bow, kills his horses and then, in a scarlet flash, cuts
his turbaned head from his neck.
This terrifies the Samsaptaka troops and, panic-stricken, many break
ranks and run headlong back to Duryodhana’s main army. The incensed
Arjuna inundates the mighty legion with a flood of arrows; he falls upon
that host and begins to raze it with a ceaseless torrent of arrows, like the
Sun destroying darkness with his rays. The Trigarta forces visibly melt
away on all sides. The Samsaptakas are as full of fear as Arjuna is of wrath;
they stand transfixed, helpless before him like a terrified herd of deer, and
he slaughters them with his supernal archery. And then even their
maharathas turn their chariots to flee from the terrible Pandava.
Susarman roars in rage at his maharathas, “Stand and fight, Kshatriyas!
It is shameful to flee from battle. You swore such a dread and solemn oath
before all the army. What will you say to Duryodhana’s great commanders
when you go running back to them? The whole world will mock us for such
cowardice. Stand and fight!”
Hearing him, Rajan, those shuras roar aloud and blow on their conches
to embolden themselves. The Samsaptakas return to the field, along with
the fighting Narayana cow-herds, resolved now to face Yama himself.’”
CANTO 18
“S anjaya says, ‘Seeing the Samsaptakas return to the field, Arjuna

says to his sarathy, the divine Krishna, “Hrishikesa, ride at the
Samsaptakas! They will not yield as long as they are alive. Today you will
see the might of my arms and of this Gandiva. Today I will slaughter all
these men like Rudra does the creatures at the end of the Yuga.”
The invincible Krishna smiles, heartens his warrior with some
auspicious words, and sets his chariot towards the enemy. That chariot
yoked to white horses is as splendid as a celestial vimana coursing through
the sky. And like Indra’s ratha, Rajan, in the war between the Devas and the
Asuras in olden days, it could fly in every direction.
Armed with diverse weapons, the wrathful Narayanas surround
Dhananjaya, and cover him with a thick darkness of arrows.
Bharatarishabha, in moments Arjuna and Krishna are entirely shrouded,
invisible. His face dark with anger, Arjuna grips the Gandiva more tightly,
rubs its bowstring and, his great brow furrowed deep, he blows a
reverberant blast on his prodigious conch, the Devadatta. His ire provoked,
his greater might summoned, the Pandava invokes and looses the
devastating astra called the Tvashtri. Thousands of shining terrible Arjunas
and Krishna appear on that field. Confounded and maddened by that sight,
the enemy soldiers turn on one another for they see just Arjunas and
Krishnas everywhere, and their every comrade one!
“Hah! Arjuna!”
“Krishna!”
“Pandu’s son!”
“Yadava!”
Bewildered by the hallucinations of the astra, crying out thus, they hew
blindly at one another, and their bodies are quickly like blossoming
Kinsukas, sprouted in red flowers and beautiful. The astra consumes all the
thousands of arrows they shot at the real Arjuna and Krishna, plunging
them in a solid night; the two emerge from darkness glorious as ever. All
the while, the occult weapon sends Samsaptaka heroes past counting to
Yama’s halls. Then, laughing in exhilaration, Arjuna turns to further raze
the Lalithya, the Malava, the Mavellaka, and the Trigarta warriors. Arjuna
massacres those Kshatriyas in the grip of fate, but they valiantly continue to
besiege him with so many different kinds of missiles.
Yet again, the Samsaptaka arrows plunge Arjuna and Krishna in
darkness and neither they nor their ratha can be seen. Seeing their arrows
find their mark, their enemies roar in joy; they already celebrate, waving
bright silks scarves, thinking the two Krishnas are dead. They blow their
conches, beat their drums and clash cymbals in thousands, and roar in
exultation like some vast pride of lions.
Krishna, bathed in sweat and weak, speaks to Arjuna in the unnatural
dark, “Where are you, Partha? I do not see you. Are you alive, O
Parantapa?”
At once, Arjuna invokes the Vayavyastra, weapon of the Wind, and
blows away the sinister cupola of arrows, and the darkness with it.
Illustrious Vayu, god of that mighty astra, blows away whole legions of
Samsaptakas, thousands of men, with their horses, elephants, chariots and
weapons, as if they are dry leaves. And ah, they look beautiful, like flights
of birds taking wing all together from their trees!
Even while they are borne through the air and along the ground, Arjuna
cuts off thousands of martial and royal heads; he cuts away weapon-
wielding hands from wrists, dissects warriors’ thighs like elephants trunks,
and strikes others deep and fatally through backs, arms and eyes.
Arjuna dismembers his enemies and shatters their richly adorned
chariots that look like cloud palaces in the sky; he kills rathikas, horsemen,
elephant-riders and their beasts of war. Ruined chariots lie everywhere in
dense profusion, with standards broken, looking like forests of headless
palmyra trees. Elephants bearing proud banners, hooks, goads and royal
standards, fall like wooded mountains split by Indra’s Vajra.
Horses in mail with yak-like tails, roll on the ground with their riders, in
death’s spasms, their entrails and eyes gouged out, all struck by Partha’s
shafts. Foot-soldiers lie askew in the final postures of death, their hands no
longer grasping the swords that had been their talons, their armour
shredded, their bones broken and protruding ghastly, their vitals excoriated,
all slain by Arjuna’s irresistible arrows.
Kurukshetra, field of war, is dreadful with corpses, with warriors still
being killed, the fallen and then falling, standing or being swept away. The
showers of blood sprayed copiously all around by Arjuna’s indescribable
archery wetly clears the air of it dust. The ground strewn with thousands of
headless trunks is impassable.
Arjuna’s chariot shines fiercely like Rudra’s ratha at the end of the
Yuga, when the Lord comes as Hara to destroy creation. The warriors, with
their holy horses, chariots and elephants, slaughtered by Arjuna become the
guests of Indra. Strewn thickly with dead maharathas, Kurukshetra is as
macabre as Yama’s domains that teem with the spirits of departed creatures.
Meanwhile, as Arjuna is furiously engaged with the Samsaptakas,
Drona at the head of his forces in battle array, along with many armed and
famous maharathas, hunts Yudhishtira, determined to capture him. The
ensuing battle is unimaginably brutal.’”
CANTO 19
“S anjaya says, ‘The next morning, Maharatha Drona tells

Suyodhana, “‘I am ready! I arranged for Arjuna to be lured away
by the Samsaptakas.”
When Partha rides after the Samsaptakas, Drona, at the head of his
vyuha, sets out to capture Dharmaraja Yudhishtira. Seeing Drona array his
forces in a Garuda vyuha, Yudhishtira deploys his troops in an Ardhachakra
vyuha.
At the beak of the Garuda is Drona himself while Duryodhana
surrounded by his brothers forms the head with Kritavarman and the
illustrious Kripa being the two eyes of that Eagle. Bhutasarman,
Kshemasarman, the valiant Karakaksha, the Kalingas, the Singhalas, the
Easterners, the Sudras, the Abhiras, the Daserakas, the Sakas, the Yavanas,
the Kambojas, the Hangsapadas, the Surasenas, the Daradas, the Madras
and the Kalikeyas, with hundreds and thousands of elephants, horses,
chariots, and foot-soldiers are stationed at its neck. Bhurisravas, Salya,
Somadatta, and Balhika, surrounded by a full Akshauhini, take up their
position as the right wing, while Vinda, Anuvinda of Avanti and
Sudakshina, king of the Kambojas, station themselves at the left wing with
Drona’s son Aswatthaman.
At the rear of that Garuda are the Kalingas, the Ambashtas, the
Magadhas, the Paundras, the Madrakas, the Gandharas, the Sakunas, the
Vasatis, the Easterners and the Mountain-men. At its tail is Vikartana’s son
Karna, with his sons, kinsmen and friends, leading a large force raised from
diverse kingdoms. At the heart of that formation are Jayadratha,
Bhimaratha, Sampati, the Jayas, the Bhojas, Bhuminjaya, Vrisha, Kratha,
and the mighty king of the Nishadas, all masters of war, surrounded by a
large host, keeping Brahmaloka in their hearts and as their goal.
Drona’s vyuha with its foot-soldiers, horses, chariots and elephants,
heaves like a tempest-tossed ocean, as it advances to engage the enemy.
Impatient warriors sally forth from its flanks, like roaring summer clouds
charged with lightning, scudding in from all sides. In the midst of that army,
the king of the Pragjyotishas, mounted on his war elephant, is magnificent,
Rajan, like the rising sun. Decked in garlands of flower and with a royal
white chatra held over his head, he is like the full moon when Soma is in
conjunction with the Krittika nakshatra. His elephant, blind with the wine-
like exudation from its temples rent in musth, looks like a mass of black
antimony and shines like a mountain washed by the showers of mighty
clouds. Bhagadatta himself, armed with various weapons, riding in the
midst of many heroic kings of the hill countries, is like Indra himself
surrounded by the Devas.
Yudhishtira sees that superhuman and invincible vyuha and tells
Dhrishtadyumna, “O you of the steeds white as doves, do whatever you
must to ensure that the Brahmana does not take me his captive.”
Dhrishtadyumna replies, “O Punyavrata, Drona will never take you,
however he strives to, for I myself will contain him and his forces. As long
as I am alive, O Kurusthama, have no fear. Under no circumstances can
Drona vanquish me in battle.”
With this, Dhrishtadyumna, the mighty son of Drupada, with bow raised
and streaming arrows charges Drona. Seeing the fire-born Panchala prince
ride straight at him like an evil omen, Drona feels a pang of fear and
weakness. Watching this, your son Durmukha, rides between the Acharya
and Dhrishtadyumna, and a pitched battle erupts between them, O Bhaarata.
Dhrishtadyumna covers Durmukha in a rage of arrows, and looses a
scathing volley at Drona as well. Durmukha replies with thick swaths of
violent shafts, arrow clouds of every hue and kind.
Even while they are thus engaged, Drona consumes many legions of
Yudhishtira’s army, like the wind scattering a cloudbank. Only briefly does
that battle resemble an ordinary encounter, Rajan, for it swiftly turns into a
wild carnage of men of absolute wrath, in the grip of the feral spirit of kali.
The men can no longer distinguish their own from the enemy and the battle
rages with the warriors guided only by instinct and the crying out of names.
Rays of light like those of the Sun seem to fall and play upon the gemstones
on their helmets, their necklaces, other ornaments and upon their coats of
mail, and turn the chariots, elephants and horses adorned with streaming
banners, into clouds with flocks of cranes under them.
Foot soldiers butcher other foot soldiers, cavalrymen riding horses of
fiery mettle slay other horsemen, chariot-warriors kill other rathikas, and
the elephant-mounted bring down other elephant-riders. Perhaps the most
ferocious contention is between the elephant legions with lofty standards on
their backs. The mastodons lumber at one another and great bodies collide
in thunder; they gore each other deep with curved tusked, while smoke
issues from white tusks locking and grinding against other tusks, so that the
spectacle is like dark clouds massed in the sky and charged with lighting.
The earth, spread over with elephants in mortal combat, dragging along
other leviathans, trumpeting shrilly in fury and pain, drawing geysers of
blood and then falling with dismal screams, quakes and looks beautiful like
the autumn sky covered with clouds. The deep cries of the great beasts cut
down by thousands of arrows and savage spears are like the rumble of
thunderheads during the monsoon.
Some of the massive beasts, wounded with lance and barb, are panic-
stricken and their tails curling run wildly from the field trumpeting in terror
even like the roaring of the apocalyptic clouds of the pralaya when a Yuga
ends. Some are turned back by their redoubtable riders, to the fray with
sharp hooks and goads to charge the enemy again. They come back in
renewed frenzy trampling, crushing to bloody pulp all that stand in their
way.
Mahouts attack other mahamatras with arrows and lances and fell them
from the backs of their beasts, their weapons and hooks falling from dead
hands. Many riderless elephants blunder about like clouds torn from greater
masses until they encounter one another and then fall to again. Some
towering beasts, bearing slain warriors on their backs, or those whose
weapons have fallen from their grasps, wander singly, aimlessly in all
directions.
In that awful carnage of mammoths, untold numbers of the great
animals are killed with spears, arrows, swords and battle-axes, and fall,
shaking the earth with their heavy bodies and the sky with their echoing
screams. The earth trembles repeatedly, struck all around by the falling
creatures heavy as hills. With elephants killed along with their riders lying
everywhere with the standards still on their backs, the earth looks eerily
beautiful as if strewn with shapely grey hills running streams of red down
their sides. The mahamatras on the backs of countless hulking beast, their
breasts pierced by broad-headed shafts, collapse, their spears and hooks
loosened from nerveless hands. Some elephants, struck through with long
shafts, utter crane like cries and bolt in all directions, trampling allies and
enemies alike, leaving ghastly patches of crushed bodies in their wake.
Covered with countless corpses of elephants, horses and chariot-
warriors, the Earth, Rajan, is sludge of flesh and blood. Large chariots with
wheels and many without wheels, shattered by great tusks, are tossed high
into the air by the maddened elephants on the rampage, ever cruelly goaded
by the warriors perched on their backs. Chariots are seen careering
everywhere, their charioteers and warriors slain; and riderless horses and
elephants, pouring blood from deep wounds and all crying out pitiably.
On horrible Kurukshetra, father slays son, and son kills father, for the
war has turned altogether ghastly; the kali yuga is upon the world and
dharma has left the sacred field stalked by unseen demons and every
manner of sinister savagery. Men sink ankle-deep in the gory mire and look
like tall trees whose lower parts have been swallowed in a forest-fire. Fine
Kshatriyas’ capes, coats of mail, parasols and standards are all dyed with
blood and everything on the yawning field of Yama seems to have turned
death’s stark crimson. Muscular corpses of slain steeds ripple no more,
chariots lie sad and broken, as do brave fighting men beyond count; yet the
war rages on and these are further ridden over and truncated by the chariot
wheels of those that fight on.
The sea of troops with elephants for its stream, slain men for its floating
moss and weeds, and chariots for its fierce eddies, makes a grim and
horrific spectacle. Warriors, with horses and elephants for their large craft,
seeking victory for their spoil, plunge into that sea, and do not sink but
soldier madly on to have their enemies’ lives at any cost. When all the
warriors, each bearing his particular insignia, are lashed by scathing arrow-
storms, none among them loses heart, not though all have lost their proud
emblems. In that greatest and most awful battle, Drona flays all the
maharathas ranged against him, protecting Yudhishtira, confounding them
with archery that defies both imagination and belief. Finally, the Brahmana
afire draws near enough to charge Yudhishtira himself.’”
CANTO 20
“S anjaya continues, ‘Seeing Drona near him, Yudhishtira greets him

fearlessly with a thick shower of arrows. Yudhishtira’s troops
receive this like a herd of elephants trumpeting when a lion attacks their
leader. Seeing Drona close in on Yudhishtira, the powerful Satyajit rushes at
the Acharya; the Panchala prince and the Brahmana come hunting the
Pandava king fight lustrously, stirring their troops even like Indra and Bali.
In a blur, Satyajit strikes Drona’s charioteer with five barbs smoking
like snake-venom, each one looking like Death himself. Drona swoons.
Satyajit swiftly kills Drona’s horses with ten deadly shafts; incensed, he
pierces each of Drona’s Parshni charioteers with ten arrows. Flaring around
the field in a circle at the head of his troops, wrath of battle high in him, he
cuts down Drona’s standard.
Recovering himself, seeing his enemy’s feats, Drona resolves to
dispatch him. The Acharya first breaks Satyajit’s bow, even as the prince
draws the weapon’s string back with an arrow fitted, and then plunges ten
more terrible shafts deep into that Kshatriya’s body. In a flash, valiant
Satyajit takes up another bow and quick as thinking strikes Drona with
thirty barbs winged with the feathers of the Kanka bird. The Pandavas roar
in joy and wave their capes to celebrate Satyajit’s valour. Now the mighty
Vrika amazes all by striking Drona squarely through his chest with a swath
of sixty arrows shot in a single moment. Mighty Drona glowers and
reaching into his great heart summons all his energy.
He breaks both Satyajit and Vrika’s bows, and with six missiles like
thunderbolts, in a red flash, he kills Vrika with his charioteer and horses.
Satyajit seizes up another stronger bow and again makes Drona, his sarathy
and his horses a home burning shafts. Drona cannot bear this ignominy and
pounds Satyajit with a hail of shafts, drawing blood from his horses,
cleaving the very grip of his new bow, and wounding both his Parshni
sarathies. Yet, though his bows are thus repeatedly riven, the Panchala
prince, master of the greatest astras, continues to ferociously engage the
Brahmana of the red chargers. Seeing Satyajit grow in energy in their
pitched duel, Drona strikes off that shining young warrior’s handsome head
with a crescent-tipped arrow.
When he sees the Panchala prince die, Yudhishtira does not pause a
moment but, borne away by his fleet steeds, flees that perilous encounter
for fear of the hunting Acharya. The Panchalas, the Kekayas, the Matsyas,
the Chedis, the Karushas and the Kosalas dash at Drona from every side to
protect Yudhishtira. However, awesome Drona, razer of teeming enemy
hosts, calmly begins to consume those legions, like fire consuming some
heaps of cotton. Virata’s younger brother Satanika leads a sally against
Drona, and roaring like a tiger, strikes Drona, his charioteer and horses with
six streaks of lightning, polished bright as sunrays. Never pausing, though it
is a hard and wild thing he does, for Drona is a Brahmana, Satanika bathes
Bharadwaja’s maharatha son with arrow showers.
Then, Drona aroused roars back at Satanika and, with an arrow sharp as
a razor, dissevers the Matsya hero’s head decked with bright earrings. And
the Matsya warriors all flee. Having vanquished the Matsyas, the inexorable
son of Bharadwaja repeatedly routs the Chedis, the Karushas, the Kaikeyas,
the Panchalas, the Srinjayas, and the Pandus.
Seeing the enraged warrior of the golden chariot consuming their
akshauhinis like a fire devouring a forest, the Srinjayas tremble with rage
and fear. Drona is everywhere massacring the enemy, and we hear the awful
twang of his bowstring everywhere. Fierce arrows stream from his bow
without pause or let, cutting down elephants, horses, foot-soldiers, chariot-
warriors and elephant-riders. As a mighty mass of roaring summer clouds
blown by violent winds batters down hailstones, so Drona does arrows and
fills fear in the hearts of his enemies. He blows in every direction,
seemingly ubiquitous, agitating the enemy sea. We see his gold chased bow
in his hands of untold genius, all around us, like streak lighting amidst dark
clouds. The beautiful emblem of the Vedi, the altar on his banner resembles
a peak of Himavat.
The carnage that Drona fetches to the Pandava troops is like the
slaughter that Vishnu, adored by both the Devas and the Asuras, brought to
the Daitya army. Heroic, truthful in speech, wise beyond measure, mighty
and inexorable, the illustrious Brahmana lets a fierce river of blood, which
strikes terror into the timid. Coats of mail are its waves, standards its
eddies, and it bears away, as it flows, countless numbers of mortal
creatures, elephants and horses its great crocodiles, and swords its fish. Ah,
no one can easily cross Drona’s river of death.
The bones of heroes form its pebbles; drums and cymbals its tortoises;
shields and armour are its boats; the hair of Kshatriyas its floating moss and
weeds; arrows are its wavelets and bows its current; the writhing arms of
soldiers form its snakes; and that river of fierce tide runs over the
battlefield, sweeping away both Kurus and Srinjayas. Human heads, are its
grisly stones; their thighs its large fish; maces form the rafts by which many
seek to cross it; and floating helmets are the froth that covers its surface and
the entrails of animals of war are its reptiles. Terrible in aspect, it bears
away numberless heroes to the other world; blood and flesh make up its
sludge; elephants its crocodiles and flagstaffs the trees on its banks.
Thousands of Kshatriyas sink in it. Fierce corpses clog it and with horse-
soldiers and elephant-warriors for its sharks, Drona’s blood river is
impassable, as it hurtles towards Yamaloka. It abounds with Rakshasas,
wild dogs and jackals and macabre pisachas haunt its banks and drink
thirstily from it.
Then, led by Yudhishtira, a host of Pandava warriors attacks Drona, as
he burns on Kurukshetra like the Sun beating down on the world and
devours their legions greedily like Death himself. The Pandava forces
surround Drona from every side, hemming him in. At this, Rajan, the kings
and the princes of your army, with weapons raised, all rush to support the
Brahmana shura. Meanwhile, Sikhandin strikes Drona with five perfectly
straight barbs, Kshatradharman with twenty, and Vasudeva with five;
Uttamaujas pierces him with three shafts, and Kshatradeva with five;
Satyaki drills him with a hundred thunderbolts, and Yudhamanyu with
eight. Yudhishtira shoots the fearsome Brahmana with a dozen shafts, and
Dhrishtadyumna with ten and Chekitana with three.
But then Drona, like an elephant with rent temples, routs the chariot-
division of the Pandavas and he kills Dridhasena. Attacking king Kshema,
who fights without fear, the wild Acharya kills him with nine arrows loosed
in the space of a wish and Kshema falls lifeless in his very ratha. Ploughing
his way into the very heart of the hostile troop, Drona careening
everywhere, Drona bestriding the war, protects his own luminously, while
he himself needs no protection at all. He strikes Sikhandin with twelve
singing shafts and Uttamaujas with twenty. He despatches Vasudeva with a
wedge-tipped arrow that severs his head so very cleanly; Drona savages
Kshemavarman with eighty arrows shot quicker than seeing, and
Sudakshina with six and twenty. He shoots Kshatradeva down from his
chariot with a thick and heavy shaft. Having wounded Yudhamanyu with
sixty-four arrows and Satyaki with thirty, Drona of the golden chariot once
again rounds on Yudhishtira, that best of kings, who wisely flees like the
wind from his Acharya.
Panchala, son of Drupada, attacks Drona feverishly. Drona in his froth
breaks his bow, fells his horses and his charioteer and with a single final
shaft that plunges through Panchala’s armour and blows his noble heart to
shreds kills Drupada’s son with some satisfaction, and the young hero falls
lifeless from his sad chariot like a bright star come loose from the sky.
Upon the fall of the illustrious Panchala, we hear loud cries, “Kill
Drona! Kill Drona!”
But the imperturbable and violent Brahmana continues to maim and
slaughter the Panchalas, the Matsyas, the Kaikeyas, the Srinjayas and the
Pandavas. Supported by your Kurus, Drona then triumphantly quells
Satyaki, and Chekitana’s son, and Senabindu, and Suvarchas, and many
other majestic Kshatriyas. Your warriors, Rajan, are victorious in that fervid
encounter, and massacre the Pandava forces as they fly in all directions. The
Panchalas, the Kaikeyas and the Matsyas shake with fear as they are
butchered on all sides like the Danavas were of old by Indra.’”
CANTO 21
“D hritarashtra asks, ‘When Bharadwaja’s son breaks through the

Pandavas and the Panchalas is there anybody who challenges
him? Alas, seeing Drona standing there at the head of his troops like a tiger
or an elephant in musth, such a terror to his enemies, and willing to die for
Duryodhana’s cause, was there no man who could face him, none of
courage to enhance the fame of the Kshatriyas, a spirit that lower men can
never have and which is distinctive only of the greatest? Tell me, O
Sanjaya, which shuras faced Bharadwaja’s son at the head of his forces?’
Sanjaya replies, ‘Seeing Drona ravish the Panchalas, the Pandavas, the
Matsyas, the Srinjayas, the Chedis, the Kaikeyas with his astras, so they
shamefully flee from his unbearable archery, so they are like skiffs by the
dreadful waves of a tempested ocean, your sons the Kauravas, roaring like
lions, and blowing their conches and beating their drums, suddenly fall
recklessly upon the enemy’s chariots, elephants and foot-soldiers from all
sides. The Pandava fighters break ranks entirely and flee blindly from the
fray. At the head of his own forces, surrounded by his brothers and
kinsmen, Duryodhana exults, and laughingly says to Karna, “Look
Radheya, the Panchalas before Drona are like a herd of the wild deer
terrified by a lion. I do not think they will come back to battle for our
Acharya has blown them away as a great storm does mighty trees.
Each man for himself, they flee from his golden-winged arrows, no two
of them together. They panic as men caught in whirlpools; and look now
how they huddle together like elephants in a forest-fire. They are like trees
in blossom swarmed by the dark bees that are Drona’s arrows. With their
blood flowing, they run all together, for they have no answer to the
Acharya.
Look there Karna, the sight of the angry Bhima, abandoned by the
Pandavas and the Srinjayas and surrounded by my warriors, delights me
most of all! Ah today, that evil one see the world full of just Drona! I have
no doubt that Pandu’s wretched son has lost all hope today of life and
kingdom.”
Karna replies quietly, “Mahabaho Bhima will not abandon the battle as
long as there is life in him. Neither will he brook our triumphant shouts, and
nor will the Pandavas be vanquished in battle. They are valiant, resilient,
powerful beyond common understanding and hard to resist in war. When
they remember how we tried to poison them and burn them alive, and the
shame and exile that arose from the game of dice, the Pandavas will not
abandon the war.
Look where the mighty-armed Vrikodara of endless tejas has already
turned back to the fight. This son of Kunti will certainly kill many of our
best maharathas. With sword and bow, with astras, horses, elephants, men,
chariots and with his iron gada, he will raze many legions of our soldiers.
Other maharathas of the Panchalas, the Kekayas, the Matsyas, and
especially the Pandavas themselves, follow him. All of them are intrepid,
powerful and skilled. The mighty Bhima leads them again in wrath.
Vrikodara surrounded by the bulls of his vamsas, like the clouds around the
Sun, engages Drona from all sides.
Intent upon their one object, they will besiege the unprotected Drona,
like insects near death flying at a burning flame. They are masters of
weapons and equal to facing the Acharya in battle. Heavy is the burden that
now rests on Bharadwaja’s son. Let us ride quickly to Drona. We must not
let them kill him like wolves hunting down a mighty elephant!”
Listening to what Karna says, Duryodhana with his brothers rushes to
Drona’s rescue. The sound of the Pandava warriors returning to the fight on
their chariots drawn by superb horses of diverse colours, all bent upon
Drona’s death, is deafening.’”
CANTO 22
“D
Drona.’
hritarashtra says, ‘Describe for me, Sanjaya, the distinctive
marks of their rathas, all those who fight for Bhimasena against
Sanjaya says, ‘Vrikodara rides a chariot drawn by dappled horses

coloured like the antelope, while the brave Satyaki’s has a ratha is
harnessed to silvery chargers. The furious and irresistible Yudhamanyu
rides a ratha with superb horses of variegated hue. Dhrishtadyumna’s
chariot has fleet horses yoked, in trappings of gold and grey. Red horses
draw the ratha of Dhrishtadyumna’s son, Kshatradharman of firm vows,
who fights to protect his father and ensure his complete success.
Sikhandin’s son Kshatradeva’s finely caparisoned horses are of the colour
of lotus-leaves and have pure white eyes.
Beautiful Kamboja chargers, decked with the feathers of the green
parrot, bear Nakula towards your army. Horses dark like thunderclouds take
Uttamaujas into the battle, against the invincible Drona standing with arrow
drawn. Sahadeva, his weapons raised, has horses fleet as the wind and of
variegated hues, during that fight encounter.
Yudhishtira Naravyaghra’s steeds are ivory coloured with black manes,
high-strung and fleet like the wind. He rides at the head of many warriors
borne along by equally swift horses, decked in gold trappings. Behind him
is Drupada, the king of the Panchalas, with a golden parasol over his head,
protected by all these soldiers that follow Yudhishtira. Sautabhi, great
archer, has truly beautiful horses that can endure every frightful sound of
war, and Virata follows him.
The Kaikeyas, Sikhandin and Dhrishtaketu, surrounded by their
respective troops, follow the king of Matsyas. Excellent horses of the pale
red tint of trumpet-flowers are most handsome to behold as they bear Virata
into the fight, while fleet yellow steeds yellow drawn with chains of gold,
carry his son Uttara. Chargers of deep red hue bear the five Kekaya
brothers. The aureate Kshatriyas, with red pennants and decked with golden
chains, all great heroes, loose arrows like clouds pouring down rain.
Superb steeds of the colour of unbaked earthen pots, the gift of
Tumburu pull the chariot of Sikhandin, Panchala prince of great tejas.
Altogether, twelve thousand maharathas of the Panchala race take the
field. Of these, six thousand follow Sikhandin. Spirited piebald horses,
dappled like the antelope, carry the son of Sisupala into the fray. The bull
among the Chedis, the strong and invincible Dhrishtaketu, has Kamboja
steeds of variegated complexion, while, fabulous Sindhu horses of beautiful
limbs and of the hue of straw smoke draw the Kaikeya prince
Brihadkshatra’s chariot. Of eyes of pure white their skins the colour of the
lotus, horses foaled in the country of the Balhikas and decked with fine
ornaments, bear Sikhandin’s son, brave Kshatradeva. Senabindu, scourge of
his enemies, has quiet horses of the rich hue of red silk, caparisoned in gold.
Exceptional stallions of the colour of cranes bring the youthful maharatha,
the delicate son of the king of the Kasi, into battle.
White steeds with black necks, swift as the mind, yet always obedient to
their sarathy, bear Prince Prativindhya. Arjuna’s son Sutasoma has cream-
coloured steeds, which he has received from Soma Deva himself. He was
born in the Kuru city of Udayendu. Blessed with the brilliance of a
thousand moons he came to be called Sutasoma because he also had won
great renown in an assembly of the Somakas. Horses of the colour of sala
flowers or of the morning sun bear Nakula’s praiseworthy son Satanika.
Horses of the hue of the peacock’s neck, in trappings of gold, carry
Draupadi’s son by Bhima, the Naravyaghra Srutakarman, her son Srutakirti,
who like Arjuna is an ocean of learning, uses marvellous steeds coloured
like kingfisher.
The youthful Abhimanyu, who is regarded as one and a half times
superior to Krishna or Arjuna in battle, has tawny horses yoked. Horses of
gigantic size bear Yuyutsu, the only son of Dhritarashtra who, abandoning
his brothers, fights for the Pandavas, into battle. Plump and well-decked
horses of the colour of the dried paddy stalk, bear the most energetic
Vardhakshemi into the terrible battle while the youthful Sauchitti has
obedient horses with black legs, fitted with golden breastplates. Srenimat
has well-broken horses, their skins like red silk, whose backs are covered
with golden armour and drawn with chains of gold.
Satyadhriti, accomplished in the astra shastra and in the divine Vedas,
yokes red horses. Steeds coloured like pigeons draw the ratha of
Dhrishtadyumna, senapati of the Pandava army, who always views Drona
as his victim by fate. He follows Satyadhriti, the irresistible Sauchitti,
Srenimat, Vasudana and Vibhu, son of the Kasi king. They have thought-
swift steeds of the best Kamboja breed adorned with chains of gold. Each
resembles Yama or Vaisravana as they take the field, striking fear into the
hearts of the enemy soldiers.
Six thousand Prabhadrakas of the Kamboja country, with exceptional
steeds of different colours yoked to their gold-decked chariots, and resolved
to die together, ride into battle, their bows always stretched and loosing
tirades of arrows at their enemies, making them tremble. Exceptional
warhorses, the shade of tawny silk, decked with shining chains of gold,
heartily bear Chekitana into battle.
Arjuna’s uncle Purujit, also called Kuntibhoja, has extraordinary
rainbow-coloured horses. Steeds the colour of the star-spangled firmament
draw king Rochamana’s ratha, while stallions the colour of red deer, with
white streaks on their bodies, are yoked to the chariot of the Panchala
prince Singhasena, son of Gopati.
That tiger among the Panchalas called Janamejaya, has sturdy horses of
the hue of mustard flowers. Fleet, massive and dark blue, with golden
chains, their backs the colour of curd and faces that of the Moon, are the
animals of Drupada himself, which bring him storming into battle. Fearless
red steeds with striking white heads, their splendour like that of the sky or
the lotus, are Dandadhara’s. Vyaghradatta has light brown horses with
mouse-coloured backs and their necks proudly drawn up. The
Purushavyaghra Sudhanwan, prince of Panchala, yokes dark-spotted horses.
Chitrayudha drives fiercely mettlesome horses of the bright colour of
Indragopakas, with variegated patches, and they resemble Indra’s very
Vajra; while Sukshatra, the son of the king of the Kosalas’ horses, draped in
golden chains, have bellies the colour of the chakravaka. Stunning tall
beasts of many colours and giant bodies, yet exceedingly docile, and draped
with chains of gold, fetch the seasoned Satyadhriti to the fight; Sukla’s
standard, armour, bow and horses are all white.
Magnificent steeds born on the sea-coast and white as the moon, are
yoked by Samudrasena’s son Chandrasena of burning tejas, while Saiba
rides an exotic chariot drawn by horses of the complexion of the blue lotus,
lavishly adorned with golden ornaments and bright garlands of flowers. The
inexorable Rathasena has superior steeds the colour of kalaya flowers with
white and red streaks, while white horses carry that bravest of men
Chitrayudha, king who slew the Patachcharas. His chariot is also drawn by
other pedigreed horses red as kinsuka flowers, and Chitrayudha himself
wears beautiful garlands and wears striking armour, bears diverse
marvellous weapons and flies a majestic standard.
King Nila comes to battle with standard, armour, bow, banner and
horses all the same colour—blue.
Chitra’s chariot-fence, standard and bow are bejewelled and his horses
and banner remarkable. Grand steeds of the colour of the lotus carry
Hemavarna, the son of Rochamana, into the fight, while bold, strong
stallions, which can haul a heavy load of weapons, whose backs are the
colour of reeds, and their testicles white as the hen’s egg, pull Dandaketu’s
ratha.
Chargers like the moon’s rays wearing kavacha set with stones of lapis
lazuli draw the chariot of the mighty Sarangadhwaja, king of the Pandyas,
and he advances upon Drona, stretching his tremendous bow into a circle.
Krishna had killed his father in battle; his country had been invaded and his
kinsmen had fled. Prince Sarangadhwaja learnt and acquired the devastras
from Bhishma, Drona, Rama and Kripa, and became the equal of Rukmi,
Karna, Arjuna and Krishna in battle. He then wanted to destroy Dwaraka
and to subjugate the whole world. Wise friends counselled him against this
reckless course. Having given up all thoughts of revenge, he now rules his
own dominions. Horses all the colour of the atrusa flower carry a hundred
and forty thousand principle mama-rathas that follow Sarangadhwaja into
battle.
Chargers of diverse colours and many different kinds of troops follow
the heroic Ghatotkacha. Enormous steeds of the Aratta breed are yoked to
the golden ratha of Mahabaho Brihanta of the red eyes, prince, who flouted
the counsel of all the Bharatas, and singly, from his reverence for
Yudhishtira, went over to him, abandoning all his most cherished hopes and
desires.
Yudhishtira Dharmaraja yokes the most exceptional steeds shining like
gold.
Bhimasena leads a large contingent of Prabhadrakas with horses of
various colours, all flying standards of gold and ready to battle with their
very lives. Rajan, that force of Bhima’s truly resembles the celestial army of
Swargavasis, with Indra at their head. This assembled host pleases
Dhrishtadyumna no end.
Yet, Drona surpasses all these warriors in splendour. His standard with a
black deerskin and the beautiful kamandalu waving in the wind is the most
striking. Bhimasena’s standard, with the device of a great lion emblazoned
in silver, its eyes of lapis lazuli, is also splendid. Yudhishtira’s standard of
great tejas bears the device of a golden moon with planets around it; it, too,
is marvellous. Two large and exquisite kettledrums, called Nanda and
Upananda, are fastened to it. Played upon by a yantra, these create
wonderful music that delights all who hear it.
We see the tall and fierce standard of Nakula, which strikes terror into
the enemy, for it bears the emblem of a golden-backed Sarabha. A graceful
silver swan graces Sahadeva’s banner, with bells upon; it is somehow
terrible, as well, and brings grief to the enemy. The pennants of the five
sons of Draupadi bear the marvellous images of Dharma, Maruta, Sakra and
the twin Aswins. On youthful Abhimanyu’s chariot is a gorgeous flag with
a peacock, bright as molten gold. On Ghatotkacha’s banner is a vulture
which shines brilliantly and his horses can go anywhere at will, like those
of Ravana in old days.
In Yudhishtira’s hands is the celestial bow Mahendra; Bhimasena has
the Vayavya; Phalguni wields the Brahmaa which was created to protect the
three worlds; Nakula grasps the Vaishnava, and Sahadeva the Aswina. In
Ghatotkacha’s hand is the terrible Paulastya.
The jewels among weapons wielded by the five sons of Draupadi are
the Raudra, the Agneya, the Kauverya, the Yamya and the Girisa. The great
bow called the Raudra, which Rohini’s son Baladeva had, he later gave to
the noble son of Subhadra, being delighted with Abhimanyu.
We see these and many other standards decked with gold flying on
Kurukshetra, all of which belong to brave warriors, all of which strike their
enemies with dread. The host that Drona commands does not have a single
faint-hearted man in its ranks. Its countless standards flying high together
seem to obscure the sky, looking like magic images in a painting. As is the
custom, we hear the brave warriors announce their names and lineage as
they charge Drona in battle.
Then the royal Drupada takes the field against him at the head of a
mighty akshauhini and their encounter is terrible, like that between two
aged and mighty tuskers, the leaders of their herds, and yet in musth. Vinda
and Anuvinda of Avanti, with their troops, encounter Virata, the Matsya
king at the head of his forces, as Indra and Agni did the Asura Bali in days
of yore. The dread contention between the Matsyas and the Kekayas, in
which horses, maharathas and elephants fight so savagely, is like the
Devasura yuddha of older days. Bhutakarman, also called Sabhapati, keeps
away from Drona. However, Nakula’s son Satanika attacks this
Bhutakarman and with three broad-headed shafts, sharper than razors, hews
off both that Kshatriya’s arms and then his head.
Vivimsati intercepts the heroic and mighty Sutasoma as he advances
towards Drona, spraying him with arrows. Inspired in wrath, Sutasoma
drills his uncle with a clutch of line-straight barbs and, cased in mail, stands
ready for a duel. Duryodhana’s brother Bhimaratha looses six shafts of solid
iron at the other Salwa, not the uncle of Madri’s twins, and sends him
straight to Yama, along with his horses and charioteer.
Chitrasena’s son, Rajan, closes with your grandson Srutakarman as
Srutakarman rides into battle with horses that are coloured like peacocks.
These two grandsons of yours, both invincible in battle, and each
determined to kill the other, fight vigorously, each one for his grandsire.
Seeing Prativindhya in the van of the thick and heady fray, Aswatthaman
attacks him wildly—for the honour of his father. The infuriated
Prativindhya looses a rash of arrows, drawing blood from Aswatthaman
who flies a lion’s tail upon his standard.
Srutakirti, Draupadi’s eldest son by Arjuna, sprays Drona’s son with his
barbs, like a farmer scattering seeds in the sowing season. The son of
Dusasana bars the way of maharatha Srutakirti as Draupadi’s prince flashes
towards Drona. Srutakirti, however, who is equal to Arjuna himself, breaks
Dusasana’s son’s bow in his hands, lacerates his standard and charioteer
with three keen wedge-headed missiles, and charges on towards Drona.
Duryodhana’s son Lakshmana stands firm against the slayer of the
Patachcharas, whom both the armies regard as the bravest of the brave.
Srutakirti, however, destroys both Lakshmana’s bow and the standard and
drawing blood-flowers from his enemy with great swiftness of hand, flares
up in splendour. The wise and youthful Vikarna rounds on Sikhandin, son
of Drupada, who greets Vikarna with a hot burst of arrows. The mighty
Vikarna stands firm against this onslaught and is glorious on darkling
Kurukshetra.
Angada confronts the heroic Uttamaujas as that Panchala prince dashes
at Drona. Ferocious is the encounter between those two Naravyaghras and it
infuses their troops with zeal. The mighty Durmukha covers the valiant
Purujit with sizzling arrows as Durmukha also rides towards Drona. Purujit
strikes Durmukha between his eyes with a long and slim shaft, so
Durmukha’s face resembles a lotus on its stalk!
Karna faces the five Kekaya brothers who fly red standards and course
at Drona; he burns them with scorching volleys. Scathed by Karna’s
majestic archery, the five brothers respond with fire of their own, and a
running battle erupts. Engulfed by arrows, neither Karna nor the five
brothers can be seen, nor their horses, chariots, charioteers and standards.
Your sons Durjaya, Jaya and Vijaya set upon Nila, and the king of the
Kasis and Jayatsena; intense is the encounter between these and it enthralls
those who watch; it is as if they saw a fight between a lion, a tiger and a
wolf, on the one side, and a bear, a buffalo and a bull on the other! The
brothers Kshemadhurti and Brihanta harry Satyaki as the Satwata flies at
Drona. The battle between these two and Satyaki is breathtaking, like one
between a lion and two mighty elephants in musth, in a dim forest.
The king of the Chedis, aflame, kills hundreds of men with wrathful
volleys; Ambashta, always delighted by bloody battle, keeps him far from
Drona. Ambashta then strikes his antagonist with a long, long arrow that
plunges into his very entrails

The Complete Mahabharata Volume 1 To 12 by Ramesh Menon

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Complete Mahabharata Volume 1 To 12 by Ramesh Menon

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Complete Mahabharata Volume 1 To 12 by Ramesh Menon

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Table of Contents

The Complete Mahabharata Volume 1

Copyright © Ramesh Menon 2009

Cover design: Moonis Ijlal

This digital edition published in 2012

All rights reserved.

Canto 1: Parva Samgraha

The last complete version of the Mahabharata to be written in India in

Sanjana Roy Choudhury, Kadambari Mishra, Deepthi Talwar and Jayashree

he Rishis said, ‘O son of Suta, we want to hear in detail from you

uta Ugrasrava, son of Romaharshana and a master of the Puranas, stood

auti said, ‘O Brahmana, Bhrigu’s son Chyavana Muni fathered a son by

auti said, ‘While the illustrious Brahmanas sat around Pramadvara’s

auti said, ‘O foremost among the knowers of Brahman, the mother of

auti said, ‘The Nagas consulted among themselves and decided to do as

auti continued, ‘Garuda said, “Purandara, let there be friendship

auti said, ‘Dvijottama, best of the twice-born, the serpents were

auti said, ‘Mighty Sringin’s eyes burned in wrath. He asked Krisa in a

aunaka said, ‘Tell me again in detail everything that King Janamejaya

auti continued, ‘The ministers said, “Maharaja Parikshit returned to

auti continued, ‘The ministers approved as a man, thunderously.

aisampayana said, “I first prostrate in sashtanga namaskara, eight

aisampayana said, “There is once a Paurava king of dharma called

anamejaya said, “Brahmana, tell me in detail about those you have

aisampayana said, “Indra and Narayana speak together about how He

anamejaya said, “Brahmana, you have indeed told me about the

aisampayana continued, “Having slaughtered thousands of innocent

hakuntala continues, ‘My father Kanva said, “Indra commanded

aisampayana continued, “King Dushyanta says, ‘This is wonderful! I

aisampayana continued, “Dushyanta leaves the asrama, promising

aisampayana said, “Listen to this sacred genealogy of those

aisampayana said, “Indeed, the celestials are overjoyed that Kacha

aisapayana said, “Shukra continued, ‘Devayani, he who masters

aisampayana said, “Now Shukra Kavya, greatest of Bhargavas,

aisampayana continued, “Some weeks pass, then Devayani goes to

aisampayana said, “Yayati returns to a joyous welcome from his

aisampayana said, “When Devayani hears that Sarmishta has had a

aisampayana said, “His youth gone, trembling with weakness and

aisampayana said, “The great King Yayati begins to enjoy himself, to

aisampayana said, “Having crowned his precious son Puru as king,

aisampayana said, “While Yayati, kings of kings, lives in Devaloka,

ayati says, ‘I am Yayati, son of Nahusha and the father of Puru.

shtaka asks, ‘O King, of the man of asceticism and the man of

anamejaya said, “O Vaisampayana, worthy of worship, tell me about the

anamejaya said, “Brahmana, you have told me the history of my

aisampayana said, “There is a king called Mahabhisha born into the

aisampayana said, “There is a king called Prateepa, who is

aisampayana said, “Well loved by the Devas and all Rajarishis,

aisampayana continued, “O King, Shantanu marries Satyavati with

aisampayana said, “O Scionof the House of Kuru, thus Bhishma

aisampayana said, “Grief-stricken herself, having lost her second

hishma continues, ‘In ancient days, wrathful at the death of his

hishma continues, ‘Mother, this is how we can continue the royal

aisampayana said, “That tiger among Munis answered those Rishis

aisampayana said, “When those three children are born,

hishma says, ‘Ours is an ancient and glorious royal line, shining

aisampayana continued, “There is a Yadava chieftain called Sura; he

aisampayana said, “Kuntibhoja’s daughter, Pritha of the large eyes, is

aisampayana continued, “A while later, Bhishma wants Pandu to